THE MECCA GYM BLOG

In the world of nutrition and fitness, there are a lot of facts out there that get mistaken for myths. And even more myths that get mistaken for facts. As exercise and dietary professionals that are dedicated to helping each and every one of our clients reach their individual fitness goals, it’s important that we know the difference between sports nutrition facts and myths. And as someone interested in improving their body’s fitness and health, you owe it to yourself to know the difference as well. That’s why we’ve gathered up some of the most common sports nutrition facts and myths below. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to get fitter, healthier, and stronger even faster. 1. What is Sports Nutrition? In the most basic sense of the word, a sports nutritionist is a specialist dedicated to improving the health and performance of professional and amateur athletes as well as sports enthusiasts. They may offer meal plans, dietary advice, and even suggestions of which supplements to take, all in an effort to increase their physical fitness and boost their performance. As nutrition plays a key role in how your body heals itself from injury, they may also be instrumental in proper recovery as well. And [...]

Whether you’re looking to enter into a bodybuilding, strong man, or bikini competition, training the right way takes more than just putting the time in at the gym. In fact, some experts say that more than 50% of your training success is due to other factors like nutrition and hydration. That’s why before you start preparing for your upcoming competition, there are a few things you need to know first. Following the ten bodybuilding tips below will ensure your body is in peak condition come competition time. 1. Make A Plan and Stick to It First and foremost, you need to have a plan. Preparing for an actual bodybuilding, strong man, or bikini competition isn’t something that can be done simply by “winging it.” And if you do, you won’t be taken seriously. Simple as that. That’s why you need to enter into your training with a carefully constructed plan that’s both catered to your unique body and designed to challenge you. Focus on multi-joint exercises that promote growth. Use heavy weights with low reps. Incorporate new exercises into your routine to maximize gains. And equally importantly, you have to stick to your plan. Especially when it gets tough. 2. Recruit a Lifting Partner There are some things you just can’t accomplish when you [...]

Going to the gym to workout can leave you feeling clueless. It takes someone with a good breadth of knowledge to know what each piece of equipment is used for in order to maximize on the gym’s offerings. Hiring a personal trainer can seem like a luxury, but it’s a great way receive every benefit from your gym membership. So How Can a Personal Fitness Trainers Actually Improve your Health and Lifestyle? Can Assist in Creating SMART Goals Forget most of the advice you receive from books, friends and the internet. Personal trainers actually help you create an executable plan. With all the fitness advice floating around, it can be hard to tell what works and what doesn’t. A trainer will work with you create SMART goals. SMART is an acronym for a system of goal setting. S – Specific (identifying specific weight loss or body composition goals) M – Measurable (creating a process for documenting and measuring progress) A – Actionable (every goal needs to be acted upon – these will include the exercises and diet) R – Reasonable (your trainer will help you determine reasonable fitness goals) T – Time bound (identifying benchmark dates to achieve goals) Plan a Personalized Workout “Despite the [...]

"You will train always for a hundred terrific reasons. Quit and it will be for no good reason at all." ~Dave Draper, former Mr. America and Mr. Universe Do you want to know the secret to gaining mass and power from your workout regimen? Here it is - there is NO secret - it's SCIENCE. Many "old-school" - or worse, ill-informed - fitness trainers believe in an erroneous dichotomy. They teach that you train for strength one way, and you train for size another way. With this mindset, the two goals are mutually incompatible. But science teaches us something different - it is possible to maximize your success and get both BIGGER and STRONGER at the same time. Let's take a closer look. HYPERTROPHY - THE RESPONSE TO AN INTENSE WORKOUT "It was not easy. I trained brutal all my life. It was like an explosion and I was growing like a balloon. Boom, boom, boom, like crazy." -Sergio Oliva three-time Mr. Olympia There are at least 320 identical pairs of bilateral muscles found in the human body, resulting in upwards of 640 skeletal muscles. One of the goals of a proper training regimen is symmetrical muscle growth on both sides of the body. Muscle growth - properly called hypertrophy - typically refers to an increase in the volume of myofibrils, the long proteins that [...]