Creatine 101

Supplements have been in the health and fitness industry for as long as we can remember. You could even say they started the health and fitness industry.

For years, they’ve promised results that can save you from your fat loss problems. Supplements promise to build more muscle than ever before. They promise and promise and promise, and promise.

Yet they don’t come through like they say they will.

Except for creatine.

Creatine is one of the most widely studied and used supplements on the market for one reason: it works.

WHAT IS CREATINE?

Creatine, though you may have never heard of it, is a naturally occurring substance. Our body creates it, and it is found in our muscle cells as well as the muscle of the animals we eat. It is most commonly known and recognized in its powdered supplement form.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

When we exercise, our cells produce ATP for energy. Our cells produce lots of ATP when we are lifting weights and training at intense levels.

Creatine helps increase the phosphocreatine stores in our muscles. The increase in stores can help produce more energy in the cells (ATP) which can lead to the following benefits.

BENEFIT #1: INCREASED MUSCLE MASS

Even if your goal is to lose body fat, increasing your lean muscle mass will help you do that. Muscle is one of the main contributing factors to a faster metabolism.

Having a faster metabolism makes fat loss far easier. It is important to put on and maintain lean muscle mass, and creatine can help you do so.

Creatine is known to be the best supplement for building muscle, and it should be. Time and time again, study after study, creatine helps individuals build muscle. But how?

There are many different ideas, but the most common understanding is that since creatine increases energy production in the cells, it increases performance in the gym, too. The increase in performance in the gym leads to greater strength increases.

Lifting more weights increases the individuals overall volume, which is believed to be one of the main contributing factors to increased muscle. Your body adapts as your volume (weights x sets x reps) increases.

Basically, creatine can help you increase the amount of weight you lift in the gym which can help you build more lean muscle.

BENEFIT #2: EXPLOSIVE PERFORMANCE

Aside from strength and lean muscle mass increases, creatine has been shown to help athletes and top performers get more from their body.

Without creatine, ATP is gone after about 8-10 seconds of exercise. Creatine can help ATP last a few seconds longer.

This has been shown to help sprinters sprint longer, cyclists cycle further, and athletes perform better. Whether you’re performing a one-rep max or a 12-second play on the field, creatine may be the supplement for you.

BENEFIT #3: COGNITIVE FUNCTION

Believe it or not, creatine has been used to treat neurological conditions. Much of the research is not conclusive as to whether or not this supplement can help treat the symptoms of the many neurological demons we face today, but some say they notice a difference.

Anecdotally, creatine seems to have more of an impact on vegans and vegetarians, or those with a diet low in meat. Given that creatine is found in animal meat (especially in red meat), it is likely that vegans and vegetarians are in dire need of creatine and thus see the greatest cognitive improvements when supplementing.

Aside from neurological disorders, creatine is believed to help with things like memory.

Pretty cool, huh?

WHO SHOULD TAKE CREATINE?

For some reason, creatine has been over popularized in men and hardly marketed to women at all. So much so, that many women believe it is a man’s supplement. This simply is not true.

Both men and women can see benefits from supplementing with creatine. If your goal is to improve your performance in the gym, get stronger, and increase your lean muscle mass, creatine may be a great fit.

THE TAKEAWAYS

Creatine is one of the safest and most widely studied supplements on the market.

Creatine helps our bodies produce more ATP. This can lean to increased strength, performance, and lean muscle tissue.

It seems that vegans and vegetarians may see the most benefit from creatine given their low to non-existent exposure to meat.

Creatine can be taken by both men and women. Whether your goal is to build muscle, burn fat, increase strength, or improve your overall performance, creatine may help.

Consult with your physician before making the decision to take creatine.

And remember, no supplement is as effective as a sound diet and quality training program. Supplements do best when all of the big rocks are dialed in.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a fitness professional, baseball fan, and cookie fanatic based in Fort Collins, Colorado. After hanging up the cleats, he found a strong interest in the human body and how it performs. Since then, Adam has been transforming lives through fitness in a fun and encouraging atmosphere. As an ACE CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, he is constantly moved to help people improve in all walks of life.

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How Long Should You Rest In Between Sets?

The topic of today’s discussion comes from a question an individual wanted to hear an answer to on the show.

And I am SO thankful they asked this question.

As a trainer, you tend to notice things in the gym that others don’t. There are many things that I notice that don’t seem quite right, but improper rest between sets is the common offender.

Believe it or not, the rest you take in between sets carries a lot of weight (pun intended) in the results you see from your workouts. Changing your rest times can completely change the outcome. If you want to speed up your metabolism, but you love the sweat, you may be doing yourself a disservice. If you’re wanting to increase the pump in your muscles but chatty Kathy got the best of your rest period, you won’t get that pump.

Since the amount of time you rest in between your sets carries just as much weight as the weight, sets, and reps you are lifting, it’s crucial we take a detailed look at rest periods.

WHY REST?

As you know, your body absolutely needs rest. It needs all sorts of rest. Sleep, rest when you’re sick, and rest in between sets, too.

The reason we rest in between sets is to allow our body to recover from the exercise it just performed. If we don’t rest, we don’t recover, and we can’t continue progressing.

But why does it matter how long we rest? As long as we feel ready to go again, right?

Well, yes. And no.

Most people that exercise are cardio junkies. They love to sweat, and if their heart rate monitor doesn’t get into the red zone, all hell is breaking loose. Most people believe that when they have finally caught their breath, they are recovered and ready to go into the next set. The problem here is that this hypothetical cardio junkie is only training one system of the body. Their cardiovascular system. They may want to get stronger and build leaner muscles, but if they are training to get their heart rate up, work up a sweat, and go balls to the wall for an hour straight, they won’t see those results. Not after a short while, at least.

When we exercise, we are telling our body to adapt to the environment we put it in. If that involves lifting heavy weights, you will likely become stronger and have a faster metabolism as a result. If that involves doing a circuit, your endurance will improve.

Whatever we “tell” our body to do, it becomes.

So if we aren’t supposed to go again when we catch our breath, how long should we really be resting? It depends on the goal.

RESTING FOR STRENGTH

Merriam-Webster defines strength as “the quality or state of being physically strong.”

Well, duh.

Basically, your physical strength is your ability to move some heavy ass weight. The more weight you can move, the stronger you are.

Our ability to produce strength comes from our central nervous system (CNS). Think of your CNS as your amplifier to your muscles (the speakers). The better the amplifier is, better sound will come from the speakers. The better your central nervous system is, the better it can communicate to the muscle fibers to produce more force. So we must tell that amplifier to improve through strength training.

There are two “unfortunately”s when it comes to rest and strength training. The first one is this: the central nervous system takes a long time to recover. The second is this: we can’t really feel when our central nervous system is recovered and ready to go.

A minimum rest period of 2 minutes is recommended when trying to improve sheer strength. If you are working in low rep ranges (2-6) to get stronger, make sure your rest time gives your CNS time to recover. I have found 2-3 minutes between sets to be the sweet spot.

RESTING FOR MUSCLE GROWTH

Hypertrophy (muscle growth) rest periods are different from strength rest periods.

When we go into higher rep ranges with shorter amounts of rest, we train the muscles more so than the CNS, and your muscles don’t need 3 minutes to recover between sets.

Fortunately, feeling out your rest period when training for muscle growth is much easier. You can get a sense of when your muscles are ready to go at it again.

Resting for 30 seconds to 90 seconds has been shown to be the sweet spot for muscle growth, preferably 60-90 seconds.

You may be sitting there thinking that 90 seconds is way too long for you to rest in between sets. If that is your thought process, you’re likely not lifting enough weight and pushing yourself hard enough. Your muscles should feel like they need every second in that rest period to recoup and recover before lifting those weights again.

RESTING FOR ENDURANCE

When we rest for endurance, the goal is to endure the stimulus (exercise) for an extended period of time. Think of the difference between an olympic sprinter, and an olympic long-distance runner. They are capable of extremes but those extremes are two very different things. One can sprint faster than most humans in the world but if you asked them to run a marathon, they’d suffer. The other can run a marathon like it’s a breeze, but don’t have the muscular capacity to move explosively in short windows.

But we’re not olympians. Maybe you are, I don’t know.

We are the general population that isn’t training to be the best of the best in a very specific sport. Which is why resting for endurance is very subjective.

It all depends on where the individual is at.

If you’re used to resting for 3 minutes in between sets, resting 1 minute may really test your endurance. If you’re used to resting 30 seconds in between sets, 15 seconds may feel like no time.

Generally, resting 15-45 seconds in between sets has been shown to help people improve their endurance. But again, it all depends on where you’re at.

THE TAKEAWAYS

You may have noticed that some of these rest period ranges overlap. As I mentioned, it’s because it all depends on what your body is used to.

As long as you stick within the ranges, your body will likely see the changes you’re demanding it to make.

Strength: 2+ minutes in between sets. Be sure you’re lifting heavy weight for 2-6 reps.
Hypertrophy: 60-90 seconds in between sets. Your weight should be heavy enough that a 6-12 rep range is difficult, but not impossible.
Endurance: 15-45 seconds in between sets. Usually paired with lighter weight that can be lifted for 12+ reps.

Now I do want to note one more thing before closing. These rest periods and energy systems don’t work solo. They are all intertwined, which is why it is super important to work in and out of training programs that improve all three - strength, hypertrophy, and endurance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a fitness professional, baseball fan, and cookie fanatic based in Fort Collins, Colorado. After hanging up the cleats, he found a strong interest in the human body and how it performs. Since then, Adam has been transforming lives through fitness in a fun and encouraging atmosphere. As an ACE CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, he is constantly moved to help people improve in all walks of life.

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How to Build 6-Pack Abs

Have you heard of the four stages of learning? If not, here they are:

1. Unconscious incompetence

2. Conscious incompetence

3. Conscious competence

4. Unconscious competence

The first stage means you don’t know what you don’t know. At stage two, you are aware of what you don’t know. You are aware of your incompetence. The third stage comes when you are aware of what you now know. The fourth and final stage signifies a place of learning where what you now know is automatic.

The four stages of learning applies in health and fitness just as much as any other realm in this world. When you first start exercising, there is a lot you don’t know, and you don’t know that you don’t know it. There is also a lot that you do know, and it’s automatic. Along a health and fitness journey, you can be at stage one with some things, and stage four with others. That is where I find beauty in health and fitness. There really is no state of arrival. There is always something to learn and improve upon. There is always room to improve, meaning you can get better and better and better.

I see the four stages of learning come to play when I am observing other people in the gym. Most people in the gym are at the first stage of learning, especially if it is a new exercise or if they weren’t taught how to do the exercise or workout properly in the first place. They don’t know what they don’t know.

This is especially true when it comes to ab training, and building abs that are lean and defined. Abs that pop require you to be at stage three and four, and that’s why we are here today. We’ll be going through three different steps that will get you to those stages of learning as well as abs that you’ve never had before.

STEP #1. Train Your Abs Like Any Other Muscle Group

You have to remember that your abs are muscles. That means they respond to exercise the same way your other muscles do. If you want to make your abs pop, you need to make them grow.

Let’s say you wanted to build better arms. Would you grab really light weights or bands and do 30 reps? Probably not. odds are you would grab heavier weight and focus on building the muscles. You have to do the same thing with your abs. They respond best to heavier weight and lower reps.

Instead of doing sets of 30 crunches, try really slow and controlled decline sit-ups for 8-10 reps. Instead of doing 50 bicycles, try 10 slow reps of kneeling cable crunches.

Train your abs just like any other muscle group, and focus on strength training. As a result, your abs will get thicker, and they will pop a lot more.

I want to note that this is not always true. More often than not, our muscles respond best to what they’re not used to. So, if you’ve only trained your abs with really low reps and super heavy weight, they may respond from lighter weights and more reps.

STEP #2: Train Ab Movements Properly

Misunderstanding the design and purpose of the abs is one of the more common mistakes out there. Many believe that the abs are designed to bring your upper body closer to your lower body. This isn’t quite true.

Your abs are designed to bring your ribs closer to your pelvis, and your pelvis closer to your ribs. When you contract your abs, the distance between your ribs and pelvis begins to shorten, and your spine should begin to curl.

When doing ab movements, especially sit-ups, many people make the mistake of keeping their back straight, and sitting all the way up with the goal of brining their chest to their knees. When doing this, they rush the most important part of the sit-up, which is the initial crunch. It’s that initial portion of the sit-up where your spine curls that is extremely important.

Another mistake that most people make (even outside of ab training) is moving way too fast. Each rep should be slow and controlled, done with intent and focus on getting maximum squeeze out of the abs to bring the ribs closer to the pelvis, and the pelvis closer to the ribs.

There are a few cues I like to give when doing any sort of ab work.

• Press your lower back against the bench, ground, or whatever surface you are lying on. Do not let your lower back leave the ground. This will help you fully engage those abs and prevent you from having any strain on your low back.

• Tuck your tailbone in like a scared dog. This will help you contract the abs, taking your hip flexors out of the equation.

• Think about slowly curling each vertebrae of your spine off the surface as you contract your abs on the way up, and slowly placing each vertebrae back on the surface as your let your abs lengthen on the way down.

When you are training your abs with heavier weight and lower reps, be sure your intent is sound. Don’t focus on getting as low and high as you can. Focus on moving as much weight as possible by brining your ribs closer to your pelvis, and pelvis closer to your ribs.

Check out this video from Muscle and Motion on the difference between using your abs and using your hip flexors.

STEP #3: Get Leaner

Do you have to get absolutely shredded to have visible abs? Absolutely not. This is why I emphasize the importance of building your abs. The thicker your abs are, the more visible they will be at higher body fat percentages. This will make your life so much easier when it comes time to be beach/summer ready. Instead of having to lose 10% body fat in order to see your abs, you may only need to lose 2 or 3% body fat. The thicker those abs are, the more body fat you can carry while still being able to have those abs pop a bit.

However, this does not mean you don’t have to worry about being lean in order to make your abs visible. You can have the thickest abs in the world, but if you have too much body fat, they’re not going to show. Getting leaner is one of the most surefire ways to have those abs pop.

There are tons and tons of different ways to get leaner, but I have found that what has worked best for the hundreds I’ve trained is building a faster metabolism. When you have a faster metabolism, it is easier to lose body fat.

To lose body fat, focus on these things

• Strength train. Strength training will promote a faster metabolism

• Eat less than you burn in the day. This does NOT mean hours of cardio and very little food. Slow and steady, my friend.

• Use cardio as a last-resort. The more you expose yourself to chronic cardio, the slower your metabolism can get. If you’re not used to cardio, it can be a very good tool for fat loss. If you abuse it, it may slow your progress down.

• Focus on eating whole, natural foods and eat when you’re hungry. Stop eating when you’re satiated, not full.

• Get enough protein. .6-1g of protein per pound of bodyweight is a good range. Stay on the low end if you are overweight, and the higher end if you are leaner and training hard/often. This will help promote lean muscle growth/preservation and keep you feeling fuller for longer periods of time.

• Slowly increase your steps. Increasing your daily steps is much easier and more realistic than adding another 30 minutes of cardio. Slow and steady wins the race. Make small achievable increases to your step goal each week.

THE TAKEAWAYS

If you want to build better abs, here’s what you gotta do.

1. Move more weight for less reps. Take your focus off of feeling the burn, and put it on building strength in your abs.

2. Control each rep. Go slowly and focus on the task at hand which is contracting your abs.

3. Get leaner by slowly implementing more of the bullet points I discussed above.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a fitness professional, baseball fan, and cookie fanatic based in Fort Collins, Colorado. After hanging up the cleats, he found a strong interest in the human body and how it performs. Since then, Adam has been transforming lives through fitness in a fun and encouraging atmosphere. As an ACE CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, he is constantly moved to help people improve in all walks of life.

WANT MORE FREE CONTENT?

Download any of our ebooks or guides for FREE in the “free” tab at the top of the page.