Ian Heydecke

Culinary & Fitness Content Creator

Ian Heydecke is a Culinary Content Creator and Fitness Blogger based in New York City, NY. With over 12k subscribers on YouTube and 15k followers on Instagram, he documents culinary adventures, workout routines, and his personal health journey.

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Forum Comments (14)

Tips on how to make ice cream at home?
In high school, we used to make ice cream just using Ziploc bags. Your first bag would be your outer bag, containing salt and ice. Then your inner bag has your ingredients: milk or cream, sugar, and whatever flavor/toppings you want. Some people put fruit in it, like strawberries, for example. Once you have your ingredients added, you’d put that bag inside the outer bag and shake it. The salt helps to melt the ice, and as you shake the bags, your ice cream will start to harden and form the proper texture.

When it comes to flavors and toppings, you can go the gamut. I always say to have fun with your food, so what comes to mind for me is gummy bears, sour patch kids, cookie bites, snickers, M&M’s, heath bars, etc. I also really like to try out new ice cream flavors when I go out for ice cream– I recently tried an apple cider donut ice cream and a cookie trifecta, which was Oreo, oatmeal raisin, and chocolate chip cookies. Try to think of flavors that taste good in a cookie, and they may taste good as an ice cream flavor too!
How do you increase your bench press?
Start with a weight that you know you could do for 10 to 12 reps. And then add 5 to 10 pounds. Try that weight for 8 to 12 reps for a couple of sets and see how it feels. If it felt easy, increase your weight further. If you get stuck and can’t complete a full set, stay at that weight until it becomes easy. If you can do the weight for 3-4 sets consecutively, that’s a sign you can probably increase your weight. You're only going to get stronger if you push yourself, and that’s how you’ll build more muscle too.

There are also things called intensifiers that you can try, including a rest-pause or drop sets. For a rest-pause, you can take a 10-15 second rest in between reps before trying the weight again, so you can continue to try to complete your reps at the increased weight. With drop sets, you start at your desired weight and do what you can, then drop the weight to a lower weight (100 lbs down to 80 lbs for example) and then keep going with that lower weight. This will help build muscle endurance too.
How do you ripen avocados fast?
I put mine in a brown paper bag, and that seems to work for me, but it takes a day or two to really see the difference in ripeness.

If you look at the top of the avocado, where the stem was connected, and it’s green, that means your avocado is ready to cut into. Just remove any remaining pieces of the stem if needed to see the coloring underneath.
Best tips for how to cut onions without crying
Take your onion and freeze it for 10 minutes before cutting it. If you freeze it, it won’t release its juices right away, and that should keep you from crying.
What's the fastest way to defrost meat?
My microwave does a pretty good job, just using the defrost setting. I’ll put a family pack of chicken breasts (4-5 lbs) in the microwave, and it’ll be defrosted within an hour. My defrost setting is about 9 minutes, and I’ll run it through about 5 times, checking it in between.

When I check to see how the thawing is going, I’ll touch it with my thumb to feel the temperature and texture. I’ll also look at the color of the meat, because I don’t want it to turn white and start cooking in the microwave. But it’s mostly by feel that I can tell when it’s fully defrosted.
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Co-authored Articles (16)

How to

Get Veiny Arms

It's a sign of a cut body. Bodybuilders, pro wrestlers, and other jacked-up athletes always seem to have bulging veins. The easiest place to get your veins to pop out and become more visible is in your forearms, which yo...

The Best Way to Lose Groin Fat for Men

Shed pubic fat with strength training exercises and dietary changesLots of guys struggle with a little extra weight in their groin area, whether due to aging, weight gain, medical reasons, or just genetics. While it’s ...

The Best Beginner Workout to Get in Shape Now

Fitness content creator Ian Heydecke shares his tips for getting started in the gymThere’s never a bad time to embark on a fitness journey. Whether you’ve never set foot in a gym or are returning after taking an exte...

10 Ways to Remove a Bitter Taste from Food & Balance Your Flavors

Culinary content creator Ian Heydecke explains how to make bitter food taste betterIf your soup, stew, or other dish is on the bitter side, you have more options than you think. Sweet, fatty, and acidic ingredients are a...

How to

Reduce Pepper Taste in Food

Culinary content creator Ian Heydecke explains what to do if you’ve added too much pepper to a dishYou’re about to enjoy a savory dish, but it ends up tasting a little too peppery. No need to stress! There are plenty...

Ice Cream Personality Test

You probably have a favorite ice cream flavor, but which flavor would you ''be''? Deep, luxurious chocolate? Bright and sunny strawberry? Answer just a few fun questions, and we'll tell you which ice cream flavor best m...

How to Fast Properly for 1 Day: What You Need to Know

How fasting can help & how to do it safelyFasting is the act of intentionally refraining from eating for a period of time. Some people fast to diet and lose weight, while others fast for religious or spiritual clarity. I...

How to

Shoot Cooking Videos with a Phone

The beginner's guide to recording and editing high-quality cooking videosWhether you have your own YouTube channel or an Instagram following, knowing how to film delicious-looking videos can gain you a wider audience. Fo...

How to

Cook Parsnips

Parsnips are a root vegetable similar to carrots, and they have a sweet, nutty flavor. They are off-white to pale yellow and are high in vitamin C. Parsnips can be cooked in various ways to release their tender, gentle s...

How to

Make a Grilled Cheese Sandwich in a George Foreman Grill

George Foreman grills aren't just for meat; they also are good for making grilled cheese sandwiches that have fewer calories than the usual grilled cheese sandwiches because you don't have to butter the bread.

What Is Ego Lifting? + Expert-Backed Tips to Correct It

Fitness content creator Ian Heydecke shares how to stay grounded when you’re liftingEgo lifting is a common mistake people make when they train with weights. While some view it as an effective way to test their limits...

Easy Workout Ideas to Burn 100 Calories Quick

Fitness content creator Ian Heydecke lists the best exercises to quickly burn caloriesA quick exercise can leave you feeling empowered, confident, and more energetic—plus, if choose the right workout, and you can zap 1...

How to

Eat Pizza

Pizza is undoubtedly one of the world's best known and most loved foods. From country to country, pizza is served and eaten in many different ways. It’s easy and fun to pick the best kind of technique for eating your p...

The Healthiest (and Unhealthiest) Breads at Subway Ranked

Unpack the nutritional value of Subway’s most popular breadsYou love bread, and you love Subway. But now that you’re watching what you eat, it may seem like your two favorite things are a thing of the past. Well, we...

How to

Dry Apples

Maybe your apple tree was overzealous in production, or maybe you bought too many apples thinking you wanted eight apple pies — whatever the reason, you now have a lot of extra apples on your hands. Why not try drying ...

How to

Serve Canned Cranberry Sauce

Canned cranberry sauce—made from fresh cranberries that have been cooked, sweetened, and cooked once again—is a holiday staple for many families. It comes in two forms: jellied cranberry sauce and whole-berry cranber...