How To Prevent Back Pain

Back pain is one of those things that can impact a large part of your life, especially if you lead a more active lifestyle.

Without a doubt, this common problem is one of the most frustrating problems you may have.

Nevertheless, you can do things to prevent back pain, most of which are related to certain movement patterns and positions of the body.

In this article, we’ll give you insight on how to prevent and deal with back pain, so without further ado, let’s get to it!

Keep It Straight…

Unless you want to be The Hunchback of Notre Dame, keeping a good body position (especially during weight training) is essential to preventing and dealing with back pains.

Why? The majority of back injuries are due to a poor, unfavorable body position under significant tension.

Lifting heavy things during everyday activities or simply being in a bad position for a long time can progressively damage your spine’s vertebrae.

To further help you understand this, consider the following example. 

You went to the grocery to get some water and load your trunk with large water tubs. 

Instead of bending over and lifting the bottles with a curved back, you hoist them up with a neutral spine.

How? Well, begin by bending over with a straight back and dipping your hips down instead of rounding your spinal column.

Then, use your whole body to lift the tubs and avoid unfavorable positions of the spine.

Think of it as a squat!

Tips To Prevent Back Pain

Though back pain can be excruciating, there are things you can do to prevent and/or deal with it if it is already present.

Check out our tips below!

Walk It Off!

Non-strenuous aerobic exercise, such as walking, has been shown to relieve low back pain. 

It’s simple, free, and easy to incorporate into your daily routine; plus, you can practically do it at any time, in combination with daily chores.

Walk to work instead of taking the bus, go to the store or simply walk your dog!

Walking helps strengthen the muscles that keep the body upright and improves the stability of the spine.

Though it’s the most common human activity, walking is a powerful back pain-relieving exercise!

Stretch

The back was made to move, so restricting movement can make the pain worse!

Try some simple back stretches to relieve back pain and improve movement.

Remember to move slowly, never force your body to stretch painfully, and use a flat, stable surface on which to stretch.

Swim

Swimming can be a great exercise to help relieve back pain because it puts virtually no pressure on your spine and back, as the water supports your entire body. 

These are the so-called “low-impact” cardio activities, which don’t put stress on your joints and engage the majority of your muscle groups.

However, it is important to sport the correct swimming technique, as certain movements can strain the back and neck and make it worse!

Remember, It’s Not Just The Back

In many instances, back pain is simply the result of weakness elsewhere in your body!

 Your back works with many other muscles to keep your body straight and stable.

That group of muscles is referred to as the “core,” and its made up of, but not only:

1. Abdominal muscles 
2. Lower back muscles
3. Obliques
4. Pelvic floor muscles
5. Diaphragm

For this reason, developing your core muscles is of prime importance for back health!

 Here are our top 5 exercises to help you strengthen your core:

1. Hanging leg raises
2. Stomach Vacuums
3. Lower back hyperextensions
4. Side to side hanging knee raises
5. Hip thrusts

Including these five exercises and adding some resistance to them will help you strengthen your core all around and thus, take tension off of your back and make it less likely for injury to occur.

Conclusion

Back pain is a common thing for many people, which in most cases is caused by poor body posture during daily and training activities.

If, however, you maintain good posture and have good exercise form, but back pain persists, it is best to consult with your doctor/physical therapist.

Remember that back pain must not be taken as a joke – A single wrong movement can lead to excruciating, continuous pain!

 This is the exact reason why you should resort to consulting with a medical professional in case your back pain is significant.

Age Is NOT A Terminal Sentence

If you’ve ever tried to talk your dad into going to the gym with you, the response was likely something along the lines of “I’m too old to do any physical activity.”

Well, people of previous generations have grown to believe that age is a terminal sentence that inevitably deprives you of the ability to do anything body-care-related.

And while this is relevant and valid for individuals who believe it is so, it is not the ultimate truth that no one can escape.

Let’s Face The Facts…

If you are older and don’t have any severe physical/health issues, here are some facts for you:

1. You can still exercise 
2. You can still eat well
3. You can still treat your body right

In most cases, refusing to do those is simply the result of giving up, or in other words, it is your mind that thinks age is stopping you.

Self-Care In The Older Years

Certain physiological and mental changes occur as we age, but one thing remains true – You can CHOOSE to take action and adopt health-nourishing habits.

Here are our best tips for adults who are looking to improve their lifestyle and habits:

#1 Exercise!

It appears that the older we get, the more muscle mass we lose and the less active we become.

Nevertheless, engaging in low & high-intensity physical exercise is one of the best anti-aging therapies you can have during your older years!

Exercise and especially resistance training can help you maintain your muscle mass over the years, leading to significant improvements in metabolism & how you look visually.

Since the body is more prone to injuries during the older years, it is good to mix low and high-intensity training and avoid overexertion.

Think of it this way – What can you do for your body in the next ten years, given that you are 55 years old now? Ten years is a lot of time, and it will certainly yield results if you put in the work!

#2 Eat well

As the older age steps in, people become more likely to ditch their body-care habits altogether.

Whether you are 20 or 55, however, one thing remains true – Your body needs certain essential nutrients to sustain the healthy functioning of all bodily components and systems.

For this reason, it is a good idea to be mindful of your nutrition, even at an older age.

Include quality animal products, fish, fruits, vegetables in your daily nutrition plan, and try to eat the least amount of junk food possible.

Quality whole foods will keep you satiated and will, in turn, make it much less likely for you to overeat and gain excessive weight.

What does this mean? Better health and body composition even in your older years!

#3 Manage Stress

Frequently, people are rendered incapable of giving their bodies what they need not just by age but by the progressively growing stress factors over time.

Stress management is an important aspect of body/self-care and your anti-aging habits.

How do you do that? 

Well, there are many self-help books, but it mostly comes down to one very important realization…

That is, namely, the fact that most stress responses are AUTOMATIC – You don’t choose to be stressed. Stress takes over you.

This is the EXACT moment when you have to think outside of the box and ask yourself questions like:

“Is this worth my time and health?”

“Is there an adequate way of dealing with this without feeling stressed?”

“Is this going to matter in 5 years?” 

“Why does this have to make me feel this way?” 

These questions can lead to certain behavioral models that will guide you to the right decision in the situation and, therefore, reduce stress.

Remember, internal self-regulation is important!

Conclusion

Contrary to popular belief, your older age is not a terminal sentence that you can’t escape.

Even more so, the fact that certain changes happen in the body during your older years should push you to become more aware of your habits and improve them in order to nourish your body.

Remember that as long as you are alive, you have the opportunity to take effective decisions and choose actions and habits that will ultimately improve your quality of life.

Stay active, eat well, rest enough and manage your stress and you will be surprised how fit you can look during your older years!

If your goal is to build muscle, odds are you are wondering what rep range and how many sets you should use for best results.

Well, there is no concrete answer, rather than options that lead to slightly different end results.

In this article, we’ll have a look over those different options and help you choose what to focus on, relative to your goal.

Consider Intensity

If you look at a workout objectively, the level of intensity is what determines how many repetitions you can do.

Of course, by intensity, we mean the working weight you use during your sets and how close it is to your maximum strength capabilities.

For instance, if you work at 85-100% intensity, you will be able to do 1-5 repetitions.

The lower the training intensity, the more repetitions you can do.

However… More isn’t always better because you can’t grow a big chest by always benching 40 kilograms, right?

Your sets have to be challenging and as a matter of fact, they have to be PROGRESSIVELY more challenging.

If your goal is to gain as much strength as possible, your main focus should be on the 1-5 rep range, also known as the powerlifting training rep range.

On the other hand, if your main goal is to have a bodybuilder-like physique, you are best off focusing on the 6-15 rep range.

The higher rep ranges will allow your body to tap into its muscle glycogen reserves, leading to sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and thus, increased bulk muscle growth.

Consider Volume

Intensity is a training factor that determines how challenging your workouts are.

The thing is that it also has a close relationship with your training volume.

Training volume is basically the total amount of weight lifted, for a given set, exercise, or workout.

The more intensity grows, the more volume decreases, because you can do fewer repetitions.

For instance, if you do 5 repetitions with 100 kg, that would be a volume of 500 kilograms.

However, if you use 75 kg and do 10 repetitions, that would yield a volume of 750 kilograms.

Ultimately, both types of work can be utilized, to create a stimulus for different types of development.

Number of sets – Beginners

If you are just starting out in the gym, you are blessed to experience what we refer to as “Newbie gains”.

This is basically the period when you grow quickly, even if you don’t know anything about your approach to training.

If that is the case, then take this advice – Start off with 5-6 working sets per muscle group, per week.

Make those sets challenging and allow each muscle to rest at least 48-72 hours before you train it again.

Number of sets – Novice/Intermediate

As you exit the newbie gains phase, you will notice that you have to be more mindful of your workouts to achieve good results.

This is when you have to give the body a new challenge, which can be created by manipulating your training variables.

One of the best ways to do that is to bump up your training volume and intensity.

As you advance, increase the number of sets to 10+ per muscle group, per week.

Again, make the sets challenging, use different weights for both low and high reps and overall, diversify your workouts!

Number of sets – Advanced

As you gain more and more training experience and physical improvements, you will start to notice that the total amount of muscle gained significantly decreases over time.

Especially if you are a natural athlete, you won’t see massive changes in your weight like you did during the newbie gains phase.

This is when you continue giving the body new and new challenges in the workouts, even if that means doing one more repetition or one more set.

As an advanced trainee, you should also consider that visual changes can appear even if you are not gaining much weight.

The more your muscles go through those challenging workouts and the more workouts they go through, the more they mature.

A mature musculature is well-defined, separated, and round.

So just give it time and make sure to do challenging workouts throughout that time!

Conclusion

The number of sets and reps you should do in your workouts depends on your goals.

If you want to gain maximum strength and build muscle, you should focus on the 1-5 rep range.

Oppositely, if you are more bodybuilder-minded, you should focus on the 6-15 rep range, while still incorporating the 1-5 rep range to stimulate strength gains.

Training volume forms at 5-20+ challenging sets, per muscle group, per week, depending on your training experience.

That volume grows the more you advance in your training, as it is one of the best ways to realize the main principle of muscle growth, which is progressive overload.

If you look at different athletes from different training disciplines, you will notice the diversity of muscular development you can have.

For instance, most powerlifters are pretty rugged, while most gymnasts and sprinters look rather athletic.

This brings a question to mind – Are there different types of muscle growth and is more always better?
In this article, we’ll go over the two different types of muscle growth and explain which one you should focus on stimulating, depending on your goal.

The Two Types Of Muscle Growth

If you look at a muscle group, you will find that it is made out of separate muscle units, called myofibrils (muscle fibers).

 These are the active, contractile components of your musculature, that make moving possible.

Around the myofibrils, there is a jelly-like fluid that contains non-contractile elements.

This is called the “sarcoplasm’ and is used for energy during muscular activity.

Now, there are two types of muscle growth we can look into:

1. Myofibrillar hypertrophy
2. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy

Myofibrillar hypertrophy is the growth in the size of the separate muscle units, called myofibrils.

This type of growth is mostly sought after by strength athletes, like powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters.

The main adaptations that occur when myofibrillar hypertrophy is stimulated, are increases in relative strength and improved efficiency of the nervous system.

For this type of adaptation, bulk muscle growth is a secondary adaptation.

Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, on the other hand, is the growth in the size of the jelly-like fluid around the muscle fibers, which we mentioned above.

This can be referred to as “bulk muscle growth” – something that bodybuilders and physique athletes seek.

The end results of this type of stimulation, are increases in bulk muscle growth, along with relative strength.

In this case, increases in maximum strength are a secondary adaptation.

Training tips

If you’re not a competitive athlete that needs to focus on developing just a bunch of physical properties, your best bet is to mix different types of stimulation.

Nevertheless, your training approach should be specific to your goals.

For instance, if your goal is to improve your maximum and relative strength, you should primarily focus on stimulating myofibrillar hypertrophy.

This is best done by training in the powerlifting rep range of 1-5 repetitions, but then again, you can do 6-15 rep sets every now and then to stimulate other adaptations.

If however, your goal is more oriented towards sculpting a bodybuilder-like physique, you should focus on the bodybuilding rep range of 6-15 repetitions.

Ultimately, you should try to combine low reps, high reps, slow reps, fast reps, etc.

To achieve the ultimate, functional, and good-looking physique, you should incorporate all kinds of stimuli into your workouts.

Conclusion

What we see on the outside as muscles that make us look good, is actually a complex, adaptable system (the muscular system).

The two main types of growth that can occur in the muscular system, are myofibrillar & sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.

The way you set up your training parameters and work out as a whole will determine which type of growth will occur.

If you are looking for the best overall development, however, you should carefully mix your workouts and utilize different types of stimuli.

In the last 2 articles of the muscle-building series, you learned that each workout can be measured by certain parameters (variables).

The ratios of these variables trigger different energy systems and components of the body and its musculature, thus creating a different end result.

In this article, we are going to go in-depth on the muscles’ active, contractile components, which we know as “muscle fibers”.

What Are Muscle Fibers?

Each muscle fiber, also called a “myofibril”, is an active, contractile component of each of your muscle groups.

These are the active components that allow for muscular contraction and there are different types of muscle fibers.

Depending on how demanding the activity is, the body chooses which muscle fibers to activate

Types Of Muscle Fibers

When we look at muscle fibers as an active component of your musculature, we can differentiate between two main muscle fiber types:

1. Type 1 – Slow-twitch muscle fibers
2. Type 2 – Fast-twitch muscle fibers

Slow-Twitch Muscle Fibers

This type of muscle fiber is the weaker type of tissue, as its power & force production levels are quite low.

Your slow-twitch muscle fibers get activated during activity that is not demanding or in other words, low in intensity.

Though generally weak, the slow-twitch muscle fibers can work for hours on end.

This is the muscle fiber type that was designed for endurance bouts, such as cross running, prolonged rope jumping or any other low-intensity activity that is fairly long in duration.

Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers

On the other hand, we have the fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are the stronger, more powerful active components of your musculature.

Your fast-twitch muscle fibers get activated during intense activity that demands the production of force/power.

This type of fiber was designed for short, power-burst movements, such as a sprint or any type of resistance/weight training.

The fast-twitch fibers are the most powerful ones and have the highest potential for hypertrophy (growth).

Furthermore, the fast-twitch muscle fibers have 2 more subtypes – Fast-twitch Type 2X & type 2B.

Type 2X fibers are able to generate the most force and power output but are generally inefficient due to reaching fatigue fairly quickly.

Type 2B fibers on the other hand are a mix of type 1 and type 2x fibers, meaning that they can endure more intense activity for longer.

To Sum It Up

Your musculature is made up of 2 different types of muscle fibers – Slow & Fast-twitch.

The slow muscle fibers get activated during low-intensity, prolonged activities.

These fibers can work at low intensity for hours on end but cannot produce enough power and force for intense activities like sprinting.

This is where fast-twitch muscle fibers come in.

When the task at hand is to engage in more intense activities, the body utilizes the power of your fast-twitch muscle fibers.

These muscle fibers are big, strong, and can produce short powerful bursts, but might fatigue too quickly, compared to slow-twitch fibers.

Training Tips

If you are not a competitive athlete, your best bet would be to stimulate both types of muscle fibers.

Stimulating slow-twitch fiber development is best done by engaging in low-intensity, prolonged cardio activities, such as jogging, swimming, rope jumping, etc.

Doing this type of work will primarily result in improved endurance and with it, improved cardiovascular and respiratory efficiency.

Developing your slow-twitch muscle fibers, however, won’t result in significant visual body changes.

Oppositely, stimulating fast-twitch fiber development is best done by engaging in high-intensity training activities, such as weight training, calisthenics, sprinting, etc.

Doing this type of training will primarily result in improved levels of strength, strength endurance, and power output.

Developing your fast-twitch muscle fibers is the best way to go if one of your goals is to sculpt an aesthetic body.

Conclusion

Ultimately, if we look beyond the ego that tells us to look better, we can come to one simple conclusion…

That is namely the fact that your body is a special, ever-so-capable biological machine of beauty.

For the general population that is not engaged in competitive sports, the best bet is to develop the body all-around.

In doing this, you will be able to experience the freedom of movement and you will also look good, perform well, be strong, flexible, and powerful.

“It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”

-Socrates

Most men are scared of aging but if you do the right things, you won’t “get older” but you’ll rather age well like fine wine.

Naturally, as men age, testosterone levels go down and that leads to a change in the mental and physical state.

In this article, we’ll reveal the benefits of training into your older years and tell you exactly how you can approach this, in order to reap long-lasting benefits.

Why You SHOULD Train In Your Older Years

“I don’t train, I’m already old and the results are way slower than they would if I had started young…”.

This is one of the most common excuses you hear from men over 40, which they use to justify the lack of movement in their life.

Well, though this is a common belief, the fact of the matter is that while the response may not be as prominent, training is still a good stimulus regardless of age.

Whether you’re 15, 25, or 40+, including certain types of training in your lifestyle, will increase your health and improve the overall quality of life.

More specifically, strength training has been proven to be a good anti-aging tool, which helps maintain normal testosterone levels.

So again – You’re helping your body as time goes by and by maintaining it, you bring a healthy, functional, good-looking body into your older years.

What Training Should You Do?

When it comes to training, it is a fact that exercise relies on principles, which makes the end result predictable.

There are different types of training which in turn, bring different end results, so let’s analyze the most common types of training you can take on.

Strength Training

The goal of training is to usually get the best out of it, whether we’re talking about how you look, perform or feel.

After 40, it is likely that you won’t be after a competitive sports career, so naturally, you’d be more inclined to do training that focuses on overall development and wellbeing.

Strength training is the type of training you should focus on if your goal is to:

1. Improve strength
2. Look better
3. Feel better
4. Optimize testosterone production
5. Be more athletic overall

As we already mentioned, strength training is literally the fountain of youth for men over 40.

This is due to the fact that this type of training causes a strong anabolic (constructive) response in the body, making it a nourishing activity for practically your entire body and mood.

With strength training, you will observe improvements in strength & strength endurance, muscular tone, overall mood, sex drive, and overall athleticism.

As an adult man, this is the type of training you should primarily focus on.

 Cardio training

Low-intensity, prolonged sessions are referred to as “cardio” and are the type of activity that most often comes to mind when you think of “training”.

This type of training has its benefits, which are primarily expressed in the increased efficiency of your heart & lungs.

Cardio training is the type of training you should go for if you’re looking to:

1. Increase endurance
2. Improve heart & lung health and function
3. Burn some extra calories
4. Be healthier overall

The thing about prolonged cardio is that it causes the release of cortisol, which in turn may lower testosterone levels.

This is why it is recommended to do some cardio but not too much and instead, focus most of your energy on your strength training sessions.

 Cardio is optimally done after strength training, for 20-40 minutes at a moderate pace.

 Including regular cardio in your routine may improve muscle tone, overall health & mood.

 Frequently Asked Questions

What we said above is very generic and it just displays the benefits of different types of training you can do.

Now let’s get a little more specific and dig into the details which can help you set up a training plan.

#1 What type of strength exercises should I do?

The goal with strength training is to create a stimulus that is as prominent as possible.

Compound exercises that involve more than 1 joint and muscle group at a time, are your best choice, whether you’re a young or adult male.

These are exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, overhead presses, pull-ups, dips and other dumbbell, barbell & kettlebell exercises.

 Such movements will allow you to lift significantly heavier weights, due to the greater amount of muscle fibers engaged.

This will therefore create a greater stimulus & biological response but then again, you shouldn’t lift too heavy, as you want to sustain this performance and avoid injury.

#2 How many sets and reps should I do?

The question of sets and reps is controversial and you can easily get misinformed but the fact of the matter is that the number of sets and reps depends on the goal you want to achieve.

You want to increase your maximal strength? Focus on 1-5 reps (powerlifting range)

You want to create the most visually appealing physique? Focus on 5-15 reps (bodybuilding range).

Ultimately, your best bet would be to combine both the powerlifting & bodybuilding range, as that will allow you to stimulate the muscles across all their properties (strength, strength endurance, explosiveness, etc.)

As to the number of sets, it is generally best to start off at 5+ working sets per muscle group per week (as a beginner) and increase that number as you progress, up to 10-20+ challenging sets.

#3 How often should I train?

When you workout, you do micro damage to your muscles and so, you need to carefully manage your recovery between workouts, in order to perform at your best from workout to workout.

Generally for strength training, optimal recovery comes around the 48th-96th hour after training.

Basically, you should train each muscle group again, when it is at its peak recovery state (48th-96th hr after a workout).

Think of it this way – Since your performance declines after a certain point in your workout, it is best to do 2 workouts with 5 working sets, rather than 1 workout with 10 sets.

Why? Because it would realize a greater total working volume (total amount of weight lifted) and thus, create a more powerful stimulus for the body.

#4 What type of cardio training should I do?

Cardio is a great tool to use for recovery, unwinding and relaxation when you’re not in the gym lifting weights.

This type of training implies a low-intensity, prolonged training session and there are MANY such activities.

We’d advise you to avoid limiting your cardio to just the treadmill.

Instead, do some running outside, ride your bicycle, do some swimming, some rope jumping or even some quick walking.

These activities are best done after strength training or on your off days.

If your goals primarily resonate with what strength training provides as an end result, you shouldn’t do too much cardio, as it may rob you of the energy for your strength workouts.

#5 How often should I do cardio?

The last sentence of point number 4 brings us to this question but the thing is… There is no definitive answer.

But we can say this for sure – If you are primarily looking for increases in strength, strength endurance, muscular tone & testosterone production, overdoing cardio can be suboptimal.

We’d generally recommend doing 2-4 cardio sessions per week, lasting ~40 minutes.

These are done after your strength workouts, or on days when you don’t go to the gym.

We are not completely signing cardio off, as it is highly beneficial for the heart, lungs and your overall health.

It can even be used as a great tool to recover from strength workouts.

All we’re saying is – If you do a lot of cardio, make sure you’re also eating more nutrient-rich, whole foods that provide all nutrients to the body.

You’ll need that energy!

Conclusion

As men age, testosterone levels naturally decline and so, training can be used as a tool to mitigate the effects of getting older and help you age like fine wine.

If you’re an adult male, you should primarily focus on strength training, taking on compound, heavy exercises that engage more muscles at once.

The exertion should be moderately high and hard failure must not be reached too often, as that may increase the chance of injury or physical burnout.

Ultimately, you should be looking to mix strength & cardio training, along with recovery practices like stretching & massages.

Think of it as using the body every day and doing some activity regularly, even if it’s for 15-30 minutes only.

Movement is energy and so, if you want an optimally functioning body as an adult, you should do your best to keep your body active & healthy, through training and nutrition.

As men age, testosterone levels naturally drop and so, many males resort to what is known as “Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT)”

TRT basically implies the usage of exogenous testosterone, to help maintain normal testosterone levels.

In this article, we’ll give you insight into the potential benefits & side effects of testosterone replacement therapy.

So, let’s get to it!

Benefits of TRT

Testosterone is without a doubt the most important hormone in the male body, as it drives the development of male traits and other functions.

More importantly, to a big extent, testosterone governs the recovery of your body, your mood, your sex drive & your ability to reproduce.

This is why having normal testosterone levels is important.

Testosterone replacement therapy can be a viable tool for adult males to maintain normal testosterone levels and it can have benefits (1), such as:

• Sustained libido
• Better recovery
• Anti-aging benefits
• Sustained muscularity
• Better performance
• Improved red blood cell production

But is this all there is to TRT?

Side Effects of TRT

Though the benefits of TRT look amazing at first glance, you have to know that everything comes at a cost.

Think about it – TRT basically means getting something that the body should produce, from the outside.

The fact of the matter is that TRT doesn’t really boost testosterone-producing processes in the body, but rather gives the body testosterone from the outside.

This implies that there may be certain side effects to it (2), such as:

1. Acne or skin reactions
2. Causing testicles to shrink
3. Worsened sleep

Ultimately, before resorting to TRT, your best bet would be to see what you can do to boost your testosterone levels naturally.

How To Boost Testosterone Naturally

Besides injecting testosterone, there are actually other things you can do to maintain healthy testosterone production in your body.

If you look at it objectively, we can say that if you want the body to produce testosterone, you have to give it a reason to do so.

Here are the best things you can do to keep up the anabolic (constructive) reactions in your body going strong:

1. Resistance/weight training

During weight training, you practically break down muscle tissue, and afterward, the body’s goal is to recover that.

Each of these breakdowns allows for a variety of constructive processes to take place, thus increasing testosterone levels and boosting overall metabolism.

Though it is a fact that adults produce less testosterone in response to training, as opposed to younger men, it is still a good anti-aging & test-boosting tool you can use. (3)

1. Nutrition

Though training creates potent chemical reactions in the body, it is nothing without proper recovery.

The majority of the essential nutrients that your body needs (but can’t produce on its own), to sustain healthy functioning, come from food.

Specifically for testosterone levels, dietary fats have a MASSIVE effect on your endocrine system. (4)

Studies have shown that men who under-consume dietary fats, tend to have lower testosterone levels. (5)

Combining a good amount of protein, fats, and carbs will ensure energy for training, as well as all nutrients your body needs to recover afterward.

Mainly, you should focus on whole foods, such as beef, eggs, chicken, grains, legumes, beans, vegetables, and fruits.

1. Stress management

When you’re stressed out, your body produces more cortisol – Which is known as the “stress hormone”.

The thing about cortisol production, however, is that it simultaneously decreases your testosterone levels. (6)

The more cortisol you have, the less testosterone, and so, you need to make sure you are managing all stress factors, such as your job, family, and other relationships.

Overall, we can say that emotional stability can actually help your testosterone!

Conclusion

As men age, testosterone levels naturally decline and there are things one can do to mitigate these unpleasant side effects.

Testosterone replacement therapy is one of those options, but it can have unpredictable side effects due to the nature of the substance.

This is why, it is recommended that adult men resort to natural means of testosterone maintenance, such as weight training, proper nutrition and stress management.

If the results achieved with the natural approach are not satisfying enough, then, you can proceed to TRT after consulting with your doctor.

References

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31928918/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4212439/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2796409/
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022473183901176?via%3Dihub
5. https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-2004-815818
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3880087/#:~:text=Human%20research%20has%20shown%20the,reductions%20in%20circulating%20testosterone%20levels.

When it comes to being in shape, many people use their metabolism as a type of excuse.

“I can’t gain/lose weight because my metabolism is too fast/slow…”

This is something you hear very often but then again, people who usually say this, know NOTHING about the metabolism of humans.

In this article, we’ll tell you what your metabolism is and how different types of training affect it.

What Is The Metabolism, Really?

In simple terms, metabolism can be defined as the set amount of energy & life-sustaining chemical reactions in the organism.

Think about it – Your body is always on the run because there’s always some sort of a chemical reaction going on.

Even if you are at complete rest, your body still needs energy just to stay alive and still runs a myriad of physiological processes.

Training is without a doubt one of the best tools to “speed up” your metabolism, simply because it demands quite a bit of energy and therefore, makes more chemical reactions occur in the body.

The more chemical processes occur, the more efficient the body strives to become, and thus, your metabolism increases – Both in the number of chemical reactions & the speed of those reactions.

Now let’s have a look at how different types of training affect your metabolism

#1 Resistance training

When people hear “training”, what usually comes to mind is the treadmill…

And though cardio activity is good, resistance training is what you really want to focus on, whether your goal is to lose fat or gain weight.

Resistance training activates your fast-twitch muscle fibers & primarily leads to progress in terms of strength, muscle tone & strength endurance. (1)

This brings along a flurry of nurturing hormonal reactions, which in turn improve mood, digestion, recovery, along with regulating many other internal processes.

Resistance training can help you gain weight, but also maintain a healthy body composition during a weight-loss period. (2)

#2 Cardio training

Aerobic (cardio) training is one of the most relaxing activities you can do when you’re not in the gym.

Besides being a great stress reliever, cardio can help you burn off some calories too, making it a great way to give your metabolism a boost. (3)

This type of training mainly leads to more efficient work of the heart & lungs, improving endurance.

Cardio is best done after resistance training, as it may deplete you of energy for a proper strength workout if you do it beforehand.

#3 Functional training

Being able to run & lift weights but it’s a whole other thing to actually use more of the functions that your body has.

It seems that many other physical properties like balance, agility, dexterity & coordination, have been long forgotten.

The chemical reactions in your brain are also a part of your metabolism, so doing other types of training that engage the body & brain to a higher extent, can be useful!

After all, the goal of “having a faster metabolism” is to look, feel and perform better.

Right?

Frequently Asked Questions

Now before we close this off, let’s have a look at some of the most frequently asked questions about metabolism fine-tuning.

#1 What Else Can I Do For My Metabolism?

Besides training & your non-training physical activities, there are other factors that impact the chemistry in your body. (4)

Think:

1. Food
2. Drinks
3. Medication
4. Toxic habits (smoking, drinking)
5. Environment
6. Stress levels

Work on those. Establish good habits, put yourself in a good environment and try to manage your stress.

#2 Do I Really HAVE TO train?

You don’t “have to” do anything, but really, if you look at the complexity of your body, it was made to MOVE.

Plus, modern-day life ROBS YOU of movement… So why not move to make your body happy?

If you had a 600 horsepower car that can do 330 km/h, would you hold it in first gear?

You’d likely want to at least see what 2nd gear is like…

So, yes, you don’t really have to train, but it is a fact that your body is your most valuable project.

#3 How Often Should I Train With Weights?

If you’re a beginner, you can reap good benefits from weight training if you train 3-4 times a week.

And then again, training frequency depends on other factors like training volume (total amount of weight lifted).

Ultimately, beginners would be looking at 5-10 challenging working sets, per muscle group, per week.

As you advance that number grows until you reach 15-20+ challenging working sets per muscle group, per week

Cardio training sessions can be included after weight training and should be done for no more than 30-50 minutes if your goal is optimal muscular development.

Conclusion

Boosting your metabolism is all about nurturing and giving opportunities for more chemical reactions to occur in the body.

Including different types of physical activities is one of your best bets when this is your task at hand.

Pretty much any type of movement will boost your metabolism, but if you want amazing results quickly, really just focus on resistance training & some cardio!

References

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18796867/
2.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3544497/
3.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25162652/
4.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1090748/

Training during the weight loss phase is one of the most important factors to consider if your goal is to lose weight healthily.

One important mention is the fact that during a period of weight loss, you lose not only fat, but lean body mass as well.

This includes muscle tissue, organ tissue, bone tissue and technically everything else except fat.

Why you SHOULD Train During Weight Loss

Carefully managing your weight loss period across the aspects of nutrition and training is essential for minimizing those lean body mass losses.

Especially when it comes to training, this is what will actually give a reason to the body to retain its muscle mass.

Think of it this way – If you use the muscles, that directly tells the body “we’re going to need this!”.

This in turn will favor muscle protein synthesis and when paired with good nutrition, it will also minimize muscle protein breakdown.

The end result? A healthier period of weight loss, during which you have increased mood and energy for all your physical and mental activities.

Now let’s see the MOST IMPORTANT considerations when approaching training.

What type of training should you choose?

Generally, when it comes to training for fat loss, many people think of extensive, low-intensity cardio sessions.

And though that type of exercise helps you burn more energy and make it easier to create a caloric deficit, it is not optimal for the retention of lean body mass.

Resistance training is one of the BEST tools you can use for that purpose, but you can still add cardio sessions, after resistance training.

Overall, your goal with resistance training would be to train each muscle group once every 72-96 hours.

Now let us tell you more about the separate aspects of your workout.

Training Intensity

During a period of weight loss, you subject yourself to a deficit of energy, meaning that you are below your body’s maintenance needs.

This lesser amount of energy implies that you might have suboptimal recovery after a workout.

However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t train it all, but rather, you should manage your training intensity.

Training at moderately high intensity can help you avoid suboptimal recovery and can be realized in a couple of ways:

1. Use moderately heavy weights
2. Don’t reach failure
3. Don’t overexert

In doing all of this, you will ensure that there is a good stimulus, but also enough energy to recover from it.

Training Frequency

When you workout, you practically break down muscle proteins and then, re-build them to improve the performance and appearance of your muscles.

Since recovery isn’t instant, you’d need to grant a sufficient time frame before training a given muscle group again.

This would generally be around 48-96 hours, which would allow for good recovery and increased performance.

Training Volume

Besides training intensity and frequency, you also have to consider the number of sets and repetitions that you’ll be doing for each body part.

For the general trainee, doing 5+ challenging working sets per muscle group trained in a workout, is the best approach, given that you exercise each muscle group twice a week.

The widely accepted effective training volume forms at 10-20 working sets, per muscle group, per week.

Of course, if you are a beginner or intermediate, you will be in the lower range of that spectrum.

The more you advance, the more you increase sets, reps, and weight.

When To Train?

Alright, you have a workout plan in place but what is actually the best time to train when the goal is losing fat?
Will fasted training in the morning maybe produce more results?

Well, at equated caloric deficits, training timing won’t make a big impact on total amount of fat lost, HOWEVER…

The more energy you have available before a workout, the better you will perform and thus, the better the end result will be.

Furthermore, your body runs a biological cycle that is intricately connected with the Day & Night cycle of the Earth.

As light goes through your eyes, it gives a signal to the brain, which in turn releases serotonin.

Serotonin makes you feel awake, alert & energized.

By afternoon, you would already be a couple of meals into your day (plenty of energy), and will have a good amount of serotonin produced.

If you look closely, the period between 2 and 5 pm is when you feel most alert and active.

Conclusion

Using resistance training as a tool to optimize your fat loss process, is one of the best practices for any individual looking to get fit.

Your workouts should consist of a good number of challenging working sets, that should not be taken to failure, due to the fact you are in an energy deficit.

Ultimately, your best bet would be to do these workouts in the afternoon, but this can be adjusted to your schedule.

Combining an adequate approach to training & nutrition will allow you to create sustainable results, that will give you health in your older years.

If the question at hand is losing fat and keeping it off, most people would search for an easy solution, such as a weight loss pill or a promising program a famous coach made for everyone.

The truth however is that an approach like this more often leads to eating disorders and loss of motivation, rather than sustainable results.

Think of it this way – Your body is a machine and it’s YOUR responsibility to understand how that machine functions and what you can do to maintain it.

In this article, we’ll give you the best tips you can use in your daily life to start cutting weight (and keeping it off).

The Modern-Day Problem

Humans have existed for hundreds and thousands of years and for most of that time, we as a species have gone through starvation.

Starvation is something the body knows very well and that is the reason why it can go through metabolic adaptations, which allow it to survive on little to no resource.

And here comes the big but…

It’s only been the past 30 years of human existence (out of 200,000+), that we’ve had such easy access to a multitude of foods.

Furthermore, those foods, many of which are bad, can be delivered right to your door, without having you do anything else besides standing up to pick up your delivery.

If we follow that train of thought, we can conclude that the modern-day lifestyle is quite literally, fattening!

At its very core, it robs you of movement and gives you a ton of junk food to choose from.

What we’re trying to tell you here is that the very first steps you should take towards your weight loss journey, is to take care of your physical activity levels, as well as your nutrition

Fat Loss 101

The fundamental principle of weight loss is referred to as “eating in a caloric deficit”.

This essentially means giving the body a lesser amount of energy (food) than it needs to sustain its body weight.

What this means for you is that the primary factor for weight loss is the AMOUNT OF FOOD and not so much the type of food. (Yes, you can lose weight with burgers.)

Now, the amount of energy you need daily to maintain your body weight and bodily functions, is referred to as “Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE)”.

Your TDEE is individual and it depends on the following factors:

1. Gender
2. Age
3. Height
4. Weight
5. Non-exercise activity
6. Exercise activity
7. Food consumption (digestion uses energy)

Quite simply, if you consume more than your TDEE, you will gain weight.

 If you consume less than your TDEE you will lose weight and if you’re around your TDEE, no massive changes in weight will be observed.

You can calculate your own TDEE using this weight loss calculator – https://trans4m.me/health-calculators-tdee-and-calories/

NOTE: No TDEE calculator is 100% accurate so don’t take these results for granted – Monitor your progress and adjust along the way.

Macronutrients

Now, though you can eat any food on a diet and still lose weight, the choice of food sources is important.

During a period of weight loss, you lose not only fat but also lean body mass (LBM).

In order to avoid a biological disaster, you MUST do everything possible to retain that lean body mass.

The first thing is to secure a moderate caloric deficit, made up of complete, nutritious food sources with sufficient amounts of protein and fats.

The second thing is to secure enough energy (carbohydrates) for good training sessions.

Finally, you have to make sure that your rate of weight loss is adequate, at around 1-2 lbs per week – This will ensure that most of the weight you lost is fat.

Not only that but with a moderate deficit, you will still be able to sustain the healthy functioning of your body and you will also have enough energy for any daily activities.

So to put it simply – If you are in a moderate deficit and primarily eat nutritious foods and train well, you will be able to retain most of your lean body mass and your energy levels will be high.

In terms of quantities, this is how you can spread your macros across the nutrition plan:

Protein (4 calories per gram) – 0.8-1g per lb of body weight.

Fat (9 calories per gram) – 0.35-0.45g per lb of body weight.

Carbohydrates (4 calories per gram) should make up the remaining caloric intake.

Example:

• If your TDEE is 2200 calories, you’d need to consume 1700 calories to burn fat.
• If you’re 180 lbs, that would mean you’d need about 180 grams of protein and 60 grams of fat
• 180 grams of protein are 720 calories and 60 grams of fat are 540 calories, making a total of 1260 calories
• 1700 calories – 1260 calories = 440 calories remaining
• These 440 calories go for carbs and to calculate the exact amount, you simply divide by 4 because carbs have 4 calories per gram (110g of carbs are 480 calories)

Keeping the weight off

Alright, so we now know that a moderate deficit that favors nutrient dense-foods is the best way to sustainable fat loss.

But how do you actually keep the weight off?

The majority of people who go on a diet, re-gain 100% or more of their weight back in twice as less time as it took them to actually lose it…

And this is the EXACT reason why you shouldn’t think of your diet as something that has a start and end date.

It is a healthy habit that you should create and keep with you for the rest of your life, in order to meet the needs of your organism.

If you want to keep the weight off, after you’ve hit your goals, do the following:

1. Reverse dieting – Gradually increase caloric intake by 50-80 calories per week
2. Keep monitoring weight – You shouldn’t gain weight drastically.
3. Continue training – Increase your working weights, sets and repetitions

Additionally, throughout the period of eating at a caloric deficit, you should resort to diet breaks every 2-3 weeks.

This essentially means going back to maintenance calories and what this will do is it will help you keep your metabolism up, making the whole process more bearable.

Conclusion

Losing your fluff and keeping it off starts at the very fundamentals of what you put in your body.

To achieve sustainable weight loss, you must resort to a moderate caloric deficit and nutrient-dense foods.

Remember this should not be a drastic, quick process but rather a gradual change in time.

In the second part of this article series, we’ll tell you more about training and how you can use it to speed up your fat loss and keep the body healthy.