Fitness Plan Women: Phase 2 Part 2

Looks like we’ve got some great momentum building up with more and more women taking part of this fitness plan and challenge to be toned up for early summer.

Now we’re going to look at the second part of the workout routine where our focus is going to be thighs, butt, and calves. The idea here is start building some strength and replace the fat and cellulite with muscle to give a smoother tone to your skin.

Other than an aesthetic benefit you’re going to start feeling stronger and more confident in your walk, especially when you wear high heels. Just a note since we’re talking about shoes, make sure you have some high quality athletic shoes which provide great support and a natural arch for your foot. It’s definitely worth the extra dollars to go to a running shoe store where they will look at your walk and measure the width of your feet so they can recommend the right shoe specifically for you. Great shoes means better results through better support for your spine!

Let’s get right into it, you should have already done Day 1 and Day 2 of Fitness Plan for Women Phase 2.

Fitness Plan Women Phase 2: Day 3 Workout Routine

• 7 minutes warming up on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start with 2 minutes at 3.5mph and build up to 5.0 mph. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 6.0 mph
• 3 sets of 10 reps lunges each leg with dumbbells. Back straight, lunge forward with one leg and come down so knee is 90 degrees with floor. Keep your abs tight and push back up. Repeat for 10 reps and then switch to other leg. Good idea to watch your form in the mirror with this exercise. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps squats with light dumbbells. Grab some light dumbbells 2.5 or 5lbs and face a mirror with feet shoulder width apart. Squat down so knees are 90 degrees with floor and keep your abs tight. Slowly push back up and feel the burn in your thighs and butt. (view image)
• 3 sets of 12 repetitions step ups on both sides. Get a step up board and hold some light dumbbells. Step up with one foot and then push the other knee up into the air. Do 12 repetitions and then switch to other leg. Look at image for better explanation -> (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps hip raises on mat. Lie flat on your back and bring your knees up while feet are still on floor. Now thrust your hips up into the air and hold for 2 seconds before lowering. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps standing calf raises. Find a step and stand on the edge with all your weight on the front part of your foot. Now raise by pushing down with your toes. Lower slowly and repeat. (view image)
• 10 minutes cool down on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start at 4.0 mph and build up to 5.0 mph after 2 minutes. Reduce to 3.0 mph for last 2 minutes. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 6.0 mph

Fitness Plan Women Phase 2: Day 4 Workout Routine

Guess what? You get another rest day here, with your rest day including a 30 minute brisk walk. Make it to the grocery store and come back with some groceries to make it a little more challenging. If a grocery store is not anywhere near then try finding a hill to keep the challenge.

Fitness Plan Women Phase 2 Conclusion

How do you like them apples now? I have to say I’m pretty happy with this new fitness plan! It has some great exercises for your thighs, calves, and butt and is going to build a super strong foundation for the more challenging phases in the following weeks ahead. Hopefully you have some other friends joining you in on this challenge, it’s going to be exciting to see the results you all get (remember to take a before photo if you haven’t done so yet!)

Please leave me feedback for part 2 of this workout. How does it feel after you’re done? Did you have any questions come up?

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Workout Plan for Men: Phase 2

Hopefully you have already read Phase 1 and got a workout journal to write down your objectives in. Now I will be giving you Day 1 & Day 2 of the workout plan (for those who didn’t read the first day please go here – Workout Plan for Men Phase 1).

In this article the goal is to get you into a training regimen which will help you define your core and build strength in your biceps/triceps. It might not seem like it’s super intensive, but don’t fret, the idea here is to prep your body for what’s to come in the following weeks as it gets significantly more challenging. I will also be giving tips on how to modify the workout to match your level of fitness.

Let’s get started!

Workout Plan for Men Phase 2: Day 1 Routine

• 7 minutes warming up on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start with 2 minutes at 3.5mph and build up to 5.0 mph. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 7.0 mph
• 3 sets of 10 reps ab crunches on stability ball. Make sure to keep the movement slow and controlled and don’t place any pressure on your neck. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps push ups. Keep your head in alignment with your upper body, most guys curve their neck with this exercise so pretend like you have a flat board on your back. (view image)
• 3 sets of plank – hold for 15 seconds. Again keep your neck in alignment with your back and focus on keeping your abs tight. For those wanting to make this a little more advanced, hold for 30 seconds. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps preacher curls with barbell. Aim for 10-15lb weights on each side and keep your abs tight. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps dips on bench. Keep your elbows in and focus on placing weight on your triceps alone. Squeeze at the top of the movement (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps bicep curls with dumbbells on each side. The key with this exercise is to keep your elbows in at your sides and don’t let them move much, you should be using 20-25lb dumbbells at this level. Also keep your shoulder blades back. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps seated triceps press with dumbbell. Aim for a 25lbs dumbbell and keep your elbows close to your head. Your elbow joint should be the fulcrum of the movement and keep a slight bend at the top. (view image)
• 10 minutes cool down on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start at 4.0 mph and build up to 6.0 mph after 2 minutes. Reduce to 3.0 mph for last 2 minutes. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 7.0 mph

Workout Plan for Men Phase 2: Day 2 Workout Routine

This will be your rest day, but by rest I don’t mean sitting on your butt! Include at least a 30 minute quick walk. Make sure to schedule this in and don’t make excuses as it will be critical to your long term success as it will keep your metabolism burning the fat at an accelerated pace.

Workout Plan for Men Phase 2 Conclusion

Here we go, we have the first day of this workout routine where we are targeting your core, biceps and triceps muscles. This is a great intro to building a strong foundation and you can feel free to increase or reduce the weights with your weights to match your level. What you should be looking for is that the last few reps are very challenging.

The 2nd day is your rest day but you need to stay off your butt for at least 30 minutes. Be serious about this and don’t go to the gym so you can allow your muscles to recover and go stronger for the next workout day.

Diet plan is coming soon but in the meantime hydration should be something you’re always aware of. Have at least a glass or two of water an hour before working out. Water will allow your muscles to get all the nutrients they need for maximum function.

Have any questions about the first 2 days of this workout plan Phase 2? Please leave a comment below…

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Workout Plan for Men: Phase 1

I asked the guys in Facebook if they wanted to have a workout plan starting right from scratch and have gotten a great response for this. If you haven’t yet and want to stay motivated with your workouts, make sure to join my fan page here – http://www.facebook.com/weightlossandtraining.

Nevertheless, you may have been exposed to numerous intense workout plans (like the hugh jackman workout) which just seem to be too much or too scattered all over the place, how about we take it back to basics and create a very comprehensive workout and diet plan just for men? (P.S. let the women in your life know that I have created a version for women too – Fitness Plan For Women).

The first phase of the workout plan for men that I’m going to provide is to give you all the essnetials you need to succeed. It’s not going to be overwhelming since too often I look at guys compromising their form when exercising and injuring their shoulders which unfortunately lasts a life time.

The following article will include the first couple days of the workout plan which will be part of Phase 2. Phase 3 will include a pretty impressive diet plan that is strictly for increasing muscle mass and losing the beer gut (or as I like to call it – the carb gut!).

Here we go, this is a pretty special opportunity because I’m going to guide you along the way, and you can leave questions and feedback in each article for me to respond to – so I hope you really value what you’re getting here! This plan is made to be bullet proof so get psyched up cause here we go…

Workout Plan for Men Phase 1: Essentials

We all need to have a base point so we can measure our success. Take a shirtless photo of yourself now so you can look back on it in once we’re done this program to see how far you have come along. You can keep this completely private or you can send to me your before/after photos in a few months and I’m going to give out some pretty wicked prizes for those who succeed the most.

Please leave me some ideas for prizes by leaving a comment below!

I should point out that this isn’t like biggest loser style where your health is compromised in order to drop the most weight quickly, this is about your story and how far you have come along, so if you do anything please keep providing me with feedback so I can tweak everything as we go along. The more feedback I get from you guys the greater the results you guys will all get.

Second thing you should do is try and find a workout buddy who can join you in on this journey. Send them the link to this article and get them on board with you so you can motivate each other at the gym. You shouldn’t be dependent on someone else to keep you in on this but it can definitely help to have a little competition to see who does best!

Third thing you should do is grab a workout journal so you can record everything in one place. Then take a few minutes and write down your objectives at the beginning of this journal. Is it to add 2 inches off muscle to your chest/back? Is it to lose a couple inches of carb gut, or is it to add an inch of muscle to your biceps/triceps? Be specific and try and be as realistic as possible (i.e. 4 inches of muscle in your arms is most likely not going to happen in a few months, so be real!).

For those of you who want to order a workout log online here is a super cheap one which I would recommend – 12 Week Workout Log

Workout Plan for Men: Phase 1: Let’s Rip Sh*t Up!

I’m not going to overwhelm you with anything else in this first phase. A little later I will give you Phase 2 which will include the first 2 days of your workout routine for this week.

Have any questions on this Phase 1? Remember to let me know what you think some good prizes would be for the winners by leaving a comment below…

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Fitness Plan Women: Phase 2

So yesterday you should have read Phase 1 and got a workout journal to write down your objectives in and today I will be giving you Day 1 & Day 2 of the fitness plan (for those who didn’t read the first day please go here – Fitness Plan Women Phase 1).

Today’s goal is to ease you into a workout which will help you start to tone up those love handles and the lower belly area. If it seems like it’s not intense enough, don’t worry the idea here is to prepare your body for what’s to come in the following weeks. I will also be giving tips on how to modify the workout to match your level of fitness.

Let’s get started!

Fitness Plan Women Phase 2: Day 1 Workout Routine

• 7 minutes warming up on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start with 2 minutes at 3.5mph and build up to 5.0 mph. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 6.0 mph
• 3 sets of 10 reps ab crunches on stability ball. Make sure to keep the movement fluid and don’t put any pressure on your neck. (view image)
• 3 sets of 8-10 reps pushups with knees on ground. Keep your head in alignment with your upper body, most women tend to curve their neck with this exercise so pretend like you have a flat board on your back. (view image)
• 3 sets of plank – hold for 15 seconds. Again keep your neck in alignment with your back and focus on keeping your abs tight. For those wanting to make this a little more advanced, hold for 30 seconds. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps bicep curls with dumbbells. The key with this exercise is to keep your elbows in at your sides and don’t let them move much, you should be using 5 or 10lb dumbbells at this level. Also keep your shoulder blades back. (view image)
• 3 sets of 10 reps overhead tricep extensions with dumbbell. Aim for 10 lbs dumbbell and keep your elbows close to your head. Your elbow joint should be the fulcrum of the movement and keep a slight bend at the top. (view image)
• 10 minutes cool down on treadmill at 1.0 level gradation. Start at 4.0 mph and build up to 5.0 mph after 2 minutes. Reduce to 3.0 mph for last 2 minutes. For those wanting to make this a little advanced you can build up to 6.0 mph

Fitness Plan Women Phase 2: Day 2 Workout Routine

This will be your rest day, but by rest I don’t mean sitting on your butt! Include at least a 30 minute brisk walk anywhere you please. Make sure to schedule this in and don’t make excuses as it will be critical to your long term success.

Fitness Plan Women Phase 2 Conclusion

There we go we have the first day where we are focusing on your arms and core including your abs. This is a great place to start and you can feel free to increase or reduce the weights with your dumbbells. What you should be aiming for is that the last few reps are quite challenging.

I haven’t designed the diet plan for you yet, that is coming tomorrow but in the meantime make sure to increase you water intake. Make sure to have at least one glass of water 1hr before you exercise as hydration is extremely important to the blood flow taking nutrients to your muscles. Also don’t exercise on an empty stomach as this will make you light-headed. Half a banana or an apple 30 minutes before exercising is a great idea.

Have any questions about the first 2 days of this fitness plan Phase 2? Please leave a comment below…

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Fitness Plan Women: Phase 1

Many of the fitness and diet plans on this website are for a little more of the advanced level so I thought it was time to bring it back to basics and design a multi-phase fitness plan for women (also let the men in your life know that there will be a similar article specifically for them very shortly).

Now if you haven’t had a chance yet make sure to sign up to the 5 day course to quick weight loss as it has the most important fundamentals of getting on the right track.

The first phase of the fitness plan for women is to lay out all the essentials you will need to succeed. In the next article (Fitness Plan Women: Phase 2) I will include the actual workout plan and following that I will include the diet plan.

This plan will be designed in a way to build up gradually so that you don’t place too much pressure on your body at once. If you’re in it to be the most fit you have ever been for a special occasion a few months down the line (i.e. bikini season, wedding, holiday vacation) or you just want to start fresh then this is just for you.

Ready for this? If you stay on track and follow me here you are guaranteed success and you have my full support, so why not right?

Fitness Plan Women Phase 1: Essentials

First thing I want you to do is take a photo of yourself in your favorite bikini. You can keep this completely private or you can keep it and send me your before/after photos in a few months. Now your heart should be in this for your health but I want to include a 3 big prizes for those who succeed the most (leave a comment below for your suggestions on the prizes), and don’t worry this isn’t like biggest loser style where your health is compromised in order to drop the most weight quickly.

Second thing you should do is try and find a friend who can join you in on this journey. Send them the link to this article and get them on board with you so you can motivate each other at the gym.

If you like you can set a little competition to see which person will lose the most inches off their waist after 16 weeks, and trust me on this one, if you follow this plan you will lose a pretty impressive layer of belly fat!

Third part of fulfilling the essentials is to get a training journal for this fitness plan. And just take two minutes and write down your objectives. Is it to lose 2 inches off your waist? Is it to tone up your arms and prevent them from jiggling, or is it to reduce the cellulite in your thighs? Be specific and try and not to focus everything on losing weight because you will most likely turn some of that fat into muscle and you should know by now that muscle weighs more than fat.

For those of you who want to order a workout log online here is a super cheap one which I would recommend – 12 Week Workout Log

Fitness Plan Women Phase 1: In it to Win It

I’m not going to overwhelm you with anything else in this first phase. Read the next article (Fitness Plan Women: Phase 2) where I give you the first couple days of your workout routine for this week, but if you can get a good 30 minute brisk walk today then you are off to a great start. It should be fast enough to give you a light sweat. Maybe make that walk to the store so you can get the fitness journal to write in or just to get you through the forest so you can get some fresh unpolluted air.

Have any questions on this Phase 1? Remember to let me know what you think some good prizes would be for the winners by leaving a comment below…

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4 Signs You Need To Make Changes To Your Diet Plan

There are tell tale signs that you are body is giving you each day hinting that you really need to change your diet plan. The question that lies therein though is are you listening to these messages or are you ignoring them and pushing through your day?

Well it’s pretty easy to ignore them because there are so many stressors in our lives and we tend to lay blame on one thing or another but if we take into consideration the signs that we need to change our diet at least we can rule that part out. So let’s look at the 5 signs…

1. You always crash at a specific time during the day

I used to get this a lot when I was working in an office 10 years ago…crash at 3pm almost every work day. I wish I was aware of my body then, because a simple change in my eating habits would have solved that problem. You see I was doing the regular 3 meals a day routine and my lunch was most often the biggest meal of the day because I was famished by noon, then by 3pm I would fight keeping my eyes open!

If this sounds like you in any way, here is the solution. Simply change your diet so that your lunch is split into 2 smaller meals. What’s happening when you eat a large meal is that your body goes crazy digesting all the food and you get a huge surge of sugar (from breakdown of carbohydrates & proteins) in your blood from all the food but then you also have a huge crash of sugars and this induces a total sleep state.

By splitting your meals you don’t get that huge crash anymore and instead provide your body with continuous energy. Give it a try and see the difference!

2. You feel bloated all the time

Do you feel bloated all the time or at least a lot of the time? This is a clear indication that you need to change your diet in one form or another. Now here’s something of a surprise… for the most part we feel bloated when we don’t have adequate water intake!

Surprising isn’t’ it?

Generally a bloated feeling occurs when we have had caffeinated or salty foods and these cause our body to retain water. So either try increasing your water intake to counteract this problem, or better yet reduce your caffeine or salt intake.

3. Your eyes look like they need a trip

Eyes are the windows to your soul, but more importantly to your health as well. If the bags under your eyes are freaking out they are warning you of a number of different health issues. Most likely you didn’t sleep enough, but it could also be that again like in the tip above that your intake of caffeine and salt is too high or it could also mean that you are not eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables.

The solutions are simple. Consume more fresh vegetables and fruit which are high in antioxidants so they can help your body eliminate daily toxins. Give your body a 2 week break from caffeine and salty foods and make sure you do your best to get adequate sleep.

4. You go for a workout but feel unmotivated and tired

If you are getting as far as getting your butt into the gym but then feel really unmotivated and tired what is the first thing you should look at? You guessed it, your diet! An hour before your workout you should have had some healthy carbs like oatmeal, or fruit like bananas/apples, or even some whole wheat toast with light peanut butter because these are the foods that will provide you with the energy you need to really push yourself in your workout.

A clear sign is when you are working out and you feel light headed and see stars. This means you didn’t eat properly before your workout and your water intake was probably also too little. Become conscious of this one point and you will gradually see improvements in your motivation and energy levels at the gym.

Conclusion to Making Changes to Your Diet Plan

This article isn’t brain science, but its intention is to remind you to become more aware of your body and the signs it is giving you each day. Notice your energy levels throughout the day or think about what may have caused the disruption from the day before. Prepare your attack and have a healthy diet plan that fits all the criteria of being full of fresh fruits and veggies plus smaller meal sizes and lots of water. Now we’re getting somewhere!

Do you notice energy crashes in your day? What changes will you make to counteract this? Please leave a comment below…

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3 Highly Effective Weight Loss Tips

Sometimes we get too caught up in complicated tangled up ideas of how to lose weight and we lose focus of some of the most simple and effective strategies.

In this article we look at 3 of the most effective weight loss tips we can incorporate into our daily life and take away some of this pressure.

Effective Weight Loss Tips #1: Keep A Food Journal

When it comes down to looking at my new client’s diets the first thing I ask for them to do is to write down a food journal for 3 days. That means everything they are eating and drinking, even if it’s water.

Just this one act really brings light to one’s diet and can completely change the perspective of what they are putting into their bodies. Too cliche, but I have to say it, “you are what you eat right?” Hopefully you’d rather be a lean chicken breast rather than a fatty burger or calorie dense caesar salad!

Effective Weight Loss Tips #2: Sit Down When You Eat

Are you always running around and not taking the time to really sit down and eat a healthy meal? A while back I saw a Canadian study done in 2006 which showed that people who ate while sitting down at a table and didn’t rush through their meal also ate as much as 33% less for a snack later one.

So focus on really enjoying your meal and being greatful for how this food nourishes all your muscles, bones and organs and in the end your body will also respond favorably to you!

Effective Weight Loss Tips #3: Use Your Better Judgment

You may look at menus in restaurants and deep down question how healthy they really are. Don’t ignore these thoughts and use your better judgment. Simply asking for reduced oil, or the dressing on the side can equate to you saving thousands of calories at the end of the month.

Imagine the difference this is going to make in a year!

Conclusion

So yes, this article is all about your diet and how you eat. But if just these 3 tips can make such a big difference to us do we take the initiative and take action on doing them or do we just read this article and move on? This is the real test and I hope that some of you will leave a comment below on the results that you achieved from taking this article to heart!

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Valentine’s Day Workout & Diet Plan Countdown

Valentine’s Day is around the corner and whether you’re single or not the best gift you can give yourself and the person you are trying to woo is the BEST version of you possible, right?

Hopefully you agree with this statement because having a healthy body means more self confidence, more awareness of your body, greater sensory perception and ultimately better sex! Can’t really go wrong on this front so let’s take a look at 4 week workout and diet plan you can implement right away to get into the best shape possible in such little time.

Week 1: Valentine’s Day Workout & Diet Plan

In this week your biggest challenge is getting ready to take one major leap forward with your diet and workout plan. First things, first! This week you need to drink more water and less sugary drinks (including diet sodas which are linked with overeating problems). Another great alternative is green tea which is full of anti-oxidants, there are many flavors available today (mint, raspberry, peach, chai spiced, vanilla, pomegranate, etc) so you can’t say there isn’t one that strikes your fancy!

In this week you also need to cut out at least 4 days where no junk food is touched. And by junk food I mean pastries, ice cream, candy, chips and all chocolate except dark chocolate.

Your workout plan for this week includes one day of cardio that is at a higher intensity than your usual norm. So if you’re running for 30 minutes switch this up and include 5 sessions of 1 minute sprints and then 25 minutes of your normal running speed.

Week 2: Valentine’s Day Workout & Diet Plan

Drinking more water and green tea? Good, in this week we add one more day of no junk food at all, so 5 days of staying away from your biggest enemies. Ready for the addition though? Try adding in 1 healthy fruit whey protein shake (view my article on whey protein concentrate vs isolate to see what is right for you) a day as a healthy snack.

Now you will add one day of circuit training with your weights. This means doing your exercises back to back with minimal rest between exercises (aim for less than 30 seconds rest). For ideas on workouts check out the workouts and training section of this site or the highly popular articles workouts for women & workouts for men.

Let’s keep things interesting and have you try a class of something you’ve never taken! Perhaps a cardio kickboxing class, yoga, pilates, spin class, or anything else that is outside your comfort level, have fun with this!

Week 3: Valentine’s Day Workout & Diet Plan

More than half way there so you are really going to see results this week if you stick with the plan. We’re going to add one more day of absolutely no junk food – just say NO! Tip: anytime you feel a craving coming on have a whey protein smoothie or half a banana.

For your cardio sessions we are now going to do 2 days this week of high intensity interval training. You can aim to try and get to this killer Treadmill Workout Ultimate Routine which incorporates high intensity interval training.

We’re also going to add one more day with weights and you get bonus points if you do it circuit training style with less than 30 seconds rest between exercises. You should be aiming for 7-9 exercises in total followed by a 10 minute flexibility training session.

Week 4: Valentine’s Day Workout & Diet Plan

Here we go this is judgment week! No junk food this week period! We’re going to stick to very lean meats (especially fish), lots of veggies, fruit, beans and whole grains for a total of 5 meals and 1 or 2 whey protein smoothies a day (remember to check out the healthy recipes section of this site). Resist temptation and at the end of this week you’re going to see the victory!

Training is going to include 3 days of training with weights, 2 days of high intensity interval training and at least one session of hot yoga so you can sweat out all the toxins and warm up your muscles to relax in ways they never have before.

Conclusion

It doesn’t have to be a Valentine’s day countdown to implement this 4 week workout and diet plan, you want to get results to a healthier and sexier you and really benefit from the rewards through all aspects of your life. Try this one out and see for yourself, I bet you will be quite happy with the results!

Have any questions or feedback about this plan? Leave a comment below…

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6 Pack Abs Checklist

Is it really possible for anyone to get 6 pack abs or is it some genetic mutation that only some people are gifted with? I’d like to say yes it’s all genetics as I’m in the same boat with you, it’s a pain in the ass battling with having a chiseled midsection. In fact, it’s taken me a heck of a lot of work to get toned abs and sometimes I’m quite annoyed with guys who come in to the gym and barely workout and yet have the perfect abs.

Be that as it may, we’re going to quickly run through the 6 pack abs checklist so we have a point of reference in case we start going off track. I’ll be honest with you, it’s not going to be easy (for most of you!) but take this on as a personal challenge and stay determined until you reach your goals.

6 Pack Abs Checklist: Abs Diet

Well a whole book can be written on this topic, and heck there are probably thousands of books written on 6 pack abs diet, but let’s take a different approach. Let’s take a look at a typical diet of a fitness competitor who’s whole career is focused on reaching the perfect 6 pack. Ready for this? It’s not pretty!

Meal 1: 4 egg whites, 1/2 cup of oatmeal with cinammon, 1 teaspoon honey
Meal 2: Whey Protein Shake
Meal 3: 1 Chicken breast, 1 cup of brocolli
Meal 4: 8oz lean beef seasoned over 1 cup brown rice, 1 cup vegetables
Meal 5: 1 chicken breast, 1 cup brown rice, 1 tbsp olive oil, salsa
Meal 6: 1 cup fat free cottage cheese, 2 whole eggs
Meal 7: 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt with fresh fruit
Meal 8: Whey Protein Shake

Are you surprised? Sounds a little bland to me, but interesting how many meals and the variety this kind of 6 pack abs diet includes! So now we know how much dedication it takes. But personally I want to make sure I still enjoy what I eat, so we can strive our best to get close to this kind of meal plan right?

6 Pack Abs Checklist: Intense Cardio Training

There are two ways you can go about this. You can include low impact long duration cardio if you’re not concerned about muscle mass, or you can include high intensity short duration cardio training if you are focusing on gaining muscle mass. Personally I like somewhere in between these two with high intensity interval training because it allows my body short breaks between the sprints and reduces overall muscle strain.

The key to focus on here is that you are pushing yourself in some way in each session keeping some form of intensity. Try increasing sprint durations, or use hills, bleachers, stairs to add variety. Also make this more fun by trying different cardio exercises like jumping rope, biking, hiking, spin classes, kickboxing, power yoga, swimming, rowing, etc.

6 Pack Abs Checklist: Core Training

Notice that I’ve left core training ab workouts as the last step in this checklist because out of all 3 it is the least effective in providing 6 pack abs. What I mean by this is that you can have the most intense ab workout in the world but if you’re not eating well and including intense cardio in your workouts you won’t be able to get a 6 pack.

But what if you’re doing your best with eating well and getting at least 3 days of cardio sessions in a week? Well let’s take a look at some very effective 6 pack abs exercises:

Abdominal crunches on a stability ball (view image)
Side plank (30 seconds each side) (view image)
Abdominal wheel extensions (view image)
Back extensions with stability ball (view image)
Balance board knee tucks (view image)
Hanging leg raises (view image)
Woodchopper with medicine ball (view image)
Deadlift with dumbbells (view image)
Cable crunches (view image)
Bicycle crunches (view image)

Try a mix of 5 of these exercises in an ab workout session and make sure to reduce your resting period to about 30 seconds between each set and you’re going to be feeling a pretty good burn.

6 Pack Abs Checklist: Supplements
Last week I came across a pretty killer combo package created by Bodybuilding.com which is made for men and women individually. They include pretty much everything you will ever need to burn that fat and accelerate your 6 pack abs goals. Check it out:

• Men’s Advanced Fat Loss Combo
• Women’s Advanced Fat Loss Combo

6 Pack Abs Checklist: Conclusion

Nice, we now have a pretty solid checklist to reference whenever we notice our tummy is bulging out. We can follow these steps as close as possible and know that we’re doing our best to achieve the ultimate goal – getting 6 pack abs!

Have any comments on your favorite ab exercises or questions about 6 pack abs? Please leave a comment below…

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New Year’s Resolutions: Healthy Weight Loss Edition

I started this New Year’s Resolutions series with a Fat Loss Edition since I thought it was most important to focus on losing fat rather than just losing weight. But in this edition we want to focus on recalibrating our way of thinking so that weight loss is imminent and simple. Get your cup of green tea and join me for a quick read…

Healthy Weight Loss: New Outlook

Put everything you’ve ever heard about weight loss behind, you should be looking at this year with a new outlook and if you take this upcoming nugget of wisdom you will multiply your efforts with weight loss forever. Forever you ask? Bold statement yes, but it is absolutely integral to the mindset of those who are most successful long term. Here it is…

Forget what you weigh on the scale and put all your thoughts towards enjoying how good you feel after exercising. This is very essential most simply because the weight scale is so inaccurate. You may actually gain weight after exercising since muscle gain is heavier than fat so the scale could be crushing your motivation and determination.

So how good do you feel after exercising? Are you getting an adrenaline rush that lasts for hours? Are you feeling relieved from the stress factors of that day? Are you getting a boost in self confidence? Ask yourself these questions every time you workout and you will begin to realize a whole new outlook with weight loss.

Now what if you don’t feel good? These are questions to keep in mind… Do you have the right workout plan for you? Have you consulted with a certified personal trainer who has lots of raving clients (Read Personal Trainer – Benefits Exposed)? Do you have a healthy eating plan? How is your sleep? Are you allowing enough time for rest and recovery from your workouts?

Now you have both sides of the story and can use these questions to evaluate your current progress. But let’s get a little more into planning ahead to really make this even more powerful…

Healthy Weight Loss: Planning Ahead

You need to plans to be successful with your healthy weight loss goals: a workout plan and a diet plan.

Workout Plan – You need a new one of these at least every 6 weeks otherwise your body will adapt to your workout and you will stop seeing progress (that is if you don’t get bored of it before that!). Check out the workouts and training section of this site for ideas on workouts and try and consult with a personal trainer at least once a month (I will also be releasing an online coaching program in the near future so stay tuned!).

Here’s a very cool tip to keep you motivated…Review your workout routine in the morning of that day. Just doing this will keep you extremely motivated and anticipating that rush you get after a workout.

Diet Plan – Ok by diet plan I don’t mean some crazy plan where you’re eating lettuce and celery all day! I mean planning ahead the night before or in the early morning for that day. Aim for 3 meals and 2 healthy but significant snacks (examples include whey protein smoothie, handful of nuts, fruit, yogurt, or two celery sticks with natural peanut butter). Alternatively you can also plan for 5 smaller meals (stopping just before your full) which is the best way to go for quick weight loss but definitely more challenging to schedule.

Now we just need one more element to keep us on track…

Healthy Weight Loss: Support System

Do you have anyone to help you keep accountability for your workout and diet plans? This is key especially if you have problems with motivation and are yo-yo-ing with your weight loss all the time. Have a personal trainer, spouse, relative, or friend to ask you about your progress once a week or at least once a month. Make sure this person is positive and encouraging yet persistent to help you stay on track.

Healthy Weight Loss Supplements:

What about healthy supplements that will help you with your weight loss efforts. Here is my true advice that I have given even to my mom and dad about healthy supplements.

• Whey protein powder is the gold standard because it helps you keep full and provides your body with essential amino acids that help your muscles with growth and recovery. Read which whey protein is right for you in my article on Whey Protein Isolate vs Whey Protein Concentrate.
• Green Tea is another very healthy supplement to your diet because it is zero calorie and boosts your metabolism to burn more calories all the while providing antioxidants which helps protect our body from harmful additives in our food. Check out my article on Green Tea Top Secret Weight Loss Drink.
• Omega 3 – an essential fatty acid found in fish, flaxseed & other seafood and has been shown to activate enzymes which increase your body’s metabolic rate. The supplement is recommended because most fish (especially farmed) are found to have high levels of toxic contaminants which can accumulate in your body over time. Read more in my article on Omega 3 Benefits.
• CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) is another naturally occurring free fatty acid that is found in dairy products and meat and has been show to increase muscle mass while at the same time reduce body fat. We can get it concentrated in a gel cap so it’s easy to take on a daily basis with basically no side effects. Read my article on CLA Secret Fat Loss Formula.

What are your Weight Loss New Year’s Resolutions? Leave a comment below…

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A New Healthier You

2009 was a challenge for most people I know…we were challenged incredibly with our employment, finances, family life, relationships and of course our health. It seems like our health is one of the easiest to get hit the worst in tough economic times. Many of us try and make ourselves feel better with food and this leads to excessively eating foods with little to no nutritional value like chips, popcorn, ice cream, chocolate and pastries. But now?

Now it’s the year 2010! It’s time to reflect on last year and think of ways we can make this year better. Sounds a little overwhelming though doesn’t it?

Well let’s make this as simple as possible but let’s first start by promising ourselves to make this year a healthier year. We can always get better with our health, and if you don’t think that’s possible then you aren’t opening your mind up to learning. Even though I’ve been training for over 17 years I still feel like I’m learning each and every day and having this huge audience consistently asking questions allows me to think of solutions with different angles in mind.

Let’s get started!

Better Sleep
The first point I think we should all focus on is sleep. Healthy regular sleep 7-8 hours each night. Your body’s circadian rhythm depends on this…in other words every biological mechanism that is continuously happening in your body has a rhythm which is affected by your sleep.

If you sleep in 2 hours one day then that cycle of your body expecting breakfast at 8am in the morning is now messed up. This leads to a dominoes effect where your digestion system is now put on hold, the energy supplied to your muscles, heart, brain are all affected.

Invest in a good mattress and pillow and focus on making this year a good year for sleep. If you can master this one art then you will see major, no massive health benefits including natural weight loss. (check out my article on Sleep Well With the Right Pillow).

Weight Training
Weight training is the next fundamental component of your health. Regardless of whether you are male/female, young or old weight training should be a component of your exercise regimen. Training with weights strengthens our muscles, bones, tendons, and joints and prevents serious health problems like painful lower back, knees, and brittle bones (osteoporosis).

Just make sure you train the right way, get a personal trainer for even just a few sessions this year and ask him/her to make sure that you are performing exercises the right way. That your back is aligned properly in all movements, that you aren’t swinging, that you have your feet the right distance apart and that you are not placing excessive force on your shoulders or knees.

Sure this may set you back a few hundred but you should should be doing this before you think about spending money on any health supplement including vitamins otherwise you are just throwing away that money. The benefits will be very impressive, I promise you that!

Variation in Your Cardio Routine
Are you the type of person that does the same cardio routine like a 60 minute jog week after week? Well 2010 is the year to mix things up. Sure that kind of routine is overall good for your health but if you want to see improvement in your physique then variation is key. Try high intensity interval training, signing up for sports you’ve never done including volleyball, skiing, yoga, kickboxing, surfing, soccer, etc.

This alone will inject a whole new level of excitement into your exercise plan and keep you motivated and excited to keep improving.

More Natural Foods
Let’s keep it simple…healthy eating can be much more easily followed if you purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables than processed foods which are packaged.

Have fun with this…try a unique fruit or vegetable a month and by the end of 2010 you will have found probably one or two new favorite healthy foods. Some you might want to try: pomegranate, kumquat, bok choy, pitaya, chayote, beets, acai berries, guava, etc.

Conclusion
What do you think about that? Nice simplified focus for a new healthier you in 2010…better sleep, weight training, variation in your cardio routine, and more natural foods. Forget all the other hype for now and focus on these points and you are going to reach levels you never have before regardless of your age. Be adventurous, have fun and have a new perspective of this year…here’s to a New Healthier You in 2010!

Have anything you’d like to add? As always I appreciate your comments below…

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New Year’s Resolutions: Fat Loss Edition

Imagine this… the year 2010 is finally here and you have won the struggle with having the health and body you have always wanted. You close your eyes and picture yourself smiling from head to toe because this summer is the summer where you are looking forward to shedding your clothes and showing off all your hard work. THIS is the greatest feeling, a sense of accomplishment, a sense of well-being, a sense of complete victory.

Now if you think you’re alone in always trying to lose fat, well let me tell you that’s complete bull! Everyone including the most elite fitness competitors are always challenged by their body’s fat percentage. Fat is the one element that covers our muscles and separates it from our skin all the while removing definition and tone.

With this said I should preface to say that fat is not all bad! Media and magazines force us to believe that if we have some fat that we are unhealthy, but through evolution there must have been a reason that we were created with the ability to store fat. The real truth is that fat is a form of fuel that keeps our muscles, brain and heart running when we are sleeping and in times when we have no food. Without it we would be completely non-functional and our organs would all crash. So where do we find balance?

We find balance by fully enjoying what we eat and focusing on eating clean healthy foods that are devoid of preservatives, chemicals and heavy processing. Let’s take it further and simplify it…

Fat Loss Resolutions

First off, if you haven’t yet make sure to sign up as a Premium member of Weight Loss and Training and you’ll get the free 5 day course to quick weight loss as well as newsletters with updates on latest workout plans, training techniques, healthy meal plans along with reviews & discounts for quality supplements and home workout accessories. Last year we had over 15,000 members join our thriving community and word is spreading quickly – Sign Up Here.

P.S. By just taking a few minutes to read our newsletters and articles you give yourself a huge advantage in getting to your health goals because you plant and nourish the seed for keeping your health at the top of your mind. As soon as you feel yourself resisting taking time to read these articles, you know that need to snap out of it and remind yourself that you are completely determined to reach your objectives and nothing will get in your way.

Healthy and Tasty Eating for Fat Loss

Make sure you don’t buy unnecessary foods and store them in your cupboards, especially ones that are bad for you. It’s easy to lose track of this during the holidays so make a mental effort to resist this. If you don’t have unhealthy processed foods staring at you when you open your kitchen cupboards then you also resist having the temptation all together. I guarantee that this will work so give it a try.

I’ll be adding many more tasty recipes to the Healthy Recipes section of this site so take a quick look and add variety to your eating plan. Use spices and fruit to bring lots of flavour to your meals. A few slices of apple in a salad or grilled with your chicken are great additions. (P.S. I’m looking for a healthy chef to volunteer recipes for this site, leave a comment below if you know anyone!).

High Intensity and Circuit Training for Fat Loss

This is the year you want to add more high intensity interval training as well as circuit style variation to your workouts as this is probably the best way to blast away fat.

With high intensity interval training you want to add 30 second sprints every minute or two regardless of whether you are on the elliptical, treadmill, bike or any other cardio equipment and activity. Change this up as much as you can to keep your body guessing. Try a week jumping rope and another week hiking or kickboxing.

Through high intensity training you are shortening your cardio time and improving your fat loss efforts and you are training to the point of exhaustion. Just remember to take a day off between sessions to allow your body to recover.

What about circuit training? With circuit training you are doing one group of 6 or 7 exercises one after each other with little (30seconds) to no rest in-between. This can get pretty intense and boost up your metabolism to burn fat at an accelerated pace throughout your day.

Top 5 Selling Fat Loss Supplements

• Nutrex Lipo 6 Black
• Gaspari Nutrition Mitotropin, 30 Day Kit
• VPX Meltdown
• Hydroxycut Hardcore X,
• Gaspari Nutrition Cytolean V2

What are your fat loss New Year’s Resolutions? As always appreciate your comments below…

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Health Benefits of Yoga Part 2

My last article on Health Benefits of Yoga generated a lot of discussion especially in the Twitter world (http://twitter.com/samomidi) and since I noticed I could write pages on this practice this is the 2nd part in the series which will get you to see even more outside-the-box benefits.

In this article we look at how Yoga can benefit your weight loss efforts, sexual health as well as how it can excel athletes of all kinds of sport and exercise.

Weight Loss Health Benefits of Yoga

Last time I touched on Yoga as a way to reduce mental and muscular stress by allowing you to bring your mind to peace with the outside world as well as challenge you with deep stretching of all your muscles from head to toe. This directly also will benefit you when it comes to weight loss, and not just any weight loss but specifically fat loss. How does it do so?

Remember the hormone cortisol and fight-or-flight hormones like epinephrine, & dopamine? Our body secretes them as a response to stress and yes of course it is natural to do so but these hormone also lead to the breakdown of muscle and accelerated storage of fat so in case we are faced with a life-threatening stress factor we are able to burn that fat for energy (blame it on our ancestors!). Ok, I already mentioned this in the previous article but thought I’d reiterate with a better example because it is so important. But how else does Yoga help us with fat loss?

Well Yoga through stretching, relaxation and deep breathing takes it further by also improving the blood flow throughout our body and allowing us to detoxify more efficiently. Detoxification is important to get rid of chemicals in our foods, byproducts from the breakdown of foods as well as gases like carbon dioxide/monoxide which are created from exercise and unfortunately our polluted environment.

What I’m getting at here is that the more efficient our detoxification system is the more we benefit in keeping a healthier and youthful body. It gets better though because Yoga can also have many benefits for your sexual health…

Sexual Health Benefits of Yoga

We already know as adults that sexual health is utterly important to our overall well being. When we are stressed out and have a lot on mind our libido takes a major hit and can cause a spiral of problems including effects on your relationship and your self-confidence.

So with the practice of Yoga we become more aware of our body, more aware of our surroundings and begin to understand how outside influences effect and affect us. This is pretty powerful stuff if you really think about it and I think something that many men and even women today are ignoring and being ignorant about.

Somehow society forces on us that work, money and having a perfect family life is all there is to focus on, yet we lose awareness of our own well-being. This point is fascinating to even me as I write this because it’s so easy to get caught up in all of it. Way to easy in fact! But when you practice yoga it brings that balance back and with balance you are able to experience your relationships in a much heightened level (ok so in this case our ancestors from India several thousand years ago who discovered Yoga were way ahead of their time!).

Bonus factor: Practice Yoga with your partner and your relationship will become much more sensual as you discover the art together. This is a challenge I bring out to all guys who are reading this. Come on, better sex can’t be a hard sell here!

Benefits of Yoga for Athletes

I asked my friends on Facebook about how they found Yoga to help them as an athlete and I got a pretty cool reply – “Yoga has helped me in many different ways, but one of the most interesting ways, I think, is when lifting weights, now I am more conscious about the movement and my body position. – José”

José took the words right out of my head and articulated them in a way anyone can understand. This is especially fascinating for anyone who is plateuing and not seeing results from their training any longer. Usually when you are in the state of plateau you lose awareness of your body through movement and positioning. Add variety to your workout and focus on this one factor can snap you out a no-results state and allow you to progress in ways you’ve always dreamed of.

The fact that Yoga can help you with this is something that Olympic athletes and competitive weightlifters are beginning to just realize. If you could skip wasting money on expensive supplements with negative side-effects and use Yoga would you do so?

Conclusion of Health Benefits of Yoga Part 2

It’s definitely going to be a stretch for many people to become comfortable with the rituals of yoga (no pun intended!) but the benefits are so comprehensive that it almost seems like a no-brainer doesn’t it? Take a minute to skim these two articles again and it’ll make it easier for you to incorporate something that provides balance and overall well-being just for YOU.

Have you experienced other benefits of Yoga that you’d like to share? Please leave a comment below…

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Health Benefits of Yoga

As a health coach and personal trainer I feel like it’s my responsibility to always try and step outside the box and attempt different physical activities which challenge not only my body, but my mind and overall well being. Yoga is no exception and I thought I’d share my recent experiences with Yoga as well as talk about the numerous health benefits it provides.

Overview of Yoga

Originating from India several thousand years ago, Yoga is a practice which includes techniques to bring about a higher state of consciousness through meditation, physical postures, and breathing. In the Western World Hatha Yoga is the most practiced although there are several other types identified by the religions of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism.

For a beginner who may not have ever been exposed to spiritual meditation through childhood many of these practices may seem way out there, but considering the fact that most elite athletes in the world are now including Yoga as an integral part of their training, there is definitely something remarkable about it that should not be ignored.

All you need is an open mind and willing to understand the benefits that will come through practice of this ancient art, so let’s look at just a few of these benefits…

Mental Health Benefits of Yoga

Because the main objective of Yoga is to result in balance of the mind, body and spirit, one of the biggest benefits is reduction of daily stress. In fact, many great instructors will first ask you to let go of all your stresses once you enter the room. Those who are masters of yoga are pros at this, they are cool, calm and collected at ALL times.

If you can see the power in this one point then you will begin a fantastic journey that will bring you peace even at the most trying of times. Read that sentence again because it really is what I have just begun to understand after trying yoga a handful of times (at the time of writing this article).

One very cool analogy I heard a while back is that when you begin yoga it is like a drop of blue ink in a large pool of water. It starts out dilute, but as you add more and more drops it eventually changes the entire pool to a rich blue color. In other words, the more you practice over time the more benefits you will see from it. The more relaxation you bring into your life the more rich your life will be.

Since Yoga implements meditation and allows you to be present at any one moment, the relaxation is mirrored in one other major benefit….sleep! To be frank, I was quite shocked how much yoga has already improved my sleep. We all know that sleep is important for our mental well being, but this is also reflected throughout our body and also allows our muscles to recover quicker which is the next major benefit I’d like to mention….

Muscle Recovery Benefits of Yoga

So with less stress that means our body also produces less cortisol which a hormone related to unhealthy weight gain and catabolic muscle activity (where our muscles are broken down to produce energy). Simply stated – less stress means less fat production and more muscle growth!

But the benefits don’t stop there. Yoga involves deep stretching of all body parts from your toes to your head (well your neck anyway!) This means improved range of motion, less muscle tension, better blood flow and detoxification of muscles, and even an increase of joint/tendon lubrication.

WOW right?!

Increased range of motion means you get more results from your workouts.
Less muscle tension means less muscle pain at any time of the day.
Better blood flow means your muscles are able to get rid of toxins easier and your muscles are able to recover quicker.
Increase joint/tendon lubrication means better life-time health of your knees, ankles, shoulders, hips, etc.

Conclusion of Health Benefits of Yoga?

There is a question mark because after writing this article I realized there are even more health benefits from Yoga! I’d like to continue this article into a 2nd part (Health Benefits of Yoga Part 2) which goes further and talks about benefits with regards to weight loss and sexual health. With that said you may want to try booking your first Yoga experience, of if you’ve tried it already think about all these benefits as a way to enhance your experience.

Have you tried Yoga? Why or why not and what has your experience been like if you have? Please leave a comment below…

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Weight Loss Motivation Tips: Top 5

It’s too bad the months of November/December and March/April are usually the ones where most people lose motivation to get into the gym and stay proactive with their healthy lifestyle choices. That’s why I thought I’d give a quick reminder of some great tips we can all use to stay on track and prevent that muffin top from getting any worst!

The goal of this article is to allow you to focus on keeping it simple and not cluttering your head with all the thousands of different diets/workout plans that promise to give you long term weight loss success. These tips are aimed at experienced pros and beginners alike and are guaranteed to work, so give it a go…

Weight Loss Motivation Tip 1: Plan

What’s your objective? What’s your plan? This is key to any successful training plan. Whether your goal is to increase muscle size or lose fat, just clarify your objective in your head for the next 6 weeks.

Once you have your objective clear develop a workout and nutrition plan based on that. You can search the articles in this website which will help you define these plans. Just pick and choose the best nuggets you get from each article and customize it to best suit your needs. This leads to the next tip which is definitely one of the most powerful you will ever encounter…

Weight Loss Motivation Tip 2: Educate

Listen up for this one. Bar none: Education is your biggest motivation booster. Take 5 minutes each day to read an article on this site and you will power your arsenal against couch potato fat more than any other method. You see the secret in this tip is that through educating yourself you will soon subconsciously make smarter decisions when it comes to your eating and your workouts.

In other words you soon won’t even have to make an effort, your brain will just do it automatically. For example, instead of asking for french fries you will ask for grilled and spiced veggies next time you’re out at a restaurant! Or if it’s your cheat day you will ask for half yam fries and half greens salad with light dressing.

That doesn’t sound as bad as you thought it would did it?

Weight Loss Motivation Tip 3: Spring Cleaning

You know how it is in Spring when you go through your house and do some spring cleaning right? Well why not apply the same principal to your kitchen? When it comes down to your health it’s really important to keep your cravings in check by just not having any junk food stored in your cupboards in the first place.

Do it this evening, take an hour and clean out your fridge, freezer and cupboards of any items you know will be landmines for crushing your goals. Won’t it be worth it in the end if you get to look in the mirror and really be proud of the physique you’ve worked so hard to achieve?

Extra tip: You know which foods are bad by looking at the ingredients and seeing if there are items whose first or second ingredient is either of one of these: sugar, cream, flour (processed, refined, enriched), oil (especially hydrogenated, corn or soy). Also if there are ingredients you can’t pronounce then it’s a safe bet they are artificial and not worth keeping.

Weight Loss Motivation Tip 4: Keep a Daily Log

Keeping a daily log of your diet and workout is extremely effective in keeping your motivation high. It allows you to stay on track and notice what diet created the most discomfort for you or which workout gave you the greatest adrenaline rush.

If you’re feeling really bored with your workouts this tip is pretty sweet. Just print out your new workout plan and then take it with you and write down what weights you used and how many reps/sets you did. It’s incredible how this little tip will keep you from getting bored at the gym. Just make sure to change your workout plan every 6 weeks for maximal results.

Weight Loss Motivation Tip 5: Picture it!

Visualizing yourself with the body you’ve always wanted to have is an advanced strategy that only some will really understand. But if you can challenge your mind with this at least once a day you’re going to not only boost your motivation but will also multiply your chances of achieving success.

A good way to start is to cut out a picture of a celebrity or athlete you want to have a the body like and leave it on your fridge or next to your cupboards. This will begin the process of getting a visual in your mind’s eye and it will begin to cause a butterfly effect. The key is to think about how each thing you eat will or will not help you get to your goals. (Sound a bit too much? Give yourself a break at least once or twice a break with cheat days where you relax and eat your favorites in moderation).

Conclusion:

Put these weight loss motivation tips in plan today (Plan, Educate, Spring Cleaning, Keep a Daily Log and Picture It) and you will without a doubt begin to see some pretty incredible results regardless of what level of training you are at. Take it one step a time and be strong as it may not be easy but it will all be worth it in the end!

Do you have any other weight loss motivation tips you’d like to add? Please leave a comment below…

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Healthy Meal Plan: Day 1

I get asked quite a bit about healthy meal plan ideas, so you many of you will enjoy this article, and to be honest it’s quite fun for me too because it gets me to think about healthy meal plans that actually taste good and are satisfying. It’s no fun going through life eating cardboard-like food because you think it’ll make you look good, right?

Ok so, obviously it takes me a lot of time to sit down with a client and go over their needs and goals and help them develop healthy meal plans that they can stick to, but I thought I’d write articles of example days. You can try them out and see how they work for you and then hopefully mix and match from all the future articles on this topic..and by that I mean I will be writing many more healthy meal plans!

Now the overall objective of this meal plan is to help you lose fat, build muscle and never feel so hungry during the day that you lose focus of your goals. Remember to have water throughout your day aiming for 8 full cups/day.

Healthy Meal Plan:

7:45AM – 1 glass water

8:00AM – 1 cup skim milk. A medium sized bowl of instant oatmeal with a teaspoon of honey and frozen berries of your choice.

10:30AM – 1 apple. Handful of almonds or plain peanuts.

12:30PM – 1 glass water. Turkey breast wrap with greens, tomato, red pepper, cucumber and mustard. 3 stalks celery with low fat cream cheese.

3:00PM – 1 cup whey protein smoothie or yogurt with fruit.

5:00PM – Any fruit of your choice (optional whey protein smoothie)

7:00PM – Ahi Tuna steak lightly grilled on each side and marinated with light soya sauce and sesame seeds. 1 small yam with 1 teaspoon butter.

9:00PM – 1 orange

Mmmmmm…how about that now? I don’t know about you but that made me hungry just going over this healthy meal plan. Think you can stick to this for one day to see how it makes you feel?

Hint: Prepare everything for this meal plan the day before and then go over it in the morning. This will increase your chances of success ten fold!

Have any questions or comments? Please leave a message below…

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Weight Loss Tips Part II

In my last article on Weight Loss Tips I hopefully got you to think a little bit outside the box. Many of us get a little confused on what advice to follow with all the diets screaming about low carbs, high protein, low fat, etc… Hopefully the biggest tip you got out of the article is to focus your healthy carbohydrate intake in the morning. This will supply you with the energy you need for the rest of the day.

One other tip on that note…if you’re used to skipping breakfast in the morning because you feel like you don’t have an appetite this most likely means that you ate too much and too late the night before. You should be waking up with a large appetite and feeding this craving with healthy cereal, oatmeal or even eggs/smoked salmon (here are some healthy breakfast ideas).

So now let’s take a look at exercise tips to help us eliminate the extra weight many of us are carrying around our waists!

Cardio vs Strength Training

I see it a lot especially in women, hours and hours on the elliptical/treadmill at the gym each week and unsatisfactory results. Cardio is great and I encourage you all to push yourselves to the next level at least once each week, but where does the problem lie?

Ready for this? Our bodies are incredible at adapting to exercise. With long endurance training your body will quickly improve it’s efficiency with the energy it uses and this means that unless you add variety you are going to see limited results long-term.

This is where strength training comes in. Using weights to stress your muscles adds a whole different level of shock to your system.

After all, shocking your system is the only way of seeing real results. So if you’re doing a 3 day workout plan, make sure to have at least one day where you do resistance training with weights. Ideally though you’ll get best results with 3 days of weight training and 2 days of cardio. The reason is because the more muscle you have the more calories your body will be burning daily.

For those of you guys who are hardcore weight lifters, the same principal lies. You want to make sure you are adding in some cardio to help blast fat and increase definition. There is another added benefit though. Cardio will increase your endurance level which means that you can also push yourself through supersets (doing one set after another with no rest) much easier and thereby get better results. Supersets are amazing at shocking your system.

High Intensity vs Interval Training

Let’s first define high intensity training. This is basically pushing your heart rate to the max and keeping it there as long as you can. Sprinters are masters at this, and if you’re a super-athlete then by all means keep this as part of your training regiment. This kind of high intensity training will shed fat like none other but what is the downside?

If all you’re doing is high intensity training then you are completely exhausting your body of all it’s energy. And if you’re not eating properly and not giving your body enough rest between sessions then you are increasing your chances of injury. Torn leg muscles such as hamstrings, quads or even deltoid (shoulder) and pectoral muscles are common especially if you add weights. Without proper rest your immune system is also greatly compromised.

So what’s the solution? Interval training is magnificent at giving you the benefits of high intensity training while reducing the strain on your body. If you want more info read my article on High Intensity Interval Training but here is a quickie explanation…

With Interval training you are splitting up your high intensity maxed heart rate spurts with moderate intensity 30-60 second sessions. In other words, sprinting at 9mph for 30 seconds and then running at 7mph for 30 seconds, cycled over and over again. If you’ve tried this already you’ve noticed e a huge boost in your metabolic rate for hours after you stop exercising and this is when your body is burning fat for fuel.

Like the way that sounds don’t you? If you do this for just 15minutes in one day and then spend the rest of that day’s exercise time doing core exercises and working on your flexibility you are going to see incredible results.

Try it and please leave your comments below!

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Weight Loss Tips for Dummies

Last night I was at Safeway getting groceries and right behind me in the line-up was a man in a suit and tie who was quite overweight and was huffing and puffing carrying his cart of food. It was sad to see and I had to look at the items he was putting on the conveyor belt – chips, potato salad, hot dogs, coca cola, and a bag of frozen perogies. As I was leaving the cashier asked him how he was and he said tired and couldn’t wait to get home. It was 9pm so I wasn’t surprised, and I just wanted to reach out, shake him and give him a pep talk, specifically “do you know how much better you’d feel if you had a healthy diet full of lean meats, fruits and veggies?”.

But alas, I didn’t, I just carried my bags out of the grocery store feeling like I wanted to help more people. I hope this blog is doing that, scratch that… In fact, I know it is helping people as I get a ton of positive feedback all the time and it’s what keeps me writing. Please help me and share this site with your friends and family so we can keep others motivated and on a healthy track, in the end it will benefit us all (if you don’t believe me look at the health care crisis in America).

Nevertheless, let’s roll up our sleeves and get into the meat of this article, I think you’ll get a kick out of it.
P.S. although the title of this article says it’s for dummies I know you’re not, but there are times when our stomach takes over our brain and makes us act like we are – and yes that definitely includes me!!!

To keep this brief I’m going to split this article into two parts, the first one is about Diet and the 2nd one will be about Exercise.

Fat – High Fat Intake vs Low Fat Intake

Most North American diets are quite high in fat intake, and this is especially noticeable with people who eat out all the time. Restaurants love to add oils and butter and use fatty cuts of meat because they simply taste better. Fat’s smooth and often creamy texture is especially desirable and is a large culprit in almost any pastry.

So what do we do? Do we cut out all these foods and stick to dry low-fat options? On the contrary, we take a smarter approach! We have one or two cheat days a week where we take real pleasure with this indulgence. I bet that you will enjoy these foods much more if you cut it down to once or twice a week.

We also cut our uncontrollable craving in half by making sure we are always well hydrated and are aiming for 5 small meals a day. This simple technique will ensure that you keep total control of your health so be proactive about it.

How low do we want to go with our fat intake? Some people overdo this and eliminate almost all the fat in their diets, but this has negative effects. Fat is a critical component of providing essential building blocks for the cells in your body. Fat also helps carry a number of important vitamins (A,K,D, E) and contains essential fatty acids such as Omega 6 which provide the the support system for natural growth of your body, and maintain healthy skin and immune and reproduction system as well as support for brain and visual system function.

A general consensus by physicians is that we should keep fat intake to about 30% of our total daily calories. This roughly equates to about 30-50 grams of fat for most of us depending on your body weight and level of physical activity (but don’t get caught up in the numbers!).

Carbohydrates – High Intake vs Low Intake

We’ve heard them all, low carb diets, high carb diets, and on and on. I could bore you with the details but instead a rule of thumb…if you’re getting about 80-90% of your carbs from veggies, fruit, beans, legumes and whole grain products then you are GOLD!

Take this to the next level by making sure your carbohydrates are emphasized in the first half of your day and especially before you workout. This will keep your energy levels high and reduce the amount that your body stores as fat as you sleep.

Again ideally your carbohydrates should be about 30% of your total calorie intake. For a 2,000 calorie diet this is about 250 grams (focus on how good you feel when you eat healthy carbs rather than the numbers, this is proven to give you more success with maintaining your weight loss efforts).

Protein – High Intake vs Low Intake

Most North Americans don’t get enough high quality protein in their diets. If you’re a vegetarian you have to be especially careful with this because veggies and beans/legumes don’t always contain all the essential amino acids your body needs to function at it’s best (speak with a registered dietitian or your physician to make sure you are giving your body what it needs). Ideally, you want to stick with beans/legumes, seafood, skinless chicken and extra lean beef.

If you’re training with weights a little higher than average amount of protein intake is especially beneficial to helping your muscles recover and grow.

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This concludes the diet portion of your Weight Loss Tips for Dummies. If you have any questions leave a comment below and remember any question about this articles goes!

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Truth About Six Pack Abs Review

Lately there’s a ton of super popular health books on the internet and I thought it was time to do a little investigation of my own to see how good these books really are. For the first review I thought I’d take a look at is one that many people have asked me about in the past – Truth About Six Pack Abs by Michael Geary.

It’s got a great title, and I remember hearing an interview a month ago where Michael was talking about how he came up with the best selling title. Michael actually fell into the personal training business over a decade ago and the question he got asked most about was about getting 6 pack abs. Therefore, it only made sense to include “abs” in the title of his book. I have to agree with him on this one, some of the most read and discussed articles on Weight Loss and Training are about abs.

Michael’s background includes a science degree, certified nutrition and personal training specialist and is author of a ton of articles on EzineArticles. His marketing is top notch and has therefore lead him to gain a huge following on the net.

To get more info on the Truth About Six Pack Abs book check out TruthAboutAbs.com and you’ll notice that he’s got a little video & blurb which mentions some of the biggest myths in the weight loss industry.

It’s a pretty good introduction and I would have to agree with all 5 points he makes about losing belly fat. However, he does put an excessive amount of blame on the diet food health industry which I think misses the boat a little.

Perhaps it might make more sense to place more emphasis on the fact that there is no magic pill and that everyone should do some of their own research and take responsibility for their own health. From my experience empowering people in this way is a very effective way to change one’s perspective.

Ok, now let’s get down to business and dive into the review of his book…

In the first half of his book he talks mostly about diet, really accentuating the importance of what you eat and how it affects your body. The amount of information he includes about blood sugar, carbohydrates, meal frequency, benefits of teas for fat loss, and balanced meal plans is quite incredible.

He’s hitting the nail on the head and encompasses a large amount of information that you can also find on here (WeightLossandTraining.com). It’s very refreshing to see another trainer who has collected this catalogue of priceless information and presented it in a clear and precise manner. He’s definitely got my attention and respect because of this.

What’s more impressive is that in the second half of the book Michael talks not only about effective ab toning but also discusses that you need to pay attention to proper body positioning and doing the exercises in a safe manner.

He even gives you training routines and pointers to keep you on track and boost your chances of never falling off the wagon.

Special Offer to Weight Loss & Training Members:

I got in touch withe Michael Geary about getting a special offer to visitors and members of this site. He was quite generous and offered a special free offer…

Free Bonus ebook – Training & Nutrition Insider Secrets for a Lean-Body, by Mike Geary (a $17.99 value): This ebook, created by Certified Nutrition Specialist & Certified Personal Trainer, Mike Geary, details over 27 specific metabolism-boosting secrets that you can use to strip off your stubborn body fat faster and easier. Contains unique workout methods and nutritional strategies to slash body fat and take your body to a whole new level of leanness.

You can download this bonus ebook here – Training Nutrition Secrets (right click and save as)

Conclusion

Although at first glance of his web site I was a little sceptical on what Michael Geary would be covering in his best-selling book The Truth About Six Pack Abs, the actual material that was covered in the book was quite impressive. His casual tone and clearly outlined chapters provides some great information on how to get rid of the fat covering your tummy and tone up in a way that will work regardless if you’re male or female.

Overall, this is a book you may want to have in your arsenal for getting into the best shape of your life, and with a 60 day guarantee you’ll probably agree is a great offer. For more info go to TruthAboutAbs.com

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Can You Lose Weight on Vacation?

Sounds like an oxymoron when you mix the words losing weight with vacation doesn’t it? Most of us feel like we’ve gained a lot of weight after coming back from a trip, but what if we were to turn this upside down right on it’s head? Stay with me here as this article may get you to look at things in a different perspective when your on vacation…

Firstly, you are on vacation and you are supposed to be slowing down right? That is after all why you have gone away isn’t it? Well this may not be the case if you’ve gone to New York or Las Vegas, but the principles I’m about to talk about can still hold their value if you treat them with respect. Regardless of where you are, vacations are a great time to catch up on sleep and this can help greatly in reducing your stress levels. In fact, I’ve already talked about how reducing your stress can help you lose fat (read my article on Stress Relief and Exercise if you haven’t done so already). So definitely take advantage of this time to slow down and enjoy life…the result is that your body will also shed fat if you do so.

Secondly, this is the time when you get to be picky about your food. Usually at home you’re in a rush and have to make quick decisions on what to make based on what you have available. This excuse to not eat healthy is out the window while you are traveling because you get to chose from different restaurants/cafes and the foods they offer on their menu.

Think this is still harder than it sounds? Ask the waiter to have the chef create something for you with the dressing and sauces on the side and substitute green salads and veggies for fries,potatoes, rice or bread. Choose foods that are grilled and indulge in at least one cheat meal where you really enjoy that food. Ask for lemon/limes and hot sauces to add flavour to your meals without the extra calories.

Be Smart, and plan ahead by asking your hotel or travel guide for their recommendations on healthy restaurants and cafes. They most likely will know the secret gems for best places to eat!

Finally, plan fun adventures that involve some kind of activity. It always amazes me when people go on vacation and don’t fully experience the new habitat they are in and all that it has to offer them! Try snorkeling, horseback riding, kayaking, hiking, zip-lining, or skiing/snowtubing/snowshoeing in the winter, these are all really fun adventures that will get you burning calories without you even noticing it.

Some other quick tips:

• Pack healthy snacks. Bring along your own healthy snacks like fruit, veggies, whole-wheat crackers and nuts. Having your own snacks will help keep hunger at bay and ensure you make healthier choices.
• Indulge in a day at the spa and get a massage or any other treatment which really helps you fully relax.
• Don’t skip meals and snacks. Traveling can easily play havoc with your eating schedule, so try not to miss a meal. Again, pack snacks to bring along to keep your blood-sugar levels balanced.
• Bring your gym gear. Most hotels have a gym and/or pool, so take advantage. Or go explore outside and take a walk. In bad weather, you could always climb the hotel stairs or even exercise in your room by doing lunges, squats and pushups.

What do you think? Doable? I’d love to hear your thoughts below, especially if you have ideas for any other fun activities to do while traveling!

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The Fat Loss Diet

This article is written for those who are strictly looking to lose fat with their diet. It must be warned that you may also see a little loss of muscle size, however in the long run, the fat loss will also mean more definition. So the result may be that your muscles look bigger because there is no fat covering them!

This diet looks at restricting high Glycemic carbs to the morning only. If you are wondering why high Glycemic carbs are considered at all, the reason is because they help fuel your muscles and allow you to maximize the intensity of your workouts.

The other part of this diet looks at eliminating processed foods with the exception of instant oatmeal (although not as processed as most cereals), as the oats are a great source of fiber and carbohydrates which provide your muscles with the energy bursts they need to burn fat.

Lastly, high quality lean meats are essential to providing your body with amino acids they need to function, along with fruits and veggies to provide the vitamins and minerals. With all this in mind you will also notice that you will be eating 7 times a day and although you may consider some as snacks, let’s look at them as important meals that you don’t skip so you keep your metabolism high.

Try this diet for 4 weeks (you can have one cheat day a week to relax with what you eat, I like for it to be Saturdays when I’m out with friends and still try and moderate it a little). After 4 weeks you are guaranteed to see a noticeable reduction of body fat.

Ready? Here we go…

Meal 1 (as soon as you wake up)
1 cup instant oatmeal with ½ cup skim milk, sprinkled with cinnamon and microwaved for 90 seconds. Add a handful of frozen blueberries on top to give it some sweetness!

Meal 2 (2 hours later)
1 banana

Meal 3 (2 hours later)
2 slices whole wheat bread
1 tbsp mustard
8 oz turkey breast
½ tablespoon reduced fat mayo
As much spinach as you like
3 cherry tomatoes
Crushed black pepper to taste

Meal 4 (3 hours later)
1 apple/orange/nectarine

Meal 5 (2 hours later)
6 oz baked salmon with crushed garlic, cayenne pepper, lime juice, 1tbsp olive oil
1 cup brown rice
3 asparagus branches with your herb of choice and ½ tbsp butter
Small yam steamed with Cajun spice sprinkled on top

Meal 6 (2 hours later)
½ cup low-fat cottage cheese and 2 strawberries sliced on top

Meal 7 (2 hours later)
½ cup fresh pineapple

Now how about that meal plan? Not as bad as you thought right? Lots of fruits, veggies, lean meats and a good amount of protein and healthy carbohydrates. You can be creative with the fruits and veggies, and if you are feeling hungry still add more veggies of any kind (celery, carrots, peppers, onions etc.).

I want to hear your feedback about this fat loss diet plan. What do you think? Did you give it a try?

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Safe Weight Loss

Weight, weight, weight! So many people get so obsessed with weight, but the problem is that a scale doesn’t give you the entire picture. You can have quite a bit of fat on your body and weigh less than an athlete who has more muscle – the reason – because fat weighs less than muscle. With that said it’s good to have some form of measurement to help you stay focused with your weight loss efforts. Let’s take a closer look at safe weight loss tips…

Keep Track of Your Weight Loss Efforts

The first thing I’d like to mention here is that you stop worrying so much about your weight. Instead try and focus on how good you feel after exercising or after eating a healthy meal that is low in fats and high in protein and vegetables. Think you can’t make yummy meals that are quick and healthy then think again! I have even given you the ability to get a number of healthy recipes.

Now with regards with measurements, instead of measuring your weight you can use a cool little tool I’ve found called the Digital Body Fat Caliper (AccuFitness FatTrack II Digital Body Fat Caliper ) so you can quickly measure your body fat percentage and it makes all the calculations for you. Now if you read my article Abdominal Workout you’d know that the only real way of knowing exactly how much fat you have is to use a special x-ray machine, but this digital caliper can give you a good indication of how much change you get over time, so keep that in mind.

Other things to keep track of should include the progress of your workouts. If you were only able to do 5 pushups last week did you improve that this week? If you could only run for 10 minutes at 7 mph last week were you able to increase that to 12 minutes this week? Seeing your progress with these numbers is extremely rewarding and will keep you motivated to do better at each workout. So if you ever lose motivation start recording the details of your workout right away.

The same thing should be said about your diet. Writing down everything you eat daily in a small journal can help you stay focused on eating healthy. You can also use it to see how it affects your energy throughout the day or the next day. Start feeling tired around 3pm? Look at what you ate for lunch and adjust your lunch the next day to see how that affects your energy levels.

What is Safe Weight Loss Anyway?

Well if you’re looking at scale, it is recommended to all health professionals that you don’t lose more than 1-2 lbs/week. Weight loss programs and diets which offer more than that are considered a danger to your overall health as the body needs time to adapt and readjust the way it processes food and exercise. Yes people on “The Biggest Loser” lose more weight than that per week but they are constantly being monitored by physicians and yes there are some that have had serious complications.

Ok, since I’ve recommended not focusing on your weight, some other things to consider when looking at safe weight loss is to do gradual changes over time rather than all of a sudden. For instance, if you are eating 4000 calories consistently for several months and then switch to 1500 calories overnight you are putting your body at risk to serious complications including possible problems with your heart. Instead try and make gradual changes every week like replacing a bag of chips with and handful of almonds as a snack. Switch from 3 chocolate cookies to a slice of toast with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter (with no added oil). This will allow your body to adapt and improve efficiency in the way it processes.

Conclusion:

I don’t want to overwhelm you with more info at this point, so take the above points to heart and follow this advice for a long term plan which will get your focus shifted from extremely quick weight loss to a more healthy natural look that you feel proud of when looking in the mirror. Measuring results with your workouts and diet will keep you motivated for life, don’t let this ever change and you will conquer all your obstacles.

I hope you enjoyed this article, please leave me a comment below to let me know how you think this advice will help you.

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Glycemic Index Diet

The Glycemic index diet also known as GI Diet is a weight loss program that is an integral part of many popular diet plans including South Beach Diet, The Zone, Glucose Revolution & Sugar Busters to name a few. The reason I thought I’d write about it is because I’ve been studying advanced exercise nutrition and noticed that there are a lot of popular misconceptions about the Glycemic index.

What is the Glycemic index?

The Glycemic index (GI) is a measure of raise in blood sugar from a 50 gram portion a particular carbohydrate compared to a control. A food with a high Glycemic index therefore results in a rapid rise in blood glucose and in turn insulin. On the other hand foods with a low Glycemic index are absorbed more slowly and thus do not cause a spike in blood glucose and insulin levels.

The index number ranges from 1-100 where 100 is the reference point for pure glucose. Examples of high Glycemic foods (over 85) include: white bread, corn flakes, rice crispies, carrots, baked potatoes, jelly beans. Examples of low Glycemic foods include: barley, mlik, yogurt, apples, pears, unripe bananas, black beans and peanuts.

What is the basis of low Glycemic index diets?

The basis for Glycemic index diets lays solely on the belief that low-GI foods are absorbed more slowly by the body and therefore are not converted into fat as quickly and also allow dieters to feel fuller for a longer amount of time (preventing them from overeating). The claims for controlling your GI arose from people who suffer diabetes and must control their appetite and weight by consuming foods that are low on the GI scale.

Glycemic index diets encourage people to focus highly on eating lower GI foods which tend to be for the most part healthier, nutrient rich and higher in fiber. But the problem is that not all foods with low GI ratings are healthier. For instance, a can of soda has a lower GI than fresh watermelon!

What are other problems with Glycemic Index diets?

Many studies have shown that people have a large variation in their Glycemic response from one another, but not only that…the response can also vary significantly within one person depending on time of day of them eating that carbohydrate. Diabetes experts themselves have been quoted in saying that GI numbers don’t mean much because the range is too large from person to person and even within the same foods. For instance, rice’s GI can range anywhere from moderate (55) to extremely high (at 100)!

Furthermore, because Glycemic index diets are focusing on just this one factor, they are ignoring many other important factors when it comes to weight loss such as fats, proteins, alcohol and exercise! Because of this your results will most likely be very temporary and many experts recommend throwing these diets into the bucket, they will not work!

What’s most important that is being overlooked completely by low GI diets?

It is extremely advantageous for anyone especially athletes to consume foods high on the Glycemic index after exercise to replenish their body’s storage of glycogen. After all, glycogen is our primary fuel source when it comes to exercise and we need it to be able to break barriers and challenge our body to get stronger and therefore leaner and more muscular.

Can I take away anything good from Glycemic Index diets?

Yes! Their downfall is focusing too much on one thing alone. Learn from this mistake and think of the bigger picture. Yes you need to focus on foods that involve whole grains, whole fruits, vegetables and lean meats with healthy fats, but you also need to be sensible about your overall diet and exercise plan. This is something I speak about in great length in my ebook Secrets of the Ripped Man – the overall picture is what will give you your greatest success in staying lean and healthy.

Have you experimented with foods that are low/high on the Glycemic Index? Please leave a comment of your results…

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5 Day Course to Quick Weight Loss

So many Weight Loss & Training members have asked me what they should do to get on the track to losing weight. Some of them are even already on a plan but they are not getting the results they think they should be getting.

Instead of me telling them to read all the articles on the site, I decided to create a 5 day course you can receive by email which will really get you changing your habits and on the right track to success for a healthier you.

Here are the topics in the Quick Weight Loss Course:

Day 1 – Top Secret Weight Loss Drink.
Day 2 – Burn Fat Now & Increase Metabolism.
Day 3 – Advanced Level of Increasing Your Metabolism.
Day 4 – The Master Cleanse (long lasting benefits which far outlast any diet cleanse).
Day 5 – Forget ab crunches! This is the secret to getting those abs to pop out.

Get the Free 5 day course by signing up below. You will also get a Free Premium Membership to the Weight Loss and Training Newsletter which includes the latest techniques and strategies to keep your workouts fun and full of variety.

After you have tried this course, please come back and leave your comment. I would love to hear how it has changed your ability to loose that stubborn fat you have always wanted to get rid of.

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The Zone Diet
The Zone diet is another one of those diets which became a huge sensation (amongst Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet) after the book became a big best seller. Why did I decide to write an article on the Zone Diet? Well simply because I was researching the plan that Jennifer Aniston is on and noticed that she has been following the Zone Diet for quite some time now. Let’s see how this diet plan measures up.

The Zone Diet Plan Summary
The Zone Diet is created by biochemist Barry Sears whose background included heavy research on blood sugar/insulin levels. He developed the zone diet because of his strong belief in eating a set ratio of carbohydrates, protein and fat. According to him, this ratio creates the ability for our body to work in peak efficiency in a metabolic state he calls the “Zone.”

His reason for focusing on the hormone insulin is strictly because its role as regulating blood sugar levels and storage as fat.

Sears implies that we think of food not as “ a source of calories but as a control system for hormones.” Blah, how boring does that sound. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to think of food as a source of calories, I want to enjoy what I eat even if it is healthy and nutritious.

Phases of the Diet
There are no specific phases in this diet, it is all a consistent guideline that you must eat a 40/30/30 ratio of carbs/proteins/fat in that order for every meal. In the book he takes the reader through a short course in determining their specific protein needs based on activity level, size and age.

The Zone diet does not focus on eating fewer calories, bur rather different foods to complement the perfect ratio. A small portion of protein in every meal and snack plus only of what he calls the “favorable carbs.” These include most vegetables, beans, lentils, fruits and whole grains.

Foods to avoid or eat less of include: brown rice, pasta, mango, banana, cereal, bread, bagel, tortilla, carrots and all fruit juices.

Claimed Diet Benefits
Amongst lower body fat, the Zone diet claims that you will also eliminate heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Sears also notes that you will have an advantage in better athletic performance.

Possible Diet Dangers
Most scientists agree that there are no real dangers with the Zone Diet. The only problem is that no direct and real studies exist to back up his conclusions.

My Personal Conclusion:
My perspective is that the Zone diet isn’t one of the worst ones I’ve read. Just that it’s limitations are a little harsh and unrealistic. It kind of takes the fun out of eating when you are so focused on this perfect ratio.

Short term it can be ok if you want to drop a few pounds and you need some guidance with your diet intake. However, long term I really believe that you need to have a balance of the healthy fruits and vegetables with proteins such as low fat dairy products and lean meats.

For more info check out ZoneDiet.com

Have you tried the Zone diet? What were your results?

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Overeating – Causes and How to Stop!

Probably one of the most common problems many of us face is overeating. And if we couple that with junk foods then we have an ever bigger problem.

I hope you enjoyed the first part in this series about Junk Food and hopefully it gave you a different perspective on what to think of when you are faced with making the decision to have or to have not!

So let’s now take a real look at the real reasons behind us overeating and how to combat this problem.

Tip 1 – Hydration
The first and most important part is to always be consciously aware of your hydration levels. It is a FACT that a lot of times when our stomach feels empty and we have hunger pains what we really are is THIRSTY. Did you get that?

So drink a tall glass of water as soon as you feel a little hungry and see how that affects your appetite. I have referenced this already in both my video to cut out sodas (Video Health Tip 2), as well as my article on Burn Fat Now (where your mourning routine should include lots of water).

Ok now that we‘re well hydrated we already have a big step on preventing overeating. Our brain knows not to confuse our thirst with the need for unnecessary calories from food.

Tip 2 – Smaller Meals
The second important fact to know about hunger and over eating is that there is about a 20-30minute delay in our brain processing the information from our stomach that we are full.

So, the magic trick here is that if you can, try and split up your meal into two parts. Have half, then wait 30 minutes to have the other half. The reason I call this part magic is because it takes a lot of will power to not just eat the whole meal all in one taking. Also, it can be tricky to fit this into our busy schedule right?

But in reality, this goes hand in hand with the one thing that all nutritionists, dietitians and doctors recommend for easy weight loss. Eat more frequently but less. So instead of 3 big meals, aim for at least 5 smaller meals. And if you split your lunch into two sessions that means two small meals already! (Make sure you’ve already read – Lose Weight, Eat More)

Another perfect smaller meal is a protein smoothie which can include excellent antioxidants such as fresh fruit &/or fruit juice (I highly recommend Acai berry juice – Benefits of Acai Berry).

How easy is that? On your busy days at the office, you can always have whey protein powder on hand to quickly whip up the healthiest and easiest to make snack on the planet, a protein smoothie! (just add water, ice and acai juice and you’re good to go!).

Now I’ve given you a lot to consume with this article already especially because it ties in so many other articles I’ve written, but there is on last tip…

Tip 3 – Relax with Cheat Days
You may be getting overwhelmed with thinking that you must have the perfect diet all the time to have this all work. RELAX! Even when I got on this train to healthy eating I would have tendencies to give up because I just couldn’t be perfect all the time.

So allow yourself a day or two where you relax a little. For me this is the weekends and works great when I’m out with friends. I still try and make wiser choices when ordering but having French fries once in a while isn’t going to ruin everything as long as you stick to your overall healthy eating plan. One even better, is to order the fries but just have half the serving (many restaurants will allow you to have half fries and half garden salad). Nice balance hey?

Ok that’s it…let me know how this helps you with your overeating, especially during the holidays when we have a tendency to throw our guidelines out the window. Do you have any other tricks that help with overeating?

Some supplements I recommend to combat overeating:

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Today there are a variety of different diet options out there, but one of the most popular and well know is the Atkins diet.

While there is great debate over the benefits and possible dangers of the diet, there are still many people following it today.

So, let’s take a closer look at this diet, the phases you’ll have to follow, the benefits, and some of the dangers that you may encounter along the way.

Atkins Diet Plan Summary
Basically the Atkins diet is a diet that drastically restricts the carbohydrates (sugars, pastries, breads, cereals, rice, and even fruits) that you are allowed to eat. This means that the body ends up going into ketosis. Ketosis is a state where the body starts to use fat for energy instead of glucose, thus burning away excess pounds of fat. Also, during this time it has been found that you usually feel less hungry and don’t eat as much. However, many people have some unpleasant effects such as constipation and bad breath when they go through ketosis!

While you can pretty much eat as much as you want, you definitely have to restrict many of the foods you usually eat, such as milk, white flour, sugar, and white rice. You’ll also find that you can eat foods that most people think of as fatty foods, such as eggs, meats, and cheeses. Thus, most of the foods you eat when on the Atkins diet are fat and protein. In the Atkins Diet you are allowed to eat poultry, fish, red meats, cheeses, butter, olive oil, and even mayo. But did you know that you are only allowed to have 20 grams of net carbs (meaning total carbs minus fiber) each day for the first 2 weeks? A very low number to maintain since even less than half a banana has 20 grams of carbohydrates!

Phases of the Diet
The Atkins diet comes with four different phases that are important to follow. The following are the four phases you’ll have to go through:

Phase 1 – The Induction (2 weeks)
This phase of the Atkins diet is basically the stage that jump starts the weight loss by getting your body to start burning fat from the body. You’ll drastically reduce the amount of carbs that you eat so your body will have to burn fat. This stage will last for 14 days, and during this time you’ll usually see big results (fingers crossed right?!).

Phase 2 – Continuing Weight Loss (until you have about 10 pounds to lose)
The next phase helps you to go on to continue the weight loss plan, even after the first couple weeks. You are allowed to add some carbs that are rich in nutrients to your diet during this time and you’ll continue to lose weight.

Phase 3 – Getting Ready to Maintain (1 month)
This is the time when you are getting ready to start keeping the weight off for life. Your weight loss will continue gradually to lose that last 10 pounds. You’ll also be working on making sure that you keep your eating habits healthy in the future.

Phase 4 – Maintaining for Life
Of course maintaining for life is important, and this is the fourth stage of the Atkins diet. You’ll start to work on the perfect amount of carbs that you can eat and still maintain your weight loss. This way you’ll be able to stay within about five pounds of your optimum weight for the rest of your life.

Claimed Diet Benefits
There are several benefits that you’ll find when you go on the Atkins diet. These are three claimed benefits that you can reap when you go on this diet.

Benefit #1 – You’ll Lose Weight – First of all, you’ll start to lose weight. Your body will begin to use the fat it has stored as you limit carbs.

Benefit #2 – Maintain Weight Loss – Once you get to a good level of carb intake, you’ll be able to maintain your weight loss for life.

Benefit #3 – Your Health Will Improve – Another claimed benefit of the Atkins diet is that your health will improve as well. Those who are on the diet are to make sure they eat foods with nutrients and to take supplements if they need to, in order to get the vitamins and minerals they need.

Possible Diet Dangers
Of course there are some possible diet dangers to beware of when you are considering the Atkins diet. In fact, some health experts actually think that this type of a diet can initiate problems with heart disease and leave some people with kidney or liver problems (from eating so much protein). Other doctors have also mentioned that your metabolic activity can be harmfully disrupted by eating below 150 grams of carbohydrates daily. This in turn can also affect the functioning of your brain which relies on carbohydrates.

My Personal Conclusion:
Take extreme caution with this diet, as noted the dangers listed above can have a long term impact on your health that makes this one of the most dangerous diet plans on the market. And we all know that the inventor himself – Dr. Robert Atkins had many health problems before his death several years back. So in other words, stay away from this diet, it may show immediate results but your diet is being severely restricted in the first few phases of this plan and many people have noted that the weight come s quickly back.

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Want to Build a Body like Jessica Alba?
If you ask a lot of women who they think has one of the most beautiful bodies in the celebrity world, many would say Jessica Alba.

While her genetic frame constitutes a very lean disposition, there are still many things that you can do to be in the best shape of your life (just as you perceive Jessica to be).

According to her biography, Jessica has been through quite a few maladies in her childhood including chronic pneumonia and a number of surgeries to correct issues such as tonsillitis, appendicitis, and even a cyst on her tonsils.

One thing to note is that she has been reported to have battled anorexia in 2001 so let’s get a reality check here! Her skinniness in some airbrushed photos, well far be it for me to tell you that being that skinny obviously doesn’t mean that she has always been healthy. Nevertheless, she has fought hard to get into a healthy lifestyle and this is hopefully where we can lead you with this article. Let’s get right into it…

Jessica Alba’s Exercise Routine
I have done some thorough research on Jessica Alba’s training and gotten in touch with her trainer to find out exactly what Jessica is doing to maintain her killer physique. Here are the secrets revealed…

Diet: South Beach Diet – Rich with lean meats, low-fat cheeses, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Please read the full article we have done on the South Beach Diet (including resources) if you would like to find out more.

Sample Meal Plan for a Day:
Breakfast – one cup oatmeal with berries + 3-4 scrambled egg whites
Lunch – Salad consisting of 170 grams chicken breast/tuna on mixed greens with light dressing or tbsp of olive oil, lemon juice and herbs.
Snack – quarter cup almonds or 2-3 cups hot air popped popcorn
Dinner – 170g of sashimi or other lean protein (chicken or extra lean sirloin) plus a plate of assorted vegetables and 3 red potatoes.

Exercise Plan:
Stay tuned for her trainer’s book coming out next year. But here is the skinny version:
Jessica’s training plan is 5 sessions a week and consists of 30 minutes of cardio on different machines at high intensity for a maximum of 10minutes each, leads onto two circuit programs and one core.

Here is an example for one day:

Step 1: Warm-up Cardio
• 10 minutes warm up on exercise bike

Step 2: Circuit 1 (repeat this circuit 3 times with a 30 second rest between each set)
• 15 reps Incline chest flys (7kg dumbbells)
• 15 reps (per leg) Single leg squats (holding 2kg dumbbells)
• 20 reps Tricep dips from a bench

Step 3: Cardio 2
• 10 minutes of medium to high intensity cardio on an elliptical machine or treadmill

Step 4: Circuit 2 (repeat this circuit 3 times with a 30 second rest between each set)
• 12 reps Chest press on flat bench (7kg dumbbells)
• 15 Hamstring curls with back on mat and feed on a stability ball
• 35 Ab crunches focusing on lower abs
• 35 Ab crunches focusing on upper abs
• 30 Oblique crunches

Step 5: Cardio 3
• 10 minutes high intensity cardio on treadmill or elliptical trainer.

The Real Secret Revealed:
But the real secret after looking at Jessica’s program is a constant change in every workout. The idea behind it is that your body is constantly adapting and you need to change your exercise plan almost every time. This also keeps it interesting, and prevents loss of motivation. However, find an activity you really love such as biking, dancing or swimming to really keep your motivation high, then mix it into your workouts.

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Diet Plan Summary: The South Beach Diet was designed by a Miami cardiologist by the name of Dr. Arthur Agatston. The diet plan focuses on eating only “good fats” and “good carbohydrates” and was initially designed for the doctor’s cardiac patients. “Bad fats” are labeled as saturated fat and trans fatty products which Dr.Agatston believes contributes to cardiovascular disease. Similarly, “bad carbohydrates” are labeled as foods with a high glycemic index because of the body’s ability to rapidly absorb these carbs. His belief is that these bad carbs will lead to insulin resistance syndrome which is an impairment of insulin’s ability to properly process fat and/or sugar. The diet is divided into the following 3 phases:

Phase 1 – Getting Rid of Sugar Addiction (2 weeks)

In this initial phase of two weeks the following “bad carbs” are to be cut out: pasta, baked goods (including bread), cereal, sugar, candy, rice, potatoes and fruit. Dr.Agatston claims that after a couple days you won’t really miss this stuff (In my opinion our mind might not miss these for a couple days, but our body probably will unless we have an adequate fiber intake plan since most of us get our fiber from bread and cereals, so keep that in mind). The idea behind this madness (I know that’s what you were thinking!) is that your body will lose its insulin resistance and being to use excess body fat as a source of energy therefore allowing you to lose between 8 and 13 pounds (if you have tried this diet and lost 8 to 13 pounds in two weeks please leave your comment below!). Phase 1 meal plan will consist of 3 meals/day until your satiety is fulfilled of normal size portions of fish, eggs, cheese, meat and veggies and nuts. No alcohol is allowed in this phase.

Allowed Foods:

• Beef: Lean cuts, such as sirloin (including ground), tenderloin, top round
• Poultry: Cornish hen, turkey bacon (two slices per day), turkey and chicken breast
• Seafood: All types of fish and shellfish (Shrimp,clams,oysters)
• Pork: Broiled ham, Canadian Bacon, Tenderloin
• Cold Cuts: Fat-free or low-fat only
• Cheese (fat-free or low fat): American, cheddar, cottage cheese (1–2% or fat-free), cream cheese substitute (dairy free), feta, mozzarella, Parmesan, provolone, ricotta, string
• Nuts: Almonds (15), peanut butter (2 tbsp), peanuts (20 small), pecan halves (15), pistachios (30)
• Eggs: The use of eggs is not restricted unless otherwise noted by your physician. Use egg whites and egg substitute as desired
• Tofu: Use soft, low-fat or lite varieties
• Vegetables: Artichokes, asparagus, beans (black, butter, chickpeas, green, Italian, kidney, lentils, lima, pigeon, soy, split peas, wax), broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, cucumbers, pickles (dill, or those sweetened with Splenda), eggplant, lettuce (all varieties), mushrooms (all varieties), snow peas, spinach, sprouts (alfalfa), turnips, water chestnuts, zucchini, radishes
• Fats: Canola oil, olive oil
• Dairy: Two cups of nonfat milk or nonfat or lowfat plain yogurt are to be consumed daily
• Spices and seasonings: All spices that contain no added sugar, broth, extracts (almond, vanilla, or others), horseradish sauce, I can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! spray, pepper (black, cayenne, red, white)
• Sweet treats (limit to 75 calories per day): Candies (hard, sugar-free), chocolate powder (no-sugar-added), cocoa powder (baking type), sugar-free fudgsicles, sugar-free gelatin, sugar-free gum, sugar-free popsicles, sugar substitute.

Banned Foods:
• Beef: Brisket, Liver, other fatty cuts
• Poultry: Chicken wings and legs, duck, goose, poultry products (processed)
• Pork: honey-baked ham
• Veal: breast
• Cheese: Brie, edam, non-reduced fat
• Vegetables: beets, carrots, corn, potatoes (white),potatoes (sweet),
• Fruit: Avoid all fruits and fruit juices in Phase 1 including: Apples, apricots, berries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, peaches, pears
• Starches and Carbohydrates: avoid all starchy foods in Phase 1 including: bread (all types), cereal, matzo, oatmeal, rice (all types), pasta (all types), pastry and baked goods (all types)
• Alcohol of any kind, including beer and wine
• No regular ketchup or cocktail sauce
• No pork rinds – too high in saturated fat
• No jerky – too high in sugar content
• Limit Caffeine-Containing Beverages to 1-2 servings per day

Phase 2 – Re-Introduce the Carbs (duration – until you reach your target weight)

Whole grains foods and fruit are gradually returned back into the diet but still in small portions. The emphasis on foods with a low glycemic index value is maintained but you can now have fruits in limited quantities and some carrots/sweet potatoes. This phase lasts until you hit your target weight (seriously? That’s a pretty harsh diet for you if you have to lose a lot of weight!).

Phase 3 – Diet for Life

Once you have reached your target weight with Phase 2 you are now in the maintenance phase of eating an appropriate diet for life including 3 servings of whole grains and fruit daily.

Claimed Diet Benefits: A loss of excess body fat by a healthy diet with an emphasis on “good carbohydrates” that are high in fiber and low on the glycemic index, and “good fats” such as those from fish, leans meats and dairy products.

Possible Diet Dangers: Initial phase may cause a major loss of water leading to dehydration and exhaustion of bodies essential electrolytes. It is recommended to have a registered dietician customize this diet to meet your needs.

My Personal Conclusion: I truly believe that such major restrictions in the first phase and the possibly long second phase will be a major challenge that you will need to make sure you can keep to. Therefore, there is a high risk of failure if you don’t have your meals planned out beforehand. I like the overall concept and the final conclusion of your Diet for Life in Phase 3 as it promotes healthy and natural foods and takes out highly processed and sugar added products.

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Diet Plan Summary: The Fat Smash Diet was created by Dr. Ian K. Smith best known from VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club where Hollywood celebrities competed to lose weight by following his plan.

It focuses on eating as many fruits and veggies as you like instead of meat, dairy products and processed foods. The formal diet is a 90 day program divided into 4 phases wherein your cravings for unhealthy foods are supposed to be smashed.

Phase 1 – Detox (9 days)
Phase 1 of the Fat Smash Diet is a nine day detox period where you are supposed to lose all your bad habits. But really, can you rid yourself of all your bad habits in 9 days? Already I see a problem with this phase 1 as most people I know will not be able to stick to this for 9 days. Nevertheless, the idea is to reduce calories significantly and drinks lots of water to flush your body. 4-5 meals are mandatory regardless of you being hungry or not and you aren’t allowed to skip meals. Do you already see a problem with this diet like I do? That means you have to preplan all your meals and you can’t go off course even at work. Some quite rigid and strict guidelines, but I guess it is only for 9 days!

Even though Dr.Smith doesn’t want you to count calories he does want you to eat foods that are only raw, grilled or steamed (noting fried and no processed foods) in this first phase. Foods that are allowed include unlimited amount of fruits and vegetables (unlimited? Who are you kidding Dr. Smith? From experience I can tell you that if you eat more than 10 servings of fruit a day you will see results you don’t want to see as fruit sugars are usually stored in your body as fat. ), chickpeas, lentils, tofu and beans. Also allowed in limited quantities include: brown rice, low fat, skim or soy milk and yogurt, oatmeal, egg whites and herbal teas. Fats limited to a max of 3 tablespoons, with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil/day and no potatoes or avocados. Remember – 9 days!

Phase 2 – Introducing Additional Foods (3 weeks)
3 week period introducing other foods but still maintaining the schedule of 4-5 small meals throughout the day and enjoying them raw, grilled or steamed still. Foods allowed in limited quantities in this phase include lean meats, seafood, whole egg, cheese, avocado, a variety of whole-grain cereals, butter, fat-free mayo, coffee (10 ounces a day), granulated sugar, fruit juice, diet soda, lemonade, and club soda.

Phase 3 – Bigger portions & Dessert (4 weeks)
Still embodying the first two phases but portions are now a little larger and pasta & bread plus 1 desert/day are introduced for the first time. Desserts are chosen from a small list of those accepted by Dr.Smith.

Phase 4 – Beer & Pizza
Well this is supposed to set the “Temple” for the rest of your life. You can include beer, pizza, wine and potatoes, but guided with exercise, portion control and not skipping meals (sticking to 4-5 meals/day).

Claimed Diet Benefits: The Fat Smash Diet claims to change your relationship with foods and get you hooked on physical activity for the rest of your life (how it does this is a bit cloudy!). Upon completion of Phase 4 and 90 days later you should be making better food decisions, eating fewer calories per day, exercising and most importantly losing weight. During Phase 1 (the detox stage) your cravings are supposed to be smashed (that easy hey? Who knew?!).

Possible Diet Dangers: If your body is used to a high calorie diet consisting of several thousand calories a day, switching to a low calorie diet may cause major health problems. Consult your physician if you are thinking about this diet beforehand. My recommendation is that you will want to start off with gradually limiting your calorie intake at first by dropping all processed and fast foods, therefore doing a pre-phase stage to prepare your body for the diet.

My Personal Conclusion: The fat smash diet is definitely more suitable for those who are not clinically “obese” as the first stage is rather strict and does not prepare you for a major shift in your diet. I would also like to see more of an emphasis on exercise plans that go along with the diet to gradually adjust your body for a healthier lifestyle. In agreement with my conclusion -the spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (Tara Gidus) has been also noted as saying that the first phase is too strict and may be too difficult for deters to get through.

It is almost like the Fat Smash Diet was written backwards from someone who has already succeeded with their goals and that is what many may have a problem with unless they have someone like Dr.Smith monitoring them and providing them with constant motivation. Have you tried the Fat Smash Diet? Please let us know your experience with this Diet in the comments section below.

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