In this video I explain why genetics play a big part in your training / athletic abilities. Let me know if you have any questions or you have a topic you’d like me to discuss: hello@tamaramakar.me
Tag Archives: meal plans
Tips for beginners
Training tips Part 1
Nutrition tips Part 1 ?????
Nutrition tips Part 2 ?????
Training at home / getting back to training
Everyone has suffered some time away from the gym during the weeks of this pandemic. Some of us are blessed to be able to train in the gym again, others are still having to workout at home.
Most people don’t have any equipment at home, they can only use resistance bands or some light dumbbells/bars or trx.
First of all: I know for some of you it’s been a long period of time, some of you have certain goals to achieve – whether it’s weight loss, building muscle or competition preparation. Your diet is really the key thing here, and then your training.
If your diet is not right, it wouldn’t matter even if the gyms were open, so first and foremost pay attention to that.
Second thing is, if you’ve been training with bands and light weights / body weight, you have probably learned or are learning how to use the right technique to feel the exercise. Once you don’t have the heavy weights to throw around, you have to focus on the technique to feel it. It’s probably a positive for everyone. Perhaps it has helped you to achieve a better mind – muscle connection that you can use once the gyms reopen.
To be honest, I would’ve never thought about training with bands, but once I was forced to do that, I felt a big difference in my body – and in a good way. It was like an ‘active rest’ for my body. I was still training, but with less pressure on the joints, with a different technique: longer squeezes at the peak, so that I could get the most out of my workouts. A set could’ve lasted for 4-5 or sometimes even 10-15 mins when I was doing body weight squats and different lunges back to back to burn out my legs/quads.
But here’s what to watch out for when you can finally go back to the gym:
Don’t try and lift the same weights that you did before the lockdown.
Don’t get frustrated because you’ve lost some strength. You will gain it back quickly once you can continue going to the gym.
You will probably have to adjust your diet again when you can start lifting heavier weights.
?If you need any help with your current diet or training, drop me a line. I’m here to help you for free to adjust your diet or training plans, we can discuss different ideas.
?If you’d like a proper plan, I’m also available for online coaching.
Online coaching / training plans / meal plans
? get into shape
??♂️ build muscle
??♂️ lose fat
? contest prep
✉️ hello@tamaramakar.me
My take on supplements Part 1
Many people ask me about supplements, what to take to gain weight. It’s quite difficult to advise when I have no idea what they eat, but first I always recommend that you put your diet right. Most people wouldn’t need any protein shakes if their diet was spot on. You can have it, it’s your choice, but it’s not necessary to gain muscle. Protein intake is necessary, but most people should be able to have enough protein from their food intake: chicken, eggs, fish and beef.
If you’re vegetarian or vegan then it’s a whole different ballgame – depending on your end goal.
So what supplements do I recommend for gaining muscle?
?Creatine –
- Helps muscle cells produce more energy.
- Improves high-intensity exercise performance.
- Speeds muscle growth.
- May lower blood sugar levels and fight diabetes.
- May reduce fatigue and tiredness
- Can improve brain function
?Glutamine – which is an amino acid, therefore it’s a building block for protein and a critical part of the immune system. It also has a special role in intestinal health.
Some foods that contain glutamine are: eggs, beef, skinned milk and white rice
Glutamine is a critical fuel source for immune cells. If the body’s need for glutamine is greater than its ability to produce it, your body may break down protein stores, such as muscle, to release more of this amino acid.
Additionally, the function of the immune system can be compromised when insufficient amounts of glutamine are available.
Online coaching / training plans / meal plans
? get into shape
??♂️ build muscle
??♂️ lose fat
? contest prep
✉️ hello@tamaramakar.me
How to build your bootie
Glutes are just like any other muscles. There’s no secret to building up your glutes. Many people ask me to send them a workout routine for different body parts. The truth is: you can google it and get a workout online – as long as you only need a generic workout. It’s not WHAT exercises you do, but HOW you do the exercises. That’s is the reason why you need a coach: to show you how to activate the right muscles, how to have the mind-muscle connection. Anyone can tell you exercises, how many sets and reps to do, but if you’re not using the right technique, if you’re not activating the right muscles, the session will be a waste of time.
I’ve found while working with clients, that glutes are one of the most difficult muscles to activate. No matter what exercise we did, when you have weak glute muscles, some other muscles will take over. So my advice is: drop the weight, don’t go heavy, focus on muscle activation, and squeeze!
Online coaching / training plans / meal plans
? get into shape
??♂️ build muscle
??♂️ lose fat
? contest prep
✉️ hello@tamaramakar.me
About MCT oils
Reply
“MCTs” are medium-chain triglycerides, a form of saturated fatty acid that has numerous health benefits, ranging from improved cognitive function to better weight management. Coconut oil is one great source of MCTs.
MCTs are missing from our modern diets because the public has been led to believe that saturated fats are bad. However, recent research has shown a lot of evidence about the real benefits of saturated fats.
We now know that ideally MCT oils should actually be consumed every day. Certain saturated fats, especially MCTs and other healthy fats found in things like coconut oil or grass-fed beef, are in fact easier to digest than long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) and might even have more benefits related to heart health, obesity prevention and brain health, too.
MCTs are digested easily and sent directly to your liver, where they have a thermogenic effect. That’s why MCTs have been claimed to be burnt by the body for energy, instead of being stored as fat.
Medium-chain fatty acids are capable of helping you:
• Maintain a healthy weight — since they make you feel full
• Specifically reduce stored body fat — since they also raise your metabolic function
• Have more energy
• Think more clearly
• Experience better digestion
• Balance hormone levels
• Improve your mood
• Fight bacterial infection and viruses
• Absorb fat-soluble nutrients from various foods
EHPLabs Oxywhey contains 300Mg of MCT oils, as well as essential and non-essential amino acids andBCAAs, and a blend of whey protein, isolate and micellar casein which makes it an ideal supplement, especially during Ramadan, to provide you with fast and slow absorbing proteins that will see you through the fasting hours.
About caffeine
Caffeine can increase alertness, sharpen focus, improve mood, boost pain tolerance, help burn fat, and help athletes do more work for longer periods in the gym and in sport.
Caffeine was previously banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) pre-competition but since January 2004, any restriction on caffeine’s use pre-event has been lifted.
Caffeine works on the central nervous system.
In bodybuilding and sports, many people also use caffeine pills to enhance performance, these are typically 50-200mg each, and doses may be as much as 300-400mg.
Caffeine is rapidly absorbed from the digestive system reaching peak concentration in blood 60-90 minutes after ingestion. Caffeine is then metabolised in the liver. Complete clearance of caffeine from plasma and urine is not until 24-48 hours after ingestion of the last dose.
Caffeine has been shown to increase both short term intense exercise performance, ‘stop-start’ activities (football, rugby, etc), long distance running and help our performance in the gym, so we can train more effectively and ultimately increase size and strength.
About water balance in your body
The competition season is upon us, and a lot of athletes struggle to get dry on stage. Here are the basics of how your body works when it comes to water balance:
The majority of fluid output occurs from urination. Some fluid is lost through perspiration (part of the body’s temperature control mechanism) and as water vapor in expired air.
The body’s homeostatic control mechanisms ensure that a balance between fluid gain and fluid loss is maintained. The hormones ADH (antidiuretic hormone, also known as vasopressin ) and aldosterone are responsible for this.
What does this mean: your body is smart, it will always try and restore the water balance.
If you drink too little water, it will retain fluid by the kidneys and reduces the urine output.
When you drink too much water, your body will try and push it out by increasing your urine output. Drinking too much water also increases the amount of water in your blood and your sodium and electrolyte levels drop. Sodium helps balance fluids between the inside and outside of cells.
When sodium levels drop due to excess water consumption, fluids shift from the outside to the inside of the cells, causing them to swell. When brain cells swell, pressure inside the skull increases. This pressure causes the first symptoms of water intoxication: headache, nausea, vomiting.
Aldosterone increases water reabsorption through sodium cotransport.
ADH increases water reabsorption by increasing the nephron’s permeability to water, while aldosterone works by increasing the reabsorption of both sodium and water.
Over hydration happens when you drink more water than your kidneys can get rid of via urine.
But the amount of water is not the only factor. How long you take to drink the water also counts.Your kidneys can only get rid of about 0.8 – 1 liter of water per hour. Therefore to avoid water intoxication you should not drink more than 1 l of water per hour on average.
Extra care should be taken when you ‘load’ the water before a competition, and also when you rehydrate following a dehydration after a competition – don’t drink too much water at once.
About Collagen
Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies, especially type 1 collagen. It’s found in muscles, bones, skin, blood vessels, digestive system and tendons. It’s what helps give our skin strength and elasticity, along with replacing dead skin cells. When it comes to our joints and tendons, in simplest terms, it’s the “glue” that helps hold the body together.
As we age, collagen production declines. You’ll notice it physically: looser skin, more wrinkles and less elasticity. Increasing collagen levels can help your skin look firmer, increase smoothness, and help your skin cells keep renewing and repairing normally.
Collagen also reduces cellulite and stretchmarks.
When we lose collagen, our tendons and ligaments start moving with less ease, leading to stiffness, swollen joints and more. With its gel-like, smooth structure that covers and holds our bones together, collagen allows us to glide and move without pain.
A boost in collagen may help increase your metabolism by adding lean muscle mass to your frame and helping with the conversion of essential nutrients. One of glycine’s most important roles is helping form muscle tissue by converting glucose into energy that feeds muscle cells.
Collagen protein is the building block of your fingernails, hair and teeth. Adding collagen into your diet regimen can help keep your nails strong and possibly reverse signs of hair loss.
If you’d like to detox your body of harmful substances, improve blood flow and keep your heart young, collagen is extremely helpful. That’s because glycine helps minimize damage your liver experiences when it absorbs foreign substances, toxins or alcohol that shouldn’t be passing through it.
Fat burning supplements
ProSupp DNPX is a potent fat burner with many ingredients that promote fat loss.
Caffeine anhydrous is a highly concentrated caffeine powder specifically designed to stimulate athletic performance.
Lycii berry or goji Berry has high levels of antioxidants and it improves immune function, promotes healthy skin, helps stabilise blood sugar levels and detoxifies liver.
Dandelion root is a natural diuretic and it eliminates liver toxins more quickly.
Octopamine HCL aids weight loss with minimising the loss of lean tissue / muscle.
Coleus Forskohlii helps manage your weight, lowers blood sugar levels and reduces high blood pressure.
Taurine improves glucose tolerance and it’s vital for the proper function of potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium.
Swertia chirayita is an anti-inflammatory agent that also detoxifies the liver, it’s a powerful antioxidant and it protects against cancer.
ProSupps DNPX is available at the Wawan branches.
