Proper Nutrition

You can lift weights and perform cardio until you're blue in the face, but without a proper nutrition plan to match, you're going to get nowhere, and very fast.

When you're in the gym you are simply sparking the muscle growth process into action.

After an intense workout, your body has been put into a position where it must adapt to the stress placed upon it by increasing the size and strength of the muscles.

However, increases in muscle size and strength will only take place if the body is provided with sufficient materials to carry out this process.

If you go to the gym and break down your muscle tissue, but then fail to provide the proper materials for repair/growth to take place, your results will be completely non existent

Remember, your body already has nutritional requirements in place to keep you alive on a daily basis. Make sure you put as much effort into your nutrition plan as you do your fitness plan.

Nutrition Articles

      Yoga Class

      Understanding calories

      • Calories Are Important

        When it all comes down to it, your overall daily calorie intake is the most important underlying factor of your entire nutrition plan. No matter if you’re trying to build muscle or burn fat if you don’t implement a sufficient nutrition plan with the correct amount of calories each day your results will be limited.

      • What is a calorie

        Calories are a measurement of the amount of energy the food you eat and the tissues in your body has. For example protein has 4 calories per gram, carbs also have 4 calories per gram, fats have 9 calories per gram but a pound of fat has 3500 calories.

      • Determining Your Basal Metabolic Rate

        The major factors that determine how many calories you burn is your BMR (natural processes such as breathing, digestion, circulation even laughing.) And your activity levels throughout the day. The number of calories you consume each day versus how many you burn each day is the foundational bottom line of your entire nutrition plan.

      • How Your goals affect your calories

        Once you find out what your daily caloric needs are you will then either add or subtract calories depending on what your goal is. If you want to build muscle you will add 350 calories to your daily allotment, if you want to lose weight you will subtract 500 calories .

      Set Your Goals and Meet Them

      Kettlebells

      • Fuel your body effectively

        80/20 rule: Be smart about what you eat 80% of the time but allow yourself to indulge once in a while. Allowing yourself a mental break has actually been proven to help people stay on the right track and reach their goals in the long run. Just remember, while it’s okay to have a cheat meal it’s never okay to have a cheat day or weekend. Don’t over do it.

      • You don't have to eat a certain amount of meals a day

        If you want to spread your meals out or condense them into fewer meals that’s completely fine. Remember, proper nutrition is all about hitting your overall calorie and macronutrient targets for the day as a whole so feel free to re-arrange your daily meals any way you like. Just make sure your hitting your daily requirements.

      • How to find nutritional values for any type of food

        CalorieKing.com is a great source to find the nutritional values for all types of foods. This is especially helpful when you’re following a certain meal plan and you want to substitute items on the list. Just look up whatever food you have in mind and determine how much of it you need to hit your daily goals.

      • Macronutrients are king

        If your body is lacking any of the vitamins or minerals it needs it can severely hinder your results, that’s why it’s so important to make sure you are eating the correct ratio of protein, carbs and fats.

      • Proteins

        Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block in bones, MUSCLES, cartilage, skin and blood.

      • Carbohydrates

        Carbohydrates are all about energy and are found in foods like fruits, vegetables, breads, pasta and dairy products. Your body uses these foods to make glucose, which is your body’s main energy source. Carbohydrates provide the body with the energy it needs are a great source of vitamins and munerals.

      • Fats

        Dietary fats are essential to give your body energy and to support ce;; growth. They also help protect your organs and keep you warm. Fats help your body absorb some nutrients and produce important hormones. Yout body definitely needs good fats.