Key Messages
Unlock The Science Behind Achieving Long-Term Fitness Goals
Drowning in misinformation when it comes to physical fitness? Looking for an empirical approach, grounded in science and medical scholarship? Well, look no further.
Body by Science, a book written by authors Doug McGuff and John Little, dissects the science behind human physiology.
They explain how the body builds muscle, the importance of restiction, and the principles of High Intensity Training (HIT).
The authors draw on studies from around the world that have been conducted on animals, from Belgian cows to humans.
You’ll discover why running isn’t ideal for building muscle mass; that working out can be like taking a drug; and much more.
By understanding the scientific basis for physical fitness you’ll be able to approach your workout routine with more confidence and knowledge – so you can build your dream physique!
The Myth Of The Marathon: What Science Tells Us About Exercise And True Health
It’s important to remember that not all physical activities have the same outcome when it comes to health.
Take Pheidippides as an example: he was a fit young man who managed to quickly sprint 25 miles, yet he still died shortly after arriving in Athens.
This goes to show that physical fitness does not always equate to good health.
What is health? It could be defined as the absence of disease and the balance of internal chemical processes within the body.
These processes, such as catabolic and anabolic activities, must be balanced in order for a person to maintain their health and wellbeing.
But certain types of exercise can throw off this balance, leading to serious issues such as damage to the knees or spines, or abnormal heart rhythms.
For instance, long-distance running can help you become fitter by increasing your capacity for physical endurance, but if it is done too often or improperly it can lead to long-term health issues.
Therefore, it’s important to consider different types of exercises that will keep your body healthy without causing any negative side effects.
The Benefits Of Short, High-Intensity Workouts: Challenging Conventional Wisdom
The debate over which type of exercise is more effective for staying fit has been going on for decades.
On the one hand, many believe that the best way to get in shape is by performing long and moderate sessions of aerobic exercises like jogging.
On the other hand, recent scientific studies have shown that a short, high-intensity workout can be just as beneficial.
Research conducted at McMaster University examined two groups of equally fit individuals – one group that undertook regular lengthy aerobic exercises and another group who did high intensity workouts such as 30-second sprints on stationary bikes.
The results showed that while no significant changes to endurance levels were seen in the first group, those who participated in only high intensity exercises saw an increase in their endurance levels of almost 100 percent.
This goes against conventional wisdom, which states the effectiveness of any form of exercise relies heavily on the level and length of cardiovascular activity it provides.
Additionally, previous studies which showed improved metabolic processes with shorter workouts also confirmed this view – after a few minutes’ intense effort, incredible changes take place with the body’s energy conversion rate increasing dramatically.
Exercising The Right Way: Train Hard, But Less Often For Maximum Results
When it comes to weight training and building muscle, the key to success is getting the dosage and intensity just right.
Too little and you won’t see results.
Too much and you risk an injury.
The book Body by Science by Doug McGuff explains that low-intensity workouts like aerobics or light weights will engage your slow-twitch muscle fibers, but they don’t use enough energy to kick off metabolic processes.
To maximize your results, you should focus on working out intensely with heavyweights while taking breaks between workouts that last a few days up to a week in order for your fast-twitch muscle fibers to repair and recover optimally.
The lessons of the book have been proven time and time again: To train your muscles effectively, work out harder but less often!
Though it seems counterintuitive, it’s really all about finding the right balance of intensity and rest so that you can get the best results from your workouts.
The Big Five: A Simple But Effective Way To Maximize You Workouts
It can be tempting to try all kinds of complicated and overwhelming workouts, but the most straightforward and reliable way to exercise is by sticking with the “Big Five” routine.
This simple workout consists of five basic resistance training moves that can be done on any regular weight machine, like the Nautilus or MedX.
The exercises you will perform include pulldowns, leg presses, seated rows, chest presses, and overhead presses – each designed to work various muscle groups in your body, from your upper back to your lower legs.
When performing these activities, it’s important to do them slowly and steadily at a consistent rate until you reach positive failure – meaning that your muscles are no longer able to lift the weights.
It usually takes about 90 seconds until this occurs; after this happens have a break for 60-seconds before beginning the next activity.
Once you complete the full Big Five routine you should feel completely spent!
This means that your metabolism is working as hard as possible for maximum results.
So remember – keep things simple with the Big Five routine for reliable and repeatable exercises.
It’S Never Too Late To Take Your Fitness Level Up Another Notch
The main takeaway from Body by Science is that a proper exercise routine never stops.
It’s easy to believe that once you’ve reached your fitness goal, you can give yourself a pat on the back and relax – unfortunately, this isn’t true.
Considering how quickly our body adapts to regular workouts, even if we stick to the same routine over and over again, our results will diminish with time.
This means that in order to make continued gains, it’s essential that we consistently challenge ourselves and ramp up the intensity of our exercises.
One way of doing this is to adjust our technique – for instance, by adding time-static holds where we push past positive failure while holding the weight in place for 10-15 seconds more.
For those who have already mastered the Big Five plan, however, moving away from it altogether may be necessary.
Splitting one’s routine into three groups of exercises done on different days such as chest presses on Mondays, leg press on Wednesdays and pulldowns on Fridays could be very helpful in reaching peak performance levels.
Ultimately, continuing to challenge ourselves with varied workouts and progressive overloads is key if we are hoping to maximize fitness outcome and remain healthy – a proper exercise routine never stops!
Realize Your Personal Best And Don’T Aim For The Unrealistic – Genetics Matter When It Comes To Muscles Building
We all know the myth surrounding bodybuilding: to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime.
This may be a popular goal, but it’s one that isn’t attainable for many of us due to genetic limits on muscle growth.
That’s why it’s important to focus on reaching your own personal best and not trying to meet some media standard.
Recent studies have revealed that our bodies vary when it comes to neuromuscular efficiency, or the ability to activate muscle on command.
Most people can only access around 30% of their muscles fibers, while those with a higher rate can control closer to 50%.
This allows them to see more gains at the gym, although they are still limited by our genetics.
Our bodies contain the protein myostatin which regulates how much muscle we can build.
Humans naturally have varying levels of myostatin, but this doesn’t mean our looks are predetermined.
With hard work and determination, you can still shape your body – albeit within certain limitations.
So the key message is: exercise for yourself not for society‘s standards!
Focus on improving your physical health so you can feel better and reach your own personal best without comparing yourself to some cookie-cutter archetype pushed by mass media.
Building Muscle Is The Most Efficient Way To Lose Weight
The simplest and most efficient way to lose weight is to build more muscle in your body.
With a few well-targeted, high-intensity exercises, you can significantly improve your body’s fat-burning capabilities.
Here’s how it works: each pound of muscle you have needs at least 100 calories of energy every day just to stay healthy, meaning that if you can add 5 pounds of muscle to your frame, you’ll be burning 250 extra calories daily without even trying.
In comparison, with an average intensity one hour jog, the average 120-pound woman will only burn around 200 calories.
That means that if she wants to burn 3000 calories in response to overindulging in a single meal at the all-you-can-eat buffet – as much food as 44 miles of jogging – she’d have to do much more than an hour on the treadmill!
Building muscle turns your body into an effective fat burner that’s more efficient than jogging or other types of aerobic exercise.
And fortunately modern science has provided reliable explanations for this phenomenon and ways for us to reap its benefits.
Wrap Up
The final summary of the Body by Science book is that high-intensity exercise is the best way to maximize overall health and fitness.
This means pushing yourself to the point of fatigue at the gym, as this stimulates your body’s metabolic processes and encourages muscle growth, which leads to weight loss.
Additionally, getting an adequate amount of sleep every night is just as critical for all these benefits, as it helps your body repair itself before hitting the gym again.
So make sure you’re getting a good eight hours each night to ensure your body can reap maximum rewards from your regular workouts!
