For most of us, winter is either here or on its way.

So what exactly does winter have to do with building muscle?

Everything, actually.

Because winter is cold season.

And if you end up catching a bad cold, it can take a while before you get going again, and this could mean down time from the gym.

I do realize that for some people this could be considered a good thing because they are over trained and the cold will force them to rest.

However, if you are like me, skipping a workout is not really a great option so I thought I would talk about keeping yourself well.

First, however, I would like to point out that I am not a doctor and the following advice should not be taken as medical advice.

These are just my opinions and should be taken as such.

If you have any questions you should consult your doctor or health care professional before following my advice.

O.K.

Now that we gotten that out of the way.

Up first, on my list of things you can do to help keep yourself well.

Sleep, yes, good old fashioned sleep.

Yes, I realize that sleep is not the next big thing, but if you constantly go without enough sleep, there is a very good chance that you will get sick.

So please try for eight hours a night of uninterrupted sleep.

Oh, and as a side effect, you may find your self growing because muscles grow at rest.

Not when you are lifting some heavy iron at the gym.

Up next, is to make sure you are going to the bathroom regularly.

Yes, just like sleep cleaning yourself out is not the thing-of-the-moment, but if you are chronically backed up, I don’t feel this is a good thing for your overall health.

So make sure you are taking in enough fiber so that you find yourself needing to make a visit to the bathroom everyday.

Finally, make sure you get enough variety in your diet.

And by variety, I do not mean switching from chocolate chip cookies, to ones with chocolate chunks.

The variety I am talking about is more of an actual food based variety, for example, if you like apples and have one everyday try switching to oranges for a while and then maybe to mangos.

Same goes with vegetables, if you find yourself always having green peppers, try red for a while, and then yellow, or how about some hot peppers for a change.

By mixing it up you will get a greater range of nutrients.

I know you might be thinking,

Well I take a multi-vitamin, so I am covered.

Yes, I like vitamins too, but think of it this way, do you think science has discovered every single healthy substance.

I don’t.

So by taking in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables you ensure that you are getting tons of healthy stuff and some of it may not yet be known about.

CONCLUSION

I know getting sick isn’t something that most of us think about.

That is until we get sick.

So give my above stay healthy tips a try.

I know if you do you just might find yourself spending less time being sick and more time training.

And to me that’s a good thing.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

STAY HUNGRY

I remember the days when I was a kid, looking at the magazines and reading all the articles.

The author would mention that you really need to take in enough quality protein to grow.

And that, a good quality protein powder would really help.

Good advice.

But there was a problem with it.

First, I was just a kid who had no idea what a good protein powder was.

And second unlike today where you can go to one of the more popular bodybuilding sites and ask for help, there was no one around to ask.

So today I am going lay out one brand of protein that I have used and still use to this day.

And this is Optimum Nutrition’s 100% Whey Gold Standard protein powder.

Now, right up front I want to point out a few things.

First, I am not being paid by Optimum to say this, I just feel their protein is of good quality and is priced right.

Are there other places that I buy from, sure?

As I stated just recently, I love Dave Drapers Bomber Blend.

However, the one thing about Optimum is that they are available just about anywhere.

Second, you get what you pay for.

Third, they have tons of flavors, for me personally I like the double rich chocolate flavor and surprisingly I like this one better than their milk chocolate flavor, because I am usually a milk chocolate kind of guy.

CONCLUSION

I know this is a short post today, but I just wanted to give the young man or woman who has just started out on their bodybuilding journey a reliable source of protein.

Some will say that I left out various companies.

And I will admit that I have.

But again, I am trying to give the beginner a good quality brand that they can trust.

Once they become familiar with the bodybuilding landscape, they can decide for themselves when/if they want to try a different brand for their protein powder.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

KEEP FIT

With so many people expected to be going online to shop today, I thought I would give you a list of the places that I like to shop for my bodybuilding supplements.

In no particular order, here are the companies I use.

Note: I am not being paid to list any of these places, these are just places that over the years I have used and liked.

I like bodybuilding.com because they carry most brands, and the shipping is ultra fast.

Every time I have used them, my order comes in three days.

Fantastic

Second, is davedraper.com, Dave’s Bomber Blend protein is my favorite; the stuff mixes great, tastes great, and has a great nutrition profile.

Dave’s wife Laree, always answers my emails and she doesn’t come across on the email like she is doing me a favor by taking the time out of here busy schedule to answer my question.

She always emails back and does so in a very nice manner.

Dave’s site carries more than just the Bomber Blend, but that is all I purchase.

Up next is bulknutrition.com, I like bulk nutrition as they have great prices and you get your order very fast.

CONCLUSION

I know the above is a short list, but those are the places that I use, and recommend.

Of course, your results with the above places could be vastly different then mine so I make no claims regarding the service you will receive.

Lastly, think twice before you lay your money down for any supplement that sounds like it will help you gain muscle overnight.

Nothing works that fast.

So be careful.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

GOOD SHOPPING

O.K.

So despite your best efforts, you over-indulged on all things Thanksgiving.

So how can you start burning off all the extra calories?

What if I told you there was a way to do it, which involved something that you enjoy doing.

So what’s the secret?

It’s called shopping.

O.K.

You might be thinking,

I love shopping

But how is this going to help me burn off any extra calories.

Simple.

You exercise shop.

By this I mean, incorporating more exercise into your shopping than you normally do.

For starters do not circle the parking lot for an hour looking for that ultra-close spot.

No.

Park some distance away so you have to walk.

Second when you get into the store or mall and are done, and are going to move on to another store, don’t leave the store until you’ve done a lap around it.

Then move onto your next stop.

Of course, if you happen to be in a mall, the perfect thing to do is to take a couple of trips around the mall, and by trips I mean serious trips, no slow walking.

Really put some effort into to it.

Next, you take the stairs whenever possible—stairs are one of the best workouts that you can do.

Finally, do not count out the workout you get from carrying around all those shopping bags.

Lastly, make sure you steer clear of food court at the mall.

So your Little Nudge for this week is.

To find ways to turn your holiday shopping into a cardio workout.

UNTIL NEXT WEEK

THINK FITNESS

By the time my next Little Nudge post comes out, Thanksgiving will have come and gone so,

I want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving like Christmas is a time to be with friends and family, to laugh and enjoy yourself, or enjoy talking about the good-old-days while you try and make some more memories.

So your little nudge this week, is to take the time this coming week to enjoy the journey of getting ready for Thanksgiving.

And not be so stressed that you cannot enjoy the process.

Also, too many people try and make things perfect.

So try and relax this year and enjoy whatever comes and not get stressed.

UNITL NEXT WEEK

ENJOY THE HOLIDAY