5 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ARE HURTING YOUR GAINS

Categories: Fitness

5 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ARE HURTING YOUR GAINS

If you are a gym aficionado such as myself, you probably like to think that everything you are doing, in and out of the gym, is for the betterment of your gains. But you would be surprised to learn of the things you are doing on a day to day basis that are impacting the amount of muscle you’re building and fat you’re burning. Put down that “harmless” diet soda and listen up boys and girls, shits about to get serious.

1. Diet Soda Is Ok To Drink

Contrary to popular believe, the word “diet” on any beverage is counter-intuitive, as drinking diet soda can actually cause you to put on weight. Artificial sweeteners can cause your body to develop an intolerance to glucose (aka sugar) causing your body to convert sugar into fat as soon as it ingests any true form of sugar. And, if that’s not convincing enough, According to this study done by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, those drinking diet soda will gain over TRIPLE the amount of abdominal fat in 9 years time that those who don’t.

2. Going To Failure On Every Set 

Doing too many reps causes you to lose muscle. Your body gets its energy by burning calories from carbs, fats, and proteins, in that order. By doing too many reps, you are draining your body of energy from carbs and fats, which leaves protein. Any idea what your muscles are made of? If not, then Dr. Gabe Mirkin has the answer here.

3. Not Eating Enough

It’s the kind of calories you are cutting down on, not the number of calories that counts. Think quality of quantity. It’s ok to eat 3,000 calories a day. Just eat it from healthy foods and get a good lift in. When you’re pushing your body to it’s limit without fueling it properly, your metabolism drops and the body tries to hold on to fat, according to Heidi Mill’s article “If You’re Not Eating Enough You Might Gain Weight”.

4. Not Getting Enough Sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important aspects of any diet and exercise program. Growth hormone levels are always at their highest during sleep and lower with lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation also decreases glucose metabolism, causing excess storage of fatty tissue. Did I mention it also promotes hunger and appetite? Well that too!

5. Improper Form

Take the time to research and practice your form before doing anything crazy. There are tons of exercise databases readily available. Poor form can cause serious injury, and in turn, serious lack of gains.

There is always room for improvement in your diet and workout regime. Make sure you do all the research you can before and after starting a new program, and the sky’s the limit.

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