Burning fat and losing weight is hard enough. But for most of us, losing those last 10 or 15 pounds – and keeping them off – seems nearly impossible. And let’s not forget that we want to keep the muscle we’ve built along the way, right?

OK, time to drop the word “nearly” and just call it impossible?

Not so, says personal trainer and fitness blogger Chad Howse.

Chad has a great personal story of his own which includes boxing and putting functional muscle on his skinny frame, but today he stopped by to share 3 tips for burning fat and how he went from fighting at 165 lbs to 152 lbs without sacrificing any muscle.

Here are Chad’s tips for dropping those last pounds and making sure they stay gone. (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…)

Take a peak at your local department or sporting good store flyer and I bet you’ll see plenty of “sales” for fitness equipment this time of year. This isn’t by accident. We’re in the midst of “weight loss resolution” season where people are usually on the lookout for exercise shortcuts in order to lose weight and “tone-up” – minus the hard work of course.

[Honestly ladies? Would you wear fitness accessories at the expense of your coordinated outfit?]

A fitness item trying to make a “Brett Favre-esque type comeback” is the wrist and ankle weights we left in 1980s. Back on the market and attempting to be more stylish and functional with a new name to boot -wearable body weights – they promise to burn off all those calories you consumed between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

But how well do these “new” exercise accessories measure up to their fat loss claims?

I spoke to some users at my gym and surfed the online forums to get a sense of how effective these accessories really are. Now I’m no Chris Hansen of 20/20 fame, but here’s what I found in my travels. (more…)

Six pack abs are said to be the pinnacle of fitness by some. I’m not much for flashy titles, but not many things are more appealing then a flat stomach on the opposite sex.

Ever stared in a mirror after months of hard training and wondered when you’ll see that sexy six pack of yours?

[I think NBA basketball players are unusually tall and look ridiculous in public places. Not Jameer Nelson. The guy is well put together but it might also help he's six feet tall and 190 pounds. Advantage: short guys!]

For the average Joe like you and me, we tend to screw things up royally when it comes to going after the vaunted six pack or flat stomach. But how? (more…)

Right next to the male enhancement products and the heartfelt letters from my Nigerian friends, are offers for magical weight loss supplements that claim to have the ability to evaporate my fat on contact!

There’s a lot of buzz, especially on the Internet, about all these outrageous fat loss products, especially teas that will help you lose weight: green tea with hoodia, green tea plus, wu yi green tea. You name the teas, and of course it’s going to magically help you lose weight.

[There are a ton of great pics on the web like this one that show the beauty of a green tea field. Supposedly, this is a shot from one such field near Mt. Fugi in Japan. Absolutely stunning! ]

Green Tea and Weight Loss?

Now the sexy part about green tea is that there actually is scientific evidence to show that green tea can help with weight loss.

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You’ve seen it at your local grocery store, at a popular fast food chain (why were you there in the first place?), or worse yet, in front of a mirror. Yes, it’s belly fat, a ponch, your gut, muffin top, the pooch, beer belly, whatever the cool kids call it these days.

More specifically, we are talking about lower abdominal fat, which can be broken down into abdominal visceral fat (AVF) and abdominal subcutaneous fat (ASF). I’ve talked about these two types of fat extensivly in previous articles so I’m gonna keep it simple stupid for us here. AVF is internal fat around your organs while ASF can be thought of as the outside fat we see in the mirror.

So how do we lose this unsightly mess of fat around your abs?

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Shrinking an expanding waistline is not only a matter of beauty. Excess belly fat can significantly up your risk of heart disease as well as other dangerous medical conditions.

We’re all familiar with subcutaneous fat by now. It’s the outside fat that you see in the mirror and makes it hard to zip up your jeans. But it’s the visceral fat which is the inner fat that resides deep inside your belly that is so dangerous. This compact fat, sometimes called “hidden” belly fat, builds up between and around your internal organs.

How can you measure your abdominal fat?

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So you want to tone down that belly fat? Time to hit the floor for thousands of crunches, right? Not so fast.
 
Doing ab crunchs alone won’t get you very far in your quest for a flat stomach. There are little known secrets to getting toned abs that include fun activities such as gardening, basketball, and dancing with some ab specific movements in between for definition. Many of today’s most respected weight loss and fitness experts suggest the above fun activities combinded with simple lifestyle changes will provide you with the most comprehensive belly fat burning program.

So before you drop down and give me 20 crunches, examine the following 6 lifestyle habits to make sure your blasting your belly from inside and outside.
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The amount of interest and advice I see on other blogs about flat stomachs and chiseled six packs is staggering. Even people with low body fat compositions are complaining about having no adominal definition.

[The pool may be empty now, but come summer time, you'll only have that oversized t-shirt to hide your abdominal fat. Get cracking on your six-pack today!]

Guys, you want your shoulders to be broader and your chest to be fuller and your arms to be massive?

You want your legs to be toned, your glutes to be tighter and your arms to firmer, right girls?

And what is the solution to making these muscle groups look better?
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So you think you know everything about losing fat? Sure you’ve read about every weight loss trick and exercise on our site and others, but you still look in the mirror and wonder when the skinny version of you is going to break through?

Here we take a look at three secret weight loss tips that will melt the fat away immediately!

1. Body Weight Training

Isn’t this the same thing as yoga? Only girls do this type of training!

Simply put, most body weight training is hard and tends to crush the ego of the many who try. As far as we’re concerned, if you can not work with your own body weight than why in the world are you using additional weight such as barbells and dumbbells.

It’s incredible how many attempt to use heavy weights with a limited range of motion but can’t do a set of push ups, a squat to the floor or even one chin up. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely a place for external loading with heavy weights but not until you have the ability to master the following bench marks:
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