Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training

Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training

By Tom Nikkola | VIGOR TrainingHealth & FitnessNutritionMental HealthFitness
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Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training episodes

  • Eccentric Exercise: More Muscle and Strength with Less Wear and Tear
    When used appropriately, eccentric exercise helps you build more muscle and improves strength while giving your joints a break from the grind of concentric-focused, traditional strength training workouts.
    Unfortunately, eccentric training is often overlooked and underutilized. 
    In this article, I’ll answer the following questions:
    What is eccentric training?
    What are the benefits of eccentric training?
    What are the risks of eccentric training?
    I’ll explain how to combine eccentric training and tempo to build muscle faster, using lighter weights and giving your nervous system and joints a break.
    What is eccentric exercise?
    Scientifically speaking:
    An eccentric (lengthening) muscle contraction occurs when a force applied to the muscle exceeds the momentary force produced by the muscle itself, resulting in the forced lengthening of the muscle-tendon system while contracting. During this process, the muscle absorbs energy developed by an external load, explaining why eccentric action is also called “negative work” as opposed to concentric (shortening) contraction or “positive work.”
    Stéphanie Hody, et al. Eccentric Muscle Contractions: Risks and Benefits
    Put more simply, eccentric contractions control movements in the direction of gravity's pull, and concentric contractions create a force against gravity.
    For example, in a push-up, the eccentric portion of the movement is where you lower yourself to toward the floor. Your pecs, triceps, and anterior deltoid remain contracted as they lengthen to allow you to descend towards the floor.
    In strength training jargon, an eccentric contraction is also called a "negative," and the concentric contraction may be called the "positive."
    When most people weight train, they reach a point of concentric muscle failure while still having plenty of strength to continue performing eccentric contractions.
    Reaching eccentric muscle failure improves concentric strength as well as eccentric strength.
    Benefits of Eccentric Training
    The following are some of the benefits of eccentric training:
    Greater anabolic signaling
    Eccentric training creates a more significant anabolic signal, which helps build muscle faster than traditional strength training. Muscle damage or inflammation may trigger a greater anabolic signal.
    Less nervous system or central fatigue
    Excessive heavy strength training takes a toll on your nervous system.
    For a high-performance athlete who has no other focus beyond training, competing, and recovering, that might be okay.
    The average person with inconsistent sleep patterns, mediocre nutrition, and higher personal or professional stress, training heavy, year-round, can't handle that same stress level. It leaves them physically and emotionally drained.
    Though eccentric training is very difficult, it doesn’t cause the same drain on your nervous system as other types of strength training does. People with adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue, chronically high stress levels, or who are sleep deprived might also benefit more from eccentric training than traditional training.
    Gains in strength and muscle mass
    This is probably why you’re reading this article. If there wasn’t a superior benefit for muscle and strength gains, I wouldn’t be writing about eccentric training either.
    Like any training style, you might eventually plateau or get bored, so I don't recommend eccentric training as the only way to train. But it can be an effective component of an annual training plan.
    Improved speed, power, and agility
    Eccentric movement isn’t only about weight training.
    Running downhill, landing when you jump off a box or slowing your lateral momentum so you can sidestep and run the other direction are all examples of eccentric muscle contractions.
    Eccentric training improves the performance of eccentric movements. So, if an athlete participates in a sport that relies on eccentric strength,
    15 min
  • Eccentric Exercise: More Muscle and Strength with Less Wear and Tear
    When used appropriately, eccentric exercise helps you build more muscle and improves strength while giving your joints a break from the grind of concentric-focused, traditional strength training workouts.
    Unfortunately, eccentric training is often overlooked and underutilized. 
    In this article, I’ll answer the following questions:
    What is eccentric training?What are the benefits of eccentric training?What are the risks of eccentric training?
    I’ll explain how to combine eccentric training and tempo to build muscle faster, using lighter weights and giving your nervous system and joints a break.
    What is eccentric exercise?
    Scientifically speaking:
    An eccentric (lengthening) muscle contraction occurs when a force applied to the muscle exceeds the momentary force produced by the muscle itself, resulting in the forced lengthening of the muscle-tendon system while contracting. During this process, the muscle absorbs energy developed by an external load, explaining why eccentric action is also called “negative work” as opposed to concentric (shortening) contraction or “positive work.”Stéphanie Hody, et al. Eccentric Muscle Contractions: Risks and Benefits
    Put more simply, eccentric contractions control movements in the direction of gravity's pull, and concentric contractions create a force against gravity.
    For example, in a push-up, the eccentric portion of the movement is where you lower yourself to toward the floor. Your pecs, triceps, and anterior deltoid remain contracted as they lengthen to allow you to descend towards the floor.
    In strength training jargon, an eccentric contraction is also called a "negative," and the concentric contraction may be called the "positive."
    When most people weight train, they reach a point of concentric muscle failure while still having plenty of strength to continue performing eccentric contractions.
    Reaching eccentric muscle failure improves concentric strength as well as eccentric strength.
    Benefits of Eccentric Training
    The following are some of the benefits of eccentric training:
    Greater anabolic signaling
    Eccentric training creates a more significant anabolic signal, which helps build muscle faster than traditional strength training. Muscle damage or inflammation may trigger a greater anabolic signal.
    Less nervous system or central fatigue
    Excessive heavy strength training takes a toll on your nervous system.
    For a high-performance athlete who has no other focus beyond training, competing, and recovering, that might be okay.
    The average person with inconsistent sleep patterns, mediocre nutrition, and higher personal or professional stress, training heavy, year-round, can't handle that same stress level. It leaves them physically and emotionally drained.
    Though eccentric training is very difficult, it doesn’t cause the same drain on your nervous system as other types of strength training does. People with adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue, chronically high stress levels, or who are sleep deprived might also benefit more from eccentric training than traditional training.
    Gains in strength and muscle mass
    This is probably why you’re reading this article. If there wasn’t a superior benefit for muscle and strength gains, I wouldn’t be writing about eccentric training either.
    Like any training style, you might eventually plateau or get bored, so I don't recommend eccentric training as the only way to train. But it can be an effective component of an annual training plan.
    Improved speed, power, and agility
    Eccentric movement isn’t only about weight training.
    Running downhill, landing when you jump off a box or slowing your lateral momentum so you can sidestep and run the other direction are all examples of eccentric muscle contractions.
    Eccentric training improves the performance of eccentric movements. So, if an athlete participates in a sport that relies on eccentric strength,
    0 min
  • Is Hydrogen-Rich Water Good For You?
    When someone asks you about a natural health product you haven’t heard of, what is your gut response?
    For many years, mine was, “If I haven’t heard of it, it must not be that good.”
    I thought I knew of all the natural products that actually worked. My ego often got in the way of me being open-minded.
    In 2014, two things happened that changed my perspective. Vanessa decided to get started with essential oils, and I tore my bicep tendon while deadlifting.
    I hadn’t heard much about essential oils, and after Vanessa had been using and talking about them for a few months, I finally started paying attention. I was impressed. Really impressed by what I read about them.
    In the middle of the year, I tore my bicep tendon, and with a goal of getting back to deadlifting in half the time the surgeon said it would take, I read and investigated all sorts of unique therapies.
    My eyes started opening to how much effective stuff I didn’t know about. Today, when someone asks me about something new, I’m more likely to be open-minded and learn or experiment before forming an opinion.
    Hydrogen-rich water started hitting my radar, and before I jumped to conclusions, I read and researched. I quickly realized there was another natural health option I wasn't previously aware of.
    The research fascinated me.
    I’ve been missing out on yet another potential tool in my health and fitness arsenal. I’m not alone, though. Hydrogen-rich water is a relatively new concept in the United States.
    Before you dismiss what you might hear, take a look at some of the information I’ve collected below. Then give it a try. What have you got to lose, other than a few more trips to the bathroom from drinking more water?
    What is hydrogen-rich water?
    As the term suggests, "hydrogen-rich water" is water that goes through an electric or chemical reaction, significantly increasing the concentration of hydrogen molecules.
    The health benefits of hydrogen were first explored several decades ago. Hydrogen-rich water was first tested in 2004 in Japan. The first human study of hydrogen-rich water took place in 2008. As science and public acceptance go, it’ll probably be another 5-10 years before the term “hydrogen-rich water” is known by much of the public.
    Hydrogen-rich water has been shown to be as effective in delivering hydrogen to the body, as the inhalation of hydrogen gas, which is reserved for a clinical setting, since the hydrogen tanks are flammable.
    Hydrogen and Free Radicals
    Hydrogen is a free radical scavenger, or antioxidant, which is why scientists became interested in using it for supporting optimal health. Free radicals, or reactive oxygen species, cause damage to the membranes of cells. They are thought to be the main cause of aging, and the development of cancers.
    Some free radicals are actually healthy. The simple act of breathing or lifting your arm produces some free radicals. But when the production of free radicals, or exposure to them from the environment, exceeds what we can handle, we run into problems.
    Hydrogen gas can be inhaled by patients in a clinical setting. Hydrogen is also delivered via an IV, and over the past several decades, has been shown to be beneficial in a concentrated water.
    Hydrogen gas has a very low molecular weight, so it diffuses through tissues quickly once it is consumed.
    In the body, higher concentrations of hydrogen appear to do three main things:
    Acts as an antioxidant: Hydrogen gas has the ability to quickly diffuse throughout the body and pass through tissues including the blood brain barrier, where it can find free radicals.Signals gene expression: It can have a positive health effect on other areas of the body that are not related to the development of free radicals, because it actually switches certain genes on or off to support optimal health.Alkalinizes the blood: Hydrogen has an acid-lowering effect, meaning it helps to slightly increase the pH of the blood.
    12 min
  • Is Hydrogen-Rich Water Good For You?
    When someone asks you about a natural health product you haven’t heard of, what is your gut response?
    For many years, mine was, “If I haven’t heard of it, it must not be that good.”
    I thought I knew of all the natural products that actually worked. My ego often got in the way of me being open-minded.
    In 2014, two things happened that changed my perspective. Vanessa decided to get started with essential oils, and I tore my bicep tendon while deadlifting.
    I hadn’t heard much about essential oils, and after Vanessa had been using and talking about them for a few months, I finally started paying attention. I was impressed. Really impressed by what I read about them.
    In the middle of the year, I tore my bicep tendon, and with a goal of getting back to deadlifting in half the time the surgeon said it would take, I read and investigated all sorts of unique therapies.
    My eyes started opening to how much effective stuff I didn’t know about. Today, when someone asks me about something new, I’m more likely to be open-minded and learn or experiment before forming an opinion.
    Hydrogen-rich water started hitting my radar, and before I jumped to conclusions, I read and researched. I quickly realized there was another natural health option I wasn't previously aware of.
    The research fascinated me.
    I’ve been missing out on yet another potential tool in my health and fitness arsenal. I’m not alone, though. Hydrogen-rich water is a relatively new concept in the United States.
    Before you dismiss what you might hear, take a look at some of the information I’ve collected below. Then give it a try. What have you got to lose, other than a few more trips to the bathroom from drinking more water?
    What is hydrogen-rich water?
    As the term suggests, "hydrogen-rich water" is water that goes through an electric or chemical reaction, significantly increasing the concentration of hydrogen molecules.
    The health benefits of hydrogen were first explored several decades ago. Hydrogen-rich water was first tested in 2004 in Japan. The first human study of hydrogen-rich water took place in 2008. As science and public acceptance go, it’ll probably be another 5-10 years before the term “hydrogen-rich water” is known by much of the public.
    Hydrogen-rich water has been shown to be as effective in delivering hydrogen to the body, as the inhalation of hydrogen gas, which is reserved for a clinical setting, since the hydrogen tanks are flammable.
    Hydrogen and Free Radicals
    Hydrogen is a free radical scavenger, or antioxidant, which is why scientists became interested in using it for supporting optimal health. Free radicals, or reactive oxygen species, cause damage to the membranes of cells. They are thought to be the main cause of aging, and the development of cancers.
    Some free radicals are actually healthy. The simple act of breathing or lifting your arm produces some free radicals. But when the production of free radicals, or exposure to them from the environment, exceeds what we can handle, we run into problems.
    Hydrogen gas can be inhaled by patients in a clinical setting. Hydrogen is also delivered via an IV, and over the past several decades, has been shown to be beneficial in a concentrated water.
    Hydrogen gas has a very low molecular weight, so it diffuses through tissues quickly once it is consumed.
    In the body, higher concentrations of hydrogen appear to do three main things:
    Acts as an antioxidant: Hydrogen gas has the ability to quickly diffuse throughout the body and pass through tissues including the blood brain barrier, where it can find free radicals.Signals gene expression: It can have a positive health effect on other areas of the body that are not related to the development of free radicals, because it actually switches certain genes on or off to support optimal health.Alkalinizes the blood: Hydrogen has an acid-lowering effect, meaning it helps to slightly increase the pH of the blood.
    12 min
  • More Research Support for a High-Protein Diet for Weight Loss
    Another study adds to the evidence that a high-protein diet is best for weight loss.
    I’ve been promoting the health benefits of a high-protein diet for years. During that time, research and experience have only added evidence to the idea that a high-protein diet is ideal for weight management. 
    A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition adds further evidence to protein’s impact on body fat. 
    Research Study Design
    Researchers compared the impact of consuming only protein-rich shakes multiple times each day to an equal-calorie, normal-protein, whole-food diet. They use the term high-protein total diet replacement (HP-TDR) to describe the protein-shake only protocol.
    The total energy intake was the same between the two diets, but the high-protein diet group consumed 211 grams of protein per day, while the control group consumed 83 grams per day (about the same as the average American consumes each day).
    High-ProteinControlEnergy, kcal/d2129 ± 2412128 ± 241Protein % energy39.9 ± 0.315.3 ± 0.3 g/d211 ± 283 ± 9Fat % energy24.9 ± 0.330.2 ± 0.3 g/d58 ± 672 ± 8Carbohydrate % energy35.2 ± 0.354.4 ± 0.4 g/d186 ± 21295 ± 34Sugars, g/d179 ± 214.6 ± 0.5Fiber, g/d4 ± 092 ± 12Saturated fat, g/d 12 ± 129 ± 3Monounsaturated fat, g/d35 ± 316 ± 2Polyunsaturated fat, g/d5 ± 031 ± 4Cholesterol, mg/d38 ± 917 ± 1
    I have to point out a few things about the high-protein diet, outside of the protein, that a typical dietitian would say is bad. I do so only because when people focus only on components of nutrition such as sugar or fiber, they overlook the components of a diet that really make a difference.
    As this study shows, a higher-protein intake has a significant, positive impact, in spite of other aspects a dietitian would say will make you fatter and sicker.
    First, the difference in sugar intake. The high-protein group consumed 179 grams of sugar per day, 96% of their total carbohydrate intake. It’s also more than seven times what is recommended for daily sugar intake by public health advocates. Sugar is supposed to make you fat, right? Or a diabetic? We’ll see…
    Second, the difference in fiber intake. Low-fiber intakes are also supposed to make you fat, aren't they? Well, the high-protein group consumed only 4 grams of fiber per day. Meanwhile, the control group consumed 92 grams of fiber per day.
    When you speak to a typical nutritionist or dietitian, they’ll often speak of sugar as poison and fiber as a miracle food. Both points of view are highly exaggerated.
    Third, the protein source was soy. I typically recommend avoiding soy protein. It has a lower bioavailability and contains soy isoflavones, which mimic estrogen. Would the results be different from an animal-based protein source? Perhaps, but based on other research, I'd expect a similar outcome. That said, the results in this study speak for themselves.
    The study participants spent 32 hours in a whole-body calorimetry unit (WBCU), which is the most accurate and expensive way to track metabolic rate measures.
    The following is a visual depiction of the study protocol:
    Due to its expense and the difficulty in having someone live in a WBCU for days or weeks, this is a short-term diet study. It's possible the findings would change over time, but based on my experience with clients eating higher-protein diets, I highly doubt the results would change with a longer study duration.
    Study Findings
    According to the study authors:
    The primary findings of this study were that compared with a standard North American dietary pattern, a HP-TDR led to higher total EE, increased fat oxidation, and negative fat balance (likely implying body fat loss).
    Increased daily calorie expenditure, sleep, and post-meal metabolic rate
    While individuals resting or basal metabolic rates did not change, they did burn more calories in total for the day, during their post-meal window, and even during sleep.
    11 min
  • More Research Support for a High-Protein Diet for Weight Loss
    Another study adds to the evidence that a high-protein diet is best for weight loss.
    I’ve been promoting the health benefits of a high-protein diet for years. During that time, research and experience have only added evidence to the idea that a high-protein diet is ideal for weight management. 
    A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition adds further evidence to protein’s impact on body fat. 
    Research Study Design
    Researchers compared the impact of consuming only protein-rich shakes multiple times each day to an equal-calorie, normal-protein, whole-food diet. They use the term high-protein total diet replacement (HP-TDR) to describe the protein-shake only protocol.
    The total energy intake was the same between the two diets, but the high-protein diet group consumed 211 grams of protein per day, while the control group consumed 83 grams per day (about the same as the average American consumes each day).
    High-ProteinControlEnergy, kcal/d2129 ± 2412128 ± 241Protein % energy39.9 ± 0.315.3 ± 0.3 g/d211 ± 283 ± 9Fat % energy24.9 ± 0.330.2 ± 0.3 g/d58 ± 672 ± 8Carbohydrate % energy35.2 ± 0.354.4 ± 0.4 g/d186 ± 21295 ± 34Sugars, g/d179 ± 214.6 ± 0.5Fiber, g/d4 ± 092 ± 12Saturated fat, g/d 12 ± 129 ± 3Monounsaturated fat, g/d35 ± 316 ± 2Polyunsaturated fat, g/d5 ± 031 ± 4Cholesterol, mg/d38 ± 917 ± 1
    I have to point out a few things about the high-protein diet, outside of the protein, that a typical dietitian would say is bad. I do so only because when people focus only on components of nutrition such as sugar or fiber, they overlook the components of a diet that really make a difference.
    As this study shows, a higher-protein intake has a significant, positive impact, in spite of other aspects a dietitian would say will make you fatter and sicker.
    First, the difference in sugar intake. The high-protein group consumed 179 grams of sugar per day, 96% of their total carbohydrate intake. It’s also more than seven times what is recommended for daily sugar intake by public health advocates. Sugar is supposed to make you fat, right? Or a diabetic? We’ll see…
    Second, the difference in fiber intake. Low-fiber intakes are also supposed to make you fat, aren't they? Well, the high-protein group consumed only 4 grams of fiber per day. Meanwhile, the control group consumed 92 grams of fiber per day.
    When you speak to a typical nutritionist or dietitian, they’ll often speak of sugar as poison and fiber as a miracle food. Both points of view are highly exaggerated.
    Third, the protein source was soy. I typically recommend avoiding soy protein. It has a lower bioavailability and contains soy isoflavones, which mimic estrogen. Would the results be different from an animal-based protein source? Perhaps, but based on other research, I'd expect a similar outcome. That said, the results in this study speak for themselves.
    The study participants spent 32 hours in a whole-body calorimetry unit (WBCU), which is the most accurate and expensive way to track metabolic rate measures.
    The following is a visual depiction of the study protocol:
    Due to its expense and the difficulty in having someone live in a WBCU for days or weeks, this is a short-term diet study. It's possible the findings would change over time, but based on my experience with clients eating higher-protein diets, I highly doubt the results would change with a longer study duration.
    Study Findings
    According to the study authors:
    The primary findings of this study were that compared with a standard North American dietary pattern, a HP-TDR led to higher total EE, increased fat oxidation, and negative fat balance (likely implying body fat loss).
    Increased daily calorie expenditure, sleep, and post-meal metabolic rate
    While individuals resting or basal metabolic rates did not change, they did burn more calories in total for the day, during their post-meal window, and even during sleep.
    0 min
  • Can you lose weight without cardio?
    Can you lose weight without doing cardio? Should you even do cardio as part of a weight loss program?
    If you asked the average person how to lose weight, they'd tell you, "eat fewer calories and do lots of cardio." Heck, if you asked the average, inexperienced personal trainer, he or she would probably say the same thing.
    If you asked a VIGOR Training member, they'd (hopefully) tell you, "Eat more protein, follow a good strength training plan, and get at least seven hours of sleep each night."
    At least that's what I tell them.
    Not only can you lose weight without doing any cardio; for most people, I recommend avoiding cardio as part of a weight loss or fat loss program, at least until they're very near their goal weight. Here's why.
    Weight loss isn't just about calories in, calories out.
    Calorie counts are the crack that keeps people on cardio. The more calories they burn, the faster the weight comes off. Or so they hope.
    You've probably seen this fat loss math multiple times:
    A pound of fat contains 3500 calories
    To lose a pound of fat per week, you need to create a 3500 calorie deficit
    If you burn 500 calories more than you eat each day, in a week, you'll lose a pound of fat
    It doesn't work that way. At all. Here's why:
    The calorie counts on cardio equipment are woefully inaccurate
    Calorie counts on unprocessed and prepackaged foods are also inaccurate
    Your daily calorie expenditure fluctuates significantly based on stress levels, immune system activation, sleep patterns, hormonal cycles (in women), the temperature of your environment, etc.
    The calories you burn vary based on the types of foods you eat, your hormones, mood, medications, dietary supplements, and more.
    Your body's management of energy is way more complicated than the calorie balance equation suggests. 
    I could go on an on. The point is this: Burning calories is not the most important aspect of losing body fat. And if burning calories isn't the most important, then doing cardio to burn more calories probably doesn't make sense.
    Cardio can cause muscle loss, which makes it harder to store carbs and burn fat.
    You want to store carbs and burn fat. 
    Where do you store carbs? In your liver and skeletal muscle. The more muscle you have, the more carbs you can store. 
    If you don't have much muscle, either because you follow a very low-calorie diet or do an excessive amount of cardio, you won't have anywhere to put the carbs in your diet. When you eat them, they stay in your bloodstream, which triggers insulin, which causes you to store fat and burn sugar.
    The more cardio you do, the more muscle you can lose. 
    As your body adapts to cardio, it sheds extra muscle to make your endurance training easier. 
    Cardio can also increase cortisol levels, which further breaks down muscle.
    Also, each pound of muscle you have burns a small number of calories each day.
    The more muscle you have, the more you calories burn, even when sitting still. So, if you do cardio and lose muscle, you lose the ability to burn those calories.
    Cardio can suppress thyroid function.
    Adding endurance training or cardiovascular exercise and keeping the diet the same can lead to hypothyroidism. 
    The greater the gap between the amount of food consumed and the amount of cardiovascular exercise completed, the lower your thyroid levels can decline.
    As thyroid levels fall, metabolic rate declines, and your mental and physical energy dissipate. That makes it harder to keep seeing weight loss and makes it more challenging to exercise even if you want to.
    Weight training, walking, and a high-protein diet: A better approach to weight loss.
    For most people, weight training, walking, and a high-protein diet are a much better weight loss approach.
    Weight training helps you build muscle, boosts your metabolic rate, stimulates growth hormone and testosterone, and increases your capacity for carbohydrates.
    9 min
  • Can you lose weight without cardio?
    Can you lose weight without doing cardio? Should you even do cardio as part of a weight loss program?
    If you asked the average person how to lose weight, they'd tell you, "eat fewer calories and do lots of cardio." Heck, if you asked the average, inexperienced personal trainer, he or she would probably say the same thing.
    If you asked a VIGOR Training member, they'd (hopefully) tell you, "Eat more protein, follow a good strength training plan, and get at least seven hours of sleep each night."
    At least that's what I tell them.
    Not only can you lose weight without doing any cardio; for most people, I recommend avoiding cardio as part of a weight loss or fat loss program, at least until they're very near their goal weight. Here's why.
    Weight loss isn't just about calories in, calories out.
    Calorie counts are the crack that keeps people on cardio. The more calories they burn, the faster the weight comes off. Or so they hope.
    You've probably seen this fat loss math multiple times:
    A pound of fat contains 3500 caloriesTo lose a pound of fat per week, you need to create a 3500 calorie deficitIf you burn 500 calories more than you eat each day, in a week, you'll lose a pound of fat
    It doesn't work that way. At all. Here's why:
    The calorie counts on cardio equipment are woefully inaccurateCalorie counts on unprocessed and prepackaged foods are also inaccurateYour daily calorie expenditure fluctuates significantly based on stress levels, immune system activation, sleep patterns, hormonal cycles (in women), the temperature of your environment, etc.The calories you burn vary based on the types of foods you eat, your hormones, mood, medications, dietary supplements, and more.
    Your body's management of energy is way more complicated than the calorie balance equation suggests. 
    I could go on an on. The point is this: Burning calories is not the most important aspect of losing body fat. And if burning calories isn't the most important, then doing cardio to burn more calories probably doesn't make sense.
    Cardio can cause muscle loss, which makes it harder to store carbs and burn fat.
    You want to store carbs and burn fat. 
    Where do you store carbs? In your liver and skeletal muscle. The more muscle you have, the more carbs you can store. 
    If you don't have much muscle, either because you follow a very low-calorie diet or do an excessive amount of cardio, you won't have anywhere to put the carbs in your diet. When you eat them, they stay in your bloodstream, which triggers insulin, which causes you to store fat and burn sugar.
    The more cardio you do, the more muscle you can lose. 
    As your body adapts to cardio, it sheds extra muscle to make your endurance training easier. 
    Cardio can also increase cortisol levels, which further breaks down muscle.
    Also, each pound of muscle you have burns a small number of calories each day.
    The more muscle you have, the more you calories burn, even when sitting still. So, if you do cardio and lose muscle, you lose the ability to burn those calories.
    Cardio can suppress thyroid function.
    Adding endurance training or cardiovascular exercise and keeping the diet the same can lead to hypothyroidism. 
    The greater the gap between the amount of food consumed and the amount of cardiovascular exercise completed, the lower your thyroid levels can decline.
    As thyroid levels fall, metabolic rate declines, and your mental and physical energy dissipate. That makes it harder to keep seeing weight loss and makes it more challenging to exercise even if you want to.
    Weight training, walking, and a high-protein diet: A better approach to weight loss.
    For most people, weight training, walking, and a high-protein diet are a much better weight loss approach.
    Weight training helps you build muscle, boosts your metabolic rate, stimulates growth hormone and testosterone, and increases your capacity for carbohydrates.
    9 min
  • Why You Should Workout While Injured
    In almost all cases, if you exercise after getting injured, you’ll recover faster, avoid unnecessary weight gain, and maintain better well-being than if you use your injury as an excuse to become sedentary.
    I’ve met many people over the years who explained they got injured years ago, stopped exercising, and gained weight, and years later, finally got sick of how they looked and felt. That should never happen.
    You should workout while recovering from most injuries. There are exceptions, so check with your doctor. In most cases, if you're able to move a limb or two, you should get back to strength training as soon as possible. Here's why.
    Reduce tissue lost in injured limbs
    Following an injury like a bicep tendon rupture, broken bone, or severe strain, you quickly begin losing muscle. Not only does the injury itself cause muscle breakdown, the fact that you don’t use it, or the surrounding muscle, causes rapid tissue loss.
    For example, a torn bicep doesn't affect only your bicep. If you don't use your arm, it affects your forearms' muscles, which impact your grip strength, tricep, and the muscles in your shoulder, back, and chest on that same side.
    A hamstring injury limits your use of muscles in your thighs, lower leg, hip, and low back.
    The good news is, when you exercise the non-injured limb, you’ll reduce the muscle loss of the injured one.
    A study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports adds more evidence to the benefits of exercising with an injury. 
    In the study, researchers divided 30 participants into three groups:
    Immobilized arm without strength training
    Immobilized arm with eccentric-only strength training
    Immobilized arm with concentric and eccentric strength training
    In each case, the participants' non-dominant arms were immobilized for four weeks. 
    The eccentric-only group completed 3-6 sets of 10 reps with the non-immobilized arm, using 80-120% of 1-RM. The concentric + eccentric group performed the same volume using 60-90% of 1RM.
    Both types of strength training reduced muscle loss in the immobilized arm, though the eccentric-only had a more significant impact.
    Other studies have come to similar findings.
    Create a hormonal environment that speeds tissue regeneration
    Following a weight training session, testosterone and growth hormone increase. Both hormones help to build and maintain muscle tissue.
    The higher the intensity of your strength training session, the more significant effect it has on these hormones, as well. That means leg training is an essential part of injury recovery, even if you injured one of your legs.
    For example, after I ruptured my Achilles' tendon, I did many single-leg strength training sessions. In part, I wanted to take advantage of the crossover effect I covered above. But I also knew that leg training raised growth hormone and testosterone levels much more than upper body training sessions.
    With one leg in a boot or cast, you can still do multiple variations of single leg squats and leg presses.
    Following my distal bicep tendon rupture, I trained legs at least twice per week while also doing single arm upper body sessions. 
    The point is, the same hormones that help you build muscle help you speed recovery from injuries.
    Maintain better blood sugar control and reduce the formation of AGEs
    Elevated blood sugar leads to the formation of Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs). AGEs are combinations of sugar and proteins, lipids, or nucleic acids.
    Not only do AGEs contribute to the aging of skin and development of heart disease, but they also slow wound healing and amplify scar formation. In most cases, you want to minimize scar tissue formation, or you’ll affect the function of the connective and muscle tissue as you recover.
    By strength training while injured, you’ll help maintain healthier blood sugar levels and limit the formation of AGEs.
    8 min
  • Why You Should Workout While Injured
    In almost all cases, if you exercise after getting injured, you’ll recover faster, avoid unnecessary weight gain, and maintain better well-being than if you use your injury as an excuse to become sedentary.
    I’ve met many people over the years who explained they got injured years ago, stopped exercising, and gained weight, and years later, finally got sick of how they looked and felt. That should never happen.
    You should workout while recovering from most injuries. There are exceptions, so check with your doctor. In most cases, if you're able to move a limb or two, you should get back to strength training as soon as possible. Here's why.
    Reduce tissue lost in injured limbs
    Following an injury like a bicep tendon rupture, broken bone, or severe strain, you quickly begin losing muscle. Not only does the injury itself cause muscle breakdown, the fact that you don’t use it, or the surrounding muscle, causes rapid tissue loss.
    For example, a torn bicep doesn't affect only your bicep. If you don't use your arm, it affects your forearms' muscles, which impact your grip strength, tricep, and the muscles in your shoulder, back, and chest on that same side.
    A hamstring injury limits your use of muscles in your thighs, lower leg, hip, and low back.
    The good news is, when you exercise the non-injured limb, you’ll reduce the muscle loss of the injured one.
    A study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports adds more evidence to the benefits of exercising with an injury. 
    In the study, researchers divided 30 participants into three groups:
    Immobilized arm without strength trainingImmobilized arm with eccentric-only strength trainingImmobilized arm with concentric and eccentric strength training
    In each case, the participants' non-dominant arms were immobilized for four weeks. 
    The eccentric-only group completed 3-6 sets of 10 reps with the non-immobilized arm, using 80-120% of 1-RM. The concentric + eccentric group performed the same volume using 60-90% of 1RM.
    Both types of strength training reduced muscle loss in the immobilized arm, though the eccentric-only had a more significant impact.
    Other studies have come to similar findings.
    Create a hormonal environment that speeds tissue regeneration
    Following a weight training session, testosterone and growth hormone increase. Both hormones help to build and maintain muscle tissue.
    The higher the intensity of your strength training session, the more significant effect it has on these hormones, as well. That means leg training is an essential part of injury recovery, even if you injured one of your legs.
    For example, after I ruptured my Achilles' tendon, I did many single-leg strength training sessions. In part, I wanted to take advantage of the crossover effect I covered above. But I also knew that leg training raised growth hormone and testosterone levels much more than upper body training sessions.
    With one leg in a boot or cast, you can still do multiple variations of single leg squats and leg presses.
    Following my distal bicep tendon rupture, I trained legs at least twice per week while also doing single arm upper body sessions. 
    The point is, the same hormones that help you build muscle help you speed recovery from injuries.
    Maintain better blood sugar control and reduce the formation of AGEs
    Elevated blood sugar leads to the formation of Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs). AGEs are combinations of sugar and proteins, lipids, or nucleic acids.
    Not only do AGEs contribute to the aging of skin and development of heart disease, but they also slow wound healing and amplify scar formation. In most cases, you want to minimize scar tissue formation, or you’ll affect the function of the connective and muscle tissue as you recover.
    By strength training while injured, you’ll help maintain healthier blood sugar levels and limit the formation of AGEs.
    0 min

About Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training

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Tune into the audio version of my written articles found at tomnikkola.com, read by yours truly. I candidly cover health and fitness,…