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If you’ve always struggled to get strong muscles, here are three great and simple moves you can do to start building some serious strength!

Many people get so frustrated that they just can’t seem to build strength, size or muscle definition. I hear this complaint a lot more from men than I do from women. We are all born with basic genetics that determine our shape and size; we can alter this code slightly with our lifestyle choices, but it’s a fact that not all men were made to look like the ‘Incredible Hulk’ in the same way that not all women were made to be skinny. Many men naturally have a lean frame and find it hard to put on muscle.

My advice is to make the very best of your natural physique by building lean mass and getting strong without worrying too much about actual size. I think it’s best to have strong, functional muscle that enhances your daily life rather than bulk or size that simply slows you down.

Fat does not turn into muscle

I love going into the gym and listening in on the many conversations about exercises, size, muscles and diet. The gym is a place where you can learn so much but also hear some common myths being circulated. One crazy conversation I’ve heard a few times is incredibly muscular guys recommending eating tons of junk food calories to gain size and then turn it into muscle. The fact is, it just doesn’t work that way!  The old saying ‘you are what you eat’ comes to mind when I hear such talk. Gaining healthy weight and size is not just about putting a large number a calories into your body. They have to be the right calories at the right time or you may end up just gaining unhealthy weight.

I understand that the 300 lb. bodybuilder in the gym may admit to bulking up on everything, including the kitchen sink, but you have keep in mind that they’re also training three to four times harder and longer than the average man. Another thing we don’t see is that their internal health may be paying the price for eating too much junk food. So before you head to eat all of the junk food you can find to gain some extra weight, try eating a balanced diet with adequate protein combined with my three must do strength moves.

Moves to get strong

They may sound old school, but these moves are effective if you want to get strong! My top three moves that I recommend for building strength and muscle definition are:

Pull- ups

This is one of the hardest but simplest moves to master. The underhand grip chin-up is also effective for building upper body and core strength. By simply changing your hand position, you can put emphasis on various muscles in your back, shoulders and arms. Your body weight alone is enough to build incredible muscular strength but you can also use a weighted belt to add additional resistance. If you can’t manage to do a single one, have a buddy assist you or use the assisted machine in the gym.

If you’d really like a challenge to get strong, I suggest doing variations of pull-ups. You can try doing wide grip pull-ups, where your hands will be placed further apart on the pull-up bar. This will contribute to creating a V shape in your back. You may also consider a close grip chin up. This move will involve your bicep muscles more than a traditional chin-up. And if you want to challenge your core, try doing a few pull-ups with leg raises. Once you reach the top of the pull-up, raise your legs in front of you so they are parallel to the floor, then lower.

Perform five sets of pull-ups and/or chin-ups in each workout to build upper body strength. Or, get creative and come up with your own pull-up circuit. Once you master the technique you can watch your strength improve each week.

Weighted lunges

This is a great functional exercise for building both upper and lower body strength. Hold weighted dumbbells or a sand bag and walk for 20 paces in a lunge style walk. Put the weights down, rest for a few moments and then repeat. I like to do six sets of walking weighted lunges for building leg strength. Be sure to keep a strong, neutral back alignment and use a weight that isn’t too heavy to allow you to use good technique.

Push- ups

Push-ups are the ultimate total-body move for building strength! There are a number of ways you can perform a push-up—you can add in a challenge or make it easier if you’re new to fitness. Try to do push- ups at least a three times a week. Typically 3-4 sets of 20-30 is a good number.

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Building strength and gaining muscle doesn’t have to be difficult, but you do have to be conscious of certain things. Try not to have caloric excess and make sure you get a sufficient amount of protein in your daily diet. I understand that gaining weight for some people is not easy but don’t resort to gaining unhealthy weight. It’s better to take your time with quality nutrition and functional exercises.

How many pull-ups can you do? On my last test, I was up to seven good ones, that’s three more than I could do on January 1^st, but 22 less than I could do ten years ago. I’m determined to get stronger with each day, so join my quest with me and share your experiences in the comments section!

Written by Samantha Clayton, AFAA, ISSA. Samantha is Director of Fitness Education at Herbalife.

3 meals a day or 5 meals a day – does it matter? 

There are those who ‘just say no’ to snacking and restrict themselves to three meals a day, period. In their view, snacking is simply a bad habit that can pile on the pounds. In the opposite corner are those who say that small, frequent meals will help control hunger, so it’s better to eat five times a day. 

Is one strategy better than the other? Research has yet to give us a definitive answer, suggesting that whether you eat three times a day or five, the question of whether there is a health benefit … will ultimately depend on how much energy is consumed. In other words, if it’s weight loss you’re after, the bottom line is keeping your calorie intake in check. Snacking itself isn’t bad, unless it’s pushing your calorie intake past the tipping point.

If you look at what many people consider ‘snack foods’ – greasy, salty, sugary packaged snacks like crisps, biscuits and sweets– it’s easy to see why they’d adopt the ‘no snacking’ approach to weight management. 

Of course, there are plenty of healthy foods to snack on, too – which is just one reason to support the small, frequent meal approach. It’s a practical issue – the more often you eat, the more opportunities you have to meet your nutritional needs. Snacks can be used as an opportunity to work in more healthy fruits and vegetables, or maybe some calcium-rich yogurt, or an additional portion of protein. 

Written by Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD. Susan is a paid consultant for Herbalife

What I often run into with my clients is that it’s one thing to know what to eat – and why (okay, that’s two things…) – but they often get hung up figuring out how to incorporate more healthy foods into their diet. So let’s take a good look at the “whys” and – more importantly – the “how tos” of a heart healthy diet. 

Eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables

Why it’s heart healthy:
Fruits and vegetables are low in calories, high in fibre and chock full of vitamins and minerals! 

How to:

Eat a fruit or vegetable at every meal or snack. Add fruit to your breakfast protein shake, yogurt or cereal; have a salad and/or steamed veg at lunch and dinner, and snack on fresh whole fruits and vegetables. When you make a point to have a fruit or vegetable every time you eat, it’s easy to get all your servings in for the day. 

Choose heart-healthy proteins 

Why it’s heart healthy:

Your protein sources should be low in fat since saturated fats can raise cholesterol levels in the blood. Meats naturally contain more saturated fat and cholesterol than poultry, and poultry has more fat than seafood. If you eat dairy products, it’s best to choose fat-free or low fat. Plant proteins – like soy proteins, beans and lentils – are naturally cholesterol-free, and low in saturated fat. And fish is a good source of heart-healthy omega-3 fats DHA and EPA. 

How to: 

Aim for a few fish meals per week. For convenience, you can’t beat canned tuna, salmon and beans – any of which can be tossed into a salad for a quick, balanced meal. Use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk in cooking and in your smoothies and fat-free yogurt or cottage cheese at meals or snacks. If you eat red meat, choose the leanest cuts and trim visible fat. Replace high fat ground meats with ground poultry breast. 

Eat plenty of fibre, especially soluble fibre 

Why it’s heart healthy: 

There are two main types of fibre – known as “soluble” and “insoluble”. Both are important, but they each have different effects on the body. Insoluble fibre is found primarily in vegetables and whole grains, and it speeds the rate at which food passes through the digestive tract, so it’s helpful in promoting regularity. But the soluble fibre (found in apples, oranges, carrots, oats, barley, and beans) traps water as well as cholesterol in the digestive tract. In doing so, it promotes fullness – which helps with weight management

How to: 

Snack on apples and carrots; add beans to soups and salads, or blend smooth into a dip. Aside from oatmeal, rolled oats can be added to protein shakes, or you can whirl rolled oats in the blender into a flour, and use to partially replace wheat flour when you cook or bake at home. 

Choose heart-healthy fats 

Why it’s heart healthy: 

Foods like fish, tree nuts, avocados and olive oil are considered some of the most heart-healthy fats because they contain very little saturated fat and are good sources of polyunsaturated fats which can help keep blood cholesterol levels in a healthy range.

How to: 

Reduce the total amount of fat you use in cooking and at the table, and use heart-healthy olive oil as much as possible when you cook. Sprinkle nuts and seeds on salads, yogurt and cooked vegetables. Try using avocado to replace other fats – instead of mayonnaise in your tuna salad or to replace the spread on your whole grain toast. Aim for a few fish meals a week; if that doesn’t work for you, consider an omega-3 supplement. 

Find and stay at a healthy weight 

Why it’s heart healthy:

I listed this one last, because if you follow the other “whats” of a heart-healthy diet – and include regular exercise – chances are good that you’ll find and maintain your healthy weight. But I could have listed this one first, however, since maintaining a healthy body weight is one of the key factors in maintaining a healthy heart. 

How to:

In addition to following the heart healthy guidelines above and getting plenty of exercise, another key issue to weight management is portion control. Plenty of people eat very well – but they still eat too much and carry too much weight. By keeping your portions moderate, you’ll control your overall calorie intake as well as the total amount of fat that you eat. Make sure to eat at regular intervals, and have some protein every time you eat, too, to help keep blood sugar levels steady and to control hunger. 

Written by Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD. Susan is a paid consultant for Herbalife.