Whey Protein just the fuel of big-bodied muscle heads. Don’t get us wrong, if you’re getting good quality workouts in and sticking to a diet full of lean protein, fiber- and vitamin-rich veggies and fruits, and good-quality carbs, and still not seeing the results you want, whey protein will help you gain greater results. But that’s not the only reason it should be a part of your daily routine. We narrowed down the top six health benefits tucked away in your tub of whey.

1. Lose fat and preserve muscle

Have you reduced your caloric intake hoping to shed some flab? If so, you might be interested to learn that researchers in Minnesota conducted a 12-week study where subject’s daily caloric intake was reduced by 500 calories. They then gave some participants whey and the rest were given an isocaloric mix beverage. Those consuming whey lost a significantly greater amount of body fat (6.1% total) and better preserved their muscles. If you have an urge to snack on something, try a whey protein bar.

2. Increase size and strength

Hitting the gym hard hoping to make strength gains? Researchers at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, took 19 men performing resistance training over a 10-week period and gave some of them 14 grams of whey and casein protein along with 6 grams of free amino acids, while giving the rest a 20-gram placebo. Those who consumed the whey had greater increases in fat-free mass and muscle strength. The key is to follow the example of the study and consume whey one hour before and after the exercises.

3. Reduce hunger

Hungry? Whey could help you reduce hunger and avoid developing a bowling ball-shaped physique. Australian researchers had 28 obese men consume four different drinks. Those who consumed the beverage containing 50 grams of whey had significantly reduced levels of ghrelin (a hormone that tells your brain you’re hungry) up to four hours later. So instead of munching on unhealthy party snacks, drink a protein shake beforehand.

4. Fight cancer

Cancer is a lethal lottery that’s touched far too many family trees. Fortunately, there are ways to protect against it. One way is to get regular screenings for the specific type of cancer that may run in your family. Various studies have also concluded that whey protein may help in the fight against some common forms of cancer including prostate and colon. If you’re at risk, remember to get screened, listen to the advice of your medical professionals, and consider including whey protein in your diet.

5. Manage stress

Are you feeling stressed? Don’t even think about reaching for liquor because studies conducted in the Netherlands appear to have found a far better alternative for those vulnerable to stress. Researchers put 58 subjects through experimental stress and found that those who consumed whey protein experienced fewer symptoms of depression and seemed in a better mood than those who did not. They concluded that there were likely changes in the brain serotonin. Instead of drowning your sorrows in booze, opt for a refreshing whey protein shake.

6. Improve immunity

Want to improve your immune system? University of Alberta researchers found that male subjects involved in strenuous aerobic activity suffered from significantly reduced glutathione levels that could impact on such things as the nervous, gastrointestinal, and immune systems. However, they also discovered that by supplementing with whey protein, the subjects experienced a significantly lesser reduction in glutathione levels. If you like extended cardio sessions, but don’t want to risk a reduction of glutathione levels, combat those effects with whey.

6:17 AM

As we all know, that compound lifts are very important for developing strength, functionality and hypertrophy. The big lifts target several muscle groups at once by recruiting the maximum number of muscle fibers and therefore, generates more EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption).  Well, no doubt compound movements are a better bargain over isolation movements but the question is, are compound movements best to target all the muscle groups? The answer is, may be no!


There are certain isolation exercises that you just cannot skip in your workout if you are looking for some real precision training and targeted hypertrophy. In this article, I shall be discussing the 3 important isolation exercises; that you just can't skip:

Lateral Raises AKA Side Raises

Looking for that 3D shoulder look? Well, without developing your medial deltoids aka the outer deltoids, you just can't get there. Shoulder adduction is the prime function of your outer deltoids, and therefore, lateral raises are the best exercise to target your medial deltoids. Seated lateral raises, standing lateral raises, lateral raises with a pulley, hanging lateral raises and so on, are the few common variations of the exercise.

Leg Curls

Remember those chicken leg trolls on social media; I am sure you do not want to be one of them. Well,  when it comes to leg development, of course the quadriceps are the biggest muscle group, however, that is just the front view of your legs but when it comes to well-developed legs, you just can't miss that part of your thighs, i.e. the hamstrings.  The primary function of your hamstrings is knee flexion (bending of knees). The best exercise to grow your hamstrings is definitely leg curls. Prone lying leg curls, standing leg curls and seated leg curls are the most common variations of the exercise. However, the seated leg curl is the best among all; for an optimum and effective hypertrophy.

Calf Raises

Probably the most ignored exercise among the trio. Imagine having a well-developed massive upper, decent quadriceps, hamstrings but tiny, pencil-like calves. No wonder, it looks like crap. Therefore, you need to treat your calves' equivalent to the other muscle groups; if you are really aspiring for some defined wheels aka the legs. When it comes to calf muscles, there are two major muscles to keep in mind, the soleus and the gastrocnemius. The primary function of your calves is the planter flexion at your ankle joint.  Since, the calf is biarticular muscle i.e it crosses the two joints, it also plays a major role in knee flexion.

Standing calf raises are the best exercise to train the gastrocnemius, however, doing seated calf raises will optimally target your soleus muscle of the calf muscle group.

Here is a tip: Train your isolation movements with either light or moderate weights. The idea is to create a better mind-muscle connection, and maintain the time under tension (TUT) principle, when it comes to the isolation movements.

Hence, the next time you hit the gym; do not forget these imperative isolation movements.

Have fun and stay safe, training!

2:10 AM

Don't worry if you had a bump in the road and fell into an old pitfall. Try again with one of these easy tweaks, and you’ll have a healthier, happier, fitter and generally more awesome new year.

So, here are 10 things you can change about your lifestyle if you are already a Gym-Goer.

1. Have A Healthy Protein Breakfast

Sure, filling up a bucket with cereal and skim milk is an easy way to get a big breakfast down but it’s not exactly a nutritional strategy that is going to help build a killer physique. Eating a breakfast that contains protein (along with healthy fats) is a great way to ensure you are starting your day off right and has been proven to increase long-term satiety. Meaning there is much less of a chance that you’ll engage in binge eating later in the day. 

2. Do Cardio At Least Once A Week

We get it. You like crushing big weight. You laugh at the people reading their gossip magazines while ‘working out’ on the treadmill or listening music and watching something as you make your way over to the squat rack. Trust us, we’d be the last ones to tell you to trade in your powerlifting belt for a pair of running shoes. However adding in some high-intensity intervals on the treadmill, rowing machine or bike can really help with your body composition by incinerating fat and revealing some of that hard-earned muscle definition. Try doing high-intensity cardio for 10 minutes or try shooting for three 20 minute interval sessions per week. That extra hour may just help get you the body you're looking for.

3. Visualize Yourself

Your body isn’t the only thing that responds to training; your mind is just as powerful. Taking some time to visualize your success, whether in the gym, in the classroom or on the playing field will actually result in you being more successful in those arenas. So take 10 minutes before you go to bed or while doing a workout to clear your mind and picture yourself or your fitness idol. Make sure you really set the scene and go through every step as if it’s actually happening in real-time in your mind. It’s a great way to help make those goals a reality.

4. Work Hard On Your Weakness

Do you know why bench pressing is awesome? Because you’ve done it a million times and you're probably pretty darn good at it. Do you know why you don't like squats? Because you’re not particularly good at them so you’ve found excuses to avoid putting them in your program. Working on the things that you need and aren’t very good at is the fastest way to help you improve movement, performance and body composition. Plus it will test your desire and build your fortitude. Try designing a ‘weakness program’ in which you really focus on improving strength and technique in all the lifts you are terrible at. I can promise you that when you return to your ‘regular’ program you’ll see gains in almost all of your major lifts.

4. Say No To Processed Foods and Yes To Organic Food

You know that those bags of Cheezy Poofs, boxes of Choco-Cakes and all the other processed foods that are crammed into your pantry aren’t good for your health or your body comp. Yet there they sit, waiting for a late-night moment of weakness. Don’t wait for a craving to strike. Grab a garbage bag and get pro-active about tossing all these crappy ‘foods’ out of your house. Your doctor and your abs will be happy you did. And start eating healthy and organic foods.

5. Watch The Clock And Rest Duration

There’s no problem with making the gym part of your social scene, but that cannot come at the expense of your workouts. And while you are more than happy to slap a few extra plates onto your squat so you don’t look whimpy when working out with a guy who looks like a stunt double from the movie “Thor”, you also don’t think twice about totally ignoring your rest periods to flirt with the hot girl banging out RDLs while wearing tight yoga pants. Rest periods are among the most overlooked aspects of training. Yet they are critical to your results if you goals involve getting bigger or losing fat. So keep an eye on the clock.

6. Stay Positive

Always think positive thoughts at the gym, and especially at the end of a workout. Tell yourself that you enjoyed it and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Positive reinforcement is a powerful technique of self-motivation. If you think negative thoughts at the end of a workout like "I'm just glad this awful ordeal is over", you will be setting yourself up to dread ever returning to the gym.

Simply write down 6 things that you are grateful for each day. They can be as simple as being grateful for your delicious bowl of oatmeal or a traffic-free ride to work or as major as being thankful that your Dad was able to beat cancer. Not only this will help your physique it should give you a bit of perspective on your day and life.

8. Get Some Soft Tissue Work

Training hard is truly a double-edged sword. While it can help you get the body your looking for, reduce stress, improve your health and is critical to athletic performance, it can also lead to overuse injuries and muscle tightness. As you progress and become a more experienced lifter, adding things like sports massage, self myo-fascial release and foam rolling to your routine become more and more critical to your longevity and performance. Find a great message therapist and book a standing appointment with her once every two weeks. You’ll feel much better and it may just help you lift harder and heavier every time you train.

9. Seek Out A Gym Partner Or Hire Personal Trainer

We all love the image of the lone wolf, head phones on, ski hat pulled low over his forehead banging out rep after rep. And while training solo may be the only option you’ve had up to this point, you’d do well to seek out a workout partner with similar goals to your own. A training partner or trainer can help push you harder, keep you accountable and may just make training more fun. If nothing else, you’ll never again have to search around the gym for a spot.

10. Get Good Sleep And Rest

Whether you're trying to get the final chores of the day finished or your really have a thing for late night TV, most of us resist heading off to bed. Yet getting enough sleep ensures that you are optimizing the anabolic hormonal responses that only occur while you’re laying under the sheets. So if your growth hormone and testosterone levels are important to you - and they should be if getting bigger, stronger and leaner are a priority - set and keep a sleep schedule that has you tucked in for 8 hours per night. Remember all your gains come while you are recovering from your training session, not while your repping out sets of biceps curls. 

7:33 AM