The Best Exercise for Weight Loss by Michael Boyle

, , , , ,

Posted in Fat Loss, Nutrition, Training, Training Females on January 28, 2011 by mboyle1959

The following was actually written in 2006 for www.coreperformance.com . It is reprinted with the author’s ( my ) permission

The Best Exercise for Weight Loss

I tried to make a little joke on an internet forum the other day. A question was posed as follows. “What is the best exercise for weight loss?”. I posted what I thought was a humorous answer. I answered that the best exercise for weight loss in my mind is called a table pushaway. Surprisingly enough, the next post on the forum was “Does anyone know how to do a table pushaway?”. I guess most people don’t get my sense of humor. What I was trying to get people to understand was that the simplest way to lose weight was to simply push away from the table. This act alone will do more for weight loss than both running and weight training put together. Bottom line. Most people eat too much. On top of that they eat at the wrong times and they eat the wrong foods. It is really simple. Change your behavior. Eat less food and eat more often. Sounds contradictory but, it’s not. We need to eat less and spread less out across more meals. Now I’m not a nutritionist but, I know a lot about human nature.

I can tell you a few things about weight loss or more accurately how people fail at losing weight

#1- No breakfast. Mom was right. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Here’s my favorite cop out. “I don’t have time to eat breakfast”. Translation. I’m lazy and can’t get out of bed the fifteen minutes earlier that it would take to throw together some kind of breakfast. The second cop out is “I don’t really like breakfast food”. Fine get up and eat lunch. I could care less. Just have a meal with protein within fifteen minutes after waking. I could care less if you want a ham sandwich or a salad with tuna fish. Eat something.

#2 – Coffee is not food. Coffee with some type of carbohydrate is not breakfast. Coffee and a bagel is zero for two. The bright side as my friend Mark Verstegen says is something is better than nothing.

3#- No protein. Everyone yaps about how bad high protein diets are for you. First off this is a fallacy. Second, most peoples’ protein intake is so low it doesn’t matter. Try to eat more lean protein. Have ham and eggs for breakfast. It’s good for you. No kidding. Canadian bacon and eggs might be better. On a 2000 calories diet following a 40-30-30 plan you would need 600 calories from protein. That’s 125 gms per day. By most peoples estimate that’s a lot of protein. Very few who don’t take supplements can get 125 gms. Of protein a day.

The bottom line ( there’s a joke in there somewhere). Table pushaways. Eat less. Eat more protein. Eat less carbs. One thing I have realized is that for years we ate high carb-low fat and got fatter. That’s because as usual we didn’t listen. Anyway, high carb really meant more fruits and vegetables, not more bread, cereal and pasta. The proper diet is one that avoids breads, cereals and pasta like the plague. Skip the sandwich and just stuff a handful of turkey in your mouth.

/0 Comments/by

(Interval Training) 3 Problems with Fat Burning Workouts

, , ,

December 7th, 2010

(Alwyn Cosgrove:) Here’s a guest article from fat loss expert, Craig Ballantyne:

3 Problems with Fat Burning Workouts

While interval training is better than cardio, “generic” interval training is not as good as *they* make it out to be.

Seriously.

By *they*, I mean the brand new trainers and generic fitness magazines who don’t really know what they are talking about.

In fact, the advice they’ll give you can cause a LOT of problems with your interval training — including the BIG 3 I’m about to share with you…

After all, you’re probably already doing some form of interval training, but what kind of RESULTS are you getting?

Are you truly enjoying your workouts?

And when is the last time you did an interval training workout where you thought ‘wow, that was really fun’?”

Trust me, you CAN have fun, fast, proven, and powerful interval training workouts. I’ll show you how in a second, but first…

The 3 Problems With Interval Training

1) Intervals can stop working if you do the same workout over & over

Yes, you MUST switch up your interval training every 4-6 weeks.

If you continue to do the same interval workout, you’re results will slow down.

So if you’re doing intervals and you’re stuck at a fat loss plateau, then it is time for a new interval workout.

2) Intervals can be dangerous if you don’t know w hat you are doing

Jumping into an advanced interval program on the treadmill or with kettlebells is a bad idea. That’s why you need to start safely.

However, most people don’t realize that even beginners can do interval training if they get a professionally designed program.

Fortunately, there are beginner interval workouts in the new 31 Interval Training Workouts manual and holiday home fat burning workout package.

3) You don’t know what else to do for intervals

Okay, great, now you know that you need to do a different interval program every 4 weeks, but what are you to do?

Well, the great news is that there are dozens and dozens of ways to do intervals. You can do the 30-60 method, Adrenaline intervals, Tabatas, and even aerobic intervals (perfect for runners who want fat loss).

(PLUS, you’re about to discover the power of bodyweight cardio circuit training. A strange name, for sure, but a powerful way to burn fat at home WITHOUT equipment.)

There is absolutely no reason you should ever be bored of interval training or wondering what type of intervals you should do next.

BUT WAIT…One more problem: You don’t have any fancy equipment

Most people think you need a treadmill or bike to do interval workouts, but that can’t be further from the truth.

In the 31 Interval Training Workouts manual, you’ll discover how to do intervals with kettlebells, hill sprints, and even bodyweight exercises (including a NEW bodyweight cardio 5×5 circuit).

In fact, I’ve spent the entire spring of 2010 in my Turbulence Training lab creating the Ultimate Interval Training Guide, featuring over 31 different interval workouts and replacements…

…including NO-equipment bodyweight cardio circuits, kettlebell intervals and “ladders”, hill sprint workouts, and much, much more.

And then I followed that up with more time in the lab to create the “TT Bodyweight Cardio” program, without using any equipment!

I then combined those two programs along with an extra special workout for you to create the COMPLETE Holiday Fat Burning Workout package.

=> Holiday Fat Burning Workout

(But hurry, this offer is only available until Thursday.)

With these workouts you’ll have the exact prescription for fast fat loss from intervals. No more of that generic “get on the treadmill and then go fast and then go slow” advice you get from uneducated members at the gym or at work.

This is the real deal.

You’ll soon be boosting your metabolism with proven, powerful interval training workouts from one of the first trainers to introduce fat loss intervals to the world.

I’ve been using and preaching intervals and bodyweight exercises for over 13 years now, and having trained thousand of clients – in person and online – I know exactly what works.

Fixing intervals to help you lose fat fast,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Men’s Health Contributer

/0 Comments/by

The Art Of Masculine Fat Loss (The EDT Fat Loss Solution: Lose 1/2% Fat Per Week With NO Dietary Changes!) By Alwyn Cosgrove and Charles Staley

, , , , , ,

Since the inception of the Escalating Density Training system, one of the most common inquiries we receive at the office is “When are you going to write about EDT for fat loss?”

How about right now?

As it turns out, EDT is perhaps the simplest and most effective training technique available for body composition training. I was recently talking to my colleague Alwyn Cosgrove, owner of Results Fitness Training in Newhall, California has been using EDT-inspired training programs to facilitate rapid losses in bodyfat with his clients for several months now.

In fact, Alwyn claims an average loss of 2% bodyfat per month with no dietary changes at all. However, there is a price to be paid for quick results, and this program does exact a heavy toll. Cosgrove joking refers to it as “Rambo training” it’s not for wussies. I agree, but at the same time, this is about as fun as hard work can be. Have a look:

The Program

This EDT cycle is simple, brief and yet quite brutal. You’ll perform (3) 15-Minute “PR Zones” (Personal Record Zones) where you’ll attempt to accumulate as many total reps as possible and then improve upon that number every workout (see “EDT Loading Parameters” for more details).

Each and every workout you know how long it’ll last and you also know exactly what you need to accomplish. It’s that simple. Here’s your program, make exercise substitutions if equipment or injury restrictions warrant.

Monday

First PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Chins
A-2: Hack Squat

Rest: 5 Minutes

Second PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Rows
A-2: Seated Leg Curl

Rest: 5 Minutes

Third PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Overhead Press Machine
A-2: Incline Board Sit-Ups

Wednesday

First PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Dips
A-2: Back Extension

Rest: 5 Minutes

Second PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Incline Press Machine
A-2: Leg Extension

Rest: 5 Minutes

Third PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
A-2: Reverse Trunk Twist on Ball

Friday

First PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Dumbbell Deadlift
A-2: Push Press

Rest: 5 Minutes

Second PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Preacher Curl
A-2: Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension

Rest: 5 Minutes

Third PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Standing Lateral Raise
A-2: Prone Ball Roll

COSGROVE: Note that you can also reduce the rest periods between PR zones thereby further increasing the density. I also prefer to have a bigger rep “buffer.” In regular EDT, I allow 20% more reps before I increase the loads.

In Fat Loss EDT, I don’t increase the loads until you perform 30% more reps. I think the higher volume helps with fat loss (this assumes a good load selection initially). Another rule I use is that the eccentric phase should be controlled, the concentric should be accelerative.

EDT Loading Parameters

For those not yet familiar with EDT’s unique loading parameters, here’s the nuts and bolts:

Escalating Density Training is based on the concept of doing more and more work from workout to workout. Therefore, it’s critical that your exercise biomechanics (i.e., technique) is consistent on every workout. If you perform strict curls on one workout and loose form the next, you aren’t really doing more work (for the arms at least!)

* I recommend 10-15 minutes of light to moderate cardio, followed by 10-15 minutes of light stretching on ìoffî days for the purpose of promoting active recovery and reducing soreness.

* Each workout in this cycle consists of (3) PR Zones of 15-minutes duration separated by a short (5-minute) rest periods. In each PR Zone, you’ll generally perform two exercises, for a total of 3-4 exercises per workout.

* In each PR Zone, you’ll typically perform two antagonistic exercises in alternating fashion, back and forth, using the same weight for all sets, until the PR Zone has elapsed.

* After warming up the first exercise(s), select a load that approximates a 10RM for each exercise. Ideally, the weight used for each exercise should be equally difficult.

Sets/Reps/Rest Intervals: This is where EDT is truly unique. Most people will find it most productive to do higher repetition (but not maximal effort) sets and shorter rests at the beginning, and then gradually progress to fewer reps per set and longer rest intervals as fatigue accumulates.

As an example, you might begin by performing sets of 5 with very short (10-15 second) rests. As you begin to fatigue, you’ll increase your rest intervals as you drop down to sets of 4, then 2, and as the time limit approaches, you might crank out a few singles in an effort of accomplish as many repetitions as possible in the time allotted.

NOTE: Do not perform early sets to failure, or even near failure. My recommended starting point is to do 1/2 of what is possible (e.g., 5 reps with a 10RM weight) at the beginning of the time frame. As the time limit approaches however, you’ll find yourself working at or near failure as you attempt to break your rep record.

Progression: Each time you repeat the workout; your objective is to simply perform more total repetitions in the same time frame. As soon as you can increase the total number of reps by 20 percent or more, start the next workout with 5 percent more weight and start over. Similarly, if you manage to improve upon your last performance (for the same workout) by 40 percent, then you’ll increase your weights by 10 percent on the next workout.

PROGRESS ACCELERATION TIPS:

I like amino acids as the post workout meal – an hour later I have a shake with fiber when training for fat loss.

Aerobics: avoid like the plague – they cause you to lose muscle, and they help you to become more efficient at burning fat. So how would you like your fat burning machinery to get smaller and more efficient when you are trying to lose fat ? Thought so.

For the EXTREME RAMBO HARDCORE ADDICT: Do EDT using hybrid lifts – see below. Another very cool yet brutal tip is to do TWO 15 min periods in the workout but perform TWO EDT workouts per day. Brutal but it’ll carve you up.

Day One:

First PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A1 Alternating max lunge
A2 Seated Cable Rows

Second PR Zone (15 Minutes)
B1 Step Up
B2 Push up-prone tuck combo

Third PR Zone (15 Minutes)
C1 DB Squat and Press
C2 Close Grip Pulldown

Day Two:

First PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A1 Bulgarian Split Squat
A2 Push Press

Second PR Zone (15 Minutes)
B1 SHELC
B2 Seated Row to neck

Second PR Zone (15 Minutes)
C1 Good morning squat hybrid
C2 Incline Db Press

Day Three :

First PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A1 Deadlift
A2 Pullover

Second PR Zone (15 Minutes)
B1 Lateral Lunge and touch
B2 Arnold Press

Third PR Zone (15 Minutes)
C1 DB Swiss Ball Crunch
C2 Bent Over DB Row

Fuel For EDT

To maximize the effectiveness of this EDT fat-loss program, employ the following nutritional strategies:

1) Reduce consumption of refined carbohydrate (breads, pastas, white rice, potatoes, grains, cakes, cookies, etc.) to a bare minimum, especially later in the day.

2) Virtually all meals should contain a fiber source, expect for post-workout meals, which should ideally be a fast-absorbing protein/carb shake. Check out a cool product called Fiber Smart. This is a unique, dietary fiber made from flax seeds and other top quality ingredients to support proper function and health. It also contains Acidophilus and Bifidus to promote a health bacterial balance and amino acids to support a healthy digestive lining.

2) Eat every 3 hours for a total of 5 to 6 meals per day. No exceptions. Schedule meals as if they were appointments with yourself, because that’s what they really are when you think about it.

3) Calculate or estimate your lean body mass (total weight – fat weight) and eat one gram of animal-source protein per pound of lean bodyweight per day, divided into 5 or 6 meals. For an individual who weighs 200 pounds and is 15% body fat, this would mean 170 grams per day, which would equate to 5 meals containing 34 grams of protein per meal.

4) Hydrate! My recommended water intake is 60 percent of your bodyweight in pounds, converted to ounces, per day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 90 ounces of water per day.

5) Watch out for “hidden” sources of fat and sodium such as various salad dressings and condiments.

6) Educate yourself on the caloric value of what you eat. If you’re not losing weight (fat) you’ll need to eat slightly less calories, and/or increase caloric expenditure (via exercise). There may be some trial and error at first as you learn more about how many calories you’ll need to create an energy deficit. COSGROVE: this is key. Violate this rule and you are toast.

7) Develop strategies to cope with difficult situations, such as family get-togethers and going out to eat. COSGROVE: Fast food? Yesó it’s called grilled chicken sandwich. Fries, no.

8) Virtually all breakfast cereals are to be avoided – they almost always contain high levels of calories, sugar and non-existent protein and fiber content – the worst possible type of food. COSGROVE: the only cereal you can have is oatmeal. Nothing else.

9) Some saturated fat is OK, but it’s easy to take in more than you realize – be careful with salad dressings, condiments, grilled meats, fried foods, Chinese food, gravies, etc.

10) Stop analyzing everything to death and get down to basics – it’s not that difficult to figure out how to eat right. Which brings us to…

11) Staley on “simplexity”: OK, let’s get down to brass tacks here – EAT LESS! I’m often asked about the fat loss value of various foods like grapefruit, cider vinegar, etc. My patented response is “Any food will make you lose weight- if you eat too little of it.”

A little trick is in order here – the next time you feel hungry, instead of giving in to it and feeling deprived, tell yourself “OK- this is good – it’s a sign that I’m doing the right thing.” Trick yourself into believing that being hungry is desirable.

12) Here’s what Cosgrove has to say about cheating:

If you cheat: DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT change your next meal. I see many clients who overeat at one meal and then under eat at the next meal as a kind of “payback.” All you did now was screw up TWO meals.

If you cheat: get right back on track. A lot of people think after cheating – I’ve blown it – so I might as well REALLY blow it! Let me ask you – if you get a flat tire do you get out of your car and slash the other three? Hey, you have a flat tire – might as well have four, right?

13) Cosgrove on hunger: Hunger is a sign that your body is lacking in energy. At this point your body will use stored fat as a fuel source. It’s a good thing. While I agree with Dr. Eric Serrano that calories are not created equal – it’s tough to argue that eating less calories will cause anything other than weight loss. It’s the law of thermodynamics.

About The Author

Charles Staley…world-class strength/performance coach…his colleagues call him an iconoclast, a visionary, a rule-breaker. His clients call him “The Secret Weapon” for his ability to see what other coaches miss. Charles calls himself a “geek” who struggled in Phys Ed throughout school. Whatever you call him, Charles’ methods are ahead of their time and quickly produce serious results.

Click here to visit Charles’ site and grab your 5 FREE videos that will show you how to literally FORCE your body to build muscle, lose fat and gain strength with “Escalating Density Training,” Charles’ revolutionary, time-saving approach to lifting that focuses on performance NOT pain.

Lear more here ==> http://hulsestrength.com/recommends/EDTTraining

/1 Comment/by

Charles Pazdera: Real Strength. A story about a boy that became a man in the face of Cancer, which eventually took his life. But he never gave up, he never complained, he never quit. This is meant to inspire…

, , , , , ,

Charles Pazdera: Real Strength
Vince Gabriele
Printer-Friendly Format

The other day we lost one of the strongest kids in the world. I refer to him as a kid because that is how I knew him. Charles was about six years younger than me and we grew up together as close family friends, even though far apart in age. You could never refer to him as a kid anymore. No kid could ever stare cancer in the face for 3 years and walk tall the entire time, never ever once saying why me. This was a man. Charles is now pain free and waiting for us. He defines the word strong.

In the training world we view strong as 500 pound squat or a 600 pound deadlift. Charles had a different strong. Early in his battle with cancer he had a major surgery that required the removal of his entire right scapula, shoulder joint and collar bone to try to remove the tumors. This was not some minor procedure – this was 12 hours of hell that would handicap Charles for life.

I knew Charles was very into lifting weights. I had trained Charles for a few months back in 2002 before I moved to California and I remember how dedicated he was that summer in the weight room. In fact, the way he found out about his cancer was from a visit to an orthopedist about an ailing shoulder that he assumed was from lifting.

What would you do if someone ripped out the major bones of your back and shoulder?

Most would not go to your friend and ask for an exercise program to work around it. This is exactly what Charles did.

I was not really sure how Charles was going to able to lift any weights. I wrote Charles a program where he was able to train his lower body with minimal use of his right arm. We have a safety bar at the gym so he was able to squat with minimal stress to his surgical area. For his posterior chain we used 45 degree back extensions, again minimal stress to his upper back, and these rocked his glutes and hamstrings and Charles loved them. I have not prescribed a Swiss ball crunch in years but when I looked at his program I added them along with Front Planks for his core. Again minimal movement and stress to his surgical area.

His upper body work consisted of Neutral Grip Incline Push-Ups and Blast Strap Rows. When he pulled himself up on a set of Blast Strap Rows he was crooked and the reps looked like he was pulling with only one arm but after each set he would smile and say “it’s so great to be back in the gym.” The push-ups were tough for him and range of motion was minimal but I still see him in the corner of the gym doing his best.

Charles loved arm work. I could tell that before Charles got sick he trained his biceps and triceps like crazy, typical college kid trying to look good. We put those in and that was like dessert for Chaz. Again, they were not pretty but just watching him perform DB Curls and Band Pushdowns made me so proud of him. I loved the face he would make when it really burned. He always had a smile and never once complained that something hurt.

For Charles’s cardio we just did steady state walking on the treadmill at 140 BPM for about 30 minutes. I guess I prescribed this because I wanted him to be around the gym longer.

When you do not feel like getting up for work, think of Charles. When you get to the end of your workout and you do not feel like doing intervals, think of Charles. When it burns toward the end of your set, think of the smile on Charles’s face after his arms burned. When you are having trouble starting an exercise program after it’s been a few years, take a long look at both of your arms and legs and your cancer free body and then tell me you can’t, better yet, tell Charles you can’t. I am not sure if he will have any sympathy for you. Then again, he might, this is how incredible this young man is. Full of life, smiles and love – and unfortunately cancer.

Charles’s funeral was like a party. It was a celebration of a young man that taught us so many things about perseverance, bravery, toughness, stubbornness and love. The number of people that showed up for Charles was incredible. It showed how much he meant to so many and confirmed the footprint he leaves on all who knew him — or about him — and how missed he will be.

/0 Comments/by

Finally, a new Weekly Tipz Video! THis week i talk about goal setting and not getting overwhelmed with it all! THis year i’m gonna try to keep the videos much shorter. I want to help as many people as i can. I know time is big issue. Pass the word. Write me if you have any questions. I want everyone to have good year, and nothing makes year better than being healthy! Check it out or not… :)

, , , ,

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82-03e9LXYk]

/0 Comments/by