Naked Nutrition

  You’re busy. You’ve got deadlines to hit, errands to run, kids to feed, dogs to walk...the list goes on. You know that staying fit is essential for energy levels and longevity, but hour-long workouts, whether at the gym or at home, are just not on the cards with your busy schedule. But worry not. With EMOM workouts, if you can carve  out 20 minutes (let’s face it, you can find 20 minutes), you can get your fitness in.  If you have some light equipment handy, like a kettlebell or dumbbe...

As much as that extra hour of sunlight during daylight savings time can be a welcome treat, it also means that you're going to lose an hour of sleep. Which is worse than it sounds. In fact, most people don't even pay attention to the shift.   Until they start feeling the physical and mental fatigue a few days later. As it turns out, though, your exercise routine might be exactly what you need to get through the time change relatively unscathed.   Why? How can exercise during the day help you ...

Choosing the best fuel before you hit the (home) gym makes the difference between a mediocre workout and a great workout.   What you eat impacts your performance, endurance, and just how good you feel overall while you’re working out. How you fuel your body after your workout is just as important if you want the best results.   However, planning what you eat before and after a workout doesn’t necessarily require a lot of time or money. Here are some of the best healthy pantry staples to fuel ...

Whether you’re heading out on an all-day hike or a short two-mile loop, it’s essential to pack some good hiking snacks.   Choose snacks that won’t melt or go bad in your backpack, and make sure they have plenty of protein and carbohydrates to keep you energized during your hike.  Even if you’re only taking a short trail, hiking is a pretty strenuous activity and you will need the extra calories. Plus, you’ll need something to munch on when you stop for a break to enjoy the views!  Here’s a ...

If you're like most people, these past few weeks have not been good to your waistline.   Even if you didn't gain much over the holiday season, many people use the New Year as a time to make all sorts of resolutions about losing weight, eating better, and just generally being more fit.   Regardless what your exact goal is for your New Year's Diet, protein will be a major part of it. But, how much protein per day do you need to reach your new-found goals?   The answer is not as simple as it mig...

The whole “cutting and bulking” cycle used by many bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts can be a touch troublesome.   Often, when bulking season comes around, people just go nuts with their diet – especially if they had just spent a few months surviving on naught but baked chicken breast and steamed broccoli.   Now that they have license to eat whatever they want, it's easy to see how some could make... questionable dietary decisions.   Looking at this situation, it's easy to wonder:   Will b...

Being a hard-gainer, someone who has difficulty gaining lean mass, can be an extremely frustrating situation. For one thing, many people simply don't understand it.   After all, most people fight to lose weight; the idea of someone actively trying to gain weight just seems ridiculous. But, the struggle is real.   Often, along with properly designed workouts, hard-gainers need to make very specific food choices.   To help in your pursuit of impressive gains, here are five of the best calorie d...

In theory, bulking seems like it would be incredibly easy and – more importantly – lots of fun. The reality, though, is that eating all those extra calories that you need to gain weight can be an overwhelming, time-consuming and expensive venture.   Just to put this into perspective, consider this:   An average-sized guy might need to eat close to 3000 calories each day to gain any noticeable weight. That averages out to about 95oz of chicken breast each day.   The solution, then, is to drink...

It’s a fairly regular scene: someone is working out regularly with a well-designed program but isn’t getting the results they’re looking for – whether it’s losing or gaining weight.   In these cases, the first thing any competent trainer is likely to do is examine that person’s diet. It is stunning how often people neglect this, whether through ignorance or because they feel going to the gym allows for eating anything you want.   The truth though, is that you simply cannot out-train a poor di...

Even when you have a solid workout schedule – a habit that you've worked hard to cultivate and reinforce – finding the energy to make it through those intense workouts can still be a very real challenge.   After all, you also need to work and take care of your family and fulfil all of your other daily obligations. And then go kill it at the gym.   So, how can you do it? How can you maintain your energy levels for those intense workouts? Here are just a few tips.   Overall Diet Design   While ...