Cardio Is Not The Answer

What are your exercise goals? Are you looking to get fit, drop fat, get stronger, improve your health? If so, lots of cardio is not the way to reach any of those goals.

Unfortunately, way too many people still think that cardio is the be-all, end-all, all purpose exercise. It's not. If you want to participate in a 5K or a marathon or something in between, of course you need to walk or run to train for it but if your goal is fat loss or general fitness or improved  health, you need a good dose of strength training.

Strength training will make you look better, feel better, and function better.

When done correctly, it will make you stronger, help reduce the fat that covers your muscles to get that toned look most people want. (Of course, if you're going for the skinny-fat look, just keep focusing on cardio-cardio-cardio.)
 

If you're not already lifting weights, I highly encourage you to do so. Use challenging weights, not baby weights that you can performs tons of reps with.

Find someone who truly knows what they doing and have them design a  program for you. It doesn't matter if you want to join a gym or work out at home with no equipment; a good trainer will be able to create an effective  program for you regardless.

If you do join a gym, don't spend a lot of time on the resistance machines. Focus on free weight exercises where you are supporting your own bodyweight. Perform compound movements, learn about progressive resistance, and keep your reps on the lower end.

Challenge yourself and you'll be surprised how quickly you start to see a difference. 

That said, don't go crazy. Being on the verge of throwing up, constantly gasping for breath, and/or collapsing at the end of a training session does not constitute a good workout and will not get you better results. You can feel that way and still not be doing the right things to significantly change your body.

Train smarter.

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7 Exercise Tips To Get Fitter Faster

If you’re like the average person interested in dropping body fat, improving your health and getting stronger, following these guidelines will help you get the best results from your strength training workouts:

1. Always begin a workout with a full warmup. A good dynamic warmup prepares the muscles for what’s to come and allows you to work harder and with less risk of injury. If you are short on time, cut back on your working sets, never on your warmup.


2. Perform a total body workout 3 times a week with at least one day of rest in between. Forget the bodybuilding magazines and their body part routines. Muscles work in groups and trying to isolate them during a workout is a waste of time for most people.

3. Spend more time using free weight and bodyweight exercises than sitting on machines. You’ll work more muscles, burn more calories, and you’ll do it more naturally and functionally.

4. Concentrate on compound exercises. Exercises like Squats, Rows, Lunges, Pushups, Deadlifts, Presses, Pulldowns, etc. work multiple muscles at the same time, are more functional, and burn more calories than isolation work.

5. Ignore the "low weight, high reps to tone" myth that’s still floating around out there. For most exercises, you should challenge your muscles using a resistance you can only lift 6-10 times with good form.

6. Unless you are correcting a current imbalance, make sure your weight training program is balanced between opposing muscle groups. Don't ignore exercises you don't like or do extra sets just of those that you do like. Either scenario can cause muscle imbalances and lead to injury.


7. If you’re not training for a specific event (5K, half marathon, long distance bike ride, etc.) ditch the long, steady state cardio and switch to cardio intervals, or metabolic circuits. They’re more efficient and effective.

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Why You're Not Getting Results You Want

Things have been a little crazy here at Body & Soul so I haven't had time to update the blog.

Since it's new year's resolution time, I thought I'd repost the links to a series I wrote about "Why You're Not Getting The Results You Want". Follow the guidelines below and you'll save time and improve your results.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

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Cardio Queens, Prepare To Be Dethroned!

Over the years, I've often blogged about the best type of exercise for fat loss.

If you are one of those people who is still convinced that traditional cardio is the key to dropping excess pounds, I've assembled a few articles below...


I'll Keep Saying It Until You Get It, Cardio Is Not The Answer

Why You're Not Getting The Results You Want, Part 1

Cardio Queens and Disappointing Fat Loss Results

Researchers Prove Strength Training Is Better Than Cardio To Lose Belly Fat

5 Reasons Why Aerobics Suck for Fat Loss


Happy reading!


And now the disclaimer...

I'm not here to try to sell you on anything if you're not looking to buy. In other words, if you're happy with what you're currently doing, continue on. If you love jogging, then jog. If you're satisfied with the results you're getting from hours and hours of steady state cardio, keep on keepin' on.  (Yes, I know my age is showing.)

However, if you're not happy with the results you're getting, or if you're physically or mentally bored with what you're currently doing, or if you've been getting injured from the repetitive motion of long bouts of cardio, or if you really don't have time to spend hours a day exercising, try it my way.

Make sure you're strength training and experiment with cardio intervals and metabolic circuits.


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8 Metabolism Boosters for Weight Loss - True or False?

Here's a guest post from the great Craig Ballantyne. (He pays me to say that.  ;-) ) 

Seriously, there is so much conflicting information out there and I think this article does a great job of addressing the facts and fiction of metabolism and fat loss.

8 Metabolism Boosters for Weight Loss
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
TurbulenceTraining.com 

Your metabolism is your fat loss foundation.

It keeps burning and burning fat 24 hours a day...the only problem is, do you have a fast metabolism? And if not, what can you do about it to boost your metabolism and burn fat to lose weight?

Your metabolism is basically how many calories you burn each day. Children have faster metabolic rates than adults, and we all know about the legendary metabolism's of teenage boys. That's the metabolism you wish you had.

And while it is inevitable that your metabolism decreases with age, it doesn't doom you to gaining weight. It might even decrease 30% over your life, but really, is that any reason to become overweight? No way. Not when you can turn it around with a couple of simple, proven techniques listed below...

Here are 8 possible metabolic boosters and the truth about whether each works. 

1) Strength training  

Claim: Boosts metabolism up to 10% after a training program  

True!

In fact, despite what many men and women think, harder exercise is better for your metabolism. However, please note that 1 pound of muscle does not burn 50 calories per day.

In one study, women received a greater metabolic boost from using 8 repetitions per set rather than traditional high-rep (12 reps) sets. So stick to harder exercises (pushups and more advanced bodyweight exercises) or dumbbell exercises.

2) Breakfast

Claim: Because it stops your "fasting", it can boost metabolism

True? Maybe yes, maybe no.

Your metabolism won't go into "starvation mode" without breakfast, but it is associated with successful weight loss. So make it a habit to consume some protein, fiber, & fruit (& even veggies if you can fit them in) at this time. This will keep your appetite in check till your next break or even lunch.

3) Green Tea  

Claim: Burns an extra 80 calories per day

True? Not really. It has been shown to burn 80 calories per day in young men on the first day of supplementation, but will this affect last once your body gets used to it? I don't think.

After all, take a look at caffeine. You can find studies that show it increases metabolism as well. But really, is anyone losing fat with caffeine? The revolving doors at Starbucks say "No!".

Coffee is okay in moderate doses, and I recommend Green Tea to everyone, but for health reasons, not for fat loss. The only way you will lose fat with Green Tea is if you replace a 300+-calorie Frappucino with an iced, unsweetened Green Tea. Otherwise, don't count on it for much in terms of metabolism.

4) Fat Burners

Claim: Boost your metabolism big time!

See above. Fat burners are simply caffeine pills with a few other ingredients thrown in. You'll get an increase in mental energy, but that doesn't mean it will significantly boost metabolism or burn fat.

5) Ice Cold Water with Lemon Juice Squeezed into it  

Claim: The body will burn calories warming up the water and the lemon juice also burns more fat.

Truth? Nice in theory, short in practice. Nobody is losing fat with ice cold water. If it sounds too good to be true - you know the rest of the story.

6) Eating 6 small meals per day

Claim: Boosts metabolism and can help control cholesterol.

True! Simple and effective, and true! Try and split your meals up into smaller meals that can be eaten over the course of the day. This might be part of the breakfast magic...

(Mickey's note: This particular strategy can work great for some but not for others. Some people have a tendency to consume more total calories over the course of the day if they eat 6 meals. If you're going to do this, you MUST make sure you don't end up taking in too many calories.

Also, it can't be more difficult for some women  If you're eating 1500-1800 calories per day, "meals" of 250-300 calories may never leave you feeling satisfied.

Experiment with what works for you.) 

7) Protein

Claim: Burns more calories (uses more calories in digestion than carbohydrates or fat).

True!

Now I'm not sure if this is significant, but protein also helps fill you up longer. And that's where the real benefit comes in - preventing overeating. And if you want details, another study showed that animal protein results in more energy burned than vegetable protein.

8- Interval training  

Claim: Interval training causes a greater increase in post-exercise metabolism than regular cardio.

I certainly believe it.

And I do know this. A recent study from Australia found that a shorter interval program led to more weight loss than a twice-as-long aerobic training program. This confirms the original interval training study from as far back as 1994 that showed greater results from a shorter interval program when compared to a traditional cardio program.

Bottom line: Intervals work!

So we see that hard work and diligent eating burn more calories and that magic pills and potions don't work.
But that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. My advice? Add strength, intervals, mini-meals, and protein to your weight loss plan and you'll be leaner and warmer thanks to your faster metabolism.

Turbulence Training was built to boost your metabolism,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit TurbulenceTraining.com

It's The Intensity, Stupid!

Too many people continue to think that exercising longer is automatically better. No so. It depends on your goals.

If you're training for a marathon, of course, you'll need to do some long training runs. However, if your primary goal is dumping fat and getting in shape, the intensity of your workouts is more important than the duration.

Numerous studies have shown high intensity exercise, especially cardio intervals, are more beneficial for fat loss than low or moderate exercise.

When strength training, concentrate on compound exercises, ditch the straight sets for supersets, lower your rest periods and make sure the weights you use are challenging.

All that said, remember, intensity is relative. Don't kill yourself when you're starting out but as your fitness level increases, you'll need to up the intensity level, too.

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Are You Working Hard Enough?

I recently participated in a health fair and a woman who was familiar with my gym approached. Her first question was, "Do you have TVs in the cardio area yet?" I really wanted to say, "If you can watch TV or read a magazine while doing cardio you're not working hard enough" but I bit my tongue.

If people would stop reading or watching TV while they're doing cardio and CHALLENGE themselves, they'd get far better results and be done in a fraction of the time.

Cardio intervals - that's the way to go.

I ran across this fake sign in an email the other day. I love it.

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What's So Great About Fitness Boot Camps?

There's a lot of buzz lately about fitness boot camps and you may be wondering if joining one would be right for you.

So, what's so great about boot camps?

* Motivation. Exercising in a group is more fun and more motivating. It's human nature; you push yourself harder when everyone else is pushing themselves, too.

* Variety. Are you tired of the same old boring cardio and strength training routines? At many boot camps, you never know what you're going to get from one day to the next (besides a great workout). You may end up doing a circuit, a challenge workout, an all-bodyweight routine, a partner workout, etc.  

* Accountability. If you're someone who has a hard time getting your workouts in each week, a set schedule and accountability may be just what you need.

* Savings. You get the instructional benefits of personal training, along with the support and camaraderie of the group at a fraction of the cost of one-on-one personal training.  



* Efficiency. No need to spend mindless hours on the treadmill or elliptical. You'll get a whole body strength and cardio workout in each boot camp training session. The workouts are done for you; no need to think about or research what exercises you should do, what type of training will get you the best results, etc.

If you're looking for a fun and challenging way to get results, spice up  your boring routine, or push yourself to a new level of fitness, try a  fitness boot camp.

If you're near Lancaster, PA, you can get more details on my fitness boot camp at NoPinkDumbbells.com 

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Get The Most Out Of Your Cardio Intervals

I'm on vacation with limited internet access and this is only the second time I've been able to check my email. I just found out that Craig Ballantyne is having a half-price sale on his 31 Interval Training Workouts program.

If you've read this blog more than once, you know I'm a proponent of interval training. It takes less time and is more effective than slow, boring cardio.

I'm glad to see that intervals are becoming more mainstream but, unfortunately, that also means there's a lot of misinformation out there. While away, I've been reading a few fitness magazines and while some of their programs would be considered interval training because you don't maintain a steady space, I don't think the way they've designed the programs is optimum.

Did you know there's a right and wrong way to do intervals for best results? Did you know that even if you're already doing intervals you need to change it up regularly so your body doesn't adapt?

If you're interested in varied and effective interval programs, check out Craig's 31 Interval Training Workouts.

Craig knows his stuff; he's not some Johnny-come-lately jumping on the interval bandwagon. He's got all kinds of interval workouts in the program, including kettelebell intervals, hill sprint workouts, ladders, and lots more. No equipment? No problem. Craig includes no-equipment bodyweight cardio circuits.

Whether you're new to intervals and looking for guidance or you're a veteran exerciser looking for variety in your interval workouts, check out Craig's 31 Interval Training Workouts.

The sale ends tomorrow (Friday) at midnight.

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How To Choose The Gym That's Right For You

Fall is often the time when people start a new fitness program. For moms with kids, they have a little more free time when school starts back up. For others, as summer winds down, they’re not as busy with weekend outings, vacations and other activities.

For most people, the first consideration in choosing a gym should be a convenient location. The facility should be close to where you live, work or regularly visit. 

People lead busy lives. Having to spend an extra 30 or 40 minutes going to and from the gym often ends up becoming an excuse to skip workouts when time gets tight. A fitness center can have the fanciest equipment, the trendiest classes or the cheapest rates but none of those things will do you any good if you don't go regularly.

Next, think about what will make you comfortable. If you're middle aged or a senior and would feel intimidated by young hardbodies, think twice before joining the club favored by college kids and bodybuilders or the Chippendale dancers.
                                                                                                                

If you're overweight and would feel uncomfortable exercising around the opposite sex, check out single-gender facilities. If you have injury or medical concerns, make sure you feel confident that any health club you consider joining can set you up on a workout that is safe and effective for you.

Decide what features are most important to you. Do you want a personalized workout routine? Are classes your favorite way to exercise? Do you need a facility with extended hours? Will you be happy repeating the same basic exercise program month after month or do you want a gym where you have the option of changing your routine? Do you prefer the atmosphere of a big club or a small one? Do rows and rows of equipment excite or intimidate you? Will you be exercising before work? If so, will you want to shower at the facility? Do you need child care? If you are a lapsed exerciser who really enjoyed lifting weights, will you be happy at a gym consisting solely of 10 or 12 pieces of hydraulic equipment?

Unless you are an experienced exerciser, make sure you find out the qualifications of the instructors and trainers. Unfortunately, there are fitness centers that will hire people with little or no knowledge or experience. People often assume that the big guy they see at the gym knows all about building muscle or that the skinny girl who takes all the classes can help them lose weight. However, for all you know, both those people could just be genetically lucky. Or, unfortunately, Mr. Muscle could also be Mr. Steroid and Ms. Skinny could be Ms.  Eating Disorder. A great body does not make someone a knowledgeable fitness professional.

Knowledgeable or genetically lucky?

Obsessed?

Healthy? Or...

                                                                                                                                                                 
After narrowing your choices down, go take a tour of each facility. The club that seems like the best choice on paper may not be. Do you feel comfortable? Is the staff friendly and attentive or does it seem like they’re just going through the motions? Do they ask about what you want in a gym or are they just focused on “selling” what they have? When visiting a club, go at the time you intend on using it. Touring a facility at 9:30 AM on a Tuesday because you have the day off doesn’t give you a good indication of the atmosphere or how busy the place is after work at 5:30 PM.

Determining your priorities before you start visiting clubs will help you ask the right questions and make a more informed buying decision. The more comfortable you feel and the easier it is to integrate exercise into your lifestyle, the more apt you will be to maintain the habit.

If you’re ready to get fitter, healthier and more toned, let’s talk about the options you’d have at Body & Soul Fitness. Call Mickey today at (717) 509-7777.   

Traditional Cardio Is Not The Answer To Fat Loss

Are you one of those people who thinks that lots of cardio is the best way to drop excess weight?

In most gyms, you see the same people on the cardio equipment. Day after day, week after week, month after month (until frustration sets in and they quit).

Now, think about it. When was the last time you saw a significant body transformation in any of them?

Contrary to what we were told for years, traditional cardio exercise is not the key to fat loss.

Did you know that a study published in the medical journal, Obesity, found that women who performed 300 hours of "moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise" per year lost only 4 pounds? That comes out to 75 hours of cardio per pound! Does that sound like an effective fat loss tool to you?

Men in the study fared only slightly better, losing 6 pounds per year. It would only take them 50 hours of cardio to dump one pound.

(Obesity 15:1496-1512 (2007). Exercise Effect on Weight and Body Fat in Men and Women. Anne McTiernan*, et al.)

I'm not telling you not to do traditional cardio. It definitely has health benefits. I'm trying to get people to understand that if your primary goal is fat loss and/or if your exercise time is limited, traditional cardio is not your best option.

So if you're not already strength training, start. And in place of hours on the elliptical, stationary bike or treadmill, try cardio intervals or metabolic circuits.

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Craig Ballantyne's Top 5 Fat Loss Myths

I posted this article a few years ago. Unfortunately there are still way too many people spinning their wheels because of all the inaccurate B.S. floating around.

The Top 5 Fat Loss Myths
By Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training

There are so many fat loss myths out there in "exercise-land" that I was hired by Men's Fitness magazine to write about one myth each month.

After all, by now you've probably heard that if you don't do 60-minutes of cardio in your fat burning zone on an empty stomach while Venus is in line with Jupiter, you'll never burn fat.

The problem with myths is that not only are they wrong and give false hope to millions of people trying to lose weight, but they also waste your time and mental effort.

I have also seen these myths used as justification for cheating on a diet, watching countless men and women justify their "treats" because they believe they are on some type of magical exercise program or nutrition plan.

I could go on for days about fitness myths, but I cut my list from 30 down to the Top 5 Fat Loss Workout Myths today. I'll save the other 25 for future newsletters.

Myth #1: You have to do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

Relax. You don't have to hop on the treadmill at 4:30am every morning. Let's allow common sense to dictate when and how you exercise.

If you want to work out first thing in the morning, and I know that is the best time for many TT readers, by all means, go ahead and do it. There's nothing magical about this time - although it is often the only time many of day many people have to themselves.

We need to think "outside of the hour" of exercise and realize that calorie burning and fat burning goes on for 24-hours. Forget about the theories and look at the big picture.

It doesn't matter when you exercise - as long as you exercise intensely and consistently. Focus on relatively high-intensity workouts to increase your metabolism for as many hours after exercise as possible. That is best done with interval training and resistance training.

Myth #2: You have to do your cardio in your "fat burning zone".

Again, nonsense.

While you might burn a larger proportion of total calories as fat when you exercise in your fat burning zone, you burn fewer calories overall by exercising at such a low intensity.

When you increase your workout intensity and get out of your so-called "fat burning zone", you burn more total calories, and as a result, more fat.

In addition, the "fat burning zone" training doesn't put "turbulence" on your muscles...so you don't burn many calories in the post-exercise time period. But with interval training, you burn a significant amount of calories for hours after training, and that leads to more fat loss.

I've worked with hundreds of people that have avoided the fat burning zone while still managing to lose dozens of pounds of fat. The "fat burning zone" is one of the biggest fitness myths of all time.

Myth #3: You have to do cardio for 20 minutes before you burn fat.

When I hear this, I picture a fat-burning switch in my body that turns on only after I've been doing "cardio" for 20 minutes. But what if I only exercise for 19 minutes and 59 seconds? Are you telling me that I won't have burned any fat? That's ridiculous.

What if I did it on an empty stomach in the morning and in my target heart rate zone? (read that one sarcastically!)

I'll say it one last time. We need to be more concerned with our 24-hour metabolism, not how much fat or even how many calories are burned during the workout.

Myth 4: Drinking ice cold water will help you burn calories and lose fat.

Standing in line at the grocery store is a great place to pick up the latest fat loss myths. You'll also find this one all over the Internet.

This myth often comes along with some calculations showing that by drinking 8 glasses of ice-cold water you can burn 70 calories per day. I don't believe that actually holds true in real life. Regardless, drinking cold water is not going to burn any more fat off your body than drinking room temperature water.

Don't get me wrong, I strongly believe you should drink 12 glasses of water per day, but the temperature of your water won't have any effect on your overall fat loss success.

Myth #5: Adding one pound of muscle will burn 50 extra calories each day.

Uh-oh, now I'm cutting down a myth that supports my use of strength training in a fat loss program. But I have an obligation to set the record straight about this extremely prevalent myth (even though I just saw a big name fitness expert perpetuate this myth in a recent article!).

This myth sounds so good. Add a pound of muscle, boost your metabolism 50 calories. That doesn't seem out of line at all.

But do the math for a guy that puts on 30 pounds of muscle. Does his metabolism really increase by 1500 calories? Absolutely not. For an average guy, that would require his resting metabolism to increase from 2500 calories to 4000 calories per day. How would he be able to keep any of that muscle with a metabolism like that? He'd have to eat like a pig forever.

So when you look at the big picture, you can see this little myth start to fall apart.

That's not to say you should stop your strength training, but just don't use this myth as an excuse to cheat on your diet.

Bonus Myth: Negative Calorie Foods Cause You to Lose Weight

According to the "experts", a negative calorie food requires more energy to digest than it provides you when you eat it. And included in the negative calorie food list are apples and bananas.

So by this logic, I would actually starve to death if I had nothing to eat but apples (because I would have a net energy loss from eating a so-called "negative calorie" food).

There is no such thing as a negative calorie food.

It's a shame that people are out there promoting this stuff, and it's too bad that so many people fall for it.

Remember the old phrase, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

Instead, let the common sense fat loss principles apply. It's going to take consistent effort, working hard at your workouts and with your nutrition to get the results you want.

I guarantee you that Turbulence Training will successfully guide you to the fat loss you deserve and desire.

Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training.com.

I'll Keep Saying It Until You Get It, Cardio Is Not The Answer

I really thought the word was getting out that cardio is not the key to fat loss.

There's definitely been progress. I've seen mentions of interval training in many mainstream magazines. Even an article in the recent issue of Prevention mentioned how many women complained of not losing weight on their walking problem. No surprise to me; check out Walking Is Great Exercise - Another Myth Exploded

So, there has been progress but not enough. I still see way too many Twitter and Facebook comments about doing cardio to lose weight. Even some gym members have convinced themselves that cardio is the key.

Sorry, the research just doesn't back that up. It doesn't matter that you sweat more doing the elliptical than when you're strength training or that your heart rate is higher running on the treadmill. Those activities will not help you discard unwanted pounds better than resistance training.

Intervals are definitely better than steady state cardio but even intervals are not the best type of exercise to get rid of excess pounds and inches.

I've posted a link to the article below before but it obviously needs to be posted again. It's long but it's worth it. Print it out and read it when you really have time to absorb the information.

It's written by Alwyn Cosgrove, a highly respected trainer and fitness author. His methods are based on studying the research and years of results with real world clients.

Even though Alwyn was involved himself in MMA and has trained many athletes, the vast majority of his clients come to lose fat. By his own admission, he has "made more money from the fat loss market than any other single client group." Alwyn's (and wife Rachel's) Results Fitness gym was listed as one of Men Health's 10 Best Gyms in America. This guy knows his stuff. If you're silly enough not to believe me, that's one thing ;-) but give this guy a serious read.

Here's a short excerpt but don't get scared off, the entire article is not full of research jargon...

Both groups lost weight. The resistance training group lost significantly more fat and didn’t lose any LBM, even at only 800 calories per day. (The reason the calories were so low was to really take any dietary variables completely out of the equation and compare the effects of the exercise regime on LBM and metabolism.)


** Mickey's note: In case you didn't figure it out, LBM = lean body mass. **


The resistance training group actually increased metabolism compared to the aerobic group, which decreased metabolism. It seems that resistance training is a more significant stress to the body than a starvation diet.


In my experience, full body training in a superset, tri-set, or circuit format (with non-competing exercises) in a rep range that generates lactic acid (and pushes the lactic acid threshold or LAT) seems to create the biggest metabolic demand. It makes sense: training legs, back, and chest will burn more calories and elevate metabolism more than an isolated approach training one of them.

If you are interested in slimming down, do yourself a favor and read the entire article here. The Hierarchy of Fat Loss It tells you the most effective type of exercise to do depending on how much time you have to spend per week.

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Why You Aren't Getting Results - Top 10 Gym Mistakes

I couldn't have said it better myself so I won't. :-) If you're not getting maximum results from your exercise program, check out this excellent article from Coach Robert dos Remedios.

Top 10 things I see most people do wrong in Gyms today by Robert dos Remedios

Cardio Is A Waste of Time for Fat Loss by Craig Ballantyne

While I'm on vacation I have an excellent article for you from Craig Ballantyne. If you're a member, client or regular reader of this blog, you know my opinion about using steady state cardio for fat loss.

It's hard for me to believe that there are still people who think jogging or walking is the best way to dump body fat. In fact, just the other day someone questioned Craig about it on Facebook. Long boring cardio? Fugetaboutit. Read why below...


Cardio Is A Waste of Time for Fat Loss
By Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com


While the mainstream fitness media still insists that aerobic exercise is a great way to lose weight, Turbulence Training users know that interval training is the better way to burn body fat.

Still not convinced?

A recent study published by the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, subjects aged 40 to 75 were instructed to do 60 minutes of aerobic exercise per day for 6 days per week for an entire year.

Given the amount of exercise, you'd expect weight losses of 20, 30 pounds, or more, right?

Well, the surprise findings showed the average fat loss for female subjects was only 4 pounds for the entire year, while men lost 6.6 pounds of fat over the year. That's over 300 hours of aerobic exercise just to lose a measly 6 pounds of blubber. Not time well spent, in my opinion.

So what's the better way? Stick with Turbulence Training, using interval training and strength training to get better bodysculpting results. With intervals, you'll achieve more fat burning results in less workout time.

The next time you are out exercising, perform a session of interval training. If you are walking or running outside, find an incline that can challenge you for 60 seconds, then walk down for 60-120 seconds, and repeat up to 6 times.

If you walk or run on a treadmill, adjust the incline or speed to safely increase the challenge for 60 seconds, then return to the normal pace for 60-120 seconds, and repeat up to 6 times.

You can also use a rowing machine, bicycle or stationary bike, or even an elliptical machine to do intervals.

But whatever you do, stay away from boring, ineffective cardio exercise workouts and stick with Turbulence Training for your fat burning program.

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

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To Transform Your Body, Stay Out Of The "Cardio Confessional"

The "cardio confessional", that's what Craig Ballantyne, creator of Turbulence Training calls hitting the cardio machines for long amounts of time after blowing your diet or skipping workouts.

In fact, it's the one thing you must NOT do if you want to drop fat and transform your body.

First of all, say it with me now, "You can out-train a bad diet." It simply doesn't work. It's impossible.

Secondly, (Is that even a word?) jumping on the elliptical or treadmill for 45, 60 or 90 minutes is just going to result in disappointment. Studies have shown that even 300 hours of cardio in a year only helped participants drop a measly 5 pounds.

Instead of wasting your time, focus on Craig's 3 secrets to fat loss:

1) Forget about blowing your diet and get back on track with with your nutrition by sticking to whole, natural foods. One of America's top nutritionists, Dr. Chris Mohr, gives you the exact plan to follow along with the Turbulence Training workouts.

Get the best fat burning plan here:

Turbulence Training Fat Loss Workouts

2) You also need social support. There are assorted online groups but the TT forum is special (I say that as a member). The posters are all super supportive and you can ask expert Craig Ballantyne any fat loss question you want. How often do you get to interact directly with the author of a book? And yes, it's actually Craig who will answer your questions, not some employee responding using his name. (I'm starting to believe Craig has figured out how to get more than 24 hours in a day.)

3) You need short burst fat burning workouts that get you more results in less time...and that you actually enjoy doing.

That's why Craig is giving you FIVE free workouts this week when you grab your copy of the NEW and improved Turbulence Training for Fat Loss workout routine.

Find out more here:

Turbulence Training Fat Loss Workouts

You'll get the exact workouts used by his TT Transformation Contest winners who lost up to 34 pounds in just 12 weeks.

Plus, there's still time to enter the 5th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest where you could win up to $1000. Simply use the exact same workouts, nutrition, and social support forum as past winners did.

Unfortunately, there is a but...

Today is the last day to enter.

So don't wait. Grab your copy of Turbulence Training and start losing belly fat (and maybe even winning some cash!) today.

Click here for Turbulence Training and 5 free workouts ==> Turbulence Training Fat Loss Workouts

These bonuses and the 3-month TT Membership are only available until Thursday.

And, remember, the last day to enter the 12-week contest is today.

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Another Nail In The Coffin Of Long, Boring Cardio For Weight Loss

As many of you know, I'm not a fan of long, boring cardio sessions. I don't believe they're nearly as effective as cardio intervals or bodyweight circuits, they require more time and they increase your risk of repetitive motion injuries.

So, I recommend more intense cardio workouts because they're more effective for fat loss and, as a bonus, they take less time.

On top of that, I just read an article by Craig Ballantyne that discusses research regarding increased appetite resulting from long bouts of cardio. So, besides being ineffective, could traditional cardio actually be detrimental to losing weight?

Check out the article here ==> Why Cardio Doesn't Work for Fat Loss

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Researchers Prove Strength Training Is Better Than Cardio To Lose Belly Fat

If you're trying to drop pounds and lose belly fat you need to look at the big picture.

First and foremost is proper nutrition. Say it with me now, "You can't out-train a bad diet." :-)

After good eating habits comes exercise. Here's where many people are misinformed. Their first thought when they want to lose weight is to do cardio. It's understandable; I used to think the same thing.

If you compare the same number of minutes of strength training versus traditional cardio, cardio does burn more calories during that time. However, strength training burns more calories overall. How is that possible, you ask?

Afterburn. When you stop performing traditional cardio, your body stops burning extra calories pretty much right away. When you finish a weight training workout, your body's metabolism stays elevated for many hours afterward.

In fact, according to a study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, women who completed an hour-long strength-training workout ended up burning an average of 100 more calories in the following 24 hours than they did when they hadn't lifted weights. 100 extra calories may not seem like much but it all adds up.

You can also increase your afterburn by increasing your weights. In a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, women burned nearly twice as many calories in the two hours after their workout when they performed 8 reps with a challenging weight than when they completed 15 reps at a lower weight. (Always use good form, of course.)

Can you lose weight without exercising? Yes, but check this out...

University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers compared dieters who strength trained 3 times a week with those who did aerobic exercise for the same amount of time. Everyone ate the same number of calories and lost about the same amount of weight- 26 pounds. So why not just keep mindlessly walking on the treadmill while watching TV or reading a magazine?

Besides the fact that we need to maintain our muscle to maintain our independence as we age, the study participants who pumped iron lost pure fat while 8% of the aerobic exercisers weight loss came from muscle. You don't want to lose muscle! Besides its obvious physiological importance, muscle gives you that tight, defined look that most of us want. Ever hear the term "skinny fat"? Yuck.

I would love to know how many more inches and sizes were lost by the strength trainers than the aerobicizers. One pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat so the weight lifters had to have ended up smaller than their cardio bunny counterparts.

And isn't that the real goal? Who cares how much weight you lost on the scale if you still look like cased sausage in your favorite outfit?

Another bonus for those who strength trained? Researchers discovered that pumping iron is better at reducing the intra-abdominal fat that's not only unflattering but is associated with multiple diseases, including cancer and diabetes.

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5 Reasons Why The Term "Cardio" Is Lame

5 Reasons Why the Term "Cardio" is Lame
by Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

"Cardio" is the "Economic Stimulus Bill" of the fitness world. You can put your hopes in it, but generally it isn't going to do anything for you, and it will just waste your time and resources.

Most people don't realize that there was "life before cardio". People used to exercise outdoors. They participated in sports. They played games - outside! - with their family and friends. They used their feet or bicycles for transportation (rather than driving 15 minutes to the gym to go do "cardio").

So here are the top 5 reasons why I think the term "cardio" is lame.

1) People hate doing cardio.

Have you ever met a person who smiled when they said, "Oh, I have to go do cardio now." (That's not the same as the excitement an endurance athlete gets when they go "training". That's different from "cardio". Endurance athletes don't call their workouts, "cardio".)

NOTE:
So if you are a runner, and you love to run, and you tell me (with a smile), "I'm going out for a run", then that's cool by me. Nothing wrong with that. But if don't like to run, and you tell me (with a pout), "I'm going out for a run because I have to get my cardio", then I say, "Boooooo to that". Life's to short to hate your workouts!

2) People mistakenly believe that 30 minutes of half-assed cardio (which is what most people do) will help them lose weight.

But it won't. It just wastes their time. People are obsessed with the calorie counters on machines. I truly believe this is how folks get hooked and obsessive compulsive with cardio...because all they can think about is how many calories they have burned, and how much food that means they can eat.

"Cardio" does not promote healthy relationships with food.

3) People think you have to "cardio" (i.e. go to a gym and exercise on a machine that doesn't go anywhere) for 30 minutes in order to be healthy.

You don't have to do "cardio" to be healthy. There is so much more to health than 30 minutes of "cardio". Your diet is more important for your cardiovascular health than your exercise regime. Plus, as long as you're active each day (doing manual labor, "cardio", playing sports, or lifting weights), you're doing enough to meet the minimum required amount of exercise for cardiovascular health.

4) People think "cardio" will help them with sports performance or their short, burst fitness (like climbing stairs).

It rarely does.

In fact, the guy who does "cardio" in preparation for his basketball, soccer, hockey, or Ultimate Frisbee league is going to be sorely disappointed by how slow he is - and by how he lacks sports-specific fitness as much as all the guys who just lifted weights all off-season. Plus, doing traditional "machine cardio" does not prepare you for sports-specific movements or speed of movement, so you're just as likely - if not more likely - to get injured during the early season.

5) It signifies a waste of time, inefficiency, and a sheep-like mentality towards doing something just because everyone else is doing it.

Seriously, if you were from another planet and you came down to earth and went into a big commercial gym and look at the "cardio" section, pardon me, the "cardio theater" section, you'd smile to yourself and say, "wow, this planet is going to e easy pickens".

"Cardio" is also lame because people use cardio as a time to catch up on their magazine reading and TV watching (and now Internet and email time). That about says it all. Workout time is not multi-task time.

So what should you be doing instead if you want to sculpt your body, burn fat, lose your belly, and get lean before summer?

You should skip the "cardio" (let's not ever use that phrase again) and focus on total-body, multi-muscle resistance training and interval training exercises to help you build "everyday" strength and fitness (like the ability to carry groceries or children, or climb 3 flights of stairs as fast as possible).

Plus, with these total body workouts, you'll save time and get more health benefits than you will with straight "cardio". (Sorry to use that term again.)

Helping you get more results while saving time and money,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS - If you want the best, fastest, and most effective fat burning workouts that you can do at home...

...(without the indignity of driving to a gym to use a sweaty, disgusting "cardio" machine), then grab your copy of Turbulence Training for Fat Loss.

Click here for a $4.95 Trial Offer of Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

It's Not Just About Calories Burned

I know I haven't been doing as much personal blogging lately. I've got so much on my mind with Body & Soul's upcoming move and I just don't have the time. Rather than temporarily abandoning the blog, I've been posting a lot of articles from other fitness pros. I hope you understand and find them helpful.

If you've been to No Pink Dumbbells before, you probably know that I'm a big proponent of cardio intervals over long, slow, steady state cardio sessions.

Below is an excellent article from Alwyn Cosgrove about the results of a study that compared low intensity cardio to high intensity cardio in regards to their effects on abdominal fat loss in obese women.

Here is a compelling excerpt:

The interesting thing was the researchers controlled the groups for total calories burned -- so they adjusted the duration of the high intensity group's workouts so that they didn't burn any more calories than the lower intensity group. So both groups burned the exact same number of calories (400 calories per session) - and obviously the higher intensity group exercised for a shorter period of time on those days.

This is where the results are interesting. Despite burning the exact same amount of calories over the sixteen weeks - the low intensity group did not see any changes in abdominal fat. The exercise program did not do anything. However the high intensity group saw a significant reduction in abdominal fat.

You can read the entire post here ==> Alwyn Cosgrove blog.