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Many women have discovered that a pre-workout supplement is a great way to prepare for a workout. The primary reason for this is because they fulfill your needs during and after a high-intensity workout session. Mentally, a pre-workout can help you with focus and energy, while physically they can help with building muscle, burning fat, and recovery.

One thing to remember is that, while a pre-workout can increase your results and help you do more in your workout- they are not all created equal. Some of the pre-workout for women on the market are better than others for helping you achieve your goals.

In this article, were going to take a look at what we believe to be the 9 best pre-workout supplements for women- whether your goal is to increase performance during HIIT or to lose some weight. First though, were going to learn a little more about pre-workouts in general, including what they are, what they do, as well as some advantages and disadvantages to using them.

After we review the 9 best pre-workout supplements for women, well answer some of the most commonly asked questions. We hope that we are able to help you decide which one is the best solution for you.

A pre-workout supplement can help you increase energy levels and improve performance on the field and in the gym. However, as we mentioned, not all supplements are created equal. When you are choosing a pre-workout supplement, you will want to make sure to carefully review the ingredient list and keep your personal fitness goals in mind.

Some of the pre-workout supplements will have proprietary blends, as well as artificial sweeteners, and other additives. Therefore, if this is something you wish to avoid, youll want to carefully review the ingredient list.

Additionally, youll want to consider how the product tastes. After all, you dont want to choose a supplement that tastes bad. If you do, youre not likely to continue using it. You want it to have a pleasant taste to encourage you to stick with it and have a better chance of reaching your goals.

You will also want to make sure that the supplement you choose has been tested by a third party. You cant always trust the in-house verifications for quality and safety. Also, youll want to be careful of the supplements that do include proprietary blends, especially if you have a sensitivity to any of the ingredients. Some of the pre-workout supplements do contain allergens, so make sure that you carefully read the ingredient label if you have any allergies at all.

There are certain ingredients that are not recommended if you are taking certain prescription medications or if you are pregnant/breastfeeding, its important that you consult with a medical professional before you try any new supplements.

Finally, some of the pre-workout supplements for women contain stimulants, which will affect different people in different ways, its recommended that if you choose a supplement with caffeine, start with a smaller dose to see how well you can tolerate it.

When looking for the best pre-workout supplement for women, one of the most important factors to consider is the ingredients- especially the caffeine.

Studies have proven caffeine to improve athletic performance and strength. However, some may have a greater sensitivity to the cumulative effects of caffeine than others.

Another ingredient commonly found in pre-workout supplements for women is beta-alanine. This is an amino acid that is believed to keep acid from building up in the muscle tissue, which means they can work harder. However, its important to note that beta-alanine can cause a tingling sensation that some may find uncomfortable.

Another amino acid that is commonly found in pre-workout supplements for women is l-citrulline. This amino acid has been proven to increase the production of nitric oxide, which improved blood flow to muscles. Therefore, your muscles can receive more oxygen and nutrients- which supports muscle growth and performance.

Another amino acid, L-arginine, may also be present. Sometimes you will find it on its own and other times its included with L-citrulline. Some studies do indicate that it increases the production of nitric oxide. However, it has not been shown to help with workout performance, as the body breaks it down before it gets into the bloodstream.

If one of your main priorities is increasing strength, youll want to look for a pre-workout containing creatine. Creatine has been studied extensively and has been proven to improve weightlifting performance and muscle strength.

Please note that though the pre-workout supplements we have listed here are marketed to women, they are not formulated to specifically meet the nutritional needs of women. Therefore, any healthy adult can use these supplements, regardless of gender.

Now that you know more about pre-workout supplements for women, were going to take a look at what we believe to be the 9 best pre-workout supplements for women on the market today. We hope that we are able to help you decide which one is best for you to get you started to increase strength, better workout performance, and improved overall health.

XWERKS Ignite is considered one of the best pre-workout supplements on the market today. This supplement was designed with a primary goal of optimizing performance. It contains ingredients that are made to increase energy and stamina, as well as fuel focus, which means you can workout harder and longer.

The manufacturer does not like the idea of proprietary blends, which is reflected in the clear, concise labeling on all of their products. Each ingredient in this product has been carefully selected for its effectiveness in ensuring that users get the most out of their workout routine. XWERKS Ignite is formulated to provide long-lasting energy without stimulants. This is one of the main reasons its a great option for women.

This company believes that short-term stimulants only increase energy for a short amount of time and when they wear off, you will experience a crash. The ingredients in XWERKS Ignite include:

When you are using XWERKS Ignite, you can expect to have a continuous supply of energy through your workout, as well as have no trouble maintaining focus. The ingredients also help with your endurance, which means you can perform long and recover quickly. If you want to level up your training regimen, this is definitely worth considering.

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Legion Athletics Pulse Pre-Workout supplement takes a different approach to boosting workouts. Instead of simply increasing your strength, endurance, and energy, it also improves your mood and focus during workouts. The ingredients in this supplement are certified and natural, and greatly reduce the fatigue that you feel during and following your workouts. This means that you can workout for longer, getting the most from each one.

Each serving will give you:

You can find this product with or without caffeine and the main flavor available is blueberry lemonade. If you are looking for a supplement that will give you a natural energy boost, you should consider trying this supplement.

Since you can get it with or without caffeine, you have the choice of including this stimulant as part of your regimen. If you choose the formulation with caffeine, youll get up to 350 milligrams in each 15-gram scoop.

Finally, this is one of the least expensive ones on the market, which means if you like it, you should be able to fit it into your budget for some time.

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Pre-Lab Pro pre-workout supplement supports your workouts in several ways and, since it comes in a natural berry flavor, it can be a palatable product. If youve been using other products and been stuck with the same boring flavors, this unique berry flavor can be just the boost youre looking for to continue your workout.

The manufacturer has designed Pre-Lab Pro to improve both stamina and strength for everyone- especially women. It also provides increased speed and endurance and, if you have to go through healing/recovery, its a great way to maintain your strength and energy levels during that time.

Some of the unique ingredients in Pre-Lab Pro include nootropics, which enhance cognitive functioning, as well as ingredients that support homeostasis. This supplement is affordable, so its ideal for those who are on a budget.

Due to the ingredients and dosages of Pre-Lab Pro, it has proven to be highly popular among athletes and workout gurus.

The main ingredients in Pre-Lab Pro include:

Since all of these ingredients are certified, you can trust that they will not have a negative impact on your body. This is one of the reasons why we believe this is one of the best pre-workout supplements for women on the market today.

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The final pre-workout supplement on our list, Alani Nu Pre-Workout is one that has a lot more flavor than most of the others on the list. It contains L-theanine, along with several other ingredients that can help manage post-workout crashes and keep the jitters under control. This supplement contains fewer ingredients than are found in other pre-workout supplements. However, there is a significant amount of each ingredient that is in it.

Each serving contains:

This product contains non fillers and 90% of users who have left reviews, have been 5-star, positive reviews. Its consistently on best of lists and is one that deserves consideration.

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Cellucor was one of the very first pre-workout supplements to hit the market and the fact that its still here today should tell you something. For several years now, it has been one of the very first supplements that insiders consider when they start thinking about pre-workout supplements.

As mentioned, it was one of the first ones to hit the market- over a decade ago. That makes it one of the most established, enduring brands in the industry. This pre-workout supplement has 1.6 grams of CarnoSyn beta-alanine, 1 gram each of creatine and arginine, and 150 milligrams of caffeine. This means that those who use it get at least 4 proven ingredients in ideal doses, which allows them to maximize the results of their workout sessions.

Also, though it is one of the most popular and reputable supplement brands on the market- it still remains one of the most affordable. This is the real selling point of this supplement: its affordable and effective. Therefore, if you see that you are getting the results you desire, its something that you should be able to keep within your budget for years to come.

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People who love Ladder are likely at least partially attracted to it because of the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger, legendary weightlifter, and Lebron James, basketball player, are co-founders. They both found themselves disappointed with the products that were available on the market, so they got together and combined their efforts to create their own. They market their products as the ultimate workout supplements.

Ladder comes in delectable flavors, including tropical fruit and strawberry lemonade. In addition, it is made with high-quality ingredients that can give your workout sessions a boost. Each serving of this supplement contain:

Also, if certifications are important to you, youll be happy to know that this supplement has been certified by NSF as effective for sports workouts. Of course, this means a lot to professional and elite athletes that only want the highest quality supplements. Each batch must go through testing to ensure accuracy, purity, and quality. This means that consumers can be confident when they use it.

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While many of the supplements on our list can be used by men or women, Powher Pre-Workout is specifically formulated for women. The advantage of this supplement is the inclusion of exclusive ingredients such as EnXtra, which is a caffeine booster derived from a plant that is part of the ginger family.

This ingredient will enhance and improve the effects of caffeine. Therefore, if you like the boost you get from caffeine, youll be happy to have this extra additive. In addition to caffeine, this formula also includes

This supplement is fairly inexpensive and is appealing to women that want a combination of certified pre-workout ingredients that arent overwhelming in their dosages.

The other thing that makes it more for women is that its typically used in smaller amounts than the other supplements on the market. If you are not ale to finish a full portion of a typical pre-workout supplement, this might be good for you.

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IdealFit IdealLean Pre-workout supplement is another one that is specifically formulated for women. This product comes in a blue raspberry flavor and is one of the cheapest ones on the market today. Fortunately, its also one of the top-rated supplements for those who want an extra boost in their workouts.

Each serving of this pre-workout supplement contains:

In addition to the above, it contains some other powerful ingredients that are made to supercharge your workouts. IdealFit IdealLean is known for stronger dosages, so this product is appealing to female elite athletes that are interested in leveling up their game.

This product is enthusiastically backed by the hundreds of women who have tried it and discovered that its effective. You can find lots of positive reviews online about this product.

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Onnit has become a household name among workout gurus. It has become known for their high-quality products that are formulated to support ideal health/wellness on various levels. Onnit Total Strength Performance ranks high among pre-workout supplements. The reason this is on our list is because its become one of the best pre-workout supplements on the market.

Onnit Total Strength Performance comes in strawberry lemonade- so if thats not something you enjoy, you may want to go somewhere else for a more palatable flavor. On the other hand, if you enjoy or can at least tolerate strawberry lemonade, youll be consuming a combination of ingredients that will give your workout performance a boost.

This pre-workout supplement contains no caffeine. However, you will be provided with a powerful dose of BCAAs, DAA, plant extracts, herbal extracts, and a variety of other ingredients that have been included to supercharge your workouts. This is the perfect solution for those who like large serving, ingredients that have been certified, and obviously powerful benefits.

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There are several reasons why youd want to use a pre-workout supplement. Lets explore some of those below:

A pre-workout supplement will provide your body with the energy necessary for intense workouts. When it comes to getting in shape, diet isnt enough. Your body needs energy to get moving. Therefore, if you take the right supplements prior to your workout, it will be easier to stick to it. After all, if you dont have sufficient energy, youre not going to be able to get any benefits from your workout.

As mentioned, a pre-workout supplement will give you energy- which leads to intense workouts. Additionally, since you have the extra energy to burn, workouts are likely to last longer, which means youll burn more calories. Weight loss can be hard and there are lots of things involved with it. However, a pre-workout supplement can help. That being said, not all of the pre-workout supplements have properties to facilitate weight loss- but since youll have more energy, youll be doing longer, more intense workouts- which means youll ultimately lose weight.

If you find that your energy drains quickly and you dont have what you need to get through long, intense workouts, its necessary that you find a supplement that will help improve your endurance so that you can get through your workouts without getting too tired. The pre-workout supplements for women are formulated to build up your endurance so that you wont get as tired. Even if youre just getting started with your workout routine, youll notice a difference because youll be doing more intense, long, workouts.

Your weight loss success has a lot to do with your metabolism. When you use a pre-workout supplement, you can speed up your metabolism, which means youll burn more calories and fat. For many women, this is the primary reason they would want to use a pre-workout supplement. After all, metabolism rates vary form one person to the next and if yours is slow, youll have a harder time losing weight and getting in shape.

Many of the pre-workout supplements also contain ingredients that are known to suppress appetite. This is critical for those who are trying to lose weight. By using a pre-workout supplement, you reduce your urges to grab that midnight snack. These supplements do not eliminate your appetite but help keep it under control. This is great because its exactly what you need to build muscle.

Pre-workout supplements help speed up protein synthesis, which is the process that your body uses to build muscle. By speeding up this process, your body is able to quickly, efficiently build muscle. When you are lifting weights as part of your workout, muscle tissues break down. Your body then uses the process of protein synthesis to repair your muscle tissues, making them bigger.

A pre-workout supplement gives your body the energy it needs to lift more weights. The more you lift, the more your muscles are refined and toned. Of course, these supplements are not just going to automatically build muscle for you. You must also put in the effort to workout. Even if you dont want big muscles, a pre-workout supplement can help you tone and enhance your existing muscles.

Some people, no matter what, have difficulty losing fat. However, a pre-workout supplement can make it easier to lose those unwanted pounds. Since these supplements give you the energy you need for workouts, you can put more effort into it. Many of the fat los products for women that are on the market either dont work very well or have unwanted side effects.

While most of the pre-workout supplements on the market dont explicitly focus on flexibility, it will come naturally as you do more workouts. This is one of the advantages of using a pre-workout supplement that the average person isnt aware of- but fitness buffs know all about it. If youre having a hard time with your workout or you feel stiff, you are lacking in flexibility. By taking a pre-workout supplement prior to your workout, you increase energy, which means you can do more HIIT training, which loosens your body up.

In addition to the physical benefits of pre-workout supplementation, there are also some mental ones as well. Most of these supplements have ingredients that help improve concentration. Youll find that its easier for you to get motivated and stay focused on the task at hand. After all, lack of focus is one of the most significant obstacles to maintaining a workout routine. Anyone that has worked out can tell you that the mind has a lot to do with the results.

Since pre-workout supplements are not steroids, you dont have to be concerned about side effects- as long as you are using it as directed. No matter what you hear, there are no shortcuts to getting in shape and losing weight. Steroids and such bring a lot of negative side effects and ultimately will do more bad than good for you. This is the reason its best to stick with a pre-workout supplement.

When youre not exercising, your immune system becomes weak- which makes you vulnerable to disease and illness. However, by using a pre-workout supplement, your body builds up resistance and strength. If youre just starting out or if youve been doing this for some time, this is something you need to think about. The point of working out is to get in shape. If you havent been doing it, you may be weak, which means youll have a hard time getting started. Of course, this isnt a miracle supplement, your strength will not increase overnight- but youll feel changes as time goes on.

Simply working out isnt enough. Sure, youll see results- but those results will get better when you use a pre-workout supplement because of the extra energy youll have. Of course, the level of benefits you achieve will depend on the workout, how long it is, and several other factors. Of course, there will still be some that achieve results faster than others- a pre-workout supplement doesnt completely level the playing field. Your metabolism, current condition, and workout all come into play.

One of the most common problems that people have is slow recovery following an intense workout. This is where a pre-workout supplement can be beneficial. It can help speed up the recovery process. If youre feeling sore and weak following your workout and cant get up and work the day after, you dont have an adequate amount of recovery power. A pre-workout supplement will make you stronger- which will make all the difference in the world.

Of course, as we mentioned, a pre-workout supplement will not bring a miracle. However, in time you will begin to see and feel the results. When you combine these supplements with a good workout, you will become fit, and your body will be well-toned.

As you can see, there are lots of good things that a pre-workout for women can do for you. However, its only fair to look at the other side: the potential side effects.

Often, one of the main ingredients in a pre-workout supplement is caffeine- which has been proven to increase muscle strength/output during a workout while also reducing fatigue. Basically, it does help you get more from your workout.

However, there are also some side effects of caffeine, including jitteriness, increased heart rate, restlessness, insomnia, drowsiness, anxiety, nausea, and headaches.

Creatine is another popular ingredient in many pre-workout supplements, which has been proven to increase HIIT capacity and lean body gains from workouts.

However, there are some side effects that come with creatine. They are fairly mild, but include digestive issues, bloating, water retention, and weight gain.

Two common ingredients in pre-workout supplements are: niacin and beta-alanine. Beta-alanine reduces the acidity in your muscles while working out, which may help with increasing the length of your workout. Niacin plays an important role in energy metabolism- however, you can choose a supplement without it, as you can get what you need from your diet.

The side effect of beta-alanine is paresthesia, which is a tingling sensation in your extremities. Niacin causes skin-flushing. While neither of these are harmful to your health, they can be quite uncomfortable, making it hard to workout.May cause digestive upset

There are several ingredients in pre-workout supplements that could trigger digestive upset, including creatine, caffeine, sodium bicarbonate, and magnesium. Another potential trigger for digestive upset is to use too little water when mixing your pre-workout supplement. The directions are there for a reason. Consuming a concentrated dose of your supplement could cause diarrhea.

Finally, some people experience headaches when using a pre-workout supplement. This is likely due to citrulline, which is a common additive. It is an amino acid that is meant to increase blood flow to your muscles, which results in increased muscle mass.

Of course, this increased blood flow also has an effect on your brain which can trigger headaches and even migraines in some people due to the blood pressure change in your brain.

One important thing to keep in mind is that pre-workout supplements are not for everyone.

If you experience a lack of energy or have trouble getting through your workout on a daily basis, you may want to look into making some changes to other factors, including diet, hydration, and sleep instead of adding supplements. After all, supplements are meant to add to your already healthy lifestyle. If youre not already practicing healthy habits, a supplement isnt likely to help you. Plus, due to the fact that there are different ingredients in the various brands, its hard to determine just how effective they really are.

Additionally, while its true that you can find some budget-friendly options, they can get quite expensive. Also, research has not proven that they are more effective than whole foods.

Of course, that being said, if you have found a pre-workout supplement that is working for you, theres no reason to stop. However, youll want to make sure you pay attention to the ingredient list and how much you are consuming.

Most of the pre-workout supplements on the market do include instructions for how they should be taken. While these instructions should be followed, if youre just starting out, you might want to try a smaller serving so that you can assess your tolerance. This is especially true if the ingredients include beta-alanine or caffeine.

Keep in mind that if the supplement contains beta-alanine, you may experience a tingling sensation. Its nothing to get worried over, you just may be a bit uncomfortable until it wears off.

According to the experts, most of the pre-workout supplements should be taken 30 to 60 minutes prior to your workout. This allows the ingredients time to get into your bloodstream and take effect.

Finally, if the supplement you choose has caffeine or other stimulant, pay attention to the time of day that you are using it. You dont want to take it late in the day to where it has an effect on your ability to sleep.

Whether or not you opt to use a pre-workout supplement, its important that you give your body what it needs to fuel your workouts. This can have a significant difference in the way you feel and your performance during your workout. According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, consuming carbs and protein before and after a workout can improve body composition and strength.

Try to plan ahead and consume a balanced meal with fat, carbs, and protein approximately 2 to 3 hours before. For example, try a vegetable omelet, whole wheat toast with avocado spread, and a side of fresh fruit. Of course, if you stay so busy that time slips by, youd want to choose an easily digestible carb, such as a piece of fruit 30 to 60 minutes prior to working out.

If you decide to skip the pre-workout supplement but you want the effects provided by the caffeine, have a cup of coffee with your pre-workout snack.

Of course, there are always questions that come up- especially when it comes to supplements. After all, you want to be sure that you can trust the product before you put it into your body. Below are some of the most commonly asked questions when it comes to a pre-workout for women.

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Best Pre-Workout for Women (2022) Top Supplements That Work | Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber - Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. For a year-and-a-half, the fiercest competition J.R. Smith had was with his brothers not on the court, but on wheels.

It was at the start of the pandemic when the 34-year-old bought a bike, looking for a way to safely get out of the house and lose weight. Hed ride up and down Venice Boulevard. Hed ride through the Pacific Palisades. Hed ride to Manhattan Beach.

Always hungry for a contest, the Smith family tracked their biking miles on an app that they checked every day. Earl Smith Jr., J.R.s father, saw his sons Demetrius and Chris peddling along at about 12 miles a day; J.R. would hit 20 miles: After a while, Earl said, it wasnt even close.

With practice, J.R. said, he found his mind would simply settle as he rode.

It was a lot, but its funny, he said. Because once youre on a bike, and youre cruising, you dont really think about it too much until you gotta turn around and go back.

So yes, J.R. Smiths return to the NBA for the first time since November 2018 is like riding a bike.

Everyone is getting used to the strangeness of playing out the season in the Disney bubble, but returning to the structure the practices, the film sessions, the team dinners has felt easy for Smith, a 15-year veteran who has spent almost half his life in the NBA.

Even though he is the most recent Laker newcomer after signing in June, he has some of the most robust and complex handshakes with teammates that he executes at introductions before every game. He hasnt played much during the restart, only 54 minutes in five games, but that hasnt mattered as much as simply being in the league again.

When did it feel like Smith had blended into the Lakers locker room?

The first day he got here: Everybodys known him, said Danny Green, who came up in the same Northeast hoop circles as Smith. Weve all played against him for years. Hes played with most of these guys here. Theyve all known him, shown love, grew up in the same area with the guy, so first day he was himself, and he was happy and excited. And it was like, hes here, so hes just a part of the group.

By his own admission, Smiths comeback from the pits of a depressed state is a fairly remarkable one.

In his last year with the Cavaliers in the 2018-19 season, the franchise began to pivot to a rebuild after LeBron James moved on and was set to reduce his minutes. Smith pushed back. He publicly accused the franchise of tanking, after which Smith and the Cavs agreed to split, with Smith on his own away from the team while a trade could be worked out. The trade never materialized, and he was waived in July 2019, at which point he began to realize getting back in the NBA might be harder than he thought.

Smith declined to discuss the specific challenges of getting back into the league with the Southern California News Group, but he told the Inside the Green Room podcast that he believed persistent off-court rumors about his character were to blame which he and his family have said were unfair.

Smith has a reputation as an NBA wild card: His tenure with the Cavaliers included a famous anecdote of him throwing a bowl of soup at assistant coach Damon Jones, and he also was memed for a Game 1 mistake in 2018 when he allowed the game with the Warriors to go to overtime rather than taking a final shot. More seriously, in May, he was filmed in a fight with a man whom he accused of vandalizing his truck during a George Floyd protest in Los Angeles.

While Smith acknowledges these past incidents, he also wishes equal weight were given to his track record as an NBA veteran and key player on several title-contending teams.

It is what it is, honestly, he said. People are going to have that perception of me. Im convinced of it. Theres nothing I can really do to change that except just come every day and dedicate myself, and just be consistent.

But its hard to be consistent when the professional life youve known falls out from under you. Without basketball, Smith came unmoored living with his family in Warren, N.J. He stopped playing basketball, stopped watching basketball, stopped even playing basketball-themed video games. He gained weight. He became less interested in hearing from his agent, Rich Paul, if anyone wanted him because the news was increasingly grim. He got to spend a lot of time with his four daughters, but that was a silver lining as his career slowly kept drifting away.

One of the loudest voices in his corner was Earl Jr., who told his namesake son that his career wasnt over. Smith is close with his dad and listens my dad is probably right 90 percent of the time, but dont tell him that, he said and Earls message was some serious tough love.

If you aint gonna play, now you gotta find something to do, Earl said he told his son. I thought, Get your ass in shape, go to L.A. Do your thing. Go make some goddamn money for those little girls.

Smith made the difficult decision to relocate to Los Angeles, where he would have better access to training. Especially during the NBA hiatus, the combination of biking and a vegan diet made him lose 20 pounds in a show of support, Earl Jr. went vegan for a few months, too.

Without this renewed dedication, Smith said, he wouldnt have been physically ready to play when the Lakers came calling in June to swap him in for Avery Bradley.

The weight I was at, how my body would have had to respond to recovering to playing, I dont think it would have happened, he said. My body wouldnt have been able to handle it. At the end of the day, just thank God you have the opportunity to play this game again. Be thankful, be humble, and take it in stride.

Smith has undoubtedly been rusty in the restart. He said its also been difficult being away from his family again: He estimates he spends up to six hours a day on FaceTime with his daughters even the youngest at 2 years old brings the phone to her mother, eager to call Dad.

Earl Jr., like any sports father, thinks his son could benefit from a few more touches. But more importantly, he sees his J.R. fulfilled back on the job.

This is the happiest Ive seen J.R. in years the happiest Ive seen him since he won the championship, Earl Jr. said. It was depressing for a while. Every man cries for a reason, and he had a reason. But when J.R. is in something and committed to it, hes in it 110 percent.

Excerpt from:
Lakers JR Smith took fatherly advice on his way back to the NBA - OCRegister

Keto dieters have another dessert option without breaking their regime:Halo Top announced the introduction of its new seriesof keto ice cream.

Keto followers can choose from seven flavors:Peanut Butter Chocolate, Berry Swirl, Jelly Donut, Chocolate Cheesecake, Caramel Butter Pecan, Banana Pie andWhite Chocolaty Macadamia Nut.

The dessert company says the Keto Series is lower in calories than regular ice cream without sacrificing flavor. Which is good news for those looking to ditch the extra carbs and calories.

The ice cream includes ultra-filtered skim milk and the pints have net carbs ranging from 5 to 10 grams, calories from 410 to 630 and protein from 17 to 22 grams. The serving size of the keto-friendly ice cream is two-thirds of a cup and calories range from 134 to 210 per serving.

Our brand is focused on making delicious dessert that everyone can feel good about eating, and these new flavors allow us to do that for our fans looking to limit their sugar intake, Meg Graeff, senior brand manager of Halo Top, said in a news release.

Experts say: Keto diet isnt the answer for weight loss. Heres what is

Who inspires you?: USA TODAY seeks your Women of the Century to commemorate 19th Amendment

Halo Top announced its Keto series line-up of seven new flavors including Peanut Butter Chocolate, Jelly Donut and Caramel Butter Pecan.(Photo: Halo Top)

Rebel Creamery, another ice cream company, was one of the first to roll out a keto ice cream line. The brand launched on Kickstarter in November 2017 andamassed over 1,400 people who pledged $80,400 toward developing the ice cream.

A half-cup servingincludes 120to 200 calories, 2 or less grams of net carbs per serving and 2 to 3 grams ofproteindepending on the flavor.

Other brands like Enlightened have also launched keto diet-friendly lines.

Enlightened introduced its keto line of 11-flavored ice cream pints and barsin 2019and each serving has less than 1 gram of sugar and 1 net carb.

Last year, the Ketogenic diet quickly picked up steam as a way to lose weight even ranking on the top 10 list of health-related Google searches of 2019 with what is keto?The prevalence and popularity have led to recent mainstream offerings at places like Chipotle.

The low-carb, high-fat diet has even got celebrity co-signs from the likes of Kim Kardashian, Halle Berry and LeBron James. Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino even creditedthe diet to his 50-poundweight loss in 2018.

Halo Tops seven new flavors join a collection of 40-plus flavors from the brand including dairy and dairy-free pints and popsicles.

The Keto Series is now available at grocery stores nationwideand the suggested retail price is $5.99 for a 16-ouncepint.

Follow Jazmin Goodwin on Twitter: @jazminkgoodwin.

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2020/01/23/halo-top-introduces-keto-ice-cream-including-seven-new-flavors/4534606002/

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Halo Top introduces 7 flavors of keto-friendly ice cream - USA TODAY

Want to lose weight in 2020? Its time to cut the crap.

And thats not just the junk food sabotaging your diet, or the time suckers keeping you from working out. Were also talking about the fad diets, fitness trends and questionable studies that have made reaching and maintaining a healthy weight more confusing than ever by promising this superfood or that super intense workout is the quick fix to tip the scale in your favor. (Theyve also spawned a global weight loss market expected to hit $253 billion by 2024.)

As a result, about four in 10 Americans are obese thats a whopping 93.3 million adults which increases their risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and early mortality, and cost the country $147 billion in medical costs in 2008, according to the CDC. Nearly 80% of American adults are also not getting enough aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity, which is linked to about $117 billion in annual health care costs and 10% of premature mortality, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

So its no wonder that losing weight and getting in shape are among the most popular resolutions year over year, because so many people cant keep them; 80% of New Years resolutions fail by February. So MarketWatch spoke with several leaders in the field of obesity research and prevention who have reviewed the science surrounding weight gain and loss to explain what to eat and avoid; how much exercise you need and which workouts work best; as well as their tips for making these moves a part of your new, well-balanced life in the New Year.

Sorry keto the Mediterranean diet is king. Endurance athletes and celebrities like LeBron James and the Kardashians have raved about the high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet which was among Googles most-searched terms in 2018. But Dr. Louis Aronne, an endocrinologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine who runs the Comprehensive Weight Control Center, noted that the Mediterranean diet is the only diet that has been proven in trials to promote weight loss and reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. This meal plan includes using olive oil rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids as your main cooking oil, and loading your plate with fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein like fish and chicken, with the occasional piece of red meat. The American Heart Association recommends a similar diet that emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods, particularly fruits, veggies and whole grains, as well as low-fat dairy products, nuts and legumes, and non-tropical vegetable oils, while reducing salt, sugar and trans fats.

Many plant-based meat alternatives are highly processed. Those Beyond Meat BYND, +0.05% and Impossible Foods products being dished in fast food chains such as Burger King QSR, +1.46%, Dunkin DNKN, +1.22% and White Castle arent necessarily healthier than the original beef and sausage patties theyre substituting. (Theyre also often $1 or $2 more expensive.) Theres a misconception that anything plant-based is instantly healthy ... but even though these products are plant-based, many of them still have a bunch of additives or even more sodium than a regular hamburger, Hannah Kittrell, a registered dietitian and manager of the Mount Sinai Physiolab, told MarketWatch. (Compare nutritional information here.) You really want to focus on just whole, natural plant foods. Indeed, the National Institutes of Health warned last May that eating highly processed foods is linked to weight gain. So read labels and nutritional information to determine whether these meat alternatives fit into your health plan.

Eating less does more for weight loss than exercising more. Consider putting the money youd spend on a gym membership toward healthy groceries, instead. Trying to exercise your way out of your weight problem is very difficult (because) its very hard to exercise that much, explained Dr. Aronne. Burning about 3,500 calories equals one pound; someone weighing 150 pounds walking for an hour would burn around 250 calories. You really need to cut down on calorie intake to lose the weight. Exercise is better at preventing weight gain. The recommended daily diet is around 2,000 calories, but if you want to lose weight, Dr. Avigdor Arad, the director of the Mount Sinai Physiolab, suggests that women consume between 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day on average, and men between 1,500 and 1,800 calories. But visit your doctor to see how your own metabolism, family history and any medications youre taking could be influencing how easily you gain and lose weight, and what your nutritional needs are. There is a lot of variation, he said.

A note on intermittent fasting: Intermittent fasting was Googles GOOG, +2.27% most-searched diet of 2019, thanks in part to notables like Twitter TWTR, +0.78% and Square SQ, +2.03% CEO Jack Dorsey and golf pro Phil Mickelson advocating for meal timing strategies as part of their wellness and weight-loss plans. (This can include only eating between noon and 8 p.m., and fasting for the other 16 hours, although there are many different methods.) There is some preliminary evidence to suggest that regular fasting can help boost weight loss, fight obesity and rev up metabolism, as well as treat Type 2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. But there are also conflicting studies that claim fasting can actually increase diabetes risk, and a 2018 German study found that fasting was no better than conventional calorie-cutting for weight loss. There are also concerns about these fasts fueling disordered eating. It does seem promising for weight loss, but theres just not enough research yet, said Kittrell. And keep in mind that theres going to be a lot of individual variability so it might work great for some people, and it might not work at all for others. Before starting any new eating approach, speak with a doctor, registered dietician or psychologist.

Read more: Celebs, CEOs and even athletes keep feeding the fasting fad, even as evidence piles up that its effects are unknown

Carbs arent evil but sugar might be. The concept of carbohydrates has really gotten such a bad reputation, and we need to understand that there are complex carbohydrates and ancient grains that can really help us not only lose weight, but increase satiety so we stay full longer and want to eat less. It actually decreases the cholesterol and stabilizes the blood sugar, and all of these things are a really important part of a weight loss program, said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, an American Heart Association volunteer medical expert. These good carbs include whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans; the refined carbs (including refined grains and starches like white bread, white rice, pasta and mashed potatoes) should be consumed in limited amounts. They are high in simple sugars, and thats what adds weight, said Dr. Steinbaum.

Read more: This is the right way to eat carbs

We try not to vilify any food, except sugar, added Dr. Aronne. Having it as a treat is what sugar is for; its not meant to be the main part of your meal. Yet added sugars in the form of sweeteners and syrups to flavor processed foods sees the average adult eating 20 teaspoons of hidden added sugar every day, or an extra 320 calories, according to the USDAs recent nationwide food consumption survey. And then theres sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas, sports drinks, juices and flavored coffees and teas stirred with empty calories. The typical glass of orange juice has three oranges in it; thats the calories of three oranges. But its easy to drink a glass of orange juice and still eat a number of other things, added Dr. Aronne. Youre better off just eating a single orange and feeling full.

Youre only losing one or two pounds a week. Sustainable weight loss is slow and steady. It depends on where you start if you have quite a bit of weight to lose, you tend to lose the initial weight faster, noted Dr. Steinbaum, but losing more than a pound a week is quite a bit. A gradual decrease in weight loss implies that your dietary changes are sustainable. If you lose weight very quickly, it means that there has been a calorie restriction or an increase in activity that is really significant, and it is really hard to sustain that. Thats why so many yo-yo dieters gain the weight back. But aiming for smaller targets can add up to big changes and reaps more health benefits than the numbers on the scale suggest. Even when you lose only 3% of your body weight (six pounds for a 200-pound person), your blood sugar improves; your insulin sensitivity is improved; inflammation goes down; your cholesterol goes down, said Dr. Arad. You dont have to cut down half of your weight; even losing 3% to 5% is an excellent goal.

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All workouts are created equal. Should you be focusing on high intensity interval training (HIIT), training for a marathon or getting on the bodyweight bandwagon to torch the most calories and fat? The best exercise is one that you enjoy, and one that you will actually do, said Lieutenant Commander Katrina Piercy of the U. S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the federal lead for the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Dr. John Jakicic, who chairs the American College of Sports Medicine Obesity interest group, agreed. There is no perfect exercise, he said. They all count, and they all contribute in different ways. You might get something with HIIT that you might not get with yoga, and you get some benefits from yoga that you might not get with HIIT. Its about moving, and its about burning calories. So find what you can stick with in your life for weeks, months and years not just the first week of January. But dont become one of the 67% of gym membership holders who never go; at around $60 a month on average, thats wasting $720 a year.

Any movement counts. The numbers are daunting: The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggest a minimum of 150 minutes (2.5 hour) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week (walking briskly, playing doubles tennis, raking leaves), or 75 minutes (one hour, 15 minutes) of vigorous-intensity activity (running, a strenuous fitness class, carrying groceries up stairs), as well as muscle-strengthening activities (resistance training and weightlifting) two days a week. But if you want to lose weight, work up to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, or 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity. But doing something just a few minutes a day to get started has benefits, said Piercy. So parking farther away when youre running errands, getting up from our desks and going down the hall instead of sending an email those are things people can start incorporating into their daily lives now that may be a little easier than saying, Oh my gosh, I have to figure out how to fit 2.5 hours of activity into my week. If you are starting from zero physical activity, Dr. Jakicic suggests taking a 10-minute walk five times a week, shooting for 50 minutes a week, and building on from there once it becomes habit.

Dont miss: Opinion: Thin people dont understand why others struggle to lose weight

You cant skimp on sleep. Losing weight for good calls for a total lifestyle change and that includes getting more Zs. Missing the recommended seven to nine hours of shut-eye has been linked repeatedly with increased obesity rates. When you dont sleep enough, it certainly affects your brain, explained Dr. Arad. What weve learned is that people who dont sleep well are making poor choices eating more unhealthy diets, and they are obviously more fatigued, so they become less physically active. In fact, people who sleep six hours or fewer per night on average consume about 300 extra calories the following day.

Mindfulness matters. If you slow down and stop just mindless eating, you often realize you dont need to eat as much as you thought you did; youre already full, said Dr. Steinbaum. Part of this is watching portion sizes, which have ballooned in restaurants over the past 40 years, leading adults to consume an average of 300 more calories per day now than they did in 1985. Did you know that one serving of bread is actually just one slice? Or one serving of pasta or rice is just half a cup? And a serving of cheese is only two ounces, or the size of a domino? Youre probably eating much more than you realized. There have been multiple studies that see keeping a food journal is effective, said Dr. Steinbaum. When you start paying attention, you can really see what youre doing.

This article was originally published in January 2019, and has been updated with new research, including intermittent fasting and plant-based meat alternatives.

Link:
Your no B.S. guide to losing weight in the New Year - MarketWatch

Greg Nelson/SI

Orientation is underway deep within the Toyota Center, where a team of oversized basketball players are enveloped by their even more oversized chairs. Rockets assistant Brett Gunning has the floor. On the video wall of the home-theater-style film room, he walks the team through the guiding philosophies of Rockets basketballa refresher for some, a revelation to others. Houston, which led the league in three-point attempts by a mile last season, doesnt want its players indiscriminately chucking threes. It wants them hunting open ones. Inside the arc, its not enough to get into the paint for a shot. Gunning makes a data-driven case for the extra step that turns a floater into a layup or a foul.

There are clips to demonstrate the spacing that makes such a thing possible, with driving lanes wide enough to fit a Volvo. Highlight reels show shooters running to stand in the corners and big men politely getting out of the way. Any effort to understand how James Harden managed the most prolific scoring campaign in the past 32 years or how Houston managed one of the best offensive seasons on record starts with that negative space.

Jeffery A. Salter for Sports Illustrated

The platonic ideal came in a January win over the Knicks in which Houston took 42 shots at the rim, 44 three-pointers and just four shots in between. (Incidentally, Hardenworking without Chris Paul and Clint -Capelascored 61 points.) Every year, the average NBA team inches closer toward Houstons shot profile. And in turn, the Rockets push the envelope a bit further. Gunning shows the team that even with the basketball world gaining on them, stylistically speaking, Houston was able to trim down its diet of midrange shots to just 4.2 per gamefewest in the league.

As if on cue, Russell Westbrook, the Rockets newly imported superstar, chimes in. Those 4.2? he notes slyly to the room. Those are mine.

The players crack up, as does coach Mike DAntoni. O.K.! DAntoni relents. Then nobody else gets one!

So begins the give and take of a radical experiment. Matchmaking mere superstars is pass. The Rockets, like the Warriors before them, landed an MVP to accompany their MVP. Its not exactly the subtlest of moves; both Harden and Westbrook have big, loud games, inarguably bigger and louder than when the two began their careers together in Oklahoma City a decade ago. Only through separation did they fully become the anchors their respective franchises needed them to be. By reuniting, they hope to now find security in each other.

Weve accomplished a lot of accolades, individually, Harden says. Now its time to accomplish something that we havent accomplished before. Its a long way to June. Yet through the very fact of being on the same team, Harden and Westbrook have already engineered one outcome that never should have been possible in the first place.

The deus ex trade machina, in this instance, was Paul George. A year after re-signing with the Thunder on a four-year deal, George requested a trade that would ultimately send him to the Clippers. What was a shocking development around the league wasnt quite so for Westbrook. I cant be surprised if me and Paul were in communication the whole time, Westbrook says. So I wouldnt say I was surprised at all. Im all for doing whats best for my teammates. If Paul felt like it was time for him to move on and explore options, then Imma back him. Thats the type of relationship we have.

Following a development of that magnitude, Houston began its due diligence. Once Paul went to the Clippers, I reached out to Oklahoma City and they said they were open to talk, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey says. So we talked. Harden and Westbrook did too. Over the years they had joked about playing together again in the same way two friends might daydream about a trip they know theyll never take. Harden was a stakeholder with the Rockets, and Westbrook was entrenched with the Thunder. (I just built a new house in Oklahoma, Westbrook says.) The very idea of two of the highest-paid, highest-usage players in the league on the same team was too preposterous to honestly consider.

Until George. There are no truly isolated events in the NBA, least of all where the movement of a star player is concerned. Harden checked in with Westbrook to better understand his friends situation. It wasnt like that was the first time they talked in years, Morey says. That was more like: Hey, is something different now that Pauls gone?

I guess [Russell] said that there was.

Westbrook and the Thunder worked together to find a solution that made sense: a trade to Houston. Morey told The Wall Street Journal that this latest move was the biggest strategic risk of his tenurea risk, he clarifies, having less to do with Westbrook than what the Rockets gave up. (A bigger risk, it turns out: tweeting in support of a democratic movement in Hong Kong, turning the preseason into a stage for geopolitical intrigue.) There was Paul, who had been instrumental to Houstons contention the past two years, a pair of protected first-round picks and two potential pick swaps. These were not inclusions made lightly.

Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Sometimes we feel like were the Lorax, Morey says of life as a general manager. We speak for the future. In 12 years on the job in Houston, Morey has only traded away multiple first-round picks on two occasions. One was to acquire Harden, the move that made the Rockets as we know them. The other was to land Westbrook.

Ultimately, there were a certain amount of teams that were able to take on my contract that I was able to, I would say, pick from, Westbrook says. (Miami was another option, per Morey.) This was the best situation for me.

The last time Harden and Westbrook were teammates for actual, meaningful games wasnt in Oklahoma City but in London. Together they won gold in 2012 as relatively junior members of Team USA, just months before the trade that would send Harden to the Rockets and change their lives forever. Team USA was characteristically stacked, with only the problem of how to best cram talent upon talent into a given lineup. Given that kind of luxury, Mike Krzyzewski, then the coach of Team USA, rejected the very premise of a pecking order. I dont want you guys to conform to this, Krzyzewski told the team then. I want Kevin Durant the killer. I want LeBron James to go all-out. I want Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler. I want Russell Westbrook to come in like a nightmare. I want you guys to be yourselves.

DAntoni, an assistant with Team USA in 2012, comes from a similar philosophical place. Who am I to tell Russ to change or tell James to change? DAntoni asks. Theyre MVPs. Best players in the league. So we try to make them as efficient as we can, try to nudge them in the areas we think we can improve in and we think they can do better at. But at the end of the day, they are who they areand thats pretty good. Youve got two MVPs. Now my job is to make sure theyre confident, they feel good together, theyre rested, theyre focused. If theyre that, were gonna be really good.

In some ways, it really is that simple. Sharing the ball isnt exactly splitting the atom. The most pertinent question when stars converge is whether they wanted to in the first place. Considering that Harden lobbied Westbrook, his friend of 20 years, and that Westbrook chose Houston in large part to play with Harden, the verdict on that point seems quite clear. The next issue is how theyll manage it on an operational level. To take the ball out of Westbrooks hands is to take the keys out of the ignition. Houston doesnt mind. DAntoni and his staff actually take a certain pride in how little their team movesand, in particular, the idea that while covering the least ground of any NBA team, the Rockets were still able to produce the most open threes. All it took was one unstoppable force and four relatively immovable objects.

The electricity of a player like Westbrook changes the formula slightly, but not as much as you might think. Hell be standing a lot, DAntoni says of Westbrooks time without the ball. Houston needs him to help space the floor, which is to say it needs him to shooteven after making just 29.0% of his threes last season, the worst of any player with his volume. If you take the right shot, DAntoni says, we do not care if you miss shots.

For all the reasonable concern over balancing possession between two high-volume creatorsthe if and when and how, as Westbrook put itthese are two of the best basketball players alive, aligned at the perfect time in their careers. Time has shown Harden and Westbrook how hard it is to win, and just how many ways there are to lose. Harden has one of the more complicated playoff histories of any active superstar. Westbrook hasnt won a playoff series since Durant left Oklahoma City in 2016. Thunder U is over. Both are now in their 30s. This is the real world, where the weight of everyday life requires coming to terms with a certain amount of daily concession. Isnt it only natural that, now having really lived in the league, these two stars would reach for the trust they have in each other?

I thought it was the best decision for me and my career right now, and to be able to reunite with a brother, a friend, Westbrook says. To be able to do that is something that you dream about and live for.

The balance between superstars, at the end of the day, is a matter of shared experience. We can calculate how many possessions a player consumes and how many seconds they have the ball in their hands. What matters more, fundamentally, is the way it feels. And because basketball operates in that space, it becomes subject to the reality that Harden and Westbrook want to see, and their desire to make this work. If and when Im upset, hes able to talk to me, Im able to talk to him, Westbrook says of Harden. It just creates a bond. And knowing that its coming from a great place because we understand and we know what our ultimate goal is, for both us, and thats a championship.

This is how friends become coworkers. Its also, of course, how even some with strong bonds come to strain their friendship. Perhaps theres a world where the proposition of pairing Harden and Westbrook seems terribly naive. A world where Westbrooks posting a video of himself doo-wopping to Why Do Fools Fall in Love? before the season feels oddly prophetic. More likely, two of the sports most undeniable creators will find a working balance in a genuinely dominant offense. Its all about discussion, Harden says. Its all about communication. Its all about trying to get better. Throughout the course of the game, hes gonna have it going a lot. Im gonna have it going a lot. Well figure it out each and every game.

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There is a system in Houston that will not change. Under DAntoni, point guard after point guardfrom Harden and Steve Nash to Kendall Marshall and Jeremy Linhas tapped into its creative power. So were gonna have Russ-sanity? DAntoni asks. Its a harrowing thought. Westbrook has already scored better than 30 points per game, averaged a triple doubleand done both in the same season. What happens to his wildfire game when its finally given room to breathe?

Last year, he couldnt drive without double teams, says Rockets guard Austin Rivers. Its impossible to double-team Russell Westbrook here. We have too many scorers, we have too many shooters. The floors too wide. It just cant happen. Yet somehow a defense will attempt to corral him while preparing to shift at the moment Harden gets the ball. If the measure of a players basketball dominance is the absurdity of the tactics used against him, the case for Harden as the games best offensive player is crystallized by his contributions to the avant-garde. Milwaukees Eric Bledsoe attempted to defend him last season by stepping to one side and openly conceding drives to the rim. Consider the mental gymnastics required for an opponent to defend Harden by getting out of his wayhow terrifying his step-back must be for an all-league defender to abandon all hope, not to mention all pretense of traditional coverage. What Harden does with the ball is not, strictly speaking, guardable. The same could be said for Houstons offense more broadly, as Westbrook knows all too well from his years as an opponent.

What they do, Westbrook says, is put you in binds.

The Rockets never set out to be exemplars of isolation basketball. Things just wound up that way when opposing defenses, caught between their futile alternatives, started switching to stay alive. One of the great curiosities in Houston this season is what Westbrook, after struggling in iso situations last year and struggling with his efficiency in general, might do with those one-on-one opportunities. Well, hopefully the reason was that the floor was a little closed, DAntoni says of Westbrooks isolation blues. We hope thats it. Then comes the smirk. Now, if hes just bad at it, what the hell did yall give him the MVP for?

On some level, its a moot point. The beauty of the arrangement is that neither Westbrook nor Harden has to be all things at all times. James Harden is the best half-court offensive weapon in the league, Morey says. Russells the best transition weapon in the league. The two together, its a really special combination.

Tyson Chandler, who agreed to sign with the Rockets the day after they traded for Westbrook, has experienced the business end of both options. As far as guarding James, its a nightmare, Chandler says. He knows all the tricks. Hes strong, but then he knows how to play finesse, so he catches you on your heels. When youre trying to not touch him, he bulls you. Then when youre too aggressive, he exploits it. Hes smart as s---. When players such as Chandler talk about Harden, they often start to imitate himhis handle, his footwork, the contact he createsas if his game itself held some animating force.

Attempting to slow down Westbrook, in Chandlers experience, draws on an entirely different set of considerations. To be honest, when we played against Russ, the whole thing [was about] getting back and controlling the paint, says Chandler. Giving him a wall. He has to see a wall. And even if the defense builds that wall in time, Westbrook might just run through it anyway. (Harden, by contrast, might have the wall removed by city ordinance.)

One of the motivating factors in Houstons trading for Westbrook was a desire for a more dynamic presence. For as brilliant as Paul was with the Rockets, hes ultimately a micromanager of a point guardand 34 years old at that. Those in Houston speak of Paul reverently, though its telling when center Clint Capela incidentally describes him as a guard who really needs a screensomething the Warriors certainly noticed when they played the Rockets in the conference semifinals. Houston was 27th in pace last year, and DAntoni and his staff are urging a faster tempo this season, in part because Westbrooks game lends itself to the break so naturally. Training camp was filled with drills to simulate uneven fast breaks and accelerated by attempts to get the ball moving up the floor quickly off makes and misses alike.

Simply having Westbrook on the floor shifts an opponents priorities. When Chandler, then with the Mavericks, played against Westbrook in the 2011 playoffs, sprinting back to batten down the hatches became his primary focus. Thats what hes gone against, Chandler says. But now, having James, you cant do that. The 19-year veteran has a special admiration for Westbrook, whom he describes as his favorite player in the league. When the schedule allowed him a night at home, Chandler would tune in to Thunder games and call his son in from the next room. Come watch this, Chandler told him. Thats how you should play.

The autopsy of the Rockets 201819 season is long since finished. Yet even now, after rewatching and reliving their six-game loss to the Warriors, no one with the team seems quite sure why their run ended the way it did.

S---, Rivers says. Thats a billion-dollar question. Its always in style to lay a loss at Hardens feet, no matter that he averaged 34.8 points for the series and went for 35on just 25 shotsin the elimination game. Perhaps Houston didnt adjust to the stylistic shift of the series as nimbly as it should have. Its certainly fair to call the defense or the rebounding into question, considering the way that Golden States reserves conjured enough points from chaos to effectively swing the series. Theres always a complexity in why, and in this case a mirroring account from Occams razor: Maybe, just maybe, the defending champions were a good basketball team.

The simpler matter, for Rockets defensive ace P.J. Tucker, is pinpointing the exact moment when everything fell apart.

It was all in Game 5, Tucker says.

When Durant limped into the tunnel late in the third quarter with an apparent Achilles injury, he left a series tied 22 and the Warriors leading by just three points. This is our season right here, Tucker told his teammates. Either we take advantage of it, or we think like were just gonna win but they kick our ass.

It was the latter, Tucker says, swallowing his disgust. Houston allowed a shorthanded, freelancing Golden State team without its best player to score 36 points in the final 14 minutes, when even a single stop could have saved their season. It was a lot of letdowns, Tucker says of the 10499 loss. Then, when you come back for Game 6, either youre going to be resilient and tough and fight through it, or. . . . Tucker searches, and then shrugs. Its hard to put in words, even now.

Houston has a way with the inexplicable. How did the Rockets manage to lose their edge when Durants injury gave them just the break they needed? How do you even make sense of a team missing 27 straight three-pointers, as Houston did in Game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference finals? These are the ghosts that contending teams are forced to live with: unsatisfying- endings chased with unsatisfying answers. Some franchises would have taken those losses, baffling as they were, as reason to alter course. Were not doing that here, DAntoni says. Well double down. We missed 27 threes in a row? Weve gotta take 30.

And if the Rockets couldnt quite break through by pairing Harden with Paul, then how about the rare guard in the league to rival Hardens level of ball dominance? The idea behind acquiring Westbrook isnt addressing a specific shortcoming. Its an adherence to a broader mode of thinking. The goal in Houston is and always has been to flank Harden with the most talented superstar teammates possible. Westbrook, in this way, is undeniable, even if Pauls game made for a simpler fit. Tension is the heart of any great collaboration. Freud had Jung. Lennon had McCartney. Basketball, too, is best understood as a dialogue between peers who push and pull on one another, a sort of existential pick-and-roll. There will be moments when Harden and Westbrook struggle to unlock the best in each other. There will be inevitable bouts of frustration.

I think thats the best part about me being here, is to be able to challenge him and him being able to challenge me, Westbrook says. To become better players. When Westbrook balks at taking an open three in a practice scrimmagea cardinal sin of RocketryHarden insists that he shoot next time. When an isolation step-back later leaves Harden deep on the wing and slow to get back on transition defense, Westbrook chides him for it, and both move on. The benefit of shared history is knowing what to say or, sometimes, when to say nothing at all. Its what brought Harden and Westbrook together again after all this time, to resolve all theyve become with what might have been.

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The Reboot: Inside Harden and Westbrook's Reunion - Sports Illustrated