More and more people in the weight training industry are catching on to the fact that when it comes to developing workout programs, full body workouts or upper/lower splits are usually best.
Not only do these allow you to work the major muscle groups in a smaller time committment, but they also prevent overtraining from taking place.
The Big Problem With Body Part Split Workouts
One of the biggest issues that you'll notice with body part split workouts is that they often end up working some of the smaller muscle groups for than one session in a row.
For example, if you perform a chest workout on Monday and then do shoulders on Tuesday, on both of those days you are going to be hitting the tricep muscles. Therefore, this isn't really allowing them much chance at all to rest, which could cause big problems over time.
If you want a muscle to grow effectively, you must provide it with enough rest.
If you continue to break it down after it's been worked once, you're just going to get weaker, rather than stronger.
So, be extra careful with this.
All the compound lifts are going to be working smaller muscle groups as well, so you really don't need to be doing much more direct work for these in addition to your core lifts.
If you do, you could verge on the side of overtraining relatively quickly.
.
Read more!
Yet Another Reason Full Body and Upper/Lower Splits Are Best
Being Mindful Of More Than Just Muscular Fatigue
For many people, when designing their workout program, whether designed for fat loss or muscle building, one of the primary things they focus on is being sure to give each muscle group 48 hours of rest.
This essentially means that if you do a chest workout on Monday, the soonest you should again work the chest muscles will be on Wednesday. Working them on the Tuesday would likely over load the muscle too much, without giving it enough of a chance to recover.
Most people have a good graps on this.
But, what many people fail to incorporate into their program is enough rest between training sessions period.
They will do a chest, shoulders, and arms workout on Monday, a legs workout on Tuesday, then do a Back workout on Wednesday, letting themselves rest on Thursday before repeating the cycle once again.
This seems like it should be okay - all the muscle groups are still getting 48 hours of rest, so they are following the right principle.
But, this isn't quite the case.
The problem is that the individual muscles are getting a good break, this much is true, but the CNS is not.
The CNS is what is going to really drive the system in the first place, and when it's fatigued, you won't be able to lift as much as you normally would regardless of how long any given muscle has had to rest.
So, be sure you also take into account total days off.
Ideally you won't want to go more than two days in a row lifting, otherwise you could start seeing CNS fatigue kicking in.
Make sure you don't overlook this critical component in your workout program planning.
.
Read more!
Simple Diet Tricks That Make Weight Loss Easier
When it comes to the process of weight loss, many people don't really enjoy meticulously counting calories, tracking fat grams, measuring their food, and so on.
Essentially, it starts to make them feel as though their diet controls them, rather than the other way around.
When this starts happening, you really have to look at the trade off.
Yes, counting calories, tracking protein - all those things will help to ensure you do see weight loss results.
But, if you wind up not sticking with the program anyway, you really aren't any better off.
In that situation, it's far smarter to just get on a plan that you can live with that allows for more flexibilty.
By incorporating some simple diet principles into your program, you can do just that.
Here are a few to get you started.
===> Simple Diet Tricks That Naturally Help You Lose Weight
.
Read more!
Increase Testosterone Through The Right Weight Lifting Program
You likely know by know that weight lifting in general will impact testosterone release.
Since testosterone is one of the biggest muscle building hormones, maximizing it is going to really work towards your benefit.
But, not all weight lifting workouts are the same when it comes to how much they will boost up testosterone levels.
In order to effectively see optimal results with regards to this, you must plan your workouts a certain way.
For more information on how to do this and build muscle faster, see this post:
- Research Study: Testosterone and Cortisol Response to Various Loading Patterns
.
Read more!
Men's Health Medicine Ball Workout
At some point or another, you've likely come across a Men's Health Magazine. This popular men's fitness magazine is filled with information on how to make the most of your training and diet, along with other tidbits of information directed at improving your overall health.
One of the frequent contributors to Men's Health, Craig Ballantyne, has recently put together a really effective medicine ball ab workout, as shown on the following youtube video.
Medicine ball workouts sure are great when you don't have time to go to the gym, so they are perfect for the busy holiday season. You can do all three of his new TT Medicine Ball workouts in 10-25 minutes at home, in your bedroom, or even in your office. All you need is a simple medicine ball, although a soccer ball or stability ball will work for most of the exercises as well.
If you want a crack at these TT Med Ball workouts, you'll get freeaccess to the program in the TT Member's area when you grab yourcopy of Turbulence Training.
=> Turbulence Training Program
.
Read more!
Why You Aren't Losing Weight
I get many letters from frustrated dieters wondering what they are doing wrong with their weight loss program.
They are making a conscious effort to include more fruits and vegetables in their plan; they are being sure they don't eat after 8pm; they are event reducing back on the amount of alcohol they are consuming in hopes this will be what really gets fat loss moving quickly.
But yet, still no weight loss.
What's wrong with this picture?
The problem is likely not one of improper food choices, improper food timing, or dietary adherance, the problem is that they are not counting their calories.
The first thing I'd ask anyone who is struggling with weight loss is if they know how many calories they are taking in.
Often, the answer you get back will fall into one of two groups.
First, they are either someone who has no idea whatsoever.
If this is the case, it's no wonder they haven't lost weight. Unless you have a starting point to work from - an idea of how many calories you're eating each day, you have no way to determine where to move from there.
That calorie intake is what determines whether or not the body turns to fat for fuel. If food is coming in, even in the form of very healthy foods, if it's more than the body needs at any given time, you aren't losing weight.
You must count calories before you complain about not losing weight.
Secondly, the other group of people are those who will tell you they're eating some stupidly low number like 900 calories a day. When this is the case, chances are their metabolism is running at turtle speed or slower and that's why they just aren't losing weight.
When this is the case, they're going to have to go through a process of diet breaks for diet refeeds, following by calculating a more appropriate calorie intake because obviously they are of the 'starve-yourself-to-lose camp'.
It's not a camp you want to be in.
So, before you start complaining that you can't lose weight, ask yourself whether you know exactly how many calories you are eating each day. If you don't, start there, then see how it goes.
Oh, and remember that calories consumed while standing do count, as much as we wish this weren't the case.
.
Read more!
Dehydration On Fat Loss Diets
When on a fat loss diet, dehydration is going to be one thing you really have to be on the lookout for.
The big issue here is that because you are taking in fewer calories, you've likely reduced back on some foods that contain many of the potassium and potentially sodium that it needs.
When you then start losing water weight through exercise, you're also losing these electrolytes and if they are not replaced with an electrolyte containing beverage, you could be in severe trouble.
By learning the signs of dehydration you can help to prevent this from becoming a problem for you while you follow your fat loss diet.
Here is what to look for:
-headaches
-sudden feelings of fatigue or weakness
-feeling off balanced
-being dizzy
-having trouble talking
If you notice any of these present during your workout, rest immediately and seek help.
Many people also tend to think that the risk of dehydration is less so in the winter months when you aren't sweating as much, but this is by no means the case. You are still very much at risk for becoming dehyrated while it's cooler outside, so don't overlook this and think you're safe.
Dehydration is not a condition you want to mess with as not only will it impact your athletic performance but it could be extremely dangerous to your health if serious enought.
.
Read more!
Four Ways To Shorten Your Fat Loss Workout and Make It More Effective
When it comes to your fat loss workouts, the last thing you want to be doing is spending hours in the gym. Not only because you have a life to lead, but also because too much time in the gym can actually cause bigger issues when dieting, due to a decreased energy intake.
If you push yourself too hard with your fat loss workouts and aren't refueling enough, you're going to be at a higher risk of overtraining, could wind up injured, and may start suffering from a slowed metabolism.
So, taking steps to shorten down your workout should help to reduce the chances these negative side effects starting happening as well as help you get in and out of the gym faster.
Here are four simple ways to shortern your fat loss workouts and make it more effective.
Reduce Isolated Movements
The first basic way to shorten your fat loss workout is to reduce the isolated movements as they won't work all that many muscle fibers at once, hence won't be your best bet for increasing results.
The more you can focus on only performing compound movements, the easier it will be to maintain your fitness and strength level over a shorter workout period.
Add Cardio Between Weight Sets
If you're in the gym doing an upper body workout as part of your overall fat loss program, consider adding in some intervals between the sets you do when you'd normally just be resting.
Since you likely won't be using the arm muscles when doing the interval, they will still be able to rest while you're busy burning calories and working on your cardiovascular fitness level.
Super Set Exercises
Another technique that can be used to increase the calorie burn is to superset a couple of the exercises you want to do.
For example, consider following bicep curls by tricep kickbacks. Doing so will allow one muscle group to work while the opposing muscle group rests.
Just be sure that you are taking a rest break in between supersets so you don't overly tax your system.
Do Free Weights On An Exercise Ball
Next up, another thing you can do so that you can skip your ab workout at the end of the session is do some of your weight lifting movements on an exercise ball. Because of the instability of the body on the exercise ball while performing this movement, the body will have to call into play the abdominal muscles to a greater extent, giving you a terffic six pack workout without doing crunches.
So, be sure you keep these options in mind when trying to create effective fat loss workouts that don't take hours to complete. As long as you're smart in the gym, you can see good results without a high level of time commitment.
.
Read more!
Cinnamon - Fat Loss Supplement?
While it's highly likely that you've come across a wide variety of fat loss supplements before - caffeine, green tree extract, ephedra, yohimbe, hoodia...and so on, one supplement that you might have never even considered is located right in your spice rack - cinnamon.
Recently researchers had a look at the effects of supplementing with cinnamon had on body composition, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels.
Subjects were divided into two groups; one that would receive the cinnamon supplement and the other that would receive a placebo for a period of 12 weeks in duration.
After the study was completed and the test results were obtained, it was demonstrated that the subjects supplementing with cinnamon had a better body composition profile, as well as had a lower systolic blood pressure reading.
Therefore, from this study we can conclude that taking simple steps to add more cinnamon to your day - adding it to your morning bowl of oatmeal, spreading it with some low fat cream cheese on your toast, or adding it to your protein muffins is one simple way to enhance the results of your current fat loss program.
Reference:
Anderson, RA. Et al. (2006) Effects of a water-soluble cinnamon extract on body composition and features of the metabolic syndrome in pre-diabetic men and women. Ohio Research Group, Wadsworth Medical Center. Journal of the International Society of Sports and Nutrition. Dec 28;3-45-53.
.
Read more!
Quick Weight Loss Program
Whether you've got a high school reunion coming up or just want something to jumpstart your fat loss and get a better weight loss than you've been experiencing, trying out a new fat loss workout is a great way to get results started again.
Often the body will become adapted to what you have been doing with your weight loss workout and because of this, it will stop responding.
With a really quick weight loss workout program that you can do to help get faster results, here's fat loss coach, Vince DelMonte with a program he often uses with his clients.
For more on Vince's fat loss workout, please see his website, Your SixPack Quest.
.
Read more!
Fat Loss Misconceptions - Which Are You Falling For?
While there are many different theories on fat loss and how to create an effective fat loss diet and workout program, there are some big misconceptions that people fall for time and time again.
By identifying these misconceptions you help get the facts straight on only how much progress you're making but also on the correct ways to go about losing weight.
Here are the big ones to watch for.
1. You will maintain the same rate of weight loss throughout your diet.
While this is what we all want to believe, it isn't likely to happen. Initial weight will drop faster than later weight both because you are at a higher body fat percentage, and because much of what you'll be losing initially will be water weight or muscle glycogen.
2. Eating before bed will cause weight gain.
Wrong. Eating too many calories will cause weight gain. If the nighttime eating is putting you over your calorie budget for the day, then yes, that is a problem and will hinder results.
3. You should be lifting weights as frequently as possible.
True, studies have demonstrated that the more frequently you can target a muscle the better for developmental purposes, but hitting it before it's recovered will do the opposite - worsen your results.
Rest is critical. There has to be this balance.
4. Cardio is essential for fat loss.
Nope. You can actually lose fat really well with just a weight lifting and sound diet program, but cardio does have positive health benefits so I'd never recommend against omitting it entirely.
5. Eating more frequent meals will speed up your metabolism.
Wrong again. The metabolism will speed up in proportion to how much food is consumed. Eat smaller meals, the metabolism will speed up to a smaller degree. Eat larger meals.... and you can guess the rest.
Everything is in proportion. More frequent meals can control hunger better in some individuals, however.
So, be sure to keep these five points in mind. Falling for them is going to give you an incorrect picture on what it takes to lose weight properly.
.
Read more!
Get Faster Fat Loss With These Tips
If you're looking for simple changes you can make to your workout program to get faster fat loss results, this is for you.
While simply being consistent with your workout is going to be one of the most important things when it comes to seeing a good rate of fat loss, there are some things you can do to take it to the next level.
Here's how to jumpstart fat loss quickly.
Add Sprint Cardio
Even if you aren't going to full out do a sprint cardio session, consider adding in 30 seconds to a minute every once in a while at a higher pace. This will allow your body to get used to the faster pace, without pushing you too far out of your comfort zone.
Over time you will get more comfortable with intervals and eventually you might just find you prefer them.
Do Fewer Isolated Exercises
Limiting the number of isolated exercises will go a long ways to helping fat loss. This may seem odd, but here's the reasoning.
The more exercises you do in a single workout session, the longer it's going to take to recover, which means the longer you will have to stay out of the gym.
So, you want to be doing the exercises that will burn the most calories as often as possible to make the most out of your workouts.
What burns the most calories?
Compound lifts. This includes the bench press, militar press, shoulder press, squat and deadlift.
Eat More Fiber
Not only will fiber help keep you feeling full, but the carbs from fiber are typically not counted as 'net' carbs, so you can essentially eat more of them without gaining weight.
This makes high fiber food perfect for on a fat loss diet - so be sure you're eating as much as possible.
So, be sure you keep these simple tips in mind when approach your goal of fast fat loss.
The more often you can make small lifestyle changes aimed to improve results, the better chance you stand of reaching your end goal.
.
Read more!
Protein Bars and Fat Loss
If you're currently on a fat loss diet, you might have wondered before whether replacing some of your former snacks with a protein bar is a good option.
The big issue with many of the cereal bars out there is that while they may be low in fat, they're often high in sugar and lack any protein at all, causing a big rush of sugar in the system, followed by a crash.
This can lead you to overeat later on, and could increase the chances you gain weight.
This is also why many people think that protein bars are a better option.
But are they really?
Total Calories
First up, assess how many calories are in a protein bar. Very often they will have 300+ calories, which while isn't as high as a fast food meal for example, isn't going to do your diet any favors - particularly for the amount of food you get.
You'd be far better off eating a can of tuna, 1/2 cup of rice, and 2 cups of steamed vegetables, which would equate to about the same calories.
Total Sugar Content
While protein bars do have protein in them, they also often have a high level of sugar as well. For someone who is aiming to lose weight, this again becomes problematic.
If you are going to opt for a protein bar, choose on of the lower carb ones available, or one that has a low sugar count.
Total Fat
Finally, keep in mind that some bars are higher in fats, and usually these are not healthy fats.
For this reason, it's a really good idea to pay careful attention to the label, so you know exactly what you're getting.
So, on the whole, protein bars are typically not your best choice for a fat loss snack. While they are convenient and will be better than a cereal bar, you're still going to be much better off making that extra effort and preparing a healthier snack of your own.
.
Read more!
Fast Home Gym Workouts
When it comes to squeezing in your home workouts, sometimes, you just can't make it to the gym. Taking the extra travel time out of your day, not to mention fighting with other gym goers for room on the equipment, it can definitely take a good chunk of time out of your schedule.
Luckily, you can get a very effective workout right on your home gym. Home gym workouts are great because they can be done anytime and are quick and convenient.
With more information on how you can create an effective home gym workout, here's muscle building and fat loss coach, Vince DelMonte.
For more on Vince, please see his website which offers a range of programs depending upon your goal.
===> Click HERE for more.
.
Read more!
What To Do After You Cheat On A Diet
You've been following your diet to a 'T' when something causes you to go off it.
Maybe it's a co-worker who walked past with a plate of brownies that you just couldn't say no to.
Maybe it's an evening schedule that became so packed that the drive-thru was the only option.
Or perhaps it was an emergency that made you skip your after-work gym session along with the home cooked meal you had been planning.
Whatever the case, you cheated on your diet and now don't know what to do about it.
Here's what you should do to recover from a cheat on your diet.
Put It Behind You
First, it's imparitive that you put this cheat behind you immediately. While one cheat isn't going to do a whole lot of damage, if you let this cheat carry on for the rest of the week, it will.
One cheat is about 500-1000 calories, depending on what you eat and how aggressive you are with that cheat.
A week long binge, on the other hand, could have you racking up a good 6000 calories or more, over and above what you need to maintain your body weight.
That will translate to almost two pounds gained, something that while won't be the end of the world, does set you back.
Come to terms with the fact you cheated and then move on. The better you get at being able to do this, the better chances you'll have at maintaining weight loss into the future.
Drink More Water
Next up, try and make a conscious effort to drink more water in the day or two following the cheat.
Many times, the foods you'll cheat on will either be high in carbs or salt, both of which cause a temporary water weight gain. This not only leaves you looking bloated in the stomach area, but also increases the scale more than what is actually representative of true fat gain.
So, you step on it the next more, see a gain of three pounds, and freak right out.
Not good.
Drink more water to help flush out the salt and regular the water balance so this doesn't become such an issue.
Skip Cardio, Do Weights
Finally, going back to the point that most cheats are higher in carbs, if you want to undo the damage, so to speak, you should opt for a good weight session over a cardio session.
While cardio does burn calories, unless it's very high intensity, it's going to rely mostly on fat for fuel (which is good, don't get me wrong, just not optimal for what we're trying to accomplish here).
Weight training, on the other hand, will use stored muscle glycogen, which is contributing to your higher scale weight at this point.
By using up some of this glycogen, you'll help get that scale back down sooner.
So, keep these points in mind next time you cheat on your diet.
Or better yet, work the cheat right into your diet program so it serves to help you rather than hinder you.
====> Learn how to do this Here.
.
Read more!
Best Carbs For Fat Loss
When it comes to creating a fat loss diet, it's important to pay special attention to the fat loss carbs you're using.
Not all carbohydrates are created equally, so investing in the right ones is going to make your weight loss progress that much quicker.
Here are main carbohydrates you'll want to include in your fat loss diet.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a great source of carbohydrates because it's slow digesting and offers plenty of dietary fiber.
Just be sure you're choosing the oatmeal that comes unsweetened, and add your own flavoring to it (cinnamon, sugar free maple syrup, unsweetened applesauce, protein powder, etc).
Vegetables
Another top source of carbohydrates for your fat loss diet are vegetables. Vegetables are create because they are super low in calories, meaning you can eat a very high volume without having to worry they will affect your body weight.
Furthermore, they contain plenty of vitamins and minerals, all which are critical to proper health.
Fruit
While you do want to have fruit in moderation due to the sugar content it contains, as well as the fructose present, which gets handled by the body differently than starch, some fruit is definitely a good idea.
The fructose in the fruit can help signal the body's satiety centers, making you feel fuller while on a fat loss diet.
Sweet Potatoes
Finally, the last carbohydrate source to consider are sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are a great source of potassium and will digest fairly slowly by the body, keeping the blood sugar levels stable.
Replacing them with traditional white potatoes is a smart move for those looking to optimize fat loss.
So, be sure you're including these carb sources as part of your regular diet plan.
.
Read more!
Fat Loss Diet Myths You Need To Know
With all the different fat loss diets out there, it can be hard at times to decipher fact from fiction. If you start believing something that is very much a myth, it could really cost you good progress that you otherwise would have seen with the weight loss plan.
Knowing the major fat loss myths will help you take a step in the right direction to getting the results you're looking for.
Here are the big myths to watch out for.
Fat Loss Diet Myth 1 - Eating At Night Makes You Gain Weight
Many people think that eating late at night will make them gain weight, however this is not entirely true.
If eating at night makes you eat more calories than you should for the day, then yes, eating at night will make you gain weight. If it doesn't and you stay within your calorie allotment, then eating at night will not make you gain weight.
Fat Loss Diet Myth 2 - You Should Skip Eating Before and After Your Workout
The next big fat loss myth people believe is eating before and after a workout will hinder fat loss.
Again, this is very wrong. In fact, it's completely the opposite. The food you eat around the workout is least likely to turn to fat, so it's actually one of the times you should be eating the most food.
This will help ensure you also have the most energy possible to do your workouts.
Fat Loss Diet Myth 3 - You Should Never Cheat On Your Diet
Finally, the last weight loss myth some people believe is that you should always stick with your diet 100%. While you do want to have good dietary adherance, you want to allow some freedom for foods you enjoy.
This will not only help to keep the metabolic rate optimized, but it will also help keep you psychologically sane.
Dieting for extended periods of time really takes its toll on both your mind and body, so allowing for some indulgence is a very good thing.
So, be sure you keep these factors in mind when going about your weight loss diet.
.
Read more!
Lower Body Six Pack Abs Workout
Getting that lower portion of your six pack abs to show is often what most people struggle with the most. The top two or even four abs seem to come through without too many problems, but those lower two, they are a whole other ball game.
In order to get the bottom two ab muscles showing to complete your set of six pack abs, you're going to have to reduce your body fat levels through a proper weight loss diet program and workout, as well as perform abdominal exercises that will zero in and target this area of the body.
With more on the best lower ab six pack exercises, here's ab expert, Craig Ballantyne with some of his favorite movements for targeting this area.
For more information on Craig's workout program, see his Turbulence Training Website.
==> Click HERE for Turbulence Training <===
.
Read more!
How To Experience Fast Weight Loss
If you're like most dieter's, you want to get a fast weight loss happening with your current diet program.
Most people aren't particulary enthusiastic about taking the 'slow and steady' approach because the sooner they can get back to living their life without a diet, the better.
That said, there are some things you can do to get fast weight loss happening, but keep in mind that true fat loss does take time. That doesn't mean you can't look slimmer instantly, just that to actually see solid decreases in body fat percentages, you need to allow your body a good time period to do so.
But, right now we're concerned with getting fast weight loss, so here's what you need to know.
Up Protein Intake, Lower Carb Intake
The best way to see fast weight loss is simply by shifting your calories slightly, so you're taking in more from protein and less from carbs.
This tends to reduce bloat and causes a water weight to take place.
So, if you've got a reunion coming up or another special event you want to look your best for, this is one option you can consider.
Obviously low carb diets do work - as there are many out there, but in the long term, it's good to follow a proper diet program set-up.
Watch Your Posture
The next thing for experiencing fast weight loss has nothing to do with dieting at all - moreso, your posture.
You would be amazed at what a difference proper posture can make when it comes to changing the way you look.
Sit or stand up straight and youll instantly look pounds lighter.
Drink More Water
In addition to lowering the carb intake, you can get fast weight loss by actually drinking a bit more water. This will help to remove any excess sodium in the body and reduce bloating, which often appears as abdominal fat.
Being sure to drink enough water regularly is a smart way to prevent this problem to begin with.
So, if you're looking for fast weight loss for some special event coming up, be sure you keep these ideas in mind.
They might just be what's needed to get you feeling confident and to also motivate you to continue on with your regular diet and fat loss workout program.
.
Read more!
Low Carb Diet Dangers - What To Watch Out For
More and more people are starting up on low carb diets as a way to effectively lose weight. But, with low carb diets, there comes the need to take certain precautionary measures to ensure that you're going about them the right way.
If these measures are not right, you will not see optimal results from the low carb diet and could actually wind up in a lot of trouble down the road.
Here are some things to keep in mind about low carb diets.
You Must Have Carbs Around The Workout
First, realize that any form of intense exercise is going to require carbohydrates in order to be performed. It would be virtually impossible to keep up an intense weight lifting session if you are not taking in the recommended amount of carbohydrates.
Therefore, on your low carb diet, you must either consume carbohydrates before or after the workout, or else you must do a once a week carb-up to get that intake bumped up to where it should be.
You Need to Monitor The Overall Intake
In addition to having the carbs before and after the workouts, you also need to pay attention to monitoring the intake the rest of the day.
Problems typically tend to occur when your carb intake is right around 40-95 grams, as this isn't enough for the body to be completely fat adapted and feeling well.
In order to adapt to a low carb diet, you should either be bringing your carbs lower than 30 grams a day (apart from the workout carbs), or else keeping them just above 100 grams.
This will help ensure you get the best results while still being able to function properly.
Staying in that middle ground often leads to feeling 'fuzzy brained' when using the low carb diet approach.
You Should Never Eliminate Vegetables
Finally, the last thing to keep in mind on your low carb diet is that it's never a smart idea to completely eliminate vegetables.
Vegetables contain very few carbs, but yet some dieter's, in their quest to be almost carb-free start to reduce back.
You need these vegetables to provide your body with the potassium necessary to keep up exercise, as well as for all the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants they provide you.
Sure, you should be limiting the amount of starchy vegetables such as carrots, corn, and peas, but being sure to consume plenty of the non-starchy ones (broccoli, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, cabbage, onions, mushrooms, peppers, etc).
So, be sure you're keeping these points in mind when thinking about your low carb diet.
Low carb diets can be effective when used in the right manner, but if not used correctly, can lead to more problems than good.
.
Read more!
How to Determine A Weight Loss Plateau
One thing that many dieters will experience at some point is a weight loss plateau.
At times though, it can be hard to determine if you are actually suffering from a weight loss plateau, or if you just need to be patient or bring the calories lower.
You do need to keep in mind that as weight progresses, you will need to lower the calorie intake to continue to lose weight; it's when you lower the calorie intake but nothing happens that the real problem begins.
That said, here are some hints that you might be on a weight loss plateau.
1. You've been dieting for more than four months straight without taking any time off the diet.
2. You are eating at a calorie intake rate of 10 times your body weight (or lower).
3. You are currently doing at least three hours of cardio total each week.
4. You are losing less than 1/2 pound per week.
5. You are feeling constant fatigue, hunger, or maybe even starting to show signs of depression.
6. You're gym performance is also starting to noticeably decline, and you may even be losing muscle mass.
7. You are making sure you are getting at least eight hours of sleep at night, but that's still not making a difference in energy levels.
If you notice three (or more) of these symptoms, then there is a good chance you have hit a diet plateau and may be in need of a break.
While many people think the key is to just push harder, often times it's a complete diet break that's necessary.
This will help to reset the hormones in the body that help keep the metabolism higher and help you burn fat at an elevated rate, showing much better weight loss results.
Read more!
Hoodia Gordonii and Weight Loss
If you've been browsing through some of the weight loss supplements out there, there's a good chance you've come across hoodia gordonii.
Hoodia Gordonii was first discovered in South Africa and was used as an aid for hunters to help prevent hunger signals while out hunting. By not suffering from hunger, they were able to stay out longer and accomplish more on each hunting expedition.
Eventually the mainstream fat loss market caught on to this popular supplement and started marking it as the newest and greatest way to make dieting easy for you.
No hunger?
Now wouldn't that just make your diet so much easier to stick to.
But, the key things to remember is that first, hoodia gordonii doesn't work for everyone.
There are some people out there who are going to be non-responders, so it's critical that you keep this in mind. If you aren't seeing a difference after two weeks of using hoodia, up the dosage slightly. If that still doesn't help, don't keep purchasing the product.
Secondly, hoodia is not going to supply any sort of nutrition, so if you are getting good results by using the hoodia and are not feeling very much hunger at all, it's critical that you still take in enough protein, minerals, and vitamins.
If you don't, you're going to have troubles maintaining good health as well as a good metabolic rate.
Very low calories, while will promote fast weight loss, are not a good thing in the long run.
So, keep these points in mind if you're thinking about trying the Hoodia Gordonii fat loss supplement.
.
Read more!
Functional Training for Building Muscle and Weight Loss
Regardless of whether your goal is to build muscle or get weight loss moving along quickly, performing functional training is something you need to be giving some consideration too.
Far too many people skip warm-ups altogether with their workout programs, which only sets them up to experience injuries and less than optimal performance.
While going on the treadmill for five to ten minutes is better than nothing, there is so much more you could be doing.
With more on functional training, here's muscle-building coach Vince DelMonte again with a video to explain it with more depth.
For more on Vince's program, please see his website.
==> No-Nonsense Muscle Building <===
.
Read more!
Fat Loss Secrets Thin People Know
Ever wonder what fat loss secrets some people seem to know that makes it so easy for them to lose weight?
Do they naturally possess such a good metabolism that they don't need to worry about diet or exercise?
Likely not. Sure, there are a few people who are lucky enough to just be able to eat whatever, whenever and never have to give consideration to gaining weight, but these people are few and far in between.
Rather, they just adopt a few simple tricks that keep them leaner and make it easier for them to lose weight.
Here's some of their fat loss secrets.
More Non-Meat Protein
First up, these people naturally tend to select more non-meat protein sources. Why non-meat?
While protein is critical on a fat loss diet, when you're eating too much meat, you might also be getting in a bit too much extra fat as well, which spells trouble for those who are trying to lose body fat.
Instead, if you opt for non-meat sources - egg whites, fish, fat free cottage cheese and other low-fat dairy products, as well as whey protein powder, you'll be getting straight protein, with very few calories.
This is what will make dieting easier in the long run.
They Divide Exercise Up
Naturally thin people don't spend hours in the gym - as much as that's what you wanted to believe. Instead, they are just typically more active throughout the day.
Whether they have active jobs or just take the opporutnity to walk or get up every chance they get, you won't catch them sitting for hours on end.
All this additional movement throughout the day makes it ten times easier for them to maintain their body weight over the long haul.
They Don't Starve Themselves
While there might be a few thin people out there existing on nothing more than salad and carrots, most thin people actually don't starve themselves.
Starving yourself is bad news for fat loss for three reasons.
First, it causes the metabolic rate to slow down. A slowed metabolism means fat loss becomes next to impossible. Not too mention your starving all the time, which only sets you up for a binge.
Second, starving yourself promotes the loss of lean muscle mass tissue. Lean muscle mass is what burns the most calories throughout the day, so again, lose that and you lose out on calorie burning potential. Not good.
Finally, starving causes you to obsess about food. You likely already know that when you're focused on the food you're not eating, you're eating every thing else in sight in order to compensate.
Often times, this means you actually eat more food than if you would have just eaten whatever it was that you wanted in the first place.
So, eat what you want, in moderation. Taking food of that 'banned' list of yours is the smartest thing you can do as far as fat loss is concerned.
So, be sure you keep these three fat loss secrets in mind if you hope to lose weight successfully.
There are so many different weight loss diet programs out there, but unless you're following them smartly, you're unlikely to see the results you're looking for.
.
Read more!
Understanding Food Labels For Fat Loss - What Matters?
When starting up a fat loss diet, one thing that becomes very important for you to get a firm grasp of understanding about is how to properly read a food label.
If you aren't able to decipher the meaning behind a food label, you'll struggle a lot more with fat loss because it will be harder to get an understanding about what you're putting into your body.
That said, here's what you need to look out for.
Total Calories
The most important thing to look for when reading a food label is the total calorie count.
This is the determining factor that will guage weight loss. If you aren't taking in fewer calories than you're burning in a day, you aren't going to lose weight.
So, once you figure out how many calories are necessary for you to lose weight, then you must calculate how many calories are in the foods you're eating to see if you're hitting your calorie target.
Protein, Fat, Carbs
Next up, look at the protein, fat, and carb counts. While each person is going to have different needs for these depending on their particular diet program and body weight, what you need to know is that each type of nutrient has the following calories in it:
fat = 9 calories per gram
protein = 4 calories per gram
carbohydrate = 4 calories per gram
(and for those who drink alcohol, it has 7 calories per gram).
So, from there you can work out how that particular food you're considering eating fits into your overall weight loss diet plan.
Fiber Count
Finally, the third thing to look at is the fiber count. Foods that are higher in fiber are typically better for those looking to lose weight because they will make you feel fuller as well as keep the whole digestive system healthy.
Furthermore, some people will subtract the fiber grams in a food from the total carbohydrate grams to get 'net carbohydrate count' and that's what they actually add to their total carb intake for the day (since fiber is often passed right through the body).
So, keep these in mind when you're assessing your weight loss diet and looking at food labels. It's definitely something you do want to learn to do in order to see good results from your diet plan.
.
Read more!
Steroids and Muscle Building
If you're heavy into weight lifting and trying to take your body to the next level in terms of building muscle, you probably have at one point or another at least thought about steroids - or have wondered if you should consider them.
Some guys do make the choice to take steroids and usually do get amazing results on them. Let's face the facts - steroids will pack on the muscle mass quickly and you will get bigger - a lot bigger.
But you really have to consider what the expense is here.
Is getting bigger worth sacrificing your health for?
There are so many negative side effects to using steroids that really, the cons far outweigh the pros.
Not too mention the fact that once you come off the steroids, that muscle mass isn't likely to stay on unless there is a very high amount of work put forth both in the gym and with regards to your bodybuilding diet.
Additionally, in the gym, most people can easily recognize those who are using steroids and automatically lose respect for them.
Getting big the natural way is something to be proud of. Getting big while using chemical help.... well, that's like cheating.
Obviously in the end the choice is up to you, but if you get yourself on a good weight lifting program and on a very thoroughly thought out diet, you can achieve good results in the way of building muscle.
It really is the better way to try and do it.
With more on training naturally without steroids, here's muscle building coach, Vince DelMonte.
For more on Vince's program, please see his website.
===> No-Nonsense Muscle Building <====
.
Read more!
Biggest Fat Loss Mistakes
When it comes to creating a fat loss program plan, there are a wide variety of mistakes that you often see people making.
Some make mistakes with their fat loss workout.
Others make errors with the fat loss diet set-up.
Whatever the case, these issues often mean less than optimal results, even though the individual may be putting for a great deal of effort.
This then leads to lots of frustration along the way.
That said, here are the big ones to watch out for.
Fat Loss Mistake #1: Too Much Cardio
While cardio training is important, don't get too carried away. Too much cardio at the expense of a good strength training program will only have you losing muscle mass and potentially even gaining body fat. This is not what you want at all.
Fat Loss Mistake #2: Too Little Rest
The second biggest fat loss mistake is not taking enough time to rest. Dieting is a stresser placed on the body - after all, you are asking the body to run on less fuel than it would prefer, therefore if you are pushing too hard, the body is going to fight back. And, fight back hard.
Try to avoid exercising hard any more than four days a week. Two days can be moderate and one day needs to be very easy or off entirely.
Fat Loss Mistake #3: Too Little Fat
Finally, the last fat loss mistake I frequently see people making is not consuming enough dietary fat.
While you don't want to eat dietary fat freely since it is more calorie dense, elminating it entirely is not a good plan either.
Ideally, aim to get at least 6 grams of EFA's (fish oil or otherwise), and another 5-7 grams of healthy fat with each meal you consume.
This will help to prevent hunger and help to optimize the fat burning hormones in your body.
So, be sure you're not making any of these big fat loss mistakes. If you are, take steps immediately to correct them.
.
Read more!
More Six Pack Ab Secrets
Wondering what other people do to get six pack abs?
Achieving a set of six pack abs is nothing something you come by randomly. Six pack abs take a lot of hard work - both on the workout side of things as well as in the kitchen.
Unless you are fully prepared to put forth some hard work, you might as well not set your sights on getting six pack abs, as the chances of you achieving the goal is relatively low.
Luckily, getting six pack abs is possible, if you know the approach to take.
With more on that, here's Six Pack Ab expert, Vince DelMonte.
.
For more on Vince's Program, please view his Six Pack Abs Program.
===> Your SixPack Quest <=====
Read more!
Lose Weight Faster With Core Lifts
If you're currently on a workout program designed to lose weight faster, it's critically important that you ensure you have the core lifts included in it.
Core lifts are essentially movements that are going to get you the best results for your time invested, both in terms of weight loss and muscle building.
While you cannot build muscle and lose weight simultaneously, these lifts should always be included in your workout program.
They are:
-Bench Press
-Deadlift
-Shoulder Press
-Rows
-Squats
These lifts will stimulate the greatest number of muscle fibers, helping you not only burn more calories to lose weight faster, but also increase the rate at which you burn calories over an extended period of time after the workout is finished.
Too Much Of A Good Thing For Weight Loss
One thing to make note of though is that you can have too much of a good thing when it comes to core lifts.
If you opt to perform these exercises too frequently throughout the week, not only will your muscles not recover, but you will also be putting a very high stimulus on the CNS, which will cause big problems with not only your workout performance, but how you feel overall as well.
So, be sure you have a look at your current weight loss program.
To lose weight faster, you need to have a good balance of core lifts along with enough rest so the body is able to improve over time.
.
Read more!
Weight Loss Tips To Speed Weight Loss
Most individuals are always on the hunt for weight loss tips that will help them get results faster.
Since dieting to most people represents a restricted calorie intake, it's not particularly surprising that they are interested in speeding up the process and getting on with their life.
While a good weight loss diet approach will allow some flexibility with food choices so you don't feel quite so restricted, dieting, without a doubt, by nature will require you to consume fewer calories.
Here are some simple weight loss tips to make this process easier for yourself.
Weight Loss Tip #3: Eat More Protein
First off, you should aim to include more protein in your weight loss diet.
Why?
Protein in itself helps to stop hunger better than any other macronutrient, and will cause the metabolism to speed up - up to 25%.
So, if you want to be able to eat more food and feel less hungry, it makes a good case for a higher protein weight loss diet.
Weight Loss Tip #2: Always Start With Soup Or Salad
Next up, you should aim to start your dinner meal off with either a soup or a salad.
Again, these will help control hunger better, reducing the chances that you overeat during the rest of the meal.
Since weight loss comes down to total calories eaten, this is critical.
Weight Loss Tip #3: Get More Sleep
When you aren't sleeping enough, you're going to experience stronger hunger signals, which make dieting rough.
Getting enough sleep each night will go a long ways towards helping you not only have better workouts, but also stick with your diet program easier.
So, be sure you consider these weight loss tips as you progress through your program.
They really will make a difference as far as your results are concerned.
Read more!
Weight Loss Supplements Worth Considering
If you're currently on a fat loss diet, there's a good chance you've given some thought towards purchasing one of the many weight loss supplements that are on the market.
There's also a good chance though that you've wondered whether or not these are really worth your money.
Here's which weight loss supplements you should consider as they will deliver you good results.
Caffeine
Caffeine is one weight loss supplement that helps many people each and every day - coffee.
Taking caffeine though, in pill form (200 mg), before your workouts has been shown to increase exercise performance and energy levels.
Since these are two things that often fall by the wayside during a fat loss diet, it's going to be nice to have a bit of extra help in this regard.
Fish Oil
While fish oil doesn't have any magical metabolism boosting effects, it does help ensure a proper hormonal environment in the body; one in which favors the burning of body fat.
It also helps to increase insulin sensitivity, which is important on a weight loss diet because it will help send more of the calories you do eat towards the muscle, rather than towards the fat.
A Multi-Vitamin
Next up on the list of weight loss supplements worth considering is a multi-vitamin.
Since when you're on a fat loss diet you won't be eating as many calories, this one will help to make sure you're getting all the nutrients you need to maintain proper health.
It's very important for long term health.
Protein Powder
Finally, the last weight loss supplement I'd recommend considering is protein powder.
Being sure that you consume enough protein each and every day while on your fat loss diet is going to be absolutely critical to prevent the loss of lean muscle mass.
Without enough protein, there will be big trouble.
If taking a protein powder makes it easier for you to reach your needs, this is something that is a must.
So, give good consideration to these weight loss supplements. They all are not the commonly thought 'weight loss supplements' that you'd see promising to melt pounds off in days, but they are the ones that actually do provide valid benefits when using them properly.
.
Read more!
Increase Testosterone and Build Muscle Faster
If your primary goal with your workouts is to build muscle and gain weight, doing what you can to increase testosterone levels needs to be a priority.
Those who are not concerned with this factor are not going to get as great of results as far as building muscle is concerned, due to the fact their anabolic environment is not going to be as favorable to the accumulation of new muscle mass tissue.
That said, here are some quick tips you can use to boost your testosterone level.
Lift Heavier
Heavy lifting in itself will serve to boost your testosterone levels, so be sure you're maxing out on your lifts once in a while.
I wouldn't recommend going to full-out exhaustion every single lift, but at least once a month it's a good idea.
This will also see how much maximum strength you can develop, which is another important measurement of progress.
Focus On Sleep Quality
Next up is rest. If you aren't resting enough, you're putting yourself at risk for overtraining, which is a surefire way to reduce testosterone levels dramatically.
Try and sleep at least 7-8 hours every night, along with taking steps to reduce overall levels of stress so you don't put yourself at risk for overtraining.
Eat Saturated Fat
Finally, the last way to boost your testosterone levels and build muscle faster is to consume some saturated fat in your diet.
While you don't want to be eating all your fat intake from saturated fats, some will help create a favorable anabolic hormone environment.
So, if you want to take your ability to build muscle to the next level, maks sure these three factors are in place.
Read more!
Protein Powder and Fat Loss
One question many people have when starting up on a fat loss program is whether or not they should include protein powder with their diet plan.
They've heard that protein is a vital component in the fat loss equation, so they begin thinking that supplementing with protein powder may just be the answer to help get fast weight loss happening.
What's the answer to this inquiry? Is it a good idea or something that's going to hinder their goals?
Why Supplementing With Protein Powder on a Fat Loss Diet Is Good
The first thing to look at is why supplementing with protein powder is a good thing to do when on a weight loss diet.
First, it's going to help you meet your protein needs.
If you are deficient in protein on your weight loss diet, you are going to set yourself up to experience muscle mass loss, and results will not be good.
Second, protein powder is very convenient. When you need something quick, it sure beats reaching for a bag of chips, crackers, or whatever other junk food you might be able to get your hands on.
Finally, protein powder can help with cravings. There is almost every flavor of protein powder you can image out there, so if you're constantly finding yourself craving a certain food, a protein powder might help you out with this.
Why Protein Powders Are Not Good On Weight Loss Diets
On the flip side though, there are some reasons why protein powder is not good on a fat loss diet.
First, beverages are often not 'accounted' for by the body. Meaning, you'll drink a beverage and won't reduce the total calories you eat.
Since weight loss boils down to total calories consumed, this is a problem for you.
You must take into account these extra calories or you're going to be in for weight gain.
Second, dieters who come to rely on protein powder aren't really teaching themselves how to eat properly.
Because of this, once they are off the diet, they may struggle with maintaining their weight loss.
So, it's up to you whether or not you want to use a protein powder while on your diet.
They can be very helpful, as long as they are used correctly.
That's the real key for making them an effective fat loss supplement.
.
Read more!
Creating Loading To Build Muscle - Is It Essential?
If you're goal at the moment is to try and build muscle as optimally as possible, there's a good chance you've given some thought to using the bodybuilding supplement, creatine.
What Creatine Does To Help Build Muscle
The main thing that creatine is going to do in terms of helping you build muscle is suppling the body with a greater storage of creatine phosphate, which then gets converted to ATP during exercise, which is the main source of fuel.
When the body runs out of the ATP during your weight lifting sessions, that's when you're typically going to see a decline in performance, and exercise may even stop.
Therefore, maintaining optimal creatine stores is going to be well worth your effort.
What The Loading Phase Does
When you choose to load with creatine, what you are essentially doing then is really stocking up the muscles to full capacity, so they are able to function optimally.
Typically the protocol is to take 2o grams each day for a period of five days total.
This will stock the muscles and get you primed for maintenance.
Once maintenance hits, then you reduce the dosage down to five grams a day, taking that on a continual basis.
Is Creating Loading Necessary
So, that then brings us to the question of whether creatine loading is necessary.
In a word - no.
You don't need to load if you don't want to - you could theoretically just start up on maintenance intake (five grams per day) and go from there.
You will still definitely see results from using creatine as far as your ability to build muscle goes, but it just won't be quite as strong as if you would have done the loading phase.
So, be sure to keep this factor in mind.
Loading does help, but if you experience extreme bloating or other negative side effects, you could do without if you prefer.
.
Read more!
How To Get Six Pack Abs Quickly and Lose Weight
If you're on the hunt for six pack abs along with a journey to lose weight, you need to be putting a high amount of focus on both your diet and exercise program.
Those individuals who think that they can just use a workout program to get a six pack are unfortunately mistaken.
Unless that layer of body fat is removed off the top of the abs, you aren't going to see the abdominal muscles underneath.
This is a big reason why getting a six pack and being able to lose weight effectively go hand in hand.
Your diet program and fat loss workout need to work together in order to deliver you the max results for your time invested.
On top of there, there needs to be motivation.
Unless you are able to identify exactly why you want to get a six pack, it's going to be hard to stick with the rigorous exercise program that's needed - not to mention the diet.
There comes a time, particularly when you're at the very end of your weight loss journey, trying to lose those last few pounds, where the mind really starts to try and play tricks on you with regards to cravings, hunger, and fatigue.
Having that underlying motivation is what will keep you pushing onwards, and will be what determines whether or not you are able to successfully get a sick pack and lose weight.
With more on this topic, here's fat loss coach, Vince DelMonte.
.
Read more!
Post-Workout Carb Choices On Your Diet Program
Regardless of whether or not you are no a fat loss diet to help you lose weight or just trying to maintain your body weight or build muscle, that post-workout meal is going to be critical.
Getting in a good dose of carbohdyrates during the post-workout meal will help to replenish the muscle glycogen stores, meaning you can get back into the gym faster between sessions.
If you neglect to have a proper post-workout meal, chances are you're going to have a slowed recovery, and could even risk losing muscle mass, particularly if you're on a fat loss diet.
One important point to keep in mind also is that since when you are on a diet program you're likely reducing carbs slightly, this means it's easier to start running very low on muscle glycogen, which will then show when you try and workout continually.
Getting in a good dose of post-workout carbs is the simple solution to this problem.
With more on the choices you should choose for your post-workout meal on your diet program, please see this post:
- Best Carb Choices For Your Post-Workout Meal
.
Read more!
Weight Training for Weight Loss
When most people think of a weight loss workout program, they automatically begin thinking about cardio.
Cardio, cardio, and more cardio. It's where they end up spending most of their time on their fat loss workouts since they figure it will burn up the most calories.
Unfortunately, neglecting to incorporate some form of weight training is a big mistake.
Weight training will not only help you burn more calories at rest, therefore making further weight loss that much easier, but it will also help to give your body a more shapely and attractive appearance.
There are a variety of different weight training programs out there though, so figuring out which ones will burn the most calories will be important.
Here are some things you can do to burn more calories during your weight lifting sessions.
- Increasing The Calorie Burn Of Your Weight Lifting Sessions
.
Read more!
Burning Fat Faster
While you definitely don't want to fall for a 'quick fix' as far as your fat loss diet is concerned, you also do want to push your results to the max, trying to burn fat as fast as possible and get weight loss moving.
In an ideal world - assuming you're following a well-planned diet and exercise program, you should be able to lose between one and two pounds of body fat a week. If you're losing quite a bit faster than this, that is a strong signal that you're losing lean muscle mass tissue as well, which is something you definitely don't want to be happening.
When it comes to creating your fat loss workout and diet program, there are certain factors to focus on to speed up your results.
With more on this, here's a video by fat loss expert, Vince DelMonte explaining what you need to do to burn fat faster.
To get more from Vince including his Six Pack Quest workout programs, please visit his website.
====> Your Six Pack Quest <=======
.
Read more!
Motivating Your Partner To Workout
One issue that some couples deal with from time to time is that one wants to go on a bit of a 'health kick' while the other is perfectly happy living the way they are.
While you may not think it would be that big of an issue - they can each do their own thing, often it does affect the other person considerably.
Whether it means cooking separate meals, less time spent together since one is at the gym more often, or the fact that there is a growing sense of resentment due to the fact the partner not taking action feels guilty underneath about their own bad habits, it can often spell trouble.
In order to prevent this from happening, it's a good idea to ease into the changes slowly, and be sure to talk to your partner beforehand about why you are making the changes you are - why it's important to you.
Take into account all the possible effects it might have in the beginning and setting up a plan for how you will deal with them will be your best approach.
For example, if you normally have pizza and watch movies every Friday, you'll have to decide if this will be happening now. Keep in mind that it is okay to indulge once in a while on a diet plan anyway, so it might be a good option to make that the cheat for the week.
Likewise, there may be opportunities to forgo a few gym workouts and do some form of physical activity that your partner might be interested in joining you for, as a way to help increase the amount of time you spend together.
Whatever you decide though, remember to talk things over with your partner, rather than just springing a whole bunch of big lifestyle changes on them.
For more information on this, please see this post:
- Getting Your Significant Other More Involved In Health and Fitness
.
Read more!
Best Time of the Day For Fat Loss Workouts
One question many people have when trying to design an optimal fat loss workout program is what will be the best time of the day to perform it.
Many people are under the impression that exercising first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is going to produce the best results, but unfortunately, this isn't necessarily the case.
Here's what you need to think about when determining the best time of the day to work out for optimal fat loss results.
When Are You Most Likely To Do It?
The first thing to consider is what time of the day you're most likely to stick with your workouts. It makes no sense to try and schedule in a morning workout if you are not a morning person at all and the chances of you actually getting up are slim to none.
Regardless of how much 'better' it might be to do a morning workout for fat loss purposes, it isn't going to help if you don't do it.
Adherance should always be number one.
When Are You Most Alert
Next up, consider the time of the day when you're most mentally alert.
While cardio may not involve a whole lot of concentration, a heavy weight lifting session will likely be more mentally demanding, so it's important that you're at your best here.
Some people find they feel best in the morning, others are late-night animals. Or, perhaps a lunch-time workout is the perfect solution for you.
When Is It Most Convenient
Finally, ask yourself when it's going to be most convient to get in your fat loss workout. Many people will probably do best if they can schedule their workout on either the drive to work or home after the day is done, since you're already out.
Trying to make that additional effort to come home and then go back to the gym could find you opting out more often than not.
Choosing convenience could definitely play a role with sticking to your program.
Taking Physiology into Account
Finally, you need to take physiology into account.
Is it really true that you'll burn more calories in the morning and speed up fat loss? Not really.
What matters most is how many calories you burn over the course of the day, not when you burn them.
And working out on an empty stomach - that's just a bad idea to begin with as it will set you up for an increased risk of lean muscle mass loss.
Not good.
So, choose to do your fat loss workouts when you are most likely to do them and when you will feel your best so you can put forth a really good effort.
If you do that, you'll quickly find that it's not so difficult sticking with your weight loss plan.
Read more!
Protein Needs: Fat Loss Vs. Muscle Building
Almost everyone by now knows that protein is important in the diet, regardless of whether your goal is fat loss or muscle building.
Not only is protein going to keep you feeling satisfied, helping ward off hunger, but it's also critical for giving your body the nutrients it needs to rebuild the body tissues so you come back stronger and feeling well to each workout.
When your protein needs are not met, you will be at risk for losing muscle mass, and eventually growing weaker in the process.
The Mistake That's Make Regarding Protein Intake
The big mistake many people make though is thinking that they need more protein when trying to build muscle, in comparison with trying to lose weight.
It would only seem to make sense - muscle is protein, so shouldn't you eat more when you want to build more muscle?
Not quite.
Muscle Building Protein Needs
When you're trying to build muscle, you definitely will need a good supply of amino acids, but you only need to meet your typical requirements (usually 1 gram per pound of body weight).
After that, you're actually better off eating dietary fat or carbohydrates, as this will supply the body with the energy it needs to manufacture new tissues.
Loading up on protein is essentially just expensive waste, as the body will just break down what it doesn't need for its requirements and turn it to fat or use it for energy.
Protein Needs and Weight Loss
When trying to lose weight, however, since you will be taking in fewer calories total, there is a much higher chance that the body will turn to incoming dietary protein for fuel, thus shorting your body of the amino acids it needs to repair bodily tissues.
For you, this means muscle loss.
So, you actually need more protein when trying to lose weight than when trying to build muscle.
Be sure you keep that in mind when planning your fat loss diet or muscle building meal plan.
.
Read more!
How to Prevent Shin Splints
If you’re worried about suffering from shin splints, or perhaps you’ve suffered from them in the past, taking measures now to prevent them is going to be well worth your effort.
Shin splints are a very debilitating injury - one that can keep you out of the game for an extended period of time if you’re not careful.
Many runners or those who are involved in running-type of activities will suffer from shin splints at some point in their life if they aren’t continuously doing things to help prevent the injury from developing.
Here are the big things you need to be doing regularly to stop shin splints in it’s tracks.
Warm-Up
When you go out for a run, if you just start up and start running, you’re putting a lot of stress on the bones, ligaments, and muscles surrounding the shin.
This is going to put you at a higher risk for experiencing shin splints and the pain related to them, making a proper warm-up critical.
This warm-up could consist of walking, a light jog (if you’re going to be doing hard sprints), or easy skipping.
All of these things will help get the body warm and ease into the activity.
Wear Proper Footwear
Next up, you need to be extra sure you’re always wearing the right type of running shoes to prevent shin splints.
If your running shoes are not fitting properly, whether the arch is not the right size for your foot, or the shoe is causing you to pronate inwards or outwards, you’re going to run into problems.
Getting a specialist to fit your shoes may be a bit more pricey, but it’s money you definitely want to spend if you are looking to prevent shin splints.
Stretch
While I wouldn’t advise you to perform a great deal of stretching right before the workout as the body is still cold at this point, after your run is finished (or soccer game, or whatever activity you’re choosing to participate in), performing some solid stretching is a very smart move.
Stretching will not only help to reduce muscular soreness that might develop from the workout, but it will also help to reduce the tightness in the ligaments and tendons, both of which will contribute to you experiencing a great deal more pain and shin splints over the long run.
Strength Training For The Ligaments and Muscles
Finally, the last thing you should be doing is performing some type of strength training for the muscles and ligaments that surround the shin bone.
You can do this with rubber tubing or with light weights wrapped around your ankle.
Keep in mind that since these muscles are smaller, they will not be able to handle near the amount of weight that some of the larger muscles will, so you’ll have to account for this.
So, keep these four steps in mind if you’re working to prevent shin splints.
This is one injury you definitely will want to do without if at all possible.
Overtraining and Weight Loss
One thing you'll want to be sure to keep an extra eye out for when on your weight loss program is overtraining.
Many people don't consider overtraining while on a fat loss program because they typically aren't spending as much time performing weight lifting activities, and thus, think overtraining won't affect them.
This couldn't be further from the truth, however.
Overtraining and Weight Loss
The first thing to keep in mind is that overtraining is basically a function of your body not having enough energy to recover from the daily stress you are placing upon it.
So, to put that into perspective, when you're on a fat loss diet, you are not going to be eating as much food, thus your energy intake is going to go down.
There is a direct connection then to how quickly you're going to recover and how much food you're taking in. The more food you are able to eat after a workout, the faster you'll recover (all other things staying constant).
When on a fat loss diet, that food isn't there, thus you'll take even longer to see a good rate of recovery.
Type of Food Eating On Your Weight Loss Diet
Next up, you need to think about the type of food you're eating on your weight loss diet.
Many people immediately begin to remove the carbohydrates from their diet - with good reason, this is an appropriate technique for helping weight loss move along, but, it is those carbohydrates that typically help the most when it comes to recovery.
While protein is definitely essential for supplying the amino acids to rebuild the muscle tissue, once your needs are met, you really don't need any more. Most people have no problems meeting their needs for protein.
Fat isn't going to play that large of a role in recovery, at least not from day to day workouts.
So, if you're struggling to see a good rate of recovery, you might want to consider taking back some of your fat calories and replacing them with carbohydrates.
Typically on a fat loss diet protein should stay constant between 1 - 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight a day, but carbohydrates and dietary fat can be shuffled around to meet your needs.
Cardio Training
Finally, you need to look at your cardio training as well. Most people on diets are definitely increasing the amount of cardio they're doing, and while this won't take quite as long to recover from as weight training will (assuming a moderate paced cardio session), it's still going to add up over time.
If you're doing an hour of cardio six days a week along with four weight lifting sessions, all while eating a low calorie diet, you're going to see problems.
So, make sure you keep these points in mind. It's far too easy to overtrain while you are on a fat loss diet if you don't watch out and implement some proper planning strategies.
.
Read more!
Fat Loss Foods - Are Fat Free Foods Any Good?
If you're on a weight loss diet at the moment, chances are you've been purchasing at least a couple fat free foods to help further your efforts along.
Many companies are now making low-fat, fat-free, or reduced-fat versions of their products to appeal to the dieter's out there.
But, are these foods really worth it?
Here's what to keep in mind.
Total Calorie Intake
The first thing you need to consider is the total calorie intake. Since weight loss is really going to come down to total calories expended versus total calories consumed, it's that number that you need to watch.
If the fat free food isn't low in calories, it isn't a good fat loss food at all.
Many times in replacement for the fat that's cut out, sugar will be added in, which virtually removes any potential weight loss benefits the food had.
Total Protein Content
Next up, look and see what the total protein content is in the fat loss food you're looking at.
If it has less than three grams of protein per 100 calories, this product is likely going to cause a blood sugar spike, followed by a crash, unless it is a very slow digesting form of carb.
When you eat solid carbs, without any protein or fat, it's not going to be a very friendly atmosphere to your body as far as weight loss is concerned.
Type of Carbohydrates
Finally, you should be assessing the type of carbohdyrates the food contains.
Are they mostly processed?
If so, avoid it. Again, in order to slow down the release into the blood stream, you want very natural types of carbs - whole grains, oats - basically more 'grainy' types of carbs.
If you look to mother nature for your carb intake, you'll do quite well, and these are naturally very low in fat or fat free to begin with.
.
Read more!
Posts
