- Stress Management – Stress looks different on everyone, and calming techniques are different for everyone. What calms one might actually stress another. However, some stress-reduction techniques apply to everyone. When you find yourself flustered and overwhelmed, take the time to slow down and focus on taking deep breaths. Deep breathing centers you when everything feels like it’s moving too fast.
- Practice Mindfulness – Mindfulness is being present to what’s occurring, what you’re experiencing and what you’re feeling. When you become present to your experience, you’re more equipped to focus on solutions to negative feelings. It allows you to embrace your feelings instead of repressing them, which can lead to the unhealthy practice of bottling up negative energy. The practice of meditation and self-affirmations can help you become more mindful.
- Physical Self-Care – Taking care of your body is one of the best ways to take care of your mental health. To care for yourself physically, you should turn your focus to the three tenets of physical health: eating clean and healthy, exercising and getting enough sleep. When you take care of your health, positive mental health follows.
- Personal Retreat – Take the time to step away from everything. More than just a vacation, a retreat gives you a break from the life that you normally know. It’s the time to relax, unplug, be unreachable and do absolutely nothing except exist and perhaps indulge. You might feel guilty for taking time away for yourself, but once you return to life refreshed and recharged, you’ll be an even better employee/boss/parent/friend/spouse/partner than you were before.
- Just Say No – The D.A.R.E. program in the 80s was onto something with this phrase, but this phrase can apply to so much more. Saying “no” to others does not mean you’re letting them down. It simply means that you’re choosing to not wear yourself thin by agreeing to everything that’s asked of you. It means you’re choosing not to let your cup run over.
- Mental Breaks – A break doesn’t have to entail physically stepping away from something that’s bringing you stress. You can shut off your brain by compartmentalizing your stressful thoughts into a place that you only visit at certain times. Take small breaks every two hours when you’re working on a long project and make it a point to not think about or discuss the project during that time. Your productivity will even improve. Go on a date with your spouse and make it a point to not discuss anything related to finances, family or other topics that create stress and tension in the home. Instead, discuss your dreams, favorite books or vacations that you want to take.
- Walk Away From Unhealthy Situations – If you have a relationship or a work situation that doesn’t serve you well, it’s OK to break it off. If it’s an argument or toxic debate that you don’t want to be in, you can stop participating. Don’t get riled about things that you don’t need to be angry about just because your ego wants to have the last word. It doesn’t make you a bad person for ignoring the conversation, and you haven’t lost the argument just because you went silent.
Brad Krause
Writer
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How To Get Bigger Arms | Edge Fitness Arm Workout
Hey everyone! In this video it was arm day. For this workout video we decided to meet over at Edge Fitness in Deptford, NJ. As many of you know, we love to superset our workouts, especially our arm workouts. This means every time we complete a set of bicep exercises, we perform a complementary triceps exercise. It’s the best way to get the blood flowing! You can perform this workout by yourself, but it’s a tougher workout when you have partners. Pushing to the limit, less time between sets.
Don’t get hung up on the amount of weight. Feel free to reduce the weight and keep the reps high.
How To Get Bigger Arms Workout
Have you tried this workout? I’d like to hear from you. Make sure you like, comment, and most importantly Subscibe! Click the button below.
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The Beginner’s Guide To Gaining Weight
There is only one magic formula to gaining weight and it requires that you eat more calories than your body burns. If you are finding it difficult to gain weight despite the fact you think you eat a lot, it is possible you are not creating a calorie surplus. If you are struggling to gain weight, these tips can help you understand what may be happening.
Why You’re Not Gaining Weight
If you are naturally skinny, you may think you can eat anything you want without gaining. You may claim you have a fast metabolism or that you simply don’t digest food the way heavier people do. You may believe you are constantly stressed which can lead to weight loss or that there is some medical condition that leads you to stay thin. However, there is truly only one explanation for staying thin and that is that you aren’t eating as much as you think you are. Track your calories for one week using an app like MyFitnessPal or something similar. It is highly likely you will find that you are not gaining weight because you are eating fewer calories than you are burning.
Somatotypes: Is Your Body Type Important
Your body type does play a part in how easily you gain or lose weight. People with high metabolisms do exist and it is possible you are not gaining because you are very active. Many people who have difficulty gaining fidget more than those who do not, research indicates. If you have a small frame, you may still have difficulty gaining because your body is not built to be big. Even if you have a small frame, have difficulty gaining due to activity or your metabolism is higher than others, if you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. The key is to eat more calories than you burn consistently in order to see results.
How to Gain Weight
There are several ways to increase your calorie intake in order to gain weight. You can add more calories to each meal or add additional meals. Add calorie-dense food to your diet such as dried fruits, nuts or pasta. Blended food digests easier than food you have to chew, so add smoothies to your diet. One of the best smoothies includes oats, milk, banana, peanut butter and whey protein. Just as overweight people underestimate what they eat, skinny people overestimate what they eat. Track your calories each day to see what you are consuming. Consider a fitness tracker, such as a FitBit or Garmin, to track both calories and activity each day. Add squats and deadlifts with free weights to your workout to help you gain.
- Eat More
- Eat More Meals
- Eat Calorie Dense Foods
- Eat More Protein
- Drink Shakes
- Track Your Calories
- Lift Heavy (But Safely)
- Be Consistent
The Importance of Nutrition
Eating more calories than you burn will help you gain weight, but not just any calories. You want to be sure to choose healthy options, like whole grains as well as lean meats and dairy. Start by adding 500 calories per day than you are burning. If you are not gaining as you’d like, add more calories, but do so slowly to avoid building belly fat. You need to be consistent as it is the daily average calorie intake that determines true weight gain.
You Need to Eat More Protein
Increase the amount of protein you eat each day, such as chicken, fish and eggs. Add 1 gram of protein per pound of body-weight per day to build muscle and for recovery. Some of the best protein options include steaks, ground round, chicken breasts and thighs as well as tuna, salmon, mackerel and sardines. Eggs are good source of protein as are dairy products like milk, cottage cheese and yogurt.
Top Protein Sources:
- Steaks, Ground Beef
- Chicken Breast
- Turkey Breast
- Ground Turkey
- Tuna
- Salmon
- Mackerel
- Eggs or Egg Whites
Eat More Meals Throughout the Day
Small meals are easier to manage than large meals, so aim for six to seven small meals per day rather than three. Start by waking up earlier and eating breakfast. Too often, skinny people eat nothing for breakfast which means they are getting no calories before noon. You need at least eight hours sleep, so that leaves you only 16 hours to eat each day. Start with breakfast around 7 AM, adding a snack 10 AM. Lunch should be around 1 PM, another snack around 4 PM and then dinner around 7 PM. Keep in mind these are not large, more than 1,000 calorie meals, but smaller meals that are between 500 and 700 calories.
What You Should Eat
Choose foods that are high in calories and nutrition. Although vegetables are healthy, they do not have many calories. Keep vegetables in your diet for their nutritional value and fat-burning properties, but if you want to gain weight, you also need to add foods like nuts, dried fruit, dairy, grains, potatoes, fats and meat. Try to avoid junk food even though it is high in calories. McDonald’s food is calorie-dense, but also contains significant amounts of fat, sugar and sodium. Although eating chips, cookies, fries and ice cream may add calories, it can lead to extra fat around your belly. That does not mean you can never eat at McDonald’s or enjoy a cold beer every now and then. The best rule of thumb is 90 percent quality food and 10 percent junk food.
Train Consistently
Lifting helps trigger muscle mass building in your body so you want to include lifting weights in your workout. Lifting also increases your appetite helping you to eat more. If you eat more than you burn, lifting keeps food from being stored as fat. Use free weights which are more effective and safer than machines. Include compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench press and rows. Always try to lift more than you did in your last workout and be sure your form is correct. Your body needs rest, so don’t do more than three full body workouts each week.
Supplements for the Skinny Guy
Blending food in liquid form helps you digest it more quickly. You can make your own weight gainer shakes by combining:
- 100g Oats
- 1 Banana
- 1 tbsp Peanut Butter
- 300ml Whole Milk
- 2 scoops Whey Protein
Mix everything in a blender for 1048 calories, 120g carbs, 80g protein and 28g fat. Avoid processed weight gainer shakes as they are often full of sugars. If you aren’t a fan of smoothies, simply drink whole milk.
These tips and suggestions are designed for people who have difficulty gaining weight when working out. For more tips on workouts, nutrition and weight, subscribe to my YouTube Channel.
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Born Tough Gym Wear and Fitness Attire
There are scores of workout and fitness attire merchants out there. You could probably name a number of them right off the top of your head. Some of these manufacturers and designers make workout clothing that is, frankly, not making the cut. Or its too expensive and restrictive to really make purchasing it worthwhile.
But if you’re looking for a new style for the gym that looks sharp without weighing you down or getting in the way of your movement, then you should check out Born Tough.
About Born Tough
Born Tough (BT) is a new brand. A new style. These are people who are making clothing for the modern day warrior, from the recreational runners to the elite athletes. As long as you want functional clothing for your functional fitness, then you are ready to make a switch to clothing that accelerates your training instead of holding you back.
This brand is going to be direct competition for other brands like GymShark and VQFit.
Born Tough makes minimalist exercise gear that tackles the old-age concept that sportswear should be baggy, disproportional or, on the other hand, clingy and uncomfortable. The clothing is designed for all body types and fits like a second skin. This allows both men and women to bend, twist, dance, jump, and run without needing to think about how they look. Born Tough clothing is stylish yet subdued, so you look ready for the gym, coffee, lounging, or travel all the time.
What makes Born Tough clothing a clear competitor in today’s market, however, is not just the look and feel. The designers have paid extreme attention to the details, including the need for technology. A lot of exercise clothing continues to ignore pockets deep enough for cell phones and mp3 players, headphone wires, and the like. Born Tough clothing integrates these features into their designs, so you can keep your important tech close without getting literally wrapped up in it.
A Look At Born Tough Products
Born Tough is just getting started, but they have already accumulated an array of merchandise for men and women that can fill your wardrobe.
I checked out the Born Tough Core Fit Short Sleeve, made with BT’s signature “Swift fabric,” which makes it lightweight and breathable for intense workouts in the gym. I tried it on and the fit is perfect. There’s nothing I would change about the construction, styling, or sizing. The shirt has an overlay, so it looks seamless. Additionally, the extended scallop hem prevents any embarrassing bunches or riding up from happening as you do your squats and other lower body exercises. Twists and turns couldn’t make this shirt ride up either.
Here’s a glimpse at the features of the Core Fit t-shirt:
- True to size
- 93% cotton and 7% modal spandex
- Flatlock seams
- Extended scallop hem
- 3M reflective logo on the back
- Ideal for a base layer
- Stretchable, breathable, and lightweight
- Minimalist design
- 30-day money back guarantee on all products
Presently, there’s more for men than for women. Men can look at a number of tops, bottoms, sleepwear, hoodies, and sweatshirts. Women have hoodies and sweatpants that come as a track set or separately. The inventory is growing, though, so there is bound to be more options for women in the future.
You can also get free shipping and free returns, too.
Final Thoughts
New brands who try to reshape the face of the fitness apparel industry always bring some excitement to the table, but Born Tough is already making a statement. The quality of the gear, the decent price, and the attention to detail are three things that make these products a smart purchase.
You don’t want miss what this company has in store.
Looking for more info and tips on fitness apparel? Then head over to my YouTube channel and hit the subscribe button. There’s plenty of videos for you to get and stay informed about what’s new in fitness.
