Protein, cardio, abs... Beginner's FAQ | Beginner Series
At the start of the beginner series I asked my email subscribers if they had questions or topics they wanted me to address. So here I am answering your most frequently asked questions!
Beginner’s FAQ
Do I need to drink protein shakes?
You can, but you don’t need to. I always recommend trying to get all your nutrients from natural food sources and top up with supplements if it makes your life easier.
For instance, I sometimes add a scoop of protein into my morning oats or have a protein bar as a snack if I know that I will not get enough protein on that particular day. But it’s not part of my daily routine.
If I want to focus on building muscle, do I need to stop doing cardio?
No, you shouldn’t stop doing cardio. Maintaining your cardiovascular fitness level is important to keep your heart in shape!
However, it’s really hard to focus on improving your stamina and gaining muscle at the same time. If your aim is muscle building and strength, then your cardio sessions shouldn’t be too long and too intense.
For instance, 10 to 20 min steady state cardio (such as an incline walk or light jog on the treadmill) a few times a week are enough.
How many meals a day should I have?
The ideal number of meals is the one that works for you and your lifestyle. If you have kids and a full time job, you most likely don’t have time to have 6 meals per day.
Having more meals doesn’t boost your metabolism and having only 3 meals per day doesn’t cause weight gain.
Focus on meeting your energy requirements for your goals (calorie deficit for fat loss, maintenance calories to keep your weight stable).
I want to get abs, so I should only train abs, right?
How amazing would it be if it was the case? First of all, we all have abs. They just don’t show as much as we want to because they are under a layer of fat tissue. What makes your abs more defined is losing fat through being in a calorie deficit.
Sure, resistance training helps but you’re better off focusing on your compound movements (such as deadlifts, squats, overhead press…) in order to gain muscle and help boost your metabolism. If you need help figuring this out, have you considered getting a coach to guide you?
Are stairmaster workouts great for the glutes?
Quite frankly, not they're not. If you want results, there’s a more effective option for you: resistance training!
You need to put your glutes under stress, aka lift weights to build them.
I’m not saying you should start loading a barbell straight away though! Learn to activate your glutes first, then do dumbbell hip thrusts and bridges until you’ve mastered the technique and are confident enough to use a barbell.
You can still do some kickbacks on the stairmaster if you enjoy that. You can also use a band to activate your glutes and make some exercises more challenging.
But please, don’t be scared to lift weights, it’s literally the one thing that is going to shape your body. If you need help getting into resistance training, I’m here to guide you!
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