STOP DREAMING! START LIVING!

All too often, we can get caught up in living in a fantasy world, always imagining the things we’d like to do, the possessions we’d like to have, and the person we’d like to be.

But ultimately, while this “wishing” may make us feel good when we become immersed in it, what purpose does it really serve if we don’t ever end up actually living the life we’ve dreamed of?

We can dream of improving our life, but wouldn’t it be better if we actually made the necessary changes?

We can dream of bettering our success, but wouldn’t it be better if we actually became more successful?

Most people fall into habit patterns that will keep them where there are and not permit them to improve their lives in the drastic measures that they wish would occur. Because of this, their fantasy getaway (escaping to the world of their dreams in their imagination) is the only way they’ll ever slightly be a part of such a world.

To help you begin living the dream life you’ve always imagined, here are three steps I recommend you follow:


1) Focus On Your Desires Coming True

The more you focus on what you want actually manifesting, the more you set up a new, positive, constant vibration in your body. In our universe, “like attracts like” so if your body’s energy is resonating in harmony with what you do want, then you’re helping naturally attract it into your life.

Many people are always focusing on what they don’t want. Even if they say something like, “I don’t want more debt,” it doesn’t matter – they’re thinking and focusing on debt, and so they’ll simply attract more debt into their lives.

With feeling, visualize your desires coming true and also read and recite affirmations that will help promote this, as well.

Create a sense of gratitude in your mind and body for your desires already having come true (even if they haven’t yet), because doing this is going to help put you in the right space to succeed.


2) Create and Welcome Change

Many people fear change; they’ve developed a false sense of security in the lives they’re currently living. They think they’ll stay safe by continuing to live the life they always have, but the truth is that if they want to improve their results, they must abandon their old ways of living and welcome change into their life.

Change is what fuels the world: innovating something to make it better; creating new ideas to improve an old model; always striving to be better and not settle for “repeat performances.”

There’s something inside of you which is continually trying to express itself in a greater and better way. It is your job to stoke the fire within you so that you can make quantum leaps forward into times of great success.

You must consciously go about creating the changes you want to see in your life. Sit down, make the decision to succeed, list out the steps you know you can take immediately to help you move forward, and then start implementing those necessary actions into your life. Finally, when the change happens, welcome it and embrace it!


3) Support and Educate Yourself

Like an athlete, you’re going to need support and guidance if you want to be a success.

So treat the world like a resource to learn from and profit from. What made all of the greats of the past so valuable and so successful was the simple fact that they never stopped learning. They had a hunger for knowledge, and this is what you must develop.

Along the journey, you may encounter setbacks, and that’s okay! The things that you must focus on doing include pushing past the failures, finding inspiration and support to keep going, and then continuing to persist in the right direction; while you make significant changes to your life, it’s important to have support systems in place in case you ever fall down.

So seek the knowledge that will help your results skyrocket. Also, find others who will help support you in your endeavors and who can help point you in the right direction for success.

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Are You Really Still Buying “Low Fat” Foods…?

Habits are so hard to break, aren’t they?

Just listen to people as they order their food, whether it’s at a restaurant or the grocery store or just their latté at Starbucks.


EVERYONE orders non-fat this and non-fat that… Like the smoked turkey at the cold cut counter. “Which one sir?” “Uhh, which one is lower in fat?”

Or the low-fat section of the restaurant menu. Or even your latté… make sure it’s with low fat milk!

… and if you ask these people why, they all say the same thing: “Well…you don’t want fat. Fat is bad for you.”

But ask these same people where they heard this, or to at least cite one credible source or medical study or something… do you know what you’ll get? Blank faces.

They’ll look at you like you’re the crazy one for even asking the question. After all… everyone knows fat is bad, right…?

Well, sorry but… wrong. Dead wrong.

Of course, it’s really not difficult to understand how the whole “fat paranoia” came to be. First of all, we are hugely influenced by what we read and hear and see in the media. And let’s face it… all the books were saying you need to go low fat.

Furthermore, it’s not much of a stretch to reason that if you eat more fat, you will become more fat…

Unfortunately… that’s just not how it works. It is the various combinations of protein, fat and carbohydrates you eat that work together.

Depending on which combination you eat (and how much of each), your body will either store fat, or burn fat. Not to mention helping with blood pressure and cholesterol, or making it worse!

The Hormone Revolution

I am writing this email sitting at my local mega book store and as I entered the store there was a big table set up boasting a bunch of the latest diet books. I picked up the first four and skimmed the contents, and you know what? “Low fat” is LONG GONE. And it’s about time!

From the handsome star of that new health show, “The Doctors”, to fitness guru and hottie Jillian Michaels, to old standbys like “The Zone”, “Protein Power” and “Atkins” – these books (and so many more) all share the same theme... the theme that has finally, thankfully, replaced the low fat song.

What new theme you ask?

Hormones. You have the incredible power of being able to set your metabolism to whatever “state” you choose. Just with food.

The low fat diet (quite ironically) ends up setting your metabolism to a “fat storing” state, where a Primal diet will set your metabolism to a “fat burning” state. It really is your choice.

The amount of research available now, and testing that has been done, is staggering. (Including my own health recovery story!)

But all you really need to do is try it for yourself. See how you feel on a low fat diet; see if you lose weight at all; see how hungry you are all the time!

THEN compare it to a Primal diet. The proof is in the pudding. (Um… but stay away from pudding).

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Online Article Spinner for Free: A Review of Content Professor

Body: Being an amateur on the website content business, I have always aimed for high quality original articles, making sure that information will be solidly presented in an orderly, detailed manner using words that will cater to the specific searches of internet users. In turn, I have also been in a vast search for software made to tailor my needs. I am pretty certain you too, have the same qualifications as I do. I want, first and foremost, a free article spinner software, or if not, something that will give me best value for my money. It should aid me in establishing original content with ease; it should make me able to reproduce my articles in bulk while still maintaining my unique content. Most of all, the outputs should be as humanly understandable and coherent as possible. Simple requirements these may seem, but most web based article spinner software I have tried come with a certain fee, and even if they are affordable, they do not give the output I have always wanted to achieve.
Was my search futile? No. After a tedious search, I finally came across a free web based article spinner software available online, that was able to meet my expectations. You heard it right, an online article spinner software application… for free! For those of you experiencing the same problems as I have, Content Professor might be your ultimate solution.
I have tried it out and was satisfied with the results. The user-friendly interface speaks of how efficient your future transactions will be. Basically, its simple, Windows-based form is composed of drop-down menus and tabs that you can access through clicks or a couple of keyboard shortcuts. Your work will start when you open your article on the main tab, highlight phrases or words, and a drop down menu is generated with the common terms with which you can replace those highlighted words with. I was happy with how vast the program’s thesaurus is, which they claim, is taken from the wide array of people-created articles from the Web. The ease of doing word replacements is great, as it allows you to perform nesting, or grouping of synonymous words with curly brackets and color-coding to be replaced on future article spinning purposes.
You can also add frequently-used terms on your favorite list, which is made available with few more clicks. The uniqueness percentage and word count on the upper right part of the interface is highly useful, so you won’t be distracted with your work. The quality of the duplicated articles with original content is far more understandable than the outputs of the other free article spinner software I have tried. Still, be reminded that spun articles are still highly dependent of how coherent your source article is. What impressed me most is the program’s feature of bulk saving the duplicated articles in a zip file and making one spun article ready for further processing. It cuts off the hassle of zipping things up, which saves time. Lastly, I should reiterate this. It is an online application, implying that there’s no need for purchases, compatibility or installation. It is free of charge!

Be included in its roster of satisfied customers! Say goodbye to brain drains and time wasted for restating articles. Make more profit with lesser stress! Try Content Professor now, and be wowed with how efficient your future article productions will be.

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Basic Concept of CONTENT PROFESSOR

Content Professor is a breakthrough in article writing or rewriting, it allows you to produce more articles in less time, for example 50 or more articles could be written in as little as 30 seconds, you could potentially flood your website with high quality, original content, you could save a lot of money because you will no longer need to hire article writers. Also when article writing, most people will need to do a bit of research, after that they will need to write the articles and finally they will need to publish them

PROBLEMS WITH THE USUAL WAY PEOPLE SPIN ARTICLES;

Problem 1 - writing and rewriting articles is very time consuming it may take up to an hour to write a quality article, perhaps even longer than an hour if the article is thousands of words long.

Problem 2 - While you are typing manually the competition will most likely be finished writing their articles and are publishing them, especially if the competition is a large company with lots of staffs to do the typing for them.

Problem 3 - Article writing can be risky if not done properly and if this is the case it could potentially cause more damage than good. “Why”? The answer is easy; if Google does not agree with your content it can devalue your "Search Engine Optimisation" (SEO).

When article spinning first took off as a good way to market your business, Google didn't like that their search engine was being exploited by marketers so they fought back... removing adverts from there search results, banning pages and so much more, so nowadays if you rewrite an article it must be done correctly, most marketers will now publish there articles through copyscape, this is a site that will report any duplicate articles that have been published already, If you were to go ahead and publish anyway the worse case scenario would be you could potentially be sued for copyright.

So how can we regain the ease of article spinning while still maintaining good quality articles?

The Content Professor System;

Content Professor is a new article spinning software, with Article Spinner you will have access to the entire system from within your browser, you will also have access to a database that has evolved from user input which will ensure quality content can be found and the best bit is you can use this software to "Auto Spin" your articles and create hundreds of "unique" articles in just seconds.

So how does this help you?

Firstly you will no longer need to spend hours writing articles for SEO, you simply need to copy and paste content and Article Spinner will instantly create unique articles that you can use on your blog, websites and any other social media profiles you have, this will enable you to increase your traffic ranking on Google and can be used on your website with ease for back links etc.

Using Content Professor you will never need to worry about how many articles you need, you will no longer need to spend hours at the computer typing by hand and you will save a load of money because you will no longer need to hire people to write content for you.

Content Professor is really easy to use, simply copy and paste the text from your document that you want spun into the main section of the application, then press "Spin" found at the top left of the screen and it will spin the article. If you want to search synonyms while using Content Professor you will find a drop down menu on the right hand side of the screen, the drop down menu gives you the choice of normal, better or ideal, once you select one, click "Target Synonyms" just below the drop down menu and Content Professor will search for all known synonyms and list the results in the article, (highlighted blue, green or red and you simply choose which words you want to keep.

There are many options available so changing things to suit your personal preferences is no problem. Once you are happy with your spun article click the "Generate Article" button and it appears on a screen just under the screen you are editing from here there are options to change the format of the document and select how many articles to spin.

Content Professor is an amazing piece of kit to aid marketers in there pursuit of SEO.

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Cholesterol is NOT bad. More myth busting…

There is SO much misunderstanding and misinformation about cholesterol. Things like: * What cholesterol even is! * How you get high cholesterol * How high is “high” * “Good” cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol * Many doctor’s cholesterol tests are wrong! I can’t cover everything in one article but let me give you some of the more surprising facts.


First, know that cholesterol is a hormone produced mostly by your liver. And like all hormones, it has many important jobs to do in maintaining your health. It is a critical structural molecule in the membranes of every one of your cells, and it is an important ingredient of brain tissue – just to name two.


Cholesterol is not an evil beast like so many people think it is – you cannot live without cholesterol! However, just like I’m always saying about insulin, you need the correct amount in your system. It’s true that you don’t want too much, but you sure don’t want too little either! There are two ways to get cholesterol into your blood – by eating foods that have cholesterol (known as “dietary cholesterol”) and through the liver production I just mentioned.


Regarding these two ways, your body has a balance system – if you don’t get enough dietary cholesterol, your liver will produce more to make up the deficiency. (Proof enough that cholesterol is a needed thing… you just don’t want tons too much).

So here’s a hugely popular myth we can go ahead and BUST today: “You get high cholesterol by eating too many cholesterol foods. “ The fact is there isn’t a single test or paper or shred of proof in the medical community that offers any proof of this.

It’s just a theory… a theory that has growing evidence against it. One of my favorite doctors on the subject, Dr. Michael Eades (more from Dr. Eades in a second), has looked for years and he cannot find any correlation between eating dietary cholesterol and getting high cholesterol (and locating this type of research is what he does – if it existed, he’d know). In addition, most people only get about 15% of their total cholesterol from food (the rest is produced by your own body).

So you would have to eat an impossible amount of these cholesterol foods in order to “eat yourself to high cholesterol”. So what causes high cholesterol then? Pretty much the same thing that produces all the high blood pressure of recent generations, as well as the obesity epidemic. A high carb diet!

Eating a diet that is too high in carbohydrates, and not high enough in protein (the typical diet of today), causes your own liver to produce too much cholesterol! THAT’S how you get high cholesterol.

As for the cholesterol testing we all go to the doctor for… this floored me. When doctors do a cholesterol test, the final report covers four criteria:

1. Your “good” cholesterol, called HDL (high-density lipoprotein)

2. Your “bad” cholesterol, called LDL (low-density lipoprotein)

3. Another “bad one”: VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein)

4. Your total cholesterol level.

But here’s the kicker! Testing for your total cholesterol level, and for your HDL level, is pretty straightforward. But performing an actual, physical test for the other two – the LDL and VLDL (the bad ones) is more difficult, and quite costly. And so – unbeknownst to you – these numbers are almost always estimated.

An equation called the “Friedewald Equation” is used to estimate your LDL levels (developed by William Friedewald and others in 1972). This has become the standard, no-questions-asked process. Now, in fairness, the equation has shown to be very accurate most of the time.

But in recent years, more and more situations have been found where this equation produces a much higher number than if you actually tested – the estimate is wrong.

An example of such a situation is people who keep their carbs nice and low; such folks tend to have triglyceride levels lower than 100 mg/dl, which skews the Friedewald equation. Which means those of us who actually eat a correct, healthy, Primal diet would be told that our cholesterol is too high – because of a faulty equation. And then your prescription-happy physician will whip out his pad and prescribe a statin.

The moral of this story?

Keep learning. Become the Captain of your own health. Doctors are one important source to be sure, but only one.

To prevent your liver from over-producing cholesterol, eat a diet made up of about 65% protein and fat, and 35% carbohydrates – just like The Primal You™ Diet Course lays out.


If you are being told that your cholesterol is high, and a statin (or treatment) is recommended, insist on a direct test of your LDL cholesterol level, not the estimated version derived from the Friedewald equation. (Feel free to show your physician this article!)

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Toning, Light Weights, & High Reps

I guess you could say it is my mission to show people the
value of intense strength training for fat loss.

Every month more research comes out to support intense training over slow cardio, and light weights. And each week, in real-life, more and more men and women (yes, women too!) see the benefits of pushing themselves with strength training.

The evidence from research and real-life continues to pile up that you need to put down those light weights and cut out those high reps.

Take really light weights, add in isolation exercises, and repeat
for a large number of reps. Do this for 3, 6, or 12 months, and
you're guaranteed to have the same physique you have today. This approach just does not work.

You need to step out of your comfort zone with strength training.

Research has shown using a weight that enables only 8 reps per set results in a greater post-exercise metabolism than using a weight that allows 12 reps per set. And this was in women! So lifting challenging weights is not just for men, but also for the ladies.

Another research study showed that a 30-minute, hard total-body strength training session can boost metabolism about 36 hours. You just don't get that from slow cardio or light, "toning"
isolation exericses, I'm sorry to say.

But what if you are worried about "bulking up"? Just do one or two sets of 8 reps per exercise, rather than three or four.

Bodybuilders know that high-volume training builds muscle. But if you don't want massive amounts of muscle, just don't do a lot of volume. That's just one of the reasons I don't use bodybuilder
workout programs for fat loss.

Another way to avoid "bulking up" while still boosting your
metabolism is to use more bodyweight exercises.

As for exercise choice, say goodbye to biceps curls, hamstring
curls, and triceps kickbacks. Seriously, I couldn't think of a more
useless exercise for a fat loss program than triceps kickbacks.

Stick to full body movements. Use squats, lunges, split squats,
pushups, chinups, rows, etc.

Remember, you don't have a lot of time to workout. So you can't be doing bodybuilding splits from the 80's that call for three
exercises for the long head of the triceps, and two exercises for
each of the anterior, medial, and posterior deltoid.

That's just not possible in the real-world. A pushup trains almost all those muscles, and more. It works your abs, chest, triceps, and shoulders. That's the type of exercise that is going to help you get more fat loss results in less workout time.

I train in the concept of a short time frame. That is, anyone that
wants to use my programs has less than 3 hours per week to devote to structured exercise. So there just isn't much room for isolation training in that time frame.

But training should be fun too, and adding some curls as a reward for completing a hard workout is fine, but only if you want to. You don't need those types of exercises to get results.

But remember, isolation exercises are not actually going to
burn fat, but they can build muscle and help you sculpt your body. Here's the list of methods that lead to fat loss, in order of
importance:

i) Nutrition
ii) Burning calories with interval training
iii) Burning calories due to an increased metabolism from interval training and strength training (with multi-muscle movements)

As long as you understand that nutrition is the most important
factor in fat loss, and that strength training is essential for
sculpting your body, than you will have realistic expectations of
success - based on how well you commit to each process.

Sincerely,

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Top 10 Foods For Smooth Glowing Skin

People who want great looking skin often look for the best creams and lotions they can find to give their skin a vibrant glow. What many don’t realise is that they can give their skin this vibrant glow naturally by eating all the right foods.

A healthy eating plan rich in vegetables and healthy foods provides countless benefits to your health and skin. Adopting a healthy diet containing the top 10 foods for skin listed below has even been known to reverse diabetes and skin disease, and reduce the risk of cancer.

Healthy eating is the key to having beautiful young looking skin. Here are the top 10 foods for skin put together by Simon Lovell, media expert and author

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1. Avocado

The avocado is known for its numerous properties that benefit the skin. It contains many healthy fats that plump up the skin and smooth away the dryness. Avocados have the highest content of vitamin E when compared with other fruits, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps strengthen the white blood cells.

2. Berries

Strawberries, blackberries and blueberries are all good for the skin because of their high antioxidant content. These 3 berries have been found to have the highest antioxidant capacity of any foods. They produce collagen which keeps the skin smooth and plump.

3. Low Fat Yoghurt

Low fat yoghurt is rich in one of the most important components of skin health – Vitamin A. Experts have stated that the health of skin cells is largely dependant on how much Vitamin A is present in our diets.

4. Broccoli

Broccoli is a vegetable that contains an abundance of health benefits, and is good for the skin. Broccoli is high in Vitamin A and thus promotes good turnover of skin cells. Eating broccoli can help to renew skin cells quickly making your skin look fresher.

5. Whole-Grains

Whole-grains are rich in the mineral Selenium, which is why they promote healthy skin. Selenium has been shown to reduce skin damage after prolonged exposure to the sun. High levels of selenium in your system prevents your skin from oxidative damage that can increase cancer risks.

6. Spinach

Rich in vitamins B, C and E, spinach possesses strong anti-aging properties and helps to give the skin a healthy glow. Also, the iodine contained in spinach is said to combat skin disease.

7. Omega-3 Fish

Omega-3 is one of the healthy fats that are highly sought after by the health-conscious. Omega-3 fatty acids are good for strengthening the skin cell membranes and preventing toxins from being absorbed.

8. Non-Starchy Vegetables

Non-starchy vegetables are high a fibre and bolster your age-defying bacteria. If you have blotchy or tired skin this can often be due to a lack of fibre. Lack of fibre can lead to disrupted digestion that stops nutrients from being absorbed properly. This starves your skin of the nutrients it needs to look younger and healthier.

The health benefits of a diet based mainly on non-starchy vegetables are endless. In fact, a UK study has shown that adopting a diet consisting of only liquid diet drinks and non-starchy vegetables has been shown to reverse diabetes and cure the condition in just 3 months. Because they are non-starchy, they do not affect blood glucose.

Common non-starchy vegetables include carrots, broccoli, sprouts, celery, asparagus, cucumber, tomatoes, onions, peppers, lettuce, beets and watercress.

9. Green Tea

The health properties of green tea are vast. The list of skin benefits that green tea provides goes on and on. Green tea, whether consumed as a drink or applied to the skin, can decrease risk of damage from the sun and thus lessen the risk of skin cancer.

Green tea also has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Being as it is rich in polyphenols, it prevents inflammation and is beneficial to overall skin health.

10. Lean Red Meat

Not getting enough iron can result in having unhealthy skin. Lean red meat is a good source of iron for anyone who needs it, but you should be careful not to eat any red meats that are too high in fat.

With a healthy diet that includes the top 10 foods for skin listed above, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to rely on creams and lotions to give your skin a healthy glow. Fill yourself with nutritious and healthy foods, and your skin will take care of itself. it great for the skin because it’s packed full of the foods that your skin needs to look smooth and healthy. Within 7 days you will notice a difference.

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Changing Your Eating Desires Using Hypnosis

Here’s an experience you’re probably familiar with… You have a burning desire to lose weight and you’ve committed to a new diet, but chocolate bars and potato chips are now the foods you are craving the most, and the craving to eat these foods is stronger than it has ever been.

This is what makes it so hard to commit to a new diet. How can you maintain a healthy eating plan when the temptations to eat fatty foods are so strong?

This is where losing weight can be become such a struggle. With it being so difficult to fight off temptation, it becomes almost impossible to stick to a diet successfully. To add to this, the stress it puts you under makes the dieting idea seem like too much to handle. This makes you want to give up all together.

To conquer cravings successfully, it’s good to understand why they exist, and how you can go about eliminating them.

When you start a new diet and eliminate fatty foods, your body will not be used to it. If you’ve been eating unhealthily for a long time, your body will have gotten used to your eating patterns and will expect them to stay the same.

But it goes deeper than just a bodily craving – these eating patterns are also expected from you at a subconscious level. Your subconscious will have learned that your unhealthy eating patterns are normal, and thus it will resist if you try to make changes.

This is where dieting becomes too much for some people. Something deep within them is giving them such a strong urge to eat all the wrong things.

So, one of the secrets to losing weight successfully is to change your desires. It doesn’t matter how good of a diet plan or how much will-power you have, if you can fight off the desire to eat fatty foods, you won’t have much chance of being successful.

Imagine if the thought of eating vegetables gave you the same feeling that you currently get from the thought of eating a chocolate bar. Wouldn’t that make weight loss a whole lot easier?!

Well, this is the goal of hypnosis. The cravings to eat fatty foods usually have nothing to do with our conscious minds. Even though you know logically that eating fatty foods is a bad idea, you still have a very strong urge to do so.

This is because the craving starts on a subconscious level. By bypassing the conscious mind and communicating directly with the subconscious, hypnosis can help you break the desire to eat unhealthy foods.

By communicating with the subconscious, hypnosis can alter your inner desires. If like many people you have constant thoughts like “giving up fatty foods is hard”, it’s going to be very difficult to stick to a healthy diet plan. Hypnotic suggestions implant new ideas into your subconscious, such as “you are forgetting about your old eating habits” or “you have a strong urge to eat healthy foods”.

After constant repetition, your subconscious will begin to believe these suggestions and this will be reflected in your eating habits and desires.

If you have an internal struggle on the inside and you are constantly filled with doubts, it makes losing weight 100 times harder. Hypnosis can be the key to transforming unhealthy desires into healthy desires and making weight loss a whole lot easier.

Summary:

• Your desires to eat fatty foods are based on deep unconscious habits
• Attempting to change your habits will be met by resistance from the subconscious mind
• Changing your desires is key to improving your chances of successful weight loss
• Hypnosis communicates with your subconscious and transforms negative desires into positive desires

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Top 10 Tips To Successful Teen Bodybuilding Part 2

As discussed in part one, teen bodybuilding can start at a very young age allowing young fitness enthusiasts a whole new world to pursue. Teen bodybuilding is an excellent way to promote a healthy lifestyle since it requires regular weight training, cardiovascular training, balanced nutrition and even stimulation of the mind since the topic of teen bodybuilding involves constant education. Teen bodybuilding can also help you erase nicknames like “Skinny Mini,” “Scrawny,” “Tooth Pick,” “Twiggy,” and in my own personal case, “Skinny Vinny!”

Unfortunately teen bodybuilding is not as easy as it looks and can result in injury, bad habits and frustration if stated with out structure and progression. Here are the next five tips to successful teen bodybuilding:

6. Learn Proper Technique First

How well do you think you would golf without supervision? How well do you think you will skate without coaching? How well do you think you will play piano without lessons? How much muscle do you think you will build without proper lifting technique? Not much!

I hope you are humble enough to swallow your pride and accept the fact that your first step should be getting professional coaching from a reputable fitness trainer. I know many of your friends will not even consider this and you will be told, 'just learn it yourself,' or 'watch others.' Can you imagine a medical surgeon or dentist who took this approach? Yikes!

Think about it. You are going to be lifting weights the rest of your life. Is spending a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars, on a professional fitness trainer, not going to pay you back over and over (for the rest of your life) if you do things correctly right from the start? Definitely! If you start lifting weights incorrectly, get ready to spend the money you saved on a coach for a rehab therapists next vacation! If you don't get injured now, most likely it will be in the next few years.

7. Stretch Just As Much As You Lift

Stretching is the most under rated physical quality which is unfortunate because shortened muscles perform weaker and slower and have a higher incidence of injury. Stretching is the only physical quality which more is better. Stretching is one of the only habits that can not be over trained.

If you are serious about getting into the world of teen bodybuilding, I encourage you to start this habit early. Most text books teach stretching methods that include 20-30 seconds per stretch. Don't even waste your time if this is your idea of stretching. From real world, in the trenches, experience, I would suggest stretching at least the same amount of time that you lift. That means, for every 1 hour of weight training you perform, you must balance the effect of weight training with one hour of stretching. Therefore, if you weight train 4 hours in the week, you better be stretching for at least 4 hours in the week. If you are really lazy, start stretching for at least half the amount of time that you lift. After you see the benefits of increased strength, quicker recovery and less injuries I am sure you will have no problem bumping up your stretching sessions to the recommend 1:1 ratio.

Fail to stretch at least the same amount that you lift is almost a sure fire way of shortening a teen bodybuilding career or lifestyle. Remember, weight training shortens and tightens the connective tissue you train. Stretching counters the effect and ensures your muscles have room to grow!

8. Focus On Bodyweight Strength First

It amazes me at how many teen bodybuilders can barely do a set of 40 push ups, 20 chin ups and 30 dips. In my opinion, these are some standard upper body fitness tests that should be accomplished with ease before loading is introduced (it might take your 3 or 4 months to achieve this if you can't do them right now). I once heard a famous fitness coach say, “You have no freaking business using a load if you can't stabilize, control, and move efficiently using your own bodyweight.” I would have to fully agree.

What's the point of a sloppy 150 pound lat pulldown if you can't do 10 bodyweight pull ups? What's the point of a 185 pound bench press with microscopic range reps, if you can push up your body a couple dozen times? What's the point of a 500 pound leg press if you can do a set of one legged squats down to the floor? Believe me, after a few months of conditioning your body to body weight training, you will be blown away by how quickly your weights climb when you introduce loading.

9. Keep Your Workouts Under 1 Hour

Unless you are in a teen bodybuilding competition for the longest workout possible, it bewilders my mind what you could possibly be doing for longer than a hour! Unless you go to the gym for mirror workouts (that's when you spend more time looking in the mirror than actually lifting)I suggest getting some help with your workout program. If it takes longer than 20-30 minutes of even moderate intensity lifting to fully exhaust a muscle, I have to question your workout intensity. Shorter more intense workouts will always trump longer less intense workouts.

Your goal should be in fact to complete your workout faster and faster. This will force your muscles to condition and adapt to a greater work load. The more work you expose your muscles too, in a shorter amount of time will improve your muscle density. Your bodies ability to tolerate greater workloads.

10. Develop Full Range Of Motion

Initially, teen bodybuilding should involve building strong muscular attachments, tendons, ligaments and bones – text books refer this as anatomical adaptation. Look at building your muscles as the finishing touches on a solid house. You would not want to start framing the house until the foundation has been built. Strengthening your tendons, ligaments and bones would be considered building a strong foundation to build from.

What is the best way to begin a strong foundation for a house to stand on? Build from the bottom up or in our case, from the inside out. This means developing a full range of motion with each weight training exercise to ensure all the muscle fiber gets activated and all the supporting tissues are fully involved.

Think about it. Partial movements will only develop partial muscle. Full movements will develop full muscle. What would get you better results? Squatting 135 pounds with your butt to the floor or squatting 225 pounds for about ¼ of the way? That's correct, involving the entire range of motion with a lighter weight will involve more musculature, improve your mind-muscle connection quicker and strengthen all the supporting tissues more rapidly. Initially, as a teen bodybuilder, you should never sacrifice range for load.

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Top 10 Tips To Successful Teen Bodybuilding Part 1

Teen bodybuilding is growing at an alarming rate, as enthusiastic teens hit the gym every night of the week. I don't blame them. Teen bodybuilding is one of the most effective ways to boost a skinny guys self-confidence and self-image. Did I also mention lots of attention and admiration from the ladies and respect from the guys. Teen bodybuilding does not just help out with vanity but promotes a nutritious diet, disciplined lifestyle, and strong work ethic.

So the question is, how is teen bodybuilding done right? Should teen bodybuilders read the latest bodybuilding magazines? Learn from their friends or a professional? Train every day or every other day? Rely on supplements? Start when they are done growing or earlier? Focus on endurance training heavy lifting? Teen bodybuilding has dozens of questions and many different opinions on each. Here is my top 10 tips to successful teen bodybuilding in no particular order:

1. Avoid Steroids

Duh! This might sound obvious and if you have not been offered steroids yet, make your stand now and be prepared to say 'no' when you get backed into a corner. Your body is flowing with more natural hormones than any steroid could replace. Don't screw up your natural hormonal levels at such a young age. Even though all your friends might laugh at you for not conforming to the pressure of using illegal drugs, be a real man and train drug free. In the end your friends will respect you more for staying away from the dark side.

2. Focus On Clean Eating

Old habits die hard. Believe it or not, the nutrition habits you are creating today will affect you all the way into your adult years. As a young teen bodybuilder, you have an opportunity to create good habits at an early age. Focus on eating clean carbohyrdates like whole wheat breads, oatmeal, brown rice, potatoes, fruits and veggies. Focusing on eating a variety of clean proteins like tuna, chicken, fish, cottage cheese and protein shakes. Balance out your meals with clean fats like olive oil, fish oil, natural peanut butter and nuts. Take pride in the fact that you even know what clean eating is. Look at this as an opportunity to be an example to your friends to be walking statue of health! I promise you that you will have a few friends who admire your physique and ask you for advice!

3. Avoid One Body Part Workouts And Focus On A Full Body Workout

A full body workout? But all my friends are training chest tonight. And tomorrow they are training back. And on Wednesday they are training arms. But if you have the courage, you are not going to follow the herd and trust me. You are too young to be splitting up your muscles groups into only one body part a day. Unless you are pursuing a career in competitive bodybuilding, one-body part splits are an excellent way to over train at a young age. Look at it this way. Do you only eat once per week? Do you only take supplements once per week? Do you only sleep once per week? Do you only study once per week? Than why would you train your muscle groups only once per week? It does not make sense. Full body workouts will allow you to hit all your major muscle groups three times in the week, without overtraining, instead of only one time.

4. Emphasize Your Conditioning

Teen bodybuilding can actually become something that appear to be a lazy man's sport. Next time you walk into the weight room, count how many people are actually doing something. Seriously, I guarantee you will see more people standing around and talking, adjusting weights and staring in the mirror. Not many people are actually hustling from one exercise to another or even sweating. That's another reason to avoid one body-part bodybuilding style workouts. They don't emphasize your fitness or cardiovascular system. Your weight training program should be incorporating more than just weights. Balance out your sessions with some skipping, stair climbing, hard running, supersets, and really short rest periods. If you don't feel like you are going to throw up at the end of your weight training sessions, I have to question your workout intensity.

5. Stick to Basic Supplements

Your a teenager and should be saving your money for college and your first car. Don't get scammed by over hyped supplement ads that promise the world. Follow the saying, 'If it looks too good to be true, than most likely it is!” All you need to budget for now is a high quality multi-vitamin which you should take for life as well as a high quality protein powder in your arsenal and a regular omega-3 fish oil cap. Between these three supplements you are more than covered. Don't worry about creatine, glutamine, fat burners, testosterone boosters or even NO2 products. The first three to four years of your lifting should be done with just the basic supplements.

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The Top 3 Things to You Must Know About Muscle Building

Today I wanted to try and explain exactly what it takes to build muscle without going into too complicated of details.

I find that there are so many people and authors out there today that over complicate this topic to simply lure you into buying their latest program or their newest supplement.

Now of course, I have my own muscle building program and I would recommend some supplements to you as well but I am not saying that it is wrong. Today I simply want to give you good information that will hopefully clear up any confusion about what it takes to build muscle in its essence.

I am going to keep this nice and simple and base it on personal experience because in the end I believe your own personal experiences are the best way to measure any kind of results. You cannot simply rely on 'studies' or 'university tests' as most of these tests are either biased or they are based on genetically gifted individuals.

What do you need to do to build muscle?

Well let's think about this question for a moment.

First, understand that your body is more than content with staying EXACTLY the way it is right now. It would rather not change and it is programmed to be this way after thousands of years of evolution. This means that to make any change in our bodies composition, we are going to have to 'coax' it or persuade it in doing so.

So for today's purpose, building muscle, how do we persuade our bodies to do this?

Well we have to give it a 'reason' to grow!

There are many ways to do this but I am going to break it down into some manageable chunks.

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Caloric Surplus:

One of the keys to gaining muscle and weight is to consume more calories. The reason we want to give our bodies more calories is because if we are going to demand more out of them than what they are accustomed to, then we need to feed them with more fuel.

Think of it as if you want to travel further in a car. If one tank of gas gets you so far but you want to go further, you need to have more gas right? It's the same for building muscle. Feed it more so you have more energy to push it into spurting new muscle.

Now without going into excruciating details (which is not the point of this particular article), you cannot simply overfeed on junk food. Make sure you are eating lean proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.

Progressive Overload:

Now that you are eating enough to give your body 'extra energy' you will need to stress the muscles so that they respond by getting bigger.

Your muscles are currently the size they are based on the level of activity you have done in the past, your genetics and your strength.

We cannot change your genetics, but we can however change your strength to a degree as well as elicit hypertrophy (muscle building) by weight training.

To put it simply, you need to start progressively overloading your body with some form of resistance training.

Honestly, do not get too concerned about finding that 'Special' program that will be better than all the other programs out there. There are just too many training programs to try and choose 'the best' one.

In my experience, they all work! Yes of course some may be better than others but in the end you will get results no matter which program you try as long as you follow the key rules to muscle building. Rely on the foundation and principles instead of the program. In doing so, you will get results no matter which program you are on.

What are the foundation and principles?

Progressive Overload, Adapt, Proper Form, Mindset, Rest and Recovery.

Pretty simple right?

The main thing is to continue stressing the muscles by either overloading with volume training, getting stronger by strength training and making sure to give your body enough time to rest and recover and therefore GROW!

This is not to say that you can just keep getting stronger to the point that you will be performing 1000lb bench presses, but by cycling your training through different stages, you will start to get closer to what your genetic potential for muscle mass really is.

Eventually the gains will get harder to come by, but if you are just starting out, this will not be an issue.

Accepting the Inevitable:

By applying the right factors for muscle building, you will start to gain lean mass and you will start to gain weight which is good because that is the goal we are after.

However, you need to also accept that when you are gaining muscle that it is almost impossible not to gain a bit of fat while doing so.

Now I know there are going to be lots of people claiming that it can be done but in my experience these are people who are genetically gifted and they are the exception to the rule.

Other people who tell you this may be people trying to sell you something.

Finally, you can gain eliminate fat gain by gaining muscle at a slower rate.

It is your choice, but for those of you who want to build some serious muscle as quickly and effectively as possible, then you will just have to accept a bit of fat gain.

What is a 'bit'?

Well for the most part, for every 4lbs of muscle or lean mass you build, you will probably accumulate about 1-2lbs of fat with this. Of course this is if you are doing everything right and eating relatively clean.

Now you might be saying 'I don't want to gain fat!'.

Just realize that the muscle you build during the course of your muscle building phase will be on your body permanently provided you continue training and eating right.

What you want to do is go on a muscle building phase for about 6 months or so or longer (it is up to you) then you want to go on a fat burning phase for a couple of months to burn off the accumulated fat and keep the muscle!

See how that works?

This is just the way it is and I have experienced this myself and it is not as bad as it sounds. Most people do this continually and they consistently add 5-10lbs of muscle each time they do this until they start to reach their maximum genetic potential.

The good thing about doing this is you also get better each time you go through these phases and you start to optimize your gains and improve on your muscle to fat gain ratios.

Just accept a bit of fat when gaining muscle and don't stress over it. It happens to all of us and you will certainly be more grateful for the muscle after it is all said and done.

Conclusion:

Those are 3 simple areas of muscle building that should help you understand it a bit better.

I hope it is simplified enough and it doesn't make you over-think which is in my opinion the one thing people do too much of (including myself sometimes).

Keep it simple and always go back to the basics.

In knowing about these 3 things, it should put your mind at ease and let you focus on training, eating and enjoying the journey.

Here for you,

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The 6 Steps to Fat Loss Success for Beginners

For beginners, getting into fitness can be intimidating and confusing. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, getting fit is one of the most straightforward tasks you’ll attempt in the New Year. Fortunately, reaching your fitness goals requires only two things; discipline (that’s up to you) and a set of simple guidelines (which I’m happy to provide).

First, you should arrange for a full physical examination from your physician. This is mandatory for people that have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or are obese. Once you have your doctor’s approval to begin a fitness program, you should schedule a fitness assessment with a health professional at your gym.

While both of these are incredibly annoying, they are essential to your success and well-being. The benefits of a doctor’s visit are obvious, particularly if you have one or more of the previously mentioned conditions but it also allows you and your doctor to discuss your lifestyle. Preventative medicine is far better than reactive medicine. Make your doctor part of your fat loss and health-building team along with the health professionals at your gym.

The real benefits of the fitness assessment aren’t finding out how much body fat you have or how many minutes you can last on the treadmill, but rather getting a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. If you want to avoid injury and actually achieve your goals this year, get to know your strengths and weaknesses.

The next secret is to walk, don’t run, to fitness success. If you want to pick up your University running workouts where you left them 10 years ago, that’s fine. But I guarantee you won’t last 10 days. And then it’ll be a dreary 355 days until you’re ready to try exercise again.

The hidden benefit of a good fitness assessment is that it will actually serve as a nice introductory workout to your return to fitness. It will buffer your delusions of fitness grandeur from the reality of what your body actually can do. After the fitness assessment teaches your body a lesson and awakens your muscles from their winter slumber, only then will you realize your limits that you must respect in subsequent workouts.

Goal-setting is the fourth secret to success (and not just in fitness, but in any area of life). It is much more effective to commit to a set of specific short-term and long-term goals than it is to routinely hope for weight loss each year.

Set realistic goals and remember to train within your limits. If you are currently sedentary and haven’t exercised in months (or years), don’t begin an advanced training program. Start with a conservative beginner program. Your belly wasn’t built in a day, and neither will be lost overnight.

Limit your initial workouts to 1 set per muscle group. In week 2, you should be ready to add another set. And if you want to build up to 3 sets, then do so in week 3. Slowly increase the weight and stay within your desired repetition range. At no time should you be too sore to function. And runners should also heed this advice. Too much running will guarantee shin splints in the early going. Avoid running on back to back days for the first two weeks and keep the distance short. Sore muscles are guaranteed when you lift. So keep the volume low.

And now for 2 super secrets that will help keep you committed and consistent with your workouts and will finally help you lose fat for good.

First, build your social support team. Social support is the #1 factor for success for women in fitness programs, and is important for men as well. Support can come from your spouse, brother or sister, child, mom or dad, friend, neighbor, co-worker, personal trainer, or lifestyle coach. Don’t try to go it alone. People respond better when they report to a person instead of a machine.

You also need to know that nutrition is the second most important factor for success in fat loss programs. That’s why you don’t need to train like a world-class athlete when you are starting to lose fat. Most of the fat you’ll lose in the early going is because you have chosen to make better nutritional choices. And if you don’t make better nutritional choices, even the best exercise program in the world isn’t going to help you achieve your fat loss goals.

Nutrition is a lot simpler than you think. Don't over think things. See a nutritionist or listen to what your mother told you as a kid. Food choices should contain a large nutrient-to-calorie ratio. Dr. Phil (yes that Dr. Phil) calls this “High-Response Cost, High-Yield Nutrition”. And follow this rule: Don't eat foods with added sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, but make sure to log your nutritional intake. This is a free website that allows you to track your calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

The consistent use of these 6 secrets will help you achieve your fat loss goals this year. Make this year’s fitness plan a strategic investment in your future health. The most efficient and effective way to lose fat in 2005 is with my Turbulence Training workouts - the choice of fitness professionals.

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Top 49 Things I Learned In 2006

Think putting yourself on a muscle building diet has to be a painful process? Whether your goal is fat loss or muscle building, getting proper nutrition is at least 80% of the game. If you don't have that figured out, you are going to be a long time away from seeing results.

The good news is that your tastebuds don't have to suffer if you don't want them to. There are plenty of ways to get in your proper nutrition while keeping things interesting. If you think gaining muscle means suffering through can of tuna after can of tuna or pounding back a protein shake as fast as humanly possible, you need to think again.

1. Pull ups are better than pull downs. Duh.

2. You don't need a training partner to get huge (but it helps). You should be able to pack on your first 20 plus pounds of muscle alone.

3. Bicep curls do not produce bigger biceps. Focusing on increasing your body's overall size is what makes your biceps bigger.

4. John Berardi's G-Flux theory. Also know as energy flux (or energy turnover) is the relationship between energy intake and expenditure. Basically, it's better to train more and eat more than train less and eat less.

5. Alwyn Cosgrove's said this, "A good program performed poorly is worthless. A shitty program done with a ton of effort is worth a lot. But when you get a good program and a tone of effort, the results can be amazing."

6. The Sopranos and 24 are the best damn shows on television. I will proudly admit that I have overdosed on Tony Soprano and Jack Bauer for over 12 hours at a time, on multiple occasions. And I don't regret a single episode!

7. Learn by 'doing' - not by talking about it. I am sick and tired of people who post on forums and ask, "What do you think of this diet or workout etc.?" How the heck do I know? Go try it for yourself and come to your own conclusions.

8. The two man bench press is becoming more popular each year. You know what I'm talking about. Where one guy lowers the bar and the other deadlifts it up yelling, "It's all you, man!"

9. I hate people with no gym etiquette. The guy who does bicep curls in the squat rack. The guy who does a side lateral raise 1 inch away from the dumbell rack, blocking the entire rack of weights. The guy who loads the leg press with 1000 pounds and leaves the plates on. The guy who drips sweat all over the bench without wiping it down. I could go on and on...

10. I really can't stand skinny guys who wear tank tops. Seriously, if your arms aren't bigger than 15 inches, I don't want to see your puny arms. Keep them hidden until you earn the right to show them off.

11. People will pay more money to make exercise easier and easier. Just take a look at late night infomercials and the popularity of group exercise and dance classes...

12. Since I am Canadian-Italian, watching George St-Pierre kick Matt Hughes' butt was the best UFC fight all year and watching Italy win the World Cup was the happiest day of my life!

13. The Smith Machine is useless. Aside from not allowing your body from working through a natural range of motion, it is a perfect disguise for being stronger than you really are.

14. Only results matter. It doesn't matter what you, another person, text book, or research article claims or thinks should happen as far as the training outcome - all that matters is what actually happens, the final outcome.

15. It's possible to train for an entire year and look the exact same! The majority of these people will look the exact same next year too.

16. Stand for something or fall for everything. My father taught me to apply this to my physical, intellectual and spiritual journeys.

17. Only take training advice from those who have trained themselves at a high level or make their living training others at a high level.

18. A complete program involves enforcing movement patterns, cardiovascular work, strength work, flexibility work, injury prevention training, core training and recovery enhancement. Most programs, cover 1 or 2 at best.

19. I heard someone say, "Full body workouts are best for 90% of the population, 80-90% of the time. And body part routines are best for 10% of the population, 10-20% of the time." I would have to agree.

20. Speak less and listen more. If you are a true student, you will want to hear the teacher's voice more than your own. You are not learning while you are talking.

21. Over 70% of the supplements on the market have less than 30% absorption rate. This means you are only absorbing about 30% of what is in the bottle. Supplements are about making money. They put just enough in the product for you to feel a slight difference so you buy them again.

22. Hiring a personal trainer is one of the best investments you can make. Yes, I know, not all trainers are created equal. I'm talking about the kick ass ones who have a binder full of before and after pictures and guarantee results.

23. Money is a jealous and deadly god. Money can create freedom but it will not set you truly free.

24. Stretch as least half as much as you lift. If you are lifting weights for at least 4 hours a week than you better be stretching at least 2 hours a week. If not, your body is screaming for an injury.

25. Active Release Therapy (A.R.T.) therapy has been proven, to me personally, the most effective form of therapy available. Find a reputable A.R.T. therapist if you are on the injured list.

26. Competing in my first fitness model show was the only decision that truly motivated me to get the best body of my life.

27. I love short emails written in short, concise sentences. Learn how to be time-efficient with your communication.

28. Dead lifts are the best overall exercise of all time. No other exercise produces the same potential of results as dead lifts.

29. Body weight exercises should be mastered before external load is introduced. It amazes me at how many guys attempt a sloppy 200 pound lat pull down but can't pull up their weight once.

30. Impression without expression leads to depression. This means that people get impressed with certain ideas but don't do anything about it so they end up getting depressed.

31. No guts, no glory. If you're not bleeding, sweating and crying at the end of your workouts than I must question your workout intensity.

32. Buy a foam roller and use it daily. Stop fixating on the strength, size and flexibility of a tissue until you increase the quality of the tissue.

33. Write everything down. This will help clarify your goals and use the past to replicate the future.

34. Find a mentor. They will accelerate your learning and take you closer to your goal.

35. Skinny guys will never become bigger until they start spending more money on groceries, spend more time in the kitchen and spend more time cleaning in the kitchen.

36. Stop training with your girlfriend. I attempted this for a few weeks, and as much as I love my girlfriend, this is an impossible recipe to make any gains!

37. Machines are not always better. They are merely alternatives and used for commercial profit to the manufacturer and sales companies which have influenced the masses to believe that the latest, superior machine is worthy of our attention. I don't agree.

38. I never got dumber reading a book (with the possible exception of the Britney Spears' book Heart to Heart). It drives me crazy when someone asks, 'Is this book worth it?' Even if you learned one new thing, would it not be worth it? How can you put a price on knowledge?

39. The majority of people still think cardiovascular is the best way to lose fat. Thanks to programs from Craig Ballantyne, Tom Venuto, and Alwyn Cosgrove, we are now discovering the value of high intensity circuit training for maximizing the 24-hour metabolism.

40. If you are doing three quad dominant exercises such as a leg press, lunge and leg extension, than you better be doing three hip dominant exercises to counteract an imbalance in the pelvis, such as stiff leg dead lifts, good mornings and leg curls.

41. If you are doing three horizontal pushing exercises for your chest like bench press, incline bench press, and decline bench press, you better be doing three horizontal pulling exercises to counteract an imbalance in the shoulders such as seated row, bent over row and overhand row.

42. Unilateral exercises are underestimated compared to bilateral exercises. Don't believe me? Try a one leg squat down to your butt instead of a double leg squat and let me know how it goes...

43. You are the average of the top five people you hang around most. Hang around with pimps and players and most likely you will become a pimp and player. Hang out with millionaires and most likely you will become a millionaire. Hang out with guys bigger and more ripped than you, and you will eventually become the same.

44. In training for pure muscle size, there are two sides to the debate. Higher volume training with sub-maximal load and higher repetitions. And lower volume training with maximal load and lower repetitions. Both will work.

45. Almost every training program will work if the stimulus is sufficient and a quality caloric support is in a surplus.

46. I am still waiting to see the massive amounts of muscle people fear to lose when dieting.

47. You don't know what you don't know.

48. If a supplement has not been around for at least three years to beat the test of time, I give it zero attention and dedicate my time to my training program and nutrition planning.

49. You will get the exact same thing this year if you keep doing the same thing you did last year.

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The Top 5 Fat Burners

Let's get right to it...here are 5 ways to make this a great
fat-burning day...

1) Do Something You Love

If you are a beginner and you hate the gym, just do something you love! Don't make your healthy lifestyle a prison sentence. Enjoy what you eat and do. Just don't eat garbage and don't look at exercise as punishment.

2) Strength Training

A very, very recent study (published in the May issue of the
Journal of Applied Physiology 102:1 767, 2007) showed that
resistance training boosts metabolism by 10% and increases fat
burning by 100%!

3) Interval Training

The latest research from Australia showed a more weight loss from interval training than from long, slow cardio. In fact, the long, slow cardio group didn't lose any weight. AND - this study was done in women...so yes, Turbulence Training works for women. Strength training and interval training are the 1-2 punch that blowtorch fat off your body.

4) Eat 6 Small Meals of Whole, Natural Foods

Fruits and vegetables, protein, nuts, and healthy fats. It's that
simple. Don't spend another dollar on "the latest diet". You
ALREADY KNOW what to do!

5) Avoid Booze, Sugar, Trans-Fats, & Inactivity

Yeah, I know, real "secrets" here, CB. "Thanks", you're thinking
sarcastically. Listen, sometimes we just need the motivation. Maybe there is a donut within reach, or you're thinking about watching the tube instead of exercising, or you've got a cookie in one hand and an apple in the other.

Let this be a simple reminder to make the right choice.

Everything you do takes you closer to OR away from fat loss,

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Top 5 Fat Loss Tips

Men's Fitness magazine recently asked me for 3 of my best fat loss secrets. Since most times the magazines just don't have enough space to run my full tips, I thought I'd give you a more detailed explanation of my secrets here (plus a few extra bonus tips that I didn't send to the magazine).

Secret #1 - Focus on burning carbohydrate, not fat, during your
fat-loss workouts.

Sounds backwards, right? But not when you look at how I structure my workouts. Remember that Turbulence Training focuses on resistance training and interval training. Both of these use carbohydrate as the main source of energy. So it's obvious the workout is designed to burn carbohydrates during the training session.

I have no interest in you trying to train in your "target heart
rate zone" for fat burning (aka - the fat burning zone). The whole idea of a fat-burning zone is an over-simplified idea of how the body works during exercise.

Leave the inefficient fat burning zone to the mis-educated
trainers in the commercial gyms (that not surprisingly, also want to sell you a heart rate monitor so you can stay in your "fat
burning heart rate zone").

If you want to get the most results in the least amount of time,
focus on burning carbohydrates, not fat.

Why do my fat loss workouts focus on burning carbohydrate rather than fat? In order to burn more calories after the workout, that's why. When you exercise with intervals and heavy resistance training, your body uses more calories in the hours after exercise than it would if you did traditional cardio and lifted lighter weights.

Alwyn Cosgrove calls this 'afterburn', and I call it 'Turbulence'.
By any name it gives you the same results - maximum
improvements in your body composition (helping you lose fat while gaining muscle).

Secret #2 - Use a range of repetitions in your strength training
workouts.

In order to train more muscle fibers and burn more carbohydrates, I have clients use a range of repetitions within the same workout. My workouts now use 6, 8, and 12 reps per set in order to work the muscle the most effectively.

This will burn more carbohydrates and promote as much muscle growth as possible when you are keeping the calories low.

Secret #3 - Use the stationary cycle for interval training.

I choose the stationary bike for intervals whenever possible
because cycling against a resistance can help maintain muscle mass.

Cycling against a resistance also allows you to perform a large
amount of mechanical work, and that is a key determinant of the Turbulence in my training.

But please note: I don't use low-intensity, fast pedaling
'spinning' intervals as I'm convinced that the hard, resistance
based intervals are more effective for fat loss. My clients only
cycle against a strong resistance in their intervals.

I really like the bike, but there are many other ways to do
intervals. Use what works for you, but if you are at a plateau, try the bike.

Secret #4 - Increase meal frequency

Okay, so this isn't really a secret to anyone that has read about
fat loss. But a 2005 study from the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition showed that eating 6 times per day was associated with eating fewer calories per day, lowering cholesterol levels, and lowering post-meal insulin levels.

Combine an increased meal frequency with an increased protein and fiber intake, and you'll see your body composition improve rapidly.

If you need more nutrition help, then you'll love the new
Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women - written by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D.

See below for more details...

Secret #5 - My Synergistic Turbulence Training Workouts

My Turbulence Training Fat Loss workouts are fast becoming the most effective way to burn fat, build muscle, and get lean. The synergistic strength training-interval training workouts are
efficient and effective - getting you in and out of the gym in
under an hour.

Here are some tips that you can use for an advanced training phase

- use these tips for 2 weeks then return to your normal training
schedule:

a) Add 10 seconds to each interval but maintain the intensity

b) Add in some bodyweight circuits (10-20 minutes per day) done in the morning or evening (if you do your regular workout in the AM, do your bodyweight circuits after dinner; otherwise, do the bw circuits first thing in the AM, and then do your regular workout at lunch or later in the afternoon or evening)

If you are advanced, you can use squats, pushups, and bodyweight rows for your circuit.

If you are a beginner, you could use lying hip extensions, modified pushups, and stick-ups.

c) Add an extra set to each exercise in the first superset you do
in each workout.

Again, use these three tips for an advanced fat loss period of two
weeks, then return to a normal training schedule.

But always stick to the best fat loss nutrition plan possible.

If you have any other questions, just let me know.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne
Author, Turbulence Training

P.S. Big Nutrition Announcement!

The Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women - written by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., is ready for you.

Here are just some of the things you'll learn from Dr. Mohr...

1) How to calculate your calorie needs (p. 6)

2) Calorie recommendations for obese individuals (p.7)

3) The 23 types of sugar (many hidden!) to avoid (p. 9)

4) The 20 whole-grain sources to fuel your fat loss program (p9)

5) Over 60 fruits and vegetables that should be added to your diet (p. 10)

6) The 16 protein sources you should select most often (p. 13)

7) Shocking trans-fat content of 18 common foods - find out which food is the deadliest in terms of fat content (p. 16)

8 ) The 9 Fat Sources you should select most often (p. 17)

9) Dr. Mohr's 12 Rules for Fat Loss (p. 18)

10) The TT Nutrition Plan for Men (p. 19)

11) The TT Nutrition Plan for Women (p. 23)

12) Bonus Supplement Report: The Truth About Fat Loss Pills (p. 27)

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Top 7 Weight Loss Mistakes

Seven Mistakes People Make When Trying to Lose Fat

1. They fail to consider the consequences of their actions.

Alwyn Cosgrove (one of the top trainers in the business) once told me, "I get my clients to think, "Will this help me or not? Is this a positive step or not?" If you can see that every action that you take is either helping you lose fat or stopping you from losing fat, then you will start to make better choices. So remember that everything you put in your mouth is either for or against fat loss. And every exercise choice you make is either for or against fat loss. "Get that", Alwyn says, "and you’re a hit."

2. They neglect to control their insulin and blood sugar levels - 2 key factors in determining whether or not the body fat will come off.

If you eat processed foods you are guaranteed to elevate your insulin & blood sugar levels. If you do that, your body sends the message, “Store fat!”, and you won’t make any progress. So avoid white-flour based bakery products, sugary drinks, and almost any carbohydrate snack that comes in a bag or a box.

3. They train like it’s the 80’s.

Yes, I know. Eighties music is popular again. But that doesn’t mean ineffective training methods from the 80’s like light weights, low intensity steady state cardio, and endless low-intensity ab work should also make a comeback. That type of training should stay buried in the back issues of cheesy muscle magazines. Stick to strength training and interval training for efficient and effective body changing routines.

4. They don’t take 30 minutes to plan their next day’s food intake.

If you fail to do this, you will set your fat loss efforts back by a minimum of 72 hours. Without a good meal plan, you are left to hunt and gather food in the modern world. And that’s a recipe for fat loss disaster. You are bound to eat something processed if you aren’t prepared. You will lose the fat burning benefits from yesterday’s workout and it will take until the end of the following day to get back on track. An entire 72-hour period wasted.

5. They don’t eat enough vegetables.

We can thank John Berardi for making it common knowledge that you should eat fibrous vegetables at every meal to assist your fat loss efforts. By doing so, you’ll control your blood sugar and insulin - thus supporting the optimal hormonal situation for fat loss.

6. They screw up their hormones with poor lifestyle choices.

If you are out boozing and staying up late on the weekend, you are shutting down your fat loss and messing up the optimal hormonal environment for fat burning. I will talk a lot more about the optimal hormonal levels for fat loss, as I believe this is the underrated key to building your best body ever.

7. They don’t plan and monitor their training sessions.

If you are still going to the gym without a plan, then you are going to have a hard time losing fat. And if you aren’t recording your workouts and eating habits, then you aren’t losing as much fat as you probably can. To fix this mistake, start by getting on track with strength training and interval training. It’s guaranteed to get you lean.

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Top reasons to try Postpartum Depression Miracle cure

Postpartum depression can be a devastating problem for new mothers. Feelings of frustration, extreme sadness, dullness, even dislike for the baby or the self are all symptoms of postpartum depression. Postpartum depression strikes just a few days after the birth of the baby and can last for weeks or even months. If untreated, it could turn into depression psychosis.

Postpartum depression ruins family relationships and could even affect the baby. However, doctors would only prescribe anti-depressants and muscle relaxants to help new mothers who get postpartum depression. Unfortunately, these drugs could have a negative impact on the health of both the mother and the baby. Postpartum Depression Miracle cure is the one super solution for all new mothers.

Top reasons you should try the Cure is that it would help you regain your energy, get your self confidence back and help you live life with passion – all over again. New mothers wonder what happened to the joy of having delivered the baby when postpartum depression strikes. This Cure helps you enjoy complete motherhood.

Handling family duties combined with work duties plus raising the baby required utmost effort. You have thousands of decisions to take every day. Even if you are suffering from mild postpartum depression, the Miracle Cure would help you think clearly and make decisions more easily.

You will be able to improve your relationship with your spouse and the baby once the depression is gone. No longer you have to wake up in the morning feeling life is a burden or boring.

You can go back to doing all the things you wanted to once your relationships and energy levels are restored.

Combining the Postpartum Depression Miracle Cure with the right kind of diet and exercise is the perfect solution to both treating and preventing postpartum depression. Hundreds of women who have tried the Cure make sure to recommend it to family and friends.

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The Top Three Muscle Building Routines to Follow For Maximum Muscle Gains

The Best Muscle Building Split Workout Routine

There is often a lot of confusion about just what routine to follow when trying to build muscle. There are several options that people can choose from and just about all of them will work.

The real question is which one will work best for you and your starting point.

Let's cover the most common routines out there today and and describe the category requirements so that you can make an informed decision on which program would suit you best.

3 Day Full Body Routine:

This routine is a 3 day a week workout routine. Each workout day is followed by 1 rest day and the third workout is followed by 1 day or 2 days (as most people will take the weekend off entirely).

This routine is typically used by beginners and involved full body workouts.

It is great for newbies because of many reasons:

a. It allows them to get familiar with the exercises by repeating them many times over the week

b. Since most beginners do not possess the same strength levels as more advanced lifters, it is good to trigger the muscle more often because the amount of weight lifted is significantly lighter and they will not need as much time to recover and repair before their next workout.

c. As a beginner, your body will actually experience greater gains training less rather than training more. Take advantage of this time in your training as you will experience the 'beginner gains' that you may never experience again.

You need to allow your body to adapt to exercises and recover in order to grow. 3 days is a good start for beginners and it will allow them to eventually progress to more volume and more frequency if desired.

4 Day Split:

This is the next step from the 3 day full body workouts.

This routine is typically performed by intermediate trainers.

There are many variations that are floating around but the most common template to follow is performing upper body then lower body on the following day, then a rest day, then repeat (upper body/lower body).

As in the 3 day workout program, you have the choice to take two days off for the weekend or to continue after only 1 day of rest. The disadvantage to only taking one day instead of the two day weekend it that it throws you off schedule for your next week (if that is important to you).

The reason why this routine is categorized as intermediate is because now that you have been training longer and you have become stronger in your lifts, you will need more rest to allow proper recuperation between bodyparts you trained in your workouts. You will backoff the frequency you train each muscle but you will increase your training day by 1.

Once you have complete about 3-6 months of a 3 day routine, you can move up to this split to start seeing more muscle gains.

5 Day Split:

The 5 day split is the most advanced routine that I would recommend for anyone.

Sure, there are routines that could make you train 7 days a week or even twice per day for a total of 14 workouts per week. But eventually the line has to be drawn and I draw it at 5 days per week for 99% of natural trainers.

After training for many years and developing your maximal strength and maximal growth, you may need to start to train using a 5 day split routine focusing on only 1-2 muscle groups per workout.

When you train for more than 2 years or so, the strength gains experienced in the beginning (due to an adaptation in your central nervous system) due not occur at the same rate. You will reach a point where it will be very tough to add more weight in your lifts and/or even grow additional muscle.

Its not to say that you can't, it just becomes a lot harder.

At this point, it is better to increase the volume trained on the muscle on the day you work it and allow a longer cycle for it to repair fully and to stimulate growth.

Starting Point Guidelines:

If you do not know what your starting point is, please refer to the guidelines below: Beginner: 6 months or less of weight training Intermediate: 6-18 months of weight training Advanced: 24 months or more of weight training consistently.

If you have trained on and off over many years but never consistently followed any program, then I would consider yourself to be intermediate, but you may even want to start as a beginner to condition your body for the higher volume training to come later on. Its your choice.

Decide what your training level is and then choose a routine that best suits your individual requirements.

Be patient and focus on one thing at a time and you should start to progress through each routine and see some very impressive gains.

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Choosing A Gym - 10 Things To Look Out For

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

Keep in mind that if a traditional gym isn’t for you, you can definitely set up a home gym where you can get complete workouts all in the privacy of where you live. There are a number of home gym systems out there that include all the equipment you need to perform all the key lifts that should be included in any workout program.

1. Location

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

2. Membership Cost

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

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

3. Membership Demographic

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

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

4. Additional Benefits

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

5. Operating Hours

Always be sure to check the hours of operation of the gym. If you are an early morning exerciser you will want to be sure they are able to cater to this preference. Additionally ask about their holiday policies. Many people enjoy working out on the holidays because it is a relaxed day for them when they can really get in a good workout. If you are looking forward to this and then go and find out the gym is closed, you are going to be more than disappointed. Similarly there are some people who prefer working out late at night so you need to be sure that if this is the case you will be able to do that.

6. Personal Training Services

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

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

7. Group Fitness Classes

Be sure to ask about all the various group fitness classes that are offered at the gym you are considering. Often, when boredom kicks in on your workout plan, this is just the thing to get you going again.

These days there are currently thousands of different fitness class styles available, so there is sure to be something that suites your interest.

When checking up on this, again inquire if there are any additional fees associated with it so you are prepared for when you go to sign up.

8. Cleanliness

One very important factor you want to look for is the cleanliness of the gym. You do not want to be working out on equipment that is not clean as gyms are a place where germs can be in high concentration. Also make sure they have towels and spray bottles in various places around the gym to clean up after workouts, and have a look at the bathrooms and change rooms to make sure they are up to your standards.

9. Type/Quality Of Equipment

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

Likewise, if you prefer doing your weight training on guided machines, you’ll want to be sure they have enough variety that you can work all the necessary muscles on your body. If you find yourself doing a lot of cardio training as part of your workouts you will want to be sure there are ample machines available.

Nothing is more frustrating than getting to the gym after work to find out that there is not a single machine in sight available for you to use. Ask if they offer a sign-up list where you can write your name and time down to reserve a machine. This is a great solution that many gyms have now come up with to make sure their members can get their workouts in.

10. Cancellation Policy

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

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

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

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