Metabolism
An increased metabolism will make it easier for you to gain lean mass while putting on minimal fat. I (Theo) have got this down to a science.
These are my results after ~3 months of bulking as an experienced lifter.
Now we will explore 8 ways you can boost your Metabolism!
HIIT & Metabolism Increase
Hight Intensity Interval Training. Training cardio with close to - or max performance for short rounds, followed with a small break.
Ten - twenty rounds of HIIT is enough to raise your metabolic rate for the next 24 hours by up to 14%.
The easiest way to start HIIT is by doing 10 rounds of sprinting (max speed) for 20 seconds with 40 second breaks in between.
Protein
Different micronutrients (protein-carbs-fats) require different amounts of energy to be digested. Digesting fat is the most efficient (~97%). Pure carbs sit at 90-95%, but Protein has an efficiency of 70-80%. What does that mean?
Eating 100kcal of protein leaves your body with only 70-80 kcal to use/ store!
All in all, eat more protein = increase your daily calorie expenditure!
Cold Showers & Metabolism Uptick
Brown Fat is a special kind of fat cell tasked with using blood sugar and fat molecules to heat up your body. Most people don't have enough of them as they don't need them in their everyday life.
Cold showers stimulate the generation of brown fat cells. A higher % of these cells leads to a higher metabolism (plus the ability to not get cold easily - even in winter I wear a t-shirt + a light jacket).
*Cold showers have many other benefits, leave a comment for a detailed post.
Spicy Foods Burn more Calories
Studies have found a strong relationship between testosterone levels and spicy food. The more T you have, the more hot-sauce you use.
For our needs though, spicy food can increase metabolic rate by up to 8% (for a duration after the meal). If eaten regularly, these calories add up.
Virtually every meal I eat includes a LOT of spice. The hot feeling you get literally makes you want to get up and do something active!
Muscle
One pound of muscle burns ~14 calories/day (just by existing), while a pound of fat only burns ~3. Simply, the more muscle you gain, the easier it is to maintain a low bodyfat %.
Fourteen calories don't sound like much, but gaining 30 pounds of muscle means you automatically add 400+ calories to your daily budget.
Using that muscle during workouts will further increase your metabolic needs.
Testosterone
We eluded to this earlier, but there is a strong correlation between testosterone (and other anabolic hormones) and metabolism.
We all have an example in our mind of a low energy, fat, no-muscle dude, with no will to live, that gets fat from touching a burger.
Testosterone and Growth hormone play a huge part in the metabolism equation.
If you want to increase your Testosterone click here.
Benefits
An increased metabolism is not only useful to not get fat. A higher metabolism literally makes you a more energetic person.
When your body becomes a machine, constantly consuming energy, it also sends out signals to your brain to do more s/hit. To chase the antelope, to be more aggressive, to fight for its goals.
Get out there, become active, become great!
These are not all the techniques I use, Part 2 is coming!
Resources
If you want any topic covered, ask in the comments.
If you want to know How to get a Better Looking Face, click here!
To read my most Degenerate Stories, click here!
If you want to Raise your Testosterone click here!
-Theo