Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts

Saturday, June 14, 2014

3 Nutrition Whoppers You've Been Told


1. Eggs / egg yolks are bad for you.

The demonization of eggs started because egg yolks are high in cholesterol. Because of that, some nutrition/ medical professionals assumed that eating eggs would raise cholesterol in the blood.

Well, you know what they say about assuming, right? Multiple studies involving hundreds of thousands of healthy participants found no correlation between egg consumption and the risk of heart disease.

Some mainstream nutritionists will tell you it’s O.K. to eat more eggs IF you stick to mostly to the whites but guess what? The yolks contain most of the nutrients!

Egg whites are mostly protein but the yolk is chock full of important nutrients, especially fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids. Egg yolks are an excellent source of carotenoids and are very high in choline, a brain nutrient that 90% of people are deficient in.

Eggs are so nutritious that they’re often referred to as “nature’s multivitamin”. In fact, they contain so many important nutrients that eating a few a day would offer better insurance than taking a multivitamin.

2. Going too long without eating slows down your metabolism.

If you find eating 5-6 times a day helps you control your appetite and/or weight, do it, but it’s a myth that it keeps your metabolism stoked. Fitness and nutrition pros who promote this way of eating as necessary to dropping excess fat do their clients a huge disservice. 


Some people don’t feel satiated on the smaller meals. They end up always feeling hungry or consuming more overall calories. For many others, it’s difficult to find time to prepare and/or eat 5-6 times a day.

Not only is eating that frequently unnecessary but research does not support the widespread notion that eating more often increases metabolism. In fact, a British study found no decrease in basal metabolism rate (BMR, i.e. the amount of calories it takes you keep you alive if you don’t move) even after 72 hours of fasting.

I’m certainly not advocating going without food for 3 days. That said, some people have found success with intermittent fasting. No, you won’t go into “starvation mode” (see above) but if you find yourself consuming more before or after your fast, I.F. is not a good option for you. Everyone is different. Do what works for YOU.

3. Eating fat makes you fat / is unhealthy.

All fats are not created equal. Reviews of research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the British Journal of Medicine shatter the myth that eating saturated fat causes heart disease or obesity. Contrary to popular misconception, most people who suffer heart attacks have normal overall cholesterol levels but do have Type 2 diabetes or are pre-diabetic.

The true dietary culprit behind our obesity problem and many health issues is too much sugar. People who cut back on fat, tend to eat more sugar and starch (which turns into sugar). And, manufacturers pile on the simple sugars and refined carbs in fat-free or reduced-fat foods to replace flavor that’s lost by removing fat.

Avoid trans fat (listed as “partially hydrogenated oils” or “vegetable shortening” ) but sources of good fats are avocados, wild salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, and trout, flax, macadamia nuts, extra virgin olive oil, tofu, walnuts, pecans, seeds (pumpkin, sesame, chia, hemp), cashews, almonds, and grass-fed meat.

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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Simple Rules To Faster Fitness


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

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. 

Perform a total body workout 3 times a week with at least one day of rest in between. Unless you plan on competing as a bodybuilder, ditch the musclehead 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. 

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

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.

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

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.

Ditch the long, steady state cardio and switch to hill sprints, cardio intervals, finishers, metabolic circuits, etc. (unless you’re training for a specific event - 5K, half marathon, long distance bike ride, etc.) They’re more efficient and effective.
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Monday, April 21, 2014

The Solution To Dropping Fat And Feeling And Looking Better

It seems like we've finally put the snow behind us and it's the time of year when many people start thinking about shedding some winter fat and getting in better shape for summer.

Are you one of those people?

Would you like to know EXACTLY what to do and EXACTLY how to do and to have access to experts to ask questions?

If so, you should check out Precision Nutrition at www.Precision Nutrition.com/YourSolution



Precision Nutrition is a comprehensive nutrition program without being overwhelming. IMO, too many of the systems out there are too strict and not adaptable to your lifestyle. Anyone can tell you to only consume x number of calories, never eat sugar, totally eliminate carbs, etc. That's not a sustainable lifestyle for most people. PN is different.


For a more complete explanation of the program and what you get, click the link here ==> www.Precision Nutrition.com/YourSolution but here's the Cliff Notes version of what's included:

* The Precision Nutrition system comes with 11 nutrition/mindset/meal/maintenance/individualization/support/measurement/etc. guides in the PN 4.0 System binder. (This is NOT a PDF; it's a physical product.)

* 1 year unlimited access to 24/7 online support from the PN Experts.

* Full membership to the Precision Nutrition Member Zone with access to the comprehensive PN member-only online Audio and Video Library


If this sounds like something that would be beneficial to you, don't wait to check it out. Right now you can get the PN system for just $49, almost half its normal $97.

Any ONE of the items above is worth more than $49! PLUS, you get to try it Risk-Free for 45 Days!


From Dr. John Berardi, creator of Precision Nutrition...
"Precision Nutrition will teach you EVERYTHING you need to know to get the body you want. I’m giving you 45 days to read the material, review the audio and video content, and use the Online Resource Library. Of course, feel free to browse the private site, ask questions, and talk to fellow members.

If after 45 days you feel that you still don’t know EXACTLY what to do, and EXACTLY how to do it, I’ll give you every cent back. It’s that simple."

If you're tired of wasting your time and energy on quick-fix diets that don't produce long-term results, check out the PN System at www.Precision Nutrition.com/YourSolution
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Thursday, January 2, 2014

Free Fat Burning Workout Below!

The new year is fast approaching and I know there are going to be WAY too many people slogging away on treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary bikes for hours...and then getting frustrated and giving up when their results suck.

Instead, try this kick butt workout from Craig Ballantyne, author of Turbulence Training 2.0


This workout is no joke, so please don't do this if you are a beginner (but don't worry, Craig has 6 weeks of Beginner Workouts in his Turbulence Training system, complete with follow-along videos).

Warm-up Circuit:
- Go through 2 times with no rest between exercises.
- Rest 20 seconds between circuits.
o Prisoner Squat - 20 seconds
o Pushup or Kneeling Pushup - 20 seconds
o Stability Ball Leg Curl - 20 seconds  (or Lying Hip Bridges)
o Band Pull - 20 seconds  (or Stick Ups)

Metabolic Resistance Training Circuit #1
1A) Dumbbell (DB) Goblet Step-Up - 30 seconds per side
- 15 seconds rest/transition.
1B) T-Pushup (alternating sides) - 30 seconds
- 15 seconds rest/transition.
1C) KB (Kettlebell) or DB Swing - 30 seconds
- Rest 30 seconds & repeat 1 more times for a total of 2 circuits.

Metabolic Resistance Training Circuit #2
2A) 1-Arm DB Squat & Press - 40 seconds per side
- 20 seconds rest/transition.
2B) DB Renegade Row (alternating) - 40 seconds
- 20 seconds rest/transition.
2C) Suspension Y's or DB Rear-Delt Raise - 40 seconds
- 20 seconds rest/transition.
2D) Suspension Curls or DB Curls with Palms-up - 40 seconds
- Rest 30 seconds & repeat 1 more time for a total of 2 circuits.

Metabolic Bodyweight Finisher
3A) Narrow-Stance Bodyweight Squat - 20 on, 10 off x 4 rounds
3B) Jumping Jacks - 20 on, 10 off x 2 rounds
3C) Narrow-Stance Bodyweight Squat - 20 on, 10 off x 4 rounds
3D) Jumping Jacks - 20 on, 10 off x 2 rounds

That workout will burn more fat and rev up your metabolism far better than the same 30 minutes spent on some piece of cardio equipment.

I used this workout with my boot campers last week and they loved the challenge. 

The above workout came straight from Craig's Turbulence Training  which is on sale from Tuesday, December 31st to Friday, January 3rd at midnight for a HUGE discount. It's an incredible and effective fitness program for fat loss - AND you can do all from the comfort of your home if you have some dumbbells and want to avoid the craziness of the gym in January.

Sorry for the late notice. The post was scheduled earlier (or so I thought) but did not appear.


Craig Ballantyne goes above and beyond to deliver an amazing program - and you can see its success from the Success Stories and TT Transformation Contest winners in his article at the link below.



Get your copy here ==> Turbulence Training - before the sale expires!

Here's everything that you'll get with Craig's incredible fat burning Turbulence Training System:

All the TT workouts come with follow-along workout videos? You can just watch the video for all the exercise demonstrations and even suggested exercise substitutions.

- The NEW and IMPROVED 10-year Anniversary Edition of Turbulence Training (complete training manual with exercise charts, photos, and descriptions)

- 24-weeks of follow-along, fat-burning workout videos with Craig and his Certified Turbulence Trainers doing every repetition of every exercise with you - all in just 30 minutes per session!

- Five brand NEW 4-Minute Miracle no-equipment bodyweight workouts that you can do anytime, anywhere for a TT fat burning boost

- The NEW and IMPROVED Turbulence Training Nutrition guide to deliver you the total fat loss package you need to transform your body

- This is the complete Fat Burning Transformation package that you need to kick-off the New Year with fast fat loss - and it's guaranteed.

Get your copy here Turbulence Training - sale ends soon.
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Tuesday, November 12, 2013

It Pays NOT To Wait

Are you…

...full of energy? 

...maintaining a healthy body weight?

...confident and self assured?

...in good health?

 

Or are you…

...frustrated by clothes that don’t fit?

...hesitant to participate in activities for fear you can’t keep up or won’t fit in seats?

...artificially fueled with mega doses of caffeine?

...too unhealthy or overweight to be active with your kids or grandkids, go for a nice walk, or enjoy favorite hobbies or retirement?


Please don't be one of those people who say you're going to wait until the new year to start or restart an exercise program. 


Why would you do that? Do you think doing so gives you a pass to be a slug and eat horribly for 2 months? How does it makes sense to wait so you can get yourself in even worse shape before you start?


You'll just end up with an even bigger challenge, get frustrated and discouraged, and give up. Again.

Get moving. There are plenty of options out there. Just make sure to choose something that fits your personality and lifestyle. In other words, don't buy P90X if you have a full time job and 5 kids at home. You most likely will not be able to commit to 60-90 minutes of exercise 6-7 days a week.
If you know you'll never work out on your own, join a group exercise program. Need more accountability and structure? Hire a personal trainer. A good one will be able to give you a great workout in 30 minutes, if time is an issue. (Of course, be prepared to work.)

So, don't wait until January to drop fat, improve your health and lower your disease risk. There are still over 7 weeks until New Year's Eve. Begin now and be the one getting all the compliments at holiday parties.In addition, exercising through the season will reduce stress and increase your energy. Starting now will give you a head start on your health and fat loss goals. And, in January, when others are just beginning, you will already be enjoying the results of your program. 

To encourage you not to delay improving your health any longer, here are 2 ways to save $30. Just mention this blog post when you call.
  • Ladies, join Body & Soul Fitness Studio and save $30 on your enrollment. And you'll still get a personalized workout program and 2 one-on-one personal training sessions to review it!
  • Save $30 when you sign up for 12 workouts in 4 weeks at No Pink Dumbbells Boot Camp. Don't be scared guys, the women of NPD are very welcoming.
Offers good through November 30, 2013.

Not sure what's best for you? Call me today at (717) 509-7777 to discuss the options and to find out how the right fitness program can change your life.


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Monday, July 22, 2013

Don't Drink Your Calories

One of the first things I tell people who are trying to drop excess fat is to ditch the liquid calories. Here's an excellent reminder article from Alicia & Carrie, The Boot Camp Girls.


Don’t Drink Your Calories

You’d be amazed at how easily calories can pile up in liquid form. There are many “hidden” calories in your favorite beverages, including those that you may think of as healthful.

A tall glass of orange juice has around 200 calories. This may not seem like a lot, but when you convert this to a small boiled potato and several chicken strips, it suddenly seems like just too much, since the solid meal just-mentioned has the same calorie total – and is apt to be far more satisfying. This doesn’t mean give up juice, but if you’re calorie conscious, settle for a small glass.

Do you know the local Starbucks barista by name? If so, this is a warning sign you may be getting tons of calories from your favorite Starbucks concoctions. For example, a Venti Peppermint Mocha with whipped cream and 2 percent milk has 480 calories. You don’t even want to know how much fat’s in it.

Omit the whipped cream and use skim milk, it’s 360 calories. Do you realize how much solid food you can eat for 360 calories? How do two pieces of toast and two eggs sound?

Smoothies
Beware of smoothies prepared at smoothie stands. A lot of calories get dumped in in the form of juice, sherbet and even ice cream. You can make a much lower calorie smoothie at home by blending some berries, yogurt, and crushed ice with a scoop of vanilla protein powder.

Soda
Why not just eliminate soda altogether? One can contains 150 calories of useless drink. Diet soda is not a smart alternative since it contains an artificial sweetener which can trigger hunger.

Coffee and Tea
Cut calories by using Stevia instead of sugar. Stevia has zero calories and is a natural herb with a good safety record.

Alcohol
Many people don’t realize how the calories in alcohol can quickly add up. Just 1 ounce of the following contain around 65 calories: rum, vodka, whiskey, gin and brandy.

Four ounces of sweet wine are 105 calories; 4 ounces of sherry and port are 75 and 90, respectively; a 3.5 ounce martini is 140; a 4 ounce margarita cocktail is about 170. Need you read more to be rudely awakened? You can see how “a small drink here and there” can strongly factor into your daily caloric intake.

Chocolate Milk and Hot Chocolate
One tablespoon of some chocolate powders is an unforgiving 50 calories. This may not seem like a lot, but for anybody who loves chocolate drinks, one tablespoon to 8 ounces of milk is a slap in the face.

For most chocolate lovers (if not all), even three tablespoons don’t quite cut it. This isn’t heaping tablespoons, either, assuming that if it were, the nutrition label would state “heaping.”

Four tablespoons of powder plus 8 ounces of skim milk mean almost 400 calories – all for a beverage that’s gone within moments if it’s cold.

Beware of chocolate syrups; they’re just as loaded with calories. A tall glass (two cups) of chocolate milk with whole milk can pack in 500 calories if you use only four tablespoons of the better tasting powders or syrups, and if you like a richer chocolate flavor, you’ll need to add six tablespoons total (at least) to satisfy your chocoholic requirements: That’s a 600 calorie glass of liquid.

Calories are just as formidable a force in liquids as they are in solids. To get a firm grip on just how many of your calories are coming from beverages and how to cut back on these calories without feeling deprived, call us today.

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Monday, June 17, 2013

Has Your Fat Loss Stalled?

If you are struggling in general or have hit a plateau with your fat loss, check out this very long but excellent article from John Berardi at Precision Nutrition.

He discusses common nutrient deficiencies that can derail your weight management efforts, portion sizes and control (not calorie counting), nutrition for different body types, the truth about meal frequency, etc.


Check it out here ==> How to fix a broken diet: 3 ways to get your eating on track

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Monday, January 7, 2013

Free 5-Day Video Fat Loss Course From Precision Nutrition

Are you tired of the diet merry-go-round? Are you ready to give up on gimmicks and make a healthy lifestyle change? Dr. John Berardi and the folks at Precision Nutrition can help. They are offering a free 5-day fat loss course. You can get it here...


Free 5-Day Fat Loss Course for Men

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Friday, November 23, 2012

The Best Metabolic Workout Plan - Craig Ballantyne

Best Metabolic Workout Plan
By Craig Ballantyne, CSCS

The latest Men's Health magazine contained a shocking research study stat.

According to the article, you can boost your sleeping metabolic rate by 8 percent more than normal IF you workout with heavier weights.

That adds up to over 5 pounds per year...and it's why I'm a big fan of creating intense Turbulence Training workouts for BOTH men and women for rapid fat loss.

If you don't challenge yourself with exercises in the 6-8 rep range then you're leaving your metabolic burn boost benefit on the table.

Don't make that mistake.

To get maximum results, you need to use a fat loss workout system like this:

Step #1 - Bodyweight Warm-up

Step #2 - Metabolic Resistance Training (sets of 8 reps)

Step #3 - Metabolic Conditioning Training (higher reps) or Intervals

Let's say you only had 20 minutes to workout.

You could do this 20-minute metabolic boosting TT workout:

MRT: Metabolic Resistance Training
- 8 reps per exercise (per side, if applicable)
- No rest between exercises
- 60 second rest at the end of the circuit
- Repeat for 3 rounds

1A) Goblet Squat or Narrow-Stance Barbell Squat
1B) DB Row or TRX Rows
1C) DB Incline Press or Decline Spiderman Pushups (try with TRX)
1D) Goblet Bulgarian Split Squat

Take a 2 minute break and then move on to MCT.

MCT: Metabolic Conditioning Training
- 40 seconds per exercise (per side, if applicable)
- Rest 20 seconds between exercises
- Repeat for 6 minutes straight

2A) Kettlebell Swings
2B) DB Lunge or Prisoner Lunge
2C) Elevated Pushups (switch sides after 20 seconds) or TRX Rows

That's it, short and metabolically-boosting-calorie-burning sweet.

If you liked that, you'll love the complete Metabolic Workouts package and Bodyweight Bonuses that you'll get in the Turbulence Training Black Friday Sale.

This is the best Black Friday sale that you're going to get anywhere at anytime, and you don't have to camp out all night at Wal-Mart to do so.

Grab all 13 classic TT Workouts for 93% off the regular price.

There's never been a deal like this before, AND you get access to all the TT Metabolic Resistance Training fat burning workouts.

The complete package includes:

1) The Bodyweight Cardio Pack
2) TT MRT 1.0 and TT MRT 2.0 (2 of the most popular TT workouts)
3) TT for Beginners and Total Torso Training
4) TT Thermogenic-30 (The 2012 Workout of the Year)

This is a very limited time offer so check it out now ==> Turbulence Training Black Friday Sale.

I’ve offered some pretty good deals in the past, I know, but NEVER have you been able to get this many TT workouts, with this much variety, for this low of a price. NEVER.

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Thursday, August 9, 2012

Why Can’t I Lose Weight?

This is an excellent article from "The Boot Camp Girls", Alicia & Carrie. I couldn't have said it better myself so I won't. ;-) They even include one of my major pet peeves about people hanging onto the treadmill! If you want to know more about that, there's a great article here ==> Stop Holding On When On The Treadmill.



Why Can’t I Lose Weight?

Losing weight and burning fat DOES NOT have to be a losing battle! You have more control over it than you think.

Small tweaks can make a BIG difference.

Here are a few reasons why you’re not seeing the results you’d like:

You’re not strength training. Often, people who are not losing weight don’t do strength training. The more lean, sleek muscle you have, the faster your resting metabolism is because muscle is the body’s most metabolically active tissue.


You’re not exercising in a way that forces your body to adapt. The adaptive response requires energy; it raises your body’s energy needs. The body will then dig into stored fat for this energy.

They may not be pink but they're WAY too light.
If you’ve been strength training and the weight hasn’t been coming off, it may be because you’re not doing much more than merely going through the motions.

There’s the story of a heavy-set woman who was doing body weight squats. A trainer waltzed over, knelt beside her, said “Hi” with a smile, then handed her two 10 pound dumbbells (one for each hand).

The woman’s mouth fell open, but the trainer said, “You’re going to do eight reps of your squats but this time you’re going to hold a 10 lb dumbbell on each side.”

“I can’t do it with that weight!”

“Oh yes you can. Trust me. You’re going to complete all eight reps.”

The woman said her goal was to lose weight, but nothing was happening despite regular workouts. She began her squats, and it wasn’t easy. She had to fight her way to the eighth rep, but she completed eight full repetitions.

The trainer said, “Now that’s the way every set should feel. Apply this effort level to all of your sets for every exercise. You won’t lose weight if you keep doing something your body is efficient at. You must do something that forces you to struggle. Struggling begets weight loss.”

A month later the woman reported having dropped an entire dress size.

Moral of this true story: Exercises that require you to push harder will burn fat and spark weight loss, especially when paired with sensible eating.

No, a couple won't kill you but they do add up.


You eat mindlessly. Every little sample and nugget counts. One tablespoon of gravy is 100 calories. A “little bit here and there” adds up. Avoid eating when you’re focused on other things, such as watching TV or you’re on the computer.




You drink diet sodas. Artificial sweeteners often trigger hunger.


Too many processed foods. These trigger hunger, and too much white sugar and high fructose corn syrup will get stored as fat.


You skip breakfast. Breakfast, even if it’s only a cup of yogurt, tends to tame later-day appetite. Skipping it can make you feel entitled to overeat later on.


You hold onto the treadmill. This has got to be one of the most weight-loss-sabotaging habits out there. The body has absolutely no reason to burn more fat in response to make-believe walking.

Instead, pump the arms and get winded to force your body to adapt. Remember, the body won’t adapt to something that it’s very efficient at doing (e.g., walking while holding onto something for support).


If you're trying to burn lots of fat, this won't do it.



You don’t do HIIT: high intensity interval training. This form of cardio blasts fat.






Inconsistent exercise habits. Regular exercise means the difference between success and failure. Even if you’re doing everything right in the gym, consistency is the MOST important thing.


Poor sleeping habits. Research shows that under six hours of sleep and over nine are strongly linked to excess body fat.





Too much daytime napping. Excessive inertia means a slowed metabolism to accommodate it.






Before you blame your parents and grandparents for having “the wrong genes,” review your lifestyle habits to find out what can be modified to promote fat loss.


For more information about how to get the best fat loss results from your nutrition and exercise programs, call Mickey at (717) 509-7777.

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Thursday, August 2, 2012

You Are Very, Very Sleepy




Unfortunately, many Americans are sleep deprived.






Researchers tell us that lack of sleep affects our performance, health, and even our weight but there are still people who brag about consistently getting by on 5 or 6 hours a sleep. It’s their norm so does it still have negative consequences or do their bodies adjust to less shut-eye?

Multiple studies have shown that no matter how tired you think you are, lack of sleep can influence the way you perform visual and cognitive tasks.

Other studies show a correlation to lack of sleep and weight gain (or diminished weight loss if you are trying to shed some excess fat).

It makes sense that being groggy could impair thinking and physical tasks but what does lack of sleep have to do with weight? Sleep affects the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which help regulate appetite and satiety.

Leptin helps you feel satisfied but when you don’t get enough sleep, your leptin levels fall so you don’t feel as satiated after eating. The hormone ghrelin helps control appetite. Sleep deprivation causes ghrelin to rise, making you hungrier.


One recent joint study between Stanford and the University of Wisconsin showed that those who slept less than 8 hours a night had lower levels of leptin and higher levels of ghrelin, and also higher levels of body fat. In fact, of the about 1,000 volunteers, the ones who slept the fewest hours per night weighed the most. 




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Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Women Have It All Wrong by Rachel Cosgrove

I posted this a excellent article a few years ago and it deserves to be seen again. I originally received it via e-mail and for some reason, Rachel never posted it on her blog so I can't give you a direct link.

If your goal is weight loss, you really need to read this. It's long but do yourself a favor and check it out.


Women have it all wrong!
By Rachel Cosgrove

Women have it all wrong when it comes to weight loss. The average woman when she joins a gym looks at how many treadmills there are and the aerobics schedule to see if there are classes that fit in her schedule. When women want to lose weight they torture themselves with repetitive movement for hours on end spinning their wheels or running to nowhere like a hamster in a habitrail! If you take a look at all of the women walking on the treadmills you'll notice none of them have the body most women want.

The problem is that most personal trainers haven't figured it out yet either. They get a female client who hires them to change their body and they think, "Oh man...another one of those stupid toning programs in the ladies only section with the pink dumbbells doing lots of reps..." Most trainers don't realize that they need to challenge women to get their bodies to change and to stop being afraid of pushing her to gain muscle to boost her metabolism to change the way her body looks, permanently.

Weight Loss Program the average woman does:

* Endless hours of cardio or aerobics classes

* Avoids strength training because she doesn't want to get "big and bulky" or maybe she uses some rinky dink pink dumbbells to "tone" for lots of reps

* Cuts back her diet to practically starve herself

* Focuses on the scale weight and a number she wants it to say

What works about this plan: NOTHING!

What is wrong with this plan: EVERYTHING!

She will lose weight but it will be a mixture of muscle, water and maybe some fat so she'll end up looking like a smaller version of her same self but in the process she will have dropped her metabolism so there will be no way she can keep the weight off and will gain it back guaranteed. This is the cycle most women have been through many times throughout their lifetime. Yet, when they want to lose weight they do the same thing again. The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result.

Weight Loss Program the average Women SHOULD do:

* Metabolically demanding full body strength training program lifting challenging weights. This should be their priority workouts 2-4 days a week.

* Boost their intensity and drop the duration on their cardio sessions performing interval style workouts for no more than 30 minutes at a time.

* Fuel their body with healthy food every couple hours getting their metabolism revving.

* Focus on how her clothes fit and how she looks and feels and not on a number on the scale. Focus in Fat Loss, not Weight Loss.

What works about this plan: It will boost her metabolism, it will change her body, it will make her feel confident about herself, she can eat and she will be able to maintain her new body!

What is wrong with this plan: NOTHING!

To really change their bodies permanently women need to start checking out the strength training floor. They need to get out of their comfort zone and push their bodies beyond what it is used to. No more walking to nowhere on the treadmill! I am not talking about bodybuilding routines where you split up each body part and bomb and blitz the pecs or pump up the biceps. It is not necessary for a woman to isolate any muscle group to get the defined look she wants.

Instead a woman should do a full body, metabolically demanding program in which she alternates between an upper body compound movement such as a push up or chin up with a lower body compound movement such as a squat or lunge. Keep the rest periods short and use a weight that is challenging. Use 3-4 pairs of exercises working out for no more than an hour at a time.


























The woman with toned arms and defined legs looks that way because she has the very thing most women are terrified of, muscle. They are so afraid to lift weights in fear of bulking up that they never get their bodies to look the way they want them to. They have it deeply seeded in their subconscious that as soon as they touch anything over 10 pounds, they will sprout humungous muscles! Even if they do use weights, they probably still aren't lifting heavy enough and pushing themselves hard enough to get the look they want. Most women don't know what their bodies are capable of and tend to not push themselves hard enough. There was actually a research study done on this where they showed that women when left to train on their own, lifted loads below what they were capable of.

Maybe it is because women have been conditioned our whole lives to exercise from the point of view of what we "can't" do, rather than what we can do. Women grew up doing "girl" push ups, because we were told we "can't" do actual push ups or hanging from the bar instead of a chin up because girls "can't" do chin ups. The first woman to run the marathon had to sneak in dressed as a man because women "can't" run a marathon, and that was only in the 70's, not that long ago. Women "can't" lift too heavy, they will hurt themselves. We still subconsciously hold ourselves back when it comes to training whether we realize it or not.

We need to start training from the standpoint of- What CAN you do? How much CAN you lift? How strong CAN you get? And stop letting "can't" enter our vocabulary. As women start to push themselves in the gym, lifting weights and building lean muscle tissue, their metabolisms will be revving and they will be the toned, defined body they have always wanted.

So how do you get your body to change? You have to lift enough weight to build muscle to increase your metabolism, fuel your body with healthy food and turn your body into a fat burning machine. Stop pounding your body with hours of cardio and stop starving yourself!

Rachel Cosgove is a triathlete and personal fitness coach. She and her husband Alwyn own Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California.


www.RachelCosgrove.com



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Friday, March 23, 2012

Why Water?


You’ve heard it a million times- drink lots of water. 

Why? 

Staying hydrated will make you healthier and can aid in fat loss. When you're properly hydrated, you can exercise harder and longer. Water is involved in almost every bodily process (including metabolism).


Many people reach for food when they're actually dehydrated.

In addition, acute dehydration results in impaired physical work capacity, decreased alertness, impaired concentration, moodiness, decreased reaction time, diminished short-term memory, poor thermoregulation, impaired cognition function,  and reduced cardiovascular function.

Multiple studies have showed a significant association between improved hydration status and reduced kidney stone occurrence.

So, drink your water. 

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Friday, March 9, 2012

Act Like A 3 Year Old

If you’ve ever spent much time with a toddler, you know they can drive you crazy constantly asking the same question- “Why?” However, if you’re interested in dumping excess body fat and slimming down, some 3 year old behavior could mean the difference between success and failure. 


To succeed at fat loss, you need to discover a burning reason to get fit. The vague, “I want to be healthier”, won’t cut it in the long run. You need to “peel the onion” to find out the real reason you want to change. You need to ask yourself, “Why do I want to dump this excess fat?” over and over again.



Initially, your answer may be that you want to look good and feel better about yourself. O.K. but why do you want to look good and feel better? Then your response may be that you hate how you look and are sick of having no energy and sitting home alone in front of the TV every night. 


When you ask yourself why you want to get out and socialize more, you may realize you're lonely and not confident enough to meet new people feeling the way you do about yourself. Just keep asking “Why?” and peeling the onion. You have to keep digging until you discover your deepest motivation for dumping the fat and getting healthy.


Maybe you are a parent who is too overweight to play with your kids. Maybe you’re sick of being miserable and depressed. Maybe you’re afraid you’ll die early and never get to walk your daughter down the aisle. 


Without that true motivation to remind yourself of daily, you're far more likely to give up on your new lifestyle when you're tired and ordering takeout is easier than preparing something healthy, or when work gets crazy busy and stressful, or when friends discourage your efforts, or you don't feel like going to the gym.





Dig and then dig deeper.






Making the necessary changes in your nutrition and lifestyle will be easier if you can unearth the real root of your desire to be healthy and fit. You'll be more committed to becoming the person you want to be because your motivation will be stronger.

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Win $1000!

Are you serious about transforming your body?



Craig Ballantyne is running his 13th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest and each winner of the four categories wins $1000 of his money. 



The top prize of $1000 - each - will be given to the winners of these 4 categories:

1) Women Under 40
2) Men Under 40
3) Women Over 40
4) Men Over 40


All the details on how you can win $1000 as the top prize are here...



Craig has helped thousands of women and men transform their bodies.You can see the results from the latest TT contest at... 

(If you click on the link for each contestant's TT essay, you'll see their before and after photos.)


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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

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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