The Protein Corner

In just 6 months on Legion’s body transformation coaching service , Evan dramatically improved his health and fitness, shedding almost 40 pounds and 17-to-18% body fat, all while getting significantly stronger. Before joining the program, he was carrying a lot of excess body fat and was desperate to change his life and get healthy. However, with a job that required constant travel , he needed direction and accountability. With his coach’s help, Evan stuck to a simple workout routine , even while on the road, and learned the fundamentals of healthy eating . Here are his results: Evan’s Journey Evan signed up for coaching because he wanted to improve his quality of life, longevity, and health. As a train operator, his main obstacle was his demanding travel schedule. He had to work long shifts, including late nights and early mornings, and struggled with a lack of willpower when he was tired. To overcome this, his coach devised a three-day training routine he could stick to...

Back workouts for mass are more important than many weightlifters realize. A thick, wide back is crucial for an impressive physique. But more than that, it’s the foundation for your overall performance. It helps you do pretty much any athletic movement, including squatting, pulling, and pressing more effectively and safely.   In this article, you’ll find a detailed guide to the back’s anatomy, the best exercises for each muscle group in your back, a routine designed to help you develop a big, muscular back that allows you to perform at your best, and more. Table of Contents Back Anatomy How to Gain Mass and Strength in Your Entire Back The Best Back Workout for Mass and Strength 1. Deadlift 2. Pull-up 3. One-Arm Dumbbell Row 4. Cable Pullover How to Organize Your Back Workout Schedule 3 Tips to Get More Out of Your Back Workout Program for Mass 1. End every set 1-to-3 reps shy of muscle failure. 2. Once you hit the top of your rep range for a set, move up in we...

Creatine’s muscle-building and strength-boosting effects make it a popular supplement among weightlifters.  However, many gymgoers who enjoy training fasted fret that creatine disrupts their diet. Specifically, they worry that creatine breaks their fast . Fortunately, research shows this needn’t be a concern— creatine doesn’t break a fast in most cases. That said, some supplements that contain creatine may not be suitable for intermittent fasters because they can also contain other ingredients that raise insulin levels and bring you out of a fasted state. In this article, you’ll learn the science behind creatine and fasting , how to take creatine while fasting to ensure you stay fasted, and more. Table of Contents Does Creatine Break A Fast? Should You Take Creatine on an Empty Stomach? How to Take Creatine While Fasting Benefits of Creatine FAQ #1: Does creatine break ketosis? FAQ #2: Does creatine spike insulin? FAQ #3: Can I take creatine while water fasting? ...

The Bayesian cable curl is unlike any other biceps exercise. For starters, the form is unique: you curl a cable one arm at a time with your arm behind your body and your back to the cable stack (hence why people often refer to it as “the face-away cable curl ” or “ behind-the-back cable curl ”). It also trains your biceps while fully stretched and applies tension to your muscles throughout the entire range of motion—something you don’t get with free-weight alternatives. Crucially, these facets make it particularly effective for building biceps mass.  So, if you want to understand how to perform the Bayesian curl, why it’s so effective, and how to avoid mistakes people often make while performing the exercise, this article is for you.  Table of Contents How to Do the Bayesian Cable Curl 1. Set up 2. Curl 3. Descend Bayesian Cable Curl Benefits They’re ideal for building biceps mass. It trains your biceps unilaterally. It maximizes biceps growth. Bayesian Cable ...

In 12 weeks of Legion’s body transformation coaching , Sarah lost 12 pounds, 3 inches off her waist, and 6-to-7% body fat, while maintaining muscle and strength. Before joining the program, she struggled with accountability and didn’t know how to troubleshoot fitness issues when things didn’t go as planned.  However, with the guidance of her coach, Sarah gained the knowledge she needed to achieve her fitness goals, both now and in the future. Here are her results: Sarah’s Journey Sarah had followed Thinner Leaner Stronger for five years, building a significant amount of muscle, yet she still wasn’t completely happy with how her body looked. Additionally, injuries had limited her progress, and she struggled to continue gaining muscle.  She said, “I’d like to build specific body parts and need help with which exercises will help, but I don’t want to lean bulk right now since it’s summer.” Her coach, Alyssa, set up her program with this goal in mind. With Alyssa’s g...

Losing weight is a balancing act.  On the one hand, the faster you lose weight , the more excited you are to continue, but on the other hand, the faster you lose weight, the more you run the risk of muscle loss, hunger , irritability, metabolic slowdown , and eventually eating your way back to your previous weight (or even heavier). One way to thread this needle is to maintain a fairly aggressive calorie deficit (20-to-25 percent) and take periodic breaks from your diet—an approach has been validated by a University of Tasmania study where scientists found that taking short, planned, highly structured breaks from dieting made fat loss more efficient and sustainable. In this study, researchers split fifty-one men into two groups: one group dieted every day for sixteen weeks, and the other dieted on a “two week on” (calorie deficit), “two week off” (maintenance calories) schedule until they also reached sixteen weeks of dieting (the second group taking twice as long). ...

Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify | Listen on YouTube In this episode, I talk with Shaun, who achieved remarkable results with Legion’s body transformation coaching service. Shaun had struggled with his weight for over a decade. But at 270 pounds, he faced a health scare that prompted him to make a serious change. After failing to lose weight on several popular diets, Shaun discovered Bigger Leaner Stronger, and by following its principles, he started losing fat and building muscle. However, Shaun felt he could achieve even better results, so he signed up for Legion coaching. With his coach’s help, he learned the principles of effective and sustainable dieting and training, and in 6 months, he dropped from 233 to 198 pounds, greatly improving his body composition and health. In this podcast, Shaun shares valuable insights into staying consistent, the importance of accountability, and navigating challenges like injury. His story highlights how following straightforwar...

Want to know one of the best-kept “secrets” of the elite influencer physiques? It’s not two-a-day workouts, eating disorders, or designer steroids. It’s creatine.  That’s right, good old creatine monohydrate. … Just kidding.  It’s two-a-day workouts, eating disorders, and designer steroids. And it’s mostly just designer steroids. But there’s a reason some of these toads pretend that creatine is their “one weird trick” for bigger biceps, bouncier booties, and beautiful abs: It works. Not as well as vitamin S, of course, but it also won’t swell your prostate to the size of a cantaloupe or put hair on all the wrong places of your body. (And no, it won’t make you lose your hair, either.) In fact, creatine is the most studied molecule in all of sports nutrition, and hundreds of studies confirm that it can safely: Boost muscle and strength gains and improve muscular endurance Reduce muscle damage and soreness from exercise, helping you recover faster Preserve lea...

The leg press is a popular gym machine because, unlike many lower body exercises, it lets you train your legs without stressing your spine. While this is beneficial for most weightlifters—exercises that put little pressure on your back are typically easier to recover from—it’s especially beneficial for those with lower back issues, as it allows them to work their quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves without discomfort. However, not everyone has access to a leg press machine. Most people with a garage gym lack the space or budget for a leg press at home , and basic commercial gyms often prioritize simpler equipment like leg extensions and curls. That’s why it’s helpful to know effective leg press alternatives you can do with other equipment.  So, if you want to learn how to get all the benefits of training with a leg press without a machine , this article is for you.  Table of Contents The 8 Best Leg Press Alternatives for Gym and Home Workouts 1. Hack Squat 2. Bar...