Alright everybody ‘The Mike’ is back!

In fact, he did not go anywhere—I’ve been dedicating some time to a few assignments [Awesome related of course] but am now ready to lend you some brain cells and make sure we keep your quest for the perfect physique on a steady path…

opposed to a crooked one I guess?

Anyway, it’s the first day of summer which means TWO things…

1.] To look good on the beach

2.] Stock up on Gold Bond powder

Though I can’t help you with your “overactive” sweat gland problem, I can continue you on your quest to *”Abville”…

Come take a look at Part 1 of my ‘Summertime Slim Down Series”.

Water is Your Homeboy

“Oh, no shit Mike. You have been on hiatus for 3 months and this is what you come back with!?”

I know that you’ve “heard it all before” but with summer upon us, this is probably the most important variable in building muscle, keeping lean and balancing fluids and nutrients in the body.

Let’s outline the reasons why you need to stay hydrated this summer if you want to get diced.

Nutrient Absorption

Assuming you are consuming the proper macro nutrients between your protein, healthy fat and carbohydrate combinations, it is imperative that you consume enough water to help shuttle and absorb nutrients into your body.  As you have probably heard your body is made up of roughly 70% water [the other 30% being muscle and awesome obviously]. This means that everything from your brain to your biceps to your blood is made up of water which without it would not grow or function properly.

Everything from a neurological to physical standpoint is effected when not enough H2O is consumed. After many years of ‘cutting’ weight for wrestling, my body was often depleted of water and the effect that it had on my ability to mentally and physically function was drastic. Which leads me to…

Fluid and Electrolyte Balance

Being the hottest time of year, your body is constantly working to cool itself down by…you guessed it—by sweating. Not only is your body essentially depleting itself of water, but your sodium to potassium ratios will begin to get thrown out of whack.

Sodium and potassium ratio is essential to balancing muscle energy and electrolyte balance.

Taking in an adequate amount of water will help to flush out excess sodium and shuttle potassium to muscles and organs alike [assuming your diet is on point and your taking in foods that contain enough sodium and potassium]. Without the right balance of these, the body will not function properly in regards to exercise and nutrient absorption. The most noticeable sign of an influx of sodium is when you swell up like a balloon. On the flip side, not enough potassium leads to cramping. Others include lethargy, “bonking”, blood pressure fluctuation, etc.

My next topic will teach you how to prevent this…

Hydration

So you sweat more than Patrick Ewing in warm ups…

No worries. We all fall victim to dehydration in the summer without even noticing it.  With insanely high temperatures, your body is CONSTANTLY loosing water whether you’re working out or not.

The good news—all you need to do is drink water.

The bad news—all you need to do is drink water.

I get it, it isn’t convenient carrying around a bottle of water all day to constantly stay hydrated. Chances are you actually do shit during the day, so being conscious of this becomes more subconscious…or lack of conscious.

No worries.

Be sure to be taking in certain types of fruits and vegetables especially around the time of your workouts that contain potassium  such as bananas. You can even find fruits that contain a good portion of water like melons and pineapple. These will not only help with inflammation around the time of your workout, but will help quickly restore glycogen levels and keep you hydrated.

As with anything, your body will become more efficient at absorbing and flushing your system of water as you continue to properly hydrated. Timing, as with most of nutrition, is critical with hydration. Trying to drain a gallon of water ten minutes before the gym is only going to make you piss yourself mid-squat.

You should be hydrating throughout the day and night before workouts. This will give your body an adequate amount of time to absorb the fluids, balance electrolytes and hydrate your muscles and organs.

Drink Up Sucka!

So though it seems basic, I can guarantee most of your muscle bound buddies aren’t drinking enough water. Increase your water intake and you will not only feel better, but you will help muscle growth/recovery and become more efficient as loosing fat.

 

 

 

*Abville-a place where people roam around with vein popping abdominals. They usually contain anywhere from 6 to 12 abs. 

Tags: drinking water for health, fat loss with water, hydration is key, patrick ewing sweating