Bodybuilding Protein Hot Chocolate

A hot cup of heaven.

What if I tell you that this hot chocolate rivals the ones served at designer coffee shops in Florence or those of Museo Del Chocolate of Cuba? It's hot chocolate bursting in creaminess, thickness and texture, yet contains no chocolate or sugar? Better yet, can be indulged in right before bed? Meet my invention and my best-kept secret: The Casein Hot Chocolate. 

What makes this so good?

1. It is a perfect nutrient-dense powerhouse. With less than 200 calories, and most of which come from high-quality nourishing protein, it's just liquid awesomeness.
2. It tastes truly like a decadent hot chocolate. A true pleasure to savour in cold winter nights.
3. It's made primarily of casein protein which is a perfect choice before going to bed because it's a slow-release type of protein. not only will it curb the hunger and prevent the after-midnight munchies that destroy any fitness progress, but also supply your body with amino acids throughout the night, keeping it anabolic and preventing muscle-breakdown while supporting your gym efforts and nourishing your growing muscles.
4. It's easy to prepare. Just takes a minute.

Note: Casein protein powder consists of pure protein derived entirely from milk. Through a filtration process it is separated and then dried into powder, yielding healthy and pure casein protein powder free of cholesterol and fats.

What if I don't have casein protein powder?

You can omit the casein powder, but then the protein content will fall to 7 grams instead of 30.9 grams (as seen below) and the texture will be less creamy. If recipe is prepared without casein, then I suggest increasing the cacao powder to about 2 tbsps instead of 1 (to taste) and add 1 tbsp of Stevia sweetener to increase sweetness without adding calories.

Total macros per cup: 

200 calories | Protein: 30.9 grams | Carbs: 15.6 grams | Fat: 1.6 grams  

 Ingredients                                                                                                                    

• 1 scoop of casein protein powder
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 200-250 ml non-fat cow milk (or almond milk) - The less the milk, the denser the hot chocolate

 Directions                                                                                                                      

1- Heat the milk in the microwave. Should take 2 minutes or less to reach desired hot temperature.

2- Add the milk to a protein shaker. You can mix any way you please, but a shaker is best as it mixes everything in a few seconds while giving a beautiful creamy texture to the liquid with no crumbs forming. 

3- Add dry ingredients: cocoa and casein powder. Be careful about closing the lid of the shaker fully while shaking at first because heated content will cause pressure. Instead, shake gentle to allow pressure to dissipate, then close lid of shaker before mixing vigorously for 15 seconds.

4- Pour into a cup and enjoy this sinless midnight indulgence. 

Visual illustration of the magic

Bodybuilding: 5 Tips to Instantly Improve Your Bench Press

While the bench press is thought by some to be just a kind of a male ego exercise, it is a core fundamental one indisputably excellent for developing upper body strength.

Why is that? When you bench press, it is not only your pecs (chest muscles) that are working, but also your anterior deltoids (front shoulders), your triceps and latissimus dorsi (back muscles).

Having said that, many do this staple exercise with bad form and not only risk injury, but also do not benefit the most from this move.

Some of my tips to instantly improve your pressing:

1- Arch Your Back: Next time you're on the bench press, arch your lower back while making sure your butt never leaves the bench and your neck is in contact with it at all times. This technique shortens the distance the bar has to travel.

2- Retract Upper Back: The way you retract your upper back (trapezoids muscles) is to try and bring your shoulder blades together. This will also decrease the distance the bar has to travel and help give you power.

scapular retraction

3- Push With Force: While the eccentric (negative) portion of the exercise should be slow and controlled, the concentric (pushing) portion should be done with power. To better generate more force, a tip that I use with my clients is the following: Imagine the bar is stationary, and instead of moving the bar, you're trying to push your body down towards the ground when pressing. This helps by engaging the back even more and helping you generate more force to lift the weights.

4- Feet On The Floor: How many times have you seen people doing a harlem shake with their feet in the air while bench pressing? There is something seriously wrong with it as it makes you off centered, drops your power and makes you prone to injury. Feet should be firmly pressed against the ground; this will help you generate more power.

5- Self-Doubt: Let's be honest for a minute. In most cases, we are capable of lifting more weights than we do, but fear of failure and doubting our strengths leave us in a comfort zone where no much progress is possible because we're not pushing ourselves enough. Have someone spot you, and arm yourself with confidence, conquer your fear, and break the self-doubt. Break the mental barrier!

Get benching!

A video posted by Djoe Mitri (@djoemitri) on May 5, 2014 at 12:49am PDT 

A video of me bench pressing. Notice the arch in the lower back and the full range of motion. A proper technique is necessary to reach your potential and achieve your aspired results. 

6 Tips To Transform Your Body And Get Into The Best Shape Of Your Life

Train your brain! Today I was telling my client that the brain is a muscle like any other one in the body. If you want to perform your best in the gym and get the best out of your workout you have to think like an athlete.

My most important tip is MOTIVATION: Show up excited to get that workout in and don't just go through the motion! Remind yourself why you're there and work hard to get results!

BE POSITIVE: Replace that I CAN'T with I WILL! Your whole world will change I guarantee it!

BE PATIENT: Rome wasn't built in a day! If you're expecting to reverse years of bad diet and lifestyle in a week of training you've got it all wrong! Be patient and see the results coming slowly but surely!

DISCIPLINE: Any person can wake up with a good mood to work out one day and be in a bad one the next. Motivation alone is bullshit and will get you nowhere. WHEREAS if you discipline your motivation, then you will have carved the character of a fighter who gets what he/she wants by going after it regardless of how they're feeling because they're fixed on the goal!

FOCUS: Get into the zone! I don't care if your dog pisses on your new carpet or your boss won't like your project! Last night one of my clients came to our session overwhelmed by work. I told her: This too shall pass! Because it will! Keep the negativity out of your session and focus on the workout! It is so powerful. It is a form of meditation! It will clear your mind and set you free and give you one amazing workout.

Healthy Low-Calorie Chocolate Banana Ice-Cream

Following our popular post: How to Prepare Creamy Ice-Cream with Just One Ingredient?, we bring you a mind-blowing very delicious guilt-free 100-calorie snack: 

The Dark Chocolate Banana Nice-Cream.

Since most of us in the modern world lead quite some busy lives, we barely find ourselves with enough time to spend cooking in the kitchen, that's why at Fit and Wit we're always scratching our creative senses to bring you simple and easy recipes that can be prepared in no-time. We hope you'll love it and share it with your friends, family and loved ones.

Easy Directions:

We dip half a banana with a stick at one end in melted dark chocolate* (70%) then pop it in the freezer for a few hours before consuming.

Tip: As this Ice-Cream contains no sweetener whatsoever, it is preferable to use a sweet banana for a more delicious taste!

Let us know how good it turns out and we'd love to see your pictures and ideas. 

The Best Personal Fitness Trainer in Beirut, Lebanon (Part 2)

Let me ask you: If a client comes and they’re tired, anxious and depressed. They have been eating junk and haven’t slept well the night before, should I train them the exact way I planned to before? 

The answer is no!

To put the answer in perspective, trainers really need to understand that personal training deals primarily with ‘people’ first then ‘training’ second. A personal trainer cannot deliver high value to clients each and every time if they don't consider all of their clients' systems... it's not only about muscles! All of the systems in the body are inter-connected during personal training; therefore, yes, personal training is ‘holistic’ in nature. A trainer needs to be aware of those factors: That’s what separates a great trainer from an average one.

Let’s talk a little Science

Humans have several systems that work together. They are:

The musculoskeletal system – our bones and muscles

The limbic system – the brain and our nervous system

The endocrine system – our hormones, gut and digestion tract

One might think that these systems are separate, but they’re all closely related. All of these systems communicate as one; they make up the entire control and response mechanism in the human organism.

As such, if you place a stress on one system, stress will be translated into another system. An example: If I yelled at you (stressed your limbic system), your muscles would tighten up. Another example is if you had just broken your leg and you’re in shock, you’d be anxious and fearful (both limbic system), and obviously you won’t be feeling like eating (endocrine response).

So, all of these systems interact. A stressor in one system has an influence on another system. Exercise is a kind of ‘stressor’ that improves many systems in the body at the same time. For example, how many times have you felt so well after exercising? Not only that, but research shows that alertness and mental performance improve with exercise.

Re-imagining physical training

Any ‘trainer’ can pass dumbbells around. A good personal trainer is much more. 

A good personal trainer is part communicator, part psychologist, part physiotherapist, part researcher, part motivator who makes clients emotionally commit to achieve results; who provides space for clients to share their limbic stress through communication; a personal trainer discusses and improves the nutritional behaviors of his/her clients, and provides a joyful experience of training. 

 A personal trainer re-imagines the session to make it an amazing experience for their client each and every time. 

If any trainer wants to be significant and have a purpose in their career – they should stop thinking about the monetary aspect of the fitness industry and figure out how to make people’s lives better. All of those who succeeded for real were problem solvers; they figured out ways to improve the lives of others. It is contagious and their own life will be better in return!


Also check part 1 of the article: hiring a personal trainer in Beirut

How to Eat Cinnamon Rolls Everyday Without Getting Fat

I know these sweet and fluffy cinnamon rolls look too delicious with their heavenly drizzled icing; Imagine them hot and tender, bursting in heavenly aroma of spice and dreams. Healthy recipes of this treat float around the web, but what if I share a much better alternative high in protein, contains almost no sugar and full of fibres? Do we get a round of applause around here? Thank you!

Meet the next best thing:

Quest Protein Bar - Cinnamon Roll Flavor

To understand why it's so good, let's take a good look at its nutrition panel and ingredients profile:

Check the ingredients: Mostly just protein isolate, prebiotic fibre, almonds, water and erythritol!!

Facts:

• Contains only 1 gram of sugar
• Contains a whopping 17 grams of fibre, which is nearly half of the recommended daily value. Fibre will promote healthy bowel movement and provide satiation making you feel fuller for longer when consumed
• The protein in the quest bar is sourced only from whey protein isolate sources, which are among the purest available in the market. Most other protein bars derive their protein from concentrates, which are less pure, cheaper and much inferior in quality.
• The whole bar contains just 3 grams of carbs! 

Now, let's compare Quest Bars to other available quest bars on the market:

Pick most protein bars and you'll find huge list of ingredients; mostly chemicals and artificial ingredients that you can't even pronounce. Quest bar on the other hand is the healthiest you could find on the market and is my protein bar of choice; whenever you're on the go and want a healthy and nutritious snack that is actually good for you and helps you in your body recomposition and fat loss efforts, it's the right choice.

Also, most other protein bars are masked sugar candies and their makers add useless gelatine to their bars in order to bump the protein profile while making the bars very cheap to produce to raise their profit margins!

So, there you have it, Quest Bars are a great to snack on whenever you want a healthy and tasty treat full of protein, fibres and very low in carbs! In good health!

Literally swimming in a sea of Quest Bars of all flavors

Bodybuilding Secrets: Blueprint of a Natural Ripped Physique

How can you build a beautiful ripped body without the use of any drugs whatsoever, when others are failing and resorting to harmful and toxic anabolic steroids?

The answer requires a deep understanding of the biomechanics of the body, a bit of chemistry, fitness nutrition, proper supplementation, workout-techniques and it all requires discipline. I have built my body on the foundational integrity of health and strength so for me not only would it be an oxymoron to consume drugs and other toxic substances, but also hypocritical.

There is a reason I was able to sculpt a strong and ripped physique without the use of any drugs whatsoever.

There is a reason I can do that while staying natural, like life itself.

There is a reason I eat 7 to 8 times a day while staying lean at 5 to 6 percent body fat almost year-round.

There is a reason I can put on quality lean muscle while staying a fat-burning machine at the same time.

There is a reason I take 6 grams of fish oil a day.

There is a reason I have been taking a high quality multi-vitamin for years.

There is a reason I train legs with high volume twice a week.

There is a reason that even with my knee injury, I didn’t stop going to the gym a single day.

There is a reason that whenever I travel, I book an apartment with cooking facilities.

There is a reason that even when I’m on a different continent, I still get my training done.

There is a reason that whenever I eat out, I ask to customize the dishes at the restaurant to my liking and body needs. I pay the money; I decide what I want to eat.

There is a reason that I employ advanced training techniques such as drop-sets, supersets, rest-pause, 1-10, and extended sets in my training.

There is a reason that my rest periods in the gym are timed to scientific precision.

There is a reason I always stretch before and after my training using SMR (Self-myofascial release) foam-roller.

There is a reason I train with high volume, up to 50 repetitions and next day do completely the opposite.

There is a reason I utilize periodization in my training and make strength gains, size gains, and lose fat at the same time.

There is a reason I don't allocate time to chit-chat in the gym when I'm training.

There is a reason I always take a whey protein shake 30 minutes before training.

There is a reason I consume a low-glycemic piece of fruit with it.

There is a reason I consume 30 grams of fast-digesting carbs like Skittles, dates or white potatoes immediately after training.

There is a reason I always eat a meal that includes carbs after training, even if it’s midnight.

There is a reason I add exactly 5 grams of branched amino acids to my post-workout shake.

There is a reason I have a cup of black coffee 15 minutes before workout.

There is a reason I am able to help my clients achieve mind-blowing results in just a few months, while some of them had been going to the gym for years without any results. 

Don't take my word for it! Check what Mouhammed Soueiddeine said: Three weeks with Djoe is equal to three years on my own!

Check some of the success stories. Testimonial videos are coming soon!

However, the main reason why I can build a great physique all naturally, without the use of any drugs whatsoever, while many others fail lies in the understanding of science, chemistry, nutrition, bio-mechanics, years of experience, research, anatomy, discipline and passion.