Barbell, Kettlebell, and Dumbbell “Complexes” to Take Your Body to a New Level of Hardness and Conditioning

If you've been looking for a different training technique to break out of a rut, eliminate the boredom, and bring on new results, workout "complexes" may be just what you've been looking for.

What are workout "complexes"?

If you've never heard of "complexes" before, the basic concept is that instead of repeating the same exercise for multiple reps to complete a "set", you sequence one rep of several different exercises right after one another and repeat the sequence several times to complete a "set". It's basically like performing a routine, instead of just mindlessly performing a typical "set".

This type of training is excellent to work a huge amount of your body's musculature in a short amount of time, and definitely takes your workouts to a whole new level of intensity. The conditioning aspect of this type of training is amazing, as you'll find yourself huffing and puffing after repeating a sequence a mere two or three times.

If I had to venture a guess, I'd have to say that this type of training probably elicits a good growth hormone response as well, due to the large amount of full body work completed in a given time period. 

I like to incorporate about 5 exercises into my complexes. Any more than that and you might start to forget what's next in the sequence.  I'm going to show you example routines to use for "complexes" below for barbells, dumbbells, and even kettlebells too.  I'm willing to bet this is a totally different style than you've ever trained before.

Here's an example of a killer barbell complex that really gets me fired up:

Example Barbell "Complex" Sequence

1. 1 rep:  barbell clean and press from floor (explosive lift of barbell from floor to "catch" on front shoulders in one motion, then push-press overhead);
2. 1 rep:  barbell back to thighs, then hang clean (explosively pull bar from knees and "catch" the bar at shoulders);
3. 1 rep:  keep barbell at shoulders, then front squat;

Use a weight that you can still handle for your weakest lift of the bunch, but keep it heavy enough to challenge you. Try to repeat the sequence 2-3 times without resting… That's 1 set. You could progress over time on this routine by increasing the amount of times you repeat the sequence in each set, or by adding sets on subsequent workouts before eventually increasing the weight.

For example, say you completed the above complex with 155-lbs for 3 sequences per set for 3 sets in today's workout. Next time you perform the workout, try to do 155-lbs for 3 sequences per set for 4 sets. Once you successfully complete 5 sets with 155, increase the weight 5 or 10 lbs next time, and drop back to 3 sets. This is a great way to make improvements over time, while cycling your training volume.

Now I'm going to show you a great kettlebell complex that really kicks my butt.  If you don't have a kettlebell, you can use a dumbbell, but I'd highly recommend picking yourself up a kettlebell… they're very convenient to have around the house when you want to bang out a quick intense workout at home without going to the gym.

I've been training with kettlebells for about 5 years now, and can definitely say that they've dramatically improved my strength and overall physical capabilities. If you're not familiar with kettlebells, they are an old eastern European training secret that has just started to take the US by storm over the last few years. Many elite athletes are using kettlebells as their preferred training tool for serious results.  If you're new to kettlebells, you can learn how to get started with kettlebells at this article.

I'd recommend just starting off with one kettlebell and learn all of the single kettlebell drills first, before delving into the double-bell drills. Just one kettlebell coupled with some bodyweight exercises can literally be enough to comprise your own home gym, without any other equipment necessary. Or a kettlebell can just be a great alternative workout to incorporate into your routines once or twice a week. Either way, it opens up a whole new world of training for you.

Example Kettlebell Complex

1. one arm swing
2. one arm snatch, keep the bell over head;
3. one arm overhead squat;
4. bell back down to bottom, then one arm high pull;
5. bell back down to bottom, then one arm clean & press
6. repeat sequence with opposite arm

As with the barbell complex, repeat the sequence (without rest) 2-3 times with each arm. That's one set…and one hell of a killer set at that!  Try increasing from 3 to 4 to 5 sets on subsequent workouts with a given weight before increasing your sequence reps. If you're not drenched in sweat with your heart beating out of your chest after that complex, you either went too light, or you are a mutant freak!

Since dumbbells are more accessible to most people than kettlebells, now I'll show you how to put together a good dumbbell complex.  This dumbbell complex is a better option for beginners or intermediate exercisers.  The barbell and kettlebell complexes I showed above are for advanced trainees.

Example Dumbbell Complex

1. dumbbell squat and push-press
2. front lunge with one leg, then the other
3. back lunge with one leg, then the other
4. curl to overhead press
5. keep dumbbells at shoulders and squat
6. repeat sequence 2-3 times

Again, the same type of sequencing and progressions explained with the barbell complexes work great with the dumbbell complexes. I think an amazing workout strategy is to alternate barbell complexes on one day with kettlebell or dumbbell complexes on alternative training days.

For example, you could do barbell complexes Monday, kettlebell or dumbbell complexes Wednesday, and back to barbell complexes on Friday. Maybe hit some sprints and bodyweight drills on Saturday; then Monday would be K-bell or D-bell complexes again, Wednesday would be barbells again, and so on. Give this program a try for a month (if you dare), and you will be one hardened individual!  Make sure to shift to a different training style after 4-5 weeks as your body starts to plateau on this specific training routine.

If you want some more really unique training styles check out these great workouts called Max Workouts here.

41 Tips to Gain 41 Pounds Of Rock-Solid Lean Muscle Mass in 6 Months

This article will give you at least 41 tips and ideas for gaining more muscle and getting more ripped than you can imagine.

Muscle building expert Vince DelMonte has helped over 50,000 skinny guys and consults with fitness experts all around the world on the most critical and supporting elements to build muscle mass and to experience consistent muscle growth.

In this article, Vince unmasks his own secrets that he used for building 41 pounds of solid muscle in only 6 months – without any drugs or steroids, without bogus supplements, and while training less total hours than before.

Find out his advanced muscle building strategies on how to build muscle, fast!

Whether you approach your physique as a hobby or a job, you should not leave any element to chance and hope it works.  In order to defeat plateaus and forge a ripped and muscular body you need all the tips and tricks you can get.  None of these techniques will work alone but by combining as many together as possible you'll see a huge difference in your muscle growth – faster than before.

1. Begin with 3-4 full body weight training workouts per week.  Max of one hour per session.  This is a great level to make sure you don't overtrain and harm your results.  Any more than this could be counterproductive.

2. Take your body weight in pounds and multiply it by 15 to determine your daily caloric intake if you want to gain weight.

3. Perform only 1 exercise per body part each full-body workout but perform a different exercise for each body part every workout.  By the end of the week you'll have hit each muscle group three times from three different angles.

4. Consume carbohydrates in a 2:1 ratio to protein after your workout in liquid form (a good post workout shake).

5. Perform each set to muscular failure.

6. Use a training journal and track your progress.

7. Drink at least 4-6 liters of water each day.

8. Vary your rep and set schemes more frequently than any other training variable.

9. Focus on exploding up on the concentric portion of your movement and taking 3-4 seconds for the eccentric portion of your program.  Most people lower the weight way too fast!

10. Aim to build about 4-6 pounds of lean muscle mass each 1-2 months.  Anything more will be fat gain.

11. Eat at least 10-15 serving of fruits and vegetables each day.  Some veggies even contain specific phytonutrients that can fight abdominal fat

12. Focus on compound movements for 80-90% of your workouts.

13. Alternate between dumbbells and barbells every 2 weeks.

14. Only change an exercise when you plateau on two workouts in a row.

15. Enter a fitness model or bodybuilding show or transformation contest to keep you motivated.  Don't underestimate the power of a deadline to meet your goals!

16. Follow a specific program for at least 12-16 weeks before trying your next one.

17. Pyramiding your sets to consistently increase your strength 5% each week.

18. Consume a variety of whole eggs, chicken, lean beef, fish and whole-milk throughout the day for high quality (bioavailable) muscle building protein.  And yes, whole eggs are better for you than egg whites, explained here.

19. Use a training partner for motivation and an extra push to experience faster muscular growth.

20. Never train hungry if you want to build muscle fast.

Before we get to tips 21 – 41, make sure to sign up for Mike Geary's fat burning email tips… you don't want to miss these if you want to get lean and ripped:
21. Concentrate your carbohydrates when your body needs them most –- breakfast, pre-workout and post workout.

22. Ensure you do the squat and the deadlift each week to increase the release of growth hormone and testosterone.

23. Hire a personal trainer if you have never received professional coaching on technique and form.

24. Stretch at least half the amount of time that you lift.  If you lift 3 hours a week, schedule at least 1.5 hours of yoga or static stretching.

25. Train a muscle group through it's entire range of motion to stimulate muscle size.  There is a time and place for partial range of motion training, but most of the time full ROM wins.

26. Use a 3-day a week 20-minute interval cardio plan, post-workout, to maximize the muscle to fat ratio while bulking.

27. Train your most underdeveloped muscle group first in each workout.

28. Avoid processed food, packaged food and fast food.

29. Avoid protein bars and any muscle building supplement that has sucralose, aspartame, or other artificial sweeteners.  Also avoid bars that have soy protein or any corn syrups.  If you haven't heard, eating too much processed soy can harm your hormone levels.

30. Get at least 8-hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.  You'd be suprised how important this is for keeping balanced hormones.

31. Don't be afraid to overload your muscles with maximal resistance and miss your goal reps.

32. Consume a combination of olive oil, fish oil (or the more powerful Krill Oil), coconut oil, mixed nuts and natural peanut butter or almond butter each day to make sure you get ample healthy fats for testosterone and other muscle building hormone production.  Getting enough fats is key to keeping high testosterone levels.

33. Take a complete week off after 12-16 weeks of training.  This is vitally important for allowing your body to recover and not burn out.

34. Get a spotter to help you with your heaviest set.

35. Have a training program.  Never go to the gym without a plan.

36. Perform 5-10 minutes of dynamic stretching before each weight training workout.

37. Schedule regular ART-therapy or massage therapy to avoid injuries.

38. Cold shower after every intense weight training workout.  It sucks, but it works. Some studies show increased muscle recovery from this technique.

39. Eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass each day.  I know there's conflicting info about the proper amount of protein, but results speak, and I know plenty of bodybuilders who swear by this rule.

40. The core of your workout should revolve around the major multi-joint lifts: squats, deadlifts, rows, presses, pull ups, dips and weighted core work.

41. Train with someone bigger and stronger than you. You'll be challenged and motivated to work out harder.

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Credit Laws That Protect Consumers Like You and Me

 

Credit laws are crazy things.

If you are not familiar with them it can feel as if you are trying to navigate a land-mine.

Do not stress!

Once you know the credit laws that protect consumers like you and me, it will make the whole credit repair process so much easier than you ever thought it could be.

You'll want to first check out Jeremy Maher's free credit presentation here:

 CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!

 Here is your speedy guide of the credit laws. Understand that this is not a full listing of all the details, but it will help you to get started.

·         FCRA or Fair Credit Reporting Act: This law allows you to dispute listings which you feel are inaccurate and get a response in a timely manner. (Great way to get the negative garbage off your report!

 

It will also help you to get information regarding who the original provider, or creditor is so that you can go straight to the source should you need to. You will also find that this is a credit law that can give you more rights when it comes to things like inquiries which might have been done without your permission. (YOU can get these deleted for FREE)

 

·         FDCPA or Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: Essentially, this is the law that says that collection agencies or creditors are not allowed to harass you.

 

Nor are they allowed to make threats to scare you and your family. It also covers the statute of limitations in your state, which can range from three to 10 years. This is the amount of time a creditor has to sue you. THAT IS RIGHT! – Creditors can not sure you after a certain amount of time.

 

·         ECOA or the Equal Credit Opportunity Act: This law says that everyone regardless of race, creed, color or sex can be eligible for credit. Creditors cannot discriminate based on whether you're married and your spouse has bad credit. Nor can you be denied credit because you are 62 or older or have loans or interest rates change when your life status changes.

 

·         FACTA or Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act: This is an add-on to the FCRA. Essentially, this ensures that you are able to dispute items on your credit report which you feel are incorrect and you have the right to a prompt response to your inquiry. This also allows you to be able to check your credit report as much as you want for a reasonable fee. This is a credit law that you will find you refer to frequently if you are working to clean up your credit report.

 

 

When it comes to all the different Credit Laws that protect consumers like you and me, it can always help you to know what you are dealing with and how it can help your financial situation.

 

When you know your rights you will find that you have an easier time with everything to do with your credit, from disputing incorrect information to dealing with creditors. Even though it might feel like a struggle right now, you really need to get to know the credit laws and find out how you can use them to your advantage!

I hope this helps you understand how important these laws are to you and the average hard working American.

To learn the insider techniques that can raise your credit score, get instant access to this free credit repair video:

 CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!

 Please take the time to watch the video for yourself and your family.

Good luck and keep your head up! Life is short and we all deserve an enriched lifestyle!

Eliminate Anxiety and Panic Attacks For Good

If you suffer from…

* Palpitations

* a pounding heart, or an accelerated heart rate

* Sweating

* Trembling or shaking

* Shortness of breath

* A choking sensation

* Chest pain or discomfort

* Nausea or stomach cramps

* Derealization (a feeling of unreality)

* Fear of losing control or going crazy

* Fear of dying Numbness or a tingling sensation

* Chills or hot flashes

(Source: American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) 2000 Washington, DC.)

…then you've experienced firsthand some of the possible symptoms of a panic or anxiety attack. If you are reading this page because a loved one suffers from these symptoms and you are trying to understand or help, it's hard to appreciate what they go through.

Just try to imagine what it feels like to experience one, if you can.

Here is a typical example:

Standing in a supermarket queue, it's been a long wait but only one customer to go before you make it to the cashier. Wait, what was that sensation? An unpleasant feeling forms in your throat, your chest feels tighter, now a sudden shortness of breath, and what do you know—your heart skips a beat. "Please, God, not here."

A quick scan of the territory—is it threatening? Four unfriendly faces queue behind, one person in front. Pins and needles seem to prick you through your left arm, you feel slightly dizzy, and then the explosion of fear as you dread the worst. You are about to have a panic attack.

There is no doubt in your mind now that this is going to be a big one. Okay, focus: Remember what you have been taught, and it is time now to apply the coping techniques. Begin the deep breathing exercise your doctor recommended. In through the nose, out through the mouth.

Think relaxing thoughts, and again, while breathing in, think "Relax," and then breathe out. But it doesn't seem to be having any positive effect; in fact, just concentrating on breathing is making you feel self-conscious and more uptight.

Okay, coping technique 2:

Gradual muscle relaxation. Tense both shoulders, hold for 10 seconds, then release. Try it again. No; still no difference. The anxiety is getting worse and the very fact that you are out of coping techniques worsens your panic. If only you were surrounded by your family, or a close friend were beside you so you could feel more confident in dealing with this situation.

Now, the adrenaline is really pumping through your system, your body is tingling with uncomfortable sensations, and now the dreaded feeling of losing complete control engulfs your emotions. No one around you has any idea of the sheer terror you are experiencing. For them, it's just a regular day and another frustratingly slow queue in the supermarket.

CLICK HERE TO STOP PANIC ATTACK

You are out of options. Time for Plan C.

The most basic coping skill of all is "fleeing." Excuse yourself from the queue; you are slightly embarrassed as it is now that it is your turn to pay. The cashier is looking bewildered as you leave your shopping behind and stroll towards the door. There is no time for excuses—you need to be alone. You leave the supermarket and get into your car to ride it out alone. Could this be the big one? The one you fear will push you over the edge mentally and physically. Ten minutes later the panic subsides.

It's 10:30 a.m. How are you going to make it through the rest of the day?

If you suffer from panic or anxiety attacks, the above scenerio probably sounds very familiar. It may have even induced feelings of anxiety and panic just reading it. The particular situations that trigger your panic and anxiety may differ; maybe the bodily sensations are a little different. Or maybe it happened to you for the first time on a plane, in the dentist chair, or even at home, while doing nothing in particular.

If you have ever had what has become known as a "panic attack," take comfort in the fact that you are by no means alone.

A panic attack always comes with the acute sense of impending doom. You feel you are either about to lose your mind or one of your vital bodily functions is about to cease functioning and you will end your days right there among the canned goods and frozen food.

You are by no means alone; you're not even one in a million. In America, it is estimated that almost 5% of the population suffer from some form of anxiety disorder. For some, it may be the infrequent panic attacks that only crop up in particular situations-like when having to speak in front of others, while, for other people, it can be so frequent and recurring that it inhibits them from leaving their home. Frequent panic attacks often develop into what medical physicians refer to as an "anxiety disorder."

One of the first steps to regaining control of your life is getting helpful information. This site will give you that, and more.

The beginning of your recovery starts here. What you will learn is that there is a very good chance you are about to end the cycle of panic attacks in your life. You will learn not only to regain the carefree life you remember once having, but will also gain new confidence in living. Your answer to living free from "panic" or "anxiety attacks" is at hand.

This site demonstrates that the panic and anxiety that you have experienced will be the very key to your courage and success.

Begin the road to recovery by browsing through the site. While many of you may have read almost everything you can possibly read relating to panic and anxiety I assure you this site offers something very effective.

Did you know…?

The key difference between someone who is cured of panic attacks and those who are not is really very simple. The people who are cured no longer fear panic attacks. I'll try to show you how to be one of these people as well.

What if I told you the trick to ending panic and anxiety attacks is to want to have one. That sounds strange, even contradictory, but let me explain.

The trick to panic attacks is wanting to have one-the wanting pushes it away. Can you have a panic attack in this very second? No!

You know the saying that "what you resist, persists." Well that saying applies perfectly to fear. If you resist a situation out of fear, the fear around that issue will persist. How do you stop resisting–you move directly into it, into the path of the anxiety, and by doing so it cannot persist.

In essence what this means is that if you daily voluntarily seek to have a panic attack, you cannot have one. Try in this very moment to have a panic attack and I will guarantee you cannot. You may not realize it but you have always decided to panic. You make the choice by saying this is beyond my control.

Another way to appreciate this is to imagine having a panic attack as like standing on a cliff's edge. The anxiety seemingly pushes you closer to falling over the edge.

To be rid of the fear you must metaphorically jump. You must jump off the cliff edge and into the anxiety and fear and all the things that you fear most.

How do you jump? You jump by wanting to have a panic attack. You go about your day asking for anxiety and panic attacks to appear.

Your real safety is the fact that a panic attack will never harm you. That is medical fact. You are safe, the sensations are wild but no harm will come to you. Your heart is racing but no harm will come to you. The jump becomes nothing more than a two foot drop! Perfectly safe.

CLICK HERE TO STOP PANIC ATTACK

GETTING A HANDLE ON DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS

 

Depression symptoms vary from one person to the next, and some people have symptoms that others do not have. However, there are some symptoms that are almost always present in cases of clinical depression. In fact, in order to be diagnosed with major depression, a person must have five of the following nine symptoms for at least two weeks. 

·         Depressed mood most days for most of the day

·         Loss of interest in things that used to bring pleasure

·         Weight loss or gain without trying to lose or gain weight

·         Trouble sleeping

·         Noticeable lethargy or restlessness

·         Extreme fatigue or lack of energy

·         Feelings of guilt or worthlessness

·         Difficulty making decisions or focusing on tasks

·         Thoughts of death or suicide 

Major Depression versus Dysthymia

 There are several types of depression. The most common types are major depression and dysthymia. Major depression involves severe and debilitating symptoms, while dysthymia is less severe but lasts much longer. Some people suffer from dysthymia for years or even decades before recognizing that they have a treatable medical condition.

 Psychologists use a specific guide called the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, version four) to diagnose clinical depression. A doctor make a diagnosis of dysthymia if a person has depression symptoms that last for two years or longer. In addition, a person with dysthymia will have two or more of the following symptoms and the symptoms will adversely affect the person's ability to work, socialize or function in general.

 ·         Decreased or increased appetite

·         Fatigue or low energy

·         Sleeping too much or not enough

·         Low self esteem or the belief that one is worthless

·         Hopelessness

·         Trouble focusing or concentrating

 People with dysthymia often become very good at hiding their symptoms. Sometimes only those who are closest to the person will even know that the depression exists.

 How Depression Affects the Body

Depression is a whole body condition. It does not just affect the mind and emotions. Many people visit doctors for physical problems that are, in fact, symptoms of depression. Such symptoms include headaches, backaches, upset stomach, and general aches and pains. Lack of energy and loss of libido are other common physical symptoms that may be related to an underlying depression. Doctors often treat these symptoms with pain killers, antacids or ED medications. The symptoms may go away for a while, masking the underlying problem, but depression almost always returns in one form or another. Sometimes it returns with entirely different physical symptoms, making it even more challenging to diagnose and treat the real problem.

 Women and Depression

 Women are a bit more likely than men to be diagnosed with clinical depression. There are a few reasons why this is the case. For one thing, women are usually more emotionally sensitive, so depression symptoms are more obvious in them. Men, on the other hand, may act out depression with anger, alcoholism or drug abuse or by working long hours in order to avoid their emotions.

 Women may also become depressed after they give birth. This unique form of depression is known as postpartum depression. Its symptoms are similar to those of depression in general but may also include specific feelings about the woman's ability to bond with or care for her new baby.

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Fish Oil May Help You Burn Fat…

Unless you've been living under a rock somewhere for the last several years, you've probably heard about the health benefits of eating fatty fish or taking fish oil supplements. Well, it looks like you might be able to add fat loss alongside the other benefits like heart, blood (cholesterol/triglycerides), brain, skin and joint health (and the rest of the list, which is too long to print here).

The biologically active ingredients that seem to make fatty fish so beneficial are are the long chain omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, EPA and DHA. At least a half a dozen human studies and more than two dozen animal studies have been completed in the last 10 years which suggest that these omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may help you lose more fat. However, the fat loss benefit is not as much as some people want you to believe…

The results of two new studies on fish oil and fat loss were just released earlier this year. In one study published by the International Journal of Obesity, researchers from Reykjavik Iceland tested the effects of fish or fish oil consumption equivalent to 1.5 grams of combined EPA/DHA on body weight and body composition as part of a calorie restricted diet. (1)

The subjects were 324 young overweight men and women who followed one of four experimental protocols for 8 weeks:

(1) sunflower oil capsules (control)
(2) lean fish
(3) fatty fish (salmon)
(4) fish oil capsules

The researchers reported the following results:

"In young, overweight men, the inclusion of either lean or fatty fish, or fish oil as part of a hypoenergetic diet resulted in 1 kilogram more weight loss after 4 weeks than a similar diet without seafood or supplement of marine origin. The addition of seafood to a nutritionally balanced energy-restricted diet may boost weight loss."

It should be noted that the study was supported by the Seafood Plus organization and there were some limitations in the design that could have influenced the subject's compliance.

The second study, conducted at the University of South Australia and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2) investigated the effect of combining fish oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise.

In a 12-week, placebo-controlled study, the subjects were divided into four groups:

(1) sunflower oil
(2) sunflower oil plus exercise
(3) fish oil
(4) fish oil plus exercise.

The fish oil groups were given 6 grams of high DHA fish oil per day, which contained a total of 1.9 grams of long chain omega-3 fatty acids. The exercising groups performed aerobic exercise three days per week for 45 minutes.

As you might expect, the fish oil plus exercise group came out with the best results:

Unfortunately, there was a limitation in this study as well: The food intake of the subjects was self reported, which is known to be notoriously inaccurate.

There have been several other human studies on fish oil and fat loss in the last ten years or so and the majority of the findings have been positive. The research is compelling and there have been numerous, and very plausible mechanisms of action proposed.

However, more and more often, I am hearing people in the health, fitness and nutrition industries making some pretty bold and I daresay, premature and outrageous claims about what fish oil can do for fat loss; claims which are not supported by the research.

The studies on fish oil and fat loss are encouraging, but the vast majority of research has been on animals (rats, mice and hamsters) and there have been limitations in nearly all the human studies so far, including:

Small sample sizes, short study durations, statistically insignificant results, lack of randomization, no control groups, imprecise body composition testing, measurement errors, self-reporting of food intake, low compliance control and fish industry or supplement industry-sponsored bias.

Even if you take the results of the existing research at face value, the fat loss really isn't all that impressive – an extra pound here, an extra kilo there.

Many of the research results barely reach statistical significance, and you even have to wonder if these small improvements in fat loss are simply correcting omega-3 deficiency or fixing omega-3 and omega-6 imbalance… therefore, will they continue over a longer time period or is this a one time improvement?

One of the earlier studies showed the same kind of measurable but modest results: The fish oil group that took 1.8 grams of combined EPA/DHA daily lost 2 pounds and the non fish oil group lost only 0.7 pounds after 3 weeks (3).

Of course, you'll probably take all the fat loss help that you can get, and since there are already enough good reasons to eat fatty fish for cardiovascular disease prevention and other health benefits, it's really a no brainer to eat fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel or sardines at least twice a week. (By the way, with the exception of King Mackerel, these are species which have not been reported as having problems with mercury contamination).

Alternately, you can use a fish oil supplement to get the equivalent in omega-3 fatty acids as found in the fish. Non fish eaters or vegetarians can use flaxseed oil, a plant-based source of Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA) which converts in the body to EPA and DHA (the efficiency and amount of conversion has been a subject of controversy, however).

Based on the three studies cited above, it looks like 1.5 to 2.0 grams per day of combined DHA/EPA is the right dose when fat loss is the goal (although some suggest you should consider body weight when choosing the dosage, i.e., 1 gram total fish oil for each 20 lbs body weight, so a big guy might go with as much as 3.0 grams)

Most fish oil capsules come in 1,000 mg size at a 30% concentration, so if you took five 1000mg capsules a day, that would give you 1.5 grams of EPA/DHA; about the same as you'd get in 3 ounces (85 g) of salmon.

Note: other studies on fish oil and fat loss tested 3.0 to 4.0 g/day of EPA/DHA, but the American Heart Association has warned against taking more than 3 g EPA/DHA per day without a physicians supervision, as there may be potential contraindications and side effects such as increased bleeding time. Based on the research, more fish oil will NOT burn more fat, so be wary of the "mega dose gurus."

Another tip: Don't fall for the "premium price" necessarily means better quality party line. Quality and purity are important, but you can get molecularly-distilled, mercury, PCB, Dioxin, Organochlorine-free, 3rd party tested-to-meet-label-claims fish oil for less than ten bucks per bottle of 400 (one gram) capsules… yet I have seen "fish oil gurus" selling the exact same thing for $50 to $60 claiming that everyone else's products are "contaminated" and "inferior" in quality. If that's true, then I'd like to see those products submitted to consumer lab for voluntary 3rd party independent analysis and head to head comparison on purity AND cost effectiveness. If they come out superior and cost effective, I will gladly publicize the results myself.

The bottom line is it looks like fish oil may be a legitimate help to your fat loss efforts, especially when combined with exercise, as there may be an important synergy there. However, the idea that fish oil is some kind of miracle fat burner is just not true.

Like Mulder on the X-files, "I want to believe"… but we need much, much more research before we can say for certain exactly how much body composition improvement you can really expect from eating fatty fish or taking fish oil supplements.

References:

(1) Hill AM. Combining fish-oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise improves body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Am J Clin Nutr. 86(5): 1267-1274. 2007

(2) Thorsdottir I et al. Randomized trial of weight loss diets for young adults varying in fish and fish oil content. Int J Obesity. May 2007. pp 1-7

(3) Couet C. Effect of dietary fish oil on body fat mass and basal fat oxidation in healthy adults. Int J Obes. 21: 637-643. 1997 <<< Watch This Amazing Video For More Information >>>

How an Entire Year Could Go By With No Results

QUESTION: Dear Tom: I've been going to the gym for the past year now, but I have only lost 2 pounds. I eat about 1800 calories a day and I do 3 cardio and 3 weight training sessions a week. I am 5 feet 5 inches and 128 lbs. I would like to be at 120 lbs.

To lose 8 more lbs isn't a lot to ask, but I'm really frustrated. I've been VERY persistent, and I rarely cheat except once each weekend, but at this rate, it will take me another 4 years for me to reach my goal! Please help!

Vicky

ANSWER:

Don't worry, it won't take another 4 years! In fact, you can reach your target weight within the next month if you start getting feedback, charting results and making some strategic changes to your program.

First, it's important that you understand how a year could go by with almost no progress.

Have you been doing the same nutrition, same calories, same cardio, same weight training and the same intensity for the entire past year with no changes? If so, then you shouldn't be suprised if you've continued to get the SAME results (very little).

If you do more of the same, you usually get more of the same.

Caloric intake, for example is not something you calculate once and then never pay attention to again. Calories have to be calculated and customized for each individual in the beginning and then adjusted continuously in "real time" during the course of a fat loss program, based on actual results.

Just because you start at 1800 doesn't mean your caloric intake should stay there. Calories may need to be increased or decreased depending on whether your goals, your body weight and your activity levels change and based on your weekly progress (or lack of).

Which brings me to another point. I am a huge fan of using progress charts. There is a saying in business management and sports coaching:

"What gets measured gets done."

When you start "keeping score" and tracking performance right down to the numbers, it's almost miraculous how this awareness of how you're doing translates into improved results.

When you track your body composition results every week, if a week or two goes by with no results, then you don't continue with more of what got you no results, you change some variable in your program immediately!

An old Turkish proverb that says,

"No matter how far you've traveled down the wrong road, always turn back!"

Of course, you don't have to throw out your entire program, you can simply "tweak" ONE or maybe two variables within the same program.

Also, when you measure, track and analyze muscle versus fat (body composition), instead of just scale weight, you might even discover you've gained some lean body mass and this offsets the drop on the scale (which means it's possible you made more progress than you thought).

Now, back to the calories. To break a plateau, you can take a reduction in calories, or an increase in activity, either of which will create a deficit if you are currently in energy balance, or increase your existing caloric deficit.

1800 calories may not provide a large enough deficit for some women, and in fact, the majority of women your height, weight and activity level usually are losing fat safely and successfully on 1500-1600 calories per day. (for men about 2200-2500 calories, avg.)

At the end of the day, fat loss boils down to calories in versus calories out, so if you plateau, you may need a simple calorie reduction, provided you don't restrict too low for too long (which tends to trigger your body's "starvation response.")

As for your cardio program, 3 days a week of cardio works for many people, but usually, I would consider three weekly cardio sesssions a maintenenance workout or at best a starting point for beginners, NOT a "maximum fat loss" program.

Example: this week, you could increase your cardio from 3 sessions to 4 sessions. If you combine the decrease in food intake with an increase in calories burned through activity, that will almost certainly get you burning fat again.

If it does, then stay with 4 days a week of cardio. If not, the next week go up to 5 days a week. Repeat this simple "feedback loop" process as many times and for as long as necessary.

Also remember that more (often) is not always better. You can also increase the intensity and get more calories burned in same amount of time. This feedback loop process can be used to make decisions about your training intensity, duration and type, as well as frequency.

Whichever strategy you choose to break the plateau, remember Albert Einstein's definition of insanity: <<< Watch This Amazing Video For More Information >>>

"Insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

Although this seems like common sense to some people, what happened to you is really quite common because it does appear that you're doing everything you're "supposed to be doing" with perfectly good intentions.

You have have all the key elements there: You're exercising (weights and cardio). You're watching your nutrition, and you've been disciplined and consistent in following it.

The trouble with many popular programs – even good ones – is that they are too dogmatic. Their entire program may revolve around "X" number of calories, "X" days per week of cardio and "X" days a week of weights….

And you're not allowed to "tamper" with that "holy grail" formula.

I can understand the rationale for a simple diet and exercise prescription for a beginner in order to not confuse them with too many choices, but what if it doesnt work after a month, three months, six months, A WHOLE YEAR? What if there are no options, what then?

In NLP, there's a principle, (borrowed from cybernetics), called The Law of Requisite Variety, which says,

"The person with the most flexibility is the person with the most power and the greatest chance for success."

You need to know what to do when you're not getting results… you need options and choices for breaking plateaus, and that's important because plateaus happen to everyone – including me.

Some people think that hitting a fat loss plateau means there's something wrong with them. But plateaus are natural and normal. In fact, you could look at it this way:

Hitting a plateau means your body is healthy and your body is functioning normally, because normal function of the body is to adapt effectively to stress, to protect you and to maintain homeostasis.

Exercise is a stress. Dieting is a stress. It's natural for your body to adapt to them. When you adapt, you must place a new "positive stress" on the body if you want continued improvement.

If you want to learn more details about how to change your program to break plateaus and make continuous progress as fast as safely possible, then I recommend you take a look at Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle (BFFM).

BFFM has flexibility, feedback and performance tracking built right into it. Chapter 4 in BFFM teaches the "BFFM feedback loop method", and shows you how to chart progress and adjust your diet and workouts on a weekly basis, to keep you making progress or get you back on track if your progress stalls out.

There is no reason to allow even a few weeks, let alone an entire year to go by without results. But you can't expect to get different results if you continue doing more of what's not working. <<< Watch This Amazing Video For More Information >>>

Get Your Iron Game Terminology Straight

If you're reading this article it's likely that you workout with weights. It seems that people that don't workout think that anyone that has knowledge of nutrition or lifts weights must be a bodybuilder. Personally I compete in powerlifting. Not many people have heard of the sport so they tend to call me a bodybuilder or one of those guys from ESPN which isn't correct either. If you're wondering what people in your gym are doing and what you should call them than read on because this article will clear things up.

Bodybuilders

 This is probably the most confusing term and is often used as the catch all phrase to describe people that weight train. This is incorrect though, not all people that train with weights are bodybuilders. A true bodybuilder is someone who competes in the sport of bodybuilding. They are concerned with using weight training, cardio and nutrition to change the way their body looks so that they compete on stage against others. Competitive bodybuilders try to gain muscle size, reduce body fat and develop muscular symmetry and balance. For example a bodybuilder wouldn't want huge biceps with skinny calves because this will hurt their appearance.

There are also non-competitive bodybuilders. These people have the same goals as competitive bodybuilders they just don't compete on stage. They too train for appearance by trying to build muscle size and symmetry. Bodybuilding is not easy because the diet aspect is just as hard if not harder than the dedication it takes to work hard at the gym. Some people stereotype bodybuilders and think they don't lift heavy weighs and aren't strong. Although muscle strength is not their goal, many bodybuilders train with heavy weights to build size and can be just as strong as strength athletes.

Other people that are working out to lose a little weight, feel better about themselves or tone up a bit are in fact building their bodies but shouldn't be called bodybuilders.

Powerlifters

Yes its true powerlifters lift weights too. In fact they even lift at the same places as many bodybuilders, they do some of the same exercises and sometimes they're even the same strength level. There is the keyword, strength. Powerlifters compete in a sport called powerlifting. Bet you could have figured that one out on your own. Powerlifters are not concerned with how they look they are concerned with how strong they are.

Specifically they try to get stronger in the Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift which are the three lifts that comprise a powerlifting meet. On meet day powerlifters will be testing their maximal strength. They will lift the most weight they can for a single repetition. Powerlifters do have weight classes so they will need to watch their weight if they are trying to stay in a particular weight class.

When competing in powerlifting the results are pretty obvious. You either lift the weight or you don't. It's pretty straight forward. In bodybuilding however a panel of judges will critique your physique and the results or winner will vary based on the scores of the judges.

Typically powerlifters will lift heavier weights with lower repetition ranges. They are strengthening their tendons, bones, ligaments and training their central nervous system to handle heavier and heavier loads. You can't always judge a book by its cover. Someone who competes in bodybuilding may look very strong and probably are very strong yet a powerlifter that doesn't look as muscular may be able to lift more weights and actually be stronger.

One last thing to mention about powerlifters, when you hear the word you might picture a big bald guy with a gut and a goatee. Okay some do look like that, but than again some have abs and small waists just like a bodybuilder so don't jump to conclusions thinking every guy or gal with abs is a bodybuilder.

Athletes

Once again you may find athletes training side by side with powerlifters and bodybuilders performing bench presses and squats. Athletes are weight training to improve their performance in their designated sport. A football player might be squatting so that they become a faster sprinter and can become more explosive in their tackling.

Many times athletes are training for one rep max strength, just like a powerlifter. At other times they are training certain muscles to improve coordination, explosiveness or to prevent injury. In this case weight training is not the sport but rather a tool used by the athlete to perform better in their sport. How can you tell if someone is an athlete by looking at them? Not sure but they will probably have a t-shirt on with their team name and logo.

People that participate in sports can all benefit from some sort of weight training. The exercises will vary from sport to sport.

Strongmen

 These guys are intense. You've probably seen them on ESPN throwing kegs, pulling trucks, flipping tires, pressing logs, picking up stones and carrying refrigerators on their backs. You probably won't see these guys at your local gym because most gyms don't have the specialized equipment these athletes need.

Strongmen are strength athletes as well. They need to be extremely strong and possess tremendous conditioning. Unlike powerlifting, strongman events aren't usually for a single repetition. For example if there is a pressing event it will be timed and each competitor will need to press the weight as many times as they can in a designated amount of time.

Strongmen need to have super grip strength, great endurance and lots of power. This is sport of strength not appearance.

Olympic Weight Lifters

 People often incorrectly use the word weight lifting when they are referring to weight training. Anyone that is resistance training with weights is weight training. Weight lifting on the other hand is a sport in itself.

Olympic weight lifters or Olympic style weight lifters compete in one rep maximum lift attempts. Weight lifters compete in two lifts the, "clean and jerk" and the "snatch."

As you can tell by the name, weight lifting is a sport in the Olympic Games. The lifts are very explosive and often beneficial to athletes to improve athletic performance in other sports.

What About The Rest Of Us?

Well if you're not included in the above titles than feel free to give yourself a term. Maybe you're a weight trainer. Perhaps you'd like to be called a weekend warrior or a gym rat. Don't like any of those titles? That's okay why does everything have to have a title anyway? Just remember next time you see someone drinking a protein shake doesn't mean they're a bodybuilder. If somebody else is trying to lose some weight for a special occasion doesn't mean they are trying to become a fitness model. Until next time keep training hard all you fitness enthusiasts. Fitness enthusiast, I think that covers just about everybody!

More Information About Muscle Building Click Here

How To Build Bigger Arms

Believe this! You can have significantly bigger arms in only 31 days! How much bigger?

That depends on a lot of factors. You weren't able to select your parents so you're stuck with your genetic potential to build muscles. You may have a good potential or you may be like many of the rest of us who have average (or worse than average) potential.

My bet is if you've been training for any length of time and are the proverbial easy-gainer (good genetics) then you probably wouldn't even be reading this article. If you're an easy-gainer just about anything you do works to build bigger muscles. (I've always hated those guys!)

If you're like the rest of us, you've had to practically sweat blood for every single ounce of muscle you've built. Don't feel bad, you're not alone, my friend! So let's get back to my original question. How much can you increase your arm size in 31 days? If you follow a practical arm specialization program and do everything else correctly (diet, rest, supplements, etc.) I think it is realistic for a person of average genetics to gain 1″ on your arms.

Can I guarantee that? No, it might be more and it might be less. But even ½" gain on your upper arms can make a fairly impressive change in your physique. So how are we going to get you started?

First of all, when following any kind of specialization program, you'll need to cut back on the volume and frequency of training for the rest of your body. You want to simply maintain the rest of your physique while specializing on arms. We'll be stressing your recovery abilities by more frequent training for the arms, along with increased volume and intensity so we need to keep that delicate balance in your recovery ability.

Here's a routine that I suggest you follow (this excludes your arm routine which we'll get to in a minute):

Monday & Friday

The first thing most people think is that this routine is pretty basic and simple. That's exactly right! Like I said before, we're simply trying to maintain your physique while focusing on arm development.

If you've been doing a lot more volume than this for a while and your gains have been stagnant, you might find yourself starting to gain strength and size on other body parts.

That's great! It's probably an indication that you've been over-training and not recovering enough to make gains. This abbreviated program is finally giving your body the chance to recover and over compensate which causes muscle growth.

More Information About Growth Muscle Click Here

Just a few pointers on the above routine:

Arm Specialization

Now comes the fun part. We're going to start with your new 31-day arm routine.

You're going to work arms three days a week. I'd suggest Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

On Monday you will work your arms after you do the whole body routine I described above.

Here's our plan of attack on Monday:

Monday Arm Specialization

Standing Dumbbell Curls (super-setted with…) 5 sets 12 to 15 reps

Seated Dumbbell Tricep Extension 5 sets 12 to 15 reps

Some guidelines:

Wednesday Arm Specialization

Standing Barbell Curls 5 sets 5 to 8 reps

Lying EZ bar Tricep Extension 5 sets 6 to 8 reps

Some guidelines:

Friday Arm Specialization

Scott Dumbbell or Barbell Curls 3 sets 8 to 12 reps

Overhead Pulley Tricep Extension 3 sets 8 to 12 reps

Some guidelines:

Nutrition

I've said it before and I'll say it again. You'll never make any significant gains if you aren't eating plenty of high quality food with an emphasis on lots of protein…preferably at least 2 grams of high quality complete protein per each pound of bodyweight.

What is a "complete" protein? That is a protein source that contains all the essential amino acids (protein is composed of amino acids) that are required by your body to support growth. These sources are: red meat, chicken, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Other foods like beans and nuts have protein, but it is an incomplete protein. They do not contain all the essential amino acids to support growth, so don't depend on those to supply your protein needs. Just eat plenty of good wholesome food and try to avoid the sugary junk. A little now and then won't hurt you, though.

If you're going to follow a specialization routine and try to build as much arm size as possible in 31 days, then I wouldn't be too worried about "bulking up" a little and adding a few pounds of body fat. It's nearly impossible to add significant muscle mass without putting on a little bulk.

I am including the type of diet you should follow to gain some good muscular bodyweight. Diet is very important, both myself and a lot of my trainees didn't gain until we started eating a very large amount of protein, it makes a big difference. I don't expect you to dive in and eat all this the first day, I want you to eat progressively (just like you will train progressively) try to eat a bit more each week.

You don't have to use protein powder, it's not totally necessary. You can drink milk, or you can use powdered milk instead. Any protein drink can be made with powdered milk instead of commercial protein powder.

BREAKFAST

Meat 1/4 lb
3 eggs
2 slices wheat toast
Milk or protein drink

SNACK

Cottage cheese 1/4 lb
Fruit
Milk or protein drink

LUNCH

Tuna Sandwich (6 oz tuna)
Cottage cheese 1/4 lb
Salad
Milk or protein drink

SNACK

Cheese sandwich 2 oz cheese
Milk or protein drink

DINNER

Chicken 8 oz
Baked potato
Cooked vegetable
Salad
Milk or protein drink

SNACK

2 eggs hardboiled
Fruit
Milk or protein drink

This is also very convenient because most of this food can be prepared and taken to work or school in a lunchbox or "Lil Playmate" type of cooler.

I learned a secret that many successful bodybuilders know to keep their bodies in a positive nitrogen state for growth. A positive nitrogen state means that there is always complete protein (protein is the only nutrient containing nitrogen) available in the bloodstream for growth and repair. The secret is to never let more than three hours go by without consuming some kind of quality complete protein. Constantly sipping on a protein drink throughout the day should take care of that.

I'm sure if you follow this program and constantly strive to increase your training weights, while eating plenty of good food, you can't help but make gains.

I wish you success in your training and hope to hear that you gained that magical extra inch on your guns over the next 31 days.

More Information About Growth Muscle Click Here

How Do Bodybuilders And Fitness Models Get So Lean?

QUESTION: "Tom, on your  website, you wrote: 'Who better to model than bodybuilders and fitness competitors? No athletes in the world get as lean as quickly as bodybuilders and fitness competitors. The transformations they undergo in 12 weeks prior to competition would boggle your mind!

Only ultra-endurance athletes come close in terms of low body fat levels, but endurance athletes like triathaletes and marathoners often get lean at the expense of chewing up much of their lean muscle."

There seems to be a contradiction unless I'm missing something. Why do bodybuilders and fitness competitors have to go through a 12 week 'transformation' prior to every event instead of staying 'lean and mean' all the time? If they practice the secrets exposed in your book, shouldn't be staying in great shape all the time instead of having to work at losing fat prior to every competitive event?"

ANSWER: Thanks for your question. There's a logical explanation for why bodybuilders and other physique athletes (fitness and figure competitors), don't remain completely ripped all year round, and it's the very reason they are able to get so ripped on the day of a contest…

You can't hold a peak forever or it's not a "peak", right? What is the definition of a peak? It's a high point surrounded by two lower points isn't it? Therefore, any shape you can stay in all year round is NOT your "peak" condition.

The intelligent approach to nutrition and training (which almost all bodybuilders  and fitness/figure competitors use), is to train and diet in a seasonal or cyclical fashion and build up to a peak, then ease off to a maintenance or growth phase.

I am NOT talking about bulking up and getting fat and out of shape every year, then dieting it all off every year. What I'm talking about is going from good shape to great shape, then easing back off to good shape…. but never getting "out of shape."

Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?

Here's an example: I have no intentions whatsoever of walking around 365 days a year at 4% body fat like I appear in the photo on my website. Truth be told, that is day of contest condition.

Off-season (when I'm not competing), my body fat is usually between 8 – 10%. Mind you, that's very lean and still single digit body fat.I don't stray too far from competition shape, but I don't maintain contest shape all the time. It takes me about 10-12 weeks or so to gradually drop from 9% to 3.5%-4.0% body fat to "peak" for competition with NO loss of lean body mass, using the same techniques I reveal in my e-book.

It would be almost impossible to maintain 4% body fat, and even if I could, why would I want to? For the few weeks prior to competition I'm so depleted, ripped, and even "drawn" in the face, that complete strangers walk up and offer to feed me.

Okay, so I'm just kidding about that, but let's just say being "being ripped to shreds" isn't a desirable condition to maintain because it takes such a monumental effort to stay there.<<< Watch This Amazing Video For More Information >>>

It's probably not even healthy to try forcing yourself to hold extreme low body fat. Unless you're a natural "ectomorph" (skinny, fast metabolism body type), your body will fight you and you'll always be hungry.

Not only that, anabolic hormones may drop and sometimes your immune system is affected as well (and I hate to say this, but sometimes – for some people – even the, uh… "reproductive functions"… decline a bit when you're that lean).

Hey, I'm just being honest. It's just not "normal" to walk around all the time  with literally NO subcutaneous body fat.

Instead of attempting to hold the peak, I cycle back into a less demanding off-season program and avoid creeping beyond 9.9% body fat. Some years I've stayed leaner – like 6-7%, (which takes effort), especially when I knew I would be photographed, but I don't let my body fat go over 10%. Thats "the line" I draw – it's like a personal "rule" for me.

This practice isn't just restricted to bodybuilders. Athletes in all sports use periodization to build themselves up to their best shape for competition.

Is a pro football player in the same condition in March-April as he is in August-September? Probably not. Many show up fat and out of shape (relatively speaking) for training camp, others just need fine tuning, but none are in peak form… that's why they have training camp!!!

There's another reason you wouldn't want to maintain a "ripped to shreds" physique all year round – you'd have to be dieting (calorie restricted) all the time. And this is one of the reasons that 95% of people can't lose weight and keep it off - they are CHRONIC dieters… always on some type of diet. Know anyone like that?

You can't stay on restricted low calories indefinitely. Sooner or later your metabolism slows down and you plateau as your body adapts to the chronically lowered food intake and reduced body weight.

But if you diet for fat loss and push incredibly hard for 3 months, then ease off for a while and eat a little more (healthy food, not "pigging out"), your metabolic rate is re-stimulated.

In a few weeks or months, you can return to another fat loss phase and reach an even lower body fat level, until you finally reach the point that's your happy maintenance level for life – a level that is healthy and realistic – as well as visually appealing.

That's how we physique athletes do it…

Bodybuilders have discovered a methodology for losing fat that's so effective, it puts them in complete control of their body composition. They've mastered  this area of their lives and will never have to worry about it again.

If they ever "slip" and fall off the wagon like all humans do at times … no problem! They know how to get back into shape fast.

Bodybuilders have the tools and knowledge to hold a low body fat all year round(such as 9% for men, or about 15% for women), and then at a whim, to reach a temporary "peak" of extremely low body fat for the purpose of competition.

Maybe most important of all, they have the power and control to slowly ease back from peak shape into maintenance, and not balloon up and yo-yo like most conventional dieters.

What if you had the power to stay lean all year round, and then get super lean when summer rolled around, or when you took your vacation to the Caribbean, or when your wedding date was coming up?

Wouldn't you like to be in control of your body like that? Isn't that the same thing that bodybuilders and fitness/figure competitors do, only on a more practical, real-world level?

So even if you have no intention of ever being a bodybuilder, don't you agree that there's something of value everyone could learn from physique athletes?

Don't model yourself after the huge crowd of "losers" who gobble diet pills, buy exercise gimmicks and suffer through starvation diets like automatons, only to  gain back everything they lost! Instead, learn from the leanest athletes on Earth - natural bodybuilders and fitness competitors…

These physique athletes get as ripped as they want to be, exactly when they want to, simply by manipulating their diets in a cyclical fashion between pre-contest "cutting" programs and off season "maintenance" or "muscle growth" programs.

Even if you have no desire to ever compete, try this seasonal "peaking" approach yourself and you'll see that it can work as well for you as it does for elite bodybuilders.

If you're interested in learning even more secrets of bodybuilders and fitness models, visit the Burn The Fat website <<< Watch This Amazing Video For More Information >>>

Losing Your Belly Fat the Right Way with These 2 Vital Strategies (Also a Healthy Fast Recipe Below)

Before I give you the 2 vital secrets for losing stubborn belly fat, I wanted to tell you about yet another new healthy lunch recipe that I came up with recently. As you probably already figured out, I'm always trying to concoct meal ideas that are healthy but also unique and help to keep us from getting bored with our meals.

I know this meal concoction may sound a little weird, but I had a couple friends try it and they couldn't believe how good it was. They demanded the recipe they liked it so much. Really it's nothing more than a bunch of stuff thrown together in a pot.

Geary's Healthy Turkey-Bean Concoction Recipe (makes about 4-5 servings)

In a large pot, mix the olive oil, diced tomatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic together until it starts simmering and allow to cook for a few minutes. Then add in the shredded turkey and can of baked beans and simmer for a few more minutes. That's it… Simple, and maybe sounds a little weird, but I couldn't believe how delicious it was! Plus, it has a great mix of healthy carbs, protein, and fat, as well as a good dose of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

The 2 Vital Secrets You Need for Losing Your Belly Fat for Good

I bet you're thinking that you've tried every technique in the world for losing your stubborn belly fat, but it just never seems to budge… right? I'm sure you see TONS of commercials and ads making all kinds of miracle claims for losing your belly fat overnight with their magic pill or wildly-hyped snake-oil supplement.

How about all of the bogus infomercial gadgets out there claiming you can shrink your stomach in a matter of days just by strapping some worthless "ab-belt" around your waist, or sizzle away the stomach fat by using their patented "ab-roller-rocker" do-hicky.

Come on now! I hope you've been insulted by all of these fraudulent marketers and the gimmicks and scams that they are pushing down your throat by trying to get you to believe that a fat-loss miracle is possible overnight.

So let's get past all of the scams and gimmicks and get right down to the hard science and reality behind what techniques and strategies really do help you for losing your stubborn belly fat and keeping it off for life!

1) The first important principle we'll discuss is how you structure your workouts. In order to stimulate fat-loss from your stomach, you need to stop wasting so much of your time doing all kinds of various abdominal exercises and hundreds of reps of crunches, leg lifts, and torso twists in the hopes of "spot-reducing" your belly and love handles.

I'm sure you know by now if you've read any reputable fitness publications over the last decade that spot-reduction DOES NOT occur. It's a myth that just won't seem to go away. The truth is, losing belly fat does NOT occur by doing exercises that target the stomach area. Unfortunately, even though most people by now do understand this (or at least they should), they still spend WAY too much of their training time trying to target the stomach with tons of abs exercises.

Now don't get me wrong, a certain amount of abdominals exercises are great and they do help to strengthen your core and help you maintain a healthy back. But the fact is that direct abs exercises should only be a small portion of your workout routines. The majority of your time should be spent focusing on big multi-joint exercises that work the largest muscle groups of the body like the legs, chest, and back.

Now that is one of the REAL secrets for ridding yourself of that sloppy belly fat for good. Focusing on big multi-joint exercises for the largest portions of your body greatly increases your metabolic rate both during the workout, and for 24-48 hours after the workout. In addition, this also stimulates an increase in fat-burning hormones within your body. You simply don't get this type of metabolic and hormonal response by wasting most of your time with "abs-pumping" exercises.

Want to lose your belly fat the right way… Well, get your butt under a barbell and do some squats, some lunges, some deadlifts, step-ups, some back and chest work. For you ladies, don't worry…it's not going to "bulk you up".

It doesn't matter per se if it's barbells, dumbbells, or even bodyweight exercises… the focus needs to be on big multi-joint exercises at a high intensity. That means no 5-minute rest periods between sets while you flap your gums with half of the people at the gym. Losing that stubborn belly for good requires some focus and intensity in your workouts! Anybody who tells you that you can do it while sitting on your couch watching TV with some "ab-belt" strapped to you, or doing only 2-minutes of crunching with your "ab-rocker-roller" is flat out lying to you!

2) The second important principle to rid yourself of that flabby belly revolves around your nutrition. The first thing you need to realize is that "diets" only work against your body in your effort to lose the stomach fat. You see, if you follow any of these fad diets like extremely low-carb, or low-fat, or the grapefruit diet, the soup diet, or anything else that restricts 1 or more of the macro-nutrients (protein, carbs, and fat), most of the time you will actually lose lean muscle and lower your metabolic rate. This only makes you fatter in the long run, when you start to eat normal again!

I could go into all kinds of details, but essentially you are messing up processes related to your hormonal balance in your body, the muscle glycogen process, insulin, blood sugar, etc., and this stops your fat loss dead in its tracks!

It's important to stop falling for the fad diet gimmicks, and understand that as humans, we are meant to eat a balanced diet full of a diverse array of foods from healthy natural sources of carbohydrates, proteins, AND fats. This gives your body all of the macro-nutrients as well as all of the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes that your body needs to run like a well-oiled fat-burning machine!

I could go on and on with dozens more strategies for losing your belly fat faster, the natural way, but I've rambled on long enough for one article. You can find all of my best fat-loss strategies to help you uncover those hidden abdominals of yours, laid out into actual programs for you to follow in my Truth about Six Pack Abs Program for Losing Belly Fat

If you've been thinking of getting a copy of The Truth about Six Pack Abs Program, but just haven't made the move yet, now is the time to take action, and get started on your lean ripped flat stomach today!

Watch This Amazing Video For More Information

Once an Endomorph Always an Endomorph? (Can Your Body Type Change?)

Are you an ectomorph, mesomorph or endomorph body type? To maximize your results, regardless of whether your goal is fat loss or muscle gain, it's helpful to know your body type and adjust your approach according to your type. But a big question that almost no one has ever answered is, "Does your body type change over time?" If so, then what? Do you have to totally change your nutrition and training again? And if your body type doesn't change, does this mean you are stuck being a fat endomorph for the rest of your life, doomed because of genetics? Read on to find out.

Somatotype is a 3-part, 7-point body type rating scale developed by a guy named Sheldon back around 1940 or so. Ectomorphs are the linear, bony, lean types, mesomorphs are the naturally muscular body types (yeah, the ones we hate!), and endormorphs are the ones with the round body shapes and the genetic tendency toward storing more body fat.

Generally, you have a combination body type, which is why you are scored with 3 numbers (Arnold Schwarzenneger in his bodybuilding prime: think pure mesomorph with the highest score of 7).

The question is, Does somatotype change? this is a very interesting question that has been asked and debated before both by the layperson (often bodybuilding and fitness enthusiasts) and by scientists.

Two of those scientists were JE Lindsay Carter, a physical education professor from San Diego State University and Barbara Heath, and Anthropologist from the University of Pennsylvania.

There was initially a lot of debate and antagonism provoked by the classic Sheldon system of classifying human body types ("somatotyping"), because initially, Sheldon was very rigid in his insistence that body types were permanent and did not change.

However, Heath and Carter proposed that it was plain to see that body types DID change due to normal growth, aging, physical training and dietary deprivation (they cited the Minnesota starvation study, where subjects started out looking somewhat mesomorphic and ended up looking like ectomorphs (like POW camp victims, literally).

Heath and Carter weren't trying to dismiss somatotpying, they supported it and wanted to validate it.

However, they wanted to address the shortcomings of the somatotyping method and one of those was the fact that the Sheldon system didn't accommodate for changes in physique as a result of training and nutrition.

In their voluminous 1990 textbook on the subject, Heath and Carter define somatotype as:

"A quantitative description of the present shape and composition of the human body. It is expressed in a 3 number rating, representing three components of physique: (1) endomorphy, (2) mesomorphy and (3) ectomorphy. The somatotype can be used to record changes in physique and to estimate gross biological differences and similarities among human beings. This method of somatotyping is sensitive to changes in physique over time and is used for rating both sexes at all ages."

Look at a guy like John Bartlett for example, one of our inner circle contributing authors and an outstanding natural competitive bodybuilder. When you see him today and you ask what is his body type, you would say, "MESOMORPH all the way!"

That's because today he is ripped and muscular

But if you look at his before picture and ask "what is this guy's body type" you would say, "Endomorph" all the way or at least "endo-mesomorph" because he did have a solid and stocky build before, but also a high body fat percentage.

Well, which is it? Or did his body type change? Clearly, John gained a lot of muscle and lost a lot of fat and looks totally different today. So could we say his body type changed? If we go by current outward appearance, then yes, absolutely.

But does this mean his body type really changed or did he overcome an inherent endomorph body type to achieve where he is now?

Or, to play devil's advocate here, was he always a mesomorph inherently and he just really let himself go for a while and he was just returning to his normal body type of mesomorph?

These are interesting questions. The Heath-Carter method simply includes body composition as part of the rating scale of a person's body type and says that you can rate someone based on how they look now. That includes bone structure (which changes little or not at all after adulthood) AND body composition (which can change throughout life). So you could say John was an Endomorph and is now a Mesomorph. Predominantly Mesomorph is his present classification.

However, at the same time, we could say that a person DOES have an inherent body type or set point – a physique that they will gravitate towards in the absence of circumstances or concerted efforts to change it.

I addressed this issue of changing body types versus an inherent (or "permanent" body type) in Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle (BFFM). The way I explained it is that I said your true body type is what you will gravitate to naturally when you are not in a highly trained state. It's your inherent tendency. In that respect, you could say somatotype does not change, while body composition does.

In chapter 5 of BFFM, I said there were three additional ways to know your inherent body type beyond Sheldon's scale, which takes into account changes in physique due to training and nutrition:

1. How you looked before you took up training (your "natural" body shape)
2. How you respond to training and nutrition (ease of muscle gain or fat loss)
3. How you respond to de-training (how well you retain lean mass and low body fat or how quickly you lose lean mass and gain fat on cessation of training)

If you wanted to make this even MORE complex, we could look at somatotyping by considering not just the outward bone structure and body composition of an individual, but also the metabolic (interior) characteristics.

My "Burn The Fat" system of body typing is like a combination of:

(1) Metabolic typing (internal metabolic characteristics like carb tolerance)
(2) Somatotyping (external body shape – linearity or roundness, fatness or leanness)
(3) Miscellaneous other genetic factors.

That would be a pretty good three-part body typing system that covers the concerns about changing body types, individual metabolic types ("carb intolerant types" or protein types, etc), and genetics (which is especially relevant since obesity genes have been identified fairly recently).

I hear criticisms of the somatotyping system all the time, where people say it is not useful. I disagree. Yes, it's perhaps too crude of a system to base your entire training and nutrition plan upon, but I believe it's very helpful as a general tool to "KNOW THYSELF".

In other words, if you are inherently an endomorph and you KNOW IT, then you know darn well what happens when you don't do any cardio. You know what happens when you cheat four or five times in a week. You know what happens when you slack off. You gravitate towards gaining fat, because that is your body type's tendency! So you can adjust your training, nutrition and lifestyle accordingly.

If you are an ectomorph, then you know what happens when you skip meals… you don't gain any muscle! You know what happens when you do too much cardio… you don't gain any muscle, or you lose some!, etc. etc.

And if you're a mesomorph…. did I mention…. we hate you!

If you'd like to learn more, chapter 5 in Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is about body typing. It's full of some really valuable and motivating lessons about knowing yourself, your body and your genetics and understanding the importance of taking personal responsibility, regardless of your hereditary predispositions. If you already have the book, it's worth re-reading periodically. <<< Watch This Amazing Video For More Information >>>