There is so much information about fitness and wellness around the internet that half the battle for the discerning gent is working out what can be trusted and what can’t. To help you get the definitive guide of what’s what we picked a few of the best tips around from fitness and nutrition experts:

 

 

Muscle Build

“For building muscle, there’s no substitute for lifting heavy,” says Micah LaCerte, owner of HitchFit. The key is to push to failure on your last set and use a weight that is about 20 pounds heavier than your previous sets. Muscle and power gains follow.
“Lifting light strengthens your joints, improves your flexibility and provides the building blocks to a great, lean physique,” Go light on your first set. It brings blood into the area you’re targeting and can even act as your warm up.

 

 

Meal Deal
“Plan your food like your workouts,” says London-based nutritionist Keith Cormican. “Eat six small meals a day, time your protein around your training and stay diligent.” Get about 30 grams of protein an hour before you train and another 30 grams within 30 minutes of your workout.
“Every diet has to have fat in it. It’s important to pick healthy fats like avocados, eggs and nuts to help your diet fuel your body and your mind.”

 

 

Reversing the Trend

“The negative part of a rep is where muscle and strength are truly gained,” says LaCerte. Get more out of your negatives with a buddy and just do the descending portion of a rep with a weight a little more than you can bring up and you’ll see just how much more you can get out of your muscles. If you struggle with pull-ups, for example, focus only on the lowering phase.

 

 

Speed

“People waste way too much time between sets,” says strength coach Jay Cardiello, host at RadioMD. Unless you just moved the weight of a small car, it’s time to shorten your rest periods and keep your heart rate up throughout your workout.

 

 

Heart Rates

According to the American Heart Association, the average resting heart rate (the number of beats per minute) for a well-trained man should be about 40 to 60 beats per minute. Your maximum heart rate should be 220 beats minus your age. If you’re training, your heart shouldn’t be racing (unless you’re doing sprints).

 

 

The Supplements

Pick your supplements wisely: High quality protein powders for shakes (skip the high calorie bars), CLA, caffeine and green tea extract for a boost in the fat loss department and dabble in creatine, arginine, glutamine and branch chain aminos when you’re ready to kick up your programme a notch. But remember, most people really don’t need to take too many supplements at all – they’re called supplements because they’re supposed to fill gaps in your nutrition if you haven’t been paying attention.

 

 

Water

Guzzling more water than your stomach can contain in a matter of minutes helps nobody – unless you like looking like you have a prostate problem. Drink water throughout the day.

 

 

Wash

A lot of bacteria lives on your training clothes. Kill the microscopic stink generators by adding a half-cup of white vinegar to your wash. Trust us, it will do wonders for your health!

 

 

Any tips we have missed out? Let us know on Twitter.