Archive for the ‘Fitness’ Category

3 “Rebel” Fatloss Tricks

Monday, March 15th, 2010

[ Editor's Note:  Fitness author Jon Benson shared this letter with me and gave me permission to share it with you. ]

You know what?

I like “weird.”

I’ve always been a bit on the fringe side of the fence if you know what I mean.

A bit of a rebel.

So were guys like Einstein, Mozart, and Picasso. Not that I’m putting myself into their category of genius by any stretch… but I love their approach to life.

     BE BOLD…OR GO HOME.

Makes sense to me. This life it too darn short for anything less than being bold.

That means taking some risks here and there. That means taking action while the others are content to sit on the couch being the same person they were yesterday.

And the day before…

And the month before…

And the year before.

Do you want to live your years like that? Or do you want to dive into life? Be the greatest “you” possible?

Then be a bit of a rebel.

Here’s some “rebel tips” for fatloss I think you’ll enjoy…

     REBEL TIP 1      
     Flip The Food Pyramid Upside-down

The USDA’s Food Pyramid is an utter joke. It’s origins stink up the joint, let me tell you.

First, the grain industry was in a pinch when the Food Pyramid was created. And wouldn’t you know it… the grain industry increased their “contributions” (read: bribes) to certain politicians to get placement atop the pyramid… or in this case at the very bottom. The “foundation” if you will.

Just think about this for a moment:

The USDA wants you to eat (gasp) MORE starch than vegetables? More bread than fruits, lean meats, and hormone-producing fats?

Are they NUTS??

Yes… they are nuts. (Which, by the way, are no where near the foundation… nuts, that is.)

You’d be better off flipping the sucker upside-down.

That would look like this:

40% of your cals from healthy fats 30% of your cals from protein 30% of your cals from carbs

Roughly, that is.

Sounds… rebellious, right?  Well it is.

Too bad I have the science (and the abs) to back it up.

If you want a system laid out for you, then go here:

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej  <– click.

     REBEL TIP 2      
     Cardio Is Not Smart-ee-o

At least the way the so-called “experts” want you to do it.

Look: This isn’t rocket science. Just walk into any gym…take a look at the folks who only do cardio work for 45-60 minutes every day.

Do they look any different from year to year?

Let me save you some time:  NO. They do not.

Cardio (unless you are into endurance sports) is a waste of energy done this way. First, it increases your carbohydrate cravings. For most people that’s not a good thing. Why? Because cardio at this pace burns mostly SUGAR, not bodyfat.

What do you want to burn?

Exactly. Bodyfat.

Finally, cardio is no where near as efficient as resistance training at dissolving bodyfat… and certainly not even CLOSE to resistance training when it comes to shaping lean muscle and getting the look all these cardio bunnies are after.

Now, I ‘do’ have a rebel cardio trick… and it takes 9-15 minutes 2-3 times a week to perform.

That’s it. And you get ALL the benefits heart-wise of long-session cardio.

Combine that with some brisk walking and my overall fitness plan and presto: No more bodyfat.

Here’s what is cool:  I put my new in-home version of this resistance-based workout online for a few days at a major discount… but it’s only for people who pick up this:

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej  <– click.

This is completely illustrated with photos too… and you do not need anything but resistance bands and perhaps some cheap dumbbells to do this in-home. Or you can use the gym-based workouts (included with videos.)

Train like this just 3-5 days a week and you can kiss long, boring cardio goodbye.

     REBEL TIP 3      
     Do Not Overwork Your Abs

Here’s a mistake I see most people make in the gym: They do endless sets of crunches, leg raises, and (gasp again) sit-ups… all geared toward seeing those toned abs they want.

Guess what?

Waste of time.

In fact, it’s worse than that… it can literally shut down your recovery ability. You’ll slow your progress in the gym (or at home)… and your fat-burning too.

And you may give up your plan entirely because of it.

Here’s the brutal truth:  Ab ‘muscles’ are easy to build. It only takes about 3 minutes 2-3 times a week… that’s it.

( Note: I included my “3 Minute Abs” in the fitness book I just told you about… it’s only for those who get EODD though… )

The muscles are not what make your stomach flatter… it’s the nutrition plan folks.

You’re just building muscle underneath layers of bodyfat… not good.

I do very little direct ab training. When I do it’s usually 3-5 minutes tops 2 days a week. And my abs are… well… good. : )

I rely on resistance training and my special “favorite foods dietplan” to get and stay lean.

More about it all here:

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej  <– click.

So be a rebel.

Thumb your nose at the establishment and step out on your own.

Trust me: You’ll be a leader in every sense of the word if you do.

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej  <– click.

3 fast-food fatloss-tips

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Fitness madman Jon Benson is at it again… this time telling us you can get “skinnny eating fast-food…” And he intends to prove it. Naturally you have to modify the way you eat fast-food (duh!) but his tips are really clever. Here’s 3 for you today…

Believe it or not you can get lean by eating fast food.

I know, it sounds crazy… but in a few weeks I’m going to prove it to the world with the release of my newest mini e-book “Fast Food Fitness: How I Dropped 40lbs Eating Fast Food Every Day.”

Do you think I’m joking?  I’m not.

Of course there’s a WAY to eat fast food and drop the pounds. You can’t just eat like everyone else does. That’s common sense.

And believe me, there are more healthy ways to drop the pounds than eating fast food… for sure.

But the way I figure it: Would you rather be healthIER and lean or UNhealthy and overfat?

Silly question… so consider “Fast Food Fitness” a path to the lesser of two evils… and one that actually got me to 10% bodyfat (that’s pretty lean!) a few years ago.

Here’s how it started:

I simply hate to cook!  I have since solved that problem… I hired a part-time chef (it’s cheaper than it sounds)… but until two years ago I was eating out every single meal… I mean EVERY MEAL.

Most of the time… not all of the time, but most of the time… these meals were fast food joints like burger joints and even fried chicken places.

But I had to keep my physique, so … what to do?

Well… you’ll have to wait. At least a few weeks.

If you want the book for half-price, you have to own a copy of “Every Other Day Dietplan”… everyone who owns a copy before “Fast Food Fitness” hits the Internet will get half-off.

So go here if you don’t have EODD yet …

click—–>  http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej

Here’s 3 of my top 25 fast-food diet-tips… just these 3 will take you 1/3 of the way there…

First, use my Half-n-Half Principle. Order whatever you are going to order and then have the person behind the counter cut the order exactly in HALF.

Half to go… half to eat there.

Eat half now…. then the other half 3-4 hours later. Believe it or not you will store less bodyfat and even increase your metabolism eating like this.

Simple trick… give it a shot.

Second, ditch all the starch. That means buns, bread and anything made of flour. BUT here’s the “still tastes good” trick I use. I keep ONE of the pieces of bread from, say, my hamburger. Then I “pick” at it while I enjoy the meat and either a small diet soda or tea. Eat no more than 5 “picks” at the bread… about half a slice. You still get the exact taste of a burger with none of the stuff that makes most people over-fat.

Third, for you chicken lovers, split your order between fried and baked chicken. KFC has excellent baked chicken… try it. Then strip most of the skin off the fried chicken. Not all… most.

You still get the taste, but with far fewer bad food-stuffs and calories…. make sense?

Enjoy the tips… but remember, the healthiest (and tastiest) way to eat is still my Every Other Day DIetplan, which works in your favorite foods each week….

click—–>  http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej

6 Strange Dietary Bedfellows

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

You know, fitness and nutrition guy Jon Benson has a humorous way of putting things that we all need to hear. I received this email from him today and had to share it with you. It’s not only funny, it’s true.

Read on.
What do these six things have in common?

McDonalds
Renee Zellweger
— Epileptic children
— Yours truly
— Most bodybuilding and fitness competitors
Kiefer Sutherland

Give up?

All the above employ the strategies of the low-carb dietplan.

Recently researchers have found that low-carb nutrition plan reduced the number of seizures in epileptic children.

Most of the world’s leanest physiques get that way on a regimen, limited or not, of low-carbs and higher protein.

Even McDonalds is getting into the act.

Even Renee Zellweger.

Even Kiefer Sutherland.

Even me.

Kinda.

Read on and I’ll explain what I mean…

———————————————————————-|

 Why Low-Carb Works

———————————————————————-|

When McDonalds starts counting carb grams in their food, you know someone is either jumping on a trend or finally seeing the light.

In this case, both — but it is a good thing. Low-carb dietplans. They work.

For the masses, they work because they are the easiest nutrition plan to follow when you’re busy.

McDonalds and stars like Kiefer Sutherland figured this out. The busy on-the-go guy or gal doesn’t want to make the time to prepare six meals per day and carry them around in Tupperware.

When choosing my own lifestyle nutrition plan, time and convenience played a major role. I looked at role models who were very busy, formerly obese, and very lean.

Most of them rely in some form or fashion on a low-carb strategy.

Low-carb also works, much to the hem and haw of traditional doctors and nutritionists, due to the way the body processes fuel.

For those of us fortunate enough to grow up on whole grains and very low-sugar mealplans, a moderate to higher-carb nutrition plan may work just fine.

But most of us grew up eating junk.

Processed foods, fast foods, and downright junk was the cornerstone of our dietplans. That puts your body on the “carb defense.”

After years of abuse the body becomes resistant to carbohydrates. The insulin they produce can cause all sorts of health issues, fat-burning problems, and more.

When carbs are removed, even healthy carbs like whole grains, the body has time to re-adjust.

In some cases, you can go back to a moderate-carb plan with whole grains and fruits after a period of time.

In others, you are a “low-carber” for life.

Guess which one I am?

Finally, low-carb works because you tend to eat less. Fat is very satiating, and most low-carb plans are fairly high in dietaryfat.

So, in recap:

— Easy and convenient;
— Metabolically important for carb recovery;
— Lower in total food volume (eat less)

Do not make light of that first point. Any plan that is not simple is one very few people will stick to. Making your plan simple and tasty is key, even if that plan is not “perfect” by nutritional standards.

Now, by far, the best low-carb dietplan in the world (yes, I’m bias for good reason!) is this:

click.here ——>  http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej/video

EODD works so well because your carbs are low for “most” of the time. Not “all” of the time. And the times when your carbs are not low you can enjoy your favorite foods.

Personally I enjoy pizza and burgers on my non-low-carb days. You can enjoy whatever you want if you just keep it reasonable.

You see, there’s no need to diet-perfect.

Progress always trumps perfection.

———————————————————————-|

 Why Low-Carb Fails

———————————————————————-|

There are two primary reasons for the failure of the low-carb nutrition plans: boredom and media bashing.

One causes irritability. The other, doubt. Unless you’re certain that your plan will work, you will eventually go off of it.

This is true of any plan, no matter how ideal it is. Certainty rules.

That’s why I believe in having a flexible, tasty plan like EODD.

Then boredom is easily solved.

I share my own unique ideas about “cycling” carbs and fats in the presentation here:

click.here ——>   http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej/video

Using my cycle strategy you will rarely if ever become bored. And your body will burn more bodyfat too. It’s just a cheap metabolic trick…but boy, it works.

The second reason is media and medical bias. One study after another has proven that low-carb plans, even the Atkins plan, works and is safe to use for most people.

Check with your doctor first, of course.

I’ve seen researchers get down-right angry when the results come back. In one study, carried out for a full year, the low-carb plan out-performed the so-called “healthy” Dean Ornish plan.

Lower blood fats, more fatloss, and more energy were the results.

My preference always comes back to low-carb nutrition. I just cycle it in a way that allows me to get plenty of veggies, some grains, and ample fiber.

Even a slice of cheesecake here and there… : )

Hey…I said “low-carb”, not “low-life!”

P.S. One of these days the mainstream medical community will wake up to the fact that 90% of the population will never eat 15 servings of veggies per day.

While this may be “optimal”, it’s not at all practical. I’d rather give you down-to- earth practical nutrition advice that you CAN and WILL follow — and enjoy.

Makes sense, doesn’t it?

click.here ——>   http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej/video

5 Surprising Things That Make You Leaner

Friday, February 19th, 2010

[ Editor's Note:  Fitness author Jon Benson shared this letter with me and gave me permission to share it with you. ]

Want to be leaner?

Good deal… here’s 5 tips that will help you along…

     TIP 1
     Ditch The Starch

Starches, such as rice, potatoes, some veggies, oats, etc. are often considered “health foods.”

While they can be healthy, they can also pack on stomach bodyfat like crazy if you overdo them.

As you may know, my “Every Other Day Diet” System (EODD) actually encourages you to eat starches and even sweets several days a week to get rid of excess weight:

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej  <– click.

( Some of you may see a survey here on how best to help with your bodyweight goals. )

Well… how does THAT work?

Simple:  Timing is everything.

And we take a “weekly” approach to foods rather than a daily approach. This keeps your metabolism guessing. If your body cannot figure out what you’re up to, fatburning is that much more powerful. And you can get by with eating starches… at least a specific times on specific days.

But if you’re not going to do EODD, then you’ll have to wing it. And the best way to wing it is to simply cut starches out entirely for 4-8 weeks. Then slowly add them back a few days per week.

This is no where near as effective (or as fun) as the EODD method, but it will get you pointed in the right direction.

     TIP 2
     Can The Sodas

This one is really hard for me. I’ve been hooked on diet-soda on and off for years. When I go to get into top shape (like I am now) I have to get rid of the diet-sodas… yes, DIET-sodas. Need I say “real” sodas too? They are loaded with sugar.

Why diet-sodas? A recent study revealed that people who drank diet-sodas actually increased bodyfat when compared to those who drank sugar-sodas. What the… ??

Yep. Your body cannot be fooled by aspartame and chemicals. Sorry, but that’s the truth.

Here’s a personal story:  When I cut out the diet-sodas my bodyfat drops like a rock in a pond of clear water.

And that’s what you need to be drinking:  A quart of pure water per 50 lbs of bodyweight a day.

I mix it with lemon and a bit of Stevia (an herbal sweetener) and make lemonade. It’s wonderful!

     TIP 3
     Stay Hungry

Arnold’s first movie was “Stay Hungry” (well, after “Pumping Iron” that is). You cannot rest on your butt and stay hungry. You cannot think you’ve “arrived” and stay hungry.

It takes a special person to be hungry… and an even greater one to stay that way.

I want you to stay hungry in two ways:  In how you workout and literally… stay a bit hungry before you go to bed. Not “starving”… just a bit hungry.

For your workouts, I have a great solution. If you pick up EODD you’ll get a limited shot at “7 Minute Body”… my combination of “7 Minute Muscle” and “The 7 Minute In-Home Workout” in one book… and for more than half off… but that’s a very limited deal. Gotta have EODD… you’ll need them both…

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej <– click.

( Some of you may see a survey here on how best to help with your bodyweight goals. )

You see, progression — “forced” progression — is the best way to stay hungry. 7 Minute Body forces you to progress without thinking about it. Progression is built into the System.

As far as staying hungry at night? Check with your doctor and if he/she okays it take 500mg of potassium and 1000mg of magnesium/calcium a few hours prior to bed. This helps with the hunger pangs. Also, keep hard-boiled eggs in the fridge. If you get really hungry, eat one with half the yolk (toss the other half.) It keeps me full for an hour at least.

     TIP 4
     Cardio Clarity

Hours and hours of cardio a day is not the answer. However, you can do “light” cardio (i.e. brisk walking, or riding the bike at 60% of your max) just to burn off calories. That’s okay… and personally I don’t find it that boring if I’m watching a TV show. It does not interfere with my main fatloss exercise (weight training… YES!) and it burns off about 400 calories an hour.

What does work is early morning fasting cardio… but you only need 9-15 minutes. I explain the GXP Protocol (Modified) in the 7 Minute Body book, available only if you pick up EODD, and you can get it at more than half off:

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej <– click.

( Some of you may see a survey here on how best to help with your bodyweight goals. )

     TIP 5
     Get Raw At Night
 
Raw veggies with your last meal and as a snack will really help your fatburning along. I started with red peppers because they’re sweet. Now I eat virtually every veggie raw at night without thinking about it. Give this a shot. The fatloss is well worth it.

—->  Note From Melanie:  Jon is still giving away “Radical Fatloss Blueprint” along with EODD for a few more days. And he is giving a lucky few the chance to pick up the Supplement-Kit that comes with Radical Fatloss for almost 100 bucks off… the video and details are here:

http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/melaniej <– click.

Exercise Less, Not More!

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

[ Editor's Note:  Fitness author Jon Benson shared this letter with me and gave me permission to share it with you. ]

If I had to pick out the number one reason most people fail to achieve good results in the gym, guess what it would be?

Over-training. Exercising too much.

Sounds counter-intuitive, but trust me: It’s quite real.

Folks write to me all the time and say…

“Jon, I don’t get it. I cannot lose bodyfat and I’m running six days a week for an hour and training in the gym five days a week for 45 minutes!”

My answer back is usually:

“You are training 4x more than me, and I’m a fitness pro!”

Look, do you take 21 aspirin for a headache, thinking the more you take the faster your pain will go away?

No?

So why apply the same logic to fitness? Only a certain amount is required. Beyond that, you are spinning your wheels.

When I wrote 7 Minute Muscle (available here:  http://www.7minutemuscle.com/go/melaniej) I exposed all the lies about training too long and why this is not the best way to achieve the results you want. Check it out if you want the facts.

One more thing:  75% of your progress will come in the kitchen, not in the gym or on the treadmill.

As for me, I would much rather eat smart and train less than train all the time and be forced to eat 6-8 times a day just to recover from it all.

That makes no sense to me at all.

You?

http://www.7minutemuscle.com/go/melaniej

Find Out If You Too Are At Risk

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

Want to know what your real odds are of having a heart attack?

How about a stroke? Diabetes?

Okay, this isn’t sounding like a positive letter… but hang in there. It gets a lot better and more positive.

I was having lunch today with my CPA and my good friend Sherry Strong. Sherry’s upcoming book is a must-read. I will let you know when she’s ready to release it.

Since Sherry has been here visiting me in Dallas I have learned SO much about natural food preparation and what really causes disease.

Our conversation took a turn to “doctor’s tests.” I think most of them are worthless. Some are vital.

It’s important to know the difference.

I’m going to give you the three tests you absolutely must take if you want to help ensure your future health in a moment.

But first, let me give you Sherry’s argument to my third test.

Yes, we nutritionists argue sometimes. ; )

I’ll let you decide. But statically it’s far more accurate than any blood test… and get this:

You can do it at home for freee.

So far, are you with me?  Good.

I’m going to go in reverse order, third test to last…

The third test is simply this:

Measure your waistline. Use a tape measure and do not pull it tight. Measure right below the navel.

Write down that number in inches.

Then measure your height out of shoes in inches. Write that down too.

Multiply your waist inches by 2. If that number is greater than your height inches you are FOUR TIMES more likely to have heart disease.

For example, if you have a 36-inch waist and you are 70 inches tall, you are at a much greater risk for heart disease (36 x 2 = 72 which is greater than 70.) However if you have a 34-inch waist and you are 70 inches tall, you risk is far less (34 x 2 = 68 which is less than 70.)

Four times. That’s more predictive than cholesterol tests by far.

And a lot less expensive to boot.

Don’t just read about this test — DO IT. I’ll give you something you can do ABOUT it if you fail this test in a second.

The great news is that this is one factor that is totally within your control.

Test number two:  Know your SED rate. This is an inflammatory marker in the blood.

Test number one:  Know your hsCRP and LP(a) levels. Both of these can be done as one test usually. Both are inflammatory markers as well as key indicators of heart health.

Go to your doctor and ask for these three blood tests. Usually they can be done all at once. Sometimes they are separate, but they are all crucial.

If you are thin and look healthy, listen to this:

You too can be Lance Armstrong or Jim Fixx….and not know it.

Lance and Jim looked like two of the healthiest men on the planet. Lance beat testicular cancer but came within an inch of his life. Jim died after a short jog of a heart attack very young in life.

Looks can be deceiving.

This is Sherry’s argument — and she’s totally correct.

That’s why I give you THREE (well, actually four) TESTS.

You see, it’s virtually impossible to have a normal SED rate, a normal hsCRP level and a normal LP(a) level and be at imminent risk for any of these killer diseases.

Possible, perhaps — but almost not.

So, if you look healthy and feel like a bazillion bucks, you still need to know your levels of these inflammatory markers.

If you are overweight or obese, you totally absolutely MUST do the waist/height test as well as the others.

You see, it goes both ways.

Some obese folks test out okay at the doc’s office. Their cholesterol, blood pressure, and all typical readings are okay. Rarely does a doc run an hsCRP or LP(a). And rarely do they run a SED rate.

See the importance here?

Both the fit and the unfit can be at dire risk and not even know it.

Now, here’s the solution:

A low-inflammatory nutrition and training plan, along with plenty of stress-free time.

I can help you with the first two things.

The third thing — de-stressing — is up to you. You may want to spend 30 minutes a day doing yoga, walking, meditating, praying, or whatever calms your MIND and BODY down.

Check it out:

Lance and Jim were both doing insane amounts of exercise… so much that they demanded insane amounts of high-inflammatory foods. Foods like processed carbohydrates for example.

And they both got sick. One of them died.

My good friend Dr. Steven Chase believes that 85% of cancer is preventable.

Re-read that:  85%.  And he’s an oncologist — a cancer doctor.

And you know heart disease is 95% preventable… or did you?

But all of these killers, especially diabetes, demand a low-insulin, low-inflammatory nutrition and exercise plan.

Lance and Jim had sky-high inflammatory levels from all that exercise. It was literally TOO much exercise.

That’s why so many marathoners die of heart attacks. They eat inflammatory foods and engage in high-stress exercise for too long of a time.

So, what’s the answer?

1. Short workouts that are intense, effective, and enjoyable. Weights and cardio both, or in-home resistance workouts will work fine.

2. Longer “soft” workouts like brisk walking that helps de-stress the body and burn more bodyfat.

3. A nutrition plan that allows for your favorite foods at the RIGHT TIME of the day but also helps you burn bodyfat without activating your body’s stress-producing hormones like cortisol…cool.

Most nutrition plans are stressful. Big mistake. Stress can cause you to hold on to bodyfat. Plus stress causes inflammation.

Most workout plans are either too easy or too intense for too long a period of time. My System is super-short (7-14 minutes a day, plus walks when you can.) This is enough to build all the muscle you need plus burn bodyfat when combined with the nutrition plan.

My System’s nutrition plan is ideal if you are willing to “diet” for a day or two, then enjoy a day of eating “normal” foods.

Hey, no one is perfect. Anyone who has half a brain should know that not very many people (myself included) are willing to do without their favorite foods forever.

That’s silly — and it’s not necessary to burn bodyfat.

In fact, my System ‘demands’ that you eat these foods at certain times TO BURN MORE BODYFAT!

Wild, isn’t it?

It’s the System I’ve used for years.

It’s the combination of two books:

7 Minute Muscle  + Every Other Day Diet
Get them both for one low price…

Go here:

http://www.7minutemuscle.com/go/melaniej/oto  <— Helps you pass the tests

Any of my three Upgrade Kits come with both books, a full year of support from me on the Every Other Day Diet group Forum, and so many bonuses I can’t list them all.

This combo is something I am so very proud to share with you.

It’s the ultimate System for lowering bodyfat, increasing lean muscle, lowering insulin, lowering inflammation, and ensuring your health.

Whether you are in shape or obese, this System is one that will work for you.

http://www.7minutemuscle.com/go/melaniej/oto <— Helps you pass the tests

Turbulence Training Fat Loss Bodyweight Workout

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Did you know that you can get an amazing workout from ONLY bodyweight
exercises…

…and that this workout can be done LITERALLY anytime and anywhere?

Check out this workout from Men’s Health and Women’s Health magazines
fitness expert, Craig Ballantyne. It uses his world-famous Turbulence
Training workout secrets to help you lose belly fat without equipment.

Warm-up Circuit - 2 rounds - Spend 15 seconds on each exercise.
1) Jumping Jacks
2) Bodyweight Squat
3) Push Ups
4) Mountain Climbers
5) Prisoner Forward Lunges
6) Stickups

Strength Superset

1A) Toughest pushup for 30 seconds
1B) Toughest single leg exercise for 30 seconds per side
- Rest 1 minute before repeating this superset

Water break - 2 minutes

Conditioning Circuit - 20 seconds per exercise
1) Prisoner Squat
2) Pushup Plank
3) 1-leg hip extension
4) Close-grip pushup
5) Side Plank
- Rest 1 minute before repeating this circuit

Water break - 2 minutes

Final Circuit - 20 seconds per exercise
1) Split Squat
2) T-pushup
3) Prone Stick-ups
4) 1-Leg Deadlift
5) Squat thrusts
- Rest 1 minute before repeating this circuit

Water break - 2 minutes

Stretching Circuit - 20 seconds per stretch
1) Hip Flexor Stretch
2) Glute Stretch
3) Chest Stretch
4) Hamstring Stretch
5) Shoulder Stretch
- Rest 1 minute before repeating this stretching circuit

Done!

So much fun, and no equipment needed. You can do this at home, at
the park, in your office (we won’t tell!), and even in a hotel room
at a hotel - it no longer matters how bad the hotel gym is!

Go here for more amazing Turbulence Training Workouts!

Enjoy,

Melanie Johnson

Fast and Easy Weight Loss tips you can start Right Now

Monday, January 4th, 2010

 I must get this call and this statement from busy moms, executives, students, all the time “I just don’t have time to eat right and exercise!” No one seems to be able to find the time to lose weight. With all of the responsibilities and events packed into our busy days how are we to keep ourselves healthy and maintain an optimal weight?

When people think weight loss, they think diet and exercise, both of which already sound time consuming. Well after 10 years of seeing clients I will tell you with 100% certainty that if a client follows their nutrition plan without exercise they always lose weight but if they don’t follow their nutrition plan but are consistent with their workouts, there is no weight loss. Anyone who has ever attempted to lose weight without changing to healthier eating alternatives knows this is true. Trust me, I’ll be the first one to tell you all the reasons why exercise is so important but following a healthy eating regimen must be priority number 1!

So if nothing else, the following easy adjustments in your nutrition plan will help to take off, at the very least, an initial 5-10 lbs to get you well on your way to your health and weight loss goals:

1. Only drink water as your beverage (with the occasional unsweetened tea or black coffee).

 Eliminating all sugar drinks, “diet” drinks and sodas will automatically cause a dramatic weight loss. Studies have shown, when all else is kept constant, people lose up to 10lbs just by giving up diet coke. But it has no calories you say? Equal (Aspartame) and all other artificial sweeteners like Splenda and Sweet and Low are toxins to your body and cause weight gain, even more so than sugar!

 Squeeze fresh lemon in your water or make flavored herbal teas and cool them to make ice tea to make water drinking much easier. Always consume ½ of your body weight in ounces of water per day to experience adequate hydration and weight loss (ex. If you weigh 150lbs, you must drink 75 ounces of water each day).

2. Eliminate the 4 white devils

 White Flour, Refined Salt, White Sugar, and Dairy. If you just stay away from these 4 things, you will automatically see a drastic drop in weight and will instantly feel more energetic throughout the day. Most people are well aware of the harmful effects of flour, refined salt and sugar but dairy? Doesn’t it do a body good? Definitely not! Dairy is one of the number 1 reasons people have such a hard time losing weight. It causes inflammation in the body, digestive problems, clogged arteries, and weight gain. Get your calcium from leafy greens and avoid dairy at all costs. When moms bring in their children to see me with weight and health problems one of the first things I do is take them off dairy. The results are miraculous! Chronically sick kids are now automatically better. And those who have had such a hard time losing weight experience automatic weight loss without dairy.

3. Know exactly where to find the healthy food!

 It is honestly just as easy to run in to the local supermarket and get a bag of carrots and some almonds as it is to run into a Quickie-Mart and buy some harmful processed food. You can go absolutely anywhere now and find healthy meal options but you must know what you are looking for. Stay away from most packaged foods as the label indicates more of a science experiment than anything that would be close to food. No one needs all of those toxins in their body. Labels should have 2 – 3 items, at most. And the best foods don’t have labels.

 Don’t let time be your excuse. If you stop to eat 2-3 times per day and snack in between it is just as easy to find something healthy as it is to find something harmful. Don’t let your body come to a shrieking halt before you decide to do anything about your weight and your health. You know what will be a huge impediment on your time? If you or a family member becomes ill due to poor nutrition and lifestyle habits. So tackle the problem now before it really does begin to affect your time and your life! You can replace cars, homes and all material items, but you only get one body! Take good care of it.

Be well on your way to achieving your own Fat Loss and Health Goals with these Simple and Easy Fat Burning Meal Plans.

 

Resource Box:Isabel De Los Rios is one of America’s top nutrition experts and educators and the author of TheDietSolutionProgram.com. She has helped hundreds of people lose weight when no other program could. Don’t miss her Free Report “The Top 5 Essential Truths You Must Know Before You Go on Any Diet Ever Again.”

 

Isabel is the owner of New Body – Center for Fitness and Nutrition in NJ where she has personally educated and coached hundreds of people to realize their weight, health and fitness goals.

As a nutrition specialist and lifestyle coach it is Isabel’s passion to educate, motivate and inspire people of all types to take daily action in order to realize their physical and personal dreams and goals.

The Perfect Body-If It Came In A Bottle- Would’t We All Have One?

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Let’s face it, if the perfect body came in a bottle, wouldn’t we all have one? Unfortunately weight loss is a little more complicated than just opening a bottle. If your goal is permanent weight loss, then you must make some lifestyle changes. The good news is, you don’t need to give yourself a complete life overhaul just to see some permanent weight loss results! Start slow, make these small changes a little at a time and the results will follow. Here is a simple plan you can  follow so that your weight loss efforts and your journey to optimum health does NOT have to be a complete life overhaul:

Step 1 -Do not drink anything except water or tea sweetened with stevia. Try doing just that for two weeks.

Step 2 - Now start thinking about what healthy snacks you can carry with you, so you don’t have to resort to the vending machine or you don’t become so hungry you end up eating everything in sight when you get home. Raw trail mixes are one of my favorite snacks because a small bag fits in my purse or console of my car and I don’t have to worry about it going bad. Grab a piece of fruit to go along with your raw nuts and you just made it through that afternoon hungry time. Get yourself into this routine for 2 weeks and now in one month you have implemented 2 great principles…decreased your sugar and artificial sweeteners intake and included healthy snacks during the day.

Step 3 - Cook 1-2 healthy meals each week. Again, start slow. No one said you had to go into gourmet cooking school or had to slave over the stove in order to lose some weight. Start by finding 1-2 healthy recipes that you know you would enjoy (and your family would enjoy too). Pick one night that week or one weekend day and enjoy that meal. And make sure to make enough for leftovers. A healthy lunch can easily be made with leftovers from the night before.

Get started on your own personal fat burning meal plans right away with The Diet Solution Program.

Get free workouts by visiting  www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Top 5 Fat Loss Tips

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

Men’s Fitness magazine recently asked me for 3 of my best fat loss
secrets. Since most times the magazines just don’t have enough space
to run my full tips, I thought I’d give you a more detailed
explanation of my secrets here (plus a few extra bonus tips that I
didn’t send to the magazine).

Secret #1 - Focus on burning carbohydrate, not fat, during your
fat-loss workouts.

Sounds backwards, right? But not when you look at how I structure
my workouts.

Remember that Turbulence Training focuses on resistance training
and interval training. Both of these use carbohydrate as the main
source of energy. So it’s obvious the workout is designed to burn
carbohydrates during the training session.

I have no interest in you trying to train in your “target heart
rate zone” for fat burning (aka - the fat burning zone). The whole
idea of a fat-burning zone is an over-simplified idea of how the
body works during exercise.

Leave the inefficient fat burning zone to the mis-educated trainers
in the commercial gyms (that not surprisingly, also want to sell you
a heart rate monitor so you can stay in your “fat burning heart
rate zone”).

If you want to get the most results in the least amount of time,
focus on burning carbohydrates, not fat.

Why do my fat loss workouts focus on burning carbohydrate rather
than fat?

In order to burn more calories after the workout, that’s why. When
you exercise with intervals and heavy resistance training, your body
uses more calories in the hours after exercise than it would if you
did traditional cardio and lifted lighter weights.

I call this ‘Turbulence’. By any name it gives you the same results
- maximum improvements in your body composition (helping you lose
fat while gaining muscle).

Secret #2 - Use a range of repetitions in your strength training
workouts.

In order to train more muscle fibers and burn more carbohydrates, I
have clients use a range of repetitions within the same workout.

The Turbulence Training workouts now use 6, 8, and 12 reps per set
in order to work the muscle the most effectively.

This will burn more carbohydrates and promote as much muscle growth
as possible when you are keeping the calories low.

Secret #3 - Use the stationary cycle for interval training.

I choose the stationary bike for intervals whenever possible
because cycling against a resistance can help maintain muscle mass.

Cycling against a resistance also allows you to perform a large
amount of mechanical work, and that is a key determinant of the
Turbulence in my training.

But please note: I don’t use low-intensity, fast pedaling ’spinning’
intervals as I’m convinced that the hard, resistance based
intervals are more effective for fat loss. My clients only cycle
against a strong resistance in their intervals.

And while I really like the bike, but there are many other ways to
do intervals. Use what works for you, but if you are at a plateau,
try the bike.

Secret #4 - Increase meal frequency

Okay, so this isn’t really a secret to anyone that has read about
fat loss.

But a 2005 study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
showed that eating 6 times per day was associated with eating fewer
calories per day, lowering cholesterol levels, and lowering
post-meal insulin levels.

Combine an increased meal frequency with an increased protein and
fiber intake, and you’ll see your body composition improve rapidly.

If you need more nutrition help, then you’ll love the new
Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women - written by
Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D.

See below for more details…

Secret #5 - My Synergistic Turbulence Training Workouts

My Turbulence Training Fat Loss workouts are fast becoming the most
effective way to burn fat, build muscle, and get lean. The
synergistic strength training-interval training workouts are
efficient and effective - getting you in and out of the gym in
under an hour.

Here are some tips that you can use for an advanced training phase.
Use these advanced secrets for 2 weeks then return to your normal
training schedule:

a) Add 10 seconds to each interval but maintain the intensity

b) Add in some bodyweight circuits (10-20 minutes per day) done in
the morning or evening (if you do your regular workout in the AM, do
your bodyweight circuits after dinner; otherwise, do the bw circuits
first thing in the AM, and then do your regular workout at lunch or
later in the afternoon or evening)

If you are advanced, you can use squats, pushups, and bodyweight
rows for your circuit.

If you are a beginner, you could use lying hip extensions, modified
pushups, and stick-ups.

c) Add an extra set to each exercise in the first superset you do
in each workout.

Again, use these three tips for an advanced fat loss period of two
weeks, then return to a normal training schedule.

But always stick to the best fat loss nutrition plan possible.

If you have any other questions, just let me know.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne
Author, Turbulence Training
Click Here!

P.S. Big Nutrition Announcement!

The Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women - written
by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., is ready for you.

Here are just some of the things you’ll learn from Dr. Mohr…

1) How to calculate your calorie needs (p. 6)

2) Calorie recommendations for obese individuals (p.7)

3) The 23 types of sugar (many hidden!) to avoid (p. 9)

4) The 20 whole-grain sources to fuel your fat loss program (p9)

5) Over 60 fruits and vegetables that should be added to your diet
(p. 10)

6) The 16 protein sources you should select most often (p. 13)

7) Shocking trans-fat content of 18 common foods - find out which
food is the deadliest in terms of fat content (p. 16)

8] The 9 Fat Sources you should select most often (p. 17)

9) Dr. Mohr’s 12 Rules for Fat Loss (p. 18)

10) The TT Nutrition Plan for Men (p. 19)

11) The TT Nutrition Plan for Women (p. 23)

12) Bonus Supplement Report: The Truth About Fat Loss Pills (p. 27)

Try Turbulence Training today:
Click Here!

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