Author: Cuong Strong

Cuong Strong personal training focuses on form, technique, and exercise execution to build muscle and improve your metabolism. Workouts are custom designed to fit you and help you reach your goals efficiently

Thinking About Hiring a Personal Trainer?

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With the arrival of 2019, many people will make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight; unfortunately, most of the people who make a resolution will not reach their goal. Some will try another fad diet, others will aimlessly begin working out at a gym, and some will hire a personal trainer. Hiring a personal trainer and having the right support system can be the difference between reaching your goal or becoming another gym meme on the internet.
If you are considering hiring a personal trainer as part of your New Year’s resolution make sure you are well informed. A great personal trainer can be a life changing experience which leads to improved health, strength, fat loss, and much more. An unqualified personal trainer can be a regretful decision which results in injuries, slower metabolism, joint issues, and wasted time/money.
Your health and reaching your goal depends on your personal trainer’s advice so don’t be afraid to ask questions; asking the right questions and choosing the right personal trainer can make or break your goal.
Questions to ask before hiring a personal trainer….
How long have you been personal training?
What are your qualifications?
What are your training principles & methods?
What is your training style?
How do you track progress?
Are you current on the latest exercise and nutrition research?
Do you provide nutritional coaching?
Do you provide workout routines?
How long is my training session?
How much do you charge per session?
What is your schedule like?
Do you have experience working with someone like me?
What does my training plan look like?
What do you expect from me as a client?
What kind of results can I expect from your plan?
Why did you become a personal trainer?
Why should I choose you to be my personal trainer?
After asking your potential personal trainer these questions, you should have an understanding of the plan to reach your goal and you should know if you will be a good fit for each other. Turning your health and fitness over to another person is a big decision so be sure to ask the right questions so you can make a well informed decision on hiring the right personal trainer.
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Beta Alanine – The Best Natural Body Building Supplement

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What is it?

Beta alanine is a non essential beta amino acid which raises muscle carnosine levels and increases the amount of work you can perform at high intensities. Beta alanine is also known for causing the “tingle” you might have felt when you tried a pre workout supplement containing beta alanine.

How does it work?

When consumed, beta alanine enters the body and binds with the amino acid L-histidine to form carnosine. Carnosine is responsible for buffering hydrogen ions during exercise which allows you to weight train harder and longer. The increase in hydrogen ions during exercise causes a pH imbalance within the muscle cells which results in muscle fatigue.

Who should take it?

Anyone who is looking to increase high intensity exercise performance or endurance could benefit from beta alanine. Specifically, anyone following a bodybuilding style training program with short rest periods or anyone looking to increase HIIT performance can benefit from beta alanine.

When to take it and how much?

Beta alanine is usually consumed pre workout, but the timing is not very important because the benefits of consuming beta alanine are based on increased muscle carnosine concentrations that can take weeks to increase significantly. 4-6g/day is the ideal dosage to increase muscle carnosine concentrations and performance. The dosage may be divided into smaller doses throughout the day to minimize paresthesia. Many pre workout supplements are underdosed and won’t deliver the full benefits of beta alanine make sure to read the label and check the dosage.

Are there any side effects?

Beta alanine can cause a “tingle”, “pins and needles”, itching, or flushed feeling throughout the body. This is called paresthesia. The feeling usually last 5 to 15 minutes, but the intensity depends on the dosage and current stomach contents. Beta alanine consumption on an empty stomach will increase blood concentrations faster and increase paresthesia.

In conclusion

Beta alanine is one the most consistently effective supplements in sports nutrition since creatine. I highly recommend beta alanine for anyone who is looking to build muscle, perform better at higher intensities, and increase endurance.

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Cardio & Metabolic Adaptations

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Cardio & Adaptation

All too often, people want to lose weight and the first thing they do is cardio. Cardio increases the amount of calories a person uses which leads to weight loss…at first. The problem with cardio is that eventually, the metabolism adapts to the cardio and then weight loss stops. After the metabolism adapts to cardio, the amount of cardio must be increased to continue losing weight. Eventually, the metabolism adapts again and the vicious cycle starts over.

In many cases, people don’t reach their goal weight because the amount of cardio required is too overwhelming to continue. In some cases, people reach their goal weight, but once the metabolism has adapted to a set amount of cardio the same amount of cardio is required to maintain the weight loss.

Excessive amounts of cardio can decrease fat, but can also decrease lean body mass which will slow the metabolism. Not all weight loss is equal.

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The key to losing weight and keeping it off is weight training. Weight training will cause muscle tissue to grow and become stronger. Stronger muscles use more calories than smaller weaker muscle. The increase in muscle strength and size will increase the metabolic rate. The increase in metabolic rate will lead to fat loss (assuming all other variables stay constant).

Weight training three times a week for 45 to 60 minutes can significantly increase your strength, metabolism, & fat loss.

Other side effects of weight training include:

  • Increased strength of connective tissue and tendons
  • Improved bone density
  • Increased flexibility
  • Increased self-esteem and confidence
  • Improved heart health
  • Better Sleep

All of which contribute to improved quality of life