Brian Danley Fitness

Why is rest important in order to improve your body composition?

3/19/2020

The best way to improve body composition is to gain muscle mass. In order to gain muscle mass, you must lift with progressively heavier weights over time. This process causes muscle fiber (cellular) damage and inflammation. Usually, but not always, there will be muscle soreness. Afterwards, the rebuilding, healing phase will occur in which muscle fibers become stronger and grow (muscle hypertrophy). To enable this process, it is essential adequate recovery (rest) takes place. The amount of rest needed depends on many factors including age, fitness level, exercise intensity, diet, sleep, etc. After an intense workout, most muscle recovery as well as fat loss will occur while sleeping.

To read the full article visit InBody.com

What type of exercise should you do to improve your body composition?

3/18/2020

There are primarily two categories of exercise:

Aerobic--cardiovascular exercises which primarily elevate heart rate
Anaerobic--resistance training exercises which stimulate muscle tissue

Each of the two categories of exercise can improve body composition in different ways. Aerobic exercise (i.e., running, stair stepping, elliptical, biking, etc.) primarily causes fat loss whereas anaerobic exercise (i.e., free weights, weight machines, bodyweight exercises, etc.) causes muscle mass gain. Both types of exercise should therefore be performed since both are beneficial in improving body composition--cardio for burning body fat and weight training for adding muscle. When performing cardio during the same session as weight training, consider the following:

If your fitness goal is primarily to lose body fat, perform cardio before weight training.
If your fitness goal is primarily to gain muscle mass, perform cardio after weight training.

To read the full article visit InBody.com

Are free weights better than bodyweight exercises to improve body composition?

3/17/2020

Progressive resistance is recommended in order for body composition to improve. Increasing amounts of weight applied to the body is the best way to stimulate muscle fiber strength and muscle mass hypertrophy. Bodyweight exercises can increase strength but are limited in isolating muscle groups with a finite amount of resistance. Utilizing free weights (i.e., barbells, dumbbells), on the other hand, can provide more and more increases in resistance (i.e., 5-lbs at a time) to continually increase mass in targeted muscle groups. In addition, using free weights can lessen muscular and/or strength imbalances (i.e., prioritize left biceps training if the right biceps are stronger). Both methods of training can be beneficial in improving metabolism, bone density, physical performance, cognition, insulin sensitivity, resting blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. Both, body weight and free weight training, should be done as both can be complimentary to your training but in terms of improving body composition, free weights are the way to go.

To read the full article visit InBody.com

Why is building more lean body mass important?

3/16/2020

Having more lean body mass (LBM) within your body means less body fat. Less body fat means your body will have a higher basal metabolic rate (BMR), ideal for burning more calories while resting. Essentially, having more muscle will enable your body to be more efficient at utilizing calories for energy. You will less likely have an energy imbalance when your body burns just as many calories as you take in. To help maintain your lean body mass, be sure to eat plenty of foods high in protein. Having more muscle means your body will have more storage of protein needed when your immune system is compromised (i.e., sickness). Having more muscle mass also preserves your bone mass and density. Additionally, having more muscle mass increases insulin sensitivity so that your body is more efficient at using insulin to metabolize glucose (i.e., blood sugar). Thus, having more muscle lessens the risk of getting type-2 diabetes.

To read the full article visit InBody.com

Does eating before going to bed cause weight gain?

3/15/2020

There may be an increased risk of gaining body weight and having higher cholesterol and blood sugars levels but this is dependent on the foods eaten. Eating less carbs and more protein later in the day is generally recommended. Since carbs are the body's primary macronutrient to fuel physical activity, we do not need as many carbs later in the day when we're less active. Excess carb intake during an absence of physical activity tends to promote fat storage relative to one's metabolism. Displacing some carbs with protein is recommended because protein is much more satiating, thus making one feel fuller longer. In addition, protein is a macronutrient which helps to preserve muscle mass--very much needed while you sleep. More muscle means an improved metabolism which lessens body fat gain. Just be sure to limit portion sizes and therefore caloric intake when eating at night.

To read the full article visit InBody.com

How can sleep affect your body composition?

3/14/2020

Here's a reality check: your body requires a certain amount of sleep based on your metabolism in order to increase lean body mass and reduce fat mass. Why is this so? Because the amount of sleep you get affects whether your body will be in an anabolic or catabolic state. Getting seven to eight hours sleep for most people will optimize anabolic hormone (i.e., human growth hormone, testosterone) release which encourages muscle mass growth. Alternatively, inadequate sleep will lessen anabolic hormone release, and possibly contribute to catabolic hormone (i.e., cortisol) release, limiting muscle mass growth.
A lack of sleep adversely affects your ghrelin/leptin balance. Inadequate sleep promotes ghrelin hormone release which increases appetite. In addition, leptin hormone release is lessened so that you're less likely to feel full. As a result, there's a tendency to eat more food at night--usually not the healthy kind. Also, because a lack of sleep may reduce your basal metabolic rate (BMR), your body will burn less calories while resting. Thus, the combination of increased caloric intake from snacking late at night in conjunction with a reduction in caloric expenditure will cause increased body weight as a result of increased body fat.

To read the full article visit InBody.com

Can you be at an ideal body composition?

3/13/2020

First of all, what constitutes an "ideal" body composition? The answer is in the eye of the beholder. In other words, one's image of what "ideal" is is completely subjective and therefore a matter of opinion. Generally, having a well-proportioned, symmetrical, lean physique which is pleasing to the eye is "ideal". For men: wide shoulders; square chest; narrow waist; and thick arms and legs may be "ideal". For women: shapely shoulders; narrow waist; wide hips; and "toned" arms and legs may be "ideal". In order to obtain what may be "ideal", one may need to drop to an unhealthy body composition where only essential fat remains. This level of body composition is unsustainable and unrealistic for most people to obtain sans chemical enhancement (i.e., steroids). The "ideal" body composition for each gender is a level of body fat that is healthy and sustainable. For men: 8-15% BF and for women: 13-23% BF may be considered an optimal body fat level.

To read the full article visit InBody.com

How can you change your body composition?

3/12/2020

Rather than focusing on body weight, you should be focusing on body composition to look and feel healthier. Your concern should not be on what your weight scale says, but rather on how you look in the mirror. Reducing fat mass and gaining muscle is what's really important. Body fat can be tested most readily via a skin fold test using calipers (BMI < 30) or tape measure (BMI > 30) or alternatively a BIA test. If your body fat is relatively high (BF > 25%), focus on losing body fat. If your lean body mass is relatively low (LBM < 50 lbs), focus on gaining more muscle. The bottom line is to focus on one goal ONLY: either lose body fat OR gain muscle.

To read the full article visit InBody.com

Should you eat a plant-based diet?

3/6/2020

There still isn’t a widely accepted definition for what constitutes a “plant-based diet”. Rather, the term loosely refers to anyone who consumes animal products less frequently or in smaller quantities.
People don’t necessarily have to avoid animal products completely when following a plant-based diet. However, they do incorporate a larger proportion of foods made from plants like fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds. Meat becomes more of a garnish on the plate rather than always taking center-stage. Some examples of plant-based eating patterns are vegan, vegetarian, and Mediterranean diets.

To read the full article visit InBody.com

Brian Danley, CFT "Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."
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Why is rest important in order to improve your body composition?

What type of exercise should you do to improve your body composition?

Are free weights better than bodyweight exercises to improve body composition?

Why is building more lean body mass important?

Does eating before going to bed cause weight gain?

How can sleep affect your body composition?

Can you be at an ideal body composition?

How can you change your body composition?

Should you eat a plant-based diet?

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