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After finishing up three different chest exercises - incline press, bench press and cable flys—I headed toward the chest press machine at my gym. Machine chest press is my final exercise, and hopping on the machine meant that I could wrap up my workout after a long day of work.

To no surprise, it was already taken by a gym-goer and their partner, as many of the machines typically are during peak times. So I decided to ask, “Excuse me, how many sets do you have left?” Usually, if the reply goes something like “I’ve got 30 minutes left” or “Ten more sets,” I'll bounce to another machine before returning. But the person on the chest press machine replied: “Sorry, I just got here.” Flustered, I just said “Okay,” and left.

Look, I get it. You know you’ll feel better if you work out. But maybe your alarm was extra-unwelcome this morning or you’ve had an exhausting day. And you know that with a little bit of a boost, you’re not just more likely to actually feel up to exercising — you’re also more likely to crush that workout.

And that makes a pre-workout pretty appealing, but that quick high comes with some serious lows you need to be aware of.

It’s def possible to have too much caffeine. On top of that, certain situations — like coffee on an empty stomach — can give caffeine a bad rap, even when it’s really the other things at play causing the problems. 

All this said, I’m pro caffeine, just in moderation. Too much caffeine is going to literally jack you up, especially consuming too much at one time. But how much is too much? I’ve got you.

“It’s not the years, honey, it’s the mileage.” – Indiana Jones

Like Indy, you’ve lived a little. 

But, getting older doesn’t mean it’s time to sit on the sidelines. You don’t have to grow weaker and give up what you love. No matter how many miles are on the odometer, you can get older and stronger. 

And this strength can impact your healthy lifespan in powerful ways. As we’ll show you below, getting stronger is associated with better aging and mortality, stronger bones and heart, and improved quality of life. 

The best news? It’s never too late to add strength and experience the benefits of exercise. But if you want to stay fit (get in even better shape) as you age, you need to start thinking about your training differently. 

I know, I know. Everyone is telling you how important sleep is these days. Magazine articles guilt-trip you about how many hours you spend snoozing, news stories report on the number of traffic accidents caused by sleep-exhausted drivers.

But here’s the reality: most of us, at some point or another, will have a hard time getting enough sleep. Whether we’re just too busy to spend enough time in bed or stress causes us to toss and turn all night, no one is guaranteed a good night’s sleep every single night.

So we want to help you. We want to change the way you view sleep: not from a “shame on you if you’re not sleeping great” perspective, but a practical “let’s try to get as much of this stuff as possible” perspective. Try these helpful tools and clean up your sleep hygiene, such as a consistent sleep schedule and begin daytime habits that encourage sleep.

Here are our realistic tips for falling—and staying—asleep.

You may have heard that eating 6 small meals per day will boost your metabolism and help you lose weight. Or maybe the exact opposite – that fasting is great for weight loss.  

There is a lot of confusion about meal frequency in the health and fitness industry.

But don’t worry – there’s one rule to rule them all.

Is all protein made equally? And, why are there so many different forms of whey protein?

I thought I knew the answers to these questions, but with a lot of research, I quickly learned that there’s a dark side of the supplement industry that has nothing to do with illegal ingredients or dangerous products.

In many cases, the “good” supplements you take might not be giving your body what you think. That’s because different types of whey proteins might make a difference in absorption.

And, more importantly, the number of loopholes on supplement labeling makes it almost too easy for supplement companies to lie about what’s on the label.

In the last 10 years, research shows that health officials have issued almost 800 warnings to dietary supplements containing dangerous ingredients. And, in nearly every case (98%), the USDA found that the ingredients in question were nowhere on the label.

If you want to make sure the label you’re reading is accurate, make sure you’re taking a product that has a third-party certification. Good options include NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport, and BSCG.

If there’s no third-party certification, just know that means no one has validated that what it says on the label is actually in the product.

Beyond smoke and mirrors on your protein label, here’s what you need to know about choosing between different protein powders and how to find the best whey protein for your needs and hard-earned money.

Reasons You Might Feel Unmotivated & How to Overcome Them

One of the best places to start when you’re struggling with motivation to exercise, is to try to figure out why that is. There could be a multitude of reasons, but I’ve got a few common ones to share with you, and some simple ways to help you get moving again.

HOW TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF TO MOVE:

I think one of the most important things to consider when related to stress, is that you need to listen to your body. Exercise itself can be a stress on the body, so ease yourself back in gradually, gently and don’t pressure yourself.

If you don’t feel comfortable returning to gyms yet, workout at home with our custom coaching (online coaching) or head outside for a run or a cycle.

Try long walks on the weekend, morning meditations or yoga to build some strength.

They come in a variety of lengths, difficulties—light, medium, heavy, extra-heavy—colors, and shapes. You can do a variety of exercises using resistance bands such as bicep curls, shoulder press, chest press, squats, and many more. In other words, an affordable resistance band is pretty much all you need to mimic the movements of any piece of gym equipment at home and get a full body workout.

If you're a newbie who wants to give resistance band exercises a try, keep reading to learn the benefits of it, nine beginner-friendly moves, and tips on how to make the most out of your practice.

Losing weight isn’t easy, but it’s one of the most commonly cited health and fitness goals. A survey found 51% of Americans hope to lose weight in 2022. But between balancing work, family, kids’ schedules and social obligations with a real need for rest, it can be difficult to lose weight, let alone keep it off.

It seems like no matter where or when, we all get busy, and when that happens, often our weight-loss goals fall from number 1 to off the list entirely. But there are strategies to keep your eating and exercise on track.

I think one of the critical points is to not make other things and people a priority over self-care. Recognize your health is paramount to all facets of your life, and know you will be better at your job and relationships when you feel your best. 

When it comes to boosting your metabolism, every grocery or drug store carries plenty of weight-loss supplements that make bold claims, but there’s a better place to direct your shopping cart: the produce section.

If you were to challenge someone to get into shape without stepping into a gym, they’d be confused. It’s as if some people still believe you can only build muscle, get stronger, or improve conditioning by lifting weights or using machines. That’s just not true.

Bodyweight training is convenient, can be done anywhere, and can be easily modified to fit nearly any fitness goal. Let’s stop ignoring bodyweight workouts and formulate an effective plan for any goal with modifications, intensity techniques, and detailed explanations of execution.

Your favorite canine just might be the key to keeping you fit. Learn how to turn running, hiking and swimming with your pup into a bonding activity.

We often think of calories as something we eat, but, the truth is, a calorie is simply a unit of energy. More specifically, a calorie is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. 

What does the temperature of water have to do with calories in your food? Well, scientists determine the amount of calories in a food using a technique we’re all guilty of in the kitchen: they burn it.

So, you want to get active, burn some calories, and lose some fat? But you don’t think it’s possible because you don’t have that much free time for exercise? 

If that’s the case, read on because we’ll be going over the best way to burn calories in 30 minutes or less. 

Ready? Let’s dive in.

Do you know the number one reason why generic workout programs and diets don’t work for most people? Sure, they seem decent enough at first glance, but you’ll rarely hear someone say:

“Yeah, I found a program on Google, ran it for three months, and made a ton of progress.” 

It’s been known to happen, but most people who make any progress do so thanks to a tailored plan. Let’s discuss why that is and what it means for you.

Walking is one of the activities we all perform daily, but few people recognize its benefits. Fewer still understand the profound importance of walking and make a conscious effort to increase their step count. 

In today’s post, we’ll go over the activity, its benefits, and why you should walk more each day.