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5-HTP
 
L-5 hydroxytryptophan, commonly known as 5-HTP, is a compound produced in the body from the essential amino acid tryptophan. After tryptophan is converted into 5-HTP, it can change into serotonin, aka the happy chemical. Serotonin plays an essential role in depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, weight gain, and other conditions. Therefore, increasing your body’s production of serotonin may have various benefits. Serotonin-producing 5-HTP supplements have been increasing in popularity for this reason.
It happens to the best of us. Sometimes you get caught up, life gets in the way, your schedule changes, you lose motivation, or a cheat day turns into weeks or longer, and you haven’t picked yourself back up. And that’s okay. It’s time to dust yourself off and get out of this rut. You can do it, you just might need some pointers to get into the right mindset. 
Write Down Your Goals – and BE SPECIFIC! 
 
The probability of achieving a goal that isn’t specific or measurable is just about as likely to happen as a goal without a plan. So you want to get jacked? How so - how many inches do you want to gain within the next year? Want to lose weight - how many pounds? Want to run more – how many miles per week?
There comes a point in bodybuilding where you must bulk to gain muscle, and not everyone wants to or can do it with gear. Winter and late fall is when most bodybuilders choose to start their bulking phase, so that eating more and training heavier isn’t done during beach season or competition season. In order to have a successful bulk while staying natty, your plan needs to be precise and executed properly. 
Stretching is a fitness staple, unfortunately for many bodybuilders, stretching is just an afterthought to their training regimen. Many people don’t see the value in stretching unless they actively want to improve their flexibility or mobility. But did you know that certain types of stretching, like fascial stretching (also known as Extreme Stretching or Extreme Fascial Stretching (E.F.S.) can actually help your body unlock even further muscle building capability? 
1. Go for the Stairmaster first
 
The Stairmaster is readily available at most gyms and is one of the tougher pieces of cardio there. Another option is to walk or run the stairs outdoors (or indoors if you have the space and you won’t inconvenience other people). 
 
In recent years, direct arm training has declined in popularity with the rise of functional training. While you should still be focused on compound lifts and other functional training, you can still incorporate some direct arm training into your program. 

Nowadays it seems like everyone and their brother is starting some sort of health & fitness lifestyle. For many people that is weight loss, but for many, it’s all about the gains. Unfortunately, when it comes to both weight loss and weight gain, the market is saturated with equipment, programs, and supplements all of which promise miracles. What most people don’t realize is that you don’t always need a fancy protein powder or exercise program sold by your favorite influencer. 

Hydration is something that gets talked about a lot, especially in those who are interested in improving their health. When most people are talking about hydration or giving advice on hydration, you may often hear things like: “make sure you’re getting enough fluids”, or “make sure you drink tons of water”. Most people think that being hydrated simply means drinking more water, but there is more to it than that when it comes to hydration. 
If you’ve been gaining unwanted weight and can’t pinpoint why, the answer could be as simple as being stressed. Dealing with acute stress, episodic acute stress, physical stress, and chronic stress have all been linked to weight gain, especially in the abdominal area, and what might look like a small gain per week really adds up throughout the year. Reducing your stress is key to staving off those unwanted pounds, and we’ll explain why stress makes you gain weight.