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

Training biceps is fun, especially for guys. The feeling of curling a weight and the ensuing pump after just one set feels pretty damn good.

But there are downfalls.

Let me explain using my informercial voice:

Tired of standing in line for the preacher curl machine? Or the bicep cable curls machine? I know I am.

Working out at your local fitness centre can be awesome and frustrating in the same workout session. Awesome because you have a ton of fitness resources under one roof but also frustrating when the number of bodies out numbers the equipment.

[A crowded beach always beats a crowded gym... Except maybe the one above! Honey, where are the towels?]

I know the most common suggestion I

Don’t be fooled by all the fat loss and muscle building experts out there proclaiming the death of calorie counting. Chances are they all started with some form of calorie counting and are obviously more experienced now and don’t need to follow the practice religiously.

Fellow fitness blogger Rafi Bar-Lev from The Fitness Adviser was kind enough to explain the basics of this time-tested method and outline the long term benefits.

Benefits of Counting Calories: Fat Loss and Beyond- Guest Post by Rafi Bar-Lev

Your coworker makes a comment to you about your weight.

Generally, you’d just brush it off, but this isn’t the first person to say something and you’re aware that it really is a problem.

Fat loss tip extraordinaire or some old-school reverse psychology? Don’t worry, I had the same reaction when I first discovered eating fat was necessary for losing weight.

Too often we hear confusing messages about dietary fats and what it really does to your body like:

1. Fats make you gain body fat.

2. Fats lead to heart attacks.

3. Fats are evil and should be avoided at all costs.

To put it bluntly, the three points above are FALSE .

We’ve been completely misled when it comes to fats.

Fats are essential for our body’s hormone production, skin health, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and even burning body fat.

Studies have been conducted to attempt to elevate cholesterol levels using high-fat diets. Most all of them have back

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

Yes, the economy is in the toilet, but that’s not an excuse to lie down on your couch with your favorite cheap comfort food and justify your actions as trying to save some money.

Burning calories doesn’t require large amounts of cash.

Here are some frugal fat loss tips that’ll keep you striving for your fitness goals:

1. Shoe Leather Express

Don’t spend your cash on gas, parking, or car insurance.

Try walking, cycling or running to your destination. The only equipment required for walking and running is a comfortable pair of shoes.

Or pump up the tires on mountain bike sitting in your garage, grab a helmet, and some reflective clothing, and bike to work a couple of times a week.

If your commute to work is too far for this kind for these primitive