There are a lot of questions that I get asked everyday about what works and does not work outside of the gym for getting better results.
These tips I hope will help you get a better handle on what will make you stronger and have more fun workouts with better results.
How much sleep do I need if I am working out?
There is a real need for sleep when you are working out. As you are probably aware it is really hard on your body just having a workout so you need to rest and sleep to heal your body before your next workout.
Another good reason to sleep enough is to make sure that you not only recuperated from that last workout but that you have something left in your tank for the next workout.
How much sleep do I need?
This is a very subjective question. Everyone needs a different amount of sleep. I have always found that I can not get my for more than a few days with less than 7 hours of sleep a night and I will feel it in my legs on my bike after just three nights of bad sleep.
The best thing to do is listen to your body instead of your mind. If you are used to watching TV on the couch late at night then you will not have a chance to know that you are tired and should be sleeping.
Try reading quietly in the evening an hour or so before you sleeping time and see if this will make you fall asleep earlier or if you can read through that hour without getting tired.
**Never use a mobile phone or tablet late at night. It affects your Melatonin release and will affect your sleep schedule more than anything else
What should I be eating last thing at night?
On training days it is important to be eating protein before bed and lots of water to heal those muscles while your sleep.
As you may be aware your muscles are mostly made of water and amino acids. Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein so the protein and water are critical to getting it right for your recovery while you sleep.
How much protein do I need to be taking?
Most of the muscle magazines will tell you that you should be eating 50 grams of protein a meal and eating 6 meals a day. This works out to about 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body per day.
I think this is crap sold to us by the advertisers of protein bars and shakes.
It is much better to cap your protein at 30 grams per meal and 5-6 meals a day. Any more than this and you will be bloated and your body can not metabolize much more than 30 grams of protein per meal anyway.
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