Category Archives: Training

New Years Resolutions You Can Actually Keep

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New year can be fraught with pressure to make promises and new years resolutions you can’t keep. These just set you up for failure. Instead, why not try these simple changes that you can achieve in small easy steps!

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New Years Resolutions That Won’t Break Your Spirit

Add a little exercise, a little at a time

If you go from zero to wanting to hit the gym 7 days a week, you will likely disappoint yourself. They key is to start small and build up your exercise. Try these 3 ways to start exercising more and once you conquer these, then start adding a gym workout to the mix!

Baby Steps to a Better diet

Changing your diet on the 1st of January is a tempting resolution, but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Having a balanced diet is important, but it may take time to transition. There’s usually a lot of meal planning involved, so make 1 positive nutritional / meal change each week until you feel comfortable with a bigger step!

Stretching is a gateway exercise

Stretching is incredibly beneficial to your body. From yoga to core strengthening and just simple warm-ups and downs – stretching is good on its own or as part of a bigger workout.

Starting a stretching regime is a great way to incorporate mild exercise and flexibility into your new years resolutions come January 1st!

Happy New Year from the GoProtein team.

3 Ways To Start Exercising More

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Sometimes the hardest part about getting into an exercise regime is just starting. Once in a routine, it becomes easier. So, here are 3 ways to start exercising more, without too much effort or commitment needed.

Jogger - Photo by Chander R on Unsplash

Easy ways to exercise more

Take the stairs

Do you work in an office building? If you regularly visit places with elevators, why not walk up the stairs instead? If you’re on an upper floor, start simple and get off 1 or 2 floors early. Soon you will be conquering many more floors with ease.

Walk, Jog or Cycle to work Once a week

The prospect of exercise as a standalone activity can be intimidating. But how about using it to get where you need to go occasionally? I don’t recommend committing yourself to more than once a week to begin with, but once you start, you will soon feel the benefits.

If your work is too far away, try getting off the bus a stop or two early to begin the process.

Exercise with Friends

Walking or hiking with friends on the weekend is a great way to build exercise into your life, without the pressure of doing it alone. You can have a coffee afterwards too – which is always a nice way to finish. Exercising with friends provides support, good company, and a guaranteed enjoyability factor!

Good luck with starting your exercise journey. For more reading and tips, see our articles on stretching, and beginner’s workouts!

High Protein Snacks for Gym-Goers

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If you’re on a busy schedule, it can be hard enough to fit in a gym session; let alone pack in a high protein snack. Here are some ideas for high protein snacks for gym-goers – enjoy!

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Ideas for high protein snacks

Protein powder Shake

Whipping up a protein powder shake is really one of the easiest and quickest ways to give yourself a boost before a gym session. You can use one of our handy shakers to mix your chosen protein, and drink it on the go.

Protein filled flapjacks

Have you heard we also do delicious protein-packed treats? Our flapjacks are easy to eat on the go, and are great for those with a sweet tooth.

You can also bake with protein powder, making pancakes or cookies with a protein boost, and ration these for pre / post gym snacks.

Nuts and seeds

Don’t grab for high fat crisps or chocolate, grab a handful of almonds or sunflower seeds and use this as a quick snack. Especially if your body is craving fuel – you need to feed it optimal food and not a quick snack that doesn’t give you the nutrition you need for your workouts.

The Importance of Breakfast to Bodybuilders

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The importance of breakfast has been extolled for years. And while thinking has evolved to diversify this for different body types and exercise levels, breakfast remains important especially for bodybuilders.

Why is breakfast important for bodybuilders?

That’s simple – fuel is needed for the intense workouts and muscle usage of bodybuilders. And if, like many, you want to get your workout done at the beginning of the day, breakfast is pivotal. Without the necessary protein and nutrients provided by breakfast, your muscles will fatigue and you will not be able to work towards bodybuilding levels.

How to make breakfast exciting

So, you know it’s important to have breakfast if you want to workout in the mornings, but how do you keep it exciting? Variety really is the spice of life. Try our sassy smoothie recipes, overnight oats, or try one of these 3 easy ways to add protein powder to meals for an added boost!

Overnight oats - Photo by Ella Olsson on Unsplash

A Protein Powder Boost to Your Breakfast

When you start your bodybuilding journey, it is likely that you will learn to know your protein, and how it helps build muscle. Protein shakes can really help to boost your protein intake at breakfast time – especially if you are running short on time, or simply can’t get enough protein into your breakfast foods.

Read our tips on when to use protein powders for the best impact!

Weightlifting Tips For Beginners

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It’s really important, when you start your weightlifting journey, to start slow and build your skill, confidence and technique. From GoProtein to you, here are our weightlifting tips for beginners:

Tips for beginners working towards weightlifting

Work on your fitness

You can’t go from zero to hero in a heartbeat, so begin your journey by building basic fitness. Use our 30-minute beginner’s workout routine to get you into a fitness headspace on build your basic fitness up before beginning your weightlifting journey.

Take care of your nutrition

While you build up to bodybuilding, nutrition plays a huge part in what your body can handle and how it recovers. In order to give your body the fuel it needs, consider using our Whey Bodybuilding Protein as a supplemental pre and post boost. As well as adding protein to recipes either via whole foods or added protein powder.

Don’t underestimate the importance of stretching

We talk about the importance of stretching in any workout or weightlifting routine, and it’s true! Take the time to warm up and warm down, your muscles will thank you for it.

Start with light weights

It may be tempting to dive in and push your body – but this can lead to injuries. Learning correct form is paramount, so start with weights where you can easily do the reps with good form before moving onto heavier weights. If you progress too quickly, you will lose form and risk injury in the longterm.

Limit Workouts to 30-45 mins

You want to avoid muscle fatigue and burnout, so when starting out, ensure that you don’t overdo it. Have a pre-workout protein shake, and work hard for a limited workout time. We also suggest that you rest in between sets – for around 1 minute. This will help avoid muscle fatigue and allow you to use your 30-45 minutes efficiently. Work smarter not harder!

Good luck with your weightlifting journey!

5 Items You Need for a Great Gym Experience

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Women working out on yoga mats - Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

Going to a gym is a great way to keep fit. Some gyms have loads of amenities, and others don’t; but a good way to ensure you have a good gym experience, is to have these items:

A great gym bag with separate shoe compartment

A good gym bag can’t be beat. Ensure you get one with a separate shoe compartment to lock away those stinky gym shoes. Make sure you get a gym bag big enough for a washing bag, and all the other items below.

A sweat towel AND a shower towel

It’s good etiquette to take a clean towel out onto the gym floor with you. Having two towels means you can use one on the floor and one in the shower afterwards. Choose micro-fibre for the sweat towel – it’s quick dry and easy to use.

Protein powder and shaker

When training hard, it’s important to give your body a good protein dose before or just after a gym visit. Take along your Goprotein powder and shaker to ensure you can top yourself up as needed.

A good water bottle with a covered spout

Keeping yourself hydrated at the gym is imperative. Get yourself a good water bottle with a covered spout – for easy access and no spills during your workouts.

Odour neutralisers, deodorant and wipes

It’s a good idea to keep yourself, your bag and your workout area clean and smelling nice. It makes for a better experience all-round if you use anti-perspirant, naturally. And having odour neutralisers in your bag will keep your bag smelling nice.

Wipes are especially important at the moment, and a good idea to keep equipment clean for those around you.

30-Minute Beginner’s Workout

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It’s sometimes hard to know how to get back into working out again. Here are our recommendations for a 30-minute beginner’s workout to get you back into the training groove after some time away. We have also included some protein powder tips to help boost your muscles during training.

Start small

While it’s great to aspire to a long and intense training session, it’s best to start small. Set aside 30 minutes of workout time, and start with small sets of basic activities. If you can’t reach the 30 minute mark straight away, don’t worry – it is better to do a shorter workout than none at all.

Stretches

It’s important to warm up and warm down, especially if you haven’t exercised in a while. Spend 5-10 minutes warming up, stretching your muscles and loosening any tired joints. Some effective stretches to include in your beginner’s workout are:

  • lunges
  • standing quad stretch
  • side stretch
  • plank
  • star jumps
  • yoga stretches

Cardio

It’s important to include some cardio in your workout. Get your heart rate up, burn those calories, and feel the burn! Some great low impact cardio options are: walking, pilates, barre, or zumba. There are lots of short online workouts available, or take a class to dip your toes in.

If you have access to a gym, do a 15-minute fast walk / jog or cross-trainer blitz to speed your heart rate up. If you don’t have access to a gym, invest in a skipping rope or mini-trampoline for extra exercise opportunities.

Resistance bands

Work your muscles with some resistance bands, barbells or a kettle bell for 10 minutes. Be sure to watch tutorials or see a personal trainer to ensure you are working your muscles correctly. Avoiding injury during weight work will make getting back into working out a whole lot easier.

Finish with a warm down and stretch.

Protein Powder Tips

If you are building workouts into your regimen, you may consider drinking a whey protein drink before your exercise. As you build up your workouts to 1+ hours, and increase the intensity, your body will need energy food, and protein drinks offer that.

Good luck with your 30-minute workout, and enjoy getting your workout mojo back!

The Importance of Stretching Before a Workout

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The importance of stretching before a workout cannot be overlooked. Stretching is basically preparing your body for a workout, and will help prevent injury.

Why is stretching important?

Stretching can help prevent muscle strain, and thus avoid injury. Stretching is also important for loosening your body up before putting it to work. Pre-workout stretches promote circulation and can reduce old injury pain as well.

Don’t forget that regular stretches are good for your posture too!

Keep your stretching routine regular and planned

Not all stretching is good. Haphazard stretching or incorrect stretching can actually hinder not help, so it’s important to learn good stretching techniques. Ask your trainer or gym staff for tips.

You want to work and develop your muscle groups during stretching time, so keep to a pattern of stretches that work each group. Develop the length and stretch of each exercise as you go, and don’t push yourself too fast.

Stretch post-workout too!

Cooling down and stretching post workout is important too. Don’t forget to stretch and shake out those muscles to stop seizing. This is a good time to have a protein shake too – while your body is still needing that muscle fuel!

Woman stretching - Photo by Chalo Garcia on Unsplash
Try our range of Whey Protein powders for your post-workout boost!

6 Gym Etiquette Tips

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Gym etiquette, it can be a contentious subject. But it’s really all about respect – of the property, of the equipment and of the other people using the gym facilities.

Respect the equipment

This should go without saying, but it’s really important to follow this one. Put equipment back after use, take time to learn how to use the machines properly; and if you see any damage, report it immediately.

Wipe down the equipment after use

Pretty much the first rule of using a gym. Wipe down the equipment with a clear towel, and use the anti-bacterial spray or wipes provided by the gym. Gyms will generally be working to a higher cleaning standard than ever before now, but do your part too!

Don’t hog the machines

If the gym is busy, keep your time on each machine to a reasonable level. Yes, you might like 40 minutes on the exercise bike, but when the gym is busy, cut that to 20 – let others have a go too. Or visit the gym when it is less busy.

Women working out on yoga mats - Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

Don’t take calls on your phone

Having someone make a phone call next to you at the gym is so distracting. And while it’s usually more of an unwritten rule, it’s generally a well known one. Keep your phone for listening to music and monitoring your workout.

Give people space

Hovering or hurrying people off equipment is an absolute no-no! Don’t crowd people, and don’t make people feel under pressure to move if they are mid-exercise. It’s also really important to give people the physical space needed to do their exercises or reps safely.

Locker room etiquette

The locker room can be a minefield of etiquette issues. They are often limited on space, so be respectful and don’t spread your stuff all over every free bench. If showering, be quick and efficient and wear flip-flops for hygiene. Clean up after yourself too!

Use our ISO FUEL Isotonic Sports Drink for those pre and post workout boosts!

Using a Resistance Band Properly

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Your resistance band can give you an effective full-body workout. But only if used correctly. Follow these tips on using a resistance band properly.

Here’s how to use the resistance band properly

You’re aiming for 15 reps, ideally, keep going for 3 sets with a 30-second break between sets. Keep your joints protected by utilising your muscles; and keep your back straight and not strained.

  • Chest

Wrap the band around your back with arms out to the side, bring them together and back.

  • The Row

Put the band under your feet, bend at the waist 45°, and with a slight bend in your knees pull the band up to chest height repeatedly.

  • Deadlift

Put the band under your feet again but straight back. Bend your knees and stand up again. The band stays in your hand at hip level.

  • Press

Stand straight, hands at shoulder level band held taut between them. Push your hands straight into the air, and back down.

  • Lunge

Put the band under one foot and step forward while pulling up on the band. Bend your knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor and repeat.