High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

What is high intensity interval training you ask? It is a cardiovascular training method designed to push the body to its limits while taking adequate rest sessions between sets. The short bursts of intense exercise allows the individual to maximize their work out period and increase gains. The working interval generally lasts for anywhere between 15 seconds to 3 minutes in length and vary depending on your personal fitness goals. The general trend is to gradually decrease intensity as the working sets get longer in duration, however, it is important to make sure the set is not too easy.

Make sure to push yourself an appropriate amount and not to the point where you induce feelings of nausea. The rest period is designed to help the body recover after an intense amount of exercise. A greater rest period should be used for novice gym users, to balance the intensity of the working interval. Advanced gym goers can decrease rest intervals to push themselves even more.

Rest periods are a good time to rehydrate the body, to keep your mind and body sharp. Without the right hydration, your performance declines. A good indicator is listening to how you feel, if you feel thirsty during a workout drink water! Water is 75% of all muscle tissue and 10% of fatty tissue and dehydration can have a huge impact on your athletic ability.

The work to rest ratio is the amount of rest an individual receives based on amount of work done. This is adjusted according to the goals of the participant and modified later in the program. Start with a work to rest ratio of 1:3 meaning for every 60 seconds of exercise, take 180 seconds to recover. As you become more comfortable with HIIT, you can change to a 1:1 ratio but eventually work towards a 2:1 ratio, where work time is greater than rest time.

What should you be doing during the rest periods?

Beginners may want to perform “passive rest” (complete rest) where you might take a seat, grab some water or catch your breath during the rest time. As you become more fit, swap passive rest for “active rest” where you’ll move during the break, but with low intensity to keep the heart rate at a moderate level.

If you have access to multiple pieces of equipment, don’t be afraid to combine different types of exercises within the same day. Everyone likes variety and for many, running for an hour straight can be boring. In a split exercise interval training program, you can swap between the two exercises performing alternating sets of each for your desired interval. An example would be 30 seconds sprint followed by 60 seconds rest and 30 seconds of skipping before resting 60 seconds again. Changing up the program  can keep exercise exciting and make you come back for more. If you are training for a marathon or a sport specific event, I would recommend you stick to a training in the same modality.

How often should I do HIIT workouts?

HIIT workouts should be performed 2-4 times per week in within 30-60 minute sessions. Two sessions a week will enable the user to maintain their current level of fitness while subsequent sessions will yield growth. Five or more HIIT sessions a week can lead to over training, burn out and possibly injuries.

3 Benefits of Interval Training

1. Burn more calories in a shorter amount of time
2. Increase speed and endurance
3. Provides variety and keeps cardio sessions exciting

With all these extra hours you saved, you now have more time to pursue your hobbies, get additional work done and spend time with loved ones. This is a perfect exercise to keep you fit while saving time during the busy holiday season!

Kevin Kwok – Studio Coordinator

Kevin enrolled in numerous sports program as a child, which exposed him to an active lifestyle early in life. He played ultimate frisbee competitively at the junior level while in high school. Kevin now focuses his training exclusively on dragon boating. He has been paddling for the past 4 years and hopes to make the Canadian National Team in 2021. He hopes he can motivate others to accomplish their short and long term fitness goals.

The post Save Time & Maximize Gains with Interval Training first appeared on Le Physique | Vancouver Personal Training.

Why is post-workout supplementation important?

In this blog, I will focus on post workout supplements specifically designed to promote performance and muscle hypertrophy (i.e. the growth of muscles). Post-workout supplementation is important for recovery and muscle growth. During a moderate to intensive workout, muscle fibres are torn at a microscopic level – with the amount dependent on the volume of the routine. Following a workout, the torn muscle fibres will then enter the recovery stage where they are rebuilt and become stronger than before. This process will continue until your muscles reach their maximum physical capacity.

Post-workout supplementation aids recovery, increases ability to build muscle, and decreases symptoms of soreness. Most post-workout products are consumed immediately after a workout to maximize benefits from the supplementation. A “window of opportunity” is available up to 90 minutes following a workout where your body is able to process nutrients at an elevated level to promote the above benefits.

Types of supplementation

Protein

Protein can be considered the backbone of muscle growth. When individuals think of getting stronger and healthier, they think of increased protein consumption. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues (muscle tissues) that were damaged during your exercise routine. The following study outlines the benefits of protein consumption combined with resistance training and its promotion of lean muscle tissue here. It is recommended for individuals to consume 1.6 grams of protein per kg of body weight. Excess protein consumed will end up on the other end of the digestive system and ultimately not be absorbed into the body.

If you enter your local supplementation store, you may find yourself hit with an endless amount of protein products. I will help break down and explain some of the most common types of proteins below, and list some pros and cons of each.

Whey Concentrate Protein

Whey concentrate is the most common type of protein found on store shelves and is a milk-based product. It consists of 70-80% protein, which is a respectable amount that can be rapidly absorbed by the body.

However, the rest of the bulk features cheap fillers coming from carbohydrates and fats. The whey concentrate protein will do its job, and if you are fine with additional ingredients, then this product is for you.

Whey Isolate Protein

Whey isolate is a step up from your basic whey concentrate protein. It consists of approximately 85% protein, making it the superior option compared to whey concentrate. This increased amount of protein allows for better and more rapid absorption into the body. There are less filler ingredients making it a higher quality product and helping you get what you paid for.

Keep in mind with the greater concentration of protein comes a greater cost, in terms of $$$.

Casein Protein

Casein protein is similar to whey – it is a milk based protein. However, it differs from whey due to its rate of absorption. Whey proteins are absorbed instantaneously by the body, whereas casein can take upwards of 4 hours. This provides a slow yet steady supply of protein available for your muscles to feed on.

Due to the slow absorbing properties of casein protein, it is often consumed immediately before bed to fuel muscle growth over night. Casein has also been proven to delay the onset of hunger by keeping individuals satiated for longer periods of time after consumption. This product has a similar price point to whey concentrate.

Plant-based Protein

Plant-based proteins have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years due to better tasting flavours hitting the markets. Plant-based proteins are no longer unpalatable and in fact taste very similar to the protein we know and love. This protein can include but not limited to: soy, oats, nuts, bean and tofu-based products.

It is superior to milk-based proteins due to its nutritional density per calorie. In addition to providing a high source of protein, it also packs other nutrients compared to whey (which only contains protein). The sustainability and nutritional density of plant-based proteins outweigh animal-based ones.

However, similar to other plant based products being produced today, they are very expensive. As this market continues to grow, reductions in costs are inevitable.

Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s)

Taking a break from protein powders, branch chain amino acids (BCAA’s) can be consumed before, during, and after a workout. Since we are talking about post-workout supplementation, I will only focus on their benefits. They consist of the three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine.

Muscle tissues require protein for recovery and protein consists of amino acids – making BCAA’s a great post-workout supplement. It has been said that leucine directly stimulates muscle synthesis (growth), essentially helping you build muscles faster. In addition to its recovery benefits, BCAA’s also reduces soreness and fatigue allowing for less downtime between workouts.

Local supplementation stores in the Lower Mainland (Vancouver)

There are many supplement stores across Vancouver, but some popular ones include:

1. Body Energy Club
2. GNC – General Nutrition Centres
3. Popeye’s Supplements
4. Genesis Nutrition

Have any questions about post-workout supplements? Not sure which one you should take? Leave us a comment below and we’ll be happy to help.

Kevin Kwok – Studio Coordinator

Kevin enrolled in numerous sports program as a child, which exposed him to an active lifestyle early in life. He played ultimate frisbee competitively at the junior level while in high school. Kevin now focuses his training exclusively on dragon boating. He has been paddling for the past 3 years and hopes to make the Canadian National Team in 2019. He hopes he can motivate others to accomplish their short and long term fitness goals.

The post Post-workout Supplementation first appeared on Le Physique | Vancouver Personal Training.

Have you ever seen pictures of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson or Kamal Shah and wonder how their arms got so big? Do you want to fill up the sleeves of your T-shirt and have massive pipes hanging off of your torso? Everybody wants bigger arms, and if you follow my evidence based arm training program listed below, this dream will be a reality.

When training any part of your arms, it is important to remember a couple of things:

1) To get bigger arms or any muscle in general, you must train that body part 3 times a week for maximum growth.

2) Do the challenging lifts at the beginning of your workout. Do not do tricep extensions before you perform close grip bench press.

3) Try to complete all multi-joint exercises first because they target more muscles per repetition. The body puts in more work to perform these exercises when compared with single joint movements. 

4) If you want to maximize your time in the gym consider combining exercises together.

5) Once you have completed a set of biceps, perform a set of triceps immediately after. These are opposing muscles, so when the biceps are recovering we can hit triceps or vice versa.

6) The muscle is at rest when fully contracted at the top or bottom. Avoid locking out at the bottom or top of each exercise as they are the easiest portions of the exercise.

7) Try to find a lifting tempo, this can usually be determined by finding a lift, lowering and pause phase. A typical tempo used in the gym is 1/3/0 (lift/lowering/pause), we want to limit the amount of time spent in the pause phase

Biceps 

The word biceps translates to two heads, “bi” meaning two and “ceps” meaning heads. This can be further classified as the short head and long head whose origin and insertion I have listed below. The long head is located on lateral side of the humerus (outside edge) which puts the short head on the medial side (closer to the torso).

Keep in mind when using an ez bar or olympic bar while doing any of the lifts listed below, a wider grip will put more strain on the short head of the bicep. A narrow grip will target the outer head. The weight is on the elbow and no longer on the bicep when it is fully contracted at the top, so try to avoid locking out at the top.

To really develop bicep peak, remember to supinate the wrist ( have the palms facing upwards) at the top of each rep to target the long head of the bicep. Another way to target the long head is to place the elbows behind the body and perform an incline db curl, it allows the long head to maximally stretch.

Short Head Origin: coracoid process of scapula  Insertion: radial tuberosity

Long Head Origin: supraglenoid tubercle of scapula  Insertion: radial tuberosity

Function: flexion of the forearm at the elbow joint

• External rotation of the forearm (turning a key)
• Flexion at the shoulder joint (minorly)

Bicep Exercises

• Straight arm curl
• Dumbbell curl
• Incline dumbbell curl
• Ez bar curl
• Hammer curl
• Straight bar Cable curl
• Concentration curls
• Reverse curl
• Bicep curl with twist
• Cross body curl (pinwheel curl)
• Preacher curls
• Standing dumbbell curl
• Seated dumbbell curl

Brachialis 

The brachialis is located underneath the biceps. Most individuals forget about this muscle when they train their arms. This muscle is responsible for giving the bicep additional girth and has a large cross-sectional region, making it the largest flexor at the elbow. It is worked most when the hand is in a pronated (palms facing down) position or in a slightly supinated (i.e. palms facing each other) position. This puts the bicep brachii muscle at a mechanical disadvantage.

Origin: lower anterior portion of humerus Insertion: coronoid process and tuberosity of ulna

Function: flexion of the forearm at elbow

Brachialis Exercises

• Reverse dumbbell curl
• Reverse barbell curl

Tricep

Similar to the bicep muscle, the tricep can be translated to “three heads” The long head and lateral head of the tricep is responsible for giving the “horseshoe” shape on the posterior side of the arms. Most individuals consider the tricep a secondary muscle when building bigger arms. The tricep makes up a greater portion of the arm compared to the bicep muscles. The triceps main function is to extend the forearm at the elbow joint. The long head however, originates at the glenoid cavity of the scapula therefore it is responsible for adduction (bringing the arm from a T shape back to neutral) and extension (bringing the arms back from in front back to neutral) of the humerus.

Lateral Head Origin: outside posterior surface of humerus  Insertion: olecranon process

Long Head Origin: glenoid cavity of scapula  Insertion: olecranon process

Medial Head Origin: inside posterior surface of humerus Insertion: olecranon process

Function: Extension of forearm at the elbow joint

• Adduction of the arm (long head)
• Extension of the humerus at the shoulder joint (long head)

Tricep Exercises

• Tricep pressdown (rope or straight bar)
• Tricep dips
• Close grip bench press
• Skull crushers (db, ez bar, straight bar)
• Bench dip
• Close grip push up
• Overhead tricep press

Forearms – Brachioradialis

The brachioradialis is located on the forearm, and is the most prominent muscle in the lower arm. When you place your forearm on a desk with your palms facing down, the brachioradialis is the muscle running up and down the thumb side of the lower arm. It is the smallest of 3 main flexor muscles at the elbow joint, after the bicep brachii and brachialis muscle. The brachioradialis is responsible for flexion as well as supination and pronation of the forearm (enables you to rotate your palms up and down). Any exercise in a pronated (palms down) position or semi-supinated position (palms facing each other) will target this muscle.

Origin: lateral supercondylar ridge of the humerus Insertion: styloid process of radius

Function: flexion of the forearm at the elbow joint

• Pronation and supination

Brachioradialis Exercises

• Any pronated grip curl
• Bench wrist curls supinated and pronated
• Farmers walks
• Standing barbell behind back wrist curls

Training Methods

All of the exercises listed above can be performed using these training methods. In a subsequent blog, we will describe each training method in greater detail. Although there are many different ways of defining these training methods, I will list the most common version.

• Drop sets
  • Drop the weight by 15-25% each drop
    
• Eccentrics or negatives
  
  • Most people forget about the negative portion and think the concentric phase is where muscles are built.
    
  • The eccentric phase is stronger than the concentric phase therefore more muscle fibre tear occurs
  • 3-5 second rep count
    
• Pause reps
  
  • Pausing mid rep
• Cheat reps
  
  • Forced reps after initial set is complete
• Supersets
  • Combining two exercises back to back
• Shifting hand positions
  • On the dumbbell or barbell
  • Forces biceps to adapt and maintain dumbbell balance
• Concentration 
  • Single arm movements
• Time under tension (TuT)
  
  • Increases muscle fibre breakdown with increased TuT
    
  • Should typically last between 30-40 second per set

Nutrition 

You can perform all of these exercises but at the end of the day, nutrition is the determining factor for arm growth. In order to gain mass and get bigger arms you need to eat at a caloric surplus. Download a food tracking app on your phone such as myfitnesspal to ensure you are eating enough. Try to avoid foods high in trans/saturated fats and consume high protein meals 5-6 times throughout the day.

Kevin Kwok – Client Care Manager

Kevin enrolled in numerous sports program as a child, which exposed him to an active lifestyle early in life. He played ultimate frisbee competitively at the junior level while in high school. Kevin now focuses his training exclusively on dragon boating. He has been paddling for the past 2 years and hopes to make the Canadian National Team in 2019. He hopes he can motivate others to accomplish their short and long term fitness goals.

The post How to Get Massive Arms (AKA Pipes) first appeared on Le Physique | Vancouver Personal Training.