In the beginning, progress in the gym comes quickly. Enthusiasm is high, commitment levels strong, and your body is receptive to the challenge. However, lifting isn’t always a linear process. There are days when you’ll be strong and others where you struggle to manage the same weights used for the previous workout. It’s easy […]

  While each of the 22 or so amino acids commonly found in our diet is valuable in its own way, leucine is arguably the most important. Leucine is one the branched chain amino acids, or BCAAs, and is essential because we cannot synthesize this molecule in our bodies; it must be obtained through foods or […]

If they’re not already, non-starchy vegetables should become a mainstay in your plan. They’re low in calories, loaded with water and fiber (the volume of which, assists with hunger control), and high in vitamins and minerals.   Veggies are also packed with with powerful disease-fighting compounds call phytonutrients. In nature, these colorful compounds protect plants from […]

  If you read our last post you probably already gathered that N.Y.N.O. stands for New Year, New Opportunities.   Clearly many people view losing weight, eating healthier, and working out more often as important; over 26% of the people that make resolutions sited these as areas for improvement in the coming year. And yet, even with the best of […]

  There’s nothing magical about January.  The days are short. And, depending upon where you reside, the weather is often quite cold and nasty. In fact, if it weren’t the designated start of each new year, most people probably wouldn’t pay the month much mind.   Thing is, the new year is a big deal […]

    “Great ideas originate in the muscles” – Thomas Edison   Thought he may not have meant literally, it turns out this might actually be true.   Increased muscle strength leads to better brain function according to recent findings from the Study of Mental and Resistance Training (S.M.A.R.T.) trial.   Using randomized, double blind […]

  If the results from two recent mammal studies turn out to be applicable to humans, red raspberries could prove very useful in the quest for building a better physique.   Study #1 – Oregon State University 76 male mice were divided into three groups and fed a low-fat diet (10% calories from fat), a […]

  Individuals with insulin resistance (IR) do not regulate blood sugar (glucose) as effectively as those in the general population. Healthy people are able to tightly control sugar levels by using insulin to shuttle excess from the bloodstream into the muscles, liver, and brain, where it is used for fuel. When insulin resistance is present, glucose […]