Paul Plakas Answers Your Questions

Dear Paul, how much protein do I need to be eating to build muscle? 

An adequate amount is 1 to 1.2  grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

Dear Paul, can you eat too much protein? 

Yes it is definitely possible to eat too much protein. A lot of people take protein shakes that are completely unnecessary. Unless you’re lifting weights 4 to 5 times a week, with a heavy load, and you are having trouble getting enough food into you with regular meals then you can have a protein shake.

Dear Paul, I’d like a few tips for us desk jockeys to keep fit throughout the day.

The first thing is that you should be using a stability ball to sit on instead of a regular chair. As much as you can throughout the day, try to sit on the ball. You won’t be able to do the whole day unless you have an extremely high level of core endurance.

Take plenty of breaks throughout the day and do some movement with your body. Some exercises that would be good while at your desk is arm circles to open your chest and try to counter the bad posture caused by sitting at a desk all day. Neck stretches should help too.

When you do take a break, go for a walk, do some lunges or just simple toe touch stretches. Exercises like that will help release the tension that builds up in the day.

Dear Paul, how long does it take for your body to get back to normal and be able to start losing weight after pregnancy? And what is the best exercise to start with after to lose weight ?

If you did not have a cesarean section, and had a normal pregnancy, you should be back on track within 5 to 6 months. I’ve trained lots of women who have been back in shape after six months. There’s no particular best form of exercise that you should start with, you should just start at a less intense level than you were doing before, in order to get back into the shape you were in. If you were already in great shape before you got pregnant, do the same exercises is that you were doing before the pregnancy at a less intense level.

Do you have a question for Paul? Email us your question and it may be featured in a future blog post.