2977: 3 Not So Secret Habits Guaranteed To Get You The Physique You’ve Always Wanted by Gabriel Zhañay

[00:00:00] Do you know this one friend who just comes out of bed and then comes out of the grin? Who is even before the first coffee ungrateful, ungrateful, and is well-trained and is shining around the night with the sun. It's terrifying, disgusting, how can you just be so? Get out of bed? Very simple, train your sleep and become you a person with the Galaxy Watch 7 or the Galaxy Ring and the Samsung Health App. Have you ever noticed how a calm mind can really set the stage for a good night's sleep?

[00:00:29] That's the idea behind our new podcast, Good Sleep. Greg, our host from Optimal Relationships Daily, is here to help ease you into a peaceful night's rest with some positive affirmations. And these affirmations aren't just comforting, they can help ease anxiety and nurture positive thoughts, setting you up for true good sleep. So, press play on Good Sleep tonight because a good tomorrow starts with a good night's sleep.

[00:00:55] Just search for Good Sleep in your podcast app and be sure to pick the one from Optimal Living Daily. This is Optimal Health Daily. Three not-so-secret habits guaranteed to get you the physique you've always wanted. By Gabriel Zanier with BachPerformance.com. And I'm Dr. Neil, your host and narrator. Welcome to another Tuesday edition of Optimal Health Daily.

[00:01:20] This is one of five podcasts where we read you from blogs for free so that you don't have to read them yourself. Except on Fridays. That's where I usually answer your questions. Now, to check out our other shows, just search for Optimal Living Daily wherever you're hearing this. But for now, let's get right to today's post and start optimizing your life.

[00:01:46] Three not-so-secret habits guaranteed to get you the physique you've always wanted. By Gabriel Zanier with BachPerformance.com. A funny thing happens when you look in the mirror these days. But it's not funny-funny. More like funny-weird. Or even funny-yuck. You don't like what you see. You were an athlete back in the day and still get to the gym more than most.

[00:02:10] But those bro-talk posts and Instagram trainers with bigger biceps than brains or fitness knowledge just annoy you. So, stop scrolling and start taking action. Here are the three un-secret secrets to craft your best physique ever. Not-so-secret number one. Eat more protein. When I first walked into Planet Fitness, my goal was to pack on 20 pounds of lean muscle.

[00:02:36] So, I started going to the gym each morning, training religiously for two hours. Afterward, I would head to my job at a local pizzeria restaurant and work for 12 hours. Guess what? I ate. A lot. Yet somehow, I thought this was good because protein. Pizza had protein, right? I ended up putting on 25 pounds. And it wasn't all lean muscle. Eating pizza and cannolis all day does not mean you're eating more protein.

[00:03:06] Pretty obvious, right? But this is just one example of how deluded and far away from achieving your goals you can be. Good intentions and hard work are not enough. If you're strength training, aim for 1.6 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. Or, if you're unsure of how much you weigh in kilograms, you can aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.

[00:03:31] The amino acids and dietary protein sources are the building blocks of muscle tissue. That's what makes protein so important. Amino acids are required for anabolic, think muscle building, signaling pathways to carry out protein synthesis, meaning muscle growth. Your body can't make these amino acids by itself. That's why getting them from your food is crucial. If you're experiencing a dietary shortage in even one of these amino acids,

[00:04:00] it's enough to impair your muscle development. You build muscle by being in a positive nitrogen balance. When you're in a positive nitrogen balance, your body is creating new proteins faster than it's breaking them down. When your body is in a negative nitrogen balance, that means that it's breaking down proteins at a greater rate than it's synthesizing them. So, to be in a state of positive nitrogen balance, stick to a protein-rich diet.

[00:04:29] If your protein intake is unable to make up for what you're expending, your cellular function and muscle development will suffer. Only by consuming enough protein will you be able to promote anabolism or muscle growth and ignite lean muscle development. Don't make my mistake and think you're getting enough protein by eating pizzas and pasta. Your action steps. 1. Track your protein intake.

[00:04:56] 2. Aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, ideally, you should have 200 grams of protein each day. And 3. Create a habit to track your protein intake each day. This is how you can visibly see the changes to your lean muscular development. Not-so-secret number 2. Recover properly. One of the biggest mistakes one of my clients made was not taking recovery seriously.

[00:05:25] Jonathan would come in and train hard with me for 60 minutes, put in the work, yet he didn't take his recovery seriously. After weeks of training, he wasn't gaining the lean, hard muscle he desperately craved. You know it's important, yet how often do you find yourself forgetting to recover properly? Your recovery is a key opportunity to maximize performance. Ideally, you want to aim for some carbs and protein 30 to 45 minutes after each session.

[00:05:54] Why is this important? Because this is the key window when your body is in an anabolic state, meaning it's building up muscle, and it needs the amino acids and glucose to repair itself. Since your body has used a lot of its stored fuels, like glycogen and amino acids, while sustaining damage to its muscle fibers, this is prime time for anabolism or muscle growth. By consuming the proper ratio of nutrients during this time frame,

[00:06:23] you'll kickstart the rebuilding process of damaged tissues and energy reserves. The primary benefits of post-workout recovery will be improvements in both your body composition and exercise performance. The main goal after you train is to refuel your glycogen stores. Since you use glucose as your main form of energy, your muscles and liver are literally starving for carbohydrates. Two important things then happen. Glycogen transporters,

[00:06:51] which are responsible for bringing glucose into your muscle cells, become much more active. Because of this, your body stimulates the activity of glycogen synthase, which is the principal enzyme responsible for glycogen storage. The result of these factors means that you're able to rapidly absorb glucose, which means your glycogen energy stores are filled up quickly. Consume high-quality protein. This allows you to supply sufficient protein to your damaged tissues. Since it's repair time,

[00:07:21] bathing your muscles with the correct amount of amino acids should be the first thing on your mind. When you consume amino acids after you train, protein synthesis is increased threefold. Your body is primed to blast off fat and start rebuilding lean muscle, making you stronger than you were last time. Since your muscles are fired up for anabolism, virtually all the protein you consume will be used for rebuilding. Remember, if your protein intake isn't sufficient,

[00:07:50] then your recovery will be short-changed and your results will be compromised. Your action steps. 1. After you train, consume a drink with high-glycemic carbohydrates, like cranberry or grape juice, and consume high-quality protein. Aim for approximately 1.5 gram of carbs per pound of body weight and a quarter gram of protein per pound of body weight. And 2. Make this into a habit. You can create a simple reminder on your phone

[00:08:20] using Google Calendar or iPhone Calendar. Set it as a recurring reminder after each of your training sessions. For example, if you train Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays at 6 a.m., create a reminder at 7.30 a.m. to consume your recovery foods. Not-so-secret number three. Use compound movements. You're putting in hard work going to the gym to train each week. Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems that I see over and over again

[00:08:49] is the use of bodybuilding-style workouts. You know what I'm talking about. Monday is chest day. Tuesday is leg day. Wednesday, arms. Thursday, abs. Friday, cardio. But training your muscles in isolation like bodybuilders is an inefficient way to build up a powerful physique. If you want to look like an athlete, then you have to train like an athlete. Here's why compound movements are more effective than isolation workouts.

[00:09:17] One, you burn more calories compared to isolated exercises. The more muscle mass that you engage in your workouts, the more calories you'll burn. So, if you're doing a barbell squat, the number of calories that you'll burn will always be superior to the amount that you burn from doing isolated hammer curls, for example. And two, the coordination between your muscle groups improves. If you sit behind a desk for 8 to 12 hours a day, 5 days a week,

[00:09:47] many of your muscle groups start to begin deactivating. They naturally begin to atrophy. So, when you hit the gym, the last thing you need is more sitting on a machine. You need to improve your intramuscular coordination, the function and timing of muscle groups around a joint. You do this by using total body compound movements. Good examples would be squats, lunges, and step-ups. Challenge yourself in the three different planes of motion.

[00:10:16] Your action steps. Pick full body compound movements like squats, lunges, and push-ups, and start to make these the bread and butter of your workouts. Aim for 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions while slowly progressing your training variables each week. You just listened to the post titled, Three Not-So-Secret Habits Guaranteed to Get You the Physique You've Always Wanted

[00:10:46] by Gabriel Zanier with BachPerformance.com And I'll be right back with my commentary. Oikos presents 15 Seconds of Strength. Here we go. Steve's got a trunk full of groceries and no one to help him. Oh, that's tough, Jim. Looks like a five-trip load at least. He grabs the first bag. The second. Bob, it looks like he's trying to do it all one trip. He shimmies the door open, steps over the dog. Oh, and he stumbles. Oh, right into the kitchen without missing a beat. Jim, now that's a man who eats his protein-packed oikos.

[00:11:14] With 15 grams of complete protein in each cup, Oikos Triple Zero can help build strength for every day. Oikos. Stronger makes everything better. Looking for a snack that's both delicious and packs a protein punch? Then get ready for Wonderful Pistachios. You've got to hear this. Wonderful Pistachios is one of the highest protein nuts. Each one-ounce serving has six grams of protein, giving you over 10% of your daily value. That means Wonderful Pistachios is a good source of protein with zero guilt.

[00:11:43] Plus, pistachios are known for their protein power, fiber, and better-for-you unsaturated fats for a combination that may help keep you feeling fuller longer. And on top of all of that, Wonderful Pistachios is a complete protein, providing all nine essential amino acids. Whether you love the satisfying crack of the in-shell varieties, or the pure convenience of no-shells, maybe their new unsalted no-shells that holds the salt but not the flavor, there's a pick for you.

[00:12:12] They're perfect for that protein pick-me-up or just a tasty treat. So, get snackin' and get crackin' with the snack that packs a protein punch. Visit WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more. Dr. Neil here for my commentary. This is probably a really obvious statement, but I'm going to say it anyway. Diets and workout routines are trendy. Many of us may not realize that the paleo diet has been around long before its recent resurgence.

[00:12:42] It was around in the 80s, believe it or not. That's just one example. When it comes to fitness routines, as Gabriel stated in his post, working out one muscle group each day was all the rage. And in fact, it's very effective for bodybuilders. Again, we're talking about Mondays being chest day, and Tuesdays were leg day, etc. But when you look at the studies and patterns over time, you find that there are definitely some training methods and diet patterns

[00:13:09] that have withstood the tests of time. Those are the ones that Gabriel mentioned. When trying to build size and muscle, incorporate exercises that force you to use large muscle groups, like push-ups, squats, lunges, and pull-ups, for example. When it comes to food, consuming lean proteins, plenty of vegetables, and complex carbohydrates seem to be most helpful for not only gaining muscle, but maintaining body weight.

[00:13:37] Again, these things aren't trendy. These techniques have actually withstood the tests of time. All right, that's it for today. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you for being a subscriber of the show. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day, and I'll see you back here tomorrow, where your optimal life awaits.