How to Balance Sympathetic and Parasympathetic States

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated April 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

The autonomic nervous system is the part of the nervous system that regulates the various mostly unconscious functions of the body such as digestion, heart rate, respiration, and sexual arousal. The two main divisions of the autonomic nervous system are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and to a large extent these two divisions of the nervous system are antagonistic to each other.

Function of Sympathetic Nervous System

The responsibilities of the sympathetic nervous system are most easily described by the common fight or flight phase. When the body is primed for action the sympathetic nervous system is dominant. Exercising, stressful high-stakes situations, fighting, or fleeing are all examples of when the sympathetic nervous system is dominant. The release and presence of cortisol and adrenaline is another easy way to identify a sympathetic state from a parasympathetic one.

Function of Parasympathetic Nervous System

The responsibilities of the parasympathetic nervous system are most easily described by the common feed and breed and rest and digest phrases. The parasympathetic nervous system is dominant when the body is in a relaxed state. Relaxing, sleeping, and low-effort activities are all examples of when the parasympathetic nervous system is dominant. The parasympathetic nervous system also governs sexual arousal, though the autonomic nervous system may begin shifting to a sympathetic state if sexual activities become especially energetic.

While most people are aware of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, their functions, and the importance of keeping the two balanced, many people still have unbalanced nervous systems. Using everyday examples this article presents an easy to grasp methodology of how to stay balanced between sympathetic and parasympathetic states. First let’s examine the symptoms of an overly-active sympathetic and (less commonly) an overly-active parasympathetic nervous system.

Adrenal Fatigue

The entire nervous system is highly complex being composed of many different parts, from various glands of the endocrine system, to an assortment of chemicals and neurotransmitters, to neurons themselves and the ion balances they maintain in order to discharge (known as a neural spike). Whenever the nervous system is interacted with it is stressed to some degree, and this impact will tax the resources available to the system. The larger the stress to the system the larger the depletion of required components like vitamins, minerals, and neurotransmitters.

For example endurance exercise like running will causes the adrenal glands to release the hormone cortisol and also vitamin C (both useful for performance purposes_. Post exercise the adrenal glands now will replenish cortisol levels to normal by synthesizing it from cholesterol and other chemicals. A 20 minute jog will stress the adrenal glands much less than a 90 minute run. If adequate recovery and nutrition is not provided after the exercise, the body suffers but will adapt to the new reality, reducing performance capabilities. Overtime after many bouts of exercise if such disregard of keeping the natural systems well fueled and in balance continues the result is adrenal fatigue, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. The body underwent long term adaptations (like low-energy sluggishness) to the stresses of an overly active sympathetic nervous system in order to provide the body the best chance of recovery through unconscious behavioral alteration. Said another way, you’ll be less likely to exercise if you don’t feel high energy to begin with, which gives the adrenal glands a better chance of restoring themselves to proper function.

Note - For those who practice herbalism taking ashwagandha before the exercise, or later as part of a recovery protocol, could have helped prevent adrenal fatigue from developing in the first place (though certainly a good diet, enough rest, and the right mindset are the most important factors).

The adrenals are one gland of many in the endocrine (hormone) system, and the endocrine system is one part of many of the nervous system. For this reason, if balance isn’t maintained between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, the imbalance can manifest in a nearly limitless amount of ways, from reduced immunity to the development of a chronic disease.

Visualizing the Activity of the Autonomic Nervous System

In the example above with the constant endurance exercise causing adrenal fatigue it’s important to note two things. First, exercise which is a sympathetic activity is good for health and wellness when done to the proper limit which causes a beneficial adaptation. Second, after this exercise occurs it’s most advantageous to rest and refuel fairly soon afterwards.

Let’s visual various states of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity using waves. Each wave has a positive (peak) and negative (trough). A wave cannot be a wave without both parts. Sympathetic waves will be colored pink and parasympathetic waves will be colored green.

Example 1 - Laying in bed all day

If one was to wake up and continue lying in bed all day until it was time to sleep again, the wave would actually look like a straight line going deeper and deeper into parasympathetic activity.

Example 2 - Hectic day with no rest

If one was to wake up and immediately afterwards be crazy active all day fueled throughout with a few cups of coffee and no rest is taken then the wave would look like a line going upwards further and further into sympathetic nervous system activity.

In both of these simple examples we’ll note that in order to return to balance the person who slept all day should be fairly active the next (and they should have the energy for it), whereas the over-active person should rest and relax most of the following day (and they should be sufficiently tired). If these steps are taken then the full up and down of the autonomic nervous system wave would be balanced over a two day time scale rather.

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Example 3 - Lazy day with run then rest

Now let’s visualize a lazy rest day with a run in the middle. They’re doing some chores, some relaxing, it’s a fairly good balance of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity up to the run.

As shown, the run caused a spike in sympathetic activity and then because they rested afterwards a corresponding dip into parasympathetic activity, a healthy balance over that few hour timespan.

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Now let’s visual a hectic workday fueled by a couple cups of coffee followed by a run immediately after work. After the run two main options are present. Does the person rest enough to recover from all the go-go-go activity for the day, or do they continue around being busy and stressed? Here’s what each of these options looks like.

Example 4 - Hectic day with run & no rest

This graphic shows the person accumulated a net sympathetic balance which the body will require to be balanced out at some later point in time, the sooner the better. While that day may have been stressful, with sufficient rest the following day (like shown in the 2 day version of example 2) the body will adapt to the whole experience and health is maintained. If that day is never recovered from, and in fact that type of lifestyle continues on day after day for a couple years, then the tide that eventually flows out (deep parasympathetic rest) will be just as large as the tide of sympathetic activity that flowed in unbroken for weeks/months/years.

The required parasympathetic recuperation that the nervous system requires might finally be triggered by the onset of an illness or disease…or if the person is conscious and checks their ego they’ll catch it early and make the necessary lifestyle adjustments in order to return to optimal health and wellness.

Example 5 - Hectic day with run then rest

This graphic on the other hand shows that sympathetic and parasympathetic balance was reached on that day and no long term health effects will result. Having recovered sufficiently, the person adapted to the run and improved their future performance slightly.

The point of these examples is to impress upon you the importance of having a lifestyle that maintains sympathetic and parasympathetic balance and to typically keep the waves small. Larger waves have the potential to create more problems, so don’t create large waves yourself as life will do that for you already in abundance. If a large wave of stress comes in, like from being fired or the death of a family member, if you’re already riding a large wave of sympathetic activity then things can go south quickly.

Note - All these examples made the assumption that the person slept a restful 8 hours after the day was done. If sleep is poor then parasympathetic recovery will be reduced correspondingly and will add further complications to the matter. Learn more about the importance of sleep.

Easy Recovery Methods

We’ll return to the example of a bout of exercise to outline the strategy I follow to maintain sympathetic and parasympathetic balance across a short time scale in order to parasympathetic debt to accumulate.

• Ease into a workout with a warm-up. This primes the body for better performance by allowing time for the metabolic systems to warm up instead of being quickly jolted into a demanding sympathetic state.

• Rest after a workout with a cool-down. Once the main working sets of a workout are complete, take a short period of time to rest afterwards, whether it’s a minimum of five minutes of shavasana or a more complete thirty minute stretch session. The yogic systems teach this well, every yoga session is followed by some time lying down in shavasana (corpse pose) and deeply relaxing. Increase the efficiency of a post workout rest with healthy sun exposure if possible in order to replenish vitamin D levels in the body (important after a workout).

• If a workout is one hour long, set aside one hour of rest afterwards or later in the day. This can watching a show, reading a book, light conversation, etc. Three hours of hard physical fitness is best served with three hours of rest. This 1:1 ratio is a simple rule of thumb that can be followed, the intensity of an activity (fitness or rest) will determine exactly how much is required to balance out the demands of the other.

Sympathetic and parasympathetic fluctuations over longer time spans are harder to measure unless careful observations are continuously made. For example the demands and stresses of the first 3 months of a new job would build over time, and to recover from the sympathetic stress that accumulated would require a longer period of rest and recovery, such as a long weekend spent camping in nature and grounding. Or that stress could have been balanced out by starting a new recovery practice like grounding alongside the job.

One final relevant example would be if drinking coffee daily for 4 weeks (which increases sympathetic activity through the release of cortisol), then coffee consumption should be reduced or cycled off completely for 4 weeks or so. If that proposition sounds difficult, read my caffeine usage and tolerance reset guide.

If taking an herb like cistanche (which raises testosterone levels and therefore sympathetic activity) for performance or health reasons cycle off the herb for as long as you were using it for. This on/off strategy holds true for most supplements. Creating longer fluctuations of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity can be useful for certain endeavors, whether health or career related, just be aware that certain risk factors will increase and the proper steps should be taken to maintain balance as best as possible.

Over-active sympathetic nervous system activity is far more common than experiencing too much parasympathetic activity, so learn more useful recovery methods you can use to maintain balance by reading through our recovery focused articles:

Balancing Stress and Rest

The equation is simple, the addition of new stresses requires the addition of new recovery practices. Likewise, if lazing and grazing about all day (parasympathetic), then it would be best to introduce some sympathetic activity like walking, yoga, calisthenics, strength training, running, heat therapy via a sauna or steam room, etc into the daily routine.

The recommendations given in how to balance sympathetic and parasympathetic states is not intended to be viewed through the lens of limitation but instead seen opportunistically. Lifestyle changes may be required to better maintain a state of autonomic nervous system balance, but when those waves of beyond-our-control stressors eventually roll in, better adaptability to these challenges more than makes up for any slight conveniences that may have been sacrificed up until that moment. With time and practice, the flow of maintaining balance is felt intuitively pretty easily, and it’s not difficult to keep activity balanced with recovery. In addition to being a very important factor in the maintenance of good health, being in the flow of balance requires minimal thought and consciousness which frees up time, cognitive power, and resources for other desires and ventures.

The information presented here is a combination of biological science and my own experience learning how to maintain nervous system balance. When I was in my mid to late twenties I went through a multi-year phase of heavy strength training coupled with a disregard of performing an equivalent amount of recovery practices. I pushed my sympathetic system further and further until I was jolted to the realization that I needed to practice better management of my energy systems. I experienced adrenal fatigue and it took me about a year to really reset my nervous system back to point of health and balance by moving away from weights and by practicing a lot of yoga, meditation, and grounding. I am thankful I learned he lesson of maintaining balance when I did rather than many years down the line after greater unnecessary hardship.

Too much or too little stress/activity is a large causal factor in serious health problems like obesity, infectious diseases, and chronic diseases, so if you respect your physiological and psychological need for both activity and rest and you’ll have solved for yourself one of the largest wellness problems that effects humanity.

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Posture, Stretching, and Muscle "Jumping"

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated March 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

The human body is a highly complex system of organs, muscles, bones, connective tissues, and more all held together and able to express movement through networks of tension that exist within the body. It’s remarkable and a truly beautiful phenomenon when witnessing the graceful movement of a dancer, athlete, or model, and the prerequisite for this is good posture and balance across these tensional pathways. When postural and tension imbalances exist how the body can express movement through space and time is limited and may lead to problems such as acute and/or chronic pain, fatigue, and injuries. To correct postural imbalances bodily tissues that are shorter than optimal must be lengthened, and tissues that are longer than optimal must be tightened. Scar tissues need to be loosened up, certain muscles are best to be developed, and proper spinal alignment is a must. This article is a jumping off point for starting a postural realignment and optimization protocol and some key factors that are useful to know.

The Effect of Stretching on Posture

Stretching is the process of lengthening muscular and connective tissues. Some common and effective methods of stretching are:

• Dynamic Stretching

  • Active Warmups - Priming exercises performed by athletes which incorporate a slight 0-5 second stretch into them are a form of dynamic stretching that are good form warming up and preparing for exercise.

  • Vinyasa Yoga - By flowing from one pose to the next and with each breath reaching a little further into the pose of the moment makes vinyasa yoga a form of dynamic stretching that can be quite demanding but overtime with regular practice results in noticeable flexibility and postural improvements.

• Static Stretching

  • Passive Stretches - Holding a simple stretch for 20-60+ seconds is the easiest way to perform static stretching at a low skill level. It’s good to perform static stretching for the movement patterns that felt stiff after exercising.

  • Yin Yoga - In yin yoga poses are held for 60+ seconds, often for five minutes or greater, and the intention is to breath into tight spaces releasing any tension present in order to sink deeper into the stretch. Compared to hatha yoga, yin yoga stretches musculature more than connective tissues.

  • Hatha Yoga - In hatha yoga poses are held for long lengths of time like in yin yoga though typically the stretches target the flexibility of connective tissues (such as the femoral-hip joint) instead of muscular tissues.

Short dynamic stretches are good for warming up and getting ready for movement or strength training but they do little for fixing postural imbalances as they rarely result in long term flexibility improvements. To make fundamental changes to tensional patterns throughout the body, long deep stretches are best, and doing them consistently a few times a week will result in the greatest velocity of change in flexibility and posture. It is possible to get injured during stretching if pushing past a safe limit, so listening to the body and the ample warnings it provides is very important to reduce risk of injurious damage as much as possible.

When contracted and tight tension lines in the body are opened up and stretched to more optimal positions, a few things occur. First the newly lengthened range of motion (ROM) of that particular posture will be weaker than the limited posture that proceeded it. With a greater ROM newfound possibilities exist, such as new bodily positions, greater potential for muscle hypertrophy, and a higher ceiling on maximal strength potential, but care must be taken at the onset of this new freedom in flexibility to strengthen the body slowly so injury is prevented. If performing strength training while also performing fundamental postural adjustments via stretching, reduce exercise weight significantly and focus instead on movement quality. The central nervous system will require retraining which will take time but the long term rewards are well worth it.

Secondly energy flow throughout the body will be improved. Bioelectric currents that may have become “stuck” in parts of the body will flow better, as will force generated or load placed upon the body. As a quick metaphysics aside, the flow of kundalini chi energy through the bodies bioelectric/meridian/chakra system will be improved and may result in some quite noticeable and striking bodily and mental phenomenon to occur or awaken. It is important to be aware that embarking upon a postural optimization journey will be quite transformative and demands attention and respect.

Third the release of tension in certain parts of the body will bring awareness to other postural dysfunctions that may have been hidden before. For example, the hamstrings limited ability to stretch may have hidden the fact that the lower back was chronically tight, and now with hamstrings looser the muscles and connective tissues of the low back begin to speak up letting you know they require stretching and realignment.

Before turning the discussion towards how strength training can improve posture and also a simple test you can perform to assess the quality of your posture I want to discuss a useful indicator of where and what to stretch via a phenomenon I have labeled “muscle jumping”.

What are Muscle “Jumps”

Old recruitment patterns, tight muscles, and stiff fascia may make certain postures impossible to be done correctly anatomically at specific points in movement patterns, and when those points are reached then an ultra-tightness is experienced in the affected muscles and fascia, and instead of stretching these tissues simple readjust their relative placement within the body, “jumping” to the new placement. Muscle jumping allows movement patterns to take place without interruption at the cost of quick suboptimal postural readjustments at specific points that range from minor to major in scale. The problem with a muscle jump is that it avoids fixing the postural “chokepoint” and instead the tension is redistributed to other parts of the body, where it may accumulate, causing acute or chronic pain and postural imbalances. During strength training muscle jumps are often responsible for the sudden shift in form and improper loading of force on parts of the body that shouldn’t occur.

What is Fascia?

Fascia is a band or sheet of fibrous connective tissue made primarily of collagen that can be found under the skin attaching to, stabilizing, and enclosing muscles and other internal organs.

The collagen fibers that make up fascia are oriented in a wavy pattern parallel to the direction of pull (unless the fascia has been scarred). Fascia is flexible and able to resist unidirectional tension forces which at their limit will stretch the collagen fibers from wavy to straight. Fibroblasts within the fascial tissue produce the collagen fibers.

Whereas ligaments join bone to bone and tendons join muscles to bones, fascia surround muscles and other structures as a sort of net. When it comes to stretching, postural improvement, and strength training fascia plays a very important role.

Muscle jumps are quite common and most people are unaware of their true nature, or even of their existence, but if you pay close attention to how a movement pattern feels you will notice them. A muscle jump might create a small sound or create a feeling of quickly clicking or jumping within the body. Doing slow vinyasa yoga is a great way to feel and identify reoccurring muscle jumps that you have, and once identified further investigating the nature of these postural imbalances is easy. Muscle jumps occurs when a movement is faster than the tissues can optimally move and stretch through the movement, so when a muscle jump is felt reset position to the beginning of the movement pattern it was felt in and slow the movement down dramatically.

For example, standing tall with arms straight overhead sweep the arms downwards on each side making a big circle. Let’s say a muscle jump occurs at the bottom part of that sweep on one side of the body or to one arm. When that happens it’s an indication that the section of the body that jumped was stretching insufficiently to complete the movement in symmetrical perfection. Resetting the circular sweep of the arms but slowing the movement down by 5-10x when approaching the location of the muscle jump will keep the tension on that small overloaded section of muscle and fascia and the tension will now be felt. If done slowly and correctly the jump won’t occur (it may take a few times) and instead a broader zone of tension will be encountered usually in the surrounding area of where the jump occurred but rarely somewhere totally different.

Identifying muscle jumps and resetting them by performing those movements extremely slowly and with great quality will optimize posture quickly. Identifying and stretching muscle jumps is in-between dynamic stretching and static stretching in effect. It helps to improve short term performance but since the stretches are more qualitative that dynamic stretching the changes are more permanent. Tai chi and Qigong are excellent ways of smoothing out these types of fascial imbalances because they focus on slow and deliberate movement patterns.

The phenomenon of muscle jumps allows us to solve another mystery that perplexes many people when it comes to posture and stretching. For example it is common to stretch the hamstrings statically, and at a certain point into the stretch the fascial limit is reached, so a muscle jump occurs and now with tensional lines rearranged in the body, the tension that was once in the hamstrings has moved itself to the foot of the same leg. Or perhaps the neck is now feeling tight, or the hips, etc. Many fascial lines connect to and terminate to the hands, feet, hips, and skull so it is common for tension to be loaded to these regions. The bad news is that when tension is loaded in these zones it can be very painful acutely or chronically. The good news is that tension loaded into the hands, feet, hips, and neck can be worked out and released fairly easily if given proper attention.

Back to the example of the hamstring stretch having created pain and tension in the plantar fascia of the foot, otherwise known as plantar fasciitis, the practitioner at this point should stop the hamstring stretch and chase the tension out by massaging the foot, performing cross-frictional massage, etc. In a minor instance only a few minutes of active therapy may be needed to release the accumulated bundle of tension, in other instances if tension has been constantly fed to a singular location and chronic pain and inflammation has repeatedly accumulated in that area, it may takes weeks or months of consistent therapeutic work there and across the body to remedy the problem.

A quick story to illustrate the point…

Early after graduating college for my job I was walking 5-10 miles a day on concrete and asphalt. My coworker (who also did the same amount of walking) and I both developed plantar fasciitis in both feet. This was very painful and greatly limiting our ability to work and we both wanted for it to go away, but how we approached the situation differed. I was heavily into powerlifting at the time and had been using voodoo floss bands on my knees both as a warmup and as a recovery practice, so I applied the method I had learned and decided to begin wrapping my feet with the voodoo floss bands daily.

Left: latex voodoo floss band. Middle: elastic knee wrap. Right: physiotherapy ball

I mobilized my foot as best I could while it was wrapped under great compressive forces, each wrap cycle lasting about 60-90 seconds in length and I went from one foot right to the next, so wrapping both feet 3 times in that manner took about 10 minutes. I performed this voodoo flossing and foot mobilization 1-2x a day consistently and within 2-3 weeks my plantar fasciitis completely disappeared. In effect I had broken up the scar tissue that had formed and made my foot more flexible. I told my coworker of the protocol and of my success, but unfortunately he ignored my success and decided to instead rely on painkillers for symptom management before eventually opting to get surgery on his feet to relieve the pain, which required incisions and likely causes permanent structural alterations. Ouch.

All the tissues of the body have an ability to remodel themselves and regenerate, and while it may not be easy to fix certain problems, learning how to improve movement and heal the body by utilizing the natural healing mechanisms we’re all gifted with is always a step to be taken before resorting to methods like surgical and pharmaceutical intervention.

The Effect of Strength Training on Posture

In my experience it is more common for constricted and tight muscles and connective tissues to be causing postural problems than it is for loose muscles and connective tissues, but it is possible for this problem to exist. To correct for parts of the body that are too loose and stretched beyond optimal, targeting strength training is one of the best approaches. By performing exercises that constrict muscles and strengthen them, loose muscles can slowly be tightened and brought into optimal postural balance.

For example if the hamstrings are too stretched out which as a result is causing glute and lower back problems (as a result of the hamstrings contributing too little to the stabilization of the hips), performing deadlifting exercises will strengthen the hamstrings and tighten them. An exercise that targets the entire hamstring/glute/lower-back complex like a glute-ham raise would also be highly advantageous in this instance. When beginning from a hyperextended loose state and tightening certain muscles, it’s important to start with very light weight (or ideally just bodyweight) with an emphasis on great form. Once the proper patterning is established the number of reps performed per set and overall volume can be increased, and once this becomes easy then adding greater amounts of resistance via weights follows.

Just like with stretching, this process is not to be rushed in order to avoid any chance of injury, and it may take weeks or months in order to achieve proper functioning and alignment. It’s also very common to find a loose muscle paired with a tight muscle. For maximum effectiveness a posture realignment protocol will have a stretching component and a strength training component. Days of deep stretching and strength training should be separated from each other by sufficient time for recovery to occur, typically 1-2 days.

A Simple Posture Test

The hips and spine are the main structures of the body that determine one’s posture, and a quick way to determine whether postural imbalances exist is to sit cross legged in meditation for 5+ minutes. When sitting in this way with zero movement, forces naturally begin to load downwards through the spine and sits bones, and if posture is good then sitting upright in this manner is fairly effortless. If postural imbalances exist and tension patterns are thrown off as a result then sitting upright in meditation even if keeping completely still will cause the deviant muscles to fatigue which will begin causing discomfort or pain. This can happen in just seconds for some people, especially those who are untrained and out of shape. For others with lesser postural problems it may take 5-15 minutes to begin feeling the effects of inefficiently loading the weight of the body downwards through the spine.

Sitting in meditation is a great way in and of itself to bring balance to the body. Continuing to sit while deeply breathing through the discomfort will help the tension to be released, and every time upright spinal posture begins to deviate or collapse, relengthen the spine as if being pulled gently by a string from the top of the head. Tension can be released upwards through the neck and head in this manner while also strengthening the deep musculature of the spine. I highly recommend keeping a daily 10-20+ minute meditation practice as a core component of a postural optimization protocol.

Dietary Considerations for Postural Realignment

There are just a few notable things to mention as it relates to diet when undergoing a stretching and postural realignment protocol:

• Drink plenty of water in order to keep all the tissues of the body well hydrated and therefore well lubricated.

• Consume foods high in the amino acid glycine (a major component of collagen), or consume collagen directly.

  • Foods high in glycine: Pulses (lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas), Nuts & Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, almond), Vegetables (spinach, cabbage, asparagus, watercress, seaweed, spirulina), Fruits (bananas, apricots, oranges, avocado), Animal Products (bone broth, poultry skin, seafood, connective tissues, egg whites), Dairy (cheese, greek yoghurt, cottage cheese)

• Reduce intake of added sugars and highly processed foods in order to limit inflammation throughout the body.

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For a more comprehensive discussion on the topic of connective tissues and how to repair and regrow them, please read my guide:

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Calisthenics, Weight Training, and Isometrics for Physical Development

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated January 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

There are many ways to train the physical body for increased strength, vitality, health, and performance. Each training modality is different in where and how it stimulates the systems of the body, and the adaptations that occur. While there are many ways to exercise, three common methods are by using bodyweight exercises (calisthenics), by lifting weights, and using isometrics (zero movement exercises).

Calisthenics is a form of resistance training which relies solely on the movement, weight, and tension of the body. The simple pushup, squat, or pullup are the most common examples of calisthenics exercises, though more advanced gymnastic movements such as muscle-ups, planches, and levers all apply.

With weight training, force is produced against objects of various weight such as dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells. Machines and strongman training implements like stones and logs also are types of weights. Weight training is scalable by increasing or decreasing exercise weight based on methodologies such as progressive overload.

Isometrics are exercises that involve zero movement, and this can be done resisting the force of gravity using weights, or pushing/pulling against immovable objects. Holding a plank is an isometric exercise, as would holding the open position of a dumbbell fly, or pushing as hard as possible against a large boulder. Isometric exercises can be used to precisely target stabilizer muscles or to generate max force safely.

I have trained with all three modalities for years and have experience in their best use and application. Let’s dig into each exercise modality, how they overlap, and their relative strengths and weaknesses.

Calisthenics, weight training, and isometrics done together can build a strong, resilient, and aesthetic body

Calisthenics for Beginners

The most immediately approachable training methodology is calisthenics. People of all shapes and sizes can use bodyweight movements of different leverage patterns to exercise to a degree appropriate for their body. Vinyasa yoga is a great example of calisthenics exercise with many different movement patterns that stimulate the whole body and can be easily scaled for anyone.

Another example of how calisthenics can be scaled to anyone can be understood using the squat. If a trainee is in great shape and free of injury, they can perform jump squats to increase power output, building muscle and strength in the process. If a trainee is overweight and/or injured, then assisted squats can be done, using gymnastic rings/TRX and a reduced range of motion, both safely deloading the body. As a trainee becomes stronger and more fit, the squat movement pattern can be increased in difficulty and complexity to create further adaptation stimulus.

A basic progression squat progression would be: assisted squat -> parallel squat -> deep squat -> shrimp squat -> pistol squat

Calisthenics exercises have the benefit of being performable just about anywhere. Some advanced moves like pullups and muscle-ups require a bar to hang from, but for most calisthenics exercises all that is required is some open space to move in.

Calisthenics also has the benefit of stimulating and strengthening stabilizer muscles throughout the body. Calisthenics exercises are all open-chain and the entire body must work in symmetrical balance to perform movement correctly. Posture is very important, and when programmed correctly, calisthenics will improve posture while strengthening the connective tissues of the body at the same rate muscular development occurs, reducing the risk of injury.

Calisthenics is a very balanced and safe method for improving the physicality of the body while also increasing other desirable characteristics such as endurance, flexibility. Calisthenics also improves metabolism and it’s not uncommon to build muscle while loosing body fat at the same time while practicing a lot of calisthenics. Calisthenics is great when the primary goal is to lose body fat.

Calisthenics Pros

• Can be performed nearly anywhere

• Improves posture

• Strengthens the body symmetrically

• Increases muscle mass and connective tissue strength

• Calisthenics exercises can be used for endurance training safely

• Most exercises are compound and target multiple muscles at once

• Easy to exercise in nature for other health and wellness benefits (nature bathing, fresh air, grounding, sunlight vitamin D production)

Calisthenics Cons

• Lower upper limit on muscular growth compared to weight training

• More advanced movements are best learned with coaching

• Progressive overload is not as easily applied as it is with weights

• More difficult to isolate and develop a single muscle

Weight Training for Beginners

When sheer muscular size and maximum strength is desired, weight training is the best way to exercise the body. Isolating muscles and applying progressive overload to them is easily accomplished with free weights. Large closed-chain compound exercises like barbell squats and deadlifts stimulate muscular growth and central nervous system adaptations throughout the entire body in a way calisthenics and isometrics can’t match. In addition, weight training can be very precise in application for the stimulation of small muscles to strengthen and grow. The biggest and strongest people on the planet, bodybuilders, powerlifters, and strongmen all use weight training as their primary training modality.

Injuries are also common in these sports, sometimes only minor, sometimes very severe. This is because with weight training it is much easier to develop muscular imbalances. The most successful athletes combine weight training, calisthenics, and isometric exercises in order to stay balanced in muscular, strength, and connective tissue development.

When it comes to dramatically transforming the physicality of the human body, weight training is unequaled. With faith and hard work it is possible to transform from weak and lanky to big and strong using weights and progressive overload. It’s not uncommon for men to add 50+ pounds of muscle to their frame over many years using weight training. Calisthenics will create a beautiful aesthetic body, but weight training has the benefit of allowing the trainee to precisely sculpt the physique in anyway they wish. For women bodybuilders training the glutes, upper chest, and shoulders while tightening the midsection creates the coveted hourglass figure and improves the waist-to-hip ratio closer to the biologically attractive 0.7.

Weight Training Pros

• Greatest potential for lean body mass and strength gains

• Unparalleled ability to shape and sculpt the body

• Weights can range from light to heavy and with proper guidance can be used safely by all people

• Many people use weights, and though experience levels vary, most gym-goers are very friendly and help others learn exercises, provide tips, etc.

Weight Training Cons

• Increased risk of injury if small supportive muscles and connective tissues aren’t developed at the same rate as larger muscles.

• Preexisting muscular imbalances can lead to improperly overloaded joints and muscles, increasing risk of injury

• Weight training requires access to weights, either purchased or at a gym.

• Weight training environments such as the gym can be intimidating for many

Isometrics for Beginners

An isometric exercise is a static muscular tension pattern held for time that involves no concentric or eccentric movement. Every different joint angle of a movement or exercise can be held as a isometric contraction, and as such 1000's of different isometric exercise patterns are possible.

The benefits of isometric exercises is that no joint movement is required, making isometrics a good alternative to conventional exercises when a trainee is injured or returning to exercise after a period of detraining. If weak at a certain point of an exercise, such as the midpoint of an overhead press, an isometric performed at that midpoint can be used to build strength at that specific leverage, improving overall force mechanics for the lift. With the overhead midpoint isometric exercise, force can be directed upwards, inwardly, or outwardly depending on what muscular activations are required to break through the sticking point. Isometrics are like calisthenics in that they don't require any specialized equipment to perform and can be performed with bodyweight exercises, but isometrics can also be done in the gym with barbells/dumbbells/machines, or with specialty-made isometrics equipment.

Isometrics have a remarkable ability to improve mind-muscle connection. By taking movement out of the equation, it’s easier for a trainee to feel how force is loading joints and muscles with a particular posture, and in this way isometric exercises can be very effective at building muscle and strength because the trainee learns how to better control the force they generate. Most isometric exercises involve pushing or pulling against an immoveable object, and this allows a trainee to generate maximum force without any risks inherent with movement. This maximum force generation ability of isometrics makes them very effective exercises for strength development as they dramatically increase muscular innervation, better connecting the mind to the central nervous system and musculature of the entire body while also better aligning the body, joints, and fascia into safe positions which force flows through easily.

Isometrics Pros

• Can be performed anywhere and in a million different ways

• Supportive to both calisthenics and weight training

• Very useful in recovery from injury

• Increases mind muscle connection and helps with sticking points

• Builds strength and can be used to preserve strength when away from the gym

• Can be performed during other wellness activities such as walking, meditation, and breathing exercises.

Isometrics Cons

• With poor posture, isometrics can load joints instead of muscles

• Isometrics have no measurable way of recording force output without sophisticated devices not commonly available (whereas a weight is a quantifiable load)

• Isometrics that involve maximum force generation create a large stress adaptation response which can be deceiving in its scale to new trainees, requiring more recovery time than they realize

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How to Start with Exercise

A combination of calisthenics, weights, and isometrics will transform anybody into a fitter, stronger, and more resilient individual.

Each of us was given a tremendous gift when born into a human body, and exercising physically in order to reach your maximum human potential is one way to celebrate the beauty of life and to thank the forces of creation. Benefits of physical training include happiness, health, and looking good!

“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”

— Socrates (470-399 BC)

If you don’t know where to start with physical fitness, I offer coaching services with meal plans and workout routines custom tailored to your individual situation and needs. Coaching at the beginning of a physical transformation or during times of low willpower offers valuable motivation and support that can make the difference between making a positive change or sticking with the status quo.

Use the email contact form to get in touch with me and to schedule your first wellness coaching session.

Calisthenics and Core Workouts

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Compound barbell and dumbell exercises are a great way to build muscle and strength, but their carryover to real life movement only goes so far. It’s important to learn how to generate force against objects, and it is also important to learn how to generate force against your body. To truly gain masterful control of your body, then you need to learn calisthenics.

Calisthenics can be performed anywhere!

WFO Workout Routines

Part 1 - Full Body Workouts

Part 2 - Push & Pull Workouts

Part 3 - Leg Workouts

Part 4 - Arm Workouts

Part 5 - Calisthenics & Core Workouts ✅

Calisthenics is a exercise modality that exclusively uses body-weight exercises and movements to build muscle, increase strength, and improve fitness. The most commonly know calisthenics exercises are push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and running, which form the basis of this calisthenics and core workout. This is part 5 of the Wild Free Organic workout series, the fifth and final month!

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Calisthenics is for all Ages

We finish this five month workout series with calisthenics and core exercises to solidify the foundation of health and physical fitness that has been built. A strong core will benefit you for life in all physical endeavors, from recreational activities to sports, and body-weight exercises if done regularly will develop mastery of body movement. Calisthenics and core exercises can be scaled up and down in intensity for all different body types and ages of people, and that’s what makes them so powerful and universally appealing. Wellness icons like Jack Lalanne, the “Godfather of Fitness” knew this, and he practiced what he preached, performing impossible-seeming feats of strength and endurance his entire life. Calisthenics formed the base of Jack Lalanne’s daily fitness routine, and he shared everything he learned in his book Live Young Forever.

“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”

— Socrates

While the gym is a great place to build strength, muscle, and confidence, it is not always possible to have access to a gym or workout equipment. Life changes and your fitness routine might need to change with it.

Gymnast performing an L-sit on rings. This exercises works the stabilizers of the entire body, the core, demonstrates lower body flexibility, and shows good spinal posture.

Calisthenics is also a great exercise modality that holistically stresses the body. Not only is muscle tissue stressed to grow and strengthen, but the connective tissues (tendons, ligaments, fascia) of the joints and body are developed too. Muscle and strength development that outpaces the slow strengthening of connective tissues will eventually result in injury, and unnecessary setbacks like this are detrimental in all aspects. Strength in compound exercises like squats and deadlifts is often held back by a weak midsection that is unable to efficiently translate force through the body, and developing a strong core will benefit not only aesthetics but overall strength development and expression.

While calisthenics and core work are often viewed as detracting time and focus away from more important exercises and muscles to be built, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Consistent calisthenics and core work will enable the full development and expression of strength, both with the body and barbell, while also protecting the body from injury and improving aesthetics. It is for these reasons that body-weight exercises like pull-ups and hanging leg raises have been programmed throughout this workout series, and now these principles will be expanded upon.

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Basic Calisthenics Movements

Upper Body

• Push-ups

• Pull-ups

• Chin-ups

• Dips

• Inverted rows

• Hangs

Full Body

• Turkish get-ups

• Burpees

• Mountain climbers

Lower Body

• Squats

• Lunges

• Calf raises

• Hip bridges/thrusts

• Deadlifts

• Kickbacks

Core

• Crunches

• Planks

• Leg raises/lifts

• Oblique twists

• Supermans

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Advanced Calisthenics Exercises

Upper Body

• Muscle-ups

• Front lever

• Back lever

• Handstands

• Handstand push-ups

• Iron Cross

• Planche push-ups

• Superman push-ups

• One-arm push-ups

• Rope climbs

Full Body

• Full body isometrics

Lower Body

• Pistol squats

• Shrimp squats

• Cossack squats

• Single leg deadlifts

• Tricking

Core

• Full bridge (arch)

• Windshield wipers

• Levers (front and back)

• Human flag

• Planche

• Hollow hold

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Developing the Core

The core of the body is composed of more muscles than just the six-pack (rectus abdominus). While the abs are important, there are many other muscles and connective tissues of the core.

Main muscles of the core:

• Rectus Abdominus

• Transverse Abdominus

• Obliques

• Serratus Anterior

• Erector Spinae

• Multifidus

For well-rounded core development and strengthening, time and energy should be devoted to all the muscles above.

The muscles of the midsection wrap around the entire body in layers, front to back, and developing all these muscles will create deep core strength that go beyond 6-pack abs.

The rectus abdominus is activated with spinal flexion and extension (crunches and extensions), and the transverse abdominals sit underneath the abs, being activated when you suck in your stomach towards the spine. The obliques sit on either side of the abs and are activated with twisting motions of the midsection. For the bodybuilders, well developed obliques will help frame the abdominals to create an impressive looking six pack.

The serratus muscles are more situated in the torso, sitting above the obliques and connecting the scapula to the rib cage, but it is these connection points which makes the serratus muscles important. The scapula are very important parts of upper body, and serratus muscles connect the scapula to the midsection.

The erector spinae and multifidus muscles are the muscles of the lower back, and they function to keep the spine strong, well aligned, and stable. Over-developed abdominals but weak erector spinae muscles are common, and this unbalanced development can cause poor recruitment patterns and lead to injury. Erector spinae muscles are very well developed with deadlifts

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Core Workouts

Core Workout (A)

• 3x30 Oblique twists

• 3x25 Reverse crunches

• 2x60s Side planks

• 3x12 Bird dogs

• 5x12s Stomach vacuums

• 2x20 Shoulder taps

Core Workout (B)

• 3x30 Bicycle crunches

• 3x30s Hollow holds

• 2x60s Side planks

• 3x12 Supermans

• 5x12s Stomach vacuums

• 2x30s RKC plank

Core workouts are best done 3-7x a week, the muscles of the midsection should be activated often and all at once from front to side to back. If little rest is taken in-between sets and exercises, overall activation of the core is increased and the workouts can be done quicker. The two workouts above should take only twenty minutes or less once endurance is built.

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Calisthenics Workouts

Calisthenics Workout (A)

• 2x30 Calf raises

• 5x30 Squats

• 3x10 Single leg deadlifts

• 3x25 Reverse crunches

• 4x12 Pull-ups

• 4x20 Push-ups

• 3x12 Bird dogs

• 2x5 Turkish get-ups

Calisthenics Workout (B)

• 2x30 Calf raises

• 5x20 Wide squats

• 3x30 Hip thrusts

• 3x30s Hollow holds

• 4x12 Chin-ups

• 4x10 Dips

• 3x30s Supermans

• 2x30 Mountain climbers

These full-body calisthenics workouts use basic body-weight exercises and are well-rounded in their activation of the body. They are also great workouts to integrate with a running program. Advanced trainees might find these workouts simple, but they can be intensified by slowing down exercise tempo and increasing muscle activation.

Balance is first activated and then the body is warmed up with lower body exercises. Working upwards the front core is activated, then the torso, and then the core muscles of the spine. The workout is finished with full-body exercises like turkish get-ups or mountain climbers.

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Month 5 Workout Routine

Week 1

Monday - Full Body

5x5 Squats

4x8 Incline Press

5x10 Barbell Rows

3x20 Lateral Raises

3x20 Bicep Curls

Tuesday - Calisthenics (A)

2x30 Calf raises

5x30 Squats

3x10 Single leg deadlifts

3x25 Reverse crunches

4x12 Pull-ups

4x20 Push-ups

3x12 Bird dogs

2x5 Turkish get-ups

Wednesday - Arms

3x20 Radial Deviations

3x20 Pronators

3x30 Reverse Wrist Curls

4x10 Chin-ups

4x12 Incline Triceps Extension

3x12 Preacher Curls

3x15 Triceps Kickbacks

Thursday - Calisthenics (B)

2x30 Calf raises

5x20 Wide Squats

3x30 Hip thrusts

3x30s Hollow holds

4x12 Chin-ups

4x10 Dips

3x30s Supermans

2x30 Mountain climbers

Friday - Core (A)

3x30 Oblique twists

3x25 Reverse crunches

2x60s Side planks

3x12 Bird dogs

5x12s Stomach vacuums

2x20 Shoulder taps

Saturday & Sunday - Rest

Week 2

Monday - Full Body

5x5 Deadlifts

4x8 DB Press

5x10 Leg Press

3x20 Rear Delt Flies

3x20 Tricep Pushdowns

Wednesday - Calisthenics (A)

2x30 Calf raises

5x30 Squats

3x10 Single leg deadlifts

3x25 Reverse crunches

4x12 Pull-ups

4x20 Push-ups

3x12 Bird dogs

2x5 Turkish get-ups

Wednesday - Arms

3x20 Radial Deviations

3x20 Supinators

3x30 Wrist Curls

4x10 Close-Grip Dips

4x12 Hammer Curls

4x12 Triceps Pushdowns (supinated)

3x15 Reverse Curls

Thursday - Calisthenics (B)

2x30 Calf raises

5x20 Wide squats

3x30 Hip thrusts

3x30s Hollow holds

4x12 Chin-ups

4x10 Dips

3x30s Supermans

2x30 Mountain climbers

Friday - Core (B)

3x30 Bicycle crunches

3x30s Hollow holds

2x60s Side planks

3x12 Supermans

5x12s Stomach vacuums

2x30s RKC plank

Saturday & Sunday - Rest

With this final month, we return to 3 full body workouts per week, with one being gym based and the other two are calisthenics based. Arm workouts are scheduled once a week to continue sufficiently stimulating the arms. A final core workout on Friday activates the entire core while also reducing the workload to promote overall recovery. Month 5 is a deload month compared to months 2-4, with the muscles, connective tissues, and central nervous system given a break from the typical stress patterns of barbell and dumbbell exercises. Meanwhile control and activation of the body is improved with the calisthenics exercises and connective tissues are strengthened in different ways.

On weeks 2 and 4 increase the weight of the gym exercises by 5%. If you feel healthy and confident, about a week after the end of this five month routine, test your 1 rep max for squats, deadlifts, incline press, and barbell rows. In the week preceding testing of the 1RM’s, get a solid eight hours of sleep per night and reduce volume and reduce weight, focusing on activation.

During month five, if you really want to fortify your joints and strengthen them in preparation for another loading phase in the gym, follow our joint and connective tissue protocol.

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New Beginnings

Over the past 5 months, you’ve learned the basics of weight-lifting, periodization, recovery, and nutrition. The foundation for a holistic lifestyle has been established, as has the foundation for how to approach physical fitness with a long term and patient mindset.

From here, the routine can be repeated in the same order, or the different workouts presented in the routine can be flexibly scheduled week to week instinctively. A new workout routine, like 5/3/1 can also be started! Maybe your fitness journey takes you to running or yoga, there are many ways to physically strengthen and develop the body, and none are inherently better or worse than the other.

Whatever your next destination, don’t forget the lifestyle and fitness principles learned over the past five months and continue your productive morning routine. Keep stress low, recovery high, and progress slow and steady. That’s the recipe for success in the gym and with life!

If you followed the routine from start to finish, please share your results by commenting below or contact us directly.

Repair and Regrow Joint Cartilage

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Cartilage is a unique human tissue with it’s own cellular physiology same as muscle, bone, brain, and organ tissues. Cartilage is the smooth but very strong protective tissue that caps the ends of bones, protecting bones from erosion as they move back each other during normal movement. When cartilage becomes damaged or eroded over time, the result can be terrible pain and a reduction in mobility. The human body caps bones with cartilage because cartilage is mostly friction-less and can regrow, whereas bone is rough and cannot regrow under normal circumstances. Once bone plates fuse in late adolescence, new bone growth stops.

Contrary to popular belief, which is that once cartilage or connective tissues are damaged then they are unable to heal, human physiological development itself provides the first clue that cartilage can be repaired and regrown. The reason for mistaken beliefs on the ability of cartilage to heal is because cartilage and connective tissues take a long time to heal and only do so under specific circumstances.

With consistency and patience, it is possible to reverse cartilage damage and heal connective tissues by modifying diet, using simple physical therapy techniques, and with intelligent supplementation.

To properly care for cartilage, it is important that equal attention is given to this unique tissue as would be given to muscle, skin, or heart tissue. Yet what we commonly see are people who work out for bigger muscles, or who devote tons of time on their skin care routines, or cardio fanatics who overdo it, but when it comes to the joints of the body, people throw up their hands and say fixing joint problems can’t be done, it’s impossible.

This is simple not true. Healing joints isn’t impossible, it’s just slow. Due to the cellular biology of cartilage, how it is created, and the chemistry of nutrient transport, it takes time to heal cartilage tissues. The methods described below are the fastest and most focused you can follow to repair your joints, but patience will be required.

Science of Cartilage Tissue

Cartilage is a smooth resilient elastic tissue found throughout the body. Where bones meet at joints, cartilage forms the protective cap which allows for smooth friction-less movement. Healthy cartilage is heavily hydrated (clue #2).

Chondrocytes in hyaline cartilage matrix. | CC3.0 - Emmanuelm at en.wikipedia

Cartilage is made up of cells called chondrocytes which are embedded in a cartilage matrix. This cartilage matrix is primarily made of type-II collagen and chondroitin sulfate.

It is the job of chondrocytes to produce a large amount of the collagenous extracellular matrix and ground substance of which they are embedded in. Ground substance is the gel-like material that contains the rest of the materials found in the cartilage matrix except the fibrous materials, providing lubrication for the collagen fibers that chondrocytes produce.

There are three types of cartilage: elastic cartilage, hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage. Hyaline and fibrous cartilage are the types of cartilage found in joints, with elastic cartilage being what make up ear flaps and similar tissues.

The three types of cartilage, they differ in the ratio of chondrocytes to collagenous matrix | CC4.0 - Shiloh117981894 at en.wikipedia

The smooth, friction-less, and tough characteristics of cartilage are an expression of the unique proteins and molecules that make up cartilage. The main building blocks of cartilage are water, collagen, and chondroitin sulfate. For any cartilage repair and regrowth protocol, it is factors that required targeted therapy.

Just as important as cartilage is connective tissue. Connective tissue is found throughout the body, and it is an important component of overall joint structure. Very similar to chondrocytes, a fibroblast is a type of cell that synthesizes extracellular matrix and collagen. Fibroblasts create the structural framework that holds everything in the body together (1). Collectively this organ is known as fascia, and through the functions of fibroblasts, fascia exerts a huge influence throughout the body. Fascia is what holds all the organs and muscles and soft tissues of the body together and in place while still allowing for a degree of movement. Fascia is very important for posture, strength, and must be considered when healing any wound.

The same nutrients and physical therapy techniques that are effective in triggering cartilage repair and synthesis by chondrocytes are effective at stimulating fibroblasts to repair and regrow connective tissues.

Connective Tissues Require Certain Nutrients

In order to support the maintenance and creation of healthy cartilage tissues, a proper diet high in the right building blocks (fats and amino acids) is needed. You are what you eat, so the easiest way to eat a cartilage supporting diet is to eat cartilage. During digestion, animal cartilage is broken down and absorbed as amino acids, dipeptides, and tripeptides. The body transports these simple proteins to connective tissues where they can be resynthesized into the compounds required grow and repair. If following a vegan diet, then consuming the same amino acids found in collagen and at the same ratios will be similarly effective as eating cartilage. Since cartilage and connective tissues are highly hydrated tissues, drinking enough pure water every day is very important for these tissues to be healthy and function properly.

Collagen peptides are characterized by their high levels of specific amino acids glycine, hydroxyproline, proline, and alanine (2). Glycine is the main amino acid of collagen, making up nearly every third component in the collagen peptide chain. Glycine is a conditional amino acid, meaning that the body is able to produce it, but depending on diet and other factors, it might or might not be produced in sufficient quantities. The standard recommendation for glycine is to consume 10-15 grams per day. Under normal circumstances the body will get about 2 grams from a typical diet, and synthesize another 2 grams from the amino acids serine and threonine (3). That leaves 6+ grams of glycine everyday that the body would like to have for connective tissue and cartilage maintenance, but won’t synthesize at the expense of other metabolic processes and needs.

Glycine helps stabilize blood sugar levels, and conversely, with insulin resistance, glycine metabolism is impaired (4), producing a series of negative downstream effects. Cartilage and connective tissues won’t receive the nutrients they need, and other serious issues like arterial calcification and elevated cardiovascular risk are associated with glycine deficiency.

Having pain, degraded function, and reduced strength in joints is a sign that the body is stressed for glycine and not receiving adequate amounts in the diet, instead slowing breaking down connective tissues to receive the amino acids it needs for more important metabolic processes. In this way connective tissues and cartilage act as a storehouse of key amino acids, slow to fill up and faster to pull from.

To Repair Cartilage Go Plant-Based for Extra Glycine

Incorporating into your diet glycine rich foods consistently is the first and most important way you can positively benefit your joint health and reduce joint pain. This can be done by consuming animal products high in collagen, or better yet by incorporating plant-based foods high in glycine.

For the typical plant-based diet, most of the protein comes from pulses such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas, which contain three to four times as much glycine as methionine (another amino acid). Glycine deficiency is not typically a concern with plant-based diets. Methionine is an amino acid found in high percentages in muscle meat, and methionine consumption in excess depletes glycine. Considering most meat products now are muscle based and contain very little connective tissues or skin, an animal protein rich diet will provide little glycine to begin with and overtime will deplete the bodies stores of glycine due to excess methionine consumption.

I have personal experience with this. When I first started a vegetarian diet, coming off of eating a lot of meat, a couple weeks in I started to have joint pain in my knees, an exceedingly rare event for me. I had hydrolyzed collagen on hand, so rather than waste it, I took 20 grams and for the next week or so all knee pain vanished. I increased glycine concentrations in my body and the first signs of joint concern vanished. As I learned to incorporate more beans, lentils, and chickpeas into my diet, I no longer required the occasional collagen infusion to reduce joint point, instead my body was being provided ample glycine on a daily basis and at a balanced ratio with methionine.

If you’re an omnivore, incorperate collagen-rich animal products into you diet as well as plant-based sources of glycine. If you follow a carnivore diet, eat more collagen-rich animal products than you think you need, and if you’re vegetarian or vegan consistently eat plant-based sources rich in glycine. The following foods are notably rich in glycine:

• Pulses

  • lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas

• Nuts/Seeds

  • pumpkin, sunflower, almond

• Vegetables

  • spinach, cabbage, asparagus, watercress, seaweed, spirulina

• Fruits

  • bananas, appricots, oranges, avocado

• Animal Products

  • bone broth

  • poultry skin

  • seafood

  • connective tissues

  • egg whites

• Dairy

  • cheese, greek yoghurt, cottage cheese

Methods to Repair and Regrow Cartilage and Connective Tissue

Before any application of a systematic cartilage regrowth protocol, being mindful of your diet and making the changes necessary to provide yourself with enough glycine is the important first step that needs to be taken. Once diet is in check, then other variables which help with the repair and growth of connective tissues can be undertaken successfully. First up are a few known biological processes which improve cartilage repair.

Pressure Stimulates Cartilage Growth

Applying pressure has been shown to repair & regrow cartilage is pressure. Starting with simple truths, pressure is useful for healing wounds, from the basics of holding pressure on a wound to stop bleeding to pressures usefulness for healing longer term injuries such as muscle, bone, and joint damage. Pressure changes stimulate the circulatory system, bring oxygen-rich blood and fresh nutrients to the area. In addition to improving blood flow, pressure itself can stimulate changes in physiology, for example with pressure proteins can change their structure to more advanced forms.

Ace bandage wrap on the left, voodoo floss wrap on the right. Both can be used to safely apply temporary or longer lasting pressure to parts of the body.

For muscle tissue, pressure changes (contractions, pumps, etc) will carry nutrients to areas in need of repair and stimulatory growth, but in cartilage no blood vessels are carried into the tissue. Blood flow is limited in reaching cartilage due to the nature of cartilage.

Nutrients are still delivered from nearby blood vessels directly to the chondrocytes and fibroblasts of cartilage and connective tissues, only it happens through osmosis. Osmotic transfer is regulated through differences in concentrations of molecules across boundaries, and by applying pressure to a joint, the osmotic transfer of glycine, chondroitin sulfate, and other building blocks to chondrocytes and fibroblasts is sped up.

The easiest way pressure can be applied to joints or areas of pain is with elastic wraps like ace bandages or voodoo floss bands. For deeper tissues, hard objects can be used to direct pressure to specific areas and break up scar tissue. When scar tissue is broken up, an inflammation response starts, triggered by the fibroblasts, and cellular cleanup begins. If pressure through a wrap is applied to the area after scar tissue is broken up, then healing nutrients will reach the area sooner and the healing process will be more effective.

Functional Range Conditioning Improves Cartilage Health

Many of the same principles for muscle growth and strengthening can also be applied to joints. Productive stress applied to joints and connective tissues, through targeted methods like functional range conditioning (FRC) can stimulate the repair, growth, and strengthening of cartilage tissues. The proper application of strength training will also improve joint strength and function, and will tighten and strengthen the fascia. Yin yoga and hatha yoga are also especially good at improving joint health.

Any of these modalities done properly increases mobility, improves joint strength, and improves body control. By using performing joint healing movements consistently, there will be a reduction of pain and lower chance of injury, plus better body movement and control overall. FRC, strength training, and yoga are best learned from an experienced professional.

Heat Therapy Reduces Inflammation in Joints

Heat therapy has wide ranging health benefits such as improved healing and increased longevity. Heat therapy works on the cellular level by activating heat shock proteins and releasing growth hormone. Heat shock proteins elimate free radicals and heal damaged proteins, meanwhile growth hormone stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration.

You can do whole body heat therapy by using a sauna, steam room, or hot bath, and this will create a systemic full-body healing effect. Or you can apply heat therapy via a heat wrap to the specific joint or body part that requires attention. pairing pressure, heat therapy, and simple joint movements together is a very effective in breaking up scar tissue, cleaning up the resulting damage, and bringing in fresh blood and nutrients, returning joint function to normal.

Joint/Muscle Flossing Stimulates Cartilage Growth

Back to the beneficial application of pressure for healing connective tissues, voodoo floss bands are particularly effective in my experience. Voodoo floss bands are made of latex and can be wrapped around a body part or joint in order to improve performance, increase range of motion, or promote healing. Joint flossing effectively combines pressure and the FRC ideology, and is the single best thing outside of making changes to your diet that you can do to improve joint health. Watch the video below for more information and how to voodoo floss a knee.

Note - I prefer to skip wrapping the kneecap in order to let the knee glide more smoothly during movements. To see how to floss other joints do a search on YouTube.

Supplements For Cartilage and Connective Tissues

There are some well known dietary supplements and herbs which can with help heal cartilage and connective tissues.

Curcumin for Cartilage Pain and Inflammation

Turmeric is a bright orange root used in cooking well known for its potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. Curcumin, a type of curcuminoid, is the main phytochemical responsible for the health effects of turmeric. There are many different ways turmeric/curcumin supplements are formulated, and some formulations are more bioavailable than others.

• Dosing - 1000 mg of curcumin with 10 mg of piperine every morning.

• Effects - Reduced pain and inflammation.

• Supplement Recommendation - Curcumin with Piperine by Nootropics Depot.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Cartilage Lubrication

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of fat used throughout the body for a variety of important bodily processes, namely for the cardiovascular system and brain. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effects and work synergistically with curcumin. Omega-3 fatty acids come in three forms, ALA, DHA, or EPA. ALA is the plant version which requires conversion into DHA or EPA in the body, so it is best to supplement with DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids.

• Dosing - 2-3 grams of DHA/EPA combo every morning. It is better to have a greater DHA/EPA ratio.

• Effects - Reduced pain and inflammation

• Supplement Recommendation - 70% DHA Omega-3 Fish Oil by Nootropics Depot.

• Dietary Recommendation - Sardines are a super rich source of omega-3’s high in EPA and DHA. Walnuts, flaxseed, and chia seeds are good sources of ALA omega-3 fatty acids.

Sulforaphane for Joint Inflammation

Sulforaphane is a sulfur-rich naturally occurring compound found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and kale know for it’s potent anti-inflammatory health effects. A diet high in raw or lightly cooked cruciferous vegetables is best, and sulforaphane supplements are also available.

• Dosing - 50-100 mg sulforaphane every night

• Effects - Reduced pain and inflammation

• Supplement Recommendation - BroccoMax by Jarrow Formulas

Glucosamine Sulfate for Joint Repair

Glucosamine sulfate is a chemical created naturally by the body for use in joint and connective tissues, and if levels in the body are deficient, supplementation may help. Glucosamine sulfate used in supplements is derived from shellfish shells. By supplementing with glucosamine sulfate you’ll ensure your body has enough available to repair cartilage and connective tissues.

• Dosing - 1.5 grams every night

• Effects - Reduced pain, improved function

• Supplement Recommendation - Glucosamine Sulfate by Doctor’s Best

Hydrolyzed Collagen for Cartilage Building Blocks

Hydrolyzed collagen is derived from collagen-rich animal sources, and collagen is the main protein that makes up cartilage and connective tissues. Glycine is the dominant amino acid of collagen protein, and glycine has insulin, cardiovascular, cognitive, and sleep quality effects. By supplementing with collagen you’ll ensure your body has enough amino acids needed to repair cartilage and connective tissues.

• Dosing - 20-40 grams every night

• Effects - Reduced pain, improved function, better sleep.

• Supplement Recommendation (animal) - Collagen Hydrolysate by Great Lakes Gelatin

• Supplement Recommendation (plant) - Collagen Building Protein Peptides by Sunwarrior

Boswellia Serrata for Powerful Joint Repair

Boswellia serrata is a gum resin extracted from a tree, with the main active compounds being boswellic acids. Boswellia serrata can suppress pain and immobility from osteoarthritis in as little as a weeks time. Osteoarthritis is a joint disease that breaks down cartilage and connective tissues of joints, causing pain, stiffness, and loss of function.

• Dosing - 1 gram three times a day, for a total of 3 grams every day

• Effects, Increase in mobility, reduced pain, reduced stiffness/immobility

• Supplement Recommendation - Boswellia Phytosome by Thorne Research

Boron for Bone and Connective Tissue Health

Boron is the fifth element of the periodic table, and trace amounts can be found in the Earth’s crust. Even though boron is a trace element, it is critical for plant and animal biology. Boron greatly improves wound healing by interacting with the fibroblasts of connective tissues. Boron has direct actions on specific enzymes found in fibroblasts, and making sure you are not boron deficient, as is common, is another way to make sure there are no weak links in the healing process.

• Dosing - 10 mg per day

• Effects - Improved healing time, stronger connective tissues

• Supplement Recommendation - Pinch of borax by 20 Mule Team

Bonus - BPC-157

BPC-157 is a 15 amino-acid long protein peptide, with BPC short for body protection compound. BPC is found in stomach gastric fluids, and when injected into a problem area, reduces oxidative stress and speeds up wound and tissue healing. BPC-157 has also been shown to heal epithelial tight junctions in the gut. I haven’t used BPC-157 myself, but it’s effects are so powerful I included it as a jumping off point for your own research. BPC-157 is not used in this cartilage and connective tissue healing protocol.

Joint and Connective Tissue Healing Protocol

Using the methods, tools, and supplements above, and with a good diet already in place, a cartilage and connective tissue repair and regrowth protocol can be designed. This protocol will increase collagen protein synthesis using joint flossing, pressure and heat therapy, functional range conditioning, and intelligent supplementation. It’s also very important to better understand posture and how tension runs through the body in order to make a joint and connective tissue regeneration protocol most effective, and so future mistakes aren’t made that require this process to be done more than once. To read my article on the topic click the button below.

The protocol is a week long, and can be repeated as many times as needed until improvement or complete restoration of function. Weight training is recommended once joint health and pain have abated so lean tissue, bones, and connective tissues can strengthen. The general principles of the program are:

• Daily stimulation of the collagen protein synthesis pathway for affected joints via joint/muscle flossing

• Walking 1x a week for general movement and cardiovascular health. Walk more on your own too!

• FRC 2x a week for targeted applications of overload (for strength and resiliency increases) and movement (for range of motion improvements)

• Yin Yoga 1x a week for restorative movement, deep passive stretches, relaxation, fascial stretching, deep breathing, and overall tension release

• Morning Supplements: 2-3 grams omega-3 fatty acids, 500-1000 mg turmeric/curcumin combination, 10 mg boron.

• Evening Supplements: 50-100 mg sulforaphane, 1.5 grams glucosamine sulfate, 20 grams collagen.

Monday

1. Morning supplements

2. Joint flossing

3. Pressure with ace bandage and self myofascial release

4. Evening supplements

Friday

1. Morning supplements

2. Joint flossing

3. Pressure with ace bandage and self myofascial release

4. Evening supplements

Tuesday

1. Morning supplements

2. Joint flossing

3. Heat therapy

4. Evening supplements

Saturday

1. Morning supplements

2. Joint flossing

3. FRC exercises

4. Evening supplements

Wednesday

1. Morning supplements

2. Joint flossing

3. FRC practitioner visit

4. Evening supplements

Sunday

1. Morning supplements

2. Joint flossing

3. Heat therapy

4. Evening supplements

Thursday

1. Morning supplements

2. Joint flossing

3. 30-60 minute walk

4. Evening supplements

All these techniques can be used more often than scheduled in the program, but I reduced their frequency in order to make the routine more realistically possible. If you are really determined to fix whatever joint problems you are experiencing, go all out and devote a lot of time towards these practices. Remember though, healing joints and connective tissues takes a long time due to the biology of it, so doing what you can consistently is best long term strategy to make progress.

The importance of diet can’t be understated. Other than acute injuries, it might have been diet that made these joint and connective tissue problems arise. Having a joint friendly diet is at least half the battle.

References:

1. Bordoni B, Zanier E. Understanding fibroblasts in order to comprehend the osteopathic treatment of the fascia. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2015;2015:1-7.

2. Gauza-Włodarczyk M, Kubisz L, Włodarczyk D. Amino acid composition in determination of collagen origin and assessment of physical factors effects. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 2017;104:987-991.

3. KEGG PATHWAY: Glycine, serine and threonine metabolism - Reference pathway.

4. Adeva-Andany M, Souto-Adeva G, Ameneiros-Rodríguez E, Fernández-Fernández C, Donapetry-García C, Domínguez-Montero A. Insulin resistance and glycine metabolism in humans. Amino Acids. 2018;50(1):11-27.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Other Articles on Recovery

Establish a Morning Routine

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Establishing a consistent routine is one of the cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle. Usually everyday routines are guided through meal timings (breakfast, lunch, dinner) or a work schedule. Often the activities people schedule their days around are stressful in nature. You don’t want to schedule a stress-first, relaxation-second schedule!

How you start the day determines in large part your physical, mental, and emotional status throughout the rest of the day. For this reason, morning routines are very important. Having a consistent morning routine provides a sense of normalcy, even during times of change such as travel, undue stress, and unique life situations. Consider a morning routine a wellness gyroscope that brings balance to your day to day life.

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Establish the Circadian Rhythm

The circadian rhythm is the 24-hour biological clock we all posses, and this rhythm controls your daily schedule for sleep and wakefulness.

One of the main reasons a consistent morning routine is recommended is it helps to establish a consistent circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is intimately tied to the various systems of the body, such as the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and a wandering circadian rhythm is easily disrupted further by stress and other variables. It’s been shown that the success of major surgeries is greatly influenced by the circadian rhythm. Those operated on during the day fair poorly compared to those operated on at night, during the bodies natural healing state.

The steps below help to establish a anti-fragile circadian rhythm, but there are a few steps that can be taken even before then:

Have a Consistent Bed Time

When you go to sleep, and for how long you sleep, has a huge impact on the quality of your life the following day. To help facilitate the process of establishing a rock-solid circadian rhythm, and therefore an awesome morning routine, go to bed at the same time every night. This bedtime should be respectful of the powerful influence the sun has on your circadian rhythm, and I wouldn’t recommend a bedtime any later than 10 pm. Unless you have a late-shift or night-shift job, there is really no excuse for going to sleep at a reasonable hour and treating yourself with self-love. If you stay up occasionally past 10 pm, that’s OKAY, but don’t make a habit of it.

Don’t Set an Alarm

If you have the luxury, don’t set an alarm to wake you up each morning. Face your bed East and open your blinds so when the sun rises in the morning you catch as much light as you can. The circadian rhythm is tied to the sun/moon cycle, and rising with the light is the most natural and peaceful way to wake-up.

Forget the Phone

The light we expose ourselves to each day is incredibly important. After sunset, naturally there is meant to be very little light, and the best thing you can do for your morning is to dim or turn off the artificial lights with the movements of the sun. Electronics give off primarily blue light, and blue light is particularly energizing. During the day blue light is expected and healthy, but in the morning and night, blue light can have a strong impact on the circadian rhythm, even shifting it by several hours. Blue light impacts melatonin (a hormone important in sleep) production, and the downstream effects of shifted melatonin or delayed production can completely upset the hormonal system as a whole. If you’ve ever had racing thoughts at night that prevented you from falling asleep, or made you sleep poorly, you should deeply examine your light exposure, both from electronics and the environment.

Picking up a phone first thing in the morning might help the brain to click on in that moment, but the overall effect of that habit can be devastating to normal sleep and wakefulness patterns. The solution is simple, keep the phone charging at night in a different room.

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Build your Fire

After a long nights rest, coaxing the metabolic engine to create energy is priority number 1. Movement and breath work are the prescription.

Upon waking, drink 16 - 32 oz of filtered water and prepare for some light exercise.

Stomach Vacuums (Uddiyana Bandha) are easiest to perform in the morning

This exercise could be a simple 15 minute flow routine, 30 minutes of yoga, or a full weight-training workout. Maybe you prefer to go for a walk, that’s fine too!

I prefer starting with a short flow routine followed by calisthenics and core exercises because the movements can adapt to how I feel. Whether you want to do more calisthenics, yoga, or stretching, flow training can incorporate all of those fitness modalities and are easy to modify instinctively.

Movements and exercise that establish deep consistent breathing are best, as oxygen is the fuel your body requires for all energy processes.

Breath work and movement finished, solidify your new baseline of energy with 5 - 10 minutes of meditation. Sit cross legged, breath in and out slowly, and clear your mind. To help clear your mind, you can think the words “In” and “Out” for when breathing in or out. You can also hum “aum” or focus your senses outwards. Can you feel the wind, the sun, the Earth? Listen to the sounds around you. Smell the air? Raise your level of awareness by practicing mindfulness and let any thoughts that start to materialize bounce off of your inner mental calm.

Avoid Stimulants

The first mistake many make here is to turn to a stimulant like caffeine first thing upon waking. Would you rather your energy for the day depend on an external stimulant, or your own movement and breath work for the day? Remember the goal of the morning routine is to create a calm mental and emotional state for each day, and it’s known that stimulants disturb this aspect of health and the natural circadian rhythm.

Coffee and green tea taste great, so savor them as a treat occasionally, not as a crutch.

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Feed Your Body

Whether you decide to fuel up or fast after the movement and breath work, it’s important that this decision of how to feed your body is done with your best interests in mind. Be conscious and make your own decisions.

For Fasting:

If you prefer 16:8 intermittent fasting, or you’re performing a longer duration fast for your digestive system, it is important to drink plenty of water. Since you are not consuming any food, which contains water, you’ll need to drink more water. And this means only water!

Stimulants like green tea and coffee as described are best avoided, and zero-calorie beverages wreck havoc on the digestive system, particularly the gut lining. Starting your day with a zero-calorie beverage will cause inflammation in the gut and eventually systemically.

For Fueling:

Find a nutritious breakfast that you can eat consistently everyday. I recommend eating the same breakfast everyday for the following reasons:

• Everyday your body will receive the same supply of fats, carbs, fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

• It will add consistency to your digestion, and establish a rhythm that your microbiome can come to expect

• Post-breakfast, your energy levels will be consistent and known. This stability allows you to start your day right.

• No more guesswork in the kitchen.

• Preparing the same breakfast everyday becomes a science, letting your mind focus on other ambitions of the day.

Find a meal that works for your dietary preferences, is easy to prepare, delicious, and well rounded nutritionally. This means developing a breakfast that includes fat, protein, starch, and fiber.

My Daily Breakfast

I look forward to my breakfast everyday even though it never changes! There is enough diversity in flavors and textures that I don’t tire of it. My breakfast is as follows:

1. Organic hashbrowns with ketchup

2. Three eggs scrambled with EVOO & sprig parsley

3. Organic strawberry, banana, lemon, and fresh squeezed OJ smoothie

4. Gluten-free everything bagel with organic cream-cheese and everything seasoning.

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Set your Intentions, Repeat your Affirmations

After a bout of movement, breath work, and a meal (or not), take 5-10 minutes to set your goals for the day and establish your affirmations. This can be done in so many ways, find what resonates with you!

You can set your goals and establish your affirmations through journaling. Keeping a log of your affirmations and aspirations is a fantastic way to develop a record of your daily goals, and looking back through past journal entries can help pierce the veil of what it is you truly desire.

Listening to your horoscope is another way to set affirmations for the day, or at least a way to bring consciousness to various topics that you might not have considered otherwise. For this I recommend Horoscope Today from Parcast. Each horoscope is only 2-3 minutes in length, but during this time my attention is drawn to my relationships with others, my career ambitions, and the larger worldly energy patterns to be mindful of.

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Pitfalls to Avoid - Reminder

When establishing a productive morning routine, there are a variety of old habits which might need to be cast aside as you undergo your evolution. Remember to avoid:

• Stimulants such as coffee

• Electronics 2 hours before bed, after waking up

• Morning junk food disguised as breakfast

• Inadequate water consumption

• Anything that disturbs your peace

Reclaim the morning as your time to clear your mind, stabilize your emotions, and set your focus. Remember it’s your life, not someone elses, be it your boss, friends, or the news. Before the world wakes up, the morning hours are yours and yours alone!

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Putting it into Practice

Now that everything has been discussed, here is an action plan you can start with and then adapt to fit your unique needs.

Daily Morning Wellness Routine

1. Wake up naturally, and limit your exposure to blue light.

2. Drink 16 - 32 oz filtered water.

3. Begin your breath-focused movement, yoga, workout routine (15-90 minutes), or walk. See below for two movement routines you can use to get started.

4. Cool down with 5-15 minutes meditation, stabilize your energy levels, and calm your mind.

5. Fuel or fast, be conscious of what you put into your body. If choosing to eat, consume a well-rounded breakfast with a focus on organic foods, protein, healthy fats, and fiber.

6. Set your intentions for the day and repeat your affirmations. For outside input to consider, listen or read your horoscope.

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Morning Movement Routine

Strength Focused

Complete this circuit three times

1. Push-ups - 25 reps

   • Form an arrow position with your arms, keep your core stable, and chest to floor.

2. RKC Plank - 30 secs

   • Squeeze your glutes, contract your core, and brace inwards.

3. Body-weight Squats - 25 reps

   • Open your hips and go deep with a stable back.

4. Glute Bridge - 25 reps

   • Squeeze the glutes at the top of the rep.

5. Mountain Climbers - 25 reps

   • Stay tight and stabilize against rotation.

Mobility Focused

Focus on the quality of the movement

1. Sun Salutation Warm-up - 5 rounds

2. Thoracic Rotation Stretch - 5 reps each side

3. 90/90 Hip Stretch - Hold 20-30 seconds

4. Hamstring Stretch - Hold for 20-30 seconds

5. Ankle Plantar Flexion Stretch - 30 seconds

6. Lizard with Rotation - 5 reps each side

7. Punter Kicks - 8 reps each side

8. Chest Stretch - Hold 20-30 seconds

9. Lat Stretch - Hold 20-30 seconds

10. Shoulder CARS - 5 reps each side

11. Windmills - 10 reps each side

Note - The beauty of a morning exercise routine is it helps maintain the physical status of the body. If you exercise exclusively during the afternoon or evenings, your fitness progress is dependent solely on those workouts. Miss a few workouts or more and progress will slip away. A morning exercise prescription, while not necessarily super intense, provides enough stimulus to maintain progress you’ve made during your more intense training sessions.

If you don’t occasionally skip your normal exercise routine, then you’ll make progress faster with the addition of the morning routine and have diversified your fitness skill set.

Yoga will transform your life

Article by Jason Brown - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

We all recognize that in order to condition our bodies and improve our fitness, we need to take up some sort of physical exercise. However, it is often missed that the same concept applies to our mind, and that in order to condition our thoughts, emotions, and internal experiences, we need to take up some form of inner exercise.

When I first heard of yoga, my initial impression was that it just involved middle-aged moms doing aerobics on a mat in an unnecessarily hot room. Luckily, my open-mindedness and curiosity prevailed, and I eventually discovered the many different dimensions of yoga.

On the surface, yoga may seem like an alternative version of exercising for people who prefer to stay out of the weight room, but upon closer examination, you might find that there’s more going on under the hood. While yoga certainly does provide a number of physical benefits including flexibility, core strength, and posture, keep reading to learn how yoga can transform your life beyond the physical benefits.

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Practice Mindfulness with Yoga

It is so easy to get distracted by the hundreds of stimuli that fight for our attention every single minute of the day. Whether it’s our thoughts or the physical things around us, these distractions can make it seem like your default state of mind is to bounce around from one thought to the next. It really takes a deliberate effort to be present with the moment and aware of what is right in front of us.

Most who first start practicing yoga will find themselves impatiently thinking of other things, such as wondering how much time is left until the end of the class. The more you practice, the more you learn to let go and not worry about the time, instead focusing on the movements. The reward is much greater. With the uniquely challenging activities found in yoga, to master and perfect the poses you will eventually be required to completely clear your mind. Once you start to practice losing yourself in the flow you will start to notice that you legitimately feel different when I walking out of each class.

With my personal yoga practice, I eventually realized that the potential to lose myself in the moment existed with every activity that I encountered in my day. This skill can be learned by anyone. Use yoga as a way to practice mindfulness and apply that to your daily routine in a way that resets and reorients your perspective.

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Relieve Stress with Yoga

His holiness the Dalai Lama

A mantra you might learn in your yoga practice is “let go of the things that no longer serve you.”

We hold onto so much weight, from our past experiences to little day to day stresses, and it doesn’t take a genius to realize that reliving or over-analyzing our grievances serves very little purpose.

Of course it's possible to learn from reflecting on our mistakes, but reflecting on a mistake 50 times does not teach you any lessons that can't be learned from reflecting on it once.

Yoga practice strengthens and develops the mind so it’s no longer a battle to calm your thoughts, allowing clarity of mind to develop. Just like a storm at sea, when the storm abates you can now see to the horizon.

“Let go of the things that no longer serve you”

By thinking, reciting, or chanting this phrase in or outside of your yoga or meditation practice, you can learn to actively let go of thoughts and outdated beliefs that add no value to your life. Release yourself from the bounds of your Not-Self. Once these steps are taken and mental solitude is established, be amazed by how much less stressed you are day to day.

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Learn Patience with Yoga

Ever been waiting in line and looked around to see that literally every other person in line has their head down looking at their phone? In truth, this probably occurs to you everyday! Generally speaking, most people lack the patience or ability to wait for something without distracting themselves with their phones. Yoga has the ability to teach patience, both with your mind and body. From the moment we wake up until the second we go to sleep, we are faced with thousands of opportunities to escape our own thoughts through technology, socializing, entertainment, or some form of consumption. Use the opportunity yoga provides to develop a new relationship with your thoughts so you can be both productive as well as mindful during the little down times of the day. You might find that those moments to yourself are sometimes the most enjoyable parts of your day.

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Develop Discipline with Yoga

Motivation and inspiration cannot solely be relied on to produce results in life. While it is certainly helpful to have ambition and drive, the main trait that you can rely on to make progress and achieve your goals is discipline. Inspiration and motivation are emotions. Emotions come and go, they are flux states that are dictated in large part by environmental factors.

Discipline on the other hand is a routine habit that you develop to work towards your vision no matter what mood, emotion, or feeling you’re currently experiencing. With discipline, you learn to experience emotion differently, let them wash over you and you recognize them, but stay distant and in control unless you decide to engage. Being emotional isn’t a problem, it is what makes us human, but emotions can also change your focus and disrupt your mindfulness.

If you have problems fostering discipline in your life, make a positive step forward by committing to something long term. Yoga is a great avenue for this, and over time you will learn that cultivated discipline throughout all aspects of your life can work miracles and enable you to achieve more than you ever thought before.

If you have trouble with discipline, start with your health. Wellness is a foundational element required to enjoy a blissful existence, and developing discipline by taking care of yourself and exercising your mind is a great place to start. Yoga is the scientific practice developed to cultivate this very thing.

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Enhance Focus with Yoga

Multitasking is something that has come to be celebrated as a strength and a sought after skill. What a lot of people fail to realize is that, as cool and useful as multitasking seems on the surface, the potential for productivity is far higher when we focus and concentrate our efforts on one task at a time, entering into a flow state.

Being in the flow is a mental state when everything seems to come intuitively and naturally, no matter how difficult the objective. The best athletes are celebrated for their ability to enter into flow states at those critical buzzer-beater moments.

The human brain is incapable of competently accomplishing two tasks simultaneously, and in order to be fully present and engaged in a conversation, we have to mindedly focus our efforts on the people we’re interacting with.

Learning how to focus will greatly benefit your life across the board, from work to social interactions. Without practice though it isn’t easy focusing on one thing. Being hyper focused can actually be very challenging if you don’t practice the skill, especially if you consider all the distractions of modern life.

Yoga is excellent for teaching focus as it challenges you to focus your attention on a single exercise, or breathing style, mantra, or awareness at a time. Yoga elevates your consciousness to new bounds, and the exercises in yoga often push you outside of your comfort zone to the point that you really have no choice but to cut the noise if you want to execute the pose properly.

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Ready? Take Your First Shavasana

Taking one yoga class is not going to immediately thrust you into spiritual enlightenment, but if you develop a deliberate and intentional practice, you will discover serious life benefits from yoga over time. You might even look back to that first class as the genesis moment that helped you create a new lifestyle, a new mindset, and…a new you.

A healthy mind has the potential to bring a little more calmness to your life and can do wonders for your relationships with other people. If you’re thinking about trying out a yoga class, most studios offer a 1 or 2-week free trial so you can get a sense first hand of what a yoga is like. There are so many different types of yoga so it can also be difficult to choose where to begin. For most beginners, a restorative flow is best.

Most practices include both physical and mental elements, but if you really want to hone in on the inner work and mindfulness part of yoga, I recommend seeking out a Kundalini Yoga class in your area as a good place to get started.

Incorporate Strength Training into a Running Routine

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Strength and power are not usually associated with running, yet, these physical qualities are fundamental to running performance and injury prevention. Strength exercises can vary largely in difficulty, technique and weight added. Resistance training has a wide range, from body weight exercises such as push-ups to barbell exercises such as the bench press, and even to exciting functional movements such as sandbag carries.

Wild Free Organic Running Series:

1. Beginners Running Guide - 3 Month Plan

2. Incorporate Strength Training into your Running Routine ✅

3. Preparing for your First 5K

4. Final Preparations and 5K Race Day

From running novice to experienced racer, you’ll learn running, strength training, and race tip from these articles written by Triathlete Sarah Alexander and Physician Carten Denne. For absolute beginners, start with the Beginners Running Guide and follow through the other articles as you prepare for your first 5k race!

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Why Add Strength Training to a Running Routine?

Strength and power are important to prevent injury and maximize performance for runners, and the answer lies in the physics of running. It revolves around something called “ground reaction forces”. To put it simply, these are the forces that the foot puts on the ground when landing. In return, the forces from the ground are returned to the foot. It has been shown that when the foot strikes the ground, up to 3 times body weight forces are exerted on the leg and foot hitting the ground (1)! Therefore, strong leg muscles are better able to withstand that amount of repetitive force making the runner less likely to get injured.  Also, the more force a runner can place on the ground, the faster they will run (2). So if that has you confused, don’t worry. After you perform the following exercises you will see first-hand how strength training can help.

It is recommended to do these exercises after a run or on a separate, non-running day. Incorporate them into your morning routine. Resistance training, although very beneficial, will tire the muscles used for running. Running with fatigued muscles can change ones running form and increase the risk of injury (3, 4). For advanced trainees, it is important to have a day or two dedicated to weight training per week. This can be after an easy jog instead of a run. A lifting session is not meant to be done on ones dedicated rest day.

Below is an example of what to add in after a run. Paired with a 5k running plan and proper diet and your results will be striking. Many of the basics (the push-up) are explained in a way to make them easier to perform and better understood how to progress. There are also new movements most runners have never performed before.

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Beginner Strength Training for Runners

Whether you are an elite marathoner or just got of the couch for the first time in 5 years, the following exercise are an essential starting point for your exploration into strength training.

2x a week perform the following circuit. Focus on proper form, consistent breathing, and don’t rush through the exercises.

• Squats 3 x 10-20

• Push-ups 3 x 0-20

• Lunges 3 x 10-20

Note - sets x reps (i.e. 3 x 10 is three sets of ten repetitions)

Exercise: Body Weight Squat

To perform this exercise for the first time it is often helpful to have a chair behind you as you sit back. The movement should mimic sitting into a chair, using your legs to control the motion on the way down. Once your behind touches the chair, stand back up using just the strength of your legs. Squats strengthen the large muscles in the legs that are responsible for generating power. Try starting with 3 sets of 20 repetitions with about 30 seconds rest between sets.

Exercise: The Push-Up

Don’t start thinking this deadly gym class favorite has come back to haunt your dreams. No need for struggling to hold a proper form or suffering with your knees on the hard ground. We are going to make it easier and hopefully more fun by using the negative push-up. First, start at the top of the position and lower slowly to the ground. Then to get back to the starting position, role up using your legs and abs. The purpose of negative push-ups is to maintain the form while on the eccentric (downwards) part of the movement. You will be able to take on regular push-ups after being able to do several of these. Begin with 2 sets of as many repetitions until fatigue, and as you build strength in your arms, shoulders, and chest, you can add more sets and reps.

Exercise: Lunges

Along with the squat, this leg exercise is great for runners. It will build power in the legs and can be altered to make it more difficult as you progress. The movement of the lunge is done by stepping out with one leg and letting the other knee gently move toward the ground. The “stepped out” foot is then brought back to place the feet together. When done properly this movement should not put stress on the knees or ankles. When you can do 20-30 consecutive lunges, then a jumping lunge can be integrated into the routine. Adding a jump in the movement will further develop the explosive leg muscles used in running.

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Intermediate Strength Training for Runners

Once you have mastered the basics for your chest and legs, the following exercises will further challenge your strength and power systems, especially those of the back and core, pushing your running PR’s lower.

Combined with the above beginner routine, 1x a week perform the following circuit. Focus on stability through the midsection throughout all the movements.

• Australian Pull-Ups 3 x 10-20

• Hollow Body Holds 3 x 10-30 secs

• Burpees 3 x 10-50

Exercise: Pull-ups/Australian Pull-up

Another body weight classic is the pull-up. No need to fear if you are not quite ready for a full on pull-up. There are many other variations that work the same muscles and movement patterns. In order to bust out perfect chest to bar reps, your whole upper body must be able to generate coordinated force. Progressing through exercises ensures this is an easily accomplished goal, only requiring hard work and commitment.

The Australian Pull-Up can be used if you are new to upper body pulling movements such as the pull-up but you are not strong enough to do a pull-up. After progressing to 10-15 repetitions continuously with good form, your arms will be ready for any hill out there!

Exercise: Hollow Body Hold

Gymnasts and divers are very familiar with the pleasant burn from this abdominal strengthening movement the Hollow Body Hold. This involves lying on your back with the hands and feet off the ground about 8-12 inches. Not to bad right? Just wait. To make it harder, contract and stabilize your core, starting to rock back and forth like a see-saw on your whole back without bending in the waist or letting the feet/hand touch the ground. This movement takes time to learn but the effort is worth the results, namely a stronger, more defined midsection!

Exercise: Burpees

Simple yet effective, burpees can be done anywhere or everywhere. Start in the push-up position and lower to the ground. Push to the starting position, and then jump the feet to the hands in one fluent motion. Now stand up and finish but jumping in the air with the hands over the head. After landing, place the hands on the floor and step the legs back. Now repeat that!

Not only can these be used to improve fitness but also to measure it. For women, doing 40-50 in a 3 minute period indicates that you are fitter than average (5). This movement may involve a small learning curve, but there are many ways to make this movement easier and manageable for just about anyone.

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Advanced Strength Training for Runners

Kettlebell training and running go hand in hand!

Once you’ve progressed through the basic and intermediate routines, you can start to experiment with more complex strength training movements.

Do not rush learning and mastering the basics! Basic strength exercises can be scaled and modified for a long time, really it is a life long learning process.

Combine the below routine with the beginner routine (1x a week) and the intermediate routine (1x a week). Perform the following exercises to completion one after the other, focusing on building full body power and explosiveness.

• Power Cleans 3 x 5

• Head Bangers 3 x 8

• Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch 3x15

Exercise: Power Cleans

Rarely are runners ever introduced the explosive, whole body movement known as the Power Clean. As far as strength, power, and muscle development goes, power cleans checks all the boxes. Like most barbell lifts it is best to learn the movement from an experienced lifter. Hire a coach so you can learn how to perform the movement correctly, effectively, and safely. It is recommended to start very light, starting with 3 sets of 5 reps. The time invested into this movement will pay dividends on the race course. Especially for a strong finish. 

Exercise: Head Bangers

Head Bangers are a modification of the infamous pull-up. Start with pulling up on a bar to place your chin over it. Then push your body away from the bar as far as possible followed by quickly pulling yourself back to the bar. This should all be done without letting your chin fall below the bar. 

There are many variations to this motion including changing the grip on the bar or leg position. When first starting this movement, aim for 3 sets of 8, and following the principle of progressive overload, add a few more reps each week.

Exercise: Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch

Coordination, speed, and strength are what you will develop with the Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch, and it’s imperative you perform this movement safely. Single arm dumbbell snatch 

This lift can be done with lighter weights at first and increased after gaining experience and proper patterning.

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Become a Multi-Disciplinary Athlete

Whether you’re new to running or an advanced trainee, you’ll benefit from incorporating proper resistance training into your wellness routine.

Strength Training builds muscle, burns body fat, ramps up your metabolism, and strengthens your skeleton, tendons/ligaments, and fascia.

Strength training the right amount will make you a better runner, and a healthier person.

Wild Free Organic recommends Vivobarefoot footwear - modern footwear made with natural human physiology, minimalism, and eco-conscious in mind. Vivobarefoot has zero-drop, wide toe-box shoes that can be used from the office to the gym to the tundra, and everything in-between.

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References:

1. Cavanagh, P. R. & Lafortune, M. A. Ground reaction forces in distance running. J. Biomech. 13, 397–406 (1980).

2. Nagahara, R., Mizutani, M., Matsuo, A., Kanehisa, H. & Fukunaga, T. Association of Sprint Performance With Ground Reaction Forces During Acceleration and Maximal Speed Phases in a Single Sprint. J. Appl. Biomech. 34, 104–110 (2019).

3. Gerlach, K. E. et al. Kinetic changes with fatigue and relationship to injury in female runners. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 37, 657–663 (2005).

4. Christina, K. A., White, S. C. & Gilchrist, L. A. Effect of localized muscle fatigue on vertical ground reaction forces and ankle joint motion during running. Hum. Mov. Sci. 20, 257–276 (2001).

5. BMI, Endurance-strength Abilities, Female Students, Health-related Fitness. Int. J. Sports Sci. 9 (2013).

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Carter Denne

Carter Denne is a physician with a Masters Degree in health science. With a strong background in athletics and sports science, Carter applies his health and wellness knowledge in his career and through educating others.

You can follow and connect with Carter through his Instagram @carterdenne.

Cannabis Yoga

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated March 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Pairing the consumption of cannabis and movement together has been practiced for thousands of years. Movement and cannabis are synergistic to each other, and together can create a powerful experience which draws awareness to the present moment and elevates consciousness.

What makes yoga and cannabis such a powerful experience physically, emotionally, and spiritually, is the endocannabinoid system. Running parallel to your nerves, sending signals from the body back to the brain, the opposite of normal. Both yoga and cannabis activate the endocannabinoid system, creating transformative experiences when used together.

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What is Yoga?

It's hard to describe yoga. In the western world, yoga is mostly thought of as a fitness modality, and treated as such.

Yoga is more than just a type of fitness, it is an eight limb path developed to be a guide for how to live a meaningful and purposeful life. Yoga will transform your life. Yoga is challenging yet easy, peaceful but also uncomfortable. The practice of yoga calms the mind but also poses challenging spiritual questions. Yoga is the ultimate tool for inward reflection and self-realization. Think of yoga as the equivalent of a cat discovering it is the cat on the other side of the mirror.

In terms of the physical, yoga is the best way I’ve learned to communicate with my body.

Yoga enables you to feel more than just musculature but also my connective tissues, fascia, joints, ligaments, and the skeletal system. Due to the way the brain and nervous system works, it is inherently difficult to feel and communicate with these deeper levels of your body because it can be dangerous. The improper application of stress on small areas can cause damage, and for this reason the connection between body and mind is initially dulled as a preventive safety measure.

Through the interactions of the endocannabinoid system, both yoga and cannabis increase the ability for the mind to connect with smaller and smaller sections of the body, and the practice of yoga is a way to responsibly learn these new feeling connections.

To understand how this works you must first learn and understand the endocannabinoid system.

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Connect to your Body with Cannabinoids

The endocannabinoid system is a biological system composed of cannabinoid receptors that runs parallel to the central and peripheral nervous system. Endocannabinoids are lipid-based retrograde neurotransmitters produced by the body which bind to cannabinoid receptors.

Fury Edge vaporizer by Healthy Rips. Vaporization of cannabis flower or consumption are the healthiest ways to consume cannabis.

The endocannabinoid system helps the body connect to the brain (1). This natural cannabinoid system is activated when cannabinoids are created or consumed, sending retrograde signals back to the brain along the nervous system using cannabinoid receptors (2).

To the uninitiated, this is very powerful because typically it is the brain which is sending out signals to the body to control bodily functions, motor patterns and more. Retrograde signaling provides feedback and enhanced connectivity from the body to the brain.

How you consume cannabis, and the quality of the flower used are very important for ensuring you create an experience which elevates your consciousness, and not intoxicates it.

Breathing exercises stimulate the endocannabinoid system, as does the consumption of cannabis. The practice of yoga is very breath focused, so when breath work and exogenous cannabis are combined together into one experience, the endocannabinoid system is highly stimulated, pushing tons of feedback from the central and peripheral nervous system to the brain.

Because the endocannabinoid system is closed related to breathing, it is involved in the many functions throughout the body. These include:

• Motor learning

• Appetite

• Pain-sensation

• Mood

• Memory

• Cognition, cognitive development

• Fertility

• Physical performance

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My Cannabis Yoga Experience

When I first tried yoga in the past sober, it was fun, but not a revolutionary experience. I definitely was not convinced of the benefits of yoga. It struck me as being a subpar workout.

Back then, my head was a storm, pulling my attention away from what is really important in yoga, which is syncing the breath to the flow of the body; clearing the mind, and being present. With more classes eventually I would have made the connection, but I didn’t take more classes because at the time the experience wasn’t anything special.

Cannabis yoga is best practiced with a trained professional

A couple years later at the invitation of a friend, I participated in a cannabis yoga class. I was newly experimenting with cannabis, so I found the concept interesting and thought why not.

After vaporizing a small bowl of cannabis sativa, we started the Yin Yoga class, and immediately I began making the connections between movement, breath, and the benefit of calming the mind. That first cannabis Yin Yoga class was an evolutionary experience, and really was the catalyst for my journey of spiritual development.

Now that I have had the initial “wow” experience, I don’t need cannabis in order to enjoy the incredible benefits of yoga. At the time though, cannabis helped me to cut down on the high frequency noise constantly humming through my head, enabling me to focus and experience a clarity of mind unlike ever before.

My first cannabis yoga class was an incredibly enlightening experience. Cannabis elevates consciousness, and the clarity of mind and connection to body that I experience every time I practice cannabis yoga helps to ground me in the present moment, relieve stress, wipe clean my anxiety, and fosters a deep sense of peace.

Due to the retrograde nervous system actions of yoga and cannabis, and the mental and physical awareness that brings, cannabis yoga can be a tremendously powerful experience for many people, and something few people in western society have experienced. Our modern world is endlessly distracting and creates a barrier between behavioral consciousness and elevated consciousness, and cannabis yoga under the guidance of a professional yogi can shift your consciousness out of a distracted information-rich environment.

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Experience Yourself

If you wish to experience cannabis yoga yourself, follow the guide below:

1. Create your environment: Find a quiet secluded place free of distractions. Silence or turn off your electronics. Set aside one hour for yourself to intuitively feel and discover your body as never experienced before. A yoga music playlist, quiet in the background and without ads, can help create the mood for self exploration. Otherwise the sounds of your environment are also ripe for conscious exploration.

2. Consume some cannabis: If using a mild edible, consume it 1 hour before the cannabis yoga session. If inhaling cannabis, do that a few minutes before, breathing deeply to ensure zero irritation to the lungs. Use a 50/50 mix of THC dominant cannabis flower and CBD dominant cannabis flower for a more well-rounded, paranoia free experience

3. Begin by Breathing: sitting cross-legged or in lotus posture, spine upright and head forward, begin taking slow deep breaths and find your natural rhythm. Expect your breath to change throughout the course of this yoga session, follow your instincts and don’t overthink.

4. Begin Moving: self expression through movement. Start with small movements. You can begin with your head, circling it and looking side to side to release built-up tension. Explore your shoulders, shrug them up and down, roll them, forward and back. Twist, bend, splay open! No matter your shape or body type, let go of your preconceptions and you’ll be amazed as your body begins move where it needs and wants too. Like a leaf floating down a river, follow the current and enter into a flow state of pure intuition and expression.

5. Meditate: when movement comes to an end, either because you’re tired or because it is time to recover, resume your starting seated posture or enter shavasana and return to slow deep breaths. Movement can be incredibly healing because it breaks up stiff tissues and improves circulation throughout the body. This can create a cellular mess that needs to be cleaned up by the immune system, kidneys, and liver. Practicing meditation for 10 - 20 minutes at the end of cannabis yoga starts the recovery process, lets you enjoy the bliss of the moment, and gives you time to understand the experience you went through.

If you want a more structured movement plan, then follow the simple beginners flow below:

• Lotus Pose - Starting position

• Table Pose - Engage your body

• Cat Cow Pose - Loosen up the back

• Child’s Pose - Open the Hips

• Pigeon Pose - Feel Your Legs

• Rabbit Pose - Contract Your Spine

• Cobra Pose - Stretch Your Spine

Please share your cannabis yoga experience, or any you have had before in the comments below.

Updated October 2020

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References:

1. Pacher P, Bátkai S, Kunos G. The endocannabinoid system as an emerging target of pharmacotherapy. Pharmacol Rev. 2006;58(3):389-462.

2. Russo S, De Azevedo WF. Advances in the understanding of the cannabinoid receptor 1 - focusing on the inverse agonists interactions. Curr Med Chem. 2019;26(10):1908-1919.

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Stefan Burns

“My wellness journey has evolved many times, and throughout this process there have been constants I’ve deeply realized. These truths form the foundation of a healthy and balanced lifestyle which anyone can build on. It’s through Wild Free Organic that myself and others share the wellness practices we’ve learned through our experience and backed up by science. Thank you for being here, and bless you.”

🙏 Namaste

30 day Arm growth experiment

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

I performed a 30-day experiment to grow my arms and forearms because even though I had been training my arms with compounds for years and increasingly directly with bodybuilding techniques, my upper arms and forearms were still sitting at just 15" and 12.25" respectively, and decided I wanted to grow them both to the next level.

The premise was simple:

Build as much size as possible in one month while simultaneously improving the symmetry between my biceps, triceps, and forearms

To do that I dramatically increased my arm training frequency, changed my exercise selection, altered my diet, and focused on recovery.

Background - Having a 77.5" wingspan at a height of 72.5", I have found it difficult to increase the size of my arms. Strength was never a limiting factor except in tricep-heavy pressing movements. I've been able to row and pull-up as much as my back can handle, and grip (mixed) more than my deadlift, but I always have had issues adding arm mass. I've tried blood flow restriction training (BFRT), the "chin-ups & compounds = big arms" approach, a dedicated arm day, everything that is typically recommended. I saw limited progress from each of those methods, but my arm size never increased dramatically like promised.

With the experiment, I started a lean bulk a few days prior and I made my arms a major focus. Every day for a month, I did five weekday morning workouts exclusively targeting the arms. Other weekly regular workouts also included direct arm training scattered between two bodybuilding workouts, four weekday full body workouts, and a Saturday strongman workout. The full workout protocol is below.

30-Day Before and After Results

Arm Measurements - Day 1 vs Day 30. Pictures Taken Flexed but Unpumped

In the span of 30 days my left and right arms increased from 15 1/8" to 15 1/2", an increase of 3/8"! To gain that much size naturally in a month is phenomenal. Additionally, I started to do a lot more direct forearm work, increasing in size my left and right forearms from 12 1/4" to 12 3/4", a whopping increase of 1/2"!

Arguably my forearm gains are the more impressive of the two results from the 30 day arm challenge, having registered 1/2” gain from a smaller starting diameter.

Symmetry approved across the board. My forearms are now more symmetrical with my upper arms, and I was able to add some size to the long head of my triceps, which forms the coveted “horseshoe”. All measurements were performed upon waking up in the morning, flexed with no pump.

Scroll through the four photos too see all the data. You’ll notice that I actually put on 1/4” on my upper arms in the first 10 days of the program, and then there was a 20 day plateau until I hit my first 15 1/2” measurement. If you’re fine with slightly less overall progress but over a shorter time-frame, run the below workout protocol over weeks instead of the full 30 days.

30 Day Arm Challenge Protocol

In order to push new arm growth, this program will push your limits and require dedication and consistency. Quick 15-20 minute morning arm workouts keep muscle protein synthesis elevated locally in the biceps, triceps, and forearms, and the nightly workouts push the myofibrillar hypertrophy further with heavier, higher recruitment exercises.

Nutrition for Arm Growth

For muscle growth to occur you need to eat in an overall caloric surplus. Since the arms are already a smaller, more difficult muscle group to grow, I would keep calories on average about 300-500 over maintenance. I stacked my calories and carbs around my workouts. I drank a muscle building shake containing pasture raised eggs and protein after every morning and night workout, and that helped tremendously. Meal timing is only useful though if the rest of your diet is cleaned up and on point.

I was also running a Cistanche and Cholesterol Protocol during this 30-day arm challenge, and I definitely think that positively contributed to my success of adding 3/8” to my upper arms and 1/2” to my forearms. None of these nutritional tips will matter though without enough water. Proper hydration is so important because water is the primary component of muscle tissue, so endeavor to drink 1 gallon of pure filtered water daily.

Recovery for Arm Growth

With this much intensity, frequency, and volume applied to such small muscle groups, sleep and recovery need to be prioritized. Aim for 7-9 hours of high quality sleep per night. I also used the sauna 3-4x a week for 20 minutes. While in the sauna I massaged my arms and forearms, driving blood-flow to the area and breaking up any tight tissues I encountered. Heat therapy is very healing and boosts growth hormone release. By massaging my fascia I allowed my arms to stretch the fascia and therefore, room to grow. Be mindful of your cortisol levels and don’t run into adrenal fatigue.

Morning Workouts keep Growth Stimulated 24/7

Muscle protein synthesis stays elevated for hours after exercise, and the purpose of morning workouts for this arm growth experiment is to elevate MPS first thing in the morning. Morning workouts are also a good opportunity to increase the mind muscle connection and get a satisfying arm pump. It’s during the five weekly morning workouts where you can really examine what needs to be worked on symmetry wise, and modify any variables that might improve symmetry. Establishing a morning routine is important, make arm workouts a part of it!

Evening Workouts for Building Arm Muscles

Muscle protein synthesis in the arms is declining around the time an evening workout is scheduled. Evening workouts load the weight higher and stimulate muscle protein synthesis for the body more systemically. If you are going to a gym, there is more equipment at your disposal too, so a great variation of exercises can be performed. At the end of an evening workout, perform some stretching and self-recovery practices in order to reduce muscle degradation. If muscle degradation levels are high, triggering MPS is less effective. Recovery is just as important as the workouts themselves!

Morning Workouts

These workouts are performed in a circuit fashion, with each exercise proceeding the last. Rest for 60-90 seconds in-between. If 5 rounds is too long of a workout to perform in the morning, perform 3 rounds instead.

Monday, Thursday

Ring Tricep Extensions 5 x 20 - 30

• This exercise is easy on the elbows and hits the triceps long head very effectively. Sit deeply into the stretch at the bottom and engage with your triceps to drive out of that position. Keep the tension constant.

Ring Curls 5 x 20 - 30

• Ring Curls are a great exercise which overloads the biceps safely. Your body-weight provides a good stimulus, but the force curve of the exercise ensures relatively even resistance throughout the curl. If you don’t have rings perform them later at the gym on a smith machine.

DB Wrist Curls 5 x 10

• Wrist Curls are one of the best ways to build forearm mass, and the Dumbbell variety is no joke. Start counting reps once you can feel the burn.

Tuesday, Friday

Band Tricep Extensions/Overhead Band Tricep Extensions 5 x 20

• I like to superset these exercises. Hang two bands off of a pull-up bar, one more stronger than the other. I use two 41” resistance bands, and when you tire with the stronger band from the tricep extesnions, move to the lighter band for the overhead exercise. Focus on improving you mind muscle connection with your triceps on each rep, and hold the top of each contraction for a couple seconds

Hammer Curls 5 x 20

• Hammer Curls are a fantastic dumbbell exercise which evenly builds the biceps and forearm muscles. Keep your elbows in front of your body to place more strain on your biceps and to limit the amount of movement “cheating”. If you perform this exercise correctly you’ll discover it’s one of the best arm and pump exercises.

Forearm Club Raises 5 x 25 - 20

• Find an offset weight such as an Indian club or a thick piece of metal piping. This movement trains forearm adduction, and is a very balanced forearm builder.This also makes for a good burnout exercise after the other two upper arm movements.

Wednesday

Wednesday’s workout is one of the easiest to perform at home, only requiring a doorway pull-up bar. I also like this workout because it improves body-weight movement patterns and strength. The arm pump I got from these workouts was the weakest, but has the most functional carryover.

Close-Grip Push-Ups 3 x 30 - 40

• Place your hands close together but neutral (diamond push-ups can aggravate your shoulders). Perform push-ups, keeping your core tight, scapula in proper positions, and direct all your focus to the triceps. Be sure to lockout each rep as that is where the triceps are activated the most.

Close-Grip Chin-Ups 5 x 10 - 15

• Grab onto a chin-up bar with a supinated grip, hands just a couples inches apart. Perform a chin-up but lay slightly more horizontal and place all your focus on your biceps. Squeeze at the top and slowly go back down to a dead hang. Done properly these are a fantastic bicep mass builder.

2-3” Bar Hangs 5 x Hold As Long As Possible

• Bar hangs are a great way to build forearm strength and endurance, and I like to do them for less time on thicker handles. Wrap your thumbs around the bar and if getting a thick bar setup is too difficult, perform towel hangs instead, which is just as challenging for your grip.

Night Workouts

Upper and lower arm exercises for the night workouts were more varied than the morning exercises, in both exercise selection and in set and rep schemes. Below are 3 example mini arm workouts you can add onto your routine over the course of a week.

Arm Workout 1

Barbell Curls 4x8

• The classic bicep building exercise, the key is to keep your elbows in front of your body in order to place most of the strain directly on your biceps. Use an E-Z bar to reduce wrist strain if that’s an issue you encounter.

Decline Close Grip Bench Press 4x8

• Two variations include performing this exercise on a flat bench with a smith machine, and using a Slingshot. The smith machine takes the small shoulder stabilizers out of the exercise, allowing the triceps to be focused on easier this way. The slingshot helps to reduce the weight of the bar off of the chest, therefore reducing the activation of the chest and placing it onto the triceps.

Behind the Back Barbell Wrist Curls 4x10

• With arms behind the back, it’s really easy to activate the forearms. Don’t count reps until your forearms are already burning, and then push through the pain. Use short rest periods for this exercise.

Arm Workout 2

DB Zotterman Curls 4x12

• Zotterman Curls are one of my favorite bicep exercises, very similar to hammer curls in the muscles they target. The zotterman curl brings the arm across the body, and by doing so you’re able to contract the top of the movement better than a hammer curl due to a move protected shoulder joint position. You’ll have to alternate reps here, so it makes for a good finisher when the biceps and forearms are already fatigued.

Overhead DB Tricep Extension 4x12

• The Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension is a classic tricep exercise, and one that’s easily performed at any gym. Standing or seated, I like this exercise less for the contraction at the top and more for the deep stretch I can achieve on my triceps at the bottom. Sink into that stretch, feel your triceps, and then use your triceps to drive the weight upwards.

Reverse DB Curls 4x20

• Reverse Dumbbell Curls are a very flexible exercise, and they can be performed from heavy to very light with a variety of reversed grip positions.

Arm Workout 3

Bicep Preacher Curl Machine 4x15

• I like to use machines every once in a while as a way to take the stabilizer muscles out of the movement in order to fully target the desired muscle, in this case the biceps. I like to hold the stretch, the contraction, and keep the MMC my focus during the movement itself.

Tricep Extension Machine 4x15

• Same concept as above with the Triceps Extension Machine. I find it difficult to contract the triceps compared to stretching the muscle (both can help grow a muscle), and this machine makes it really easy to get an amazing contraction on your entire tricep muscle. Hold the contraction and use a slow controlled tempo in-between.

Plate Pinches 4x Hold As Long As Possible

• Plate Pinches are a semi-unconventional grip exercise, but one that is easily performed at any gym. The two ways to perform this exercise is to to pick up a single 25 - 45 pound plate and hold for as long as possible, or increase the width of the pinch by stacking 10 pound plates together. Both methods improve grip strength.

GROW BIG ARMS

Follow this routine diligently for 30 days and I can guarantee you’ll see noticeable hypertrophy results. In fact, if you have the advantage of having a shorter wingspan with long muscle bellies, you’ll see even better results than I did! If you follow this routine, please share your results via the comments below.

Cistanche Provides and Extra Edge

And if you’re looking for an extra edge in building muscle, getting stronger, and leaning out I recommend you research into the herb cistanche. I used cistanche to boost my free testosterone levels by 53% in just thirty days, it’s one of the only proven testosterone boosting herbs that exists. Nootropics Depot sells cistanche powder with a high level of standardization.

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Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Other Articles on Strength Training

Dairy vs Plant Protein

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated January 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

There are many different types of protein found in nature, but for protein supplements the divide begins at whether the protein is animal or plant based. A protein molecule is made from a long chain of amino acids, and each type of protein has a unique sequence of amino acids. Therefore, the protein chains found in broccoli differ from those found in eggs. As science had discovered the different types of protein, we have started to learn the chemical differences between different types of plant and animal proteins and how they affect the body differently. Proteins differ in their effects on muscle protein synthesis, level of satiety, and immune system response.

For both athletes looking to improve their performance or regular folks trying to look better and live healthier, protein is an important macronutrient to understand and to know how to utilize. The general recommendation for protein intake is 2 grams/kg body-weight, or 1 gram/lb. For a 70 kg (155 lb) individual, that means they should aim to consume 140-155 grams of protein daily for optimal body composition and maximum wellness benefits.

It can be difficult to achieve that target consistently solely from whole and unprocessed foods, especially if you follow a lower protein vegetarian or vegan diet, and protein supplements like shakes and bars can help you meet your daily protein goals. For decades the only protein supplements were dairy based, specifically casein and whey protein, but now plant proteins are more and more popular. Uncommonly used supplemental protein sources like beef and egg proteins will not be discussed. Below we examine the pros and cons of dairy and plant-based proteins so you can understand how to best use either protein source when appropriate.

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Dairy Proteins

Dairy-based proteins, typically derived from cows milk, can be separated into casein and whey proteins. Before whey and casein are separated, they are known as "milk protein", and that's the type of protein Orgain uses in their Grass-Fed Clean Protein Shake (as pictured).

PROS:

• Milk proteins are extremely bioavailable (1), easily absorbed from food sources and then efficiently incorporated into the proteins of an organism's body.

• Milk proteins contain abundant Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA's) (2), the main amino acids responsible for stimulating an increase in muscle protein synthesis (MPS). With all other factors equal, more MPS, more muscle!

• Milk proteins are widely available! Due to the size of the dairy industry, milk, casein, and whey protein can all be had at a relatively inexpensive cost, with different levels of quality from concentrates to hydrolysates all having different price points.

CONS:

• Any food can be allergenic, but dairy-based foods are the most common food allergy (3), and should be strictly avoided if you have a dairy allergy. Likewise, those with a lactose intolerance should steer clear, even from products from like whey isolate which contain virtually zero lactose.

• Dairy protein products are derived from animals and for vegans and vegetarians looking to reduce their animal product consumption, plant proteins are a lower impact alternatives.

Plant Proteins

Plant-based proteins, once a niche product, have dramatically increased in popularity recently. Soy protein, once the plant protein of choice, has recently taken the backseat to newer options such as pea, pumpkin seed, and hemp proteins. The Vega protein drink pictured contains those three plant-based proteins.

PROS:

• Plant proteins are not commonly allergic, with soy protein being the exception (4), and in my experience, it's harder to develop an intolerance to plant-based proteins. For those with sensitive guts and damaged intestinal tight junctions, plant proteins are a better choice until gut health is restored.

• While plant proteins typically contain less protein per gram of product, they also contain more fiber! As it has been shown, fiber is one of the most important variables which determines the satiation value of a food (5), and a plant-based protein drink will stave off hunger longer than a dairy alternative.

• Vegan friendly!

CONS:

• Plant proteins, due to their structural makeup, don't have as pleasing of a texture or taste as dairy derived proteins, and often protein manufacturers add extra sugar, emulsifiers, and stabilizers to plant protein products to make them more palatable.

• Plant proteins aren't as efficiently absorbed as dairy protein, having lower biological values. This means that you'll need to consume more plant protein than dairy protein to ensure you receive an adequate amount of protein for your desired goals.

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Protein Recommendations

To simplify, there are two reasons you would consider buying a protein powder or drink.

1. Your goal is to build muscle and improve body composition as quickly and efficiently as possible.

2. Your want to improve protein intake for overall health and wellness inspirations.

If your goal is #1, and you are not lactose intolerant, then a hydrolyzed whey protein will be the best protein supplement for your goals. Whey hydrolysate empties out of the stomach faster, is absorbed faster, increases muscle protein synthesis the most, and creates the biggest insulin response. Hydrolyzed whey protein is the most anabolic form for protein known. Whey hydrolysate should not be used by those with blood sugar problems.

If your goal is #2, then a plant-based protein is recommended. Soy protein is not recommended because it is allergenic, contains high levels of phytoestrogens, and doesn’t stimulate muscle protein synthesis well. Pea, pumpkin, and hemp seed proteins are recommended instead. These proteins, used individually or together act as a complete protein source, digest easily, stimulate muscle protein synthesis, and come paired with plant fiber.

The best protein source though is from whole unprocessed foods. Protein supplements are a means to an end, not the end destination. Protein drinks should not be your main source of protein. Having a protein drink occasionally is OKAY, but consistent protein drink use is overall more less healthy than eating whole nutritious foods.

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References:

1. Hoffman JR, Falvo MJ. Protein - Which is Best?. J Sports Sci Med. 2004;3(3):118-30.

2. Rafiq S, Huma N, Pasha I, Sameen A, Mukhtar O, Khan MI. Chemical Composition, Nitrogen Fractions and Amino Acids Profile of Milk from Different Animal Species. Asian-australas J Anim Sci. 2016;29(7):1022-8.

3. Milk Allergy Vs. Lactose Intolerance. Food Allergy and Research Education.

4. Soy Allergy. Food Allergy and Research Education.

5. J. Slavin, and H. Green. Dietary fibre and satiety. British Nutrition Foundation.

The Science of Why Hydrolyzed Whey Protein is BEST

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated May 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

After finishing a workout, the standard recommendation is consume some protein to help build lean body mass. The faster the post-workout protein is absorbed the better, and as long as you have a healthy digestive system, this is true.

One of the latest advancements in the protein supplement industry is whey hydrolysate. Whey hydrolysate is absorbed by the body very rapidly because its whey protein peptides have been broken down into smaller chunks via hydrolysis.

Whey hydrolysate is rapidly absorbed by the body and it has been shown to improve the growth of muscle after a training stimulus as compared to other types of protein drinks.

What is Whey Protein?

Whey is a type of protein found in dairy milk, found to be highly bioavailable (1), and with cows milk 22% of the protein is whey. Casein protein makes up the remaining 78% of protein found in cows milk. It is almost exclusively cows milk that whey protein supplements are derived from.

Depending on the level of the extraction process, manufacturers make three different types of whey protein: whey concentrate, whey isolate, and whey hydrolysate.

Whey concentrate supplements are the least processed, still containing some fat, cholesterol, and lactose, with most modern whey concentrate supplements being 80-89% whey protein by weight. Whey isolate supplements are more processed, containing 90-99+% whey protein, being effectively lactose, carbohydrate, fat, and cholesterol free.

Whey hydrolysate is whey isolate that has been further processed to improve absorption by breaking down the whey protein chains into smaller pieces via enzymatic reactions. Whey isolate and whey hydrolysate are the same except whey hydrolysate has been predigested so it absorbs faster by the body.

For those looking to improve their health, have more energy, build muscle, and burn fat, what are the advantages to using hydrolyzed whey protein compared to a whey isolate or whey concentrate? Is hydrolyzed whey more anabolic than non-hydrolyzed whey protein?

To properly answer these questions, let’s examine more closely what whey hydrolysate is.

How is Whey Protein Hydrolyzed?

Whey hydrolysate is whey protein isolate which has been subjected to hydrolysis. Hydrolysis is a reaction involving the breaking of a bond in a molecule using water. In regards to protein, hydrolysis is the process of breaking down a protein into smaller peptides*. Protein hydrolysis typically occurs in the gastrointestinal tract after protein consumption (i.e. stomach and small intestine) through the use of acid and enzymes, but enzymatic protein hydrolysis can also be performed in the lab. Enzymatic protein hydrolysis, where food-grade enzymes are introduced to whey protein, is how whey protein hydrolysates are produced for the supplement industry.

In order to be absorbed by the body, all dietary protein is hydrolyzed during digestive enzymes to either free form amino acids or di- and tripeptides*.

*Note - Peptides are short chains of amino acid monomers (small molecules) linked by peptide bonds. A dipeptide is composed of two amino acids linked by peptide bonds, and likewise a tripeptide is composed of three amino acids linked together. A free form amino acid is a single amino acid molecule.

Any protein can be hydrolyzed, but typically only whey isolate is hydrolyzed to make whey hydrolysate supplements for economic reasons. There are three objective measures which can be used to determine the quality of a whey hydrolysate: percentage of hydrolysis, degree of hydrolysis, and average molecular weight.

Percentage of Hydrolysis

The percentage of hydrolysis is simply the amount of the protein which has been subjected to the hydrolysis process. A protein powder which is 50% hydrolyzed means that 50% of the protein has undergone some degree of hydrolysis, and the other 50% of the protein hasn't been hydrolyzed at all. Most whey hydrolysates which are sold are 100% whey hydrolysate, as they hydrolyze the whole batch of whey isolate at once.

Degree of Hydrolysis (DH)

Considering most whey hydrolysate supplements are 100% whey hydrolysate, the main determining factor in whether a whey hydrolysate is good or not is the degree of hydrolysis (DH). The degree of hydrolysis is the amount of hydrolysis that the protein has undergone, and this can range from no hydrolysis (DH0) to complete hydrolysis (DH100). A whey protein isolate which has a degree of hydrolysis of 10 (DH10), means that 10% of the whey protein has been successfully hydrolyzed (i.e. peptide bonds broken) to smaller di- and tripeptides and free form amino acids, and the other 90% of the whey protein isolate peptides are still tetrapeptides or larger. The higher the DH value of a hydrolyzed protein, the faster the whey protein is absorbed by the body.

Average Molecular Weight (AMW)

Related to the DH is the average molecular weight (AMW) of hydrolyzed whey. Molecular weights are measure in daltons (Da) and kilodaltons (kDa). Just as a whey hydrolysate with a high DH will have more di- and tripeptides and free form amino acids than a whey hydrolysate with a low DH, a more completely hydrolyzed protein will how a lower average molecular weight for the protein chains. This is important, because even if all the protein chains haven’t been completely hydrolyzed, any amount they have broken down is an improvement and will allow them to absorb faster.

Free form amino acids and di- and tripeptides have lower molecular weights than intact proteins, so the lower the average molecular weight of a whey hydrolysate, the faster it can be digested and absorbed into the blood stream. It is necessary to analyze the AMW of hydrolyzed protein supplements (if possible) because free form amino acids which have the lowest molecular weights are not as anabolic as di- and tri-peptides as they are directly absorbed by the gut at a greater rate and regulated by the liver to a much greater degree (2). Di- and tripeptides have a much easier time passing directly into the bloodstream than free form amino acids due to how they are transported (3). A low average molecular weight and a low free form amino acid percentage ensures that a hydrolyzed protein product is high in di- and tripeptides and not cheaper free-form amino acids.

To sum up, a DH30 whey hydrolysate will have a lower average MW than a DH10 whey hydrolysate.

As the DH increases, the protein which is being hydrolyzed becomes more and more bitter, and the broken protein molecules are reduced in molecular weight. A DH100 whey hydrolysate would be nearly impossible to manufacture. A typical 100% whey hydrolysate has a DH value ranging from 1-9%. A DH10 or greater is considered a high DH value, and the best protein hydrolysate supplements max out at ~DH30. If you are curious as to the degree of hydrolysis of a specific whey hydrolysate supplement, request a product specification sheet from the producer, as this information is usually not advertised.

Whey Hydrolysate Digestion

When it comes to the muscle building effects of any protein, four specific qualities must be analyzed to determine the protein’s impact on anabolism. These qualities are:

• Rate of gastric Emptying

• Gastrointestinal Absorption

• Amino Acid Profile - Muscle Protein Synthesis

• Insulin Response

The faster protein is able to exit the stomach into the small intestine for absorption, the better it is in acutely increasing circulating free form amino acids and di- and tripeptides in the bloodstream. More efficient gastrointestinal absorption also allows more protein fractions to enter into the bloodstream, creating a more anabolic environment. The level of muscle protein synthesis which is stimulated by a protein is important, and the ability of a protein to increase insulin secretion upon consumption also is important in creating an anabolic muscle building environment.

Hydrolyzed Whey has a Faster Rate of Gastric Emptying

Whey hydrolysate solutions empty with a half-time rate of 17 ± 6 minutes (4). The half-time rate is the time required by the stomach to empty 50% of the ingested meal. For reference, a standard glucose solution, which has a very fast rate of gastric emptying, has a half-time rate of 9.5 ± 1 minute and milk protein, which has a slow rate of gastric emptying, has a half-time rate of 26.5 ± 10.0 minutes (4). When it comes to quickly creating an anabolic state by delivering whey protein peptides into the blood stream, the faster the rate of gastric emptying, the better.

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Hydrolyzed Whey is More Efficiently Absorbed

Whey hydrolysate is able to be absorbed by the body more rapidly than intact proteins, such as whey protein concentrate and isolate, thus quickening nutrient delivery to muscle tissues. Dipeptides and tripeptides, and less-so free form amino acids, are absorbed extremely rapidly since they are already broken down and can pass through the intestinal wall passively or via transporters. Peptides larger than tripeptides, such as tetrapeptides, cannot be directly absorbed by the body unless they undergo further digestion into smaller peptides or free form amino acids.

Studies (5, 6, 7) strongly suggest that ingestion of a protein hydrolysate results in a less efficient uptake by the splanchnic bed. The splanchnic bed is comprised of the tissues of the liver, stomach, intestines, pancreas, and spleen, and they have their own nutrient requirements. For the purpose of building muscle, the more proteins can avoid being absorbed by the splanchnic bed and flow into the blood stream, the better. With whey hydrolysate the acute increase of amino acids entering into the blood stream is greater than with protein isolate or concentrate, which should help with triggering muscle protein synthesis higher and build more muscle.

Amino Acid Profile - Muscle Protein Synthesis

Increasing muscle protein synthesis (MPS) is the main reason protein powder supplements are popular, as it leads to greater muscular gains, and compared to other protein sources such as casein and soy, whey protein is the best at acutely increasing MPS (8). The amino acid profile of whey protein compared to other proteins such as soy and casein is responsible for its greater ability to increase MPS, and the 2:1:1 ratio of branched chained amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine found in whey protein is responsible for this (9).

Whey Hydrolysate has a Stronger Insulin Response

Whey protein has been shown to greatly stimulate insulin release once the various di- and tripeptides and free form amino acids enter the bloodstream (10), and insulin is a major contributor to muscle anabolism* under certain conditions. The one-two punch of increased muscle protein synthesis from whey protein and increased insulin levels makes whey protein a very anabolic supplement, and considering whey hydrolysate is the quickest and most efficiently absorbed whey protein available, whey hydrolysate will stimulate insulin release to a greater degree than whey isolate or concentrate.

Compared to other versions of whey protein and casein hydrolysate, whey hydrolysate increases skeletal muscle glycogen levels to a greater degree over a similar time period (11, 12). Higher muscle glycogen stores and fast absorption make whey hydrolysate a great ingredient to use in a intra-workout drink.

*Note - Insulin allows nutrients in the bloodstream, such as whey protein fractions and glucose, to enter into a muscle cell. Insulin also stimulates muscle protein synthesis and increases blood flow to muscles.

Should you Buy Whey Hydrolysate?

Whey protein hydrolysate is more effective than whey protein isolate and concentrate, but since whey protein concentrate and isolate are already highly bio-available, the increased ability of whey protein hydrolysate to be absorbed into the blood stream, increase muscle protein synthesis, and build muscle might be overplayed.

A whey hydrolysate supplement with a degree of hydrolysis of 3, which is typical for the industry, only offers a small competitive advantage over regular whey protein isolate, but the current science shows that a DH10+ whey hydrolysate definitely confers significant anabolic advantages over regular whey protein isolate or concentrate.

Whether the increased price of whey protein hydrolysate is worth the extra premium is up to you the buyer. I personally like to afford myself every advantage I can, and whey hydrolysates are not that much more expensive than standard whey isolate.

To answer the question of whether consumption of a hydrolyzed whey protein produces a more anabolic environment compared to a non-hydrolyzed whey protein, the answer is yes (13). Consumption of a high DH, low AMW whey hydrolysate supplement has significant benefits over traditional whey isolate and concentrate supplements.

Is Whey Hydrolysate Right for You?

If you are already buying a whey protein supplement for pre, peri, or post workout nutrition, I would recommend you buy whey hydrolysate instead of whey isolate or concentrate as long as the degree or hydrolysis value of the hydrolysate is 10+.

When buying a protein powder for general health reasons, such as getting sufficient protein in the diet or to have an easy meal replacement on hand, I would stick with a less allergenic plant based protein, which also adds fiber to your diet.

Lower DH (<10) whey hydrolysates still offer unique advantages over typical whey protein supplements, but the higher price per pound doesn't make low DH whey hydrolysates worth the extra cost compared to whey isolate in my opinion.

If you are mildly lactose intolerant but whey isolate consumption causes no health issues, whey hydrolysate is a great choice. Whey hydrolysate is virtually free of lactose, fat, and cholesterol, and it shouldn't cause any adverse effects. Caution is always recommended though, and if you are unsure if you can consume whey protein safely with no gastrointestinal issues please consult with your doctor or wellness practitioner.

Whey Hydrolysate Buying Recommendations

Overall, I would give whey hydrolysate a big BUY recommendation considering you buy the right type (aka DH10+, AMW & ~10,000 Da). Below I have two brands I recommend and have tried, and there are other supplement companies which sell comparable products. Armed with the knowledge provided in this article, it should now be easy to determine whether any whey hydrolysate supplement you run across is high quality and legit or a marketing gimmick.

The high DH whey hydrolysate I recommend can be purchased from True Nutrition. True Nutrition sells dozens of different types of supplement powders and pills, rigorously third party tests them, and then retails them at competitive prices. You can even create your own custom protein blend, which is basically a combination of whichever bulk powders you want in your desired ratios. They charge extra for flavors, the bags used to hold the protein, and shipping, but even after all of that you still come out ahead.

The Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Ultra Grade sold by True Nutrition is approximately the same price as Optimum Nutrition’s Platinum HydroWhey, but it’s degree of hydrolysis is clearly listed at 13%, which is exceptional, and True Nutrition’s Hydrolyzed Whey isn’t spiked with lower quality BCAA’s like Optimum Nutrition’s HydroWhey. Optimum’s brand also uses artificial sugars which disrupt gut health.

True Nutrition powders can also be blended in the factory with other protein, carbohydrate, or fat powders for a customized shake blend, and you can customize the flavoring too, which is pretty great. Create your own peri-workout drink, meal replacement, protein shake, or more!

If you don’t care about hydrolysis, then Isopure’s Unflavored Whey Isolate is a great whey protein. I give it my highest recommendation because it is easy to digest, isn’t loaded up with any junk artificial sugars or chemicals, and comes at a reasonable price. Hydrolyzed protein can give you an extra edge, but for 99% of the populace, a whey isolate is a better choice of protein and will be just as effective in building muscle and increasing strength.

Boost Testosterone and Build Muscle with Cistanche

Whey protein confers quite an advantage in maintaining and building lean body mass compared to other proteins, and if you want to make sure every gram of protein goes to proper use and to really give yourself an extra edge with strength training, I recommend trying a Cistanche and Cholesterol Protocol.

Combining the testosterone boosting herb cistanche with high cholesterol sources of food like eggs primes the body for muscular growth by providing it everything it needs to increase steroidogenesis. Combining cistanche and eggs together caused me to increase my free testosterone levels by 53% in just 30 days. You can purchase cistanche from Nootropics Depot.

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References

1. Hoffman JR, Falvo MJ. Protein - Which is Best?. J Sports Sci Med. 2004;3(3):118-30.

2. Matthews, David M. et al. Peptide Absorption. Gastroenterology, Volume 71, Issue 1, 151 - 161

3. Frenhani PB, Burini RC. [Mechanisms of absorption of amino acids and oligopeptides. Control and implications in human diet therapy]. Arq Gastroenterol. 1999;36(4):227-37.

4. Calbet JA, Holst JJ. Gastric emptying, gastric secretion and enterogastrone response after administration of milk proteins or their peptide hydrolysates in humans. Eur J Nutr. 2004;43(3):127-39.

5. Manninen AH. Protein hydrolysates in sports nutrition. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2009;6:38.

6. Kim W, Egan JM. The role of incretins in glucose homeostasis and diabetes treatment. Pharmacol Rev. 2008;60(4):470-512.

7. Paddon-jones D, Sheffield-moore M, Aarsland A, Wolfe RR, Ferrando AA. Exogenous amino acids stimulate human muscle anabolism without interfering with the response to mixed meal ingestion. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2005;288(4):E761-7.

8. Tang JE, Moore DR, Kujbida GW, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Ingestion of whey hydrolysate, casein, or soy protein isolate: effects on mixed muscle protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in young men. J Appl Physiol. 2009;107(3):987-92.

9. Hulmi JJ, Lockwood CM, Stout JR. Effect of protein/essential amino acids and resistance training on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: A case for whey protein. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2010;7:51.

10. Frid AH, Nilsson M, Holst JJ, Björck IM. Effect of whey on blood glucose and insulin responses to composite breakfast and lunch meals in type 2 diabetic subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005;82(1):69-75.

11. Morifuji M, Kanda A, Koga J, Kawanaka K, Higuchi M. Post-exercise carbohydrate plus whey protein hydrolysates supplementation increases skeletal muscle glycogen level in rats. Amino Acids. 2010;38(4):1109-15.

12. Kanda A, Morifuji M, Fukasawa T, et al. Dietary whey protein hydrolysates increase skeletal muscle glycogen levels via activation of glycogen synthase in mice. J Agric Food Chem. 2012;60(45):11403-8.

13. Manninen AH. Hyperinsulinaemia, hyperaminoacidaemia and post-exercise muscle anabolism: the search for the optimal recovery drink. Br J Sports Med. 2006;40(11):900-5.

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