carbs

Cortisol is necessary for bodybuilding, but too much at the wrong time can put the brakes on your gains. Here's how to take charge of it. One of the functions of cortisol is to maintain a stable blood sugar level – cortisol increases it when it’s too low. One way of minimizing cortisol is…...

Do What Others Say is Impossible Hardly anyone ever manages to lose body fat while gaining muscle, but that's only because of a few, easily correctible mistakes. Can You Gain Muscle and Lose Fat Simultaneously? Is "recomposition" possible? The short answer is yes, but it's ordinarily very hard...

Your Questions, Expert Answers How bodybuilders can fight post-show depression, how to eat carbs and stay lean, and what to do if squats make you hurt. Several things could be at play here and it’s likely a combination of them – we’ll go over everything. But right off the bat I’m thinking...

If you love to lift hard, then train every other day to make the most gains. Here's why and how to plan it. To maximize strength or muscle growth, get more awesome workouts than below-average workouts. Seems logical, right? Yet most lifters believe a bad workout is better than no workout. Their...

by TC Luoma A Specific Strategy for Healing the Body A meta-study on the effects of carbohydrate quality and quantity on types of sleep reveals a tactic that every athlete needs to adopt. This is an article about better sleep, restorative sleep, and it has nothing to do with stuff any moron can...

"Calories Don't Matter on Keto!" Wrong. Caloric intake above maintenance will still cause fat gain. One of the most misleading statements about keto diets is that calories don't matter as long as you're not consuming carbs. This stems from the insulin-to-obesity theory. It goes something like...

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW... Eat for what you're about to do. Carbs fuel intense activity, so don't carb-up for bed or you may end up storing them instead of burning them. Do cardio in the morning before you've had any carbs. Tap into fat stores without eating away at muscle by having amino...

THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR DIETERS When some people decide to get lean, they make a big mistake. To reduce calories, they go low carb and low fat... at the same time. Your body needs an energy substrate and you need to consume it. While protein can technically be transformed into energy, it's a...

Carb cycling is a top fat loss tactic, known as a zig-zag dieting approach, that many coaches use, including myself, to get their clients in tip-top shape. I may not start out a client on a carb cycling method right in the beginning because I like establishing a solid intake of calories and...

Cutting carbs is generally considered to be the fastest and most effective way to drop weight. It is also thought to make you weak, sluggish, and crabby. We can’t help with the mood stuff, but new information shows that slashing your carb intake over a short period won’t cut into your strength...

Among the many buzzwords in the fitness world today, “good carbs” seem to be forever trending. From Instagram hashtags to food labels, it’s safe to say the catchphrase is here to stay. Consuming the right (or “good” carbs) can help boost athletic performance, enhance mood, and improve exercise...

Powerlifters and mass monsters should mix their post-workout whey protein with a hefty dose of fast-acting carbs, but a recent study seems to indicate that if you’re trying to get lean, you should leave the sugar out. Research published in the Journal Of The International Society Of Sports...

Just when you think you have carbs all figured out, more information comes to light. Conventional wis-dom has recommended tapering carb intake through your day (consume more in the morning and fewer as the day progresses), but a study out of Israel has shown some impressive fat-loss results from...

Bodybuilding is a sport for those who can dedicate themselves not only to lifting, but also to a very stringent diet plan. Whether you take part for personal reasons or for pro status – you must understand first and foremost that you cannot expect to achieve great things until you accept the...

The fitness industry is filled with misinformation. I am reminded of this every time I scroll through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and see my newsfeed lined with garbage. Surprisingly this actually ticks me off. How are uninformed people supposed to find quality nutrition information? I mean...

Nutritional Layers of Importance Before we get too deep into what to eat around the workout, it’s important to point out where it fits into the layers of nutritional importance. #1: Energy Balance / End of Day Calories As you have heard many times before, when it comes to building muscle and...

A low-carb diet is a good approach for severely overweight, insulin resistant, sedentary people. But that doesn't mean it's the best diet for lifters and athletes. If you're active and relatively lean already, your carb intake can be higher because leaner people have better nutrient partitioning...

For fat loss, what's one of the biggest mistakes that even experienced lifters make? It's this: getting into a caloric deficit by using mostly caloric restriction. Wait, what? "Caloric deficit" and "calorie restriction" are kinda the same thing, right? Well, yes and no. Sure, the most...

In choosing a high-protein, low-carb diet, there's so much emphasis on your three square meals that it can be easy to overlook appropriate snack choices — despite the fact that snacking accounts for one-third of our daily energy intake. Snacking doesn't have to put a damper on your fitness...

What you eat and when you eat can make a world of difference before a tough workout or competitive event. Fine-tuning your pre-workout meal will ensure your body has the nutrients it needs to perform at a high level for hours on end. Even better, it will help maximize the effects of your...