Pre-workout meals suited for your goals

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Start your February with these stories:

• Pre-workout meals suited for your goals

• What exactly is the mind-muscle connection?

• 12 great bodyweight exercises to try

Nutrition

Gains Are on the Menu

You don’t just head to the weight room to work out. You go to the gym with a mission. You’re on a quest to build the most muscle possible. Maybe that means you’re entering your first bodybuilding show. Or you might be just using bodybuilding methods to simply look and feel better.

Whatever your reasons for hitting the weights, you know that what you do on the platform needs to be matched by what you do in the kitchen.

To get the gains that you’re seeking, make sure you’re setting yourself up for success by checking out the best pre-workout meals for your fitness goals. Whether you’re looking to bulk up, trim down, or keep things status quo, we’ve got a bowl of oats and a protein-packed scramble with your name on it.

A Message From Reebok

The Reebok Nano X5 Available Now. Get Your Pair

Reebok's latest game-changer, the Nano X5, is officially here. Whether you're crushing your workout or just want a fresh pair of kicks, these babies are made for both. Here’s why we're pumped:

• Breathable Flexweave® Upper: Keeps your feet cool and comfortable during the most intense workouts.

• DUALRESPONSE Midsole: Firmer foam in the heel for stability and responsive foam in the forefoot for dynamic movements. 

• Performance Comfort Collar: Provides a 360-degree locked-in fit for all-day support without the bulk. 

Don’t miss out on the most comfortable Nano yet! Plus, enjoy free shipping on all orders over $75.

Exercise Science

Mind Hunter

To shake you out of your Monday brain fog, we’re tackling one of the least-understood concepts in the world of lifting weights: What is the mind-muscle connection?

As with anything dealing with complex issues like the brain’s ability to impart sentience, the answer is not an easy one. Using your mental focus to feel a muscle contracting more than surrounding fibers is useful in some scopes of practice but also potentially harmful in other situations. 

Many philosophy students will tell you that with more understanding comes more confusion, but as you grow as a lifter, you need to take on the challenges that come with knowing more about your own mind-muscle connection. Below, we break the whole thing down and (hopefully) shed some light on one of fitness’ most nebulous concepts. 

Cardio

Ditch the Plates

If there is one thing the combined weight of venerable institutions like the military, yoga studios, and prisons has taught us, it’s that it doesn’t take a warehouse full of high-tech machinery to get in a sick cardio workout.

By mastering these 15 cardio exercises, you can piece together a high-intensity bloodbath of a workout with just your body weight. We’re talking about everything from the dreaded burpee and Turkish get-ups to lesser-known moves like the iceskater and the leopard crawl. 

Not only will you learn the moves, but you’ll learn their unique benefits and how to program them into your routines. Don’t let the quirky names and lack of bars and dumbbells fool you: These moves will kick you into serious shape.

Everything Else

Squats, Steps, Saquon, and Snacks

♥️ Deep Dive: Are squats a form of cardio? In a recent study, lifters were put to the test with high-rep sets of squats to see what their VO₂ levels looked like. Read the full breakdown to find out whether you can ditch the treadmill and just go ATG.

👍 Pro Picks: Rogue Resistance Bands get a full rundown by the BarBend review team. Do they cut the mustard?

🚶 Read This: A meta-analysis of 33 observational studies involving 96,173 adults found that people with higher daily step counts experienced fewer depression symptoms. According to a breakdown of the study on CNN, the positive impact of walking starts at just 7,000 steps per day.

📺 Watch This: NFL star Saquon Barkley is heading to his first Super Bowl this Sunday. Check out this throwback video of the powerhouse running back hitting a 390-pound power clean as a college freshman.

🐓 Cook This: Speaking of the big game, here’s a macro-friendly buffalo chicken dip recipe that’s full of flavor but light(er) on fat. Bring it to a party, or simply turn your phone off and work through it by yourself before halftime.