With all the talk and activity surrounding the U.S Presidential Election last week it would be somewhat ignorant of me to not at least comment and/or acknowledge the final results. However as someone who works with the general population on a daily basis and has a very social job it would be even more ignorant of me to share my thoughts and opinions on this subject in one of my classes never mind one of my fitness blogs. I believe politics are very much like religion – Neither should be discussed in the workplace. With that said I will just say this – Donald Trump won and Hillary Clinton lost. Now let’s move on…..

What I can and will share my thoughts and opinions on for this week is the importance of quality sleep, proper supplementation and a healthy sex life. As fitness professionals we always discuss the importance of a solid training program and a nutritious diet plan however rarely do we speak upon the other three major components of living a healthy and fit lifestyle. And in my opinion without these three major building blocks added to your artillery for muscle building and fat loss, the results you achieve with your overall physical and mental health will be greatly diminished.

Sleep for Success
There was a time not too long ago where I use to think sleep was for suckers. I use to brag about how little sleep I needed to operate on and looked down upon people who always complained about being tired. Now that I’m a little bit older and hopefully a little bit wiser and not nearly as arrogant, my views on sleep have changed. Make no mistake I still hate the word “tired” as I believe it represents weakness however I do understand that not everyone can function on the same amount of sleep. The general recommendation for most people is to get about 8 hours of sleep per night. For myself personally I sleep about 4-5 hours a night. Now even though my body requires very little sleep to perform properly both physically and mentally does not mean that I recommend this to our own clients. In fact, like everything I recommend to our clients, I believe there is no one exact answer that will work for everyone. Generally speaking though if you are someone who lives a fairly active lifestyle your body is going to require more rest to recover properly. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be asleep though to get this rest. All it means is that you have to shut both your mind and your body down for a few hours each day. This can be something as simple as reading a book, talking on the phone with a friend, or just laying on the couch listening to music. You can still treat your body like a machine if you like, but just don’t forget to recharge it every so often.

Final Verdict on Sleep – The more active you are the more rest your body needs. Find a sweet spot that works for you. Most of the clients we work with operate well off 5-7 hours of sleep per night. Any more then that and they actually tend to feel more tired which could mean they are sleeping too much. And yes, sleeping too much CAN make you feel very lethargic throughout the day.

Let’s Talk About Sex!
Most of us who’ve had sex tend to enjoy it very much. But did you know that sex is actually very good for both your body, your mind and your overall health? The benefits of sex are endless. It’s been proven that physical intimacy helps lower stress levels, improves overall happiness and enjoyment of life and it’s also a great form of cardiovascular exercise which makes it excellent for the heart. Just to be clear, I’m not suggesting that you run out and have numerous sexual encounters with multiply people. I’m simply saying that a healthy sex life will help provide you with more mental clarity and improve your physical strength and stamina which in turn will help you increase your level of fitness and overall health.

Final Verdict on Sex – Do it! As much as you can! Ideally with the same person. However if you prefer to have multiply partners then just remember – Safety First!

Supplement Secrets
I’ve spoken on the topic of supplements numerous times in the past. I actuallt wrote an entire blog about supplements a few months back which you can find on our website. When it comes to supplements though I honestly do not think they are as important as some fitness professionals within our industry would have you believe. The amount of emphasis that is put on protein powders, fat burners, BCAA’s, and vitamins and minerals is absolutely ridiculous in my opinion. Ofcourse if you have a vitamin and/or mineral deficiency then you should be supplementing with the correct products along with following a balanced diet rich in nutrients. However if the inside of your kitchen cabinets are starting to look like a Pharmacy or Drug Store then you might want to reassess your actual supplemental needs. I personally take very little supplements. In the offseason, I rely primarily on getting the bulk of my vitamins and minerals from natural food sources. When training for a competition I usually have to lower my caloric intake and thus as my food sources become limited I tend to increase my supplemental dosages. Once my competition is over though I go right back to getting the majority of my nutrients from natural food sources.

Final Verdict on Supplements – Take what YOU NEED not what a supplement company tells you that you need.

Final Verdict on Everything – Sleep Like a Baby, Have Sex Like a Rockstar (minus the drugs and the groupies) and Use Supplements Sparingly.

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove