Vital Force Strength LLC

Happy Mothers Day to all the wonderful mommas out there. You make the world go around and it doesn’t go unnoticed how strong mothers are💪🏽

Get better everyday! 💪🏽 Stay tuned for our summer training coming up for athletes of all levels. Come train where athletes excel 😤💪🏽

In most cases people tend to under consume protein. Here are some ideas on how to get more in. More protein will help you with whatever your body composition goals are 💪🏽

Master the basics 💪🏽

Pursuit of excellence 😤

The more you know🙌🏽🥗🍑🍓🍊🍒🍎🥑

🧱X🧱 😤

Another one of our guys has signed to continue his football and academic career at the next level! So proud of you and your leadership @kellen.flanigan3 excited for the future! 💪🏽💪🏽

Weight loss can be confusing. Those who tell you it's easy, are rare and few. It involves changing sometimes lifetimes worth of behaviors around food, learning how to prioritize your health, all while being bombarded with contradictory information about proper nutrition and weight loss strategies. Weight loss should be an individualized approach consisting of tackling realistic, yet important goals, all while still being able to enjoy life. Aside from the specifics about nutrition, there are some universal truths that generally speaking, will help anyone on their weight loss journey:
1. Take an honest appraisal of your current state of health
a. Awareness is not meant to make you feel bad about yourself, rather its a tool that gives you a greater understanding of yourself. Awareness is the first necessary step to change. Typically, people know exactly what their food struggles have been: for example, sugar, portion control, uncontrollable urges when it comes to carbs/sugar. A sugar craving can be a sign of micronutrient deficiencies, lack of sleep or high stress levels. Feeling like a specific food or food group gives you a sense of lack-of-control, can be a sign of years of restrictive eating or bouncing from one diet to the next. Start to take note of your sleep patterns, how you feel about your body, what are your current stress levels, when do you tend to overeat, why do you want to loose weight.
2. Commit to one small change at a time –
a. Too often people decide to go on an incredibly restrictive diet and try to conquer everything all at once. (Some examples of this might be: cutting out an entire food group, paying for a weight loss food delivery program or restricting your calories to an unhealthy amount) The problem with a restrictive, “all-or-nothing” diet approach, is its not only not sustainable long term, but you haven’t put in the real work to create new, realistic habits around food and health.
3. Focus on adding to your diet, instead of eliminating.
We can help 💪🏽

There are two things we have complete control over. Attitude and effort, if we give 100% on both, success is inevitable.

It’s Monday, the day to set the tone for the week 😤💪🏽

It's a known that that leafy greens are good for you; but lets dive into the specifics! Leafy greens include kale, chicory, spinach, collard greens, bok choy, cabbage, arugula, swiss chard and more! They are loaded with vitamins and minerals, have a high-water content, are rich in antioxidants, promote good eye health and more!

Fiber:
Dark leafy green vegetables are an excellent source of dietary fiber. Fiber is a non-digestible carbohydrate that promotes healthy bowel movements and satiety. But that’s not all, eating adequate fiber reduces your risk for heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. It is recommended that women should consume 25g of fiber per day while men should consume 38g per day. However, it has been estimated that nearly 95% of American adults do not consume enough fiber. Adding more leafy greens to your diet can help!

Great source of vitamins:
The vitamins found in leafy greens vary depending on the vegetable. Spinach, and kale are rich in vitamins A, C, E and K. Bok choy is rich in many of the B-vitamins such as folate. Folate promotes heart health and prevents certain birth defects. Vitamin K is another vitamin that is found within many leafy greens and provides a number of health benefits including: protecting bones from osteoporosis and helping to prevent against inflammatory diseases.

Rich in antioxidants
Antioxidants are mostly found in plant foods. They are compounds that help fight damage from reactive molecules called free radicals. Having too many free radicals in the body and not enough antioxidants can lead to a condition called oxidative stress that may play a role in the development of chronic diseases. The antioxidants found in leafy greens vary depending on the vegetable, but some of the most prominent ones include vitamin C and E and pro-vitamin A carotenoids like beta-carotene and lutein.

Culture; from the Latin cultus, which means care 💪🏽

It’s Monday! Let’s work 💪🏽💪🏽

Always improving, always moving forward. That’s the goal 💪🏽💪🏽

Up ⬆️ and Up ⬆️

Best of luck to our guy @smashbjj on his fight today go get yours 😤

Brick. By. Brick.

Healthy fat is essential to a healthy, well balanced diet. Consuming healthy fats can optimize your cognitive performance, protects your brain, cushions your organs, stores energy, lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke, lowers LDL cholesterol levels, lowers triglycerides associated with heart disease, lowers blood pressure, fights fatigue and even helps control your weight - plus more!

So what are the different types of fat? There are four main types of fat; monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and trans fat.

Monounsaturated fats: avocados, olive oil, avocado oil, salmon, nuts like almonds, cashews, pecans and peanuts
- The brain is rich in monounsaturated fats, which form the brains myelin sheath. They also have a protective effect on our hearts. These fats have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol.
Polyunsaturated fats
- Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are two types of polyunsaturated fat that are linked with improved heart health. They too help lower LDL cholesterol and your risk for heart disease. These are essential – meaning that the body can’t make these from scratch so you must get them in the form of foods.
- Omega 3s include oily fish such as salmon, walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds
- Omega 6s include tofu, walnuts, eggs, flaxseed
o Side note to omega 6s – the biggest source of omega-6 today is from processed foods (ex: high-fructose corn syrup)
o Many Americans have an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio that is too high (too much omega 6s and not enough omega 3s) which may contribute to inflammation in the body. Healthy ways to reduce this are to limit processed foods and if you’re not eating fish twice a week for your omega-3, take an omega 3 supplement!
Saturated fats
- Typically fats found in animal products and oils that are solid at room temperature
Trans fat
- These fats need to be limited in our diets. Today, trans fats are listed on the Nutrition Facts label, making it easier to identify
- Sources of these fats: processed foods (crackers and chips) baked goods, margarines etc.

Iron sharpens iron 😤 this community is built for success, uplift and inspire 💪🏽🙏🏽

📸 @hannahkaileenn_

Despite its name, did you know that Vitamin D is not actually a vitamin but a prohormone (a precursor of a hormone)?! Vitamins are nutrients that the body cannot make so need to be ingested…however the body can actually produce Vitamin D. The suns energy turns a chemical in your skin into vitamin D3 which is carried to your liver and then your kidneys where it is transformed into the active Vitamin D. To maintain healthy blood levels, aim to get 10-30 minutes of midday sunlight several times a week. You can also get vitamin D from eating salmon, mushrooms and egg yolks. However, it is estimated that about 1 billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient. The latest research links vitamin D deficiency to mood swings, depression, lack of energy, chronic skin conditions and other chronic diseases. Side note – Vitamin D deficiency is also associated with poor outcomes in COVID-19. So let’s get into it!

Vitamin D has many important functions. It regulates more than 2,000 of the 30,000 human genes and plays a significant role in immune function. It helps the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus which are both critical for building bone and health teeth. It supports immune, brain and nervous system health, it regulates insulin levels and supports diabetes management, lung function and cardiovascular health. Omega 3 and Vitamin D also help the body make more of your feel-good hormone, serotonin, among many other important functions within the body.

If you live in non-equatorial latitudes, the sun might not be strong enough to produce vitamin D for about half of the year which is why supplementation is so important. Always look for a Vitamin D3 + K2 supplement which has been studied to provide the best results. And of course, always check with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.

Creatine is a natural substance found in muscle cells. Our bodies make about 1g/day and it is stored as phosphocreatine. Creatine acts as a phosphate shuttle to make ATP, which is the bodies energy currency. When your body has access to more ATP, your body will perform better during exercise. Creatine can also be found in food sources such as red meat and fish. One pound of beef provides 1 to 2 grams of creatine. Although creatine is found in food sources, it is very unlikely you’re eating enough to not want to supplement.

Studies show that creatine monohydrate increases energy production and muscle mass, improves athletic performance and allows to train harder. It is one of the most researched and most effective supplements out there and has been proven to work time and time again.

Creatine does need to be taken daily, even on rest days, to maintain saturation. 3-5g/day is the standard recommendation. There is no need to cycle off creatine and it can be taken anytime throughout the day. Make sure to be drinking adequate amounts of water while taking and always consult with your doctor if you have any medical issues or concerns.
Zoe from @vfxstrength

2022 is the year we crush our goals and we are here to help!😤

“What should I eat before and after a workout?”

This answer sometimes depends on the athlete and the specific activity however there are some common truths that apply for pre- and post-workout nutrition whether you’re just starting out in the gym or are a professional athlete.

Pre-workout:
Your before workout meal is essential so that your body has enough fuel to get you through your workout. Carbohydrates are the main fuel source for your muscles during strength and conditioning exercise; the harder your muscles are working the higher demand for carbohydrate utilization and the more carbs you need so that performance is not compromised. Too much food, or too little food will hinder performance.

Therefore consuming carbs prior to exercise around .5-1g/kg/bw is ideal. There is mixed data surrounding when is best time to consume your pre-workout meal. Some research states 1-4 hours pre-workout, other states 30-45 minutes. Play with this information and see which feels best for your body.

Post-workout:
For optimal muscle recovery, your post-workout meal is very important. For up to two hours post exercise, your muscle cells are more sensitive to insulin. Increased insulin sensitivity will allow for more carbohydrates and protein to be shuttled into the muscle cells - thus protein and carbs should be consumed post workout. Carbohydrates decrease the catabolism of tissue under stress and allow for used muscle glycogen stores to be replenished. Protein is needed for muscle growth and repair.

Extra: Why chocolate milk is such a great recovery drink for athletes:
Recent studies show that drinking chocolate milk after exercising is advantageous because of its protein content. Every cup of chocolate milk (8 oz) contains between 8-11g of complete protein and 24 g of carbohydrates. Compared to plain milk, water or most sports drinks, it contains double the carbohydrate content which is necessary to restore the lost glycogen stores. Chocolate milk has a high water content which aids in replacing the fluids lost during exercise. Chocolate milk also contains key nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, potassium, magnesium and sodium! Drink up!

Start small, keep going ❤️🙏🏽

Don’t forget your stretch and cool down 💪🏽💪🏽🙌🏽

Today is the day!! Tune in to NBC to see ur very own compete in the highest level of high school football!! 💪🏽💪🏽 PC: @aggiefootball

Our guys is headed to @whitworthfb and it’s official now! Proud of you and the work you’ve put in to get this opportunity. Let’s get after it and dominate college now 😤😤

Building a stronger community 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽

2022 the year to create separation and reach your goals. There’s never been a more crucial time to get healthy and strong 💪🏽

Last workouts of 2021 were spicy! Wishing you all a happy new year and let’s get after it this new year! Stay tuned for our new specials and challenges coming up in January. You are NOT going to want to miss out 😏 let’s get after it 2022.

Congrats to this stud @ethan_moczulski on signing today with @aggiefootball proud of you. You are everything a coach would want, hard worker, responsible, respectful, humble and a team player. Can’t wait to see you play in that A&M uni