Intervals And Resistance Training Cardio

Metabolic Resistance Training And Interval Training The Fastest Fat Loss

9 times faster fat loss? A bold claim for sure. And we hear these claims all the time the new wonder drug, fad diet whatever.

 But today we are going based on scientific studies done on the effects of resistance training cardio and interval training.

In my last post I talked to you about  slow cardio to lose body fat quickly and began to briefly talk about  the benefits of something much more effective – short duration, high intensity interval training exercise.

Simply put, if you are looking for the quickest way to lose body fat, high intensity exercise is a MUST.

Short duration, high intensity exercise comes in two major forms: metabolic resistance training (MRT) or resistance training cardio (as I like to call it) and interval training. Today, I want to take a DEEP look into the benefits of each.

1 -  Metabolic Resistance Training:

As mentioned in my previous post, metabolic resistance training is simply “cardio with weights” or as I call it resistance training cardio and when speaking of the most effective form of exercise for the fastest possible fat loss, this is it.

Before we really get crankin here is a quick example of a resitance training cardio example exercise.

 A couple of studies to support this that Alwyn Cosgrove dug up:

Schuenke MD, Mikat RP, McBride JM.
Effect of an acute period of resistance exercise on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption: implications for body mass management.
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002 Mar;86(5):411-7. Epub 2002 Jan 29.

In this study a 30-minute circuit style metabolic resistance training session was put to the test. The result was a 38 hour increase in metabolism – massive AFTERBURN.

Let’s put this in perspective: Say that you worked out at 8AM on Friday. By way of  resistance training cardio, you’d still be burning calories from that workout while out at the movies on Saturday night.

You want to burn calories by watching Wolverine? Now you can.

Here’s another:

Kramer, Volek et al.
Influence of exercise training on physiological and performance changes with weight loss in men.
Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31, No. 9, pp. 1320-1329, 1999.

This study showed that those who added metabolic resistance training to a reduced calorie diet burned up to 44% more fat than those who dieted alone.

Don’t get me wrong, diet is the NUMBER ONE component of the fat loss puzzle, but once you’ve got that down, resistance training cardio or MRT can really take your results to a whole new level.

And here’s one more:

Bryner RW, Ullrich IH, Sauers J, Donley D, Hornsby G, Kolar M, Yeater R.
Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate.
J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Apr;18(2):115-21.

This study compared “slow-go” aerobic exercise to resistance training cardio and found that the resistance group lost significantly more fat without losing ANY lean muscle even at an extremely low calorie intake (not so for the aerobic group).

In fact, believe it or not, while the aerobic group experienced a decrease in metabolism (and lost muscle), the resistance training group actually increased overall metabolic rate.

THAT’S the power of metabolic resistance training.

Convinced that metabolic resistance training cardio  WORKS? Good. 

 Interval Training:

Interval training is simply a form of high intensity cardio in which you alternate back and forth between periods of high effort and periods of active recovery.

Here is a short video demo of a beginners Interval training workout.

For example, you may run very hard for a period of one minute and then follow it up with walking for one minute, repeating 8-10 times for a less-than-20-minute workout.

Does it work?

Tremblay A, Simoneau JA, Bouchard C.
Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism.
Metabolism. 1994 Jul;43(7):814-8

You want to know what happened when this research group compared 20 weeks of endurance training vs. 15 weeks of interval training?

While the aerobic/endurance group actually managed to burn more total calories during exercise, the interval training group lost NINE TIMES more body fat. NINE TIMES.

Nine times more fat loss in half the time? The clear choice for fat loss is interval training.

And it all comes down to elevated metabolism after your workout is completed – the afterburn.

Are you experiencing the afterburn

Fat Burning Workouts

Your 14 Day Fat Loss Guide Lose Unwanted BodyFat

I have a pretty long post for you today. But it is also a very important one for anyone that needs to lose unwanted bodyfat. It is courtesy of Craig Ballantyne of Turbulence Training.

What you are about to get is a 14 day Fat Loss Guide. This is a fast track day by day guide to get you losing fat fast.

So here's your complete 14-day FAST-TRACK guide to fat loss.


Day 1 - Stop Everything to Plan, Shop, & Prepare This Meal Plan

I hope you're reading this on Sunday, because I want you to plan, shop, and prepare today. If it's Monday, skip your workout and do this instead - its THAT important.


And I don't just mean planning what you are going to eat for dinner. I mean planning what you are going to eat for every meal for the next 2 weeks.


Don't tell me that's too hard. After all, most people with lean physiques stick to a relatively similar diet for 90% of their meals and then enjoy a random cheat/reward meal 10% of the time.


So your fat loss schedule might go like this:

Breakfast - 2 eggs, 1 slice rye toast, 1 apple, Green Tea, fish oil

Snack - 1oz raw almonds, 1 pear, Green Tea

Lunch - Grilled chicken/salmon or black bean salad with spinach, onion, peppers, mushrooms, etc., 1 banana or bowl of cherries, 2 cups unsweetened iced tea with lime or lemon

Snack - Unlimited raw vegetables and hummus

Dinner - Protein and vegetables and fruit...so this could be a small piece of steak, chicken, or fish, along with your favorite vegetables, and a bowl of your favorite fruit.

Or it could be the veggie dinner I had last Monday of quinoa with red pepper-cashew sauce and avocado wrapped in kale leaves.

Or it could be wild rice with beans and avocado and salsa.

That schedule won't change much, with the exception of a slight variation in your main course at dinner, right? And then once per week schedule a meal of your favorite food.

Everyone can stick to this plan for 14 days, and this tip alone will help you lose 5-12 pounds of fat in just 2 weeks. And this is also how you'll need to eat for the rest of your life. It's not hard, it just requires a little practice. Keep at it and never, EVER give up.


Alright, so to review, here's your 3-step fat loss guide to Day 1.

i) Plan your meals.

ii) Shop for the food.

iii) Prepare the food (cut everything up, put in the proper trays, cook food if necessary, and get it all packed up for work)


In addition to planning out all of your meals, you must also start keeping a food journal (you could do it online too), because studies show that keeping a food journal will help you lose fat faster.


Next, make sure you do 60 minutes of activity today AND take a "before" photo along with your weight, body fat (if possible), and measurements of your waist, hips, arms, and thighs. Continue to weigh yourself every other day, as research shows that frequent check-ins lead to greater weight loss.



Day 2 - Attend An "Online Turbulence Training Seminar"

You must set EVERY workout and activity session as an appointment with yourself that you must keep - just like a doctor's visit. Let nothing, except real emergencies, come between you and your workouts.

Today you're going to do a Turbulence Training workout.

Now if you are currently using long, slow, boring cardio to lose fat, stop that bad habit immediately and switch to Turbulence Training.

(If you need to learn more about Turbulence Training for my review and videos of TT workouts where I explain Turbulence Training and interval workouts.)

If you are a beginner, please start conservatively. But if you have been working out for a while, the next 3 weeks are your time to step your workouts up a notch.


Day 3 - Write Your Way to Fat Loss

First, you must schedule 60 minutes of easy to moderate activity.

I'll talk about that in a second, but you can do anything from a 60 minute walk, a yoga session, a light bodyweight and stretching session, an hour of playing with your kids, or playing an easy game of your favorite sport. Don't go too hard, but stay active.


You must also carve out 30 minutes to sit down and write out 3 short term goals and 3 long term goals. Write down EXACTLY what you want to accomplish in these 14 days. After that, write down what you want to accomplish in the following 90 days.


Once you've done that, you're going to prepare a contract with yourself promising to take the steps necessary to achieve these goals. Sign the contract and review it everyday to keep you on track.


Day 4 - Recruiting Day

Today's another Turbulence Training workout. Make sure you are using a professionally designed structured and proven fat loss workout, rather than just "winging it" or using long slow cardio for fat loss.

You'll also spend time today recruiting for these 3 components of your fat loss social support team:


- Nutrition buddy

- Workout partner

- Fat loss forum accountability buddies


Research shows that recording your nutrition in a food journal and having someone review your meals increases your chance of losing fat.


Another study found that if you workout with a partner who is losing fat, then you'll have a greater chance of losing fat as well.


And finally, a third study found that the more often subjects checked in to an online fat loss forum (like the TT Member's forum), the more likely they were to lose a lot of fat.

Get your team together and you'll get more results - faster.


Day 5 - The 60 Minute Solution

Why am I telling you to get 60-minutes of activity on your off days from Turbulence Training?


Well, to be honest, I do NOT expect you to burn massive amounts of fat with easy, off-day activity.


However, every minute you spend moving, you are NOT snacking! I know the biggest problem you will have is your diet. So instead of snacking in front of the computer or TV, spend your free time away from food. That's the simple secret to the 60 minute solution.

So get 60 minutes of activity on Day 5.


Day 6 - The Challenge

Your 3rd TT workout needs to be a challenge workout so that you can improve your performance each week. In fact, you should set at least one personal best in each workout. If you improve your performance, your physique will improve as well. You can use one of the TT bodyweight, Adrenaline, or Addiction Challenge workouts.

Day 7 - Diet Check-In and Reward Meal

Congratulations, you've made it through 7 amazing days of fat burning. Today you're going to double check your nutrition plan by reviewing your food journal.

If you haven't already done so, eliminate all liquid calories and replace with water and Green Tea.

If you need to learn more about nutrition, start using the free service called Fitday.com. It will help you track your calories.

And if you're really struggling to avoid night eating, try this tip. Place a small mirror on your fridge door. Research shows that subjects consumed fewer calories when they did this because it will remind you to make smarter choices.

Finally, as a reward for all of your hard work, you can treat yourself to your favorite meal. But that doesn't mean gorging. It simply means having a normal meal of your favorite foods to give you a mental break from your plan. When the meal is over, don't go back for seconds. Get right back on the 14-day plan instead.


Days 7 & 8 are also 60 minute off-day activity days.

Day 8 - Review your goals.

It's no good to write your goals down and then forget them. Review them at least weekly, if not daily. Heck, carry them around in your pocket and look at them at every meal.

As you workout, visualize yourself reaching your goals. Believe in yourself, keep a positive attitude, stay motivated and you'll continue to make fast fat loss progress every day.

This will also be another great day to plan, shop, and prepare.


Day 9 - Take It to Another Level

Week one was great, but with only 5 days left it is time for you to step it up again. This time I want you to hire a trainer for just one Turbulence Training session to make sure you are doing all the exercises correctly and training as hard as you can (safely, of course).

Add this trainer to your support team. And by the way, a good trainer should be able to estimate your body fat better than any of those "fat scales" you can buy at a store...so get them to check that too.


Day 10 - Plan Your Next Shopping Trip

Today is another 60 minutes of off-day activity, and you'll also work on improving your nutrition even more. What I want you to do is focus on eating more from the Fat Loss Foundation.


The 3 components of my Simple Nutrition Fat Loss Foundation are raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Research shows that eating more of these 3 foods will help you lose weight better than a diet that is low in fruits, vegetables and nuts.

Make an effort to eat one new fruit, vegetable, and nut each week during your between meal snacks.

If you aren't already eating grapefruit, try one today and see how it helps fill you up (because it contains a lot of soluble fiber called pectin). Add a new vegetable - such as broccoli, cauliflower, r asparagus - to your dinner. And try walnuts or pecans instead of almonds at morning break.


Slowly but surely increase the fiber in your diet until you hit the recomended amount of 35 grams per day.

And I hope this goes without saying, but you should have eliminated all foods that contain added sugar.that is one of the simplest and most effective nutrition changes you can make.


Day 11 - Recruit Again

Add a new member into your social support team, such as a new workout partner or healthy-eating partner. This will add strength to our commitment. If possible, join a transformation contest online,or start one among your friends or co-workers.

But when you do that, keep in mind that you want to help other people succeed. The more you can help others lose fat, the more you will help yourself you share what's working with your friends andthey show you their fat loss secrets too. Stay positive, and you'll build a powerful fat loss team.

Today is also another Turbulence Training workout day give it your best.


Day 12 - Check-In Time

Today you'll re-measure your weight, body fat, and measurements.

Take a look in the mirror to compare yourself against your beforephoto to see big changes that will motivate you to stay strong.

I also want you to start thinking about getting a tan. Yes, I saidgetting a tan. Why? Because simply adding a little bit of color toyour body can make you look leaner. There's a reason all those models in supplement ads are tanned, you know.

Finally, if there is a "big day" at the end of the 14-days, make sure you try on the outfit you are going to wear to double-check that it is going to look great on you.

Make sure you do this check-in either before your 60 minutes of activity or a few hours after so that exercise does not mess-up thenumbers.


Day 13 - Mental Performance Review

Write down all obstacles that are still in your way of success, andthen brainstorm 2 solutions to overcome each. Get some help from your social support team on this. The more you and your team sharesolutions, the more fat you - and everyone else - will lose.


For example, you might come up with rules like, "No eating in the car" to help cut down on bad food choices. Someone else might suggest"brush your teeth after dinner to avoid night-time snacking". Those
are simple yet powerful tips to keep you on the fast-track to fat loss.


Follow up this positive session with your best TT workout yet!


Day 14 - Review, Plan, & Prepare

Congrats on making so many powerful changes in just 2 short weeks.

By now, you'll probably have lost 5-12 pounds of fat and just as importantly, you'll have developed proven, life-long fat burning habits that will be easy for you to stick to forever.


Keep this weight loss train moving by reviewing your original goals.

Next, do your planning, shopping, and preparing for another week, and get ready for even more fat loss.


Enjoy your 14-day results and celebrate with a reward meal (and showoff your firmer, leaner body at the big event too!).

Wishing you success

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

Creator, Turbulence Training and The Turbulence Training Membership site

Are You Giving Your Best Effort To Achieving Your Fat Loss Goals?

Hi,

I have a very inspirational post for you today. If you have tried and failed (or at least not gotten the results you are after) to lose your unwanted body fat pay attention. The post is from Scott Tousignant of Fat Loss quickie fame. I think this is a great post that everyone can get something from. It is a little long but well worth taking a couple of minutes to read.

Are You Giving Your Very Best Effort Toward Achieving Your Fat Loss Goals?


by Scott Tousignant · Fat Loss Quickie Motivation

“I’ve tried everything!” If only I had a penny for every time that I’ve heard that statement made by a frustrated dieter. I’d be writing this post from my very own private tropical island

You may have started several different diets. You may have followed several different workout programs. But did you honestly give your very best effort to all of them? Honestly? If not, then can you honestly say that you’ve tried each of those programs?

Have you really tried everything? Seriously. Every diet and workout program out there?

Are you aware of these lies that you tell yourself every day?

I’m confident in saying that what you believe you can achieve in regards to your fat loss goals is nowhere near what you can actually achieve. I believe that you can accomplish much more!

Allow me to use just a few of the many examples of amazing transformation success stories from Tom Venuto’s Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle Inner Circle to prove this point…

If you are around 40% body fat right now, I bet the thought that you could release fat and sculpt your body to the point of winning a medal in a figure competition and being featured in fitness magazines seems impossible and ‘unrealistic’…

…Yet that’s exactly what 40 year old Eka Ukaobasi did!

I bet that the thought of losing 254.6 pounds in just two years sounds impossible, especially when you’ve tried to lose weight in the past and it ended in frustration and disappointment…

…Yet that’s exactly what Michael Boyd did. Think about that for a moment. That’s like going through life carrying around two lean women around everywhere that you go. Then over the course of two years doing what’s necessary to get them off your shoulders and ease the burden of that excess load.

Take a look at his photo collage. His before and after pictures could be mistaken for two completely different people. At the beginning of your journey it may be difficult to believe that you can look that great. But over time anything is possible.

Eka wasn’t the only woman in Tom Venuto’s Burn The Fat Inner Circle who surprised themselves and decided to take their fitness to the next level and compete in a women’s physique competition. There’s actually been several women who took that big leap, including Bonnie Van Niekerk who released 51 pounds and 12% body fat and entered into a competition. Bonnie actually shared her entire journey in the Burn The Fat Inner Circle to inspire other women about what’s possible even when faced with challenges.

Bonnie mentioned something very inspiring during one of her interviews in the Burn The Fat Inner Circle. She said, “To be lean and fit is within everyone’s reach no matter what your current weight or genetic type. You can be a better version of YOU. It takes desire and the right motivation. Don’t get discouraged, and put yourself first for a change.”

I love that advice!

Have any of these examples helped you realize that you are capable of much greater results that you previously thought possible?


Your Very Best Effort

It’s up to you to put the blindfold on. If you get to a point where you feel you are giving your very best, you may just decide to stop even though you are capable of so much more.


So how do you give your VERY BEST EFFORT toward your fat loss goals?


1) Harness The Power Of “Personal Bests”

I live by a goal of becoming better today than I was yesterday and better tomorrow than I am today. My life is basically a series of breaking my previous personal bests. Does that happen every day… No, but it’s always my goal.

When it comes to your workouts you can improve upon your personal best by either pushing out one more rep beyond your previous workout, lifting 1 pound heavier than your previous workout, reducing your rest period between sets by 5 seconds, or a variety of other means to push just a little bit harder.

When it comes to cardio if you can run 5k in 40 minutes you can try to run it in a shorter period of time this week. You can run a little longer distance in that 40 minute time frame, you can run that 5k on an incline through a hilly terrain, or a variety of other methods to push harder.

When it comes to eating healthier you can reduce the amount of man made food in your diet by just a little bit each week.

You can try to stretch your muscles a little bit more each week, drink a little more water each week, devote an extra minute per day to reading your goals and re-writing them, and so many other healthy habits that you can improve just a teeny weeny bit each week.

I’ve spent my adult life studying Olympic athletes. They are always focused on achieving their personal bests. Not every athlete wins an Olympic gold, silver, or bronze medal, but if they achieve a personal best during the Olympics you may just mistake them for the person who won the gold because they are so ecstatic and overjoyed by their accomplishments.


2) The Power Of Support

Having a support group and some very key supportive people in your life can make all the difference in putting your very best effort forward.

This is a picture of my two friends Tishia Lee and Mary Lutz as they compete in their very first 5k run. Tishia mentioned that there were times during the race that she felt like quitting. She had shin splints and a side cramp. But Mary kept motivating her to push through to the end. It would have been easy for Tishia to give up, but Mary helped her put her very best effort toward completing the run.

Now that they have competed in their first 5k race they have a base point and their very first personal best, which they can set a goal of breaking in the near future.


3) Why Should You Give Your Very Best Effort?

You have probably heard that you should find your powerful reason why, when it comes to achieving your fat loss goals. I shared how to take this advice to the next level in a post called “Having a Powerful Why Is Not Enough”

One of the reasons why a Powerful Why is not enough is because of what many people do after they have discovered it… Nothing!

Once you have your powerful reason why, you must repeat it to yourself as frequently as possible, especially before a workout, cardio session, or meal.

My powerful reason why I MUST continue to improve my health is because I believe that my family’s freedom and happiness depends upon it and their happiness and freedom means more to me than anything in this world.

When I begin to think that I can’t push out one more rep I repeat to myself, “My family’s freedom and happiness depends upon this one last rep.”

When I feel like slowing down the intensity of my cardio or stopping short of my destination I think, “My family’s freedom and happiness depends on me putting forth my very best effort.”

There is absolutely no obstacle that can prevent me from achieving my desired outcome when I am repeating that phrase in my head. Find your powerful reason why, write it down frequently, and read it every chance you get.

4) Commit To The Plan and Deadline

When you purchase a workout or diet program decide how much time you are going to devote to ‘working the program’ and mark it down on your calender.

Suppress the desire to program hop or try the latest and greatest program until you’ve completed the current program that you are following. I discussed this during an information packed interview  with John Romaniello.


Have a plan of action for the time after you achieve your goal and complete the current program.


Here’s what my current plan looks like…

===> May 10th 2010 – June 3rd 2010: Follow Joel Marion’s Xtreme Fat Loss Diet Goal: Eliminate my lower belly fat


===> June 4th 2010 – July 2nd 2010: Follow John Romaniello’s Final Phase Fat Loss

Goal: Look better than I’ve ever looked in my entire life.



===> July 3rd 2010 – July 11th 2010: Celebrate my victories on the beaches of Turks and Caicos

Goal: Rest, relax, recover.



===> July 12th 2010 – August 8th 2010: Follow Nick Nilsson’s Muscle Explosion Goal: Gain 6 pounds of muscle in 28 days.


===>  August 9th 2010 – December 23rd 2010: Follow my Fat Loss Quickie Program.


5) I AM UNSTOPPABLE!

Adopt the belief and attitude that “I am Unstoppable!” No matter what obstacle or challenge you are faced with I want you to know with absolute certainty that you will overcome that challenge.

Walk around tall and proud while showing off your “Unstoppable Attitude”. Exude confidence and absolutely 100% EXPECT SUCCESS! You’re not just hoping that this program will work for you… you know that this program will work for you because you are going to work the program to the very best of your abilities.


6) There’s Always Someone Worse Off Than You


I thrive off of reading and listening to success stories and I’ve been inspired by countless people who have had a much tougher time sculpting their body and improving their health than I ever will… and when I feel like giving up I think of them.

No matter what your challenge is, I guarantee that there is at least a thousand people out there who have gone through a similar challenge and have faced even greater challenges than you are currently facing, yet they were able to blast through those obstacles to achieve great success. If they can do it… So Can YOU!

Be a role model. Face your challenges! Achieve success in spite of those challenges. Prove that you are capable of greatness and that if you can do it… anyone can do it.

This is your life and your body. Make the most of it. Life the best quality of life possible in the best body that you can possibly sculpt. You deserve this.

You are faced with dozens of choices throughout your day. The most important choice that you can make is to become the best that you can be by choosing to live to your full potential.

Temporarily step into the realm of discomfort in order to create a new level of comfort that you’ve never experienced before. What may seem challenging for you today will not be challenging in the slightest during the months to come.

Expand your world. Experience this life to the fullest. Cherish every second.

To achieving your limitless potential,

Scott Tousignant

Long Term Fat Loss

To lose fat at the fastest rate possible a massive calorie deficit must be present to achieve rapid fat loss, and long-term minimal calorie intake can NOT work for fat loss, how CAN you create the necessary deficit without having your body turn it's back on you?


Did you know that truly fast fat loss is nearly impossible?


Let me explain...

The Problem: The Fast Fat Loss "Catch-22"

In order to lose fat at the most rapid rate, you need to create a rather large caloric deficit in a relatively short period of time.

A pound of fat is 3,500 calories. Want to lose a pound of fat?

Then you'll need to be 3,500 calories in the hole. Five pounds of fat? Make that 17,500 calories. There's simply no getting around the math.

Unfortunately, drastic reductions in calories only causes the body to fight back against your dieting efforts, shutting down metabolism and holding on to body fat as a starvation protection mechanism.

Enter the rapid fat loss Catch-22: You can't lose fat fast without quickly creating a massive calorie deficit, and you simply can't create a massive calorie deficit quickly without your body shifting in to starvation mode and rate-limiting your fat loss.

The simple fact is this: Until now, extremely fast fat loss was impossible. (keep in mind, we're talking 25 pounds in 25 days here)

And that's not  being "hypey," that's the FACTS.

Sure, you may have known someone who lost a lot of "weight" in a short period of time, but weight loss and fat loss are two critically different things. Want to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time? You certainly can, and here are the inevitable results:

1. A lot of water loss

2. Substantial muscle loss

3. A bit of fat loss

And oh yeah, a metabolism so beaten and battered that the moment you decide to return to any sort of normal eating regimen, bam, all your fast "weight loss" (and then some) piles back on even faster.

The Truth: Your Body HATES Crash Diets

Long term drastic calorie restriction simply does not WORK for fast fat loss. It requires a HUGE amount of sacrifice, and frankly, the results don't even come close to warranting the effort.

Ever seen an anorexic? Probably not the look you're going for...


The Solution: Strategic Synergy <------- Click HERE to read the rest of this article

5 Fat Loss Science Based Strategies

The question you have to ask yourself is simple: Do you want to lose up to 25 LEGIT pounds in just 25 days?

 If so, you're not going to find a more strategic, faster solution than this program.


It's founded on SCIENCE.   It's based on STRATEGY.   No gimmicks. No BS. Just results.

Most people treat their diet and exercise programs as two separate entities -- Totally WRONG if you're looking to lose fat at the fastest possible rate.

You see, if you can learn how to use the most effective exercise strategies to "mirror" the goals of your diet each day (while mixing up dietary approaches to yield specific hormonal and metabolic benefits in the most effective manner possible) you can literally take your results from "okay" to OUT OF THIS WORLD.

That's what I call SYNERGY. Diet and exercise working *together* in a very smart, strategic way to yield the fastest fat loss results possible.


Fat Loss Strategy #1 – You must keep your body and metabolism happy.

As mentioned in yesterday's article, dieting can do a number on your metabolism by screwing with important fat burning hormones like leptin, and rather quickly at that. The answer to overcoming these adaptations lies in strategic high-calorie Cheat Days.

As you recall, leptin is heavily mediated by your calorie intake. Decrease calories and leptin levels fall off, increase calories and leptin levels recover.

And while it takes roughly a week of moderate dieting for leptin levels to fall off significantly, it only takes one day of cheating, or overfeeding, for leptin to recover back to baseline.

By frequently resetting your metabolism throughout the course of your diet with strategic high-calorie Cheat Days, you can essentially have your cake and eat it too while watching your waistline continually shrink week after week.


Fat Loss Strategy #2 – You must create a massive calorie deficit to lose fat rapidly.

There’s no way around it, a pound of fat is 3500 calories. If you’re going to lose a pound of fat, you’re going to have to create a 3500 calorie deficit (while keeping your body in “fat burning mode” at the same time). If you want to lose 10 lbs of pure fat, that’ll require a 35,000 calorie deficit.


SIDE NOTE: Please realize that 10 lbs of pure fat loss will probably equate to somewhere between 15 and 20 lbs of actual “weight loss” due to the simultaneous water loss that occurs any time you lose fat.

After a cheat day your body is uber primed for fat loss, and it's prime time to take advantage with a mega calorie deficit. On this day, we do two things:

1. Consume minimal calories along with strategic supplementation to offset muscle catabolism.

2. Ramp up activity to burn a ton of additional calories on this day

With this type of strategic set-up, it’s actually possible to burn a pound of pure fat in one day (considering that a pound of fat loss a week is deemed a “very good” rate of fat loss by most standards, that’s pretty awesome).

Fat Loss Strategy #3: You must tackle your fat loss goals synergistically through diet and exercise.

When you’re talking about the most strategic set-up and the most rapid fat loss, things get a little more complex than simply “do a lot of exercise”. In fact, the type of exercise you do is just as important to your rapid fat loss goals as the frequency, duration, and intensity are.

With the Xtreme Fat Loss diet, you’ll see that there is a specific type or style of workout that we’ve purposefully chosen for each type of day to optimize and accelerate the results of that day.

Here is just one example:

Lactic Acid Training, which are very metabolically demanding, calorie-burning workouts, are performed on Depletion Days.

Because lactic acid workouts have the potential to burn more calories than other styles of training (because…they’re hard), they are the clear choice for Depletion Days when we want to create the largest caloric deficit. Lactic acid training also depletes the body’s “energy reserve”, making them the ideal workout style for Depletion Days.


Fat Loss Strategy #4: You must avoid ANY positive weight gain.

When I first started teaching Cheat Days it was understood that there may be some positive fat gain as a result of a Cheat Day in order to yield MORE fat loss the following week (leading to a great net weekly fat loss).

For example, without incorporating strategic Cheat Days, let’s say someone is able to lose a pound a week (with each week’s weight loss becoming progressively slower leading to the inevitable plateau).

With strategic cheating that same person is able to now lose 2 lbs each week (with no drop off in metabolism and no plateau). This is a result of a half pound gain in body fat from the Cheat Day and a subsequent 2.5 pound loss (net loss = 2 lbs).

Now, the latter scenario is obviously WAY better than sticking to the same boring, strict diet every day while achieving slower results, but it still leaves a half pound of fat gain resulting from the Cheat Day, which, if eliminated = faster results.

Within muscle tissue, energy is stored in the form of glycogen (carbohydrate energy) and triglycerides (fat energy). With strategic training (like the lactic acid training mentioned in principle #3), these energy stores can be depleted or exhausted.

Why would you want to do that?

To make “room” for an influx of calories, carbohydrate and fat (for example, a Cheat Day)!

When glycogen and triglyceride stores are full, a Cheat Day is like pouring more liquid into an already full glass. Some of that liquid is inevitably going to spill over and lead to a bit of a mess (in this case, fat storage). But, if you dump out the glass and then refill it, there’s no “overflow”.

This is exactly what we do by performing glycogen and triglyceride depleting lactic acid training (while limiting carbohydrate intake) on the day prior to a Cheat Day. We empty the cup making room for the following day’s influx of cals, carbs, and fat.

The result? You get the same hormone-boosting, metabolism stimulating effect from the Cheat Day without the fat gain. Instead, the excess calories and carbs simply go to refilling your body’s empty energy stores. That, my friends, is what I call strategy.

And by eliminating any Cheat Day fat gain, you can easily increase your rate of fat loss by 25%!


Fat Loss Strategy #5—You must maintain muscle mass to maintain metabolism.

This ties back in to some of the information I shared in Principle #3, the strategic combination of diet & exercise for optimal results, along with something else I haven’t fully touched on yet.

When faced with long-term calorie restriction, the body will choose to utilize muscle tissue for energy over body fat, leading to significant muscle loss and decreased metabolism for most dieters. Simply put, fat is more valuable to your body than “extra muscle” when it comes to survival, and it prioritizes accordingly in the face of long-term calorie restriction.

But, when you understand how to combine strategic cheat days along with high volume training to spark muscle growth even while you’re dieting, then you’ll easily be able to maintain (if not gain a couple pounds) of lean muscle throughout the course of only a few weeks.

Muscle = metabolism. The more lean muscle you have on your frame, the higher your metabolism is going to be. Muscle burns calories just sitting there. Maintaining it as you lose fat is fundamentally important to continuing to lose fat at an optimal rate.

Another way this program helps you maintain muscle is via Principle #1 – keeping your body happy. When your body remains in a “normal” state (instead of a “red alert” state like with long-term calorie restriction) over the course of a diet, there is no reason for it to resort to muscle tissue for energy. By keeping leptin levels high week after week, you maintain your metabolism and program your body to continue to burn fat, not muscle.


Wrap Up

You now KNOW what's limiting your fat loss along with my 5 top strategies to overcome those limitations.

 As you can see, it's ALL strategy and every single piece of the puzzle makes a huge difference.
Are you ready to experience just how fast fat loss can be when you unlock the power of strategic, synergistic program design?

Fast Fat Loss But 1 Pound A Day?

I've got a new article for you today from my friend and fat loss expert Joel Marion about a legitimate way that you can burn a pound of pure fat in 1 day.


As a reminder, if you missed the announcement about Joel's exciting new 25-day Xtreme Fat Loss program, and the special deal he has going which ends Thursday... check it out here:

Xtreme Fat Loss
Here's Joel's new article:

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How To Burn A Pound Of Pure Fat In One Day

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by Joel Marion - CISSN, NSCA-CPT

A pound of fat is 3,500 calories.

So, to lose 10 pounds of pure fat, you need to create a 35,000 calorie deficit.

(please realize that 10 pounds of *fat loss* will probably equate to somewhere between 15 and 20 pounds of actual "wt loss" due to the simultaneous water loss that occurs any time you lose fat).

So, a 35,000 calorie deficit, huh? That's easy. In fact, if you didn't eat anything for 15 days, combined with exercise, you'd probably burn even more than that and finish up absolutely ripped after only 2 weeks of sacrifice, right?

WRONG.

Your body does *not* like long-term, drastic reductions in calorie intake and simply responds by 1) shutting down metabolism and 2) holding on to body fat, both as a starvation protection mechanism. Therefore, should you ever decide to try something akin to the above, you'd only end up wasting a heck of a lot of time and sacrifice for some pretty crappy results.

In fact, you'd probably end up looking "sick" and still fat. Probably *not* the look you're going for…

Simply put, creating massive calorie deficits (by not eating, or eating very little) does NOT work for optimal fat loss and physique transformation, and those looking for a quick fix all too often fall victim to trying something so silly in attempt to wake up next week with the body of their dreams.

Bottom line: your body is smarter than these elementary methods, and will very quickly put the breaks on your fat burning efforts in favor of protecting you from starving to death.

So does that mean that the "slow and steady" road is the only path to fat loss, or that rapid fat loss is a dead dream?

Nope! It just requires "smarter" methods that keep you one step ahead of your body, always in “good standing”, instead of repeatedly aggravating it by denying it the nutrients and energy it needs to function.

So how can we be smart about rapid fat loss?

Well, there are a number of ways (that when combined in the most strategic fashion can equate to some incredibly fast fat loss results), but one of the pieces of the puzzle is to create a massive calorie deficit that *actually works* because it's timed appropriately in conjunction with a time in which your body is very receptive to fat burning.

If you've read any of my past writings then you know that I'm a strong believer in utilizing Cheat Days to upregulate metabolism and important fat burning hormones, particularly leptin, while dieting. After all, it only takes one day of overfeeding or "cheating" to bring these hormones back to baseline and put the body back into an optimized fat burning state (while it takes about a week for them to substantially drop off again).

The end result is greater net fat loss week after week while still being able to enjoy your favorite foods on a regular basis. I'll take that deal.

Given that information, let me ask you a question:

When do you think might be the ideal time to introduce a massive calorie deficit to a diet cycle in order to burn the most fat?

I'll let you think about that for a minute…

Okay, got your answer?

Well, if you said after a Cheat Day, then you are 100% correct! Fact is, after a Cheat Day, your body is *massively* primed to burn fat. Leptin levels are at their peak, in addition to other important fat burning hormones, and your body is READY and WILLING to use fat for energy.

So, it's after a high calorie day that you'll want to create a massive calorie deficit via:

1. minimal calorie intake (i.e. strategic fasting)

2. massive energy expenditure through optimized exercise

Essentially, you're creating a huge calorie deficit (through both diet and exercise) on a day in which your body is extremely primed to burn those calories as fat AND when metabolism is at its highest point.

Make sense?

The truth is, through proper timing and proper strategy, you really CAN burn a pound of pure fat (and lose even more on the scale) in one day, without silly fat loss gimmicks or fads.

The secret, my friends, is all in the strategy.

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The above fat loss trick is just one of the 9 advanced strategies that Joel uses in his new 25-day rapid fat loss program, The Xtreme Fat Loss Diet. Make sure to grab your copy now before Joel's special deal ends on Thursday:

Xtreme Fat Loss  <=== Click for my review

Enjoy!

Lose 25lbs In 25 Days?

Have you ever wondered what may be holding you back from the FASTEST fat loss?


Why you've only been able to lose fat at an "average" speed, if at all?

Well, the fact of the matter is this: there's probably certain things built in to the very diet and exercise program that YOU are doing, things that you don't even realize are inhibiting you from achieving the most rapid fat loss results.

Fortunately, you're in luck, because that's exactly what this article is all about—uncovering what I consider to be the top 5 fat loss "killers" plaguing diets and training programs alike, ultimately slowing down your results despite your most intense efforts.

* Limiting Factor #1: Your Metabolism *


In reality, it's not really your metabolism that's the problem, but rather the effect that most fat loss programs, particularly diets, have on your metabolism.

In order to understand this, we need to go back in time a bit to the day in which our "hunter and gather" ancestors roamed the Earth.

For those individuals, survival was king, and in order to survive, they had to do the whole “eating” thing just like we do.

Unfortunately, things weren’t quite as easy for this group as they are today. No supermarkets. No drive-through meal deals. Instead, when our primitive ancestors wanted a nice steak, they had to go find it.

This inevitably meant that there were plenty of instances in which our yester-year counterparts went without food for days at a time. And at other times, namely during the winter months, their bodies were forced to get by on very little food and calories each day.

And the reason why they didn’t die? There’s only one—the body’s natural defense against starvation.

Don’t get enough calories for an extended period of time? No problem, the body simply causes ”bad” hormones, fat storage enzymes, and hunger to all increase while “good” hormones, metabolism, and fat burning enzymes all take a dive.

Enter “starvation mode.”

Friend to our ancestors; anything but to the dieter.

You see, dieting, although planned, is nothing more than a lesser degree of premeditated starvation.

Go on a diet—any diet—and it wont be long until the body begins fighting for every ounce of your body fat. You want to lose it; your body wants to keep it. And guess what? Your body wins every time.

Sad scenario, I know.

* Limiting Factor #2: Inadequate Negative Calorie Balance *

There's no getting around the fact that if you want to lose fat as fast as humanly possible you have to create the greatest negative calorie balance possible.

But, at the same time you'll need to do it WITHOUT pissing off your body to the point in which it shuts down and begins to fight against your fat loss efforts (i.e. the "starvation mode" that we just talked about).

Indeed, it is a thin, fine line in which, unfortunately, almost all diets fall somewhere to the left or the right.

You have those diets that create a moderate calorie deficit, leading to moderate results (at least for short while). That's OK, but if we're talking about the FASTEST fat loss, the deficit simply isn't great enough.

And on the opposite end of the spectrum we have "crash" diets and other severe diets which fail to take in to account ANY knowledge of the body and the regulation of human bodyweight and metabolism. A week or two on any of these approaches and you'll likely:


1. Lose muscle

2. Lose a bunch of water

3. Lose a bit of fat

4. Destroy your metabolism

5. Set yourself up to quickly rebound back beyond your original bodyweight

6. Achieve a "skinny fat" physique in which you're still carrying substantial body fat, only now with no muscle.

Awesomen't. (And by that, I mean, not awesome.)


* Limiting Factor #3: Zero Synergy Between Your Diet And Exercise Programming *

I honestly think this is the most overlooked area of fat loss. Most people simply pick a diet and then pick a training program, or vice versa, without ever really thinking how those two programs work hand in hand, or if they DON'T provide any additional benefit to one another.

Allow me to illustrate my point with a few mathematical equations:

1 + 1 = 0

1 + 1 = 2

1 + 1 = 3

And believe it or not, I actually did graduate first grade.

While not true in the absolute mathematical sense, all three of the above equations are representative of the results people achieve from their diet and exercise programs.

In each equation, think of the first number as diet, the second as exercise, and the third as the result achieved by the combination.

Or simply, Diet + Exercise = Result

So, in the first equation, Diet + Exercise = Zero Result. Unfortunately many people are stuck in this boat because of damaged metabolisms and some of the reasons we've shared previously.

In the second equation, we have Diet + Exercise = The expected result (and additive effect of the two).

But in the third equation, this is where the magic happens—when diet and exercise team up to achieve a greater result than the additive effect of either of them alone. That's synergy—when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Unfortunately, most diet and exercise programs are respresented by one of the first two equations, because they simply aren't designed to work together in every aspect.

* Limiting Factor #4: Positive Energy Balance *

Positive Energy Balance simply is any point in your diet in which you consume more calories than you burn, ultimately resulting in those surplus level of calories being stored as fat.

This could be the result of a dietary "screw up" in which you fall off your diet completely or a "planned" cheat day which results in positive calorie balance.

Naturally, any time you are gaining fat on a fat loss program you are moving in the opposite direction of your results and in some way, shape or form, slowing your progress.

* Limiting Factor #5: Muscle Loss *

The unforatunate reality is that 99% of diets result in a significant amount of muscle loss. This has several bigtime consequences:

1. You're not going to achieve the LOOK you want by losing muscle. Most men would agree with that statement right out, but for women, allow me to demonstrate it's truth:

Those are both size 2 bodies. The difference? The one on the left looks OK while the one on the right is smokin' hot. The REAL difference? Muscle.

While the exact same size, the physique on the right is comprised mostly of dense, shapely, tone muscle, while the image on the left...isn't.

If you just want to be "thin" while still hiding behind your clothes because you're not 100% proud of your body, then losing muscle is a great way to get you there. But if you want to look great naked, believe me, you want to hold on to every ounce you have as you lose fat.

2. Losing muscle = decreased metabolism. Muscle burns calories at rest; essentially, it's the fuel that keeps your metabolism operating at full blast. When you lose muscle as you diet, not only does it slow your week to week progress by decreasing overall metabolism, but it also sets you up to easily and quickly gain back lost weight as a result of the cumulative decrease in metabolism over time.

A "smaller" version of the same body, decreased week to week progress, and long-term metabolism issues?

Count. Me. Out.

Do you want to overcome these 5 limiting factor and begin achieving the FASTEST fat loss?