New Rule for Bodybuilding #14

14. Drink lots of water, most especially during workouts. Vigorous exercise for only 1 hour can lead to a loss of 2 liters of water, evaporated as sweat. That's equivalent to a large plastic bottle of soda (half a gallon). Drink water between sets. Don't just take sporadic trips to the drinking fountain; carry a water bottle. It makes things easier.

If you wait till you're thirsty, you're already on your way to dehydration.* Keep drinking water throughout your workout, even if you're not thirsty. Cramps are a sign of dehydration.

"But when I drink water while I'm running, I get cramps."

If you get a cramp right after drinking water during exercise, it means that you drank the water too late. If you had kept drinking water from the beginning, you wouldn't have gotten a cramp at all.

If you don't have some container for water, you could be dehydrated every time you workout. I had to learn to make drinking water a between set activity.

Dehydration can lead to temporarily impaired mental functioning...which could lead to grunting or even banging your dumbbells together...which could lead to me making this face :|

Water: Improving the Elixir
It's very difficult to get people to drink the water their bodies need. Why is this so hard? By now, everyone knows that you should drink about eight glasses of water every day to help you maintain a healthy weight and keep your body functioning properly. However, few people drink all eight glasses and some people go all day without drinking any water at all. Why is that?

What I've discovered is that many people simply don't like water. They don't like the way it tastes. In our culture of sugary sodas, fruit juice drinks, and other super-sweet beverages, people have become conditioned to seek a more intensely flavored beverage than water. This is problematic, because most sweet drinks are laden with high-calorie sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, which are devastating America's waistlines.

So, we need to come up with a way to make water taste better so more people will drink it. This is easier than you'd think, and we don't need to add sugary substances to do that. Here are some suggestions to improve the way water tastes:

1. Many spas offer water flavored with citrus fruits, like lemon, lime, and orange. Recreate this spa experience at home by filling a pitcher with ice water and dropping in a few thin slices of the fruit of your choice.
2. Sparkling water, such as Perrier, is convenient, flavorful, and filling, because of the carbonation. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime to vary the flavor.
3. Various naturally-flavored waters have made an appearance on the market, such as FruitWater, made by the folks who make VitaminWater. These beverages are delicious, all-natural, low-calorie, and convenient.

These are just a few options for ways to get more water in your diet. People often mistake thirst for hunger, so the next time you feel the urge to snack, try chugging a glass of lemon-scented water instead. Chances are, it will take care of your craving.

"Glug! You may be drinking too much … water" (is 8 glasses a day a myth?)

*"Stay hydrated without gaining weight"This nutritionist says: "It used to be thought that when you were thirsty, it was “too late” — and that you were already dehydrated. Not true! So drink when you are thirsty."

I'm not sure what her source is, but her article is addressed to everyone especially people who don't get any regular vigorous exercise. Sedentary people. Couch people.