Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.”

George Bernard Shaw

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http://www.thealternativedaily.com/

When you purchase merchandise from the store, it is unlikely that you think about the people behind the products. The ones that are working long hours in the manufacturing plants, churning out products from pet food to personal care products. Sadly, conditions for these people are not always safe as thousands of works are exposed […]

Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

No, this is not some politically correct, pandering to the masses and a public give-in to the pressure of what big mouths in our society deem to be mandatory ways of thinking. In fact, their noise makes most of us want to go the other direction, or at least me, in nearly any topic they are forcing down our throats.

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Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

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https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/

Name: Hilary Milsome
Age: 60
Location: Melbourne, Australia

What does it mean to you to be part of the GGS Community?
It’s wonderful to have a safe place to ask questions, share successes, or even vent. These women are wonderfully supportive, and my idea of what “strong” looks like has changed radically since being introduced to such a wide range of views and perspectives.

Strong is sometimes being physically able to lift stuff, sometimes able to keep going in the face of adversity, sometimes being able to support others, and maybe even being strong enough to ask for help when you need it.

In the GGS community, I see all these things and much more. Even though I’m on the opposite side of the world to the majority of the members, I feel like many of them are friends, perhaps one day some of us will meet “in the flesh!”

How long have you been strength training, and how did you get started?
I wasn’t sporty as a kid or teenager, always the short “fat” one. But although I have been a gym member on and off for the last 30 years, mainly going to classes, no one had ever managed to inspire me to strength train. Then, eight years ago, I “accidentally” took out a gym membership that came with three included personal training sessions (I went along for a sales pitch with no intention of joining). I was 52 and I described myself to friends and the sales guy as “old and slow.”

The personal trainer I was assigned was a young woman in her early 20s. Her compassion, empathy, support, caring, and encouragement set me on a wonderful path. I lost 18 kgs and found strength and mobility for the first time in my life.

But more than that, she gave me the belief that my body was capable of pretty much anything I put my mind to if I was prepared to work at it.

Favorite lift:
Deadlifts every time (although I do love a bit of kettlebell work).

Most memorable PR:
It’s not my current PR, but in my first year of strength training, my lovely trainer told me that when she saw me walk onto the gym floor she told another trainer I was going deadlift 50 kgs for the first time that day, the other trainer said “Who? Her? But she’s tiny!”

I was shocked that someone else thought it was a big achievement for me because I felt quite ordinary. I lifted that 50 kgs, and I’ve never forgotten the amazing feeling of success and I hold that memory close to remind me not to underestimate myself.

Top 5 songs on your training playlist:
I have eclectic music taste, mostly old school, so anything by Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Living End, Jethro Tull, Nirvana, Michael Jackson, and Cream are great. But I’m currently loving lots of Muse (the Drones album in particular) and P!nk.

Most memorable compliment you’ve received lately:
One of my own personal training clients recently Facebook posted a photo of our small group session with the post “Hilary understands us” — that was pretty awesome.

Most recent compliment you gave someone else:
I try all the time to let my personal training clients know that I love how hard they are working and the way they are challenging themselves to try new movements and new weights.

What do you do? 
I’ve been a self-employed bookkeeper for 18 years, which I have loved. But I qualified as a personal trainer two years ago and am slowly transitioning to work more as a trainer from my home studio, and doing less bookkeeping.

My passion is to help others discover the positive benefits of strength training, no matter what their physical starting point, age, or health conditions.

What else do you do?
I love spending time with my family, particularly my young grandkids (aged 2 & 4). They never fail to make me smile and warm my heart with the best hugs. Growing my own fruit & vegetables is very rewarding as well as being a great way to relax. I enjoy travel, both Australian & overseas, New Zealand is a favorite destination.

I also love to study and I’m currently studying GGS-1 which is fabulous. My original personal trainer qualifications didn’t go deeply enough into many aspects of being a trainer so I was excited when I saw the GGS-1 certificate offered and couldn’t wait to sign up. I haven’t been disappointed.

I love the fact that the first priority in the course addresses issues and attitudes that affect women in the gym and in life. I’ve finished the second part on nutrition and again it explores areas that weren’t even mentioned in my initial personal trainer course. I’ve started the section on exercise now and I love turning those pages or watching those videos — there’s always something new to learn.

Your next training goal:
My current personal trainer will be moving on to another career sometime soon, so my goal will be to self-train for the first time in my life. To start with, just being consistent and challenging myself will be the goal, more specific goals might come later!

Favorite way to treat yourself:
Nothing I like better than taking time to sit in the garden on a lovely day, with a good book and no thought of “I should be doing…”

Favorite quote:
There has to be more than one:

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” — Theodore Roosevelt

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” — Henry Ford

“If not now… when?”

Favorite book:
In non-fiction, The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris was life-changing for me. It helped me turn around a bout of anxiety that had been causing me problems for a few years and it gave me a new attitude to acceptance of who I am and where I’m at.

In fiction, I love to read so there are many. Dystopian books like The Handmaid’s Tale, 1984, and Brave New World are high on the list. And Australian novel Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey blew me away recently.

What inspires and motivates you?
I’m motivated by all the fabulous strong women I have been meeting in person and online since becoming involved in strength training and since joining GGS. They show me that so much is possible and there are so many new things to try.

I’m inspired by anyone who is committed to whatever they are doing, working hard and moving towards their goals.

And I’ve been close to family and quite a number of friends who have experienced life-changing illness, and I’m inspired by how they just get on with their life no matter what they have to deal with.

For what are you most grateful?
I have a wonderful family and friends who support and encourage me no matter what stage of my life I’m at. I am blessed to be able to share so much of my young grandchildren’s lives; it’s a privilege that not all grandparents are offered.

I’m also very grateful for a number of fabulous young women who have changed my life in many wonderful ways. Among them are my first trainer eight years ago who inspired me to honor and trust my body, my current trainer who has generously supported me as I develop my own skills as a personal trainer, and Molly Galbraith (who I met at the recent Women’s Fitness Summit in Melbourne) who has opened my eyes to so many positive and inclusive attitudes to women in particular, that I hadn’t encountered before.

And last, but certainly not least, I turned 60 last year and I’m grateful that at my stage of life I have all that I need to live a comfortable life, being able to make choices to do the things I enjoy.

Of what life accomplishment do you feel most proud?
I am proud that I didn’t just give in to feeling “old and slow” and stay on the couch, which would have been the easy option.

I hope I’m setting a good example for people around me, that it’s never too late to start looking after yourself both physically and mentally, and that it’s important to care for yourself before you can really care for others.

Tell us about a time when you overcame fear or self-doubt.
Definitely making the decision to study to be a personal trainer and then taking on clients was a big step for me. It was a struggle for me to believe that I had something to offer others. I’m not some lean, young marathon runner or competition weight lifter so I thought people would think “What does she know?”

But it seems that my clients are reassured that I understand where they are coming from. I love that I can work to motivate others and teach them that we can all be strong and healthy to the best of our ability and that it can look different for each of us.

How has lifting weights changed your life?
I feel strong and powerful, I can do so much more than I ever could before, and I love that I can play with and look after my grandkids without thinking about how I’ll cope running after them. I don’t groan when I get up off the couch or get out of bed in the morning (except for DOMS of course — lots of groaning then).

I’m reminded of how much I’ve gained when I see other people struggling to get up and down off the floor, having difficulty getting out of cars or chairs, or sitting on the sidelines instead of playing games with their kids or grandkids.

What’s the coolest “side effect” you’ve experienced from strength training?
Oh goodness, so many great “side effects.” Believing that being strong will help me move into this later phase of my life with the best health I can hope for, and seeing my body positively for all it can do. Oh yeah, and being able to cross the monkey bars in one go!

What do you want to say to other women who might be nervous or hesitant about strength training?
Give it a go. Find someone to help you get started, a person who really listens to you, helps you identify your goals, and is encouraging and supportive. Maybe find a small boutique gym, or a good personal trainer in a big gym, where you can have some private sessions to learn technique. If you feel that you know what you are doing, it can make all the difference when you head into the gym on your own. And don’t settle for a trainer who doesn’t treat you with respect or give you 100 percent of their attention in every session.

You can connect with Hilary and find out more about her on Facebook.

The post GGS Spotlight: Hilary Milsome appeared first on Girls Gone Strong.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Breakfast: it’s perhaps the menu with the most stumbling blocks for those living low-carb. Eggs are great, but—let’s face it—get old without some variety. At times we may find ourselves missing the traditional breakfast classics we might have enjoyed at one point—even when we know they don’t fit our current health goals.

But who said keto was about deprivation? Not us, for sure. With a huge array of keto-friendly classic recipes, we’re hellbent on showing the world just how great keto eating can be—with real food, full flavor and no compromises. So, back to breakfast now…. We dare you to bring this savory keto waffle breakfast sandwich to work—and see just how many people you convert.

Enjoy—and be sure to check out this week’s giveaway with our friends at Birch Benders (below)!

Servings: 2 sandwiches

Time In the Kitchen: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Birch Benders Keto Pancake and Waffle Mix
• 1/2 water
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• 3 slices bacon
• 2 sandwich slices of cheddar (or cheese of choice)

Instructions:

Mix Birch Benders Keto Pancake and Waffle Mix with water and coconut oil according to package instructions.

Grease mini waffle iron with Primal Kitchen® Avocado Spray Oil. Pour batter into waffle iron and cook according to iron instructions.

While mini waffles are cooking (or before), scramble 2 eggs in small skillet.

Cook 3 strips of bacon (in oven at 400 ºF/205 ºC).

When mini waffles are done, let cool slightly on plate or cooling rack.

When cooled, top two of the waffles with cheese slices, 1 1/2 bacon strips each, and divided scrambled egg. Top with the remaining two mini waffles to make 2 sandwiches.

For a little extra spice, add Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo. Now dig in….

Now For the Giveaway…

Have we won you over yet to Birch Benders easy and incredible mixes? (They have a paleo version, too, btw.)

Just follow @marksdailyapple and @birchbenders on Instagram and comment on today’s MDA Instagram giveaway photo with your favorite keto recipe.

One lucky (random) winner will score a Primal Kitchen package worth $100: Vanilla Collagen Fuel, Classic Mayo, Chipotle Lime Mayo, Ranch Dressing, Green Goddess Dressing, and Caesar Dressing.

Good luck—and bon appetit!

Nutritional Information (per sandwich):

• Calories: 415
• Net Carbs: 6.6 grams
• Fat: 32.6 grams
• Protein: 22 grams

The post Keto Waffle Breakfast Sandwich (+ a Giveaway!) appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

http://www.thealternativedaily.com/

Ghee is also known as clarified butter which is made by heating butter until the curds sink to the bottom and brown.  The foam is skimmed off, and the pure butterfat is also poured off which leaves milk solids behind. As it cools and solidifies, the pure fat left behind is ghee. Revered as a […]

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Research of the Week

Neolithic Brits hosted massive feasts that drew people and pigs from all over the island.

Researchers say they’ve found a cholesterol-lowering drug without the muscle-damaging side effects of statins.

Among people with kidney disease, higher oxalate excretion in the urine predicts kidney disease progression.

“Our estimates imply that prescription opioids can account for 44 percent of the realized national decrease in men’s labor force participation between 2001 and 2015.”

High intensity interval training slows colon cancer cell growth.

After age 70, your fitness is the best predictor of lifespan.

Maternal infection during pregnancy increases the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders in the kids.

New Primal Blueprint Podcasts

Episode 319: Gretchen Rubin: Host Elle Russ chats with bestselling author, happiness expert, and good habit purveyor Gretchen Rubin.

Episode 320: Keto: Tippy Wyatt, Author of Asian Keto and Low Carb Cookbook: Host Brad Kearns chats with Tippy Wyatt in a wide ranging conversation about health, success, family, and balance.

Health Coach Radio Episode 3: Ali Watts: Hosts Erin Power and Laura Rupsis chat with Ali Watts about the differences between being a health coach and running a business.

Each week, select Mark’s Daily Apple blog posts are prepared as Primal Blueprint Podcasts. Need to catch up on reading, but don’t have the time? Prefer to listen to articles while on the go? Check out the new blog post podcasts below, and subscribe to the Primal Blueprint Podcast here so you never miss an episode.

Media, Schmedia

Parents blame a nearby cell tower for an increase in cancer diagnoses at their elementary school.

“Trip of Passion,” a new film exploring the use of MDMA therapy for PTSD.

Interesting Blog Posts

Why the strange collection of sounds called music is a uniquely human obsession.

How the miniaturization of tools might have made us human.

Social Notes

My pantry staples.

Everything Else

Doctor delivers the bad news to his dying patient via robot.

Medieval diseases returning to Southern California.

Chickens gang up to kill intruding fox.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Film project you should back: Defying All Odds, the story of Dr. Terry Wahls astonishing lifestyle-based recovery from multiple sclerosis. This is an important story that people should know about.

Article I found fascinating: How the Inuit Teach Their Kids to Control Their Anger

I hope they look further into this: Inactive ingredients aren’t so inactive.

I’m not there yet: At what age do you feel 65?

Question I’m Asking

With “keto bloat,” the media seems primed to launch another barrage of “terrible keto side effect” coverage. Do you think this is legit concern or malicious fear mongering?

Recipe Corner

• Nothing like a bunch of pork on a big sheet pan.
• Dairy-free roasted garlic dip. Great with dairy, too.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Mar 10 – Mar 16)

• 5 Easy Lunches From Primal Leftovers – Easy can be delicious.
• Is the Autoimmune Protocol Right For You?– How to do it, and know if you need it.

Comment of the Week

“For sure, ground sloth is slow food.”

– Excellent, Walter.

The post Weekly Link Love—Edition 20 appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

Originally posted at: http://www.nerdfitness.com/

Seriously, what’s the deal with fruit?

It’s gotta be healthy.

It’s natural, came out of the ground, off a vine, or fell out of a tree…

“Eating your fruits and veggies” is common guidance given by mothers, doctors, and governments agencies.

Doesn’t this have to be sound advice?

Well, fruit is also often loaded with sugar. And sugar is bad news bears.

So is fruit good for me? Bad for me? Somewhere in between? And is juice good? Because I like juice!

Welp, the answer is…it depends.

Today we’re going to dig into the question “is fruit healthy?” and give you the Nerd Fitness take. Plus, a video of a cat getting his head stuck in a box.

You’re welcome.

If you’re curious about where fruit and other foods such as potatoes fall on the healthy spectrum, you should check out the Nerd Fitness Diet guide and cheat sheet. It’s a level up system designed for you to adopt new healthy habits, that will stick, by slowly progressing you from a newbie to an expert.

You can check it out for free when you join the Rebellion!

Is Fruit Healthy?

We’re fans of “real food” around here at Nerd Fitness.

Don’t give me that look, you know what I mean: things that grew in the ground, on a tree, came out of the sea, ran on the land, or flew through the air. Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, and nuts are all great examples of REAL food.

So fruit would absolutely qualify, as they are naturally existing plant-based foods that are packed full of key vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and more.

However, to properly address the question “CAN I HAZ FRUIT?” we need to talk about sugar.

So let’s go over a quick rundown and then we’ll get to the answer.

Depending on the fruit, it contains a certain combination of each of the following types of sugar:

• Fructose
• Glucose
• Sucrose (a combination of Fructose and Glucose)

Why do we bring this up? Because of the evidence showing added sugars can cause metabolic disorders like diabetes.^[1] If you want a deep dive into the subject, you can click check out this article.

However, notice how I used the word “added.” The important point on fruit, is the sugar found within it is naturally occurring. Which changes things.

The sugar in fruit is accompanied by fiber, which helps our bodies slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. As opposed to a Twinkie, which is not very fibrous (i.e. no fiber).

So while many fruits do contain quite a bit of sugar, they’re also generally low in calories (we’ll touch on this shortly), and satiating because of all that fiber.

Plus, the sugar can actually be a good thing, providing a quick source of energy.

I eat fruit for a delicious and healthy snack (apples and almond butter for the win!), or to give me some energy before a workout.

Long story short: we like fruit, and think that it can be part of your healthy meals each day.

But there is a COUPLE of caveats…

Calories still matter and I’ve seen people eat too much fruit.

When somebody is transitioning from a very unhealthy diet full of lots of calories and sugar to a primarily protein and plant based diet, it’s very easy to go overboard when sugar is no longer a primary food group. And hey, we’d rather you eat lots of fruit than lots of candy and soda. No question about it.

But since our bodies can get addicted to sugar so easily, we want to be careful. Where does one look when they want sugar but can’t eat candy? Fruit! Lots of it. It can still hit that pleasure center in our brain that says, “YAY SUGAR.”

We have talked with quite a few members of the NF Rebellion who have been frustrated with their lack of weight loss, only to discover that they were eating 1,000 + calories each day of fruit!

As we point out in our article “Why Can’t I Lose Weight” – burning more calories than you consume each day is the most important part of weight loss (calculate your calorie requirements right here). 

It’s thermodynamics.

Unless your Donkey Kong, the health benefits of fruit isn’t an excuse to eat 30 bananas a day.

However, it should be noted that fruit is actually relatively filling, because of all the fiber.^[2] Plus, it’s still generally low in calories, especially compared to more processed food.

Let’s get you some wiseGEEK photos for comparison.

Here’s 200 calories of apples:

Here’s 200 calories of pasta.

Yeah…

However, for apples to be this filling, the fiber and water content needs to be intact. Which brings us to our next section. 

What about Dried Fruit and fruit juice?

“Fruit is healthy. I like juice. Therefore fruit juice must be healthy!…right?”

Unfortunately, most fruit juice (apple juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, grape juice, etc.) might as well be labeled “sugar water.” When the fruit is squeezed to make juice, you get all of the sugar from MANY fruits and none of the fiber.  Suck!

Throw in some preservatives, extra sugar for flavor, and a few other ingredients and you have yourself a “healthy juice drink made with real fruit!”

Here is a typical amount of sugar for four popular fruit juices, all in the name of “healthy”! I’m sure they’re labeled as such too (and this is assuming you’re only drinking 12 oz):

• Orange juice – 21g of sugar
• Apple juice – 28g of sugar
• Cranberry juice – 37g of sugar
• Grape juice – 38g of sugar

For reference, a 12 oz can of Coke has 40g of sugar. So, if you’re trying to be healthy, fruit juice is a no-no. If you want to squeeze your own OJ occasionally, go for it…just keep it in moderation. Fruit squeezed without the fiber is just sugar water…

Next, avoid “real fruit smoothies” from places like Smoothie King. Those things can have 500+ calories and over 100 grams of sugar. That’s not healthy – it’s a few frozen berries and a boatload of sugar and juice.

Lastly, let’s talk about dried fruit.

“Take fruit, dry it. Boom dried fruit! What could possibly be unhealthy about that?”

The issue with dried fruit is that it’s quite easy to eat a crazy amount of it (as it’s dehydrated and takes up way less space in your belly than normal fruit), which can lead to overconsumption of sugar and calories quickly.

For example, a small quarter cup (aka a tiny handful) of raisins has 130 calories, and 30 grams of sugar.

So, although dried fruit contains the healthy vitamins and minerals of fresh fruit and is easy to throw in a bag when traveling, it’s calorically dense and very easy to scarf down by the handful (without putting much of a dent in your appetite). So, if you snack on them, be aware of your consumption!

To recap:

• Avoid fruit juice unless you squeeze it yourself.
• Don’t even think about “real fruit smoothies” from the smoothie store.
• Consume dried fruit in limited quantities.

Just tell me what to do!!!

Like anything else, Nerd Fitness recommends fresh fruit in moderation.

Except awesomeness.

You can have as much of that as you want.

Back to fruit! We recommend eating a healthy combination of vegetables, protein, and healthy fats. We think fruit should be a part of that equation too.

Although it’s nearly impossible to overeat celery, lettuce, broccoli, and asparagus…but it is possible to overeat fruit. So eat fruit! But eat it in moderation – it should not occupy the biggest portion of your plate at every meal (that should be veggies, even if you don’t like them).

Here’s the lowdown:

If you are healthy, happy, and feel confident in your skin, and you eat fruit….keep doing what you’re doing. It’s working! Victory!

If you are struggling to lose weight and fruit makes up a big part of your diet, consider scaling it back and eating more fat/protein/vegetables instead.

If your goal is weight loss: Eat dried fruit rarely, canned fruit even less often, and fruit juice less than that.  Eat real fruit in moderation.

Be smart, enjoy your fruit, and stay mindful as you eat.

Let’s hear your fruit stories! Do you have a favorite fruit snack (Gushers don’t count), or is fruit something you’re now realizing you eat WAYY too much of?

-Steve

PS: I included three cats in this article, and to my knowledge, cats don’t even eat fruit. That’s how we roll here at Nerd Fitness. 

###

All photo sources are right here.^[3]

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

For this week’s edition of Dear Mark, I’m answering three questions from readers. First, is the reduced protein efficiency in older adults due to inactivity, or is it something inherent to the aging process, or both? Second, how does a person know if they’ve actually “earned” any carbs? Does everyone on a keto diet earn carbs by virtue of exercising, or is there more to it? And finally, how can a hardgainer with a packed schedule all week long and limited gym time maintain what little muscle mass he’s managed to gain?

Let’s find out:

Interesting observation on protein needs and training in Sunday with Sisson – general consensus is that older folks need more protein as they age but maybe that’s because they are less active and not simply a result of aging.

That’s probably part of it, but it’s not all of it.

In studies where they compare resistance training seniors who eat extra protein with resistance training seniors who don’t, only the seniors eating extra protein gain muscle mass.

Now, it may be that a lifetime of inactivity degrades your ability to utilize protein, and if these older adults had always lifted weights they would have retained their protein efficiency. But maybe not. As it stands, all else being equal, an older adult needs more protein to get the same effect, even if he or she is lifting weights.

Enjoyable read. As someone who lives a ketogenic lifestyle, and who is athletically active, I am not sure exactly how to go about consuming the carbs I’ve “earned.” I rarely run into problems with athletic energy, at least not below anaerobic threshold. Not sure that eating more carbs will improve my performance. And, if they would improve my performance, how does one go about calculating earned carb replacement without losing the fat burning benefits of ketosis?

It sounds like you’re in a good place.

When I say “eat the carbs you earn,” I’m talking to the people who do run into problems with athletic energy, poor performance, insomnia, and other symptoms of exercise-induced stress. Typically, the people who “earn their carbs” are doing stuff like CrossFit, high volume moderate-to-high intensity endurance work, martial arts training, and team sports.

I doubt extra carbs will improve your performance if most of your training takes place in the aerobic zone. But if you wanted to experiment, you could try a small sweet potato immediately after a workout where you passed the anaerobic threshold.

That’s the best way to determine if you’ve earned carbs. Eat 20-30 grams after a workout and see if you enjoy performance gains without gaining body fat. There’s no consumer-friendly way to directly calculate carb debt; self-experimentation is it.

I recently took a job that has me out of bed at 4am and not home until 6pm Monday Through Friday. Is there an efficient way I can maintain muscle mass only lifting weights Saturday and Sunday? I’m a hardgainer at 5’10” and only 140lbs. I’m afraid giving up my 5 day split will ruin what muscle I’ve been able to gain.

Any hardgainer has to eat, and eat, and eat. Increase your food intake. Just eat. Stick to healthy Primal fare, but pack in the food. Meat, milk, veggies, potatoes, rice, eggs, avocados, fruit. Throw some liver in, too (old bodybuilder staple). It doesn’t sound like fat gain is an issue for you, so I’d take advantage of that and just consume calories.

As for training, get some exercise snacks in during the week.

As soon as you wake up, do a quick superset of pushups. Do as many pushups as you can. Wait 30 seconds. Do as many pushups as you can. Wait 30 seconds. Do as many pushups as you can. There you go. That shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes in the morning. Can you squeeze that in?

Repeat this every morning with a different exercise. Pullups, bodyweight rows, kettlebell swings, handstand pushups, dips, bodyweight squats, goblet squats, reverse lunges, reverse weighted lunges. Just choose one thing to do every morning, cram as many reps as you can using the same format (max reps, 30 s rest, max reps, 30 s rest, max reps). Buy any equipment you can if you choose to use weights.

When you get home at night, do the same thing with a different exercise. Morning pushups, evening KB swings, etc. That way, you get about 10 minutes per weekday of intense strength training without impacting your sleep or schedule in any real meaningful way.

Make sure your sleep hygiene is rock solid. Dim those lights at night, turn on f.lux or night mode, wear the blue blocking goggles, get to bed (ideally) by 8:30, 9 to give you 7 to 7.5 hours of sleep. Sleep is essential for gaining lean mass (and staying healthy in general).

On the weekend, hit the weights hard on both days, hitting the entire body. Go high volume/reps. If size is your goal, dropping the weight a bit and focusing on range of motion and a high rep count (10-15 per set) is very effective.

Food, sleep, reps. Good luck!

Thanks for stopping in today, everybody. Additional thoughts for these folks—or questions of your own? Share them below.

References:

Tieland M, Dirks ML, Van der zwaluw N, et al. Protein supplementation increases muscle mass gain during prolonged resistance-type exercise training in frail elderly people: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2012;13(8):713-9.

The post Dear Mark: Protein Efficiency in Seniors, Earned Carbs, Hardgainer with Limited Time appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.