Monthly Archives: April 2011

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30Apr 2011

6 Reasons You can NOT Out-Train a Bad Diet

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For the past few weeks, I’ve been training a new guy named Derrek. Before each workout, I ask him about his diet. Why? Because I want him to think about what he’s eating. Food intake is SUPER important!

However, there are still people who feel they can out-train a bad diet. Perhaps if you’re a teenager with a super-fast metabolic rate, or a sports athlete. For the rest of us, here are 6 reasons why you CAN NOT out train a bad diet:

1 – People Feel they need to be “Rewarded” for Working out Hard

A lot of guys feel they need to be “rewarded” for working out hard. So, usually after an intense workout, they’ll go out and eat some pizza or other fast foods. Now all you’re doing is eradicating whatever calorie burn you got from your intense workout.

People feel that whatever they just did will off-set the bad food they ate. And it has nothing to do with calories. It has to do with optimum recovery. Right after an intense workout, you want some protein and clean carbs.

The last thing you want to eat is fat. Hence, fast food just isn’t going to cut it. It’s going to reverse everything you just did. Think about it this way: after an intense workout, your body is like a sponge, soaking up all the nutrients you throw into it.

2 – People eat Bigger, Lower Frequency Meals

The truth is, we’re not sure if higher frequency meals actually do anything for your metabolic rate. However, they do prevent one thing: an insulin spike. An insulin spike occurs when you eat a lot of food at once.

So, you want to eat just enough to feel full, but don’t over-eat. When people are not focusing on their diets, they tend to eat big, lower frequency meals. We’re looking at multiple insulin spikes throughout the day.

Think of each insulin spike as another opportunity for your body to store fat. Instead, eat smaller, higher frequency meals and don’t give your body the opportunity to store fat. And this requires getting serious about your diet.

3 – People have a “Cardio Confessional” Mindset

The “Cardio Confessional” mindset is when people say, “Oh, let me eat this french fry and I’ll just run on the treadmill a few minutes longer.” This is opposite of what guys do. Guys reward themselves with bad food. Women tend to eat the bad food, and try to do more cardio burn off what they just ate.

First of all, the calorie counters on most exercise equipment is all wrong. There was  CBS report that showed just how inaccurate these machines are in terms of measuring calories. And I bet those online calorie counters aren’t much different.

With regard to steady state cardio, your body gets more efficient at using energy. So, you actually need to work longer to burn off the same amount of calories as you did before. You can see how the numbers just don’t add up!

4 – People Underestimate Calories

According to the CBS news report, people dramatically underestimate their caloric intake. At home, your food has labels. But at a restaurant, you’re forced to guess how much your eating. And all of us are bad guessers.

Luckily, you can now find the calorie content of most fast food chains on their websites (by law). But even then, when you’re actually at the food establishment, you’re not thinking of how much you’re eating.

Your best bet is to just stay away from fast food. Have as much control over your food as possible. This includes planning ahead, and cooking your own food. This way, you are less likely to underestimate your caloric intake.

5 – People Overestimate Calorie Burn

Another study took a bunch of normal weight people and had them exercise on a treadmill. They then had to eat back what they though they burned off. The results were quite interesting, with people eating anywhere from 120 to 4000 calories!

This is the perfect example of people under estimating their caloric intake and overestimating their calorie burn! It’s time to stop “guessing” and really get yourself on a plan. Almost anything will work, as long as you have a practical idea what you’re calorie intake is like.

Now, I really don’t recommend COUNTING calories. What you really should be doing is just eating clean. Clean foods are naturally high in nutrients, and low in calories. So you actually reduce your calorie intake just by eating clean.

6 – People Don’t Consider Hormones
Hormones have a lot to do with your weight loss/gain. For example, the hormone Cortisol is released when you’re under a lot of stress. This hormone has been linked to fat gain. And we’ve already talked about how Insulin helps you store fat.

Counting calories on their own is not the answer, and at times not even necessary. What you really need to focus on is HOW you exercise, and HOW you eat. It’s time to completely transform your eating habits.

So how do we get started? You start be eradicating processed foods from your diet! Stop focusing “diets” and focus on a long-term change.  In other words, this is how you’ll eat for the rest of your life!

Don’t worry, it’s quite easy to change your diet. In fact, we have a done for you diet plan in our Ultimate Fat Loss Warrior Members Section. And, in a few days, we’ll be releasing our brand new Thor Smash workout, part of our monthly workouts.

==> Click here to Join our Members Section

30Apr 2011

Female Fat Loss Myth #3: Don’t Lift Weights!

flavia-delmonte

Women are told not to lift weights. Why? Because it will make them look like a man. Well….does Flavia Del Monte look like a man?

If you think that's a man, you need to get your EYES checked...

Being afraid to lift weights because you’ll look too bulky is like me saying that I don’t want to play golf because I’m afraid of turning pro…or I don’t want to get a job because I’m afraid of becoming a millionaire!

I wish it was that easy. As a guy, I would love it if every time lifted a barbell over my head, my shoulders grew exponentially. But it doesn’t work that way!

But muscle doesn’t grow overnight. It takes a lot of work and effort. And, if lifting weights made women look like men, then I wouldn’t be recommending it.

However, I AM recommending that all women lift weights because it makes them look sexy. And I like sexy women.

So if it’s hard for guys to put on muscle, then how hard do you think it is for women to put on muscle? REALLY hard!

The truth is that lifting weights does really make a woman look sexy. Lifting heavy weights in particular improves muscle tone. It gets you leaner, faster, without doing hours and hours of boring cardio.

The only way you’ll look like a man is if you really try hard. Those female bodybuilders you see in magazines most likely abuse steroids, and takes lots of testosterone supplements. As long as you stay away from that stuff, you’ll be fine!

You see, women simply do not have the genetics to build muscle at the same rate of men. Men have 10 to 30 times more testosterone then women. On top of that, 40% of a man’s weight is made of muscle, whereas only 23% of a woman’s weight is muscle.

Flavia Del Monte: The Product of Lifting Weights

Lesson of the story: Women shouldn’t be afraid to lift weights! In fact, start lifting heavy, and getting sexy!

If you want to know EXACTLY how to do this, I must refer you to Flavia Del Monte’s website ===>> FlaviaFitness.com

27Apr 2011

Bodyweight Cardio Troubleshooting Tips from the Trenches

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We all know that bodyweight cardio is one of the best ways to lose fat. It’s much more fun then boring, steady state cardio, and it replaces any weight training days where you do not have access to weights.

But, if you’re having trouble with your current bodyweight cardio program, then here are some tips:

Problem: I just can’t seem to get motivated to do my bodyweight cardio. What do I do?

Solution: Well, all the excuses have been solved for you. The first excuse is that you do not have equipment. Well, bodyweight cardio solves that. Then, you say you don’t have time. Well, bodyweight cardio is performed in a circuit-format, so you can keep your workouts short.

Now, if you can’t find the motivation to actually complete the program, then there’s not much I can do for you. You really just have to man up (or woman up) and start training hard. Otherwise, you will never achieve your goals.

Internal motivation is the best. Sure, you can hire someone to yell at you, but you have to pick up and haul your butt out to see this person. A support system helps, but it’s a luxury to have one.

The most successful people in the world because successful because of their undying belief in themselves. These individuals set personal challenges for themselves. For example, they might say, “Let me see what I can do with this business idea,’ and then they go out and do it, not worrying about failure or loss.

So, from a fitness perspective, you can set a challenge workout for yourself. Create a bodyweight circuit, and strive to complete it at fast as you can. Then, try and complete it faster the following time.

Another idea is to get a training partner. I know that when I’m training with a partner, we push each other to the brink and achieve new levels of fitness. A training partner is often times better then getting a personal trainer!

Click here to try out a new Bodyweight Cardio challenge workout.

Problem: I’m a female and I’m struggling to burn of the last few stubborn pounds.

Answer: The only real solution to burning stubborn bodyfat is to keep going with your workouts and diet. Make your workouts harder and harder, and change them every 3-4 weeks. One of the biggest mistakes people make is sticking to the same workout each month and expecting different results.

Another idea is to stop doing steady state cardio, and switch to bodyweight cardio or interval cardio, if you haven’t done so already. This will help boost your metabolic rate, and give your body the shock it needs to bust through a plateau.

The last thing would be to tighten up on your diet. It’s tough when you feel you’re eating quite healthy. But there is always something you can improve upon, even if it’s a minor change. If possible. have someone else look at your diet and give you suggestions.

Click here for some female-specific training programs.

Problem: I need to make my upper body bigger. Can I do that with bodyweight movements only? And, how do I prevent from getting fat while building muscle?

Solution: You can certainly get a bigger upper body with bodyweight only movements. The two power movements are pullups and dips. Those two movements alone will hit every single muscle in your body.

For more shoulder work, you can do pike pushups and handstand pushups. But, don’t ignore your lower body. I have big legs. so I’ve dramatically slowed down the frequency of training my legs.

But they’re still important. Squat jumps are the best lower body muscle building movement. If you don’t have knee problems, try to perform 1-leg bodyweight squats.

Now, in order to prevent from getting fat, include 1 bodyweight cardio circuit. A great training split can be: Day 1 – Upper Body, Day 2 – Lower Body, Day 3 – Bodyweight Cardio.

Click here for a done-for you bodyweight muscle building program.

Problem: What is the difference between bodyweight cardio and interval cardio? Does one work better then the other?

Answer: Bodyweight cardio refers to bodyweight workouts performed as a high intensity circuit. You can also perform intervals using bodyweight movements. However, interval cardio refers specifically to cardio-type movements performed at a high intensity level.

My favorites include shuttle sprints, shadow boxing, jump roping, and sledgehammer swings. But you can choose any sort of cardio you desire, if you can train at a high intensity level with it.

With bodyweight cardio, you can train your muscles along with getting a cardio effect. Hence, you hit two birds with one stone. However, you can also get sore really fast, which may interfere with your regular weight training workouts.

For the most part, interval cardio won’t give you any soreness. However, you might feel really tired even a day after the workout, especially if you’re not eating enough. Interval cardio may also be too tough for complete beginners.

Both of these training methods help burn calories and should be used as part of a complete training regimen. Click here for 31 awesome interval workouts you can use in your programs.

27Apr 2011

5 Ways to Drink More Water

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Alright guys, it’s time to drink more water! Yup water. It’s surprising how little water we all drink. But water is absolutely crucial to our fat loss and muscle building goals. Daniel Munday explains why:

5 easy ways to drink more water:

  1. Add lemons/lime with your water if you hate the taste of water.
  2. Eat water-rich foods like Watermelon.
  3. Buy a really cool water bottle – My sister gave me a Ninja Turtle thermos/bottle for my Birthday, and I love it. It brings back childhood memories while a chug water during an intense workout!
  4. Have a glass of water at every meal. You’ll also eat less with this method.
  5. Drink water first thing in the morning. Keep it right by your bed, and make it a habit!

For more simple nutrition tips, check out our new blog UltimateFatLossWarrior.com

27Apr 2011

Female Fat Loss Myth #2: Fitness Takes too Long

I know you’re busy. You’re a mom, a wife, and an employee. Perhaps you’re a business owner, or a student. Bottom line is that you have a lot of different tasks and roles to fill throughout the day.

The truth is, that you only really need 20 minutes per day to get the fat burning process started. There are people out there who are super busy, but are still able to stick to a training regimen. So, it’s really all about a matter of how you organize your day.

Now, how do you get such great results with just 20 minutes of exercise per day? Really simple…high intensity training! High intensity training is something that is still a rather new concept, but it is something that you SHOULD be doing!

HIT is all about performing workouts that take you to the brink of muscle failure within a short period of time. So it’s not for someone who doesn’t want to work hard. Because…well…HIT is REALLY HARD!

Flavia Del Monte explains more about how a woman should train to achieve her goals:

Click here to Learn More about Flavia’s Workout Program.

27Apr 2011

Fact vs. Fiction: The Truth about Female Fat Loss

flavia-delmonte

There are a lot of myths surrounding female fat loss.

Lets just jump right into this and talk about one of the biggest mistake women make when attempting to lose weight: they CUT calories. Yup, they cut calories, and keep cutting calories. The rationalization is that the less you eat, the more fat you will lose.

Well…it doesn’t work that way. First of all, calorie counting is only a guide. The KIND of food you eat is more important then the AMOUNT of food you eat. As long as your energy needs are satisfied, you’re safe.

Most people don’t take into account the factors of digestion and absorption. How much of what you’re eating is actually being digested and used by your body? For one thing, if you want maximum absorption of your food intake, make sure your food has a lot of nutrient density.

Nutrient density refers to how much nutrition your food intake has. It’s just another way of saying…don’t eat junk food. There’s  a difference between 100 calories of fruit and 100 calories of muffins.

But even if you eat 200 or 300 calories worth of fruit, it will have a greater positive impact on your body, then the negative impact of 100 calories worth of muffins. The idea that a calorie is a calorie is absolutely 100% FALSE.

In fact, Mike Geary, author of Truth About Abs, conducted an experiment on himself where he purposefuly over-ate. But the catch was that he would over-eat on a select group of healthy foods.

And guess what…he didn’t gain ANY weight! So, it’s not really about calories. It’s about the kind of food that you consume. But, the catch is that Mike Geary has been working out for years, and has a super fast metabolic rate.

So, lets take a step back, and focus on a mind-set shift: Focus on eating to fuel your workouts and meet your energy needs. If you eat too little, then your workouts will suffer, and so will your daily energy levels.

How do we go figuring out how many calories/food you need to eat? Well, you can use calorie calculators as a guide. But really, you need to determine that on your own. Start writing down your food intake on a daily basis, and take notes on your energy level and weight loss.

If you’re losing weight, and have a high energy level, then you’re at the perfect level. If you’re losing weight, but feel sluggish all day, then you may need to increase calories and/or change the make up of your food intake.

Got that? Now, lets try another mind-set shift. Strive to GAIN muscle instead of lose fat. Why? Well, muscle is more metabolically active then fat. So if you want a higher metabolic rate, it makes sense to pack on lean muscle mass.

So now, you’re not just meeting your energy needs, you’re EXCEEDING them. More calories are needed to put on muscle mass. Combine this strategy with a solid muscle building program, developed specifically for women, and you’ll look SEXY.

We’re not trying to get you lose weight for the sake of losing weight. Because every time women try to lose weight, they focus on lowering the number on the scale. Instead, look in the mirror, then look around you.

Look on TV. Look at women who look really SEXY. You’ll notice one thing about them: they have muscle mass. And that muscle mass makes them look lean and sexy. That is the second, and probably the most important mind-set change you must focus on.

Now, once you start to focus on eating more, you’ll also focus on eating healthier, unprocessed foods. All these years of eating less, you’ve actually started becoming unhealthy due to a lack of vital nutrients.

We are seeing an increase in vitamin-deficiency diseases. Expert nutritionists are convinced that obeseity occurs from a lack of nutrients. If you have lots of vital nutrients in your diet, you will feel less hungry, and have less cravings.

The lesson to be learned here is that eating LESS then your caloric requirements will help you pack on fat, and deprive your body of essential nutrients. Instead, eat more, boost that metabolic rate, and burn fat!

Now, as I said earlier, nutrition is just one part of the equation. The other part is a proper, female-specific training regimen. I would like to introduce you to Flavia Del Monte, wife of muscle building expert Vince Del Monte.

She just came out with a set of DVDs to help women get into super shape, super fast using the principles I outlined in this article. Click here to learn more about Flavia’s program.

26Apr 2011

Lose Fat: Nutrition Tips to Lose Fat Now!

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Nutrition is one of the those things that we don’t want to think about. We all want to think that “it’ll happen if we just workout.” Well, I found out the hard way that nutrition is MORE important then training when it comes fat loss.

(It’s even MORE important for muscle mass)

So, where do we get started? Well, I don’t want you to get started on some crazy calorie-counting dieting plan. Of course, you’ll lose fat with those plans, but is it sustainable? Can you do it for the rest of your life?

Nope, you can’t. So lets focus on slowly and steadily cleaning up your diet. Here are a few tips:

Look at the Labels

Well…duh! But just don’t look at the calories and fat content. Look at the ingredients. If there are a whole bunch of ingredients in there, that you don’t recognize, then don’t buy it! Do your research first!

You’re better off sticking to more natural foods – foods that don’t require labels. These include eggs, fruits, and vegetables. Of course, it’s really hard to go 100% natural, especially in today’s society.

Drink Water, Tea and Coffee

People don’t drink enough water. Instead, they fill their stomachs with sugar drinks like soda and sugar-laden lattes. Gatorade, all the ready-made protein shakes, and even ready-made fruit juices are all bad for you.

Start drinking more water. And if you need a pick me up, then skip the Red Bull and stick to Tea and Coffee. And when I say Coffee, stick to plan coffee. Skip the Starbucks lattes, and just go for plain, simple, coffee.

Eat more Nuts

Raw nuts are a great way to stave off hunger, and get a lot of healthy fat and protein. Now, by raw nuts, I mean nuts in their natural state. Don’t get anything that’s been roasted or salted, or anything like that.

Snack Wisely

This is actually where people make a HUGE mistake! They may eat healthy, but then mess things up when it comes to snack time. Look, you’re GOING to get hungry throughout the day. Especially if you workout on a daily basis.

Instead of panicking and grabbing for the nearest thing to you, you need to plan ahead. So what are the best snack options? Nuts, as I mentioned before a great snack options. Sunflower seeds are another great option.

Fruits are also a great snack option. In fact, I love fruits. I eat at least 5 servings per day! Grapes, bananas, apples, grapefruit, and oranges are my favorite. Another great snack option is Greek Yogurt!

Start off implementing these 4 basic tips and I guarantee you’ll start to see some positive changes in your diet, and in turn your health and physique. If you’re looking for a complete guide to a better diet, then I recommend Craig Ballantyne’s TT Simple Nutrition.

Click here to Learn more about TT Simple Nutrition.

24Apr 2011

Female Fat Loss Myth #1: Age Makes me Fat

One of the biggest myths facing female fat loss is that they feel they are too old lose fat. Or, even worse, they feel that gaining weight is inevitable as you age. Well, it IS true that you start to lose muscle mass as you age, hence causing your metabolic rate to slow.

But this can be reversed. You can start exercising at any age, and all your bad habits can start transforming! The perfect example of this is The Biggest Loser, a show that helps morbidly obese individuals – of all ages – lose fat and get lean!

These are people that had that “I’m too old, I’m too fat to exercise” mentality. You’re NEVER too old. And if you think you’re TOO fat, then obviously it’s time to start exercising. What are you waiting for?

What Kind of Exercise should I do?

The kind of exercise that you need to perform is one that helps you take your body to the next level. Most people have an “easy” approach to exercise. That is one of the reasons why people end up doing lots of cardio, and why infomercial products sell so well.

So, if you’ve tried to exercise before, most likely you were doing something that was too easy. A lot of older individuals just end up walking. This is a good start, but eventually that walking should turn into jogging, then running, and finally, sprinting.

This is just an example. The main idea is that you start from somewhere and make your workouts harder and harder. But for women specifically, you will need a different workout program then men.

Flavia Del Monte has the perfect program for you:

Click here to Learn More about Flavia’s Program

24Apr 2011

6 Reasons why 10 Minute Workouts Work!

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People know the benefits of working out, but don’t have much time. That is why we created a series of 10-minute workouts in the Ultimate Fat Loss Warrior Member’s section. Daniel tells you why 10 Minute Workouts are so effective:

1 – You Don’t need to Train for 1 Hour

In fact, you SHOULDN’T train for an hour. Actually, the cut-off time is 45 minutes. Why? Because that’s when you’re body starts to catabolize (break down muscle). Muscle mass is super important, so the last thing you want to is to break it down.

Steroid-pumped bodybuilders do not need to worry about catabolism, but YOU DO. There are a series of supplements amateur and professional bodybuilders takes (besides the steroids), that allow them to train longer and harder.

However, we are not bodybuilders. If your goal is to be a bodybuilder, then you are on the wrong website. I will have to refer you to Bodybuilding.com and T-Mag.com. Shah Training and Ultimate Fat Loss Warrior provides solutions for real, average, every day people who want to eat better and look better.

2 – Proper Exercise Selection

So what really makes a 10-minute workout effective is the exercise selection. We focus on using movements that give you the biggest bang for your buck. What does that exactly mean? Well, we start off with using compound, multi-muscle movements.

The more muscle we can recruit within a given exercise, the better the results. So, instead of using 1 exercise for each muscle group, we’re using 1 exercise for multiple muscle groups. This drastically decreases the time you spend exercising.

The interesting thing is that since our workouts are bodyweight-only, it’s quite easy to come up with shorter workouts. It’s actually HARD to isolate your body with bodyweight movements. A pushup is going to work more than just your chest!

One of the biggest time-wasters are Situps. Here’s why.

3 – Challenging, Monthly Workouts

Those that join our Members Section will get a new, challenging workout each month. This is crucial. Because even an intense workout will become easy and boring after a while. Hence, you need to keep yourself challenged with a new workout each month.

If you haven’t done so already, Click here to Join our Members Section Today!

4 – Can’t Muck around with Nutrition

Because you’re only training 10 minutes once every 1-2 days, you need to focus on your nutrition. Many people feel that a longer workout will help them make up for bad nutrition. Well, has it worked so far?

Nope, it hasn’t. So why keep doing something that doesn’t work? Luckily, we already have a done-for you diet plan in the Members Section. It’s called 3-day detox, and it will literally re-set and re-program you to eating clean.

So, a 10  minute workout FORCES you to focus on nutrition. Just like anything in life, there are multiple pieces to complete a puzzle. Click here to learn more about what these pieces of the puzzle are, and how to put them together for better results!

5 – Train Based on your Time

Most of us have long working hours. My cousin works 70 hours per week. My father works over 80 hours per week. And along the way, there’s no time to focus on yourself. That’s why we are so fat as a nation.

Start using 10-minute workouts to jump start your metabolism, and use the 3-day detox to clean up your diet! Click here to get start in the Members Section

6 – Life’s Tough, and You Deserve It

You’ve got kids at home you want to spend time with. A significant other that requires your attention. You’ve got a full time job, and a myriad of other responsibilities. Even though our lives are not physically tough, our lives our mentally tough.

And you deserve it. You deserve to become healthier, stronger, leaner, and happier. So why not take a chance and give 10-minute workouts a go? I mean, the only thing you have to lose is….about 10 minutes a day.

Hey, if you don’t want to join the Members Section, we understand (actually, we don’t). But to help you out, here’s a quick way to create your own 10 minute workout.

21Apr 2011

2 Reasons Why Low Fat Foods Suck

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Every few years, there’s a new trend in the foods market. First it was “low fat.” Then it was “low calorie.” And finally, the most recent trend is, “low carbs.”

Well, all these foods suck, especially low fat foods. My friend Daniel Munday just put out a great new video talking about low fat foods:

1 – Low Fat Foods are Higher in Sugar

I’ve done the research for you, and have found some “low fat” foods that are actually super high in sugar. You love pudding? Well, Jell-O Fat Free Pudding Snacks have 17 grams of sugar per 100 calorie serving.

Nesquick Fat Free Chocolate has a whopping 54 grams of sugar for one 16oz serving! Now, Daniel was talking about Yogurt. Yoplait Original 99% fat free has 31 grams of sugar.

So, you can see how futile counting fat on its own is. You really need to look at the label to see what you’re eating. Your best bet is to just stay away from all these processed foods. If you’re looking for a great snack, then check out these healthy snacks ===>>> Ultimate Fat Loss Warrior Healthy Snack List.

2 – Artificial Sweeteners interfere with Fullness Receptors

New research has found that these artificial sweeteners interfere with your body’s natural ability to sense calories through sweetness. Hence, our body seeks out more sweet foods, causing us to eat more unhealthy in the long run.

Evolution has made our bodies super efficient at sensing imbalances within our system. Hence, when there is a change in our environment, our bodies seek to correct the imbalance. When something artificial is introduced, our bodies do not understand how to deal with it.

This is why we stress natural, unprocessed foods. The moment you put sweeteners in your food, it becomes processed (if it already isn’t). If you’re looking to follow a diet plan that avoids any artificial sweeteners, then check out the 3-Day Detox Diet ====>>> UltimateFatLossWarrior.com/Members