​You may have already herd of some of the things you will read about here, but the truth is you did not apply them to see whether these really simple pieces of advice work. Our question is: if it does not work, why does everybody keep insisting they do?

​Many people tend to disregard the simple and more obvious solutions to what seem to be very complicated problems. And it is all to their loss. If we could only lose weight without giving up on eating junk food and sweets and without getting off the couch and without giving up on any bad habits, everyone could do it.

​Bottoms up!

​No! We do not mean alcohol. Water, unsweetened tea, juice squeezed fresh from fruit and vegetables are the only liquids acceptable in a life changing program. Getting used to drinking the 8 glasses of liquids a day helps you lose weight by stimulating the digestive system.

What is more, at times the body gets confused, cannot read all of the signs right and we end up eating when, in fact, we are just thirsty. Every time you feel peckish, drink a glass of water first and check whether or not you still want to eat.

​Early to bed… keeps the pounds away!

​Your 7-8 hour sleep does nothing for you if you do not sleep at the right hours. Normally, everybody has his or her own biorhythm, but one thing is generally accepted: sleeping between the hours of 10 and 12 at night is the real battery booster.

Once again, when you are tired, the body misreads the signals and you start eating in a desperate attempt to get some energy out of it. Instead, you get the stomach working, which makes you even more tired and which puts you in a vicious circle.

​There is a time for everything

​It’s called breakfast time, lunch time and dinner time. Getting your body used to getting food at certain hours a day will reduce the need to snack between meals. It knows food is coming and it will no longer send messages asking for random energy sources.

Eating more orderly also helps you reduce the size of the portions. Your body can also be trained to eat only as much as it needs until its next meal. It becomes self sufficient.

​No snacking!

​Just like you have three meals a day you can introduce three snacks a day. Pack them along with the lunch to make sure you do not get tempted by the sweets at the vending machine. Fruit, yogurt, light home-made sweets, sandwiches, nuts and berries are great alternatives to chips, chocolate, biscuits and all other such temptations.

​Just do it… provided that you like it!

​Many people insist on pushing people from behind into doing physical activities they do not enjoy one bit! And this is a very big mistake. People in need of exercise are pushed toward the things others are doing because they do not want to do it by themselves, but most often they do not like it and cannot keep up.

There are many options out there for anyone to choose a workout that is fun, easy and, most of all, useful. Not all types of exercise have the same results or the same appeal. It is more important for people to find a program they can follow through and keep up for a very long period of time.

​Oldies but ​Goldies

​You may have heard it all before, indeed. But do you? Do you drink the necessary quantity of water every day? Do you go to sleep before 12? Are your meals orderly and healthy? Can you keep up with your workout-related resolutions?

​One of the best ways to ensure continuous improvements in the weight training game is to have a personal trainer attending to your every gym session. Now, a lot of people might think that the presence of a gym guru following you around and counting the reps for you is too poshe for an iron warrior.But,did you know that most of the successful names in the game have one?

There are three main advantages of having a fitness specialist attending to your workout and we’ll talk about them one by one.

​1. Program Design

​Striking a balance between the aerobic and muscle-building aspect of your training program is something that has to be designed by a qualified fitness professional.How much time will you spend on the treadmill?How short will your rest periods be in between sets?And, how many reps should you be making per set? These are the three components that will make up your aerobic training, or heart training, as some trainers call it.All these will have to be designed according to your age, current fitness condition and any medical condition that you may have. The danger of doing it on your own is you might go overboard and end up doing something that will be dangerous for you.

In addition to these, the key to successful weight training is in the application of progressive resistance.The role of a personal fitness trainer in the area of Program Design is to prepare a program that will be safe and at the same time progressively challenging so you will be able to make every gym time productive.

​2. Proper Execution

​The right way of performing an exercise will be very beneficial for your cardiovascular and muscular development. Doing an exercise the wrong way will result to injury.A gym workout will contain no more than ten different kinds of exercise. You might say that you’ll be needing assistance or guidance in the performance of these exercises for only two to three sessions before you’ll get the hang of them.

However, you’ll be surprised as to how often and how fast your routine changes and this is not because it’s a means to get you dependent on an exercise expert who has to teach you the new exercises that keeps on appearing in your program. It’s all about a very important muscle building concept called “Muscle Confusion Principle” which calls for continuous changes in angles and rep paths to get your muscles in a constant state of adaptation.

There are hundreds of exercises that you have to juggle around and learn to do properly and safely. Only a personal trainer whose had years of experience in the gym will be able to guide you through all of them.Again, with the aid of a personal trainer, you will reap the benefits from every exercise you will do in the gym through proper execution. More importantly, he will keep your every rep within the safe and proper path so that you won’t be injured and be derailed from your fitness goals.

​​3. Spotting

​There are some exercise prerequisites like the squat and the bench press that you can’t simple push to the limit without somebody looking out for you.

For the squats, imagine being pinned down to the floor on a full squat position with a heavy barbell on your back. Your belly will be pressed so tight that you won’t be able to yell for help.For the bench press, imagine being pinned to the bench with a heavy barbell on your chest.

Only a qualified fitness expert can get you out of these dangerous situations. An inexperienced gym buddy might pull out the bar on your back when you get pinned to the floor which will create more problems. Only a professional fitness trainer will know well to embrace you from behind, push your lower back to an arch, squeeze your chest and help you up for a proper barbell dismount.

​Conclusion

​There is no other way around it. To get the most out of your gym workouts you have to continuously perform new exercises, do the heavy basics like the squat and bench press and, continuously have harder workouts.Only a personal trainer can get you through all these requirements productively and safely.

Did you know that we can survive without food for a few weeks, but we cannot live without water for even just a few days? Next to oxygen, water is the second most essential element that sustains us. In other words, we need water to survive!

Aside from keeping us alive and well, water also plays a vital role in the growth and performance of our bodies. When building their muscles, most people focus on training, protein intake, and rest. But they often forget to consume enough water.

Water and Body Weight

The body weight of the average person consists mainly of protein and water, with the latter amounting to about 65 percent. For example, a man with a body weight of 190lbs will have about 123lbs of water weight. He will need to consume enough water daily to sustain his body weight.

Benefits of Water to Muscle-Building 

Indeed, water plays a vital role in every person’s life. But to a person who a plans to build muscles, the importance of water becomes even greater. Here are some of the benefits of water to muscle-building:

1. Water improves the digestive system.

In general, water is an essential component in the digestive process. We need it to digest our food properly. Not drinking enough water will result in constipation.

When we drink enough water, our bodies can absorb and transport nutrients more effectively. This habit will also help us to excrete waste materials more easily after the digestive process.

Since bodybuilders consume greater amounts of food, they need to increase their water intake, too. Because of continuous exercise, they also lose higher amounts of water through sweating. And so, they need to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

2. Water helps to build muscles.

Water plays an important role in forming protein and glycogen structures in the body. In other words, it is essential to muscle-building. We need it to grow, flex, and move our muscles.

Without water, our muscles will cramp due to the lack of electrolytes. To maintain the right balance of electrolytes, we need to consume enough water. Otherwise, we will not be able to move and control our muscles well.

3. Water improves muscle tone.

Since our muscles are made mostly of water, the lack of it can reduce our muscle tone. Increasing our water consumption will help strengthen and improve our muscle tone. It will also help prevent muscles cramps and improve the appearance of our skin.

Water-Drinking Habits for Bodybuilders

Now that you know about the health benefits of water, how can you include it in your daily routine? Here are some pointers for water consumption during body-building:

While water is crucial to everyone’s health and survival, it is all the more important for those who want to build their muscles. If you are an athlete or a bodybuilder, then you should be aware of the role of water in building muscles. You should also strive to develop good water-drinking habits for your optimum body growth and performance.

​Losing fat and building muscles are two of the most common fitness goals. Most people aim to lose fat first before building their muscles. But in fact, it is possible to achieve these two fitness goals at the same time.

Many exercises aim to burn fat and build muscles. Through regular workouts, you can burn body fat and grow your muscles as well. To do this, you need to be willing to make some changes to your lifestyle.

Let’s say, for example, that you go to the gym regularly. You spend two hours exercising your heart out everyday. But what do you do with the rest of the 24 hours?

​Burning Fat and Building Muscles

​In losing fat and building muscles, you need to look at the things you do both inside and outside the gym. Here are several things that you should consider to meet your fitness goals:

​1. Level up your intensity.

​Are you focused whenever you train, or do you check your phone in between sets? Do yourself a favor and keep your phone in a locker. Better yet, leave it at home if possible.

You see, every time you break your concentration, you lessen the effectiveness of your workout. To burn fat and grow your muscles, you need to work up to an intense exercise. You can do this by staying away from things that distract you from your workout.

Rather than rest between sets, perform some low-impact exercises instead. This way, your body will keep moving and you will lose fat more effectively.

​2. Eat smaller meals throughout the day.

​Try eating smaller meals throughout the day, around once every three hours. If you do this, you will find yourself more relaxed and less prone to overeating. You will be able to regulate your blood sugar level and maintain the right body weight.

To do this, prepare your meals at the beginning of the day. Always have something ready every three hours. Choose healthy foods like dried fruit, nuts, energy bars, seeds, and protein drinks.

​3. Avoid drinking alcohol.

​Drinking alcohol once in a while is okay. But if you are truly serious about losing fat and building your muscles, then consider going alcohol-free for a month. You’d be surprised with the results.

You see, too much alcohol adds empty calories to your body and disrupts your sleep. It also increases the amount of cortisol or stress hormone, which will make you even fatter. Furthermore, it affects the synthesis of protein, which your body needs to repair muscle fibers.

​4. Walk, jog, and run regularly.

​Have you ever noticed that runners have powerful and lean bodies? Running can help you burn fat and improve the size of your muscles. In addition, it can also improve your nervous system and make your body more flexible.

​5. Do combination workouts.

​For best results, add some variations to your workouts. Aside from going to the gym, why not join a sports activity as well? This way, your body can perform different kinds of movements and exercises.

If you live near a beach, take advantage of the terrain. Running on sand adds a level of difficulty to your regular routine. What’s more, you can breathe some fresh air and enjoy the view.

Do not be afraid to vary your workouts from time to time. In the long run, this will be more effective towards your goals of burning fat and developing muscles.

​6. Try swimming and water sports.

​Aside from runners, swimmers also have the leanest bodies. Swimming often involves high-intensity movements, which is perfect for building muscles and losing fat. If you include swimming in your weekly routine, you are bound to see some positive results.

Other than swimming, you can try different kinds of water sports. Skiing, water polo, and even water aerobics are great ways of staying in shape.

​Final Thoughts

​As you can see, losing fat and building muscles are not just about spending countless hours at the gym. You need to consider making changes to your diet, workout routines, and general lifestyle. Choose only healthy foods and eat them in smaller portions throughout the day.

Aside from gym exercises, consider going out for a walk or a run. Join a water sport or go swimming regularly. Engage in combination workouts so that your body can perform various movements.