FAQ

Find answers to our most commonly asked fitness, nutrition and health questions

Many times these questions can be very similar to previous questions we've answered, so this FAQ page is designed to answer your most commonly asked questions before you've even asked them!

These are our top five frequently asked questions. If however, you have a question that is not answered here, use the form at the bottom of the page to ask us your question directly. We'll respond within 24 hours.

Exercise wise we recommend interval training and resistance training, using both bodyweight exercises and free weights.

Interval Training boosts your metabolism, burning calories and fat, while resistance training builds the muscle needed for muscular definition.

You can also try ab specific exercises to further define your abdominals, although these type of exercises will not get the results you're looking for on their own!

The nutrition side of things is also very important. A diet containing plenty of high-quality lean protein, along with low GI carbs and healthy fats is essential when looking to sculpt the perfect torso.

Check out our articles on a high protein diet and the GI diet for more details.

So it's the way you do the exercise that really matters most, rather than the actual form of exercise you're doing.

High-Intensity Interval Training has been shown in many studies to be the most effective way of training when looking to burn calories and shed fat. Training in this way involves short, timed intervals of both medium and high intensity activity, rather than a sustained period of activity at the same intensity throughout.

Click here for more info on Interval Training.

As with anything, variety is key. So along with interval training, you should also incorporate strength training into your workout regime and look at your diet and nutritional intake too.

Everyone wants 'big guns', so it's inevitable that this type of question gets asked a lot.

We have a page dedicated to bicep exercises, so try implementing the exercise guides on that page and you will build the big biceps you want!

It's also worth bearing in mind that the bigger muscles in the upper arm are actually the triceps, so building these muscles is very important when you're looking to build bigger arms. Try tricep extensions, push-ups and the bench press to build these muscles. And look out for our new page on tricep exercises that's coming very soon.

You can be notified when it's on the site by subscribing to our RSS Feed, or by 'Liking' us on Facebook.

But general guidelines would be to try to workout every other day, for 20-45 minutes at a time, depending on the type of exercise you're doing.

Allowing a days rest between workouts gives your muscles time to heal and grow, which they can't do if you try to workout every day.

Workout too often and your muscles can't grow and this leads to burn-out.

Workout not often enough and again your muscles won't grow and you will be susceptible to weight-gain of the wrong kind - fat!

Try to do some sort of interval training 2-3 times per week. Whether this be running, cycling, swimming or anything else. This only has to be for 20 minutes or so per session.

Then try to factor resistance or strength training into your workout schedule another 2-3 times per week. This type of training should not exceed 45 minutes per session.

You can do your interval training and resistance training on the same day as each other or on seperate days, just make sure you train 3-4 times per week, no more, no less.

This type of workout regime will give you the best chance of achieving your goals.

This can be found from sources such as skinless chicken breasts and other lean meats like turkey and beef steak. Fish is another excellent high-protein food source, oily fish especially, due to the high levels of healthy omega 3 & 6 which they contain. Try sardines on wholemeal toast for a great high-protein, low GI snack.

Then there are nuts. All nuts contain high levels of protein. Buy a bag of mixed, un-salted nuts and have a handful as a snack or sprinkled on your morning porridge.

Click here to see a list of our Top 5 Muscle-Building Nuts.

As well as eating the right foods, timing is also important.

Make sure you get a good breakfast of both protein and complex carbs. After sleeping, your body has not taken on any nutrients for around 8-9 hours, while it's also been busy repairing and growing, so it's very important to take on the nutrients it needs to stop it going into a catabolic state.

This is when your body begins to take the nutrients it needs from itself, or more specifically, your muscles. While also storing your body fat! This is definitely not what you want!

So as the old saying goes, breakfast definitely is the most important meal of the day.

An ideal breakfast would be porridge made with skimmed milk, a handful of mixed, un-salted nuts and a chopped banana, with maybe a spoonful of honey to sweeten. This would give you a good mix of both protein and carbs and is a great meal to start the day.

It may also be worth taking on some protein an hour or so before bed, especially if you're trying to build muscle. Try our muscle-building midnight snacks page for ideas.

Complex carbohydrates are also very important, as they give you the energy to workout efficiently and effectively, which helps you to exert more energy while in the gym.

In fact, it's important to eat a variety of all different types of foods. From meats and fish, brown rice and pasta, fruit and vegetables. They all provide us with different nutrients that our bodies need to function at their optimal level.

So although protein is important when muscle-building, don't make the mistake of neglecting the other food groups, which are just as important when trying to build good health and fitness levels.

Click here for a full list of High Protein Foods.

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