How to Decrease Stress for Better Muscle Building and Fat Loss Results

Stress can really wreak havoc on your rest and recovery from workouts.

Too much stress will make it much harder for you to make progress with our system or any system.

When you have too much stress in your life, your hormone production (especially testosterone) is significantly lowered.

When your body is under stress and anxiety, it releases cortisol into your bloodstream.

Cortisol is known as the stress hormone because it's released when the body is under stress. Cortisol increases blood pressure and blood sugar. It even reduces immune responses.

Is Cortisol Good or Bad?

Cortisol, in general, is not bad because it helps protect our bodies in times of need, but too much cortisol when not necessary is very bad for your muscle building and fat loss efforts.

Cortisol decreases amino acid uptake by muscle and inhibits protein synthesis. You can't build muscle without that.

You've got to keep cortisol levels under control if you want to maximize rest and recovery and build the maximum amount of muscle from your efforts in the gym. In order to do so, you have to decrease the levels of stress and anxiety in your life.

Let's learn some simple steps you can take to decrease stress in your life…

Breathing Deeply

Breathing deeply and exhaling can really help reduce stress at the moment you are having trouble.

When you get stressed, try breathing deeply through one nostril and exhaling slowly through the other. Use your thumb and index finger to close one or the other.

This is one of the first things you should try when feeling increased stress.

Stress stinks. Don't let things get to you.

Most of the things that we let bother us mean absolutely ZERO to your life. Think about life and your REAL purpose in life. Take a deep breath and really think about it.

You'll feel better.

Have a Plan for Each Day

Having a plan for each day and sticking to that plan helps you get tasks done that need to be done. You should add some fun activities to each and every day that you enjoy.

For example, if you have kids, you should spend some time playing with them every night.

Play basketball outside. Go for a relaxing walk when the sun is going down. Go to the park with your dog. Take some time out of every day for yourself. This keeps you happy and stress free. Put everything else to the side during these times of fun. It will be there waiting when you're finished. It can wait.

Having a plan for each day helps you get things done and schedule time for yourself.

Lifting weights really helps me reduce stress in my life. I get a lot of stuff off my chest during a workout. I use some things to motivate me to lift heavier and harder.

One of my fun times during the day is my workout. I love lifting weights.

Start Your Day Early

Try starting your day earlier. Some people sleep way too much.

Proper sleep is a great way to reduce stress, but many people take it too far.

If you're sleeping more than 8 to 9 hours each night, you need to start getting up earlier. Starting your day early really helps you feel much better.

Try waking up 35 minutes earlier than normal and getting a cardiovascular session in before you start your day. I'll guarantee that you feel so much better the rest of the day.

You'll have more energy to meet life head on. Your problems will seem easier to solve.

Try it for a week. You'll love it.

Take a Day Off

Take a day off from everything.

Spend a day with your friends, family, or people that you enjoy spending time with the most.

Don't worry about everything else. Let it go. It will be there for you when you return. It's refreshing just to let everything go for once. Try it.

This is a great strategy for decreasing stress.

For example… I love watching the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. On the opening days (Thursday and Friday), I like to take half days off from work on those days, go home, pop some popcorn with my girls, and watch basketball the rest of the day.

Always helps with stress. Always. Do things you enjoy. Take the day off to enjoy it. Those are the times that you'll REALLY remember. That's life!

Regular Sexual Activity

Regular sexual activity will also help reduce stress levels.

You will sleep better and relax much more through regular sexual activity.

That's all I'm going to say on this one. You can figure out the rest.

Stop Worrying About Small Stuff

You know all the things you worry about and stress out over each day?

The huge majority of those things will not matter a few years down the road. Don't let small things that don't matter stress you out.

Get them fixed, finished or whatever you need to do, but never let them stress you out.

Remember your purpose in life. Think about what really matters to you. You'll see that what you're worrying about and stressing over really means nothing to your big picture in life.

Always Be On Time or Early

Be on time.

Be a responsible person.

Keep your word.

When you tell someone you are going to do something, do it. Being responsible by getting things done really helps keep things from piling up in your life.

When you let things pile up, one day all of that will hit you like a ton of bricks. Get things done now. Don't put them off any longer.

This will definitely decrease stress in your life.

Have Goals for Your Life

Have goals in your life. Reaching goals helps keep you motivated day in and day out. Life sucks when you don't have anything to look forward to.

This program gives you goals that you can meet. You will have to work hard each and every day to achieve your goals. When you meet them, you feel great.

If you've ever wanted to do something with your life that you've never had the chance to do, make up your mind to finally do it.

You can make time to include other things in your life. Make a plan and stick to it. Planning really helps you get so many things done.

Instead of sitting there on the couch and watching TV, get started with your new goals in life. Have fun with your life. You only have one. Get up and do what you want to do with your life.

Don't waste your life away by watching TV for hours each day. Go out and do something. Get outside and have some fun.

Use These Stress Reduction Tactics

If you use some of the tactics I've listed, you will decrease your stress levels. You need to start enjoying life more and not letting small things bother you so easily. If you live life to the fullest every day, you will be so much happier.

Exercise plays a key role in all of this because it leads to a better life.

If you've never exercised regularly before, you will soon find out the huge difference it makes in your life. I can't wait for you to see and feel the difference.

Regular exercise has proven to reduce stress levels dramatically. Use your workout time to really blow off any steam that may have built up over the past few days. It really works. You'll soon love working out regularly.

Just think of it this way:

Life is what you make of it — you can make it fun and exciting or you can make it dull and boring. A different outlook, a positive one if you will, on things you currently hate will make a huge difference.

For example, you might hate getting up and going to work. Change your outlook on getting up and going to work — make it positive. Be happy that you have a job. Be happy that you have the freedom to do whatever you want after work. Be happy that you have food on your table.

If you're reading this, you are already a truly rich person.

You have everything you need to live a happy life. Many people throughout the world are simply ecstatic just to have something to eat. So don't let the little stuff (like going to work) bother you… because TRULY, you don't miss something until it's gone.

Enjoy your job — you at least have a job that puts food on your table.

Let's get rid of stress in your life. Enjoy life. Have fun.