Beating Burnout

Luis Hernandez

How many times during your workout career have you experienced quick recovery from soreness of a bodypart following a particular workout? Then, after the next workout of that same bodypart, your recovery was'nt nearly as quick.

If you're like most bodybuilders, that has happened quite a few times. The reason is because of the many factors that can affect your recovery time. 

Here are a few

• Your larger muscles tend to take longer to recover than your smaller muscles.
• Fast-twitch muscle fibers take longer to recover than slow-twitch muscle fibers.
• Doing high intensity workouts and using eccentric movements (resisting the weight as you lower it) require longer periods of recuperation.
• Older individuals require more time to recuperate from the same type of exercise and workouts than younger athletes.
• Stress, poor diet, drugs, alcohol, and less than optimal health can each increase recovery time.

As you can see, there are a number of factors that can affect your workout recovery time. Lets look at some of the ways that you can decrease your recovery time by beating burnout.

• Try to minimize the stress in your life. 
• Don't spend time worrying. The word "worry" actually means "to choke" or "cut off." That's exactly what you do when you worry. People who worry tend to "cut themselves off" from experiencing the joy and happiness in life. Worry can also make you hide from a problem rather than tackling it head on and solving it. 
• Always remember that you are in control of your life. Not anyone else. Your physical and emotional strength is controled by you. 
• You must believe in yourself and have tremendous faith in God, and in your God given ability to accomplish whatever it is in life that you want. If you want a great looking body, you can have it! 
• Develop the capacity for spiritual growth. Remember that we are physical-emotional-spiritual. If one of these elements is missing, the other two will be affected.
• Establish short-term goals. Start by setting goals that are easily attainable. When you achieve that goal, set another and another. Success breads success.
• Develop a training program based on your goals and ability-not on someone else's expectation of you.
• Listen to your body! Know what works best for you and don't overtrain.
• In order to ensure continued training success and avoid injuries, safety must be a priority.
• Never be afraid to change anything in your life at anytime. This means your workouts and your lifestyle. Variety is a great way to stay motivated in whatever you do.
• Always try to maintain harmonious relationships with the people you know and meet. People remember those who treat them well. It's been shown that the real cause of job stress is the difficulty we sometimes have in working with certain people, not the difficulty in doing our jobs.
• Find a gym ( if you have'nt already done so) that fits your needs. Forget about the gym that everyone else goes to. Find the best one for you.
• Always listen to your body. Don't ignore the signals, physical and emotional, that your body is giving you. Your body will tell you what is best for you.
• Practice mental relaxation. 
• Get the sleep you need. 
• Diet and supplement correctly.
•  Learn all you can about the physical and psychological ways to enhance your recovery. Apply the things you are learning to your training and your life. It will really make a difference.

Till next time,

The Do's And Don'ts of Bodybuilding

There are some things guaranteed to bring you closer to your goals, and there are some things that will trip you up. Here are the top ten do's and don'ts of bodybuilding.

DO

1. Be persistent

Quitters never win and winners never quit-an old cliche that holds very true in bodybuilding. Ask the biggest guy in the gym how many workouts he has missed over the past few years and odds are he can count them on one hand-if that much.

2. Stick with the basics

Don't forget the classic meat-and-potato exercises that build core strength. Make sure to include a healthy dose of heavy bench presses, deadlifts, squats, t-bar rows, military presses and weighted dips and chins in your workouts.

3. Set goals

If you don't know your destination, how can you tell if you're lost? Set small, realistic goals for yourself that you can track by the month. For example, rather than "get in shape" or "earn a pro card", aim to "add one inch to my arms by January 1st" or "increase my one-rep max by 20 lbs. in 2 months".

4. Think positive

Be realistic, but never doubt your ability to stick to a training schedule or diet. Remind yourself of your goals and visualize yourself in the shape you want to be several times a day.

5. Eat enough to grow

Chugging protein drinks is good, but protein in itself is not enough-you need to consistently supply your body with excess calories to enable optimal growth. Consume an extra 500 calories per day and worry about trimming potential fat when you've packed on some muscle.

6. Drink lots of water

Drinking water before and during your workout prevents the dehydration-sluggishness that can set in halfway through the workout. Water also helps the metabolism run smoothly and keeps the kidneys well flushed.

7. Stretch

Stretching decreases the recovery time and reduces the risk of injury. It also prevents muscle shortening and resulting imbalances that can lead to more serious injuries down the road.

8. Have a postworkout drink

Having a drink with 50 grams of sugar (dextrose), 40 grams of whey protein, 5 grams of glutamine and 5 grams of creatine immediately after training helps put a quick end to training-induced catabolism and kicks you into growth mode in a hurry.

9. Be open to new ideas and listen to what your partner tells you.

If he says you sway too much when curling the bar, chances are you just might have picked up a bad habit in spite of your experience.

10. Ignore the idiots

While you should listen to sensible advice, you can safely shrug off self-appointed "experts" who claim to know everything. Don't waste time listening to naysayers who doubt your capability either-you don't need the negativity.

DON'T

1. Overtrain

Don't let your enthusiasm get the better of you-train just enough to trigger growth, then get the hell out of the gym! Rest until the soreness is gone, then hit the muscle again.

2. Focus only on how much weight is on the bar

Beginners with more ego than brains tend to load on way too much weight in an effort to impress, only to look like total fools when they strugle to do even one rep. Don't be that guy- stick with a weight you can handle.

3. Play favorites

Some exercise are more fun than others, but that does'nt mean you should do them every workout. Keep all your exercises on a rotating schedule and keep your muscles guessing to avoid the dreaded plateau.

4. Skip warm-up

Warming up elevates the body temperature and readies your joints for the heavy lifting. Skipping the warm-up makes the risk of injury skyrocket.

5. Ignore pain

There are two types of pain: muscle pain, caused by grueling reps with big weights, and joint pain, caused by imminent injury. Don't let your ego get the better of your judgement-stop immediately if your joints hurt.

6. Lose focus

The only acceptable talking between sets is to psyche up your partner. Save the chit-chat with the hotties for later. You're in the gym to beat the tar out of your muscles, nothing else.

7. Try to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time

It is almost impossible to chase two rabbits at the same time. Focus on one goal first, then switch to the other.

8. Rely on wraps and straps

There is a time and place for wrapping your knees and wrists-but every single workout? No way Jose, save it for the record-breaking lifts, when you really need the extra support. The same goes for straps: if your grip gives in before your back, use straps but make sure to work on your grip strength on biceps day.

9. Ignore muscle balance

It's easy to put more effort into training quads than hamstrings simply because you can see them in the mirror. Likewise, rear delts generally get less attention than front and medial delts. This is a mistake-the more unevenly strong your muscles get, the higher the risk of injury. Aim to train ALL muscles relatively equally.

10. Complaining

Nobody likes a whiner, especially not one complaining about how much more he lifted "just last week". You're a bodybuilder by choice. If it were easy, everybody would do it, so shut up and suck it up.

Till next time,

Luis Hernandez

Beach Workouts:Stay In Shape. Have Fun

As the pandemic continues, our current situation is not changing anytime sooner. And with that, most gyms are still closed and those that are open pose a threat, at least in my opinion. 

Nobody wants to get infected with Covid 19. So why not head out to a park or a beach in this case, and get a workout while at the same time enjoying yourself. And if you're blessed like I am to live near the beach, I suggest taking advantage of the benefits. So here we go.

Push ups

4 sets 20 reps

Slow and controlled repetitions are best when it comes to push ups. If you want to see good results using your body weight on any exercise, it is best you perform the movement slow and controlled, squeezing every rep. Creating tension. Creating resistance. Creating muscle. Inhale going down, exhale coming up.

Chest Flyes with resistance bands

4 sets of 12-15 reps. Add extra resistance using another band if necessary. Squeeze and hold at the top. Concentrate and feel the work.

Triceps Kick Back with resistance bands

4x12-15 reps

Lock your elbow at the top of the movement. Squeeze at the top. If you need more resistance use two bands. Control the movement. Feel the burn.

Back Rows with resistance bands

4 sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Use two sets of bands for added resistance, if needed. Squeeze at the top of the movement. Contract, squeeze. Make it work. It's not the same as weights but if you concentrate you'll #feeltheburn🔥

Reverse lunges combined with bicep curls

Reverse lunges combined with bicep curls for an excellent workout. Good for thighs, buttocks, muscle tone and cardio. 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps.

So as you can see, it's feasible. No gym is needed. I mean, don't get me wrong. I love the gym, but at this moment in time I don't feel safe being in one. So for those who feel the same, here's a safe and fun alternative, keeping a safe distance from others, of course. I encourage you to continue to workout. There are many alternatives and exercise equipment for a good workout, whether you're at home, a park, or at the beach. NO EXCUSES. 

Till next time,

Exercise The Mind

The right attitude can make a huge difference not only in achieving your long-term fitness goals, but also in getting the most out of every workout. 

If you find yourself thinking negatively before, during, or after your workouts, combat that negativity by putting pen to paper. Write down positive affirmations to counter the negative thoughts. This way, you train your mind to shift belief systems. 

If you keep repeating to yourself, "I'm too weak," better change it or reframe it to "I'm getting stronger and stronger everyday." In other words, if you keep whining like a cry baby, you will never achieve anything. 

Stop it already!!! Whenever a negative thought comes to mind, tell yourself the opposite. Like training muscles, training your mind will take time, but the benefits can carry into all aspects of your life.

Till next time,

Make Time For A Workout

No time for exercise? We’ll show you how to fit in a workout every day, give you 5 reasons to work up a sweat in the morning and share some moves.

Simple math is all it takes to schedule exercise time: Cut out one hour of evening TV, and set your alarm to wake you up 30 minutes earlier. Presto! You’ve just accomplished two great things for your body: 30 minutes more sleep and 30 minutes available for morning exercise. If you don’t need more sleep, adjust the formula. Voila! You now have a full hour to exercise.



But why exercise in the morning? After all, 500 calories burned at 6 a.m. is no different than at 6 p.m.

The answer is the fringe benefits. For the person who wants to add exercise to an otherwise sedentary lifestyle, here are 5 excellent reasons to work out in the morning:

Wake-Up Call #1: Time flies when your workout’s not done.You plan to work out, but your busy day throws a curveball, leaving you scrambling to finish your to-do list by bedtime.

So instead of hitting the gym, you hit the sack – annoyed that you missed yet another workout.

That’s why you should exercise first thing in your day. In fact, about 90% of people who exercise consistently do it in the morning. It’s the only way to guarantee you won’t skip it.

Need an extra boost to get out of bed? Push-ups will strengthen your arms, shoulders and pectoral muscles, which helps to create the illusion of cleavage as well as lift sagging breasts. Try this exercise:

Step 1: Kneel on a mat on all fours with your knees hip-width apart. Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your fingers and wrists pointing forward.

Step 2: Feather your breathing as you lower your chest toward the floor through a count of 10 seconds. Descend to your maximum tension point, and hold for 2 seconds.

Step 3: Push your body back to starting position through a count of 10 seconds, keeping your elbows slightly bent at the top of the move.

Step 4: Repeat three times without resting.

Wake-Up Call #2: Your metabolism won’t boost itself.You roll out of bed, throw on some clothes and stumble out the door on your way to another busy day. Are you even awake yet? Your metabolism certainly isn’t.

The average person can expect the metabolic boost to last for 30-60 minutes post-exercise. EPOC typically accounts for a few paltry calories – 10-60, depending on the intensity of the workout.

Not only does morning exercise help you burn calories during the actual workout, but its effects linger after you’re finished. It’s called EPOC – excess post-exercise oxygen consumption – and it’s a fancy way of saying you burn extra calories even after your workout’s over.



But don’t let that discourage you! It adds up over time, and because it only takes a daily deficit of 500 calories to lose one pound in a week, every calorie counts.

Pump up your metabolism and your biceps with the standing side curl:

Step 1: Hold a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms down by your sides, with palms facing forward and knees slightly bent.

Step 2: Feather your breathing as you curl the dumbbells up through a count of 10 seconds to just past a 90-degree angle. Hold and squeeze for 2 seconds.

Step 3: Keep your elbows tight against your body as you lower the weights to the starting point through a count of 10 seconds.

Step 4: Repeat three times without resting.

Wake-Up Call #3: It’s your choice to be a night owl or an early bird.Tick-tock. You have an internal clock that thrives on routine. It’s your circadian rhythm, and it regulates your body on a 24-hour cycle.

Give yourself a strict bedtime, force yourself to wake up when your alarm goes off (no snoozing!), and exercise each day – even if it’s only for 10 minutes. 



Over time – a few days for some, a few weeks for others – your body will learn the new routine. It will gently wake you up, no earsplitting alarm required. You’ll feel rested and energized, and will actually start looking forward to your workout.

Get yourself in gear tomorrow morning with lateral squats. This move requires a lot of balance and hip stabilization – a job perfect for your gluteus medius.

Remember, this muscle is positioned not where you consider your butt to be, but rather on the side of your hip. Be sure to keep your hips and shoulders in line, and don’t allow your knee to drop forward over your toes:

Step 1: With your hands on your hips, stand with your feet about a foot wider than shoulder-width apart.

Step 2: Squat down to the side toward one leg, while keeping the opposite leg straight, through a count of 10 seconds.

Step 3: At the maximum tension point, hold for 2 seconds. Return to the starting position through a count of 10 seconds.

Step 4: Alternate sides without resting. Perform 2 reps on each side.

Wake-Up Call #4: Morning exercise helps you sleep better in the p.m.Hitting the gym in the morning helps you hit the sack at night. A study published in the scientific journal Sleep showed that overweight or obese women who began a regular morning exercise routine slept better than those who exercised regularly in the evening.



Why? Evening exercise stimulates your body. You become restless and alert, making it very difficult for your brain to turn off and your body to drift into restful sleep.

Exercise is like the ignition in your car – it turns your body on, not off. Get yourself going in the morning with some reverse crunches:

Step 1: Lie flat on a mat, with your hands by your sides, palms down. Pull your heels as close to your bottom as possible. Raise your heels about 2 inches off the ground.

Step 2: While keeping your chin up and abs tight, breathe slowly and rhythmically as you pull your knees up using the lower abdominals through a count of 10 seconds.

Step 3: Hold and squeeze for 2 seconds at the maximum tension point (when your bottom is just off the ground).

Step 4: Lower your body to the starting point through a 10-second count.

Step 5: Repeat three times without resting.

Wake-Up Call #5: A morning workout is better than coffee.Oxygen, not caffeine, is what your brain wants in the morning. So instead of reaching for the coffeepot, reach for your sneakers and you’ll get all the brain-boosting benefits you need.



Studies show that exercise can increase your mental sharpness for 4 to 10 hours after your workout, a benefit you can really use at the start of your day. So, get up and get moving with this quadriceps flex.

This exercise requires a bit of balance – a talent not everyone has. So be sure to use a chair or stable countertop for support:

Step 1: Grasp a chair or other hip-level support, and stand with feet shoulder-width apart.

Step 2: Through a count of 10 seconds, bend your knees as you allow your body to fall slightly backward, letting your heels come up off the floor.

Step 3: At the maximum tension point, hold and squeeze your quads for 2 seconds.

Step 4: Through another count of 10 seconds, slowly return to the starting point.

Step 5: Without resting, repeat three times.

Have you conquered a personal challenge? Exercise and Nutrition wants to hear your success stories, whether it’s diet, fitness, addiction, relationships, debt, career or personal health. We may feature your story to inspire readers just like you.



Email us your story at luishernandez573@hotmail.com.

Take Care Of Yourself

A Matter of Attitude 

It all comes to this; Attitude, the way you feel towards yourself and how bad do you really want it. It`s also a matter of the heart. Yes, heart. Have you ever heard the expression, "He has no heart" or "she has no heart"? That precisely means that if you do , you`re going to achieve whatever your heart desires. If you don`t, then simply put, you will not advance in any aspect of your life. Whether it`s a sport, or a job, or family matters, or whatever may be the battle, because that`s what life is all about, a constant battle, you will not overcome or achieve anything if you don`t have the right attitude. It`s also a matter of positive thinking, trusting God, facing the giants of life, no matter what shows up. When we believe in God, and trust Him, and obtain the wisdom and the right attitude to face problems in life and believe that you can do anything that you set your mind to do, then and only then you will overcome obstacles and succeed. 

An Adequate Diet 

Maintaining good health is vital. If there`s no health, there`s nothing that can be achieved in life. You can`t work if your health is at risk, you can`t perform in sports, simply put, there is nothing that can be done if you`re not healthy. Good nutrition is the inicial key of a long and healthy life. If weakened by poor nutrition, this could lead to health complications that will deteriorate physical and mental organisms. 

Exercise: Work for It ! 

In conjunction with good nutrition, there`s got to be some exercise done. This helps in so many ways. Think about the benefits; feel younger, look younger, be healthy, be strong, have better stamina, have a higher self-esteem, be more confident about yourself. There are so many good reasons to perform exercise and sports, I just don`t understand how you`re still on your seat. 

Get up! Be Inspired! Get Motivated! Work for It! To your health!

Till next time,