I often get approached on my social media to give ‘nutrition and training tips’. More often than not these questions are quite generic because I don’t know what you’re doing (cutting, bulking or just trying to be healthier), I don’t know what your diet consists of currently and I have no information about your training either – therefore I can only give you some generic pointers which I collected in this video. If you have any further questions, please get in touch: hello@tamaramakar.me
If you’d like to further discuss your specific questions, you can book a consultation by contacting me here or by email: hello@tamaramakar.me
The book that I mentioned in this video can be purchased through this link.
Many people believe if they’re on a cycle they can slack in their diet. In this video I explain why it is important to have the correct diet during a cycle
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
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.
BCAAs are the most popular amino acid supplements. They contain:
Valine
Leucine
Isoleucine
These 3 amino acids make up to one third of muscle in the body. The body breaks down muscle to get energy, especially during strenuous exercise, to get these amino acids.
BCAAs are converted into 2 other amino acids:
glutamine and
alanine,
which are released in large quantities during aerobic exercise. They can also be used directly for fuel, especially when muscle glycogen is depleted.
Foods high in BCAAs:
Meats: red meat is the highest in BCAAs. Other meats (poultry etc) are high in BCAAs, too because they’re primarily protein. Choose lean cuts, chicken breast without the skin etc
Eggs: they are packed with nutrition and BCAAs, and easy to add to your diet.
Dairy products are high in BCAAs: low fat cheese, milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, frozen yogurt. Additional dairy options could be: cheese, cream and butter.
Liquid and powder protein: very popular source, easy to prepare, drink and digest. If you mix your whey protein with milk, you boost the BCAA content of your shake.
Taking BCAA supplements before and during exercise can reduce muscle breakdown. They may also help preserve muscle in athletes on a low carb diet. It will probably not boost your endurance, however taking 6 – 15 gr of BCAAs daily may help improve your recovery.
Side effects: BCAAs are relatively safe because they are normally found in protein in the diet.
