By Tom Venuto
www.BurnTheFat.com

When you pause and reflect on the past decade as you look ahead to a new one, it makes you appreciate how short life is, how valuable time is and how quickly the time can pass you by – with nothing to show for it, if you don’t plan otherwise.

That’s why the passing of another decade can feel like a wakeup call as much as a fresh start: Looking at the technological wonders that surround us in 2010, I can’t help thinking it feels like science fiction.

In fact, modern technology is one of the reasons why some people have succeeded at body transformation while others have failed.

I’m still in awe of the web. The satellite navigation system in my car amazes me every time I drive. I can store a library of books in a device that fits in my pocket. It blows my mind that we can speak to each other face to face through the internet live on video. That’s straight from Star Trek! And those are just the everyday little things.

The cover story of the January 2010 National Geographic magazine is titled, “Merging Man and Machine” – it’s about bionic limbs. Richard Branson’s company, Virgin Galactic just unveiled spaceship two and is preparing to launch civilians into sub orbital space flights.

It’s the greatest time to be alive in all of human history! Unfortunately, today’s modern conveniences have brought a dark side upon us.

Rising obesity has paralleled the march of technology. The chair-bound, desk-job, computer, car, elevator, television based society of today is helping to make millions of people fat and lazy.

Our current way of life is less than a century old, yet our biology hasn’t changed in tens of thousands of years. Our bodies were designed to move and work, not sit and click.

We’ve become spoiled. Complacent. Dependent. And we are paying a price for it. We are fatter than ever before in all of human history. More than two thirds of Americans are now overweight. One third are obese.

People are dying because they‘re too fat.

Ironically, none of our new technology can solve our body fat problems.  There’s no easy way. No pill. No machine. No drug. More knowledge isn’t going to help. We already have most of the answers. We know more about the human body than ever before. But it’s all academic.

The problem lies in the doing. You have to do the work – in the gym and in the kitchen. Hard work.

We are a quick fix society. It’s partly human nature, but technology is making us more impatient. We can have products delivered to us with one click and even do it from our cell phones. We have instant downloads, movies on demand, and drive through coffee shops. We get  our food made and delivered in just minutes while we are sitting in our cars, and it’s still not quick enough. The internet is blazingly fast, but most people will abandon a web page in seconds if it hasn’t loaded. It’s no different with fat loss. We want six pack abs yesterday.

Simultaneously fighting the pull of human nature and the convenience of new technology is no easy task. But there is a solution: Future Orientation.

The most successful people in the world today are those who have a long term perspective. They plan 5-10 years in advance and beyond. They know how to enjoy and live in the present moment, but they take action and make decisions based on their future vision.

The passing of another decade makes you take stock of yourself and your achievements, or lack thereof. “What did I accomplish in the last 10 years? Am I a better person today than I was in 2000?”

If you don’t like the answers, then it’s time to finally get serious about your future because the next 10 years are going to fly by even faster than the last 10 as the pace of life and society gets even faster.

To succeed in the new decade, think beyond new year’s resolutions. Think beyond the 12 week fitness goal. As you write your goals this year, don’t stop with 3 month or even 1 year goals.

Project yourself into the future: 3, 5 and 10 years from now. For each point, dream, fantasize, visualize: if your body, your health your physical performance were perfect in every way, what would that look like? Describe it in vivid detail.

With our ingrained penchant for quick fixes, we often overestimate what we can achieve in the short term and set unrealistic deadlines on our short term goals. But the flipside is that we often underestimate what we can achieve in the long term, so we set our long term goals too low.  Do you realize that people have gone from broke to billionaire in 10 years? In this internet age, some have done it even faster.

My challenge for you this year is to start thinking about your body and your life with the same type of creativity that has led to our greatest technological advances:

Not the same thoughts as yesterday. Not just positive thoughts. just bigger thoughts. NEW THOUGHTS! Creative thoughts! Inventive thoughts! From new thoughts will spring new goals, new actions and new achievements.

Fitness goals should not take over your life, they should enhance every other part of it. So take this opportunity to achieve balance by setting long term goals for every area of your life – health, fitness, finances, career, relationships, experiences, travel, possessions and spiritual growth.

Most people didn’t set any goals 10 years ago. They’re among the masses who are in the same place today as they were a decade ago.

Some people only set short term goals, so they accomplished a few little things, but then stopped, as if a goal were a final destination rather than a stepping stone along a path. Other people set goals but didn’t follow through on them. They forgot that goal setting and goal achieving are two different things.

Don’t fall into these traps.

If you need coaching in the goal setting process – from the daily and weekly baby steps to the long term goals and dreams that span a decade – read chapter one of Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle.  If you already have it. Now is the time to revisit it.

Click here to Get your Own copy of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle

Most people make resolutions. Some people set well-formed goals. But long term goals are the goals that almost everyone forgets to set.

If you didn’t do this exercise 10 years ago, do it now. If you do, I guarantee that in 2013, 2015, 2020, you’ll not only find yourself living at a whole new level, you’ll find yourself living in another world – one of your own creation.

Happy New Year!

Tom Venuto, author of
Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle

Founder & CEO of
Burn The Fat Inner Circle

PS. Remember, goal setting is just the start. Goal ACHIEVING requires a nutrition and training plan.  Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle is the most comprehensive fat loss program of its kind because it teaches you every element necessary to succeed: nutrition, cardio training, weight training and “mental training” (goal setting and mindset).

Click here to learn more about the Burn The Fat program.

Click here to learn more about our Burn The Fat Inner Circle community.

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com

It’s 2010. Your old excuses for not getting in shape won’t work. As Dr. Evil (Austin Powers) said, ZIP IT! I don’t want to hear them anymore! Read em’, then haul your excuseless butt to the gym!

1. I have no time.

According to a story in a recent issue of Men’s Health magazine, Barack Obama works out for 45 minutes a day, 6 days a week. Obama doesn’t just play basketball either. Our new president stays fit to lead with cardio and weight lifting. He also says he wishes he could train 90 minutes a day. Have you ever seen what the daily schedule of a U.S. president looks like? If the busiest man in the world can train every day for 45 minutes a day, then what’s your excuse? ZIP IT! You ain’t got one!

2. It’s too expensive.

Getting in shape certainly is expensive… if you keep wasting hundreds of dollars, month after month on worthless “miracle” weight loss pills, internal cleansing gimmicks and “magic” potions that all claim to make you slim. Deceptive advertising and slick marketing for bogus diet aids is more rampant than ever. 2010 was the year of thewu-long tea scam, the acai berry scam, and, of course, the ubiquitous “cleansing” and “detox” gimmicks . Unless you put on your critical thinking cap and learn to investigate before you invest, then you’ll get scammed by 2010’s flavor of the year as well. Your quest for those elusive “6-pack” abs will not only continue to be expensive, you’ll go broke. Walking, jogging, calisthenics and body weight exercises are FREE. If you want to know what’s really expensive, tally up the cost of legitimate expenses like natural food, gym memberships, fitness education, dumbbells and so on, and compare that to your doctor’s bill when you’re sick.

3. No one will support me.

Experts on social influence say your income will be approximately equal to the average of your 5 closest friends. Not only do I think that’s pretty darn accurate, I also believe that your health is your greatest wealth, and your physical condition will be about equal to the average of your 5 closest friends. It’s a real challenge to stay positive, focused and active when you’re surrounded by critical people and negative influences. However, in 2010, lack of support is no longer a valid excuse. Online social networking is exploding (check out Twitter and Facebook ) and more IN PERSON friendships and associations are being made from an internet connection than ever before. Training buddies can be found online. Connect with them. Mentors and coaches are easily found online. Hire them. Support forums have been around for years. Use them. No support from your current friends? Stop whining, start reaching out and go make new ones. In 2010, support partners and new friends are just a click away.

4. I can’t lose weight because of my genetics.

The marvels of modern medical and biological research are astonishing. Our top scientists have mapped the human genome! In the past few years, numerous genes linked to obesity have been discovered. However, the obesity epidemic we’re facing today has only developed over the past 50 years and genetic mutations that lead to serious obesity are extremely rare. Genetic predisposition only means that you have a tendency. It’s when the genetics meet lifestyle and environment that the genes express themselves. If you have a family history of heart disease, is it smart to smoke, eat junk, be a stressed-out, type-A maniac and a couch potato? Well of course not, and it’s the same with obesity. If you have a tendency predisposing you towards obesity, you’d better be the person doing the MOST exercise, not the least. You’d better be the person paying the MOST attention to your nutrition. You’d better be the person with the healthiest lifestyle. But unfortunately, it’s usually the opposite. Most people throw up their arms in frustration saying, “what’s the use, I was dealt a bad hand.” Sorry. That won’t fly in 2010. The latest research says genetics are a factor, but a tendency is not a destiny!

5. I don’t know how.

The lamest excuse of them all in 2010 is “I don’t know how.” NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL AFTER THEY HAVE ACTUALLY DONE IT! Ponder that for a while. You don’t need to know how at first. To get started, you only need to know WHAT… what is the goal? Setting well-formed goals is the master skill of success. Not wishy-washy resolutions that have no resolve behind them, but real goals. In writing. With emotional ooompf! As you continue to affirm, visualize and focus on your goal with clarity, belief, and expectation, your new goal or intention will be received by your subconscious. Once a goal is accepted into your subconscious mind, your brain, being a goal-seeking mechanism, will turn on your attention filters to seek out all the information you will ever need to reach your goal. It will also turn on an infallible navigation system to guide you to your goal like a torpedo to its target. As your brain guides your attention, your direction and your behavior, you will discover that today, in 2010, there is more good information, coaching and instruction available than ever before. And when you’ve activated that “success radar” in your brain by setting goals effectively, it’s not as hard to find honest, accurate and helpful HOW-TO advice as you might think. In fact, you found this webpage, so you’re doing pretty good right now, aren’t you?

No more excuses. In 2010, remember my Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle Creed: You can either make excuses or get results, but you can’t do both!

Your friend and coach,

Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com

Every year as Thanksgiving gets closer, you’ve probably seen the depressing reports: “Most people gain between 5 and 10 pounds of body fat in the six weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.” I’m not sure if this worries you or not, but a lot of people are terrified about getting fatter in the next two months. They anticipate the workouts falling by the wayside and the holiday food calling out to them irresistibly, defeating even the strongest willpower. There’s good news and bad news about this.

Good news: According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the average amount gained is much more modest – just over a pound.

Bad news: A study by the National Institutes of Health found that this seasonal weight gain – even just a pound – is the kind of weight gain that most people don’t lose when the holidays are over; it simply adds to the “weight creep” that “sneaks up” on you as you get older.

People often wonder how it’s possible to wake up one morning at age 40 or 45 and “suddenly” they’re 30 pounds fatter – or more – than they were in college. Mystery solved.

Of course, some people really do pack it on over the holidays, but whether its a pound or ten pounds, did you ever ask yourself why does holiday weight gain happen at all?

In previous years, I’ve asked my readers and here are some common answers I was given:

Holiday Excuse Survey Says…

“I’m too busy over the holidays to work out as often as usual.”

“I’m more stressed over the holidays, and the food is there, so I eat more.”

“I have at least three parties to attend and then there’s Christmas and New Year’s, so it’s impossible to stay on a diet”

“No one can tell me not to enjoy myself over the holidays so I’m just going to eat whatever I want.”

These answers all have a few things in common:

“Either/Or” Thinking and “Reverse Goal Setting” Exposed

First, they assume that you can EITHER get in better shape OR enjoy yourself, but not both. Stated in reverse: You can either deprive yourself of holiday enjoyments or gain weight, but it has to be one or the other. The truth is, “either/or thinking” is neurotic thinking and a great killer of fitness programs.

Second, these are all excuses or rationalizations. “I’m too busy” for example, is always an excuse, because I have never known someone who was too busy to make time for his her highest life priorities. We all have the same amount of time – 24 hours a day – the real problem is, most people don’t make exercise and healthy eating a priority. And remember, words mean little. Actions reveal a person’s true priorities.

Third, none of these are the real reasons most people gain weight over the holidays to begin with. The real reason is because an intention was never set for the opposite: To get in better shape over the holidays.

Most people set a “goal” to get in worse shape over the holidays. It’s not consciously set, of course, as few people would intentionally set out to get fatter. They simply do it by default. In their minds, they accept that it must be just about impossible to stay in shape with everything going on over the holiday season, so why bother?

Rationing Lies For Holiday Failure

Once the decision has been made, then the rationalizing continues:

“Why should I deprive myself?”
“Family is more important”
“Worrying about diet and exercise during the holidays is neurotic”
“I don’t care if I gain a few pounds, I’m going to enjoy myself anyway”
“It’s only these two or three weeks that I let myself go wild”
“I’ll start the first week in January and lose the weight then.”

As a result of this “negative goal-setting,” they expect to work out less, eat more and gain a few pounds, and they don’t seem to even consider alternatives.

But what would happen if you…

SET A GOAL TO GET IN BETTER shape over the holidays?

What would happen if you decided that it was not an all or nothing proposition and that you could enjoy the holidays and all it has to offer and get in better shape at the same time?

And what if you decided that your health and your body were the highest priorities in your life, because you realized that can’t enjoy anything else in life, including family or holidays, if you don’t have your health?

Here’s what would happen: You’d get in better shape!

I’m not all that different from you just because I’m a bodybuilder and fitness professional. I have many of the same problems, concerns and struggles as you do. Although today I always get in better shape between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, that’s a result of a conscious choice, a close examination of my old belief systems and a lot of action. For me, it all started about eight years ago.

For most of my adult life, I wasn’t much of a traveler and I didn’t enjoy flying or staying in hotels. For one thing, I had so many business commitments in the East Coast health club business, that I seldom left town for long, as I had to “tend to the stores.” But I also had a belief that if I traveled, my workouts and nutrition would suffer. After all, “it would be hard to stick with my usual bodybuilding diet, and I wouldn’t have access to my usual gyms”, I told myself. For these reasons, I never did much travel..

Then I was forced to take some trips for business reasons. Predictably enough, my nutrition and workouts suffered while I was spending time in airplanes and in hotels. With my experience having confirmed my beliefs, I re-affirmed to myself, “See, travelling is nothing but a pain. You just can’t stay on a diet and training program when you’re out of town.”

After several more trips, I noticed that something very negative happened: I surrendered. I had resigned myself to “not bother” while I was on the road. I let my expectations create my reality.

But I didn’t let it go on for long. As soon as I became aware of what was happening, I decided that I wouldn’t tolerate it, so I challenged myself and my previous limiting beliefs. I asked myself, “Why the heck not? Why let myself backslide? Why even settle for maintaining? Why not challenge myself to improve while I’m traveling?” The answer was: There was no good reason, there were only excuses.

From that day forward, I set a challenge for myself…

To come back from every trip or vacation in better shape than when I left.

Of course there were exceptions, as when I went on a vacation for total R & R. But I never let travel get in my way again. I prepared food that I would eat on the planes so airline food was never an excuse… I usually chose hotels that had kitchens, so I could cook my own food. I went food shopping immediately after check-in. I wrote my training schedule and scouted gyms in advance… And I actually found myself training harder than usual.

No matter where I was training – it could even be some “dungeon” of a gym in the middle of nowhere – it didn’t matter because my mind was focused on improving and looking better when I came home than when I left. I had a goal to motivate me!

What do you think happened? It’s not hard to guess: I always came home in better shape than when I left.

Since then, my “travel challenge” has become somewhat of a ritual in my life. When I’m away from my “home-base” it becomes a “fitness road trip.” I search the Internet or yellow pages or ask locals to help me find the most hard-core gym nearby wherever I will be staying (Gold’s Gym works for me!) When I get there, I train every bit as hard as if I had a competition just weeks away. I look forward to it now. In fact, this is what led me to my “holiday fitness challenge” idea.

Like many people, I travel over the holidays, so I’m automatically in “travel challenge” mode at thanksgiving, Christmastime and New Year’s. But with the additional temptations and busyness that the holidays bring on top of the usual travel stresses, I saw fit to declare a new challenge: “The Holiday Challenge.” The difference was that for my “holiday challenge,” I pledged to not only to return home in better shape than when I left, but to enjoy the holidays to the fullest at the same time.

People who think I deprive myself to look the way I do would be shocked: I eat like a KING over the holidays including Pumpkin (or apple) Pie at Thanksgiving and OF COURSE my mom’s famous red and green Jell-O Christmas cake. Then on New Year’s I’m usually toasting champagne and having a blast with friends or family….

The difference is, I don’t eat like that very often.

Every other meal stays right on schedule and I work out hard and consistently over the holidays; I don’t let everything fall apart just because ‘tis the season.’

The idea that you can EITHER enjoy the holidays OR stay in shape – but not both – is wrong, it’s damaging and it’s limiting.

Life is not an either or proposition; it’s a matter of balance.

Success does not mean going to extremes. Success can be a simple matter of re-examining your beliefs, rearranging your priorities, setting goals, changing the questions you ask yourself and re-evaluating your expectations.

Your expectations will become your reality. What are you expecting? Are you expecting success? Are you expecting to be in better shape after holiday parties, celebrations, banquets, dinners, and desserts? If not, then why not? What’s preventing you from enjoying all of the above and still getting in better shape? Do you have a limiting belief which dictates that it’s one or the other? Could it be that you never set a goal, intention or expectation to do it? Could it be that you’re rationalizing or making excuses? If so, then I challenge you to change it this year.

As of this writing, there are less than two months until the end of the year. Why not see how much you can improve your physique over the holidays, without depriving yourself of any holiday enjoyments or festivities? Just step up your expectations. Step up your standards. Step up your nutrition. Step up your training. Step up your action. Step up and accept the “Burn The Fat holiday fitness challengeand see what happens!

That’s right… The First Annual Burn The Fat Holiday Fitness challenge contest is open from Wednesday November 18th to Wednesday November 25th.

Over the course of a “50-Day Burn” which spans all three major holidays – Thanksgiving (US), Christmas and New Year’s – you’ll have the motivation, the accountability and structured program to end the year strong, start the new year on the foot and possibly get in the best shape of your life.

Even better, you’ll be able to eat delicious Holiday Food and enjoy yourself to the fullest at the same time because this is a lifestyle program which allows your favorite foods in moderation and balance.

And the best part of all: I’m sending the winners of the contest to Negril Jamaica to show off their new bodies on the beach in 2010!

Taking the Burn The Fat Challenge is simple. You can enter the contest two ways:

(1) Purchase the Burn The Fat e-book from www.BurnTheFat.com or

(2) Join the Burn The Fat Inner Circle fitness support community (”contest central”) by Clicking Here.

You’ll be automatically enrolled with either purchase.

Or, if you want ALL the contest details and the FULL list of prizes, visit the contest page by Clicking Here.

Train hard and expect success!

-Tom Venuto,
Author of Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle
Founder/CEO, Burn The Fat Inner Circle

About the author:

Moderate training will get you moderate results. It’s as simple as that. In order to truly excel in your fitness goals you need to be constantly taking it to the next level. Taking it to the next level means training heavy. Forget about training for aesthetics for just one moment. Don’t worry about mass or fat loss, worry about getting strong, because that’s how you put on muscle, and that’s how you cut weight.

I get asked all the time: I don’t have any weights, can I get in shape through bodyweight exercise only? The answer is yes, but the problem is progressive intensity. Progressive intensity means that your workouts constantly become harder. Earlier I’ve said that I always fall into a short training stump, where after about two to three weeks of great workouts, I experience a week or two weeks of really bad workouts.

This is partly my fault for not realizing this pattern earlier. But I’ve realized why this happens: my body adapts REALLY fast. I recover REALLY quickly. I can do an intense workout one day, then another intense the next day, whereas someone else may need a day or two off to recover. I think this comes from my old martial arts days. I believe that anyone that has participated in sports in the past, or currently does, is used to intense training and is able to train their body to recover quickly.

Two elements of my martial arts training was progressive intensity and constant change. Thy key is to be able to combine these two elements into your training routines.

Progressive Intensity

Progressive Intensity simply means that you constantly make your workouts more difficult. When it comes to weight training, you can increase repetitions, but that will only work for so long. You will need to go back, lower the reps, and add resistance. Instead of doing that, why not just constantly add resistance?

To make strength gains, you should keep your reps in the 1 to 5-rep range, and to make mass gains, you should keep your reps in the 6-10 rep range. Higher than 10 reps and we’re talking about muscular endurance training, which is beneficial for only certain purposes. In other words, work in the 1-10 rep range, constantly striving to increase your weights.

Constant Change

Constantly changing up your routine is crucial to keep your body guessing, and to avoid boredom. I once stated that you should switch up your routine every 3 to 4 weeks. However, I think that this depends mostly on the athlete. For example, I’m starting to transition into changing up my routine every week, and will probably end up using dramatically different protocols every five days. In other words, instead of using cycles lasting 21 days, I’m now shortening my training cycles to five days.

Don’t worry about what cycle you should work in. Your body will naturally tell you when to change your routine. When the gains stop coming, it’s time to change.

One of the best workouts out there which helps you increase your strength levels through bodyweight and dumbbell training is the Size & Strength workout featured in the Gladiator Body Workout.

Gladiator Body Workout is a set of 6, 4-week programs. Each program targets a particular goal, but once you go through all six programs, you’ll be leaner, stronger, and fitter then when you started out with.

In my opinion, Gladiator Body Workout is the best program out there if you’re looking for consistent progress and wish to train at a high intensity level with bodyweight and dumbbell exercises.

Click here to grab your copy today!

Crossfit is the go-to place if you want truly intense workouts. What I teach through this site is honestly a dumbed down version of Crossfit. The types of workouts I see them posting on the main Crossfit site are tough, and are certainly not for everyone.

Click here to learn over 100 Bodyweight Exercises, Plus Tips and Techniques you can use to Create Safe, Effective, High Intensity Workouts in the comfort of your Own Home

There’s a lot I love about Crossfit, but there’s also a lot that I don’t like. In this post, we’ll focus on methods that can help you create your own high intensity Crossfit-style bodyweight workouts.

Crossfit Tip #1: Start from the Basics

Continue reading

I don’t talk much about Dumbbells on this website because I’m assuming most of you are just training at home with absolutely no equipment. However, the truth is that even bodyweight training is limiting. One of the most effective and cheapest “upgrades” from bodyweight training is Dumbbell Training.

My Dream Paradise!

Here are 6 simple and intense workouts you can perform in the comfort of you own home using just your bodyweight:

Beginner Bodyweight Workout #1:

5 rounds of:

• Decline Pushup, 10 reps
• 100 Cts. Jump Roping
• Situps, 10 reps
• 100 Cts. Jump Roping
• Jumping Pullups, 10 reps
• 100 Cts. Jump Roping

Try to perform the entire workout with minimal rest. Time the workout, and try to beat your score the next time.

Beginner Bodyweight Workout #2:

3 rounds of:

• Wall Pushups, 30 reps
• Crunches, 20 reps
• Parallel Squats, 10 reps

Try to perform the entire workout with minimal rest. Time the workout, and try to beat your score the next time.

Beginner Bodyweight Workout #3:

6 rounds of:

• Jumping Pullups and Negatives, 5 reps
• Chair Squats, 10 reps
• Butterfly Crunch, 20 reps

Primary focus of this workout is to help you with the pullups. Make sure the negatives are as slow and controlled as possible. You do not need to time the workout. You’re not trying to go fast, but instead trying to get stronger on thepullups. Work up to 10 negatives per set.

Beginner Bodyweight Workout #4:

5 rounds of:

• Jumping Pullups and Hold, 5 seconds hold, 5 reps
• Parallel Squat Jump, 5 reps

You do not need to time the workout. You’re not trying to go fast, but instead trying to get stronger. Work up to 10 reps per set.

Beginner Bodyweight Workout #5:

5 rounds of:

• Jumping Chinups and Negatives, 10 reps
• Cobra Pushups, 20 reps

You do not need to time the workout. You’re not trying to go fast, but instead trying to get stronger on the chinups. Work up to 20 reps per set on the negatives.

Beginner Bodyweight Workout #6:

10 rounds of:

• Pushups, 40 seconds
• Body Swings, 40 seconds
• Jumping Chinups and Hold, 40 seconds

Spend 40 seconds performing each exercise. For jumping chinups and hold, hold the top position as long as you can or until the 40 seconds are completed.

These are just some very basic bodyweight workouts. However, if you’re really serious about getting into shape with bodyweight training, then I suggest you check out one of these 3 bodyweight training products:

The BusyBod Workout System

• The BusyBod Workout System is a bodyweight training system which features workouts that last just 4 minutes a day to help you Drop Fat and Reveal Lean Muscle Mass.
• Certified Trainer George Louris is offering a $4.97 trial offer, so you can try the program for a fraction of the cost, without any risk.
• The Program sells for just $47 and includes The BusyBod Workout System, plus a bonus Fat Blaster Follow Up Program.

Click here for more information.

Workout Without Weights

• Workout Without Weights is a manual which teaches you how to use your bodyweight to improve your health and fitness. The eBook features not only exercise descriptions, but also teaches you how to develop your own effective training programs
• If you purchase the Combo Pack, you can also get another eBook which Author Coach Eddie Lomax sells separately: “Ultimate Gymless Workout.” In addition, you will receive the Combo Calisthenic Audio Workout bonus, which is currently not for sale on the market.
• The Basic version sells for just $19.95. The value of the Combo Pack is $73.95 but coach is giving it to you for just $47.00.

Click here for more information.

Lightning Speed Fitness Program

• Lighting Speed Fitness Program features 1-5 minute workouts designed to help you Drop Fat and Build Lean Muscle Mass.
• Roger Haeske shows you how to drop fat training just 15 minutes per day or less using high intensity “mini workout” that last just 1-5 minutes.
• The Program sells for just $37 and can be performed without going to the gym.

Click here for more information

Let me share with you guys something you might already know: People are not taking responsibility for their health. Even those that go to the gym religiously, have a personal trainer, are enrolled in a class, and those that have a fully-outfitted home gym – would feel lost if they did not have those “things” that the rely on to keep them in shape – gym membership, personal trainer, class, home gym equipment.

That is essentially the problem with today’s society and why people are so out of shape. There’s one excuse after another – oh, I need a gym, I need a trainer, I need this, I need that, I need time. I’m glad that you have decided to sign up for this website, because what you will experience with this website is something I like to call “NO EXCUSES TRAINING” Read more: http://shahtraining.com/members/?p=159

I experienced something amazing last night: deep meditation.

Meditation is simply an attempt to reach a “deeper” state of awareness. Now I’m not going to throw any philosophical mumbo jumbo at you. I’m just going to talk about my experiences with meditation, and what I did different last night in my meditation practice that has already given me such incredible results.

I began meditating in high school. It was one of the many things that helped me in my weight loss. But the real break through came during college. There was a day where I just broke down, crying. I’d just finished fighting with my mother about our usual issues: “Parth, get a job!” – “No! Idon’t want to!”

I collapsed near my bed and began crying, silently. I called my cousin up and explained the situation to him. I’m sure he was scared as he had never heard me this way. I’m usually the “macho” guy in our group. But today, I just felt like a helpless little child. I forget what I said to him, but I do remember what he said to me: “What you’re trying to do with your life is tough, because there aren’t immediate results to it. There’s no steady stream of income at all. But what you’re doing is admirable. Getting up at 4 in the morning, pursuing a dream, not wanting to work for anyone else but yourself. That’s admirable.”

He was right. I go back to that night and those words every single moment that I feel depressed, frustrated, and just plain…down.

I’ve been feeling the same way since I decided to start this members section. A million different questions pop into my head at any given moment:

• Will it work?
• What if I fail?
• What if too many people sign up?
• What if not enough people sign up?
• What do I charge?
• How can I protect myself legally?
• Why am I doing this?

Image by Yogic Trance

The Benefits of Meditation

Meditation has helped me dig deeper. It has allowed me to get up at 4 in the morning and workout. It has allowed me to stay on a difficult dieting plan. It has allowed me to realize my greatness….and I need to do it again.

Last night, I began to meditate using my usual methods: “watching my thoughts ” and “breathing,” But along with each breath, I said things to myself like:

• You need to dig deeper
• You can do this
• You will succeed
• You can wake up early tomorrow
• You’re gonna make this successful, no matter what
• You’re going to be successful, no matter what
• Stop wasting time, and hustle!
• Don’t worry about what people say
• Just move!
• Your best isn’t good enough. You need to push harder.

The key to really motivate and push yourself and achieve your dreams involves some sort of meditation. You may be meditating, and not even realizing it. Many people “reflect.” They’ll sit down, write things down on a piece of paper, and try to solve their problems in a practical manner. One aspect of meditation is awareness. Awareness is simply understanding your problems, surrounding, and beliefs. It’s simply understanding YOU.

Have you ever listened to someone arguing or complaining and thought, “If only he/she would listen to themselves?” Well, meditation is exactly that: put on a tape recorder while you complain and b**ch about your problems with a friend, and then play it back a few days later. See how you feel listening to your own voice. You might be surprised by what you say.

So meditation is listening to your inner voice, to your inner a**hole and understanding him/her. Once you start listening and understanding, you can start to reallygauge into the problems:

• Are you nervous? Why? What can you do about it?
• Are you anxious? Why? What can you do about it?
• Are you afraid? Why? What can you do about it?
• Are you angry? Why? What can you do about it?
• Are you lacking motivation? Why? How can you fix it?
• Do you feel guilty? Why? How can you fix it?
• Are you depressed? Why? How can you fix it?
• Do you feel sorry? Why? What can you do about it?
• Do you feel jealous? Why? How can you fix it?

Image by Young Adult Crisis Hotline

Stop Rationalizing and Start Understanding

Most individuals try to reason their way out of doing something really hard. Its the reason why diet books do so well. I mean come on, how many different ways do you need someone to tell you to eat less? It’s the same reason why fitnesseBooks and infomercial products do so well. The process goes something like this (and I’ve been through this as well):

1. You buy this amazing new book with this amazing new training program.
2. You’re really excited to you tell all your friends or blog about it.
3. Then you go try it and realize how friggin difficult it is.
4. The fact that you’ll actually have to do some WORK makes you nauseous.
5. You go shelve the book and sit on your coach, open up a bag of potato chips, and start watching Biggest Loser.

I knew what I was getting into when I decided to pursue my own dreams. I took the path less traveled and I knew all about the twists and turns and hills and slides. But doing the right thing – apologizing to someone, taking on a job for passion as opposed to money, reaching in and motivating yourself to lose weight – all these things take a sh*t load of courage.

I’ve talked about meditation a few times with friends and family, and a lot of them state that meditation is hard. They’re afraid to meditate simply because they’re afraid of their thoughts. I had a friend in college who told me she was afraid of being alone. She was afraid of the thoughts that come to her and afraid of how it might make them feel.

Image by wildmind

How to Meditate

Well, over the years I’ve adopted some specific rules to meditation:

• Step one: Learn to sit quietly. Thats it. In this first stage you do not need to practice any technique. Simply practice your breathing. Adopt a steady rhythm of just breathing and focus on that pace.
• Step two: Watch your thoughts. What I like to do is pretend there’s a camera in my head. As a thought comes up, I just take a picture of it. When I exhale, I imagine throwing that photograph away.
• Step three: Get to the peace zone. After step two, you’ll find yourself just “there.” You’ll be able to get to your “peace zone” rather quickly. This part is actually kind of scary,cuz you feel like you’re in this deserted area, like a forest or something.
  • Everything around you is pitch dark. Everything is silent. You see no people, hear no people, and think no people. This is the state of true inner peace, and it’sfriggin’s scary.
  • The first time I achieved this zone, I literally opened up my eyes and looked around to see where I was.
• Step four: Listen to your voice. If you can make it past step three, then you’re doing amazing. At this point, there’s no one else around you but yourself. You’re not going to hear any voices – not your parents, your friends, that random guy who cursed at you on the street – no one. So it’s just you talking to yourself. So listen to it.
• Step five – Understand your voice. Once you learn to listen to yourself, you realize what’s really deep inside of you. What’s really bothering you. What’s really hurting you in your subconscious mind.
• Step Six – Step five and six go hand in hand. Now that you understand what’s really bothering you all you need to do now is take out a pen and paper, right down some actions you can take to solve those problems, and go do them.

I read somewhere that the difference between prayer and meditation is that with prayer, you are talking to God, and with meditation, God is talking to you. Either way, the techniques that I just explained to you should help you mentally overcome any barrier in your place. You should at least try them out – cheaper then hiring a psychologist.

I just came back from a short vacation to India. I had gone to my cousin’s wedding, and as always, I have come back with fresh ideas and a new approach to life. The following are just some lessons I’ve learnt during my short stay:

Lesson #1: Be grateful for the cards you’ve been dealt in your life. There will always be someone out there who is better off than you are, but there will be ten other people in worse situations. This is apparent in India, as you see poverty everywhere from the local food market to the high-end malls.

• It brought tears to my eyes and made me realize how much I’d been complaining about what I had. I’m incredibly lucky to have a roof over my head, food on the table, and two parents that love and support me financially.
• I really have nothing to worry about, and if I don’t buckle down and use my resources to follow my dreams than I’m an absolute fool.

Fitness Application: Use the resources you have to create your training program and improve your fitness. Stop thinking you need to go out and get an expensive gym membership or buy that perfect training implement or book to get the results you want.

Lesson #2: India is a nation with lots of people and very little opportunities. In such a situation, you can’t just sit there and ask for a free hand. Instead, you need to create your own opportunities. This may mean selling fresh juice on the side of the street, or moving to a different state to join a new construction project.

• No one is going to come up to you and say, “Hey I’m going to give you a million bucks for your new brilliant idea.” You need to go and take your brilliant idea and show people what you can do with it. This is one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made in my promotion with Shah Training – I really wasn’t doing much in the way of promotion.
• You need to be an individual marketer, but instead of marketing a product or service, you need to market yourself as someone who can solve people’s problems.

Fitness Application: Stop looking for free advice or free training. Nothing is free and no one is going to help you unless you show them that you have the potential to succeed. Believe in yourself and understand that only you have what it takes to work hard and succeed with your goals.

Lesson #3: Learn a new skill, even if you don’t want to. You need to understand that you don’t know everything. One of the fundamentals of website promotion is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). There are entire companies employing numerous consultants who do SEO work for a living.

• For a small-time website such as Shah Training, I needed to first master the fundamentals: SEO. I taught myself how to read HTML and PHP , so why couldn’t I conquer SEO? The truth is, that I’m still not an SEO expert, but I’m learning and finally seeing the results from my efforts.
• India has a very low literacy rate, and this showed me the power of the Internet and other resources, of which I have access to. It doesn’t hurt to crack open a book about a topic that may not be familiar to you. You learn by doing, and you succeed by learning.

Fitness Application: You learn by doing, so go do it. Stop waiting around the perfect training program or asking a million different questions on a dozen different forums. Do your own research, learn the essentials, and get cracking in the gym, your bedroom, or in your backyard.

Lesson #4: Fate is a common theme in India. One that took me a long time to grasp. I’ve realized that there are two main ways of looking at fate.

• The first way is to believe that everything that is happening to has already been written, and there is no way out of a particular situation despite your best efforts. And so the best way is to just live life, even if you’re unhappy with your current situation.
• The second way of looking at fate, and one that I prescribe to, is to understand that circumstances are out of your control, such as the fact that you may be born poor, someone close to you may pass away, or that you are involved in a car accident.
• But the most important thing is the decisions and approach you take to improving your current situation. Decisions are within your control. The most important thing is the you make decisions with a willingness to succeed for a better life.

Fitness Application: Don’t worry about a bad day. Make the best of your situation, and just keep going. Keep track of your training and diet so that you can make changes for improvement. Don’t think that some people are predestined to have a great physique and you’re going to be fat or scrawny for the rest of your life.

Use these life lessons in your approach to health and fitness, and you’ll succeed with all of your goals.