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.

Scientifically speaking…

Although plenty of articles will state that shortening rest periods is an effective fat burning technique, rarely do they tell you why or even point to research which backs up the claim. Thankfully there is research which supports the fat loss benefits of shorter rest periods and most of it was done by Dr. William Kraemer.

Research conducted by Kraemer has shown that resting between sets for 1 minute or less will provide you with a metabolic burn that will last well beyond 24 hours. In comparison, the metabolic rate after a workout using 1 minute rest periods was almost double that of an identical workout with 3 minute rest periods. Kraemer attributes this dramatic effect on resting metabolic rate to a faster heart rate, faster energy turnover, and greater hormone release – all topics that deserve there own time and space to discuss.

Rules To Reduce Rest Between Sets Correctly

There are several ways to implement shorter rest periods into your workouts (see Strategies to Shorter Rest Periods below), but first we need to cover two important ground rules.

1. You need to maintain fairly heavy weights (8-10 reps)
It’s easy to shorten your rest periods when you’re curling 2.5 pound dumbbells, but this defeats the purpose. Revving up your metabolism requires both heavy weight and less time between sets.

2. Listen to your body
Training with heavy weight and little rest between sets is hard on the body – in a good way of course. But that doesn’t mean you train until you puke! Listen to your body and rest longer as necessary while you progress to this style of training. Feelings of nausea and dizziness are symptoms that should not be ignored and are indicators that you’ve dropped your rest periods too quickly.

A good place to start is reducing your rest periods by 10 seconds from your current workout. Over time you will work your way back up to the same amount of sets and reps but done in far less time. Remember, slow and steady wins the race!

Strategies to Shorter Rest Periods

Here are 4 techniques to shorten your rest period and increase the post-workout calorie burn at your next workout program:

1. Try supersets, compound sets, triple sets or circuit training. See the Fitness IQ article for definitions. Essentially, these techniques will keep you moving from one exercise to the next with minimal rest.

[A great example of a circuit workout with a barbell by fitness expert Craig Ballantyne.]

2. If you’re training with a partner, rest only long enough for him/her to finish a set and then start your next set.

3. This isn’t a cocktail party so forget about talking or socializing with others. Bring an iPod to help you stay focused and on task.

4. Keep an eye on the clock or wear a watch. Frankly, there is no better way to measure your rest period and you’ll be amazed at how much work you can get done in a short amount of time.

If you’re looking for specific workouts that focus on minimizing rest for maximum fat burning results, I suggest you look up Turbulence Training in our fat loss program review section. He’s the same guy in the video above.

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.

Weights under your clothes

Most often referred to as weighted “sleeves”, they were developed by a bariatric physician (doctors who specialize in cause and prevention of obesity). They are typically worn on your lower arms and/or legs adding four to seven pounds. The added weight is meant to enhance your daily caloric burn by adding a small amount of anatomically correct weight to your arms and/or legs.

A company called BodyTogs seems to be the major player in this fitness section with prices hovering around $60-$70 for a pair. Looking at the company website, they claim wearing these sleeves on your forearms and legs for up to 10 hours a day may be as effective as a 3.2 km run.

Not sure what you think, but wearing something as a snug as these sleeves for 10 hours while doing my day-to-day activities doesn’t sound very appealing. From talking and reading about people who have used them it sounds like I’m not alone in the (un)comfort factor.

From a weight loss perspective, there are “die-hards” who swear by them because of the increased heart rate and calorie burn they experience while wearing the sleeves.

Final Verdict? A professor of kinesiology at Midwestern State University has gone on record to state the initial findings did show “increased work” while walking on a treadmill for 20 minutes. Scientifically, I’m still trying to find how significant these findings are.

Nice Bangles

It’s not cool anymore to wear puffy ankle or wrist weights in solid colors. Instead, they need to be fashionable and wearable during everyday activities. Enter weighted bangles and anklets by a company appropriately named Banglz. They too claim to help your body burn more calories while also building muscle. A pair will put you back roughly $25.

Most female users loved the ankle weights as they felt it affecting their legs and glutes almost immediately. Even though the wrist weights were quite fashionable, many could not tell much of a difference during everyday activities because they were too light in weight (1/2 a pound).

Final Verdict? Most users enjoyed the anklets over the bangles.

A Cheaper (and more effective) Approach

Honestly, I think you’re wasting your time and money using these fitness accessories UNLESS you have the necessary exercise foundation to work from.

In other words, you need to know how to exercise for fat loss first before you strap some weights to your body. Mastering your own bodyweight is one of the most effective workouts you can do to burn fat. For a small taste take a look at these bodyweight workouts from fitness expert and author Craig Ballantyne.

If you’ve visited a Skechers retail store or flipped through a health magazine in the last six months you may have noticed a funny looking shoe called Shape Ups hitting the weight loss marketplace.

[Nothing makes me feel more comfortable then walking barefoot.]

According to Skechers, Shape Ups were designed to promote weight loss, firm calf and butt muscles, improve posture and strengthen your back with several styles and colors available for men and women.

Now it’s not often weight loss and fashion are combined into one tangible product but during a recent visit to a Skechers retail store I decided to give these bad boys a try because you can never have enough butt muscles, right?

First impressions

My first impression upon picking up one of these bricks, I mean shoes, was the actual weight. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to wear these shoes or curl them for ten reps? 12-hole Doc Marten’s would feel like a pair of socks in comparison. The kinetic wedge insert and a rolling bottom are intended to simulate walking barefoot on the sand.

Taking one step at a time

I laced them up and instantly felt sorry for Ronald McDonald and all the other clowns who have to endure a clunky shoe feeling. But I forged ahead! Taking a couple of strolls around the store I could feel it working my calves and the arches of my feet in a physiotherapy-type-of-way. If you’ve ever tried “foam rolling” or kicked around one of those wooden massage rollers under your desk then you know what I’m talking about.

I definitely had to concentrate on keeping my balance but I wasn’t sure if this was because of the weight of the shoes or the exaggerated arch of the sole? As for posture, I didn’t feel much of a difference but then again I consciously think about my body position when seated or standing.

[Frankenstein called and he wants his shoes back! Kidding...]

Survey Says?

Personally, I couldn’t stand the clunky orthopedic feeling. If you’re comfortable in wearing these shoes then be my guest, but if you think the pounds are going to fly off, I think you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Skip the shoes and try this instead

Some of the my favorite lower body exercises include dumbbell swings and squats but I like to keep things fresh with outdoor activities like stair-climbing and interval sprints as well.

But if you’re looking for ways to firm up those calf and butt muscles specifically, then I suggest you check out the bodyweight butt exercise video below from fitness expert and author of the Turbulence Training program, Craig Ballantyne. - Psst, we reviewed his program here

Don’t worry ladies, these butt exercises will allow you to tighten up a trouble spot in the comfort of your own home.

Exercise is always a good option for keeping your body strong and youthful, but if you’re strictly looking to lose weight, you can’t out exercise a bad diet.

Take a look at the free video from Jeff and Isabel about their now famous Diet Solution Program.  It has a huge following at the moment, so take a peek —– >>> HERE

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:

1. Change your routine
Nothing is harder than keeping up a monotonous routine when you know that you really don’t have to. Try spicing up your workouts by changing it up. Instead of a run, do some sprinting, or try jump roping or dumbbells instead of barbells. Whatever it is, it will help keep you motivated to get back into the gym.

2. Take a day off
The truth is, sometimes we really do get burnt out. Instead of despairing, take a few days off from working out, relax, and give your body time to recover mentally and physically.  When you start working out again you’ll feel better than ever.

3. Switch up your workout music
The same way you get tired from the same workouts all the time, sometimes listening to the same music every workout can make your workouts boring. Try looking for some new artists and tunes to help get you motivated to hit the gym.

4. Workout with a buddy
Working out with a buddy is a great way to keep motivated, because you know someone else depends on you. Besides, sometimes it can get competitive and who doesn’t like competing now and then? Check out these tips to finding more workout friends to give you a little extra push on your next exercise.

5. Take up a sport
Sometimes you just need to learn something that’s more than just lifting weights. Try picking up a sport like soccer or a martial art for physical training. Not only will it help keep you fit, but you will look at working out as a way to increase your ability at the sport, and not an end in itself. NOTE: Look out for the next post which is on a sport that will destroy any cardio you’ve done in the past! – Mike

-End of post-

These are all terrific suggestions to get yourself moving in the right direction. If you’re looking for immediate suggestions on how to change your routine, check out these bodyweight exercise videos from Craig Ballantyne, author of the Turbulence Training program. My favorite? The Burning Circuit.

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?

Too much time training abs

For one, we spend way too much of our precious training time on ab exercises (bicep training ain’t far behind). Speaking directly from experience, I’d spend an entire training session, typically 60 minutes, doing hundreds of reps of various crunches, leg raises, and twisting exercises.

Fast forward to today, I use that time now on full body workouts that elicit a much better metabolic response and increase my fat-burning hormone levels throughout my body.

Michael Geary, nutrition specialist and author of The Truth About Six Pack Abs, talks at length about how losing stomach fat is one of the most important aspects to uncovering your abs. The range of movement and amount of work required in exercises like ab crunches is not enough to cause a significant metabolic response to burn fat.

You need to challenge your entire body and exercise proper nutrition to destroy that wall of fat that is blocking out your six pack abs.

Low Fat or Low Carb diet?

Neither. Don’t get fooled into this “low” or “high” fad diet business because I was a sucker for a long time when it came to fad diets.

Instead, go Medium Fat, Medium Carb, or have balance, and you’ll be lean enough to see your flat stomach and eventually your abs. More importantly, stay with nutrient dense foods in their natural state, or as unprocessed as possible.

Various studies have shown the damaging effects of heavily processed foods in our bodies including new research published in the journal BMC Cancer by Dr. David Christiani and others of the Harvard School of Public Health. This study reveals that children who eat processed meats like bacon, hot dogs and sausage are 74% more likely to develop leukemia than children who avoid such processed meat and eat more vegetables and tofu instead.

Absolutely crazy! I’m not making this stuff up. Click here for the study.

Unprocessed foods to help keep you in balance include vegetables, fruit, unrefined grains, nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocados, and many more.

Don’t ever let someone or some program tell you there is a limited list of so called “good foods”. There is a ton of possibilities and some programs do a better job then others in organizing this information for you.

Just as an example, Vince DelMonte’s Your Six Pack Quest program provides a variety of meal plans, including ones that focus on veggies entirely and others that are price sensitive if you can’t afford a full on organic plan.

Remember, keep the processed stuff out and you’ll quickly gain total control over how lean you want to get.

Slow and boring cardio

It’s important for people to realize that regular strength training using heavier resistance will not “bulk” you up. You need to be eating off a conveyor belt to bulk up but that’s not the point of this article or this site.

If you can’t find people wasting time doing countless ab crunches, then for sure you’ll find them wasting equally important time doing a slow cardio exercise or lifting really really light weights.

If weights aren’t your thing then bodyweight exercises are an awesome substitute as demonstrated by fitness expert Craig Ballantyne below.

Some of my most challenging workouts in the past year took place without even setting foot in a gym. Just me, outside at a park, cranking out planks, mountain climber push ups, and wind sprints in the fresh air and sun. And when you combine these types of exercises with variable intensity, or intervals, the metabolic and hormonal response you’ll get in your entire body (including your abs) will be impressive.

Mike Geary’s book The Truth About Six Pack Abs is currently the top selling abs program on the entire internet. But his nutrition guidelines and strategies is what sets him apart. Check out our review of this massive fat loss resource of eating habits, food choices, and so much more!

Flipping through my local newspaper last Saturday, I came across the above title minus the question mark. (Bonus points for anyone who can name my local paper in the comments section. Here’s a HINT)

I’m definitely uneasy about using descriptive words like “the best” or “#1″ when talking about any health related matter, especially exercise movements for fat loss, because we should all know by now that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to losing fat and staying fit.

[Now if these girls told me this exercise was #1, I just might have to listen!]

Think about it: If we all lose fat or build muscle the same way, then there would only be a need for one book or program? But if you’ve spent anytime inside a book store you’ll see hundreds upon hundreds of different books about losing weight or burning fat.

Back to the headline: It’s clear the message behind this title is trying to make you feel inadequate if your not doing that specific movement as part of your exercise routine.

Is it time to throw in the fat loss towel?

Never!

Don’t worry about the latest and greatest exercises. We are always learning and experimenting with what works for us as individuals.

Just because someone claims this is the greatest thing since sliced bread doesn’t necessarily translate equally to your exercise or fitness palette.

The article continues with this sub-heading:

THE BURPEE/CHINUP IS THE IDEAL WAY TO BURN FAT AND BOOST YOUR HEART HEALTH

Whoa… Not only is it the best fat loss exercise known to man for burning your fat, but it will boost your heart health too. My spokian eyebrow has been raised!

Now I don’t want to copy the article verbatum here but in summary it talks about the most effective fat-burning exercises are the ones in which you move your body weight through space.

Yes, I’m cool with that!

And they continue: “We’ve combined two of these exercises — the burpee and the chinup — into one megamovement. In addition to providing a highly effective full-body workout, this routine also saves you time, requiring only five minutes to complete.”

Less time in the gym? I’m really cool with that!

Let’s do this! The Burpee/Chinup megamovement:

Set a timer for five minutes. Perform as many reps as you can in that time, resting when needed.

Afterward, write down the total number of reps you performed and try to break that record by getting a rep or two more in the next workout.

Continue this week after week until you can’t add another rep in the time frame.

How It’s Done:

1. Stand under a chinup bar.

2. Squat down, place your hands on the floor, and jump back with your feet while lowering your chest to the floor.

3. Push up and reverse the motion quickly, standing and jumping to grab the chinup bar.

4. Perform a chinup using momentum and then drop back to the floor.

[Doesn't sound too hard but take a look at how this girls push-up form gets progressively worse! God bless her though, because she can probably do more then the average guy.]

Let me tell you, five minutes is a long time and it’s no wonder when I googled this exercise I found it lumped in with terms like prison workout, passing out, and throwing up.

For a beginner I wouldn’t suggest the as-many-as-you-can-do in 5 minutes approach because it’s way to hardcore.

Try starting out with 3 sets of 10 reps and progressively work your way up. This is a full body workout and covers your bases for most muscle groups as the (good) throbbing in my body was proof.

BUT… I’ll stop short of calling it the best fat loss exercise. Instead, it’s another tool to use along our fat loss journey.

Of course, you wanna know how many I did, right?

Mark me down with 42 in 4 minutes. I had nothing left in the gas tank for the final minute. I’ll do better next time!

Still wanting more? Check out our Turbulence Training review from Craig Ballantyne. His program utilizes a full array of bodyweight exercises that have been featured in Men’s Fitness magazine and helped men and women everywhere lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less time.

I see more flat stomach and six-pack ab infomercials everyday that revolve around the classic crunch move.

We all know this move: lie on the floor on your back, grab the back of your head with your hands and pull it two inches off the floor. I think it’s safe to say this method does not work very well for building your 6-pack abs and flattening out your stomach.

[There's nothing intense about this exercise. Look at this poor girl's facial expression! Not another time wasting crunch, please...]

Aside from them being useless for getting six pack abs, the crunch movement itself is actually harmful to your spine and lower back. Every single time you perform a crunch, you are doing what the world’s leading experts on back pain describe as a dangerous motion.

Research shows every time you crunch, you do what is called spinal flexion, and spinal flexion compresses the disks between your vertebrae. If you do that too much, you could end up with a herniated disc. It’s the same motion as rounding your back to pick up something off the floor, and you probably know someone who has hurt their back that way!

Total body ab exercises are more effective.

Instead of wasting your life lying on your back doing an exercise that you can do hundreds of times, you need to replace crunches and all those other 1980s aerobics style exercises with better, total body ab exercises to get more results in less time.

So you don’t need to do crunches, and you don’t even need to go to a gym, if you have the right total body ab exercises in your home abdominal workout program says Craig Ballantyne, Men’s Health Training Advisor and Author. “In fact, with the right program, your entire fat loss workout will take less time than most bodybuilders spend on crunches every day! Yet you’ll still be able to get a flat stomach and six packs abs with this fast at-home workout.”

[I just couldn't resist this video. Four ladies wasting their time in almost perfect unison. Crunch after crunch and not a drop of sweat. Not good!]

Forget long boring cardio sessions.

I used to spend an hour walking on a treadmill while watching the timer or other gym goers walk by. Long boring cardio sessions suck, plain and simple. With the ab erecises explained below, your entire workout (including your resistance training) will take less time (45 minutes tops) than most people spend getting to the gym and warming-up.

And you only have to workout three times per week, not six days per week like the bodybuilding magazines suggest. So you save time in each workout, and workout fewer times per week. That will give you more time to spend* on the important stuff in life like connecting with your family and enjoying the company of friends.

Ab workout exercises that work.

Ballantyne details his top abdominal exercise replacements for ineffective crunches and other 1980s style ab moves.

1. Replace crunches with stability ball rollouts (see video below). You’ll get a more powerful stretch in the Rollout exercise, and a more powerful contraction, all without doing excessive and dangerous spinal flexion.

2. Replace crunches on the ball with a plank with arms on the ball. According to the Men’s Health magazine, research shows that a plank with arms on the ball is 30% more effective in working your abs.

3. Replace bicycle crunches with X-Body mountain climbers (see video below). This unique total-body ab exercise still works your obliques, but without repetitive crunching. Plus, it helps build invaluable abdominal endurance and stability to keep your low back healthy.

4. Replace reverse crunches with stability ball Jackknives (see video below). You will still be able to work the lower area of your abdominal muscles, as well as your obliques with this stability ball exercise, but you also get the benefit of building back-protecting abdominal endurance.

5. Replace sit-ups with hanging knee-ups or the advanced pull-up plus knee-ups. Your abs will have never experienced anything like this exercise! You can also do a chin-up plus knee-up for the same effect on your abs, and chin-ups are a little easier. This is one of my current favorite exercises.

By getting rid of crunches you’ll lose nothing, while gaining time to work on better exercises to build your six pack abs and flat stomach, plus you’ll avoid exercises that are hard on your back.

For more detailed descriptions of all of these home ab exercises as well as more techniques for losing abdominal fat, click here for more great abs training strategies.

I can’t think of two sports that require high levels of strength more than Football and…. Gymnastics. Sorry, were you expecting me to say Baseball, Hockey or some other main stream sport instead?

If you’ve ever seen a gymnastic event like the rings, you’ll see competitor after competitor subject himself to moves like the Iron Cross (see pic below) or the Lever and think he won’t be able to dress himself the next day without copious amounts of A535, then you know what I’m talking about.

Strength is the key in both sports but you probably couldn’t find two activities that go about achieving it in more different ways.

Football players spend their winters in the gym throwing around massive amounts of iron. Thousands of reps later and callous sweaty hands generally gets the job done for them.

What about Gymnasts?

Gymnastics requires power. However, weightlifting often decreases your flexibility and in a competition that requires you to repeatedly bend yourself into positions that would lead the average person down a corridor in a hospital, that’s a problem.

So instead of pumping iron like Arnold or Dorian, they climb ropes without using their legs. I repeat, no legs, just arms. Up and down and up and down, sometimes four times in a row.

Or how about hanging from a chin-up bar with your elbows bent at 90 degrees for 45 seconds followed by 20 chin-ups?

Sounds sadistic doesn’t it?

There are also things they call killer situps, ab busters, dip swings and a variety of other thoroughly unpleasant movements in the repertoire. Capped by perhaps the worst of all: Pushups done without your lower body touching the ground. Go ahead and give it try without falling flat on your face!

SOLD! I want the body of a gymnast, tell me how?

Their strength is achieved using body weight resistance only. No plates, weights, dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells or taco bells (sorry, couldn’t resist) necessary.

Finding the Cadbury secret would be easier than finding an ounce of fat among these folks. Bowling ball shoulders and biceps and triceps and six-packs are natural and common effects of their bodyweight training.

So many people think you need to push, pull, curl, and lift crazy poundages to attain these physiques. But clearly all the above is possible using your own bodyweight.

Craig Ballantyne, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, suggests trying the following exercises and benchmarks to wet your appetite for bodyweight training.

Still wanting more? Check out Turbulence Training from Craig Ballantyne. His program utilizes a full array of bodyweight exercises that have been featured in Men’s Fitness magazine and helped men and women everywhere lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less time.

Welcome to the Gun Show” or ”The Beach is That Way” or how about ”I’m Busy Sculpting My Guns“.

There is no other muscle group that has earned more nicknames. When looking in the mirror, every guy imagines a set of bulging biceps. Yes, I’m guilty too!

The days are far from gone when you walk into the gym and see 8 out of 10 guys doing bicep curls all at the same time with the same determination to add even a quarter of an inch to their biceps. Training biceps has become almost an obsessive habit in the gym. I’ve seen guys spend entire gym sessions bent over doing concentration curls while starring in the mirror thinking they are somewhat special.

”

[Thought you'd see some bodybuilder dude with 24" pythons and a fake tan? Very few athletes and so called bodybuilders sport the muscular definition of Rafa Nadal's arms.]

Even more hilarious is seeing guys buying and wearing tight t-shirts in the hope of making their arms “look” bigger. Kinda of sad, but the allure of strong, mountainous biceps will never go away and why should it?

After all, they are a man’s most prized possession and one of women’s most desired body parts on a man!

But if every guy is obsessing over their biceps and dedicating entire training sessions with classic bodybuilding techniques such as forced reps, drop sets, and 21′s…. why do they still have little to show for their efforts?

Let’s examine five of the most common problems with bicep training:

1. More is Not Always Better

If doing 4 sets is better than 3 sets, why don’t you just do 10 sets? Even better, why don’t you just train them all day? Don’t laugh, I know a guy who did this!

It has been said before, but it obviously needs to be said again: “Less is often more.”

Your goal of each weight training workout should be to simply ‘out do’ your last workout. Be it an extra pound or a few extra reps, then it is time to move to the next exercise.

It’s a hard concept for many to grasp because they are fixated on the instant gratification of making their biceps ‘look’ big during the workout and not what they look like when they leave the gym, which leads us to our next problem.

2. Being obsessed with the “Pump”!

Yes, Arnold was right. It’s one of the best feelings in the world and the former Mr. Olympia even goes as far as comparing it to sex. Now that’s a little bit of a stretch in my book but to each his own.

The truth is that the longer you train your biceps, even if the weights are not extremely heavy, you can achieve a fairly decent pump that can turn a few heads while in the gym.

This attention and perception that you are doing something beneficial is deceiving. Yes, there is something to say about keeping blood in the muscle as long as possible, but if the workout is done with weights that do not overload your muscles and emphasize an increase in strength, your biceps will quickly deflate back to normal with no true muscle growth.

3. Not Focusing on Increasing Your Overall Strength

If you look at some of the best upper body physiques (Craig Ballantyne comes to mind) today and their workout plans, they barely train arms. Why?

Because biceps are secondary muscles. A stronger emphasis is put around increasing their chest, back and shoulder strength. If you simply focus on increasing the weights on your rows, pull-ups and chin-ups, rest assured that your biceps will come along for the ride and grow proportionally.

However, if you are always blasting away one-arm dumbbell curls, your biceps will always be fatigued when you train your bigger muscles like your back and chest therefore, you’ve sacrificed a big muscle for the sake of a small muscle. Make sense? This is another reason to take a lower volume approach to arm training.

4. Using the Same Bicep Exercises Every Time

Every bodybuilding magazine will always claim barbell curls and dumbbell curls are two of the simplest and best exercises for building huge biceps. For once, I’ll semi-agree with the so-called experts. These ‘simple’ exercises are a safe foundation to build a program around, but let’s not get carried away. Pro bodybuilders using steroids are going to have a strong bodily response to practically any exercise they do.

Therefore, I have no problem using these two exercises under the important condition that you are getting stronger from week-to-week. As long as you are increasing the weights and reps relative to good lifting form, then your arms should continue growing.

5. Not Enough Tension on the Muscle

I think many people of all levels (yes, I’m talking to the advanced athletes as well) do not fully grasp the concept of isolating and actually training a muscle. They do not know how to make the muscle work and fatigue.

Instead, you see a lot of swinging, momentum and sloppy lifting used to move the weight from every part of the body except the one they are actually trying to train.

Fitness author of the No Nonsense Muscle Building Program, Vince DelMonte explains that biceps have a very strong response to “constant tension,” which means you should never give them a chance to breathe.

Keep the bar constantly moving without pausing at the top or bottom. Focus on squeezing the heck out of the bar and never let your biceps relax until the set is over. Your entire goal is to not allow any oxygen into the muscle which creates a spike with your anabolic hormones to promote muscle growth. Resort to a slower tempo (ie. 3 seconds up, 0 pause, and 3 seconds down) to get the job done.

For more ways to improve other aspects of your workouts, I strongly encourage men and women to check out Vince DelMonte’s program No NonSense Muscle Building. The top-selling fast muscle 201 page manual is literally changing lives everyday!

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?

In a study published in the International Journal of Obesity (May 2008), exercise prescriptions of moderate intensity did not induce significant weight loss and more specifically a reduction in AVF. Higher intensity exercise produced significantly greater results and was associated with a reduction in AVF and weight loss.

Cross-sectional studies have also suggested that physical activity is associated with a lower amount of abdominal visceral fat (AVF) for a given amount of abdominal subcutaneous fat (ASF) with further studies still to be completed.

Still don’t get it?

Let’s use an example to drive this point home.

Two women go for a walk. One finishes quickly; the other takes her time. (sounds like the classic Tortoise and the Hare story?) They each burn about 400 calories.

So who rid themselves of more belly fat?

Logic would tell us they both lost the same amount. WRONG!

New studies are popping up everywhere that show us the fast walker actually loses more (way to go Rabbit..err..Hare).

Researchers from the University of Virginia found that women who did three shorter, fast-paced walks a week (plus two longer, moderate-paced ones) lost 5 times more abdominal fat than those who simply strolled at a moderate speed 5 days a week, even though both groups burned exactly the same number of calories (400) per workout. The fast walkers also dropped more than 2 inches from their waistlines, pared about 3 times more fat from their thighs, shed 4 times more total body fat, and lost almost 8 pounds over 16 weeks!

Impressive, but it gets better.

The high-intensity exercisers lost about 3 times more visceral fat. “Vigorous exercise raises levels of fat-burning hormones,” says lead researcher Arthur Weltman, PhD, director of the exercise physiology laboratory at the university. It also increases afterburn (the number of calories your body uses postexercise as it recovers) by about 47% compared with lower-intensity workouts.

Great, but how do I turn up the intensity in my workouts?

Start with a progressive plan, which includes both shorter, high-intensity workouts and longer, moderate-paced ones.

As an example let’s take an aerobic activity like jogging:

Perform this activity for 3 to 5 minutes with a recovery period of walking for 1 to 2 minutes (then repeat the cycle five times).

This will enable you to sustain the activity for 20 minutes or longer then if you had been trying to jog the whole way through. Also, considering factors like orthopedic problems, obesity, respiratory coniditions, etc., shorter work periods can be easier on joints and soft tissue.

The work/recovery interval is expressed as a ratio. The first number represents work while the second number represents recovery. For example, the interval ratio for a beginner could be 3:1 (aerobic activity for 3 minutes with a 1 minute recovery).

Recovery can be either active (walking, light stepping, standing upper body work with light, one- to three-pound weights) or passive (rest). Adjustments can be made with the interval ratio according to the individual’s fitness level.

There are a bunch of names out there for this type of training such as HIIT, Interval Training, progression training, etc. However, if your really interested and want to learn more about Interval Training, we highly recommend you check out Turbulence Training by Craig Ballantyne. These workouts have been featured in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men (myself included) and women lose fat, gain muscle and get lean in less than 45 minutes, three times per week.

Now that you’ve made the commitment to starting an exercise program, the next step is choosing a gym that you will feel comfortable going to on a regular basis. If it isn’t, chances are you aren’t going to stick with any type of regular exercise plan and will eventually just stop going altogether. By being sure your gym is a good fit for you, you help take yourself one step further to realizing your health and fitness goals.

Keep in mind that if a traditional gym isn’t for you, you can definitely set up a home gym with smaller equipment and where you can get complete workouts all in the privacy of your surroundings. However, when it comes to getting a helpful spot or using the latest equipment, a commercial gym is the place to be.

1. Location, Location, Location

Sounds like your buying a home but who really wants to spend thier precious time driving to and from their gym when they could be done half their workout by then?

After a long day of work you are not going to want to spend a good hour fighting traffic, another hour working out, and then another half an hour driving home. Think about either choosing a gym that is located close to your house or else on the drive to or from work. This is a great option since if you have to pass by it every day, you’ll be reminded of the fact that you should be working out if you choose to skip it.

2. Membership Cost

Gym memberships can really vary in costs so it’s a good idea to shop around before making that final commitment. Also consider how long you are signing the contract for as this can vary too. Many gyms like to lock you in for years and if you aren’t quite sure it’s going to be a long-term arrangement, you’re better off finding something that is more short-term.

Additionally, if you can wait until around late summer or the New Year to sign up, you will find that often many gyms will have special promotions going on at this time.

3. Cancellation Policy

Just as important as cost, take a look at the gym’s cancellation policy. If you sign up for a 3-year membership and then end up moving after a year due to work, are you going to be partially refunded? It will be a bad situation if they offer no refund or transfer membership.

Some gyms are good about this and some are not so you will have to weigh the likelihood of your cancelling among other things that are discussed here when making your decision.

4. Personal Training and Additional Benefits

You will want to ask if the gym offers any additional services or benefits along with your basic membership and if there is a fee for these. Such examples would be daycare services, physiotherapy, massage therapy, group fitness classes (ie. spinning, yoga, pilates), nutritional counselling, and fitness testing.

Having some good, qualified personal trainers on hand is also critical to helping you realize your full fitness potential. Even if you are fine with your program right now, consider that in a year down the road you might be plateauing and in need of a ‘check-up’ so to speak on your current regime.

Having the option available of knowledgable staff cannot be stressed enough. Unfortunately many gyms hire almost anyone who has a basic interest in fitness, so be sure to enquire about the actual certifications these trainers hold.

5. Gym Population

Another factor to consider is the demographic that goes to the gym. Some women will prefer going to an all-ladies gym as it increases their comfort factor. For others, a mixed gym is the perfect solution because half of the reason they go there is to socialize, find a workout partner, or perhaps even find that special someone.

Whatever your needs, make sure you enquire about this and take it into consideration.

6. When Are They Open?

Always be sure to check the hours of operation of the gym. If you are an early bird, you will want to be sure they are able to cater to this preference.

Additionally ask about their holiday policies. Many people enjoy working out on the holidays because it is a relaxed day for them when they can really get in a good workout. If you are looking forward to this and then go and find out the gym is closed, you are going to be more than disappointed.

Similarly there are some people who prefer working out late at night so you need to be sure that if this is the case you will be able to do that.

7. Type and Quality Of Equipment

Looking at the type and quality of the equipment offered in the gym is another thing you must factor in. If you prefer free weights, make sure there is a large number of dumbbells present because during rush hours, these could be hard to come by.

Likewise, if you prefer doing your weight training on guided machines, you’ll want to be sure they have enough variety that you can work all the necessary muscles on your body.

If you find yourself doing a lot of cardio training as part of your workouts you will want to be sure there are ample machines available.

Nothing is more frustrating than getting to the gym after work to find out that there is not a single machine in sight available for you to use.

Ask if they offer a sign-up list where you can write your name and time down to reserve a machine. This is a great solution that many gyms have now come up with to make sure their members can get their workouts in.

So, be sure you are considering all of these essential factors when choosing gym. Overlooking just one could lead you to being less than happy with your workout facility and this could end up being the reason why you do not stick with your program.

If looking to ditch the fancy equipment and try something a little different, check out our review of Turbulence Training from Craig Ballantyne. These fat loss workouts have been featured in many major magazine publications and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week.

Even if you’ve packed on a few winter pounds, had kids, or neglected your belly for years, it’s never too late to get your middle section into a firm and sexy shape.

[Win or lose, Melissa Rycroft sports the best looking abs during this seasons' Dancing With The Stars] 

The following moves hit all of the major ab muscles, specifically the rectus abdominis (ie. the “six pack” muscle) and the obliques. They also force you to focus on your abs throughout the motion (no worries about sleep walking through this routine). Perform these exercises 3 times a week, in addition to your interval training routine.

Slide and Stride

Begin in plank position on a slick floor with hands shoulder-width apart, toes resting (FYI wear socks!). Draw your bellybutton toward your spine and keep your head and torso stationary as you slide your right knee toward your chest. Return to starting position and repeat with left leg to complete 1 rep. Do 10 reps. To make it harder, pull both knees in simultaneously, without lifting your hips.

Tuck Extension Drop

Lie faceup with your knees bent, feet flat and arms out in a T on the floor, palms down. Pull your bellybutton toward your spine. Tuck your knees into your chest and hold for 2 counts. Extend legs toward the ceiling and hold for 2 counts, then lower your legs 45 degrees in 4 counts. Return to starting position. Do 12 reps.

Pike 90 Crunch

Lie on your back with your bellybutton pulled in, extend your left leg slightly above the floor and raise your right leg toward the ceiling. Place your left arm behind your head and extend your right arm at your side, slightly off the floor. Lift and twist your torso to the right, reaching your left shoulder toward your right knee. Lower and do 12 reps, then switch arms and legs to complete set.

For more great ab workouts check out our review of Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training. Craig is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training Muscle Growth and Blowtorch Body Fat workouts have been featured multiple times and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week.

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:

Males should aim for 1 set of 80 push ups, 1 set of 20 chin ups, 1 set of 20 1-leg squats, 1 set of 40 dips and 1 set of 20 pull ups.

Females should aim for 1 set of 40 push ups, 1 set of 5-10 chin ups, 1 set of 10 1-leg squats, 1 set of 10-15 dips and 1 set of 3-5 pull ups.

These standards will ensure a solid foundation of general fitness lead to burning fat more easily in the following stages of your exercise program. For a demonstration of the above exercises, check out the video below with Craig Ballantyne, author of Turbulence Training:

2. Change it up 

This is an extremely powerful tip to losing fat, not to mention one of the easiest tricks to ensure your body side-steps plateaus forever. For example, if you have been doing 60 minute sessions of walking, three times a week, try cycling or running once a week and only walking twice a week. After 3 weeks, change it up again and include another activity (ie. rollerblading, stairclimbing, hiking, etc.) to incorporate into your exercise regimen. This will prevent plateaus and keep the fat loss adventure exciting instead of repetitive and boring.

3. Head to the Grocery Store

If you are serious about losing weight, accept the fact that you will need to spend more time than you do right now in the grocery store. Have you ever opened the fridge for something to eat and all you found was leftovers that would require nuclear radioactive testing? Ever gone into your cupboards and discover only a few leftover bags of potato chips from last weeks Super Bowl party?

To ensure a optimal environment for fat loss you must ensure your cupboards and fridge are constantly stocked. This will mean more frequent trips to the grocery store. Throw out the empty calories that is in your kitchen right now and replace it with good stuff and keep on replacing it. Don’t ever let that supply of healthy food run low.

If you are serious about body weight exercises check out our review of Turbulence Training from Craig Ballantyne. These fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week.

What to do today?

Free weights or machines?

Body part or whole body training?

Treadmill or elliptical?

Strength training or cardio?

Are these the questions racing through your head every time you hit the gym floor?

So many options to choose from? Enough I say.

Step out of the line of sheep to use the fancy universal pec-deck machine and locate these three basic pieces of equipment to build muscle and lose fat quickly!

1. Medicine Ball

One of the oldest (think 500BC old) pieces in strength and conditioning training. The medicine ball is a versatile tool, useful for abdominal twists, playing various types of catch if you have a partner, adding resistance to crunches and squats or simply raising it overhead and slamming it to the ground. They range from 2-25lbs so your bound to find one that is challenging.

2. Pull-Up Bar

The pull-up motion itself is as difficult as they come requiring chest, back, ab and arm muscles all at the same time. But as a wholebody exercises go, very few come even close. If you can’t do pull-ups at all then look for the lat pull down machine as seen in the attached picture. This will allow you to start light and progress to using your own body weight.

3. Jump Rope

Simple, but effective. Ever seen clips of a boxer training for a big fight? They are almost always working the rope at some point in their workout because it is a powerful cardio exercise. 15 minutes with a jump rope will get your blood flowing and get your body ready to tackle the rest of your workout.

If you are serious about ditching all the fancy equipment at your gym, books can help. Check out our review of Turbulence Training from Craig Ballantyne. These fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week.

I’m a big believer in preparing big meals and then having leftovers the next day for breakfast, lunch, ordinner. Adding leftover chicken or steak to your omellette the next day is a great way to spice up your meals and add variety to your food intake. But what about the other things lurking in your kitchen pantry or fridge?

The need to dispose of unrecognizable leftovers in tupperware, which by the way now looks like a science experiment gone bad, is a pretty standard business. Ditto for anything well past its best-before or consume-by date on the label. But in the absence of such information, deciding what food items are still safe to eat and what should be thrown away can be an exercise in itself.

Just how long have those half-filled bottles of salad dressing and jam been lining the back of the refrigerator shelves? And exactly when were those cans of soup, kidney beans, lentils or diced tomatoes, actually purchased?

Here are some guidelines that can help you know how long various food products are safe to eat.

1. Condiments (Ketchup, Pickles, Mustard, Relish)

Because these items contain vinegar, which acts as a preservative, the product can maintain its quality after being opened for at least a couple of months. It’s important for these items to stay refrigerated as much as possible as removing it from the fridge and letting it warm up to room temperatuve can lead to bacterial growth. As with any rule there is always an exception: mayonnaise. Yes, it contains vinegar but it also contains eggs which makes a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

2. Foods Packed in Oil

These can include a wide variety of vegetables such as artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes. In this environment, your safe for a year because bacteria does not grow well in oil, but it’s very important that everything in the jar remain below the oil line. Margarine, which is 80 per cent oil, can last four to five months in the fridge; butter lasts about four months refrigerated, although it may get an unpleasant-tasting surface oxidation, which can be scraped off.

3. Jam or Jelly

The acidity of the fruit and the sugar content act as preservatives that should keep them edible for up to eight months when stored in the fridge. In the pantry, unopened glass jars of jam will maintain their quality for 12 to 18 months, as long as they are kept away from light, which can cause oxidation.

4. Canned Foods

This is a category with a wide ranging shelf life. Various health agencies in North America suggest for items such as tomato products, canned fruits and other high-acid foods should be used within 18 months. Low-acid foods (such as canned vegetables) have a shelf life of up to three years. Cans should be stored in a cool, dry place away from hot water pipes, the stove, other heating sources and sunlight, and should be kept dry to prevent rusting, which causes cans to leak and food to spoil. And any can that has been dented should be tossed out as the seams on the can may permit air or contamination to come in.

For more great ways to a greater body check out Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training for Fat Loss. Craig is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week.

Many different articles on muscle building make a big deal about pre and post workout nutrition, specifically about the amount of protein needed to build and repair the body. Calculating your protein needs has traditionally followed the following formula:

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.

Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary. Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.

Example: 154 lb male who is a regular exerciser and lifts weights
154 lbs/2.2 = 70kg
70kg x 1.5 = 105 gm protein/day

But does protein consumption during pre and post workout really matter to the high degrees that we’ve been told by virtually everyone? Brad Pilon doesn’t think so. In his new book “How Much Protein?” he points out the little direct evidence for post workout nutrition that was not funded by either a supplement company or some form of a protein-food group (Have you seen the large increase in commercials for eggs and milk lately?). From Pilon’s experience, research showing ‘remarkable’ muscle building effects of protein have never been reproduced in a study NOT funded by industry. Secondly, he states that many of the surrogate endpoints that are studied (such as nitrogen balance and protein synthesis) have never been causally linked to muscle growth, so our actual true evidence that peri-workout nutrition effects muscle growth is very limited. However lots of us work out fasted and seem to perform well. What is your take on this debate?

Check out a quick video from Brad Pilon author of the widely sucessful ebook Eat-Stop-Eat for more information about fat loss, muscle building and how much protein do we really need?

It’s time to review some important tips we’ve covered off here at the Fat Loss Authority. Think of this as your study sheet. We know the reasons behind each point, but if you want to review the details, look back at our previous articles. We’ve broken them into the two pillars of our fat loss adventure: Exercise and Diet.

Exercise

1. Start slowly. Set short-term goals to help boost your confidence and stay motivated.

2. Set challenging but realistic goals.

3. Create a support group. Involve a workout buddy, your family, a friend.

4. Schedule exercise as you would a business meeting. Morning is better because it’s easier to get overwhelmed with other tasks as the day goes on, but a long walk after dinner works great too.

5. Do resistance training about three times a week. Muscle mass raises your metabolism, burning more calories.

6. Expect some soreness, boredom and frustration. Plan how to overcome and conquer them.

Diet

1. Eat breakfast every day. Try to include three of the four food groups — for example, egg whites, oatmeal and fruit or yogurt sprinkled with low-calorie granola and fresh fruit pieces.

2. Snack frequently. This releases sugar more slowly in your bloodstream, preventing spikes and crashes in your energy.

3. Eat small snacks of protein through the day.

4. If you go too long between meals, drink half a cup of juice to stabilize blood sugar levels before you eat in “starvation” mode.

5. Fruit contains mostly sugar and carbs, albeit healthy, so eat them only in the morning. Switch to vegetables in the afternoon and evening.

6. Don’t eat carbs at night. Your body can’t burn them and they turn to fat. Try tea or broth-based soups.

Remember, this is a partnership between two important aspects of your lifestyle: Exercise and Diet. What you ingest, or input into your body, will affect what you output, or burn off, from your body and vice-versa. You can’t workout like Mr. Olympia and then go to the drive-thru for a Big Mac combo and McFlurry; it just doesn’t work! Alright, enough lecturing, you get the point so now it’s time to execute. Ready, set, GO!

For more great ways to a greater body check out Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training for Fat Loss. Craig is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week.

The arm is one of the first things noticed by others. It can be covered up with a sleeve or fully exposed. If they are well defined, chances are the rest of the body is too. Here are five ways to sculpting your guns a la Ron Burgundy:

1. Work your Triceps

The triceps comprise 60% of your upper arm, therefore, you should be training them 10% more then your biceps! The two muscles compliment each other and for a great workout try doing bicep and triceps exercises in the same workout.

2. Supersets

Super what? A superset consists of doing one exercise followed immediately by another different exercise. For example, doing dumbbell curls followed by overhead triceps extensions. Not only will this give you a great pump (rush of blood in your arms), but it will increase your heart rate which in turn burns more calories.

3. More Cardio

If you want to clearly see your muscles, you need to shed fat, and the best way to do that is by concentrating on your cardio. We suggest you take a serious look at interval training, specifically Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training. It’s cardio 2.0 with no more slow sessions or fancy equipment; get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week.

4. Eat Right

Drink Water. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Drink Water. If you are eating two servings per day, then go up to four servings per day by the end of the week. Drink Water. Stick with fiber-rich fruits and vegetables – organic if possible. Hey you…. What are you waiting for? Drink your water!

5. Mix up your workout

There are countless exercises for your biceps, triceps and forearms combined so why are you still doing one-arm dumbbell curls from your high school gym class? Change it up because variety means results. Don’t be afraid to throw body weight exercises like push ups and chin ups in there for good measure!

For more great ways to a greater body check out Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training for Fat Loss. Craig is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week.

Straight to it. Here are five of the biggest fat loss mess-ups that
I see men and women doing everyday…fix these, and you’ll lose fat.

1) Not having back up.

Trying to lose fat without social support is the wrong way to go
about this. Ideally, you’d have your doctor, an RD, a trainer, your workout partner, your spouse, your workmates, and your friends all behind you. Research shows that you’ll benefit most from a health professional (i.e. a trainer) and a workout partner that is also successful. Get those two people on your team first, and then work on the rest of the group.

2) Not using a structured program

If you ever go into the gym and wonder what you are going to do first, you’re already wasting your time – even before you choose. Get a plan, know what you have to do, stick to it, and see it through. That way, no wasted time wandering around the gym deciding where to start.

3) Not changing your workout after 4 weeks.

That’s the longest you should go on one program. If it’s been
6-months, give your head a shake. If it hasn’t worked yet, why do you think it’s magically going to start now. Change it up
frequently. You’ll get more results and you’ll have more fun.

4) Not realizing your results will come from nutrition more than

they will from training.

You want to lose fat? You have to eat right for fat loss. You can’t
train like an animal and then eat junk and expect to lose fat. No
program is that good. None. Diet beats training every time, like
scissors beats paper. Eat whole, natural foods in 6 smaller meals
each day. Get lots of fiber, lots of protein, lots of vegetables.
Eat healthy fats, avoid trans fats. Drink lots of water and tea. So
simple, so effective. Eat for energy, not for gluttony.

5) Not knowing when to quit.

I get emails everyday from readers asking if they can add even more cardio and more lifting to their current workout plans. After all, if some is good, more training must be better?

Listen, you have to draw the line somewhere. You can’t keep adding more and more exercise. First, there is diminishing returns from each additional set you do, and from extra cardio. Second, your body can breakdown fast from too much work, particularly when you are dieting. Overtraining and low calories go together like oil and water. Neither of these combos will make your engine run optimally.

And finally, focus on quality over quantity. The “volume approach to fat loss” from the 1980′s (characterized by lots of cardio and lots of carbs) didn’t work. For good reason. Stick to high quality nutrition, and high-quality training.

The only thing that matters is results. Not muscle soreness, not
feeling exhausted after each workout, and not feeling deprived of food.

Quality work and quality food for a better body.

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week.

For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, check out our review or visit the Official Site Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

While the fitness media still insists that aerobic exercise is a great way to lose weight, your more up-to-date trainers and fat loss programs know that interval training is the better way to burn body fat.

Still not convinced?

A study published by the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, subjects aged 40 to 75 were instructed to do 60 minutes of aerobic exercise per day for 6 days per week for an entire year.

Given the amount of exercise, you’d expect weight losses of 20, 30 pounds, or more, right?

Well, the surprise findings showed the average fat loss for female subjects was only 4 pounds for the entire year, while men lost 6.6 pounds of fat over the year. That’s over 300 hours of aerobic exercise just to lose a measly 6 pounds of blubber. Not time well spent, in my opinion.

So what’s the better way? Using interval training and strength training to get better bodysculpting results. With intervals, you’ll achieve more fat burning results in less workout time.

The next time you are out exercising, perform a session of interval training. If you are walking or running outside, find an incline that can challenge you for 60 seconds, then walk down for 60-120 seconds, and repeat up to 6 times.

If you walk or run on a treadmill, adjust the incline or speed to safely increase the challenge for 60 seconds, then return to the normal pace for 60-120 seconds, and repeat up to 6 times.

You can also use a rowing machine, bicycle or stationary bike, or even an elliptical machine to do intervals.

But whatever you do, stay away from boring, ineffective cardio exercise workouts and be sure to add interval training at some point to your workout program.

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week.

For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, check out our review or visit the Official Site Turbulence Training for Fat Loss