5 Reasons You Need Strength Training

Danielle Diamond

 

Photo by Yasu & Junko/Trunk Archive

Most women base their fitness routine in cardio. She might run, spin, dance—as long as her heart rate’s up, she’s burning calories. You’re less prone to find her in the male-dominated area of the gym: the weights. Turns out that’s a big mistake. The immediate calorie burn from cardio might be higher, but if you’re not strength training, you’re missing out on a slew of other benefits—including significant fat burning.

Celebrity trainer Joel Harper, who’s worked with Olympic athletes, says, “I train my clients to use their time efficiently and effectively, so I rely on strength training. It builds muscle and bone density, and helps you lose weight.” Below, five reasons to work strength training into your workout routine.

To Build MuscleWhich helps you lose weight. A Penn State study on the benefits of cardio versus strength training measured subjects who lost 21 pounds on either regimen. The cardio group, however, lost six pounds of muscle while those lifting weights lost almost all fat and actually gained muscle.

You’ll burn two to four calories less per minute lifting weights versus cardio; but the minute you hop off the elliptical, your body stops burning. On the flipside, post-weights, your metabolism stays elevated for up to an hour; burning calories up to 25% faster even after you finish lifting. You can expect to burn an extra 120 calories a day for every three pounds of muscle you gain, which is key for weight loss and long-term weight control. Those extra 120 calories a day can add up to about 10 pounds of fat lost per year.

Think of it this way: if you build up your muscle, your body will be burning calories even while you binge-watch your new favorite show. 

To Increase Bone DensityMost doctors recommend weight training as the number one preventive measure against bone loss. As women age, they can lose up to 2% of their bone mass annually. The good news is, it’s reversible. Women who participated in a study with McMaster University found that a yearlong strength-training program increased their spinal bone mass by 9%.

To Make You HappyBeing fit obviously boosts confidence, but strength training also releases a steady flow of endorphins that play an integral role in regulating your mood. Boosting endorphins is one of the best natural ways to decrease stress—and increase happiness.

To Prevent IllnessStudies have shown that strength training helps control blood sugar, which helps prevent diabetes. Regular use of weights also helps keep cardiovascular disease at bay by melting away excess fat that builds up around your organs. Maintaining muscle strength surrounding arthritic joints helps reduce stiffness and pain in those suffering from arthritis and by strengthening your abdominal and back muscles, you can reduce the symptoms of back pain.

To Improve Your PostureStrength training improves your balance and stability, thus giving you better posture as all of the muscles in your body collectively get stronger and more efficient.

Don’t fret!  You don’t need to blow off your favorite SoulCycle class; you’ll still benefit from doing cardio. Luckily, you’ll get results from adding just two sessions of strength-training per week, leaving you plenty of time run, spin, and dance your heart out.

10 Sports Supplements That Actually Work

Amy Rushlow

 

Photo by Getty Images

Walk the aisles of any nutrition or health food store, and you’re bound to be overwhelmed in less time than it takes to chug a protein shake. But not all supplements are bunk: Research shows that some can help you work out longer or harder, recover better, and facilitate a host of other benefits. Here are 10 that are worth your time.

1. Creatine monohydrate

Bodybuilders have taken creatine powder for years to help them grow bigger and stronger. But it’s not only for muscle heads: An analysis of 10 studies published earlier this year found that older adults following a strength-training program gained about three extra pounds of muscle over three months when they took creatine powder. Creatine occurs naturally in your body and fuels muscle cells during short bursts of energy, such as lifting heavy weights. A creatine supplement makes more of this fuel available for your muscles, allowing you to complete more reps, said study author Michaela Devries, of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
Who it’s for: Anyone who strength-trains regularly and is looking to gain muscle.
How to take it: Start with 10 grams of creatine monohydrate powder twice a day, recommended Dr. Charlie Seltzer. After five days, lower your dose to 2 grams to 5 grams per day.

2. Betaine

The muscle-building compound betaine (beet-ah-een) is naturally found in spinach and whole grains. Men who took betaine as part of a six-week strength program gained muscle size and lowered their body fat percentage, according to a 2013 study. (The placebo group didn’t see any significant effects.) The compound works by increasing protein synthesis in the body, which helps build muscle after tough workouts.
Who it’s for: People who are looking to build bigger muscles, who strength-train regularly and aren’t dieting, said Mike Roussell, a former nutrition researcher and the author of “The 6 Pillars of Nutrition.”
How to take it: Twice a day, take a pill with 1.25 grams betaine.

Related: 5-Minute Meals That Blast Fat

3. Fish oil

You’ve surely heard of fish oil’s heart-health benefits. Turns out, the popular supplement may also help you exercise harder, leading to greater weight loss. A landmark study in the American Journal Clinical of Nutrition found that overweight people who took a daily omega-3 fish oil supplement lost more weight than those who took a placebo. “When that research first came out, people talked a lot about fish oil being a weight-loss supplement, but that’s not quite what was going on,” Roussell said. So what happened? “The exercise regimens in the study were heart rate–based, so the subjects had to hit certain heart rate targets during their sessions. The fish oil artificially lowered their heart rate, so they needed to work harder to hit their targets — and thus burned more calories and lost more weight.” You can get the benefits without a heart rate monitor as long as you make sure to work out at your usual effort level, Roussell told Yahoo Health.
Who it’s for: Everyone
How to take it: Recommendations vary, but the study subjects took 2 grams of the omega-3s EPA and DHA. Look for a fish oil that’s at least 50 percent EPA and DHA, which suggests it was processed in a way that makes the fatty acids easier for the body to absorb, Roussell said.

4. Quercetin

This powerful antioxidant improves oxygen delivery to muscles, which may help you exercise longer than you would be able to otherwise, Roussell said. Quercetin has a small but significant effect on endurance exercise performance, an analysis of 11 studies published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise concluded. Recent rodent studies also show that quercetin helps protect the body’s cellular powerhouses, called mitochondria, from exercise-related fatigue.
Who it’s for: Endurance athletes who exercise for an hour or more at a time.
How to take it: Most studies examined a dose of 1,000 milligrams per day. Many brands sell quercetin pills and powders. The brand FRS also makes quercetin sports drinks, chews, and liquid concentrates.

Related: Why Being Sore After Your Workout Isn’t Always a Good Thing

5. ATP

As you probably learned in the first week of eighth grade biology, ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the most basic unit of cellular energy. It’s almost seems too simple to be true, but taking an oral ATP supplement can affect muscle strength. “I never actually thought this would work,” Roussell admitted. “But apparently it doesn’t get degraded during the digestive process.” Supplementation with ATP boosts strength gains from weightlifting and increases the number of reps you can do during a workout, studies show. Research released last year in Nutrition & Metabolism also found that ATP might help with muscle recovery. ATP supplementation reduced the strength losses that athletes experienced during a two-week period of hard training, researchers discovered.
Who it’s for: Serious strength athletes — the research is still very new, and most studies have been conducted on healthy men who strength-train regularly.
How to take it: Peak ATP manufactures the patented form of ATP used in most research; take 400 milligrams per day.

6. Whey protein

Whey protein is “the supplement that should be on top of everybody’s list,” Seltzer told Yahoo Health. It has been shown to speed recovery from workouts, build muscle, reduce muscle soreness following exercise, and suppress appetite. “Whey protein is more rapidly absorbed by the body compared to other forms of protein, and it creates more of an insulin response. Insulin is an anabolic [muscle-building] hormone,” Seltzer explained. “Exercise inherently breaks muscle down. But whey protein will help reverse that and allow for faster recovery.” In fact, a 2014 study showed that consuming 20 grams of whey protein following a workout increased muscle protein synthesis by almost 50 percent.
Who it’s for: Anyone
How to take it: Mix 20 grams to 40 grams (about a scoop) into water or a shake after a strength workout. If you’re watching your weight, be sure to include the calories from the protein powder in your daily total. Whey isolate has less fat and calories than other forms, but it’s generally more expensive.

Related: Get the Protein, Hold the Meat

7. Beta-alanine

Racehorses were the first competitors to benefit from beta-alanine supplementation. Later, research showed that it benefits human athletes as well. How? Intense exercise — an Insanity DVD, a soccer game, or a 400-meter run — increases the pH of your cells, making them more acidic. It sounds strange, but don’t worry; it’s a completely normal reaction, albeit one that can grind your workout to a halt. That’s where beta-alanine comes in. Your body converts it to a substance called carnosine, which buffers cellular pH. “When you get accumulation of lactic acid, you get fatigue and burning, so when you have extra beta-alanine or extra carnosine, you can work longer and harder without the acid buildup,” Seltzer said.
Who it’s for: People who do competitive, vigorous exercise.
How to take it: A dose of 1.2 grams per day is most effective, according to a July 2014 study.

8. Caffeine

One of the most effective sports supplements available is probably in your kitchen cabinet right now. “When taken before exercise, we know that caffeine helps improve performance and power output, decreases symptoms of fatigue, helps you work longer and stronger, and acts as a mental focusing agent,” Seltzer said. Caffeine may be most effective for morning workouts, suggests a small study from Spain published earlier this year. The researchers found that a.m. caffeine ingestion improved bench press and squat speeds — but only to the levels athletes could normally hit in the afternoon without taking the supplement. Consuming caffeine in the afternoon didn’t improve performance, but it did hurt the subjects’ sleep that night.
Who it’s for: Anyone who has a doctor’s clearance; caffeine can increase heart rate and blood pressure.
How to take it: Caffeine pills are best because you can control the amount of the drug, Seltzer said. Start with a low dose of 50 milligrams, and increase up to 300 milligrams, depending on the benefits and side effects you notice.

9. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. The three branched-chain amino acids, leucine, isoleucine, and valine, work together to prevent muscle breakdown. Whey protein does contain some BCAAs, but not enough to meet the needs of most people, Seltzer said. BCAAs don’t have any calories and are easier on the stomach than protein powders, which is why he recommends taking both protein and BCAA supplements. “There’s also some independent evidence that BCAA supplementation can help decrease postworkout muscle soreness and improve muscular recovery,” he added.
Who it’s for: Anyone.
How to take it: Look for a 3:1:1 ratio of leucine to isoleucine to valine. Take 5 grams to 10 grams both before and after workouts.

10. Casein protein

Casein protein is known as a slow protein because it forms a gel in the stomach, releasing the protein to the body slowly over time. This makes it an ideal protein to take before bed, Seltzer said, to stimulate muscle repair while you sleep.
Who it’s for: Anyone, provided you can fit it into your daily calorie count.
How to take it: Stir 25 grams to 40 grams of casein protein powder into water or milk before bedtime.

How Your Body Signals That You're Vitamin Deficient

Q by Equinox

 

By Wendy Schmid, Q by Equinox

When your body is trying to tell you something — for example, that you’re skimping on critical vitamins — it may go to some strange lengths. “With today’s diet of processed foods it’s easy to become vitamin deficient — either by not eating enough of the right foods or not absorbing them properly due to digestive issues,” says Dr. Susan Blum, founder of the Blum Center for Health and author of the new book, The Immune System Recovery Plan. “You may not get a disease but you can end up with impaired functioning, because vitamins are co-factors for all the bio-chemical reactions in the body. We need them in order to function properly.” That impaired functioning can sometimes manifest in mysterious ways.

Check out these unusual vitamin-deficiency warning signs. The good news: Most are fixable with dietary tweaks — all the more reason to make nutrition a top priority. When food cures don’t work, be sure to check in with your doctor. 

Related: Is Brown Rice Really Better?

1. Body Cue: Cracks at the corners of your mouth.

The Deficiency: Iron, zinc, and B vitamins like niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2), and B12. “It’s common if you’re a vegetarian to not get enough iron, zinc, and B12,” Blum says. Ditto if you’re skimping on essential immunity-building protein due to dieting.

The Fix: Eat more poultry, salmon, tuna, eggs, oysters, clams, sun-dried tomatoes, Swiss chard, tahini, peanuts, and legumes like lentils. Iron absorption is enhanced by vitamin C, which also helps fight infection, so combine these foods with veggies like broccoli, red bell peppers, kale, and cauliflower.

2. Body Cue: A red, scaly rash on your face (and sometimes elsewhere) and hair loss.

The Deficiency: Biotin (B7), known as the hair vitamin. While your body stores fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), it doesn’t store most B vitamins, which are water-soluble. Body builders take note: Eating raw eggs makes you vulnerable, because a protein in raw eggs called avidin inhibits the body’s ability to absorb biotin.

The Fix: Reach for more cooked eggs (cooking deactivates avidin), salmon, avocados, mushrooms, cauliflower, soybeans, nuts, raspberries, and bananas.

3. Body Cue: Red or white acnelike bumps, typically on the cheeks, arms, thighs and butt.

The Deficiency: Essential fatty acids and vitamins A and D.

The Fix: Skimp on saturated fat and trans fats, which you should be doing anyway, and increase healthy fats. Focus on adding more salmon and sardines, nuts like walnuts and almonds, and seeds like ground flax, hemp, and chia. For vitamin A, pile on leafy greens and colorful veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, and red bell peppers. “This provides beta carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, which your body will use to make vitamin A,” Blum says. “For vitamin D, though, I recommend a supplement—2,000 IU a day in one that also contains vitamins A and K, which help with D absorption.”

Related: 5 Things You Need To Know About Protein

4. Body Cue: Tingling, prickling, and numbness in hands, feet or elsewhere.

The Deficiency: B vitamins like folate (B9), B6, and B12. “It’s a problem directly related to the peripheral nerves and where they end in the skin,” says Blum, noting that these symptoms can be combined with anxiety, depression, anemia, fatigue, and hormone imbalances.

The Fix: Seek out spinach, asparagus, beets, beans (pinto, black, kidney, lima), eggs, octopus, mussels, clams, oysters, and poultry.

5. Body Cue: Crazy muscle cramps in the form of stabbing pains in toes, calves, arches of feet, and backs of legs.

The Deficiency: Magnesium, calcium, and potassium. “If it’s happening frequently, it’s a tip-off that you’re lacking in these,” Blum says. And if you’re training hard, you can lose more minerals (and water-soluble B vitamins) through heavy sweating.

The Fix: Eat more bananas, almonds, hazelnuts, squash, cherries, apples, grapefruit, broccoli, bok choy, and dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, and dandelion.

5 Biceps Training Tips

The following tips can be used with programs one and two to further enhance biceps growth.

1

Avoid Overtraining The Biceps

Given the biceps is one of the smaller muscle groups, which receives a lot of additional work every time a person trains back and chest, it is wise to limit training sessions to no more then two per week.
The more advanced lifter could safely do this number of workouts per week, while one session would be recommended for the beginner or intermediate lifter. Six to nine sets maximum of specific biceps work, for any given workout, would be best to prevent overtaxing this muscle.

2

Aim For Size And Shape Will Follow

One major misconception in bodybuilding is that biceps shape can be specifically trained for. The truth is, shape is determined by genetics and specific movements will develop only what ones genetic blueprint dictates. With this in mind I would suggest training for size with the basic movements outlined in this article and stay away from so called shaping exercises, at least during the initial stages (six months to a year).

3

Keep Form Strict

It is a given that ensuring strict training form (with the possible exception of cheat bar curls) will more fully isolate the biceps and contribute to greater growth. Keeping good technique will also help with injury prevention.

4

Train Biceps Independently

Training biceps on their own (preferably on the same day as back) is a great idea for two reasons: it will enable one to focus exclusively on their development with maximal intensity, and allow for greater recovery time given the workouts will be shorter and larger muscle groups will not limit the intensity applied.
For example, if one trains the biceps directly after back (a standard practice among bodybuilders), there will be residual fatigue in the elbow flexors from all the rows, chins and pull-downs executed. This will significantly limit the training resistance used during all biceps curling movements and therefore limit biceps growth.

5

Warm-Up Properly

To prevent injury and prepare the biceps for high intensity work, it is advisable to stretch for several minutes and complete at least one warm-up set of 15-20 repetitions with a weight of around 50 percent of your working weight.

Conclusion

Keeping things simple is often the best advice for any endeavour. For training biceps it is particularly wise to keep things short and simple by sticking with a plan that works, one that is based on several basic movements, and a list of guidelines that are proven to get results. The programs in this article have been proven successful in building big biceps. Use them to create your own monster guns.

Training the biceps is a must. 
This article will provide an overview of the best exercises available and a full training program and tips!


In bodybuilding everybody wants big biceps, as they are a most impressive area to develop, and given their high visibility and superficiality, signify strength perhaps like no other body part. When someone asks, "flex a muscle" they do not want to see your calves. It is the biceps that are usually requested.
Also, the greatest professional bodybuilding champions are usually those who are known for tremendous biceps size and shape. From the Austrian Oak, Arnold Schwarzenegger, through to current Mr. Olympia, Ronnie Coleman, great champions usually possess great biceps.
The biceps grouping (anatomically known as the biceps brachii), of which there are two heads (the short head or outer biceps and the long head, or inner) comprise the upper portion of the upper arm and are responsible for elbow flexion (moving the hand toward the shoulder), elbow supination (rotating the palm upward) and shoulder flexion/transverse flexion.
Also associated with the biceps, although not part of their anatomical structure, are the brachialis and brachioradialis, muscles that are situated on the side of the arm between biceps and triceps, and connect the main bicep muscle to the forearm respectively.
Training the biceps will involve training these muscles also, as they allow for greater overall upper arm size, and the illusion of a larger biceps from top to bottom.
To become a bodybuilding champion or just someone who would like to look great on the beach, training the biceps and associated muscles is a must. This article will provide an overview of the best exercises currently available, a full training program and tips to get the most from the methods presented.

The Best Biceps Exercises

Personal experience - through training numerous clients and myself - has shown me that certain biceps exercises are superior to others. The best biceps movements, collectively known as the "mass-builders," are those that provide the greatest stimulus across both the long and the short heads.
Therefore, using the four exercises shown in this article - the standing barbell curl, one-arm preacher curl, incline dumbbell curl and hammer curl (in my experience, by far the best for building massive size) - will help you to achieve your size building goals at a faster rate.
Isolation exercises, such as various cable and machine movements, do have their place, especially as a contest approaches and one wants to etch more detail, or when a bodybuilder has sufficient mass and seeks to create more definition, but for building a good base of solid muscle they are largely unnecessary and it is best to stick with the basics initially to build the best foundation.
In addition to building great biceps size, the basic exercises will also create the type of shape your biceps will adopt (which is largely determined by genetics) as they will stimulate a greater cross-section of the muscle. Here are the best exercises, an explanation on how to perform them and they reasons why they are used.

EXERCISE 1 Barbell Curl

The biceps curl can be performed a number of ways: standing with dumbbells (both hands curling or alternating), one arm resting on inner thigh as with the concentration curl, preacher curl variations (including the one arm version featured in this article) and seated with dumbbells.
Given the main role of the biceps is elbow flexion, the logical movement for stimulating the most amount of muscle in this region is the curl, and the most basic of all the curling movements is the standing barbell version, universally known as the greatest biceps exercise ever.

To Perform

• Hold bar with a shoulder-width grip, with arms straight toward the floor and elbows locked an inch from your sides.
• Curl weight toward the chest, while keeping the elbows and back fixed.
• Contact the biceps as the bar reaches the front of the chest.
• Resist weight as it slowly lowers to the floor for a full stretch.

Exercise Data

Main Muscle Worked: Biceps Other Muscles Worked: None Equipment: Barbell Mechanics Type: Isolation

EXERCISE 2 One-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl

This exercise could be considered an isolating movement as it really focuses stress on the peak (which is found on the short head and is genetically determined) and adds to fullness at the lower portion of this muscle. However, as mentioned it does add to fullness and I have found it to be one the best movements for enhancing overall size.

To Perform

• Using a regular preacher bench, hold dumbbell with an underhand grip while locking elbow firmly in place in an extended position on the bench.
• Slowly curl the dumbbell up, trying to touch the shoulder of the arm being worked.

Exercise Data

Main Muscle Worked: Biceps Other Muscles Worked: None Equipment: Dumbbell Mechanics Type: Isolation

EXERCISE 3 Incline Dumbbell Curl

Another good overall mass builder (second only to standing bar curls in my opinion) is the incline dumbbell curl. It allows one to achieve a full range of motion while getting a maximal stretch at the bottom of the movement. The amount of weight used will be less than with the bar curl, but providing the form is kept strict it will produce an amazing pump.

To Perform

• Lying back on an incline bench, hold two dumbbells with arms extended down and back.
• Curl the dumbbells up and out with both hands, being sure to turn the wrists as the weights are raised.
• Slowly return to start position.

Exercise Data

Main Muscle Worked: Biceps Other Muscles Worked: None Equipment: Dumbbell Mechanics Type: Isolation

EXERCISE 4 Hammer Curls

The hammer curl, although not strictly a biceps exercise, will develop the brachialis, lending a greater degree of overall size to the biceps area. The brachialis, the strongest flexor of the elbow, runs along the side of the upper arm and comprises much of the lower biceps area.
It conveys the impression, in those with full development, of a tennis ball stuck under the skin between the biceps and triceps. Developing it to its fullest will help to push the biceps up therefore creating the illusion of a peak, and fill out the lower portion of the biceps, providing overall thickness in this area.

To Perform

• With elbows fixed at the side of the body, place the palms in a neutral position (palms facing one another).
• Curl the dumbbells up, the same way you would for a regular dumbbell curl.
• Lower dumbbells slowly and repeat.

Note

Ensure elbows are fixed at sides throughout the movement, as this will eliminate any shoulder movement, thus placing a greater load on the brachialis.


Exercise Data

Main Muscle Worked: Biceps Other Muscles Worked: Forearms Equipment: Dumbbell Mechanics Type: Isolation


Variation

A hammer curl variation I have found to work well is the alternate version. Simply perform the movement as instructed, one arm at a time. This will allow for a greater focus to be placed on each brachialis muscle.


Exercise Data

Main Muscle Worked: Biceps Other Muscles Worked: Forearms Equipment: Dumbbell Mechanics Type: Isolation


A Program For Massive Guns

For the past nine months my biceps program, based on the four exercises above, and following similar principals to the ones featured in this article, has produced my fastest results ever. With this routine I managed an increase of one inch on my upper arm circumference, taking my measurement from 16-to-17 inches, an excellent result for someone with 15 years training experience.
The program outlined in this article is slightly modified - I had used my program in the build-up to a bodybuilding shown - to meet the needs of one who seeks primarily muscle mass and cuts, without the extra detail needed for a bodybuilding show. I have used the following program to great success on several bodybuilding clients.
The basic program for one who is in the beginning stages involves training biceps once per week, but the second routine (also featured) requires targeting them twice a week, and can be used by the more advanced lifter.


Program One: Beginner To Intermediate

The following program can be used either on the same day another body part is trained (preferable in the evening, on the same day as back training), or as the only program used on a given day. In both cases the same rule applies: for optimal biceps development train them independently.
This will allow for a higher intensity workout and total focus to be placed on the biceps. Training the biceps before a larger body part will not solve this problem as training intensity for the larger grouping will be diluted, and recovery time for the biceps will be limited.