3 RED FLAGS TO WATCH OUT FOR MEDICAL MIRACLE OR HEALTH HOAX?
The new year is a great time to make your health a priority again, and there are a bunch of workouts and diet plans to choose from. Too many, some might say. It can be difficult to determine exactly which health plan will help you reach your goals, but there are some pretty obvious red flags that you’ll want to avoid. Beware the Dreaded ‘Detox’ Plenty of diets, supplements, and products claim to “purify” your body by removing unspecified “toxins.” These “detoxes” conveniently forget that your kidneys and liver are already removing substances your body doesn’t need! The human body has been capable of cleansing itself for thousands of years. It doesn’t need a special smoothie or footpads to get the job done. Most detox products are nothing but snake oil, and some of them can leave you feeling worse than you did before If you make gym time a habit, then you’ve probably already heard the words “bulk” and “shred” tossed around over the racks of free weights, sweaty benches, and squat machines. Those terms might sound like meaningless jargon to the uninitiated, but they represent two different, equally valid approaches to fitness that anyone — not just bodybuilders — can use to their advantage. To put it simply, bulking is the process of building up muscle, and shredding (or “cutting,” as it’s sometimes called) is the practice of dropping body fat. When training for a competition, bodybuilders often “bulk” and “shred” in phases, changing their workout style and diet to match their current goal. As PureGym.com puts it, “At any given time on your journey to jackedness,
you started using them. Unless you have been diagnosed with a disease that would impair your liver or kidneys, you don’t need to spend extra money to keep your insides clean. A healthy diet is enough. Cellulite Isn’t Real In 1968, Vogue magazine introduced American women to the word “cellulite,” warning them of a terrible “diagnosed” condition women suffered from. They encouraged the use of a special rolling pin to banish the little lumps of fat on women’s thighs and buttocks. Since then, cellulite has been used as shorthand to mean “bad body fat you need to remove.” But cellulite is not an indication of poor health. Furthermore, there’s no cure for cellulite because it’s not a disease. It would be like using a special lotion that claims it can remove the wrinkled skin on your knuckles! Most people, especially women, have cellulite. It’s perfectly natural! you’ll either be aiming to cut body fat or to build muscle … it’s impossible to do both at the same time.” So, if you’re not a bodybuilder, what does this have to do with you? Well, one of these approaches could be the framework you’ve been looking for to guide your quest for peak fitness. Here’s the rundown on each style. The Battle to Bulk Bulking is the “go big or go home” fitness strategy because it focuses on consuming a lot of calories and lifting heavy weights. BodyBuilding.com advises bulkers to eat 6–8 meals per day and to aim for a calorie surplus along with lots of protein. While bulking, you should also minimize cardio and focus on compound movement exercises (like squats, deadlifts, barbell
If you want to get in shape this year, avoid diets or products that claim to melt cellulite. This is a clear indication these treatments aren’t based on real medical science. Cure-Alls Cure Nothing A “cure-all” is any product, treatment, or diet that claims to cure a bunch of unrelated medical problems. Cure-alls have been a problem for centuries, claiming to help with weight loss, migraines, heart disease, anxiety, depression, and even baldness! This isn’t how medicine or the human body works. One change cannot magically fix many different, sometimes unrelated, problems.
TO BULK OR SHRED? CHOOSING THE RIGHT FITNESS STRATEGY FOR YOU
presses, and military presses) with heavy weights to rapidly build muscle.
The Struggle to Shred Shredding is everything that bulking isn’t. During a shred, MaxiMuscle recommends focusing on cardio exercises like running, cycling, and swimming, and eating at a calorie deficit. Perhaps the most important aspect of this phase is diet because the point is to reveal your muscle, producing a “chiseled” effect. If you’d like to try cutting like a bodybuilder, websites like BodyBuilding. com and LiveStrong.com offer meal guides and tips on staying motivated. Whichever path you choose, remember to maintain a healthy balance as you pursue your goals. As tempting as it is to focus on the gym in exclusion of all else, there’s more to life than pumping iron!
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