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Rest And Recovery
Like I mentioned previously, muscles do not grow as you work them out. They grow while you sleep. Therefore, sleep deprivation will cost you valuable bodybuilding gains.
Ensure a good night sleep every night and avoid staying up late if you don't need to in order to keep cortisol levels low. Seven to ideally eight hours of sleep each night will not only keep you healthy and more energetic, but also will ensure that bodybuilding gains keep on coming.
Tips To Ensuring A Good Night Sleep
1. Avoid Activities That Involve Deep Concentration Or High Physical Exertion
These activities will increase adrenaline levels and will prevent your body and brain from achieving the state of relaxation required to achieve sleep. Therefore, try to manage your time in such a way that your deep concentration activities as well as exercise are finalized no closer than 2 hours before going to bed.
2. Avoid Watching Disturbing Shows At Night
This may also increase your adrenaline levels thereby preventing you from a good night's sleep. In addition, these sort of shows may also prompt your brain to start thinking and analazing, thus preventing you from achieving a relaxed state.
Click Image To Enlarge.Scary Movies Won't
Help Your Sleeping Habits.
3. Avoid Eating A Large Meal At Night
Since having a large meal requires time to digest, this will also prevent you from falling asleep. In addition, laying down in bed immediately after a big meal interferes with the digetion process, so you not only will not get to fall asleep on time, but you won't be able to digest the food as you should either.
4. Attempt To Totally Relax At The Same Time Each Night
By doing so you condition the body to relax itself once the specific time that you choose comes every day. Ensure that at this time no thoughts other than relaxation and falling asleep come to your head. You need to really learn how to block all thoughts concerning work or other life issues that may be trying to get in your head. Listening to soothing music set at a low volume with the lights off can help you relax and achieve the state necessary to go to sleep.
5. Take Advantage Of Night-Time Nutritional Supplements
Some supplements can help you achieve a better sleep and enter a more anabolic state during the night time. For instance, ZMA is a formula that consists of Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate, Magnesium Aspartate and vitamin B-6. This all-natural product has been clinically proven to significantly increase anabolic hormone levels and muscle strength in trained athletes. Hard training athletes typically deplete the body from these essential minerals.
Studies have shown that supplementing with 30mg of Zinc and 450mg of Magnesium per day can elevate testosterone levels up to 30%! Many bodybuilders also report better sleep quality when using this product at night. I like to use a serving of Prolab's ZMA every night before bed on an empty stomach.
Melatonin may play an essential role in sleeping and immune system deficiencies. As light inhibits its production, and darkness stimulates it, melatonin regulates the body's internal clock. Double blind research shows that this hormone helps people sleep, shortens the number of awakenings in the night, and improves the quality of sleep. It is also very useful in treating jet lag, as it promotes quicker recovery from that "out of it" stage one may experience after extended periods of flight.
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Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone produced in the body and secreted at night. Taken as a dietary supplement, it is designed to help combat lack of sleep and may be useful for jet-lag. N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, or melatonin, is hormone produced naturally by the body in the pineal gland of the brain.
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Research has also shown that having enough melatonin exhibits positive psychological benefits on a person's mood, while a lack of melatonin corresponds to anxiety, fatigue, and hostility. Melatonin has also been investigated for its anti-aging potential.
Some herbs are also good for providing relaxation. Valerian root and chamomile tea are two that may help you if you find yourself tossing and turning at night unable to sleep.
hugo@hrfit.net
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