Remember those gift cards or pre-paid credit cards you received from your lazy family members for Christmas? Well it’s time to cash them in and we’re here to offer up some health and fitness suggestions for you.

As an aside, I’m quickly becoming a fan of receiving gift cards, and especially pre-paid credit cards. With it, you get to shop anywhere you like instead of being bound to a single store like a traditional gift card.

However, watch out for the inactivity fee charge though. The MasterCard prepaid credit card I received for Christmas starts charging $2.50 per month at the 6-month mark after activation.

There are plenty of health and fitness products to consider – and completely ignore - in the today’s marketplace.

Here are 10 ways to spend your holiday gift cards on losing weight and getting healthy: (more…)

Personal trainers have built their business on bringing fitness training and support to individuals in the comfort of their own homes. In recent years though, there has been a new dynamic growing at creating a similar environment for another group of clients – those you never meet in person.

If you’re like me and born outside of generation z (mid-90s to 2000s) then this sounds absolutely crazy!

A personal trainer who never spots you or yells out “c’mon, one more rep”? Huh? Really?

[Imagine Obama on the other end coaching you?? - "I don't think I can do it coach... YES WE CAN!"]

So let’s move together past our collective first glances and see what virtual personal trainers and coaches have to offer.

How exactly does this arrangement work?

(more…)

I hear a lot of discussions in gym locker rooms about how to burn the most amount of body fat and gain lean muscle during strength training. The good news is you don’t have to spend more time in the gym. In fact, it’s completely the opposite:

Spend less time – especially resting between sets!

 
[A watch or clock is essential for measuring rest periods between sets - even grandma's old clunker will get the job done.]

Will I Still Be Strong?

It depends on your goals. If you’re training to increase strength to be able to compete in power-lifting competitions then resting a bit longer would be a good idea – up to three minutes for movements like squats and deadlifts. But chances are you’re here at The Fat Loss Authority wanting to learn about losing fat. Being able to lift a small European car is not the primary goal. (more…)

It’s not easy losing weight – at least for most of us – which is why fat loss is always a mainstream topic being talked about on almost every talk and news show (Larry King with Carnie Wilson and Jillian Michaels last week was the icing on the cake!). Most of you reading this probably want to burn up that fat and uncover your abs sooner rather than later.

Who wouldn’t want a midsection that looks like a cheese grater?

[This pic is for anyone stuck shoveling snow this past week. Must go somewhere sunny very soon!]

NOTE: I would’ve used the old “washboard abs” metaphor but I think it’s time to retire that one since anybody under the age of 30 probably has no idea what the hell a washboard is?

So to get you on your way to burning up the fat around your belly, here are five crucial fat loss tips to help your diet and exercise regimen for the new year: (more…)

Rafi Bar-Lev, a former combat medic and founder of the community fitness site Passionate Fitness, has stopped by today to discuss ways to help you stay motivated when you just don’t want to exercise. Before you skip over this information because you don’t think it applies to you, STOP!

It eventually happens to us all but the important part is to recognize the workout rut you’re in so that you can climb out and continue reaching for your fat loss goals.

[Climbing out of a workout rut seems pretty easy when you compare it to this type of climbing...Yikes!]

5 Ways to Stay Motivated When You’re in a Workout Rut – Guest Post by Rafi Bar-Lev

We’ve all been there when you just get tired of hitting the gym and want to stop working out. Luckily, the feeling is natural and there are ways to get around it.

Here are 5 tips to help you get motivated when you’re in a workout rut:
(more…)

Anybody else overwhelmed about the information regarding H1N1 this past month? It’s practically impossible to escape the crush of swine flu related facts and vaccination options. No matter the medium, be it the Internet, TV, radio, we’ve been overloaded with information regarding this pandemic and it seems to be a popular conversation with just about anybody you talk to these days.

Worst of all, the amount of email forwards I receive on a daily basis where poor Piglet is getting abused by Winnie the Pooh and company!

[Seems like something out of a movie but this was Mexico earlier this year!]

One thing to remember in all of this hoopla is the media and how they always reports things that go wrong, but rarely seem to find enough ink to talk about things that go right. Therefore, we hear about and subsequently pay more attention to the few people who ended up very sick or unfortunately died from the swine flu than the many people who successfully recovered from the swine flu.

What should you be doing?

(more…)

With the NFL season well underway (Lions’ and Browns’ fans, my condolences) and the Fall TV programming schedule in full swing (high-five for House and Glee anyone?) it’s very easy to get cozy on your sofa and do some mindless channel surfing.

[Ever had days where you didn't change out of your pajamas and wonder what the hell did I do today? Not a good feeling is it?] 

Throw in the fact that life is a hell of a lot busier during this time of year – school, social gatherings, volunteer commitments, or an increased work schedule, now competing for our time – it’s not that difficult to pull a 180 and return to your lazy self and stop your regular exercise regimen. Not so fast… (more…)

I can still remember sitting at a table with two wanna be bodybuilders in University and listening to their conversation as they ate three pieces of leftover grilled chicken with a large side of cottage cheese (This after-workout eating menu should have been hint #34 to change my approach with regards to fitness but I was a sucker for trying to get lean and mean back then).

The terms and language thrown around in discussing their current workout routine made them sound like they attended a private middle school on Mars. I felt intimidated to jump in and tell them I did 50 push-ups and sit-ups last night before bed.

[You don't need to be a smarty pants to understand fitness lingo... Kinda of looks like Jennifer Love Hewitt in disguise?]

For those who watch The Biggest Loser, read through the latest Fitness magazines, or follow one of the fat loss programs reviewed here, you’ll be familiar with this language. For others just starting out, it’s time to stop feeling embarrassed – read through the glossary below to help you decode some popular gym jargon. (more…)

All too often I hear war stories about guys who had their back go out numerous times during free-bar squats. It may be because their body is not built for it or more likely it is due to their idiotic obsession with squatting 500 pounds and being proclaimed a “huge monster” for doing so. Forgive me for going
with the later assumption.

[Even the King of the Jungle needs a rest. Traditional squats move over, it's time you had some company on lower body exercises]

Now I’m no doctor but having that kind of weight straddling your neck and shoulders just screams serious injury and compression damage to you spine. But let’s dig into the research because it’s somewhat surprising…

Do Squats Lead to Back Injuries?

For such a basic exercise movement, squatting sure stirs the pot regarding its risk to lower back injuries with personal trainers and scientists alike.

(more…)

I use the term “Interval Training” quite a bit on this site when discussing exercise strategies for fat loss. However, up until this post I’ve done a poor job in describing what the hell “Interval Training” really is.

If you’re someone who loves the fancy cardio machines and spends entire gym sessions in hope of burning loads of body fat, I’d suggest you pay special attention. What you’ve been doing up to this point may be sabotaging your fat loss goals while wasting colossal amounts of time!

[Long cardio sessions remind me a lot of this tricycle. Old, boring, and an inefficient way to get around the neighbourhood. Time to graduate to two wheels and start training more effectively with Interval Training.]

What are Intervals?

They are brief, high intensity periods of exercise (where you work out as intensely as you can), alternated with active recovery periods, (where you slow down just long enough to catch your breath).
(more…)