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Does Pre-Workout Break a Fast?

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If you’ve ever taken pre-workout while fasting, you’ve probably had this thought: “Did I just ruin my fast?” Here’s the simplest practical answer: Most pre-workouts don’t break a fast because the core performance-enhancing ingredients (like caffeine, beta-alanine, and citrulline) provide essentially no calories. Some formulas include calorie-containing add-ins—most commonly sugars or amino acids like BCAAs—and therefore will break a fast. Even when a pre-workout breaks a fast, it usually doesn’t change your results unless it meaningfully increases your calorie intake or makes the fasting routine harder to stick to. This article will help you understand whether your pre-workout technically breaks a fast, and decide whether that matters based on why you’re fasting. Key Takeaways A pre-workout “breaks a fast” if it contains meaningful calories (often from sugars or amino acids like BCAAs). Most pre-workouts contain very few or zero calories because the main performance ingr...
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How to Take Perfect Progress Photos: A Step-by-Step Guide

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The Scale Is Not The Only Metric That Matters Scale weight rarely tells the full story. It’s entirely possible to gain a pound of muscle and lose a pound of fat simultaneously; the scale won’t budge, but your body composition has improved. Because of this, Legion Coaching clients take progress photos before they start and every 4 weeks. While these instructions were designed for our clients, the principles are just as effective if you’re training on your own. It gets easier. This process might feel like a lot of work at first, but it quickly becomes second nature. And while it requires effort upfront, having visual proof of your hard work is 100% worth it. Don’t skip the “before” photos. If you are currently far from your goal, you might feel hesitant to step in front of the camera. Do it anyway. In 6 to 12 months, having visual proof of where you started will be invaluable. Ultimately, while target body weights and body fat percentages are useful, your satisfaction with ...
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What Is Creatine HMB? Is it Better than Creatine Monohydrate?

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A little-known fact about creatine:  It doesn’t enhance muscle growth by increasing muscle protein synthesis, but by decreasing post-workout soreness, increasing post-workout recovery, and increasing cellular hydration and glycogen storage in muscle cells. This, in turn, allows you to train harder and more frequently and experience less muscle damage, which, over time, leads to more muscle and strength. It’s little wonder why creatine is such a popular supplement—and why supplement companies are fighting to stand out in a crowded market. Since the monohydrate form of creatine is cheap, proven, and apparently impossible to “reinvent,” many brands are adding extra ingredients and selling the mixes as premium “upgrades.”  One of the most popular mash-ups is creatine monohydrate combined with HMB. If you go by influencer posts or Reddit threads, this combo supposedly results in significantly more muscle growth, athletic performance and post-workout recovery and less muscle...
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Diastasis Recti Exercises: How to Fix Ab Separation Safely

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If you have diastasis recti, you’re probably stuck between two bad options. Either you’re afraid to exercise because you don’t want to make things worse—or you’re exercising, but constantly concerned you’re doing damage without realizing it. That uncertainty is the real problem. Diastasis recti recovery isn’t about doing nothing, and it isn’t about pushing through. It’s about rebuilding basic core control first, then progressing carefully as your body allows. This article shows you how to do that—what to start with, what to avoid, and how to know when you’re ready to move on. Key Takeaways Diastasis recti recovery isn’t about avoiding exercise or pushing through discomfort. It’s about rebuilding basic core strength first, then progressing slowly as your body allows. Early on, avoid anything that makes you strain, crunch your abs, hold your breath, or push your belly outward, including sit-ups, planks, and even sitting straight up from lying down. Start with breathing work, p...
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