Protein is a muscles best friend

Protein is incredibly important when it comes to nutrition for building a healthy toned or muscular body. Muscles are basically made out of protein. In fact, protein is an important element of every cell in your body. It is a vital building block not only for our muscles but also for our bones, cartilage, skin, hair, nails and blood (among other things). With that said, if you don't get enough protein in your diet you can not build muscles, its that simple.

Many fitness enthusiasts supplement their regular protein intake with protein powder or pre-made shakes. We sell both of those here at the gym. However, for the average person the best way to ingest protein is simply to eat healthy and choose foods that are high in protein, avoiding low protein products. We thought we could help you along a bit and list foods that are high in protein.

Lets start with the animal kingdom:
*Turkey and chicken breast (make sure it's a quality bird and avoid the skin for a leaner option)

*Lean beef and veal (avoid any fatty pieces, the white stuff, that's the fat)

*Pork loin (chops that is. Again, avoid any fat bits, cut it off)

*Tuna, salmon and halibut (wild catches will be more nutritious than farmed as the fishes diet is more varied. And may I suggest choosing dolphin friendly tuna at all times, that part is more beneficiary to your conscience than the nutrition)

*Lobster and crab (seafood in general are good sources of protein)

Vegetarian options (which should also be eaten by meat eaters):
*Tofu (not all tofu products are all that good for you, a lot of soy is genetically modified etc. Choose organic tofu and fermented soy products like Tempeh)

*Soy beans (Same here, organic is best)

*Cheese (Low fat mozarella or cottage cheese will be among the best for you)

*Eggs (especially the egg whites. You might have heard about body builders drinking raw egg-whites, they don't necessarily have to be raw though, even though all food is most nutritious raw)

*Yoghurt, milk and soymilk (yoghurt has many benefits to it, especially the natural organic varieties)

*Nuts and seeds (Pretty much any nuts and seeds will be good sources of protein. Some of the best seeds are pumpkin, watermelon, squash, sunflower, flax and sesame, and for nuts I can recommend almonds, pistachios, peanuts and pecans)

*Spirulina (Possibly the least known to you on this list, it is a dried seaweed and it's is packed with protein)

A protein rich diet alone will not build muscle. Although protein is good for many functions in the body, if you want it to assist you in building muscle mass you will have to put in some work at the gym (or wherever you decide to exercise). One thing is for sure, eating less junk and more protein rich food will benefit any body tremendously, and in combination with exercise you are guaranteed to see and feel great change.

Choosing organic (when you can) will always insure that you need to eat less volume, as each bite will be more nutritious. Raw food will retain more of all the good stuff than cooked food, not possible with all foods naturally, but do try to keep your vegetables raw instead of cooking them. From the moment vegetables and fruits are harvested they start loosing their nutrients, it is therefore a good idea to shop for local and recently harvested produce (the ultimate is growing your own and picking things straight onto the plate). Fruit and veg that has traveled a long way to your dinner table will have lost a lot of their original goodness, which means you'll need to eat more to feel satisfied. Keep a balanced diet, nutrients and vitamins of all kinds are beneficiary to building good physique. A handy little trick to intake as many different nutrients as possible is to make sure there are a lot of colors mixed in any one meal, this helps keep a good spread of nutrition in your diet. We do recommend reading up a bit more on nutrition than that, but the colors is an easy thing keep in mind when shopping. P.S. Original colors are the only thing that counts, food coloring does not apply!!!

But don't just take our word on all of this, do your own research for a diet that is good for your specific body and training. We are all different and it's important that you find what works for you.

Biceps and Triceps toning

Here is one the boys will like, I should think. I've watched as some of our gym members approach Bruce (owner of the Body Shop) asking for tips for their gym routine and he is always more than happy to help out. However, I suspect many are too shy to ask, so thought we'd feature some suggestions for you here on our blog. First up, biceps and triceps, muscle groups favored by many guys (and some girls) when it comes to building their physique. How does one acquire those bulging Popeye arms, or Body Shop logo arms if you wish? With all of these exercises, start with a lighter weight and work yourself up over time. Pick a weight where you can do three sets of 10-15 reps, coming to a moderate burn at the end of each set.

Bicep work outs:
Biceps work out #1: Preacher curls

Sit or stand with the arms resting on the support pad. Grasp the bar or dumbbell with an underhand grip. Inhale and raise the forearm(s) by bending the elbows. Exhale at the end of the effort. Begin with lighter weights and be careful not to overextend the arms at the elbow joint.

Here's Joe demonstrating preacher curls with bar (top) and dumbbell (bottom).

Biceps work out #2: Dumbbell curls

Sit holding a dumbbell in each hand with arms hanging down and the palms of the hands facing the body. Inhale and bend the elbow, rotate the palm up before it reaches horizontal. To make this exercise work your muscles further continue by raising the elbow at the end of the movement.

Nelson is showing excellent form on the dumbbell curls here.

Biceps work out #3: Pulley curls (High and Low)

Using the tethered weight machine in two ways. With the tether anchored low, stand facing the machine, grasp the handle with an underhand grip. Inhale and bend the elbow, upper arms at the side of your body, raising the forearm only. Exhale at the end of the movement.

Or, for high  curls, stand between the two tethers, having them anchored in a high position. One handle grip in each hand, started with arms stretched out like a 'cross', inhale and bend the arms at the elbow bringing your fists towards your head. Exhale at the end of the movement.

Frederic is demonstrating both variations of the pulley curls, both high (top) and low ones (bottom).

Do remember to balance your biceps work outs with triceps work outs (and other muscle groups) in order to get a balanced healthy physique.

Triceps work outs:

Triceps workout #1: Push downs

Use the tethered weight machine with the tether anchored in a high position (use a bar or rope handle). Stand facing the machine, grasp the handle with an overhand grip, inhale and extend the forearms, keeping the elbows tucked into the body. Exhale at the end of the movement.

Eric is showing how to use the tethered machine for push downs, using one of several different hook-on handles we have available to choose from at the Body Shop gym.

Triceps workout #2: Triceps kickbacks

Gripping a dumbbell in one hand stand in a running start position with both knees slightly bent, lent slightly forward, maintaining a straight back. Hold the upper arm fixed alongside the body, bend and extend at the elbow. Inhale when extending and exhale at the end of the movement. This is a small movement and looks rather easy, but it can be very effective. Perform reps until you feel a burn for best result.

Grace is showing the stance and movement of this exercise.

Triceps workout #3: Lying triceps extensions (With bar or dumbbells)

Lie on your back on a horizontal bench, grasp the barbell with an overhand grip or a dumbbell in each hand with a vertical grip. Start by holding the weight with straight arms above your chest. Inhale and bend at the elbow lowering the weight to the forehead or behind the head. Return to the initial position and exhale there.

Here's Ramon demonstrating how to execute lying triceps extensions with a bar.

Kathy is showing a slight variation of the above exercise using a dumbbell. Lowering the weight across your face where you can see it gives you a bit more control and reduces the strain slightly, a good variation for women.

Don't forget warming up, stretching and eating right. One of the most important aspects of muscle building is diet. Your body needs protein to have a fair chance of toning, fast food and cereal doesn't cut it. See other posts for food and supplement tips, or talk to Bruce for more information.

We would like to thank all of the gym members who participated in the photos for this blog post, we have the best members in the world!!!