The Power Of Fitness And Nutrition

During my early gym days, I consumed copious amounts of milk, I fuelled myself with whey protein before, during and after my workouts. I ate dairy such as low-fat cottage cheese straight out of the container and even consumed casein protein before I went to sleep. I consumed dairy as I thought it was benefiting my strength, built muscle and strengthened my bones but occasionally I felt bloated. I also experienced days when I felt exhausted, even though I was having an adequate amount of sleep. Fitness soon became a grim chore, my enthusiasm was in a negative state and the intensity of my workouts was somewhat lagging. It wasn’t until I became interested in nutrition, predominantly foods for protein and muscle recovery I stumbled across a study published in the British Medical Journal. This study was unable to show any link between dairy consumption and the prevention of bone fractures. It also became apparent about the damaging amount of saturated fat, cholestero...

One of the most common questions I am asked is ‘How do I lose belly fat while maintaining muscle growth’. This is a common issue amongst many weight trainers, particularly those adhering to a hypotrophy program. An impressive upper body can consist of huge arms, boulder shoulders, a wide chest, but many people aren’t entirely content with the extra inches around their waist! Cardio isn’t fun for weight trainers as there is always the misconception that an hour on the treadmill will put the body into a disasterous caloric deficit – destroying muscle gains and waste all of the previous hard work. Obviously this is nonsense, I consider cardio to be an imperative part of any weight training regime. As long as the diet consists of an adequate amount of protein, an intense gym regime and a healthy nutritional plan then dropping the fat should be easy right? The question is what is the most effective plan to use. Personally, I believe the least effective method of building musc...

I've complied what I consider to be the most budget friendly, super healthy foods which I combine with other foods to create nourishing meals. These foods won't break the bank - I've added the price to prove it! Kale -  £0.80 per 225g Pack This leafy green vegetable is jam packed full of nutrients such as magnesium, vitamin C, fibre, iron, calcium, zinc and folate. A great benefit of eating kale is its strong ability to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. What’s more, Kale contains an abundance of anti-inflammatories called carotenoids. These have shown to protect against certain types of cancer. I add kale to soups, salads, curries and stir-fry’s and even throw it into a smoothie! * Blueberries -  £1.29 per 125g Pack Bloops are packed full of anti-oxidants and have been proven to lower blood pressure, a major factor of heart disease. If you add these miraculous berries to your diet, you’ll al...

Many people ask me about the food I eat in order to maintain muscle growth, particularly when they see the intensity I am able to train in the gym, as well as my rapid recovery ability between sets. There is a common misconception regarding plant based nutrition so I get asked the same old question... 'Where do you get your protein?' With this in mind I decided to put together some typical foods I eat throughout the day.  I'd like to make it very clear these foods are certainly not expensive and can be bought at most local supermarkets. * A Healthy But Satisfying Lunch A nutritional dense high protein lunch full of muscle building amino acids. Full of fibre and healthy starches which can help prevent food cravings that lead to over eating. Two lightly toasted wholemeal pita breads, filled with a table spoon of hummus, edamame beans, kidney and haricot beans and a sprinkle of sweetcorn. On the side: chopped lettuce, cucumb...

As a keen gym enthusiast, I have always been intrigued about the importance of great nutrition. I have also became completely miffed by some people’s attitude towards the food they eat to fuel their body. I see gym rats absolutely smash it in the gym, pay a considerable amount of attention to their form, be methodical about the number of reps they aim for and are insanely strict regarding rest time between sets. These same people have little idea of the food that would be most beneficial for their fitness, muscle recovery and growth - The primary purpose of their training program! ‘Muscle does not grow in the gym, muscle grows in the kitchen!’. It makes obvious sense, but the food you eat during your training programme, whether it is for strength, hypotrophy or endurance makes the largest impact on your progression. You may be forgiven if you skip leg day, but you will never out train poor nutrition! It has been well documented that daily consumption of meat, egg...