Protein Myths That Need To Die

Old, outdated ideas and commonly held misconceptions surrounding nutrition can really hamper your progress.  So here's 4 protein myths that have been well and truly busted.

The more popular health and fitness becomes, the more I see and hear misleading and false information about what constitutes good nutrition. Because of the rise in popularity of high protein diets, there has been a rise in the number of protein myths that exist.

That guy in the gym isn't probably the fitness guru he's led you to believe. Not only will he tell you the only way to make gains by drinking 10 protein shakes per day. But he'll also tell  you to take them at specific times of the day. Undoubtedly down to the millisecond.

And these protein myths aren't limited to guys in the gym. Because even your nearest and dearest have an opinion. Just as you're about to tuck into that nice juicy steak, they'll tell you they've read an article saying eating red meat leads to heart attacks. And you're likely to keel over and die if you take one bite from the meal in front of you.

So where does that leave you?  Confused and unable to tell the fact from the fiction? If so, read on as the 4 most popular protein myths get busted.

This article covers everything from powders vs real food, right through to how much protein is too much. And also if a high protein diet really will lead to health problems.

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We are live!: Iron Paradise Fitness is GO!

In the immortal words of the UFC's Bruce Buffer, "We are LIVE".  But not for 5 rounds in the UFC Lightweight division.  No, that's in a few weeks time when McGregor meets Alvarez for the championship.

The big news in town right now is the relaunch of the all new Iron Paradise Fitness website.

After weeks and months of 12 hour days and toiling away in front of my PC, the site is finally finished and ready to share with you.  It's been a labour of love to get the site up and running and I'm really proud it.

There's a new logo, new branding, new coaching services and even some awesome new FREE stuff for all you lovely people.

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Crossing the Streams: Your definitive guide to rep ranges

I’m sure you remember the film Ghostbusters. As a kid this was one of my favourite films, and probably still is. Everyday guys running around the city catching ghosts with unlicensed nuclear accelerators strapped to their backs, saving the world, and generally doing everything a boy dreams of. What more could you ask for?

One of the immortal lines from the movie made me draw comparisons to some current mainstream fitness methodologies.

Spengler: Don't cross the streams.
Venkman: Why?
Spengler: It would be bad.
Venkman: I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean, "bad"?
Spengler: Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light.
Stantz: Total protonic reversal!
Venkman: Right. That's bad. Okay. All right. Important safety tip. Thanks, Egon.

I know what you’re thinking. What’s the link between Ghostbusters and building muscle? Surely they’re the most unrelated subjects on the face of the Earth?

Bear with me. All will become clear.

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Mindset: The Forgotten Aspect of Training

Struggling sticking to your meal plan? Not sure whether or not the results you're seeing are normal? Wondering if you're training and eating correctly? Unsure if those around you in the gym have some inside secrets you don't know about?

If so, then this blog is designed for you!

When I started Iron Paradise Fitness, I wanted to do things differently to everyone else. I'm not your typical 'meathead' bodybuilder, throwing weights around, grunting and shouting my way through a workout. I think of myself as a normal guy that loves the gym and wants to share my knowledge on how to achieve the best results.

From the day I started my fitness journey, right through to the present day, I've always wanted to get a true insight into what my heroes and idols do on a daily basis with their diet and training.

Watching Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, and Mike Tyson fights with my father and brother, always made me want to rush out into the garage and bash seven bells out of the dirty, worn, tired looking punch bag that hung precariously from a mildly rotten beam in the ceiling.

More so than the fights themselves, I was drawn into the training aspect of the sport. I wanted to know what it really took to be a top level fighter. I would delve into any resource I could find to understand their training regimes and approach to diet.

I remember taking training tips from the Rocky movies, even going to the extreme of drinking raw eggs before a morning run around the village on a cold winter morning. Thankfully, I wouldn't see many people while I was out as the bodily fumes I emitted must've been horrendous.

I soon progressed my interest from boxing training to bodybuilding, idolising Arnold Schwarzenegger, like millions of others around the world. When I watched Pumping Iron for the first time, I was hooked, and I new that bodybuilding is what I wanted to do.

These days, I'm also a huge MMA fan and am amazed and inspired by the variations in training approaches that such a demanding sport brings.

However, despite numerous magazine articles, YouTube clips, and all of the content available through modern day media, I'm still left feeling that we don't get to truly understand the more human and emotional side of top level training and diet.

How do they feel with the reduced calories required during a cutting phase?
How do they deal with injury?
How do they deal with motivational issues?

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The Top 5 Supplements for Achieving Results

When I think about the current level of marketing BS that surrounds the supplement industry, I instantly think back to when I was 16 years old watching the second episode of South Park, where Cartman takes ‘Weight Gain 4000’ to try and impress Kathie Lee Gifford, who’s coming to town present him with an award.  That classic line of ‘Beefcake.  Beefcaaaaaaake’ is to me, symptomatic of the “Bro-science” you see in most gyms these days and the ease with which the false marketing claims of supplement industry can sucker you to buying what are essentially, worthless products.

Look around the shelves of your local health food shop, or scan various nutritional food websites and you’ll see a plethora of creatively titled supplements enticing your to part with your hard earned cash.    

Whether it’s different varieties of protein, fat burners, BCAAs, creatine, weight gainers, or one of the many other types of supplement available, it can be incredibly confusing to know what to buy to support your training goals.  After all, we don’t all have the time, or the inclination, to trawl through scientific studies and assess the bold claims that are often made.

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