Are You Stuck In A Rut?

One reason people fail to get the results they want from their exercise routine is that they continue to do the same thing over and over and over. They do the same machine circuit, they jog the same route, they use the same DVD, they always do the elliptical because that's their favorite, etc.

It's very tempting to do. You have your habit and it's comfortable. You know you're capable of doing these things because that's what you always do.

At the end of the workout, you can feel you accomplished something. You completed 45 minutes on the stationary bike; you jogged 3 miles; you did 12 reps of each strength training exercise. Whatever you did, you finished the task.

Change is hard for most people. You can't go into autopilot. You have a learning curve when you're doing something different. You might "fail" to master a new exercise on the first try or you  might "only" make it through 15 minutes of cardio because you switched to intervals and that's all your body could handle.

The problem is that our bodies adapt to the stresses we place upon them so if you always do the same thing, your body won't get leaner or stronger. It doesn't need to. It has figured out the most efficient way of doing whatever you're doing so that you'll even burn fewer calories than when you first started.

Even if you regularly increase your weights or walk faster (and sooner or later, you won't physically be able to walk faster), your body won't work as hard or burn as many calories as when you change your routine regularly.

Now, I'm not suggesting you start just switching things up willy-nilly. Work with a trainer or get a program from a respected fitness coach like Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence Training or Alwyn Cosgrove's  The New Rules of Lifting for Abs: A Myth-Busting Fitness Plan for Men and Women Who Want a Strong Core and a Pain-Free Back . (Despite the title, it's an all around fitness book, not just an abs/core program.)

You can do it...

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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

The Skinny On Fats by Jon Benson

Fitness author Jon Benson sent this email out recently and gave me permission to share it with you.

The Skinny on Fats

Let's get this one out in the open:

1. Fats do not make you gain bodyfat.

2. Fats do not put you on Heart Attack Row.

3. Fats are not the enemy.

We've been sold a bag of lies when it comes to fats.

Fats are essential for your body's hormone production, skin health, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and even burning bodyfat. Yep... you need fats to burn fat.!

Studies have been conducted to attempt to elevate cholesterol levels using high-fat diets. Most all of them have failed miserably -- in fact several "lowered" total cholesterol while raising the so-called "good" cholesterol (HDL).

That being said, you don't need the following...

1. A lot of fats in your diet. Fats still contain over twice the calories per gram as carbs and protein.

2. Any kind of "fake fats" -- margarine or processed oils of any kind are highly dangerous foods.

Here's my simple dietary fats solution:

1. Eat fats as they occur in nature, but eat at least 80% as they "actually" occur in nature -- meaning from grass-fed and free-range sources. The extra cost is worth it. It tastes better and your medical costs will well offset the few dollars more per pound you pay.

2. Cook with a combination of olive oil and coconut oil, but use both sparingly. If you are eating plenty of animal protein you do not need excessive fats... not because of 'danger' but because of needless calories. Not a good idea if you're wanting to keep your abs. But a bit of raw butter or olive oil can make bland veggies taste wonderful, so feel freee.

Also, omega 3-rich fats like olive oil and fish (and especially fish oil) help lower inflammation. That's the real culprit behind heart disease in most cases.

3. Avoid a lot of fats at night. The night-time meals should be high in lean protein (tuna, tofu, turkey breast) with very limited fats if you are wanting to really get lean. If you are just trying to shed bodyweight slowly, it's okay to have some fats at night.

Just do me a favor: If you are on the "Fats make you gain bodyfat and have heart attacks" bandwagon, jump off. We have consumed fat for countless thousands of years. Just consume it the way we always HAVE (naturally, not stuffed with hormones and cooked up in a lab) and you'll be fine.

If you want a diet-solution that actually uses dietary fats to help you take off the bodyfat, then use this one:

Every Other Day Diet

It's a real-world plan that allows you to eat your favorite foods and still shed the bodyweight you want.

And yes -- that includes fats.

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Transform Your Body With Turbulence Training

Craig Ballantyne has announced the finalists in the 9th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest.

You've got to check out these results! Here are just 2 of them...

You can go here, see the rest of the contestants and vote for the winners ==> 9th TT Transformation Contest Voting


And Craig has even bigger news...

"The 2010 TT Workout 50% Off Sale" Starts today and runs until the end of Wednesday, December 22nd.

All of his 2010 monthly workouts, which regularly sell for $29.95, have been reduced to only $9.95!

Even better? He's offering ALL of his 2010 monthly workouts PLUS his not-for-sale-anywhere-else ""TT Clash of the Titans" program for only $97! (Ladies, don't be intimidated by some of the workout names; these workouts are suitable for women and men.)

Here's a complete list of every 2010 monthly workout and you'll get every one for just $97...

1) Turbulence Training 2K10 (the hottest trends of 2009 all in one)
2) TT Beginner Total Torso Training (best beginner program)
3) TT Transformation (Spin-off of Buff Dudes-Hot Chicks manual)
4) TT Adrenaline (The program that DOES out-train a bad diet?)
5) TT Big 6 Circuit (Improved version of legendary Big 5 program)
6) TT Bootcamp 2K10 (features 6 bootcamp style workouts)
7) TT Booty for Wife (12-week booty program!)
8] TT Addiction (you'll get hooked on this challenge workout)
9) TT Hardcore 2K10 (the 2006 classic has been updated)
10) TT Bodyweight Cardio 3 (NO-equipment workouts to replace intervals)
11) TT Bodyweight Bodybuilding 2 (advanced bodyweight training)
12) TT for Meatheads V (instant classic)
13) TT Dumbbell Depletion (20 minute workout)
14) TT Meatheads 4x4 (shorter Meathead-style workouts)
15) TT Resistance Evil (most extreme TT workout EVER)
16) TT Meatheads Bench Press (add 25 pounds to your bench in 4 weeks)
17) TT Clash of the Titans - Not available for individual purchase ANYWHERE else!

Talk about variety! Bodyweight strength workouts, quickie workouts, boot camp workouts, circuit workouts, bodyweight cardio workouts, challenge workouts and even a workout to get a better booty! You'll get well over a year's worth of great fat loss workouts.

Check it out here ==> The Complete 2010 TT Package

Treat yourself this holiday season (to something healthy!) and start the New Year off right. Pick up your Complete Turbulence Training 2010 Workout Package today!

If you're not ready to take the plunge for the entire 2010 package, do yourself a favor and pick up 1 or 2 monthly programs for just $9.95 each. That's way less than you'd pay a personal trainer - even an online trainer.

The Complete 2010 TT Package

Remember, this offer is only good until midnight EST Wednesday, December 22nd.

You can use any TT program to enter the 10th TT Transformation Contest and you can sign up for that starting Sunday, December 26th. Yep, the day after Christmas.
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You Don't Have To Pack On Holiday Pounds

Soon it will begin. The New Year’s resolutions. People deciding to lose weight. And then, the endless hours on the treadmill, elliptical or stationary bike. You’ll even see it when the local newspaper does their obligatory New Year’s exercise story- rows and rows of cardio equipment filled with people slogging along in the hopes of dropping excess weight.

First off, don’t wait until the new year. That’s just an excuse to go hog wild over the holidays, overindulging in calories both liquid and solid and not exercising . Get moving now. That way you’ll burn extra calories and lower your stress level when you most need to. You’ll also be programming your healthy habits now so you’ll already be on track come January. Regular exercise can help you maintain rather than gain over the holidays.

Whether you want to start dropping pounds now or wait until next year, the most important element is proper nutrition. I can go on and on and on- believe me :-) -about the many mental, physical and emotional benefits of regular physical activity (or you can see a list here ==>  Benefits of strength training) but if you are interested in dumping excess fat, any decent fitness professional will tell you that you can’t out-train a bad diet.

I realize that every overweight person wants to thinner yesterday but most people set themselves up for failure by making massive changes to their nutrition (often eating too little) or exercise (often doing too much). If you are serious about slimming down and then maintaining a healthy weight, you need to accept the fact that the process will take time. You must commit to a lifestyle makeover- not a “diet” that ends when you meet your goal weight. If you truly want to be buying smaller clothes, you must decide that your lifestyle will include good quality nutrition and regular physical activity. The cold, hard, truth is that no infomercial ab gadget or quick fix diet will get you where you ultimately want to be. 

Instant "weight loss"

Start small. If you eat fast food burgers five times a week, resolve to cut back to two or three; then do it. If you haven’t exercised in years, don’t start working out an hour and a half every day. Pick a reasonable amount of time based on your current fitness level and lifestyle and commit to it.       

You can even start out with 10 minutes a day but do not allow yourself to crawl into bed until you have completed your daily exercise. There is no one who can’t find 10 minutes in their day to improve their health. Dump the “all or nothing” mentality - ten minutes every day is actually better than 70 minutes in one day. Small, consistent changes are much more productive than big, sporadic ones. Once you have created new, healthy habits and had success with some small changes, start making bigger ones.

Stop spending so much time on the cardio machines and do some strength training. It’s a big fat lie that cardio is the most important exercise for weight control. It’s not. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve seen in gyms, month after month, plodding along on the treadmill or elliptical whose bodies barely change. Women, especially, are afraid of lifting weights but their results would be so much better if they did.

Do total body strength workouts, concentrating on compound movements. Do cardio intervals or metabolic circuits instead of steady state cardio. Intensity is the key, whether it's strength training or cardio. Push yourself. (I didn’t say kill yourself.) Shorter, more challenging workouts will save you time, burn more calories and fat and result in a healthier, trimmer, more toned body. Isn’t that what you want?

Are you ready to stop procrastinating and start getting healthier and thinner?

To encourage you to take action now, I will give you 2 free weeks of my No Pink Dumbbells fitness boot camp or free enrollment to Body & Soul Fitness Studio if you mention this blog post and start exercising by December 15th. Both of those gifts are a $79 value. If you’re ready to stop wasting time and start getting results, call me today at (717) 509-7777.

What To Never Eat After Your Workout

For a free 39-page report from Prograde Nutrition, 
click here ==> What To Never Eat After Your Workout 

How To Stop Emotional Eating

Here's a totally free report from Steph Rice on how to stop emotional eating. You don't even have to supply your email address.

Check it out at StopEmotionalEating.com 

Top 10 Transformation Contest Tips by Craig Ballantyne

Craig Ballantyne is getting ready to close the doors on his Turbulence 
Training Transformation Contest. If you need a jump start on your fat
loss goals, extra motivation or accountability, you should check it out. 

You can read the rules at ==>TT Transformation Contest Rules

Even if you decide not to sign up for the contest, check out Craig's top 
10 transformation tips below. Craig knows his stuff and if you don't 
believe me take a look at the before and after shots of previous TT
Transformation Contest participants.

Top 10 Transformation Contest Tips
By Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
 
If you want to lose fat and gain lean, sculpted muscle at the same 
time, there is nothing better to get you motivated and committed 
than a 12-week Transformation Contest.
 
Not only can you dramatically change your body, but you can also win
$1000 just for losing belly fat. At least, you can when you join the
Turbulence Training Transformation Contest.
 
And so here are the top 10 tips to help you maximize your results.
 
10. Clean out your pantry.
 
Listen, one of the best fat loss tips is simply, "If you don't have
it in the house, you won't eat it!"
 
So get rid of as much junk food as you can - and avoid bringing more
into the house. Simply cutting back on junk can help you lose fat fast.
 
9. Get social support.
 
Scientific research proves that you will lose more fat if you have
social support, both in "real life" and on the internet. So hook up
with friends who are going to help you reach your goal.
 
Online, I recommend getting started with Turbulence Training and 
using the Turbulence Training forum to connect with people like you
who want to lose fat. 
 
8. Use a food journal.
 
Write down what you eat. This is another research proven tip to help
you lose fat faster. Write down everything you eat. It will help you
eat better.
 
7. Take before photos.
 
Yes, it's not a lot of fun to look at your before photos now, but 
when you are done your transformation, you'll be glad you have the 
photos to compare. Plus, you'll need those to win the TT Contest. 

6. Fix your mindset.
 
No matter what you struggle with, you must switch your mindset to be
a successful transformation. You must go from a person who "can't 
resist cookies" to the type of person that "doesn't eat cookies 
unless they are part of a planned reward meal". That is how you win
transformation contests!
 
5. You must be in the correct state of change.
 
The truth is that even the best transformation contest winners don't
lose 30 pounds of fat on their first try. They start, they stop. 
They begin, they give up. 
 
It happens. And it's okay.
 
But when they get in the right state of change, that is when they
finally breakthrough and transform! And that's where you have to be.
 
4. Use a PROVEN, structured, short burst workout program.
 
Research shows that resistance training and interval training can
help you gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. Plus, you can 
burn belly fat AND boost your post-exercise metabolism. You MUST use
this type of workout for guaranteed results.
 
3. Stop doing slow boring cardio and switch to interval training.
 
Research shows that it takes up to 50 hours of cardio just to lose 
one pound of bodyweight. 
 
Who has that kind of time? No one! 
 
But other research studies show that interval training burns belly 
fat while slow cardio doesn't. So skip the insanely boring cardio 
and start getting results with interval training (as you'll find in
the Turbulence Training workouts).
 
2. Plan, shop, and prepare your food. 
 
Take an hour or two on the weekend to go to the grocery store and 
buy all the whole, natural foods you need for the week ahead. Go 
home and prepare as many lunches and snacks as possible so you have
the right food to eat while at work. This is a proven strategy to 
help you lose fat and avoid temptation!
 
1. Get Turbulence Training. It's the proven, step-by-step guide to 
transforming your body and your life.
 
If you've ever wanted to do this for yourself - if you deserve it -
and I know you do, then NOW is the time to get started with the best
fat burning workout in the world.
 
Check it out at ==> TT Transformation Contest Rules

Don't wait. This Friday, September 18th is the last day to sign up. 

Holly Rigsby Reveals Bikini Body Secrets!

If you’ve always wanted a bikini body, but you’ve been too busy or were confused about exactly how to lose those unwanted pounds, I have some great news…

Me and Holly last year

America’s #1 Mom’s Fitness Expert and genuinely nice person, Holly Rigsby, is giving away an absolutely FREE 34-page PDF report showing you exactly what you need to know to lose your belly fat and get your bikini body.



Click here for Holly's free report ==> Bikini Body Secrets

This is what Holly shares in her FREE report...

1. Clean Eating
2. Challenge
3. Morning Movers
4. Keep Moving
5. Front Load Meals
6. PI’s “Planned Indulgences”
7. Caffeine
8. Supplements
9. Journal
10. Consistency

So why is Holly giving you this incredible free report?

Being a mom herself (and soon to be one again), Holly knows that with school is back in session, moms have a little more free time. She wants to help you get in shape so she's making sure that you have the tools you need to get your fat loss efforts back on track.

So, head on over to ==> Bikini Body Secrets and grab this awesome report.  

P.S. The PDF will only be available for the next couple of days so don’t wait or you might miss it.

Bikini Body Secrets

Did You Think It Looked Easy?

After viewing the video, one of my regular boot campers who missed the Labor Day session, said that the workout looked easy. She said she knew it wasn't but thought that the video made it look so.

Did you think it looked easy? If so, you are cordially invited to come and try a boot camp workout for yourself and see how "easy" it is. :-) Heck, even if you don't think it looked easy you're welcome to come and try it out. Just let me know ahead of time when you're planning to attend.

You can get more details about No Pink Dumbbells Boot Camp at NoPinkDumbbells.com

Why Bicep Curls Won't Give You Nice Arms

If you've read more than a few of my posts, you know I'm a proponent of compound exercises for the majority of your strength training. Generally speaking, they're more functional, they're more efficient because they use multiple muscles at one time, and they burn more calories than isolation work.

Since most of my clients are time crunched and interested in fat loss and are not body builders or figure competitors, you'll find very few isolation exercises in my programs.

That said, I'll occasionally toss in some bicep curls. My mistake. :-) The other day I had my boot campers doing some dumbbell curls, which is rare; it was actually more of a break than anything. So what happens? One of my (relatively new) campers chirps in with something like, "I vote for more bicep curls in our workouts. You can really feel that burn."

It goes back to the belief that you can spot reduce or spot tone. People think if their inner thighs burn from leg lifts, they'll get smaller or that bicep curls will give them nice arms.

It doesn't help that we got a slew of "Get Michelle Obama Arms" articles after the president was elected. Unfortunately, many of them focused on arm isolation exercises and failed to acknowledge that most Americans are overweight.

The bottom line is that to get the look that most people want, you need to get rid of the fat covering your muscles. The key to fat loss is good nutrition and challenging workouts involving multi-joint movements. Leg lifts, tricep kickbacks and bicep curls won't cut it.

Most people like doing curls and there's nothing wrong with occasionally adding them to your workout if you have extra time but don't make it a habit. There are better ways to spend your exercise time if you want results.

Why You're Not Getting The Results You Want, Part 5

Let's say that your nutrition is good, your exercise program includes strength training and was properly designed. Could there be another reason why your results aren't great?

Yes.

Reason #5: You're not challenging yourself.

Your body adapts to the physical stress you place on it. It's a survival mechanism. If any of you ever had a physical job- roofing, farming, old school factory work- the first few days you probably got pretty sore. After that you quickly got used to the demands of the job - your body adapted.

It's the same with exercise.

I once worked at a gym where I'd see the same group of ladies during the day. Most of them had been members for many years and coming to the gym was a habit, which was great. Unfortunately, the instruction and service at that gym were terrible.

These ladies would perform rep after rep of exercises at the same weight they'd been using since they started. I'd see lots of bicep curls with 3 or 5 pound dumbbells. They'd stand around holding conversations while mindlessly pumping out 25 or 30 reps (at least) of whatever exercise they were doing.



This women is older than most, if not all, of those women. Check her out. She's using a weighted bar AND added band resistance. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself, regardless of your age. That's how you get results.




I'm glad the gym ladies weren't sitting on their butts watching game shows or playing Bingo. And yes, any activity is better than none but that kind of "workout" did little to strengthen their bones and muscles and keep them independent as they aged.

You need to challenge your body to get optimum results. To drop fat, to get stronger and more fit, to burn more calories - you need to push yourself.

Here's a simple guideline to follow regarding strength training. When you can do 12 repetitions of an exercise with good form, raise the weight slightly. If you're using 3 pound dumbbells go to 5s; if you're currently using 8s, try 10s. On a machine (and you're only using one or two of those, if any, right?), increase by 5 pounds.

You should be able to complete at least 8 reps at the new, heavier weight. Now your goal is to increase your reps back up to 12. Try to do a little more each workout. When you reach 12 reps, increase the weight again.

You should always be trying to increase the resistance or do more reps...but only with good form. Nine perfect reps is better than 12 sloppy ones.

Be honest. Have you just been going through the motions at the gym? Start challenging yourself and you'll get better and faster results.

You can find all the previous articles here:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

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Why You're Not Getting The Results You Want, Part 3

One of the reasons people get mediocre results from their exercise program is that they don't pay enough attention to their nutrition (or they've been misled about what constitutes good nutrition).

Remember, you can't out-train a bad diet.

Reason #3: Your nutrition is not on track.

Here are some basic fat loss guidelines...

• Eliminate (or at least greatly reduce) liquid calories, including fruit juice.

• Start every day with a nutritious breakfast.

• Eat 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

• Do not skip meals to "save" calories.

• Eat fresh food; eliminate consumption of sugar and as many processed / packaged foods as possible.

• Make sure you drink enough water.

• Eat some lean protein at every meal.

• Dump the "all or nothing" mentality. Don't give up just because you made some poor choices. Just start again with your next meal. You can succeed with 90% adherence to good nutrition.

• Plan your meals and cook in bulk. Don’t put yourself at the mercy of vending machines or fast food joints.

• Exercise regularly. Perform challenging total body workouts, cardio intervals and bodyweight circuits for best fat burning results.

The best plan is the simplest because it needs to become a lifestyle rather than a diet. However, if you’re already following the above guidelines and still having problems...

• Keep a food log and record your calories for a week or two. Most people severely underestimate their caloric intake. A food diary will help you see exactly how much you are consuming; studies have demonstrated that using a food log can double your weight loss. Do it old school with a notebook or go high tech and use one of the many free online food journals.

• Consider limiting starchy carbs (potatoes, rice, bread, etc. – even whole grain versions). Concentrate on fibrous veggies and fruits along with raw nuts for your carbs.

If you missed any of the previous parts of Why You're Not Getting The Results You Want, you can find them here...

Part 1
Part 2

Check out this video from Scott Colby. He addresses some of the misinformation about "healthy" choices.



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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.

It's Not Just Semantics

Do you want to trim down? Notice that I didn't say, "Do you want to lose weight?"

First of all, no one's goal should be to lose weight. You can lose weight by cutting off an arm or a leg. Even though the scale would register lower, that's not what you want. (At least I assume that's not want you want.)

If you want to get slimmer, what you should be focusing on is reducing the amount of fat in your body.

O.K., so you're probably thinking you should say, "I want to lose body fat" instead of "I want to lose weight" but that's almost as bad.

It might sound trivial but the words we use impact our goals.

Our subconscious mind listens to everything we say and it's human nature that we don't like to lose things. Whether it's a game, our keys, sunglasses, etc. What do we do when we lose something? We try to find it or replace it.

Not something you want to do with excess pounds.

So, what should you say instead of "lose" fat?

* Shed
* Burn
* Dump
* Release
* Incinerate
* Discard (I got that one from Jon Benson. It may sound awkward at first but I think it's good because we discard things we don't want - like trash.)

Change your thoughts and you can change your life.

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Why You're Not Getting The Results You Want, Part 2

In Why You're Not Getting The Results You Want, Part 1, I wrote about many people's over-reliance on cardio for fat loss.

Today I'm going to address strength training. Remember, these reasons are not in any particular order since what might be relevant to you may not apply to someone else.

Reason #2: You are strength training incorrectly.

The best workouts for fat loss are total body routines that emphasize compound exercises.

Compound exercises are movements that involve multiple muscles and joints. Examples would be Squats, Deadlifts, Rows, and Presses- Chest, Shoulder, etc. Compound exercises are more functional (they more closely simulate real-life activities) and they also burn more calories.

Most resistance training circuits are filled with machines that isolate muscles- Leg Extension, Leg Curl, Pec Flye, Lateral Raise, Bicep Curl, Tricep Extension, etc. These machines work one muscle (or muscle group) at a time.


For example, the Leg Extension, shown here ===============>
works the front thigh (quadriceps) muscles and the Leg Curl works the back of the thigh (hamstrings). Compare that to a Squat which works both those muscle groups and more.



Which exercise do you think is more useful? A Squat or a Leg Extension? How often do you have the need to sit on a chair and lift your legs in front of you? Now, how often do you need to squat down to pick something up?

So, a Squat is more functional, uses more muscles, and burns more calories. Then, why are so many people in gyms using the Leg Extension and Leg Curl machines instead of doing Squats?

If you want to get optimum results from your strength training efforts, the most effective exercise program would involve...

* Total body routines performed on non-consecutive days

* Primarily compound exercises using bodyweight and free weight exercises

* Functional core training (Plank, Hip Bridge, Pushups, Side Plank, etc.)



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Get The Most From Your Cardio Training

If fat loss is your goal, steady state cardio should not be your primary form of exercise. Below is a link to an excellent free report from Craig Ballantyne about the benefits of interval training, how to do it correctly, and 5 unique methods.

You can get it at Free Interval Training Report

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

Rather than create one super long blog post, I'm going to address one factor per post of why people don't get the results they want.

These are not in any particular order since what might be relevant to one person may not apply to another.

Reason #1: You spend all (or most) of your time doing cardio.

I'm not one of those trainers who tells clients not to do cardio or that it's bad, etc. If someone really likes jogging, I'm not going to tell them to stop. However, if their primary goal is fat loss and their exercise time is limited, I will tell them that steady state cardio is definitely not the most efficient way to trim down.

With all the information out there, it surprises me that so many people still believe that cardio is the most important type of exercise for fat loss.

Research conducted by Jeff Volek, Ph.D., R.D., an exercise and nutrition scientist at the University of Connecticut, has shown that aerobic exercise is not king when it comes to fat loss.

Volek's team took overweight study participants, put them on a reduced calorie diet and placed them in one of 3 groups.

* One group did no exercise.

* One group performed aerobic exercise 3 days a week.

* One group performed aerobic exercise and strength training 3 days a week.

The second and third groups exercised for the same amount of time. In other words, the aerobic plus strength training group did not spend twice as much time working out as the aerobic only group.

The results? In 12 weeks, all 3 groups lost about the same amount of weight, approximately 21 pounds per person. (See why I always say good nutrition is the most important component?)

The more important result? The group that incorporated weight training into their exercise dumped 5 more pounds of fat than those who didn't lift weights. Almost the entire 21 pounds they shed was pure fat! The other two groups discarded 15 pounds of fat but also lost more than 5 pounds of muscle.

Says Jeff Volek, "Think about that. For the same amount of exercise time, with diets being equal, the participants who lifted lost almost 40 percent more fat."

Various other studies have shown that weight lost by low-calorie dieters who don’t strength train is, on average, 25% muscle and 75% from fat.

That may not mean much to those of you who obsess over the number on the scale but it should.



This photo above compares the space taken up in the body by 5 pounds of fat versus 5 pounds of muscle. Because fat is bulky and lumpy, it takes up more space in the body. A 145 pound woman with a body fat of 18% will look better and be smaller than a 145 pound woman with 30% body fat, even though they weigh exactly the same amount.

Can you see how slimmer you'd be if you shed 20 pounds of fat compared to 10 pounds of fat and 10 pounds of muscle? The scale would register the same but you'd definitely be smaller if all the lost weight came from fat.

And isn't that the point?

So, if you're trying to slim down, make sure you include strength training in your exercise program.

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Practical Fat Loss Tips

Here are some practical fat loss tips courtesy of Craig Ballantyne, creator of Turbulence Training.







- Plan, shop, and prepare every week so you have the right nutrition.
- Come up with two solutions for every obstacle in your life.
- Use a structured, professionally designed workout
- Get social support
- Have a mindset of "I'm going to DO this", not "I'm going to 'try' to do this"
- Plan your day & do not let others get in your way of success!

OWN the day,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

3 Amazing Fat Burning Interval Training Options by Craig Ballantyne

Happy World Fitness Day!

Here's a great artcle from Craig Ballantyne on different types of interval training.

3 Amazing Fat Burning Interval Training Options
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

If you are looking to cut down on the amount of time you spend in the gym without jeopardizing your fat loss goals, then including interval training alongside your strength training program is the only way to go.

Just imagine spending half the time in the gym - if not more - and getting way better results. Isn't that what you deserve?

I thought so.

And to make the notion of ditching long, slow, boring cardio even more convincing is the fact that you will be far less susceptible to sustaining an overuse injury with interval training.

For some of you, however, the thought of giving up your daily cardio machine routine is too much to bear. But not to worry because you can still use your favorite machine, but we'll just tweak things a bit so that you get more out of your workout in half the time.

1) Interval Training Option #1 - Classic Intervals

For example, try incorporating intervals on the treadmill by running hard for 30 seconds, at an 8 out of 10 intensity level, followed by 60 seconds of light recovery at a 3 out of 10 intensity level.

That is one interval, and so you will repeat this process up to 6 times, while using a five minute warm-up and a 5 minute cool down.

Each week try to do more squats in the same amount of time. This may sound easy, but trust me; it can be as difficult as you make it!

2) Interval Option #2 - Short Burst Squats

I personally recommend a Gymboss timer for this type of training, but it isn't essential.

So, for the bodyweight interval training you will do as many bodyweight squats as you can for 20 seconds and then hold the bottom position for 10 seconds, then repeat your squats for 20 seconds, and then hold at the bottom for 10 etc. Repeat these intervals for 8 rounds.

(Mickey's note: That is a killer workout. It's only 4 minutes but it will seem like forever if you do it right.)

3) Interval Option # - Kettlebell Swings

If you have a kettlebell, you can do swings or kettlebell squats for 30 seconds and then walk for 30 seconds and alternate for 6-10 rounds. That's a great way to finish a fat burning workout.

Alright, so those are just three of the countless ways in which you can include interval training into your workouts that will burn fat faster and help you avoid spending more time than necessary in the gym.


If you want more info on Craig's Turbulence Training system, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com

If you love training, using nothing but your own bodyweight, check out his TT 6-Month Bodyweight Program

If you want the motivation and social support of a transformation contest, take a look at the TT Transformation Contest page