The Protein Corner

If you’re serious about building muscle, gaining strength, and staying lean, you already know you need to eat plenty of protein. Eating a good protein cereal makes this task easier.  But finding one isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. What often passes for a top protein cereal is little more than a regular, sugar- and additive-laden breakfast cereal with a few extra grams of low-quality protein sprinkled in.  And that won’t get the job done. In this article, you’ll learn what actually makes a good protein cereal and how to find the best protein cereal for you. Want to know exactly which supplements you should take to reach your fitness goals? Take our free 60-second quiz and find out now. Key Takeaways A good protein cereal should contain at least 15 grams of high-quality protein per serving to meaningfully boost your daily protein intake, especially if you lift weights regularly. The best protein cereals use milk protein—not plant-based options like...

It’s not uncommon to crave sweets after a poor night’s sleep. And while most people assume it’s just tiredness wearing down their willpower, a 2024 review in the Journal of Sleep Research suggests biology may actually be to blame. Researchers parsed the results of 13 studies and found that sleeping less than 6 hours per night increases how much you enjoy sweet flavors, which likely nudges you toward sugary foods more often. It’s not yet clear why tired brains lean toward sugar, but there are a few working theories. One is that sleep deprivation lowers dopamine —the chemical that makes pleasurable things feel good—so your brain seeks sweet foods to top up the tank.  Another possibility is that poor sleep increases the reward value of food in general. That is, everything tastes better when you’re underslept, which makes it even harder to resist sugary fare. These findings sit neatly alongside the growing body of evidence on how sleep affects our eating habits. For i...

In 3 months of Legion’s body transformation coaching , Nick lost 7 pounds, 10% body fat, and gained muscle and strength at the same time. Nick was well-versed in training—he had followed both the   Bigger Leaner Stronger and Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger programs for some time. But he wasn’t as confident when it came to dieting for fat loss. He also needed help adjusting his workouts to better fit his goals and circumstances. That’s when he decided to sign up for coaching. Here are his results: Nick’s Journey As a vegetarian who often ate out and worked long, stressful hours, Nick faced some unique challenges. He was also managing a shoulder injury , which made training more complicated. What he needed was a sustainable approach to fat loss—and someone to guide him back into shape. His coach, Adam, introduced subtle but effective changes to his routine, such as adjusting the angle Nick usually used for the incline bench press and adding targeted mobility and strengt...

The Legion Steps to Calories Calculator estimates how many calories you burn based on your height, weight, number of steps, average pace, and the type of walking you did. How the Legion Steps to Calories Calculator Works To convert your steps to calories, the Legion Steps to Calories Calculator performs the following calculations: Step 1: Estimate your stride length and how far you walked. The average stride length is approximately 41.4% of a person’s height, which you can estimate using the equation: Stride length = height (in meters) × 0.414 Using this, the calculator determines how far you walked: Distance = stride length × steps Step 2: Calculate walking time. To calculate the distance you walked, the Steps to Calories Calculator uses the following formula: Time = distance ÷ speed (in meters per second) Step 3: Calculate calories burned. Finally, the calculator estimates the number of calories you burned while walking: Calories = time × METs × 3...

We used to think protein needs varied dramatically depending on whether you were cutting to lose fat, bulking to build muscle, or just maintaining your current physique.  But newer research tells a simpler story. Most people in most situations should eat about 0.8-to-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. This recommendation holds true whether your main goal is muscle gain, fat loss, or simply staying healthy. That said, protein requirements can shift slightly depending on your circumstances. Let’s take a closer look at what the latest research says about exactly how much protein you should eat a day . Key Takeaways To gain muscle, aim for 0.8-to-1 g/lb/day. Eating more than that doesn’t help you build muscle faster and just squeezes out carbs and fat from your diet. To lose fat without losing muscle, eat between 0.4-to-1 g/lb/day depending on how active you are. If you lift weights regularly, stick to the higher end of the range. To maintain your body composi...

Plenty of people rely on caffeine to feel sharp and focused. The problem is that most overshoot the dose. One strong coffee or an energy drink too many, and instead of feeling locked in, they’re jittery, anxious, and mentally all over the place. That’s where L-theanine comes in. L-theanine is an amino acid found mainly in tea, and it works as caffeine’s counterbalance. While caffeine ramps you up, L-theanine smooths you out, helping you stay calm, focused, and productive—without the crash or scattered attention. In this article, you’ll learn how L-theanine and caffeine interact and affect your body. You’ll also discover their benefits, the perfect L-theanine-to-caffeine ratio , and how to find the best caffeine and L-theanine supplement for you.  Key Takeaways L-theanine and caffeine affect your brain in complementary ways. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and boosts alertness, while L-theanine promotes calm by balancing neurotransmitters like GABA and ...