Flick's Fitness Tips

Weightlifting and fitness have never been more popular than it is today, and that is thanks to the overwhelming number of influencers that have entered the industry in the last ten years. Previously, the only real "influencers" were famous bodybuilders such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Coleman, who had incredible physiques but obviously took copious amounts of steroids. Most people weren't even aware of bodybuilding until the documentary "Pumping Iron" released starring Arnold, but this documentary inspired thousands of people to begin weightlifting in the hopes of looking like the Terminator actor.  Zyzz When social media became relevant, the term "aesthetic" became increasingly popular in the world of fitness. When thinking of bodybuilders, most people thought of these hulking, massive guys posing on stage but a man who went by the name of Zyzz changed that perspective. Zyzz had a very lean, muscular physique and was known for his upbeat perso...

Dieting is crucial when it comes to working out. It doesn't just apply to seeing results such as weight loss or muscle gain. What you eat beforehand plays a major role in your performance for that gym session. In this blog post, I will explain how your body burns nutrients during a workout. Macros in Fitness Of the three macros, fats and carbs are the most useful DURING a workout, and proteins are most useful AFTER a workout. The reason for this is that fats and carbs are easily converted into ATP, our body's primary source of energy, whereas proteins are most useful in healing our bodies after a workout. Fats are mostly used for low-intensity, aerobic (with oxygen) workouts, and carbs are mostly used for high intensity, anaerobic (without oxygen) workouts.  Ventilatory Thresholds Your body burns calories throughout the day through a process called basal metabolic rate (BMR), and these calories are contributed to bodily functions such as breathing and blood circulation. This is...

I'd always heard that gains were made in the kitchen, but for a while I never bought into that ideology. For two years, I'd work out without paying attention to what I was eating. For the last three years, I knew that eating played a crucial role in strength, so I would eat whatever was in sight to gain muscle. Now, I know exactly what roles macronutrients play in exercise science, and I'd like to share what I know. What Are Macronutrients? When you hear fitness fanatics talk about macros, they are referring to macronutrients. Macronutrients consist of carbs, fats, and proteins. A common misconception is that fats and/or carbs are bad for you, but this isn't the case unless eaten excessively. When attempting to lose or gain weight, consider the First Law of Thermodynamics: matter cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another. Fats Lipids, also known as fats, have been deemed by society to be a bad thing, but this is only mostly false. There are...

Making the commitment to start going to the gym can be exciting, but it can also be very intimidating. On one hand, you're excited to make a positive change in your life, but on the other, you aren't sure what to expect. I know that when I first started out, I thought people would judge me for my lack of knowledge of where things were and how scrawny I was at the time. Eventually, I got over that fear, and I'm here to tell you how to do it too.  1. Shower Before the Gym This might be an odd concept, but one thing that really helps me feel good at the gym is feeling clean. This includes showering, doing your hair and doing makeup if applicable. People probably won't notice the effort you put in, but you'll feel much better walking in and not immediately feeling gross. I like to think "We look good, we feel good, we lift good." 2. Wear What Makes You Feel Good When going to a gym, you'll notice there isn't a standard dress code. Lots of people will w...