How does the hormonal response to resistance training differ from endurance training? Do they interfere with each other? Find out how your body responds to resistance training, high-intensity cardio and longer periods of moderate-intensity endurance exercise from a hormonal standpoint.
Muscles grow when you expose them to greater stress than they’re accustomed too. There’s more than one way to increase the intensity of a resistance training workout and stimulate muscle growth. Here are some ways to make a resistance training workout more challenging.
Testosterone is an anabolic hormone that boosts muscle growth. Men have significantly higher levels of testosterone than women, putting them at a disadvantage when it comes to building lean body mass. So how is it that some women can build lean body mass through training? Find out more about the testosterone response in women and another anabolic hormone that helps women build muscle and burn fat.
Have you ever noticed how your muscles look larger and more defined after a resistance workout? Why does this happen? This article discusses this phenomenon and what distinguishes it from true muscle hypertrophy.
Find out the link between muscle soreness and muscle growth and whether one is necessary for the other.
Athletes and body builders are quick to spring for a protein supplement – but do you really need one if you work out? Discover the pros and cons of protein supplements and why it’s better to get your protein from whole food sources.
To build lean body mass, you have to progressively overload your muscles. When it comes down to it, there are three factors that impact muscle development and you can control these factors by the amount of weight you lift, the volume of your workout and the time you rest between sets. Find out more about these three factors and how to use them to maximize your workout.
Insulin is a hormone that’s vital to life. It helps your body store energy and hold onto body fat. On the other hand, it also helps you build muscle when you work out. Find out more about the science of insulin, how it can work in your favor – and work against you too.
To build muscle, you have to create the right conditions for hypertrophy to occur. There’s a protein called mTOR that plays an important role in muscle protein synthesis. When this protein is turned on, protein synthesis occurs. Find out how diet and the type of exercise you do influences this protein and makes it easier or harder to build lean body mass.
Some people, particularly women, want to get more “muscle tone.” They fear if they lift heavy weights they’ll get bulky. This article talks about the myth of “muscle toning” and why lifting heavy weights combined with high-intensity interval training is best for getting muscle definition without bulk.
Are you trying to build strength or is your goal to increase muscle size? Your approach for each should be different. This article discusses how training for size (bodybuilder style) differs from training for strength (powerlifter style) and how to maximize muscle growth.
What you eat after exercise and when you eat it matters. It may also affect the results you get from your strength-training workout. Here are four reasons why it’s important to eat a protein and carb meal as soon as your workout is over.
