General Health Article Archive

Is Diet REALLY 60% of the Weight Loss Battle?

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Matt Posted in General Health, Self Improvement 5 Comments

The French don’t stress about what they’re eating….in fact, the French don’t stress about much.

The doors opened and I casually walked out. No more than ten steps, and the situation become very obvious; I was completely surrounded. Every which way I looked, there it was. The harder I looked, the more evident it became. There was no avoiding it. I had never noticed it like this before, which was surprising, even to me.

Double-chins. Muffin tops. Legs that did the “wave” with each passing step. Where the hell was I?

No, this wasn’t some personal trainer’s fantasy land, this was North Carolina. Specifically, Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, where I had just arrived after a 10 hour flight from Paris. Faced with a four-hour layover on my way home to San Diego, I looked around in amazement. We frequently hear about the obesity epidemic in America, but truthfully, it’s easy to get desensitized to it when you’re living in midst of it. Nearly two weeks in Europe provided a new frame of reference, and opened my eyes to the dark and ugly side of our nation’s health crisis.

Is Diet Really 60% of the Battle?

I’m sure you’ve heard it before; diet is 60% of your weight loss battle. Hell, I’ve even reported this myself in previous posts on the issue. My time in Paris really had me second-guessing this notion. Let me elaborate…

Standard breakfast…it’s got fruit, it’s kind of healthy right?

Being the unashamed glutton that I truly can be if I allow myself, Paris was a fantasy land. The best butter you’ve ever tasted, used in everything. The tastiest, sweetest, creamiest pastries (usually several), every single morning. Rich, fatty meats, for lunch, topped with even richer, fattier sauces. More of the same for dinner. The lightest, fluffiest, breads imaginable, and served by the (several) basket full at every meal. Fatty foie gras, served frozen, warm, braised, shaved, seared, on the top, on the side, even as ice cream, all the time. Everywhere. Multiple bottles of red wine at every meal.

Simply put, there was no shortage of indulgence when it comes to food in France. And these type of meals weren’t just for the food-obsessed tourist. Ordinary business people at lunch, locals at a neighborhood bakery, families out to dinner….they all ate these traditionally “unhealthy” foods, and they ate them often.

That’s right, the French seemingly eat loads of white flour pastries and bread products, refined sugars, rich, high-fat meats, and NEVER pass on dessert. But you know what? They’re all slim. No muffin-tops. No bulging bellies. No double-chins. I was hard-pressed

Succulent and oh-so-fatty duck breast cooked to perfection with…GASP…white potatoes.

to find even modest examples of obesity during my entire stay in the country. This of course runs directly against the conventional wisdom you’ve probably heard a thousand times over; maintain a diet heavy in complex carbs, limit sugar, choose lean meats, blah blah blah…..right?

They’re Skinny, We’re Fat. Why?

So what gives? How can an entire country, which eats so “badly”, maintain such lean, slim figures? What I discovered during my time in France, was eye-opening. It occurred to me that just maybe, we’ve obsessed too much about the foods we’re eating here in the States, and have lost sight of the true factors responsible for our weight gain.

After a while, I began to notice some commonalities amongst the French that we largely absent over here. I’m under the impression that THESE are the true reasons the French can eat the way they do and still maintain a healthy body weight. I’m going to break these down, in hopes of giving you a new way to look at how and what you eat, and shine some light on the weight loss battle so many of you struggle with.

They are their own transportation. It really is remarkable how much the French physically move. Virtually no one uses a car to get around. Transportation usually includes walking, biking, or riding public transport (followed by more walking). And these are 4 block walks up the street. We’re talking mile walks, to and from the grocery store, on a very regular basis. When’s the last time you opted to walk/ride a bike instead of taking the car for anything over a mile?
They rarely snack. There really isn’t a culture of snacking in France. There is light breakfast, heavy lunch, lighter dinner. The constant grazing, visiting vending machines, filling themselves with processed junk simply isn’t going on over there. When they do snack, it’s largely on a small bowl of olives and crackers, or a few slices of unprocessed cheese, before dinner.
They stay busy. Granted, this is much easier to do in Paris than Topeka, Kansas, but the French are always doing something. How often do you eat out of boredom? When you find activities to fill your time, you’ll find yourself less likely to eat simply for the sake of eating.
Lunch is the biggest meal. And by virtue, this curbs appetite later in the day, so they eat less for dinner. A study examined caloric intake of workers in Paris and Boston. Parisian workers consumed 60% of their daily calories by 2PM. This lead to smaller intake in the evening. Americans often starve themselves all day then binge at night. While there has been some conflicting reports on the matter, binge eating at night has been shown to contribute towards greater weight gain in some studies.
They know stress kills. In several studies, quality of life in France is considered to be #1 in the world(1). They’re entire system is set up in a way that vastly differs from American society. They take time to smell the roses, savor an espresso in a cafe, and know how to keep their work/life balances in check. It’s no secret that high levels of stress are directly responsible for weight gain and/or disease later in life. The relatively care-free life of the average Parisian plays quite a part in their maintaining a healthy body weight.
They eat differently – literally. They sit to eat. They hold their fork like a fork, not a shovel, in their non-dominant hand. They chew one bite before taking another. This may seem like insignificant bits of advice, but it all contributes to savoring your meals, and consuming fewer calories each time you eat.
They indulge cravings. It’s easy to over indulge when you feel like this is going to be your last bite of cake for a month. Instead of taking a small portion, you want to make the most of your “cheat” meal and end up devouring the entire thing….then are overcome with feelings of guilt. Stop feeling guilty about food and cheat meals – it’s not healthy. Remember when I told you the French never say no to dessert? It’s because they’re eating smaller portions. It’s easy to have only a few bites of something breathtakingly delicious if you know the next time you meet is only 24 hours away.

High-fat and high-taste organic duck sausage, two ways.

In retrospect, a lot of this does have to do with “diet”, but not in the same way “diet” has been pounded into our heads. It would appear, based on my time in France and the observations I made, that it’s less about the foods they are eating and more about HOW they eat them, WHEN they eat them, and WHAT they’re doing between meals.

I do believe, above all else, finding ways to increase activity is the number one reason the

The single best thing I’ve ever eaten…and I’m not even entirely sure what it was.

French are able to eat the way they do. I cannot impress upon you enough the importance of daily exercise. An exercise plan designed to help you lose weight, build muscle, or achieve any other sort of goal is great, but it often isn’t enough. Five hours of exercise a

week is great, but there are still plenty of other hours remaining for activity. Get out of the cycle of hopping in the car to ride to the grocery store. You’ll be completely shocked by how many additional calories you can burn each day without having to exercise more IF you start living a more active life.

Take time to smell the roses, take a yoga class or whatever works to help you de-stress, find enjoyment in taking the time to prepare a fresh, home-cooked meal, savor a glass of red wine, and realize there is more to life than simply making another buck; you’re happiness and health are the most precious gifts you have.

[1]: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/02/11/france.quality.life/index.html

Friday Free Workout Mix – Diplo & Friends

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Dave Posted in Motivation, Music Mixes Leave a comment

Happy Friday! Here’s an awesome workout mix from Diplo with a little help from his friends. This one’s 2 hours long so it’s perfect for that long weekend bikeride, half marathon training run, or starting the Total Body Blitz program! Shoot us a Tweet if you use it! Enjoy!

As always, tweet/email us if you come across a great mix that you think we should post in the coming weeks.

The Motivation Jar – Using Positive Reinforcement to Change Your Life

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Matt Posted in General Health, Motivation, Self Improvement, Uncategorized Leave a comment

Positive reinforcement goes a long way if you let it…

Think back to when you were just a little kid. Do you remember getting rewarded for good behavior? Maybe it was for a good report card or dressing up in the ridiculous outfit your mother picked out for you for Thanksgiving dinner one year. Whatever it was, your good behavior was reinforced by someone or something. Perhaps it was a dinner out, a new video game, extra TV – what the reward was isn’t important. The point is, when you did or behaved in a way that the power’s that be liked, they rewarded you to increase the likelihood that your good behavior would be repeated. This is called positive reinforcement and is a psychological principle that is effective in shaping behavior in both children and adults.

The Power of Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is still used in a wide variety of our “adult” lives. While your boss placing a ”You’re the Best!” sticker on your accounts payable report might not do much for you nowadays, there are certainly incentives which will in fact positively shape your behavior. What happens when you exceed your sales quotas? You’re given a bonus – this is positive reinforcement. What happens when you spend money on your credit card? You’re given reward points – this is positive reinforcement. And when your department has been working hard and someone brings in a box of donuts that everyone runs to devour like they’ve never eaten in their lives – this too is positive reinforcement.

Don’t make the mistake of underestimating the effects of positive reinforcement. Nor should you assume there needs to be some sort of authority figure to hand out the “rewards”. You’re an adult now – you’re finally ready to start giving yourself those “You’re the Best!” stickers. Those stickers are of course metaphorical. What you really need is something that’s going to motivate you. What’s the one thing almost everyone is motivated by – or at the very least, likes being rewarded with?

You guessed it; money.

The concept of positive reinforcement leads us to our topic of the day, which is the motivation jar.

The Motivation Jar

The motivation jar isn’t some ground breaking new concept. The idea of throwing loose change into jars, containers, or other receptacles designed to be a “rainy day” fund is nothing new. This type of action alone isn’t going to bring about real, lasting change in you. To make actual change, which will lead to actual progress, and ultimately, to better body and health, there needs to be some sort of guidelines to follow.

The following guidelines are designed to help reinforce the healthy habits we want you to not only create, but stick to.

Trip to the gym or working out elsewhere – Put $1 in the jar.
Conscious decision to skip that fast food or semi-fast food (think Cheesecake Factory) meal – Put $2 in the jar.

These are your standard actions that we want to reward and reinforce. It’s pretty simple – each day you workout, put a dollar in the jar. Each time you skip eating crap, put $2 in the jar. Why the discrepancy here? As I’ve always said, your diet is more important than the work you’re doing in the gym. As such, you’re rewarded for making better dietary choices.

What you decide to reward yourself for, and how much you decide to reward, is a personal decision. Some other actions you may want to consider reinforcing and that will absolutely help transform your body and health would include:

Personal best time on a given workout or run.
Drank eight, 8 oz. glasses of water in a day.
All daily meals were made in home and/or prepared by yourself.
Foam rolled for 20 minutes.
Planking for a combined 10 minutes.
5 servings of vegetables in a day.

You get the idea…

One thing to keep in mind – you absolutely do NOT want to reward bad behavior. Giving that screaming, crying, brat a toy to shut him up may work in the short-term, but in the long-term, it’s only going to reinforce the screaming and crying. Similarly, you don’t want to reward yourself for half-ass workouts, bad eating, or other negative habits you want to avoid. Make a clear distinction between good behavior, bad behavior, and what exactly is being rewarded.

Reward Yourself Smartly

After a while, all of these rewards are going to add up. I’m not going to tell you how to spend your money, but stay with me for a minute, as I tell you how to spend your money. For the love of God, make good use of this small fortune you’ve stashed away. Sure, going out and buying that $1,200 pair of Christian Louboutin heels is going to feel awesome for all of a couple of months, but pretty soon, those good vibes are going to fade, and those heels will just turn into another material object lying around your house. Are you really going to think back 3 years from now (when those heels are way out of style anyways) and reminisce about the good memories associated with this purchase? Probably not.

Does this really compare….

You see, most people associate material goods with happiness. Whether it’s a pair of heels or a big screen TV, our happiness level will not be sustained by a material object. Experiences on the other hand, have been shown to make us happier, especially over the long-term. Think about it like this…

I’m willing to bet you can fondly recall a specific Christmas morning or birthday party from your childhood. Personally, I distinctly remember the slumber party for my 12th birthday. This was back when Nickelodeon’s What Would You Do was the coolest thing on TV (anyone remember the Pie Pod?). Long story short, my mother ended up falling victim to 10 out-of-control sixth graders, doing their best Pie Pod recreation. Do I remember a single gift I was given that day? Not a chance.

It is quite often the experience rather than the materialistic gift that we remember. You’re asking yourself, “what’s the point of all of this?” – the point is, make your big reward, the one all of those mini-rewards have contributed towards, something that will bring sustained levels of happiness and fond memories. By rewarding yourself smartly, you will associate all of those mini rewards with the long-term feeling of happiness and satisfaction. In turn, you’ll be more likely to keep up those healthy habits which bring about the mini-rewards.

..to this? (me in Peru, 2012)

So instead of heading directly to Nordstrom’s when it’s time to cash in on all of your healthy choices, take a second and think about what’s really going to make you happy. Take a trip to Hawaii. Go visit Machu Picchu. Go dine at the best restaurant in your city. Experience something you’re going to look back on 30 years from now and be glad you did. You’ll never forget those surfing lessons on that trip to some far-flung island paradise…but that pair of heels you bought? They’ll be old news before next season’s collection has even hit the shelves.

A motivation jar is perfect for the person who is having trouble getting themselves started on their fitness journey OR is having trouble sustaining their efforts. Remember, the hardest step isn’t the first step – the hardest step is repeating the first step day after day after day…

By rewarding steps in the right direction, you’ll slowly but surely ingrain these positive actions into your brain, and be well on your way to leading the healthy and fit lifestyle that has alluded you thus far.

How to Train Like an Athlete and Make Bigger, Better, and Faster Gains

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Matt Posted in Active Living, General Health Leave a comment

Athletes don’t train to look good – they train to improve performance…looking good is just an indirect benefit of their style of training.

You’ve heard it before: “Train like an athlete”.

This popular little phrase has picked up something of a buzz as of late. From TV commercials to know-it-all bloggers on the web, it’s clear “training like an athlete” is in. Perhaps for good reason – it does make sense after all. You want to look, feel, and perform like an athlete? Training like one will help you get there – easy enough.

But what the hell does train like an athlete even mean?

Long ago, well before cross fit, zumba, and Tony Horton, “cross-training” was the big thing. Think back to the mid-90′s for a second. Everyone from shoe companies to personal trainers were pushing the idea of cross-training. That is, training your body in a variety of different methods to improve overall performance. It was a good, solid concept, no doubt. Nowadays, when someone says you need to “train like an athlete” , they’re more or less talking about cross-training. However, since the cross-training movement came about in the early to mid 90′s, we’ve accumulated more knowledge, experience, and wisdom (well, most of us anyways), and we now know simply training in different formats is not enough. You’re not just mixing up what you do, you’re focusing on important movements, exercises, and workouts that specifically improve flexibility, explosive power, endurance, and agility – or in other words, athletic performance.

Why Should you Train like an Athlete?

Before we get any further, lets first figure out the why in all of this. Why do you want to train like an athlete? Well first off, I think most of us (men and women) recognize that the skin and bones look is not only unattractive, it’s not healthy. Our idea of what is fit and beautiful has slowly changed, and personally, I think it’s changed for the better. Instead of idolizing anorexic fashion models, more and more girls and women are striving for that “cross-fit” look, for lack of a better word. Lean muscle mass, evenly proportioned body fat, great endurance – these are all things people are shooting for…and these are all attributes most high-caliber athletes share.

Getting back to the why; it’s quite simple. You want to look like a fit, healthy, and athletic? You’ve got to train in a way that brings about these changes. You want to look like a huge muscle head? Train (and eat) like a huge muscle head. You want to look like average Alice from accounting? Train like average Alice from accounting – or in other words, do your static state treadmill workout and half pay attention to your diet. You see, the look and health you want to achieve is the result of your training methods. Pick the right training methods that suit your goals best.

Is your Workout Program Making you LESS Athletic?

The problem with many workouts and training programs out there has to do with the fact they will completely ruin your athletic ability, and diminish the very attributes you want to improve. Excessive strength training, the overlooked importance of flexibility training, uneven balances between cardio/strength workouts, instructing herky-jerky form and short-range of motions will all lead to imbalances across your body.

Who are these people you may wonder? These are the guys who spend all their time squatting, benching, and deadlifting…but can’t bend to touch their toes…hell, they can’t even see their toes when they look straight down. These are the girls who do tons of cardio, but still look soft, weak, and average. You don’t want imbalances – you want to turn your body into a flexible, proportioned, explosive, lean, mean, machine.

How to Train like an Athlete

Training like an athlete means you need to perform like an athlete. Athletes don’t perform a lot of stationary movements, do they? They’re constantly moving, changing speeds, intensities, and direction. Because of this, your training needs to focus more on these factors and less on isolation exercises (think bicep curls) and steady-state cardio.

Of course, athletes not only focus on this type of work, but strength training as well. Strength movements should be either compound in nature (hitting multiple muscle groups at once) and/or combined with intense cardio. A power exercise, followed by an intense cardiovascular explosion closely mimics real-world athletic performance. Think of an NFL defensive end for a second. When the ball is snapped, he immediately rushes into, and uses brute strength against the offensive lineman. Once he’s able to break free, it’s an all out sprint and some serious footwork as he attempts to reach the quarterback. Strength followed by speed – this is the protocol you should follow.

SPRINT!

This one shouldn’t come as a shock. Athletes aren’t usually seen jogging around at one pace while they’re competing. Their performing short, quick bursts of all out intensity. Start giving this a try in place of your jog or even your HIIT cardio. Think of this as micro-HIIT.

Instead of 30 seconds all out sprinting followed by 1:30 of jogging, you’re going to bring those intervals way down. Go for 10 second sprints, followed by 15 second jogs, repeated 10 times. Then go for 5 second sprints, followed by 5 second jogs, repeated 10 times. Keep playing around and mixing up your sprint and rest intervals so you’re really fatiguing your system in a variety of ways.

To take a step further, try hill sprints, reverse sprinting, sideways sprinting, scissor sprints, or a multitude of over sprint techniques to really get your body working at peak performance.

Footwork, footwork, footwork!

“Train like an athlete” means working on the finer points, like your agility.

You’d be surprised how much an increase in agility and footwork can do for you. Using things like an agility ladder or simply shuffling quickly back and forth, or in zig-zag position can do wonders for your overall mobility. If you’re not already in peak condition, working on agility will help make other movements “easier”, thereby helping you lift more weight, run faster, or quite simply, make more progress.

Not only that, just like the short sprints we mentioned above, quick agility drills will help spike your heart rate and have you burning through a ton of calories while you’re working out. Keep at it long enough and you’ll enter the beloved EPOC zone, where your body will continue to shed serious calories well after your workout has ended.

Metabolic Conditioning

Athletes look so good, because they train so good. When you’re hitting the weights, don’t fall into the old lift, rest, lift, rest, cycle. While this format can have it’s benefits, it’s not good to only rely on this method. Try a little metabolic conditioning work. This type of workout has you quickly shifting between a compound strength exercise and a short (30 seconds or so) burst of all out cardio. Something like clean and presses followed by 30 seconds of mountain climbers, for instance.

Think about that defensive lineman when you train. Go all out on the strength portion, then when it’s time to hit the cardio….really hit the cardio. Go at it like a mad man or woman, giving it your all. You’re going to spike your metabolism, boost your heart rate, and just crush calories working out in this format. By strategically varying your strength exercises, you’ll be able to hit your entire body in one workout, and have helped yourself reach your goals faster.

Roll it Out

Or even stretch it out. Either way, your flexibility is a vital partner in all of this. Grab a foam roller and roll out those IT bands (outsides of your legs), hamstrings, back, glutes, quads, etc. Combine this with some moderate stretching for about 10-15 minutes a day, and you’re on the track to a seriously athletic body. By improving your flexibility, you’ll alleviate aches and pains, prevent injuries, and even make better muscular gains? Better muscle gains – say what?!

When you stretch, or especially foam roll, you loosen the fascia covering your muscle. When these fascia lengthen, they allow more room for your muscle to grow. This extra room makes it so your muscles become more apt to fill up the loosened space, thus helping you build muscle better and faster.

Get bored easily with rolling around your living room and/or holding static stretches? Give yoga a try. Yoga will work wonders for your flexibility AND give you the added benefit of strengthening muscles and burning additional calories.

JUMP!

Jumping is one aspect of your training that you need to remember to pay attention to. Explosive plyometric movements like jumping will do wonders for your lower body strength, definition, and power. Not only that, these type of movements will also help bring up your heart rate, thus helping you slash more calories than a standard leg press ever could.

Mix in box jumps, jump roping, tippy-toe jumps to failure, Bulgarian squat jumps, barbell squat jumps, long jumps, side jumps, quick hops….the list goes on. When combined with standard lower body resistance training, the benefits of these plyometric exercises are further magnified.

When training to improve athletic performance, I want you to think and act like an athlete. What this means is…

Explode through your cardiovascular exercises. Give it 110% effort since you’re going for only short bursts.
Make fast, clean, and quick cuts. What seems difficult at first will slowly become easier over time – don’t give up.
Power the weights up and bring it down in a slow controlled fashion. Explode up/control down – every time.
Train your entire body to perform – this means don’t slack on your flexibility training, whatever it may be.
Use timed workout challenges that have you competing against yourself – pushing to beat a previous personal best time can be a great motivator and get you over a hump.

Bottom line, if you’re looking for a healthy, fit, and all-around fabulous physique and health, you’d be wise to start incorporating more components of athletic training into your routine. By utilizing these concepts you’ll be well on your way to changing your body faster than you ever thought possible.

Why that Dietary Cleanse May be Making You Fat…and Miserable

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Matt Posted in General Health, Healthy Eating Leave a comment

To starve…or eat….that is the question.

Here’s a snippet of a conversation I overhead at lunch the other day…

Girl 1: Yeah, I figure why not.

Girl 2: I’ve wanted to do a cleanse for a while now, but I don’t think I can make it!

Girl 1: Let’s do it together! It worked great last time. It’s just like a total reset for your body, plus you lose a bunch of weight!

Girl 2: LOL okay!

Yeah. I was eavesdropping. However, I did show a little restraint. I really wanted to lean over and lend my opinion, but I had the feeling they wouldn’t have appreciated the unsolicited advice. I also didn’t want to look like the creepy guy at the table behind them that’s been listening to their entire conversation, so I thought best to just quietly judge them until I had the opportunity to vent to all of you people.

It’s almost spring time, which means (if you read nonsense publications and blogs) it’s time to “Reset Your Body!”. And how else do you reset your body? With one of 523 different dietary cleanses of course!

First off, what the hell does “reset your body” even mean? Reset it to what? Is there a more vague and unmeasurable goal out there? Here, drink my $99.99 super detox master dietary cleanse smoothies for 10 days and BOOM, you’ve reset your body! Oh, well they’re telling me I reset my body…and I did spend a hundred bucks….so yeah, I definitely reset my body – I’m so healthy now!

Cleanses are nothing new, but like bears coming out of hibernation, they tend to pop back up around this time of the year. Each year there seems to be a dozen new dietary cleanses hitting the market; let’s take a look at some cleanses, both old and new, shall we?

Soup and smoothie cleanse – Soups and smoothies must not include dairy, salt, or grains. Simply fruits, vegetables, and water. Everything must be blended into a liquid, so you give up solid foods for 10-14 days. Why? Why is fresh, wholesome, and unprocessed food in solid or semi-solid state, bad? Because it just is! Alright!?
Master cleanse - An oldie but….no, it’s just old. On this dietary cleanse you are allotted a daily ration of water, maple syrup, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. This dietary cleanse promises serious weight loss and a cleansing of organs. Hmm..is anyone really surprised a 150 calorie/day diet causes weight loss? And about the organ cleansing…..where’s the proof?
Raw food cleanse – Sure, many consider this a lifestyle (and a health one at that) but for the person accustomed to eating McDonald’s twice a week, are you really that surprised when you’ve dropped 10 pounds in two weeks after having gone on a 500 calorie/day diet? Great, you’ve lost a ton of water weight and probably some muscle…now get on Facebook and tell us all how healthy you are!
The Organic Avenue Love Deep cleanse – This 14 day dietary cleanse consists of downing several bottles of their processed smoothies and juices each day. Promising “plenty of superfood veggie juices to drench your system and help you feel your best!”, this cleanse isn’t for just anyone. You’ve got to be serious about cleansing…and have a nice bank account to match. Fourteen days on this cleanse will run you a whopping $1008…before shipping and handling of course.

I could go on and on, but why bother.

Why People Cleanse

Is someone you know considering a dietary cleanse? Maybe you’ve even been toying with the idea? Well, first off, you should know why people cleanse in the first place. Proponents of cleanses often tell you their cleanse will help eliminate “toxins” from your body. These proponents go on to tell us how these toxins, which they mysteriously fail to specifically identify in most cases, are impacting all facets of our health. After they’ve spent a great deal of time and energy scaring the consumer, they then start pushing their method for eliminating these toxins. Some unfortunate person at home gets all wrapped up in these scare tactics and becomes all to happy to go on the cleanse that’s going to save their lives.

Then of course, there are others who are going on a dietary cleanse for the weight loss benefits. The thought of dropping 10 or more pounds in a week or two is simply too irresistible to pass up. They’ll go on some super low calorie “cleanse”, drop the weight, and feel really healthy and good about themselves for sticking it out. Again, is it really a surprise you’re losing weight when you’ve living on a concentration camp-esque diet? Soon enough, when you get back to real life, that weight lost will come on back….and it’s not always going to come back the way you want it to, as I’ll get into in a bit.

Why People Shouldn’t Cleanse

Let’s get back to those toxins we were talking about above. There is overwhelming evidence that these supposed “toxins” aren’t even existing in your body in the first place[1][2]. Yes, I realize it’s shocking to think a company would outright lie to you so you’d buy their product……..wait is that really shocking? These “toxins” are either fabricated from the get go, or there is simply no evidence that their cleanse does anything at all to remove the specific toxin in question. As if lying to you wasn’t bad enough, some of these cleanses can be downright damaging to you[3]; proceed with caution if you do decide to get on a dietary cleanse.

Additionally, you should be very skeptical when a company has their own doctor and/or study promoting the benefits of their product. The best sources of information are PEER REVIEWED studies. What this means is, a LOT of doctors, scientists, and other people in the know can weigh in and offer their criticism or opinion on a particular study. Remember, it isn’t hard for a company with a bit of money to find a doctor to say what they want and construct a study to deliver a desired outcome. Don’t be so naive and believe everything you read.

I want to talk about the “fantastic” weight loss benefits for a second. No doubt, not eating food will cause you to lose weight. I’m not debating that. What I do want you to be aware of though, is the type of weight lost. Most of the time, the weight lost is simply water weight, which will be gained back in no time at all. Worse yet, the weight lost comes in the form of muscle. Losing muscle is bad, very, very bad. Not only will this loss of muscle contribute to an increase in body fat percentage in the short-term, it will also slow your metabolism to a snail’s pace over the long-term. Your body will burn less total calories per day, you’ll retain more fat, and your overall body composition will change. Did somebody say soft and pudgy? Leave these fast weight loss cleanses to the celebrities who need to drop weight quickly for a movie…they aren’t for real people with real-life goals.

You guys are informed. You’re empowered. You see beyond the US Weekly crap that so many others get buried in. You want to change your body and health? You can do it without a dietary cleanse, and here’s how…

Getting Healthy…The Healthy Way

So, with all that in mind, I’ve got just the thing for you. For only $29.99 I will send you two week’s worth of my very own Real Food Cleanse. This cleanse is unlike any other, not only will you totally reset your body but you’ll lose a ton of…..

Okay, that was just a test to see if you were paying attention. Good job.

The only thing you’ll need for a cleanse is probably already in your refrigerator.

We’re going to do things the healthy way this time. Ask yourself, how are you going to get healthy, get your weight in order, and keep making good progress in the gym? In case you don’t already know, here’s how; first and foremost, you’re staying away from any faddy cleanse program. Second, you’re going to simply eat good, wholesome, and nutritious foods. Plenty of protein, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. You’re going to skip the Jamba Juice smoothie with 80 grams of sugar. Yes, just because everything is white, clean, and they have grass growing indoors doesn’t mean it’s healthy. You’re going to start making the right choices… you know what they are. You’re going to drink plenty of water. You’re going to workout regularly. You’re also going to make sure you get plenty of fiber. And for the love of God, you’re going to stop skipping breakfast. You don’t need some crazy cleanse or over-priced juice to get yourself healthy. All you need are fresh, wholesome, and nutritious foods. No starving, no emptying your bank accounts, no gimmicks. Just good, clean, fresh, food. Period.

One technique I personally use, and you may find enjoyable, is something called intermittent fasting. Unlike cleanse type fasts, these fasts are only 18 hours in length, and are only once or twice a week. It’s simply a way to reduce my total caloric intake…not because I want to lose weight, but because I believe, based on the peer-reviewed studies I’ve read, that it’s a healthier way of living. Check out what I’ve written in the past on intermittent fasting and how it can improve your health.

If that’s not your thing, but you still want more specific advice on how to live a happy, healthy, and fit life, I suggest you look into Blue Zones. Blue Zones are regions on Earth where the inhabitants live unusually long and healthy lives. Their diets and lifestyles often share many similarities, despite the great geographic variations amongst these populations. I’ve examined the concept of Blue Zones in the past and have laid out how we can start living more like these insanely healthy and happy people.

Overall, living a healthy, fit, and “toxin” free life, is just about making good choices. If you don’t know much about dietary choices, check out the diet section of this blog; we have TONS of information for you. Anything from how to get organic vegetables cheaper than their non-organic counterparts to how to make a healthy version of traditionally unhealthy foods, like nachos.

The ability to change your mind, body, and health is already within you. Simply find the way to tap into this powerful resource and you’ll instantly discover the “key” to healthy living.

[1]:http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/detox_overview.html

[2]:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4576574.stm

[3]:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22297655

FitPlan: The Personal Fitness Plan That Will Change The Way You Look at Fitness Forever

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Matt Posted in General Health, Health in the News Leave a comment

With FitPlan, it’s like having a different exercise DVD to work out with every day.

As anyone who even casually reads this blog has probably come to realize, we feature a LOT of different types of workouts. We get so many requests for different routines, for different goals, that it’s often hard to keep up with you guys! The goal from day one has always been to share fitness knowledge and experience with as many people as possible. As such, these workouts and fitness plans you find on our blog are created for the masses. It’s hard to get overly specific in a given workout plan when you’re writing for a few hundreds thousand people. And as I just mentioned yesterday, what works so well for one person may not work very well at all, for another.

A Personal Fitness Plan for You

While this isn’t to take anything away from generic plans (hell, I’m currently using a Layne Norton weight training plan with great success), I’ve always been left with a feeling that we could do better. My dream was to provide a personal fitness plan for each and every reader on the blog. I wanted to create something that could provide user-specific advice and coaching to thousands of people, at one time. Not an easy task to accomplish as I soon found out…

I started this blog and website because I wanted to help so many more people than I ever could as a traditional personal trainer. Working 1-on-1 with a client is great, but as I’m only one person, my time is limited. Starting the Share It Fitness blog and OnDemand workout library was the first step in my goal to reach a greater audience. As things with Share It Fitness progressed, my desire for a very user-specific fitness plan that could serve many people simultaneously began to intensify. The growing intensity of this desire eventually led to our latest innovation, FitPlan.

What Is FitPlan?

At its core, FitPlan is quite simple. It is an algorithm-based online personal fitness plan that delivers a series of workouts geared specifically towards you and your goals.

You provide us information about yourself, your goals, and your fitness history. Based on these responses, a completely customized and personal fitness plan will be created for you. Workouts come in both video and text format, letting you workout exactly how you want. Each workout has been designed by one of our real-life personal trainers, who will lead you through your workout…just as if you were training 1-on-1 in the gym. Your trainer dictates the pace, intensity, and duration of the class. Your job is to simply follow along. If you’re not so big into working out in front of a screen, FitPlan gives you the text version of your daily workout to follow along with at your own pace. Whether you want to work out exclusively at home or at the gym, the choice is yours. Your personal fitness plan delivers workouts with your preference in mind. Not only does FitPlan assign workouts based on your personal goals and abilities, it also evolves as you do….

Here’s a shot from an actual FitPlan workout. Simply follow along with your trainer as they lead you through your assigned workouts.

Unlike pre-set workout plans, FitPlan is smart. Part of what will make FitPlan so effective is the algorithm-based formula we’re currently putting the finishing touches on that actually adjusts workouts based on your ability levels. When you get stronger and faster, your assigned workouts get harder. If you’re having a hard time reaching a fitness goal, FitPlan can recognize this and deliver plateau-busting workouts to get you over the hump. Every so often, FitPlan introduces a fitness challenge. These fitness challenges show us where you’re at, and correspondingly help us determine when to bump you up to the next level, scale things back, or push you hard enough to get past a plateau.

Sounds good. Now what?

As the full release of the Share It Fitness website, including FitPlan, is just a couple of months out, we’re starting to take email addresses for all of our early adopters. For those of you who like the idea of a personal fitness plan and want to get on our early sign up list, we’re going to cut your FitPlan membership in half. While we think the regular price of $15 per month is quite affordable, we’re dropping the early adopter price to $7.50 per month for the first three months. For the price of one trip to the salad bar, we’re going to set you up with all the tools you need to change your life forever. No more aimlessly browsing the web for workouts that may or may not even work for you. FitPlan will become your go-to source for workouts and fitness instruction, because it’s designed specifically for YOU. A fitness plan should be personal, and FitPlan is just that.

Follow the link below and you’ll be prompted to leave us your email address so we can notify you when FitPlan launches. As always, your email is safe with us; we will NEVER give your information to a third-party.

Hop on the FitPlan bandwagon and get ready to watch your mind, body, and health transform like you never imagined.

Click here to sign up for FitPlan and lock in your early adopter discount.

The Great Fitness Realization: What It Is and How to Achieve It

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Matt Posted in General Health, Self Improvement 2 Comments

Realization is just around the corner.

For almost anyone who has been actively involved in fitness or exercise for a significant period of time, there eventually comes a moment of great realization. This realization may come after only a few month or it may take many years; there is no prescribed time-table. But when it hits, you know it. You’re now seeing things more clearly. Gains come about faster. You start knocking down goals like bowling pins. You begin to see fitness and exercise in the simplest way imaginable. In essence, the cloud of illusion that has hovered over “getting in shape” has lifted. You now see the light with a crystal clear clarity you never imagined.

This “light” is the understanding that fitness, in its essence, is actually quite simple. Going from point A to point B (your defined goal) doesn’t involve 21 steps, a faddy diet, and a magic pill. Fitness and exercise is a multi-billion dollar industry, which has conditioned us to think we can’t get into shape on our own. As if some mysterious force is standing in our way from realizing our true potential. This cloud of deceit is the reason millions willingly shell out their hard-earned cash for flash-in-the-pan advice that is more trendy than effective, and products that over promise and under deliver.

The Before/After Effect

Part of this great realization is the understanding that fitness isn’t an exact science. What works so well for one person, may have little effect on another. The uninformed don’t realize this. Humans are impressionable. Flashy pictures, good sales copy, and a personal connection They see the before/after results of people who have used product X, and immediately conclude product X will deliver the same results to them. Next time you see some insane looking before/after pictures, check closely for fine print at the bottom of your screen or packaging label. The oft-repeated line, “Results not typical” will almost always accompany these inspirational stories. For every person who has achieve insane results from a specific fitness or nutritional product, there are probably 10 others who we’re left with nothing more than a lighter wallet.

Unfortunately, misleading customers isn’t the worst of it. Often times, companies pushing the latest and greatest fitness product or supplement are using completely phony before/after shots, often with the aid of Photoshop, or other editing software. A wide range of fitness and nutritional products, from highly popular DVD series to weight loss supplements, are using the techniques exposed in the documentary, “Bigger, Stronger Faster”. Check out how easy it is to doctor a before/after shot…

Personally, I think you should view before/after shots with a grain of salt. If they’re even legit, you’re not being shown what an average user looks like. It would be foolish to assume because it works so well for maybe 10% of all users, it will work that well for you. Next week, I’m going to do a little before/after photo shoot of myself to further drive this point home. I’m going to show you how it’s possibly to look 25 lbs lighter, more ripped, and generally like a fitness all-star in a matter of 2 hours. Be sure to check back because this is something you don’t want to miss.

Realization Revealed

When the cloud has lifted and you see fitness for what it really is, you’ll no doubt become empowered. Understanding there isn’t a magic bullet that will eliminate all of the obstacles standing between you and your goals should be uplifting. I’ve seen far too many clients and users over the years stress about unlocking the perceived fitness puzzle. Rather than make the wrong decision and “waste their time” by picking the wrong workout, they did a little of this, a little of that, refusing to fully commit to anything. Their search for the “perfect” workout or fitness plan had them constantly changing gears for fear of following the wrong advice. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of these people never got anywhere.

The reality of it is, there are hundreds of ways to achieve your goals. There isn’t only one specific workout or plan that will completely change your body and health. Again, for those in the know, this isn’t news. But for the many more out there who are still falling for old tricks and deception, the endless search for that magic bullet continues.

The person who has attained realization knows several things you probably don’t. For starter’s…

Committment and consistency are far and away the most accurate indicators of potential success on a fitness plan.
Training all three components of your fitness being (strength, cardio, flexibility) is the key to achieving your optimum body and health.
Varying the formats and methods of your workouts is key to maintaining measurable and sustained progress.
Varying sources of fitness information is key towards becoming an informed and
No plan will be successful without a proper diet; nutrition is king.

Above all, the fundamental understanding that there is no ONE specific way to get fit and healthy, should pervade all that you do in regards to your fitness program. Fitness is a great deal trial and error, and while no one likes wasting their time, especially when it involves physically taxing work, it is often the best way to find what works for you and your body.

Putting Realization to Use

This is the reason you see such a wide array of fitness plans and workouts on Share It Fitness. We completely support the notion of trying different things until you find something that works. While we’ve had thousands of people have great success on our Total Body Blitz workout plan for example, we’ve also had others who didn’t achieve the results they were looking for.

The informed exerciser should know by now that simply because so many have had success with our Total Body Blitz plan, it may still not be right for them. Rather than getting discouraged, they are motivated to continue seeking out new workouts that may be what their particular body needs to achieve a set of goals.

For those of you who haven’t already drank the Share It Fitness Kool-Aid, one thing we often preach is our Body Diversity Training methodology. BDT is our unique method of fitness training, which we feel fully encompasses all that a realized exerciser should understand. We use a variety of fitness disciplines and methods to help you achieve optimal health and success. Training plans utilizing BDT may have you performing explosive plyometric work one day, followed by a power lifting complex workout the next, before an uptempo yoga session on day three, etc. This rounded approach to fitness is what we feel produces the best results, in the fastest amount of time, while staving off burn out as effectively as possible.

The time is now for you to understand the game and see past the deception that shrouds the fitness industry. The only thing you need to get fit, get healthy, and achieve the body of your dreams is yourself, a little knowledge or food source of information, motivation, consistency, and a healthy diet. That’s it. The components of your workouts don’t need to be highly complex or one size fits all. Each of you is an individual, with specific needs and physiological response system. Getting in tune with the inner workings of your body. Really pay attention to how a workout makes you feel, during and after. It may take some time, but you’ll quickly develop a sixth sense for knowing whether a not a workout or fitness plan is a right fit for you.

Bottomline, three aspects of any realized exerciser must develop will include:

Learning how to analyze what works and what doesn’t.
Finding ways to stay committed in the face of adversity
Continually striving to educate yourself about exercise, nutrition, and health

Striving to improve upon these areas, while putting some faith into yourself and your ability to succeed will knock down the great wall and open your eyes to seeing fitness and exercise in an entirely new light.

How to Become a Gym All-Star and Make Everyone Around You Jealous

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Matt Posted in General Health, Motivation, Self Improvement Leave a comment

Becoming a gym all-star is about developing confidence, knowledge, and awareness…a great body is simply the result.

As a lot of you sit there reading the title to this blog post, I’m willing to bet you’ve suddenly been hit by a couple of semi-alarming thoughts…

What the hell is a gym all-star?
How do I know if I’m a gym all-star?

First, if you’re wondering if you’re a gym all-star…you’re not a gym all-star.

Secondly, what the hell is a gym all-star anyways? A gym all-star is one of those people who just “gets it”. They look confident. They’ve got sweat flying everywhere. They’re going through yet another routine that would make other gym goers shiver with fear. They’re not paying attention to who’s looking at them or wondering if they look silly. They look, act, sound…and perhaps even smell, the part. They are completely at home in the gym.

Gym all-stars aren’t necessarily the most muscular people in the room.

The gym all-star comes in all shapes and sizes. Don’t mistake a gym all-star for being a picture perfect fitness model or juiced up bro with frosted tips and oompa loompa colored skin. A gym all-star is someone who completely gets the whole fitness thing, knows exactly what they’re doing and why they’re doing it, has a plan to succeed, and does all that he or she needs to do to reach his or her goals.

Gym all-stars are the envy of those around them. People will curiously stare as the gym all-star performs exercises or workouts they’ve never thought of doing. The girl on the elliptical will experience an all-encompassing jealousy when she catches her boyfriend checking you out doing your squat/box jump plyo work while she chugs away at a snail’s pace next to him. You’ll start to get more head nods, do-you-mind-if-I-work-in-with-you’s?, and right of way at the water fountain. Simply put, it’s good to be a gym all-star.

So, if you’re brand new to the whole working out thing…or you’re the girl on the elliptical everyday while reading her US Weekly magazine…put the reading material down and listen up, because I’m laying out exactly what it takes to become a gym all-star AND get into the best shape of your life.

All-Star in the Making…

Have a plan. I hate to be cliché, but I can’t help myself here…”He who fails to plan is planning to fail”. If you have no plan, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Know what you want to accomplish and know the best way to accomplish it. Not sure how to accomplish your goals? Thank God for Share It Fitness..we’ve got you covered.

Fuel yourself. All the determination in the world isn’t worth much if you don’t have the nutrition to keep your motor running. Treat your body like a Lamborghini…not a Honda Civic and it will reward you infinite times over.

Expect burn out. I don’t care how motivated you are right now….everyone experiences burn out. How a person responds to burn out is what determines if they become an all-star or a dud stuck in the same old cycle to nowhere. I promise you, that period of burn out will NOT last more than a few days…just keep going to the gym, keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll be back to your motivated self faster than you think.

Promise to push yourself. If you’re brand new to fitness, gains are going to come quickly. This will be an exciting time, but with all newbies, they finally hit a wall where gains stop. Hell, everyone hits a wall, a.k.a a plateau. All-stars are willing to push themselves (this is when fitness actually becomes hard) past these points…while everyone else just keeps on doing what they’ve been doing..essentially wasting their time.

Gym all-stars have no problem going outside of their comfort zones…

Gym All-Star Basics…

Fight the machine. Well, don’t actually fight the machine..that may end badly. Rather, fight the urge to use only machines when you lift weights. They have their place for sure, but try to maintain a 4:1 ratio of free weight or body weight exercises to every machine you use. .

Ditch the ego. This one is primarily for the dudes amongst us. I know it’s really awesome to lift a lot of weight, but if you’re using bad form you’re only making yourself look silly and/or setting yourself up for injury. You have no idea how ridiculous you look when your back is a foot off the bench while doing that 225lb bench press.

Full range of motion. Not only will using a full range of motion with proper form make you look like you know exactly what you’re doing, but it’ll hit your muscles better too. Try doing full range of motion squats or dumbbell fly and you’ll understand what real soreness (and progress) is all about.

Isolate Iso. Iso-exercises that is. Unless you’re already in serious shape or training for a competition, leave the iso exercises alone. Exercises like bicep curls, lateral shoulder raises, and tricep kick backs all target small, singular muscle groups. Opt for compound movements like wide grip pull ups, incline bench press, deadlifts, and clean and presses (amongst many others) that target multiple muscle groups and do more for your overall physique.

Separating Yourself From the Pack…

Steady state cardio has got to go. Or at least significantly reduced. The bulk of your cardio should come by way of high-intensity intervals. Whether your on the treadmill, bike, rower…doesn’t matter. Go for short bursts of all out intensity followed by longer periods of a more relaxed pace. Oh, and if you really want to look like an all-star, get good at jump roping.

Strength and cardio are but two components of an all-star. Any clue what the third component is?
A gym all star can do more than lift a lot of heavy weight and run for a long time…

Flexibility. Increased flexibility not only allows for greater muscle gains, it also prevents injury, and chronic pain later in life. My prescription? Fifteen minutes of foam rolling 2-3x a week, plus as many yoga sessions as you can squeeze in. Don’t have the time or budget for a yoga studio…OnDemand yoga in your living room is just as effective and FREE.

Workouts that combine strength and cardio movements are hot body makers. Leave the split schedule weight training to the meatheads. Shoot for high-intensity routines that allow you to target multiple muscle groups with short rest periods. Often cardiovascular exercises can be intermixed to make this type of workout even more intense. One such workout is our MetCon Challenge which uses metabolic conditioning principles to turn you into an all-star, inside and out.

Go Heavy (or light). Women are often afraid of going heavy for fear of getting “big and bulky”. You know those ladies you see who look amazing in the gym? They didn’t get that way lifting 5lb dumbbells all the time. With that in mind, every now and then, feel free to mix in work outs using higher reps and lighter weights. The key is to keep your body guessing and unable to grow accustomed to any one type of training or weight.

You’re an All-Star.

The little things add up. Please, do yourself a favor and find something to do between sets. Unless you’re doing a workout (one with seriously heavy lifting) that calls for complete rest between sets, start mixing in additional work to keep your heart rate elevated and maximizing your time spent in the gym. All those little 1-2 minute breaks really add up and when maximized, can turn you into the living, breathing, machine you’re striving to be.

Intensity. I’m not saying you need to scream, grunt, or moan your way through each set, but you’ve got to develop some intensity at the gym. If you’re not leaving the gym a hot, sweaty mess…something isn’t right. You should always be looking to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and not grow too used to your workouts. One great tip most gym all-stars share in common; they treat each workout like a competition against themselves. ALWAYS strive to go stronger, longer, and faster than the time before. Even if you aren’t able now, you will be soon.

Legs. Remember you have them. And I suppose the opposite could be true for women….Let’s not forget to engage our ENTIRE bodies. It’s amazing how many guys are running around with jacked up arms and chests and toothpick legs. A real all-star pays full attention to their entire body. Not to mention, when you start lifting the other half you’ve neglected for so long, everything else will start growing at a faster rate.

Life outside of the gym. The life of a gym all-star isn’t confined to just a gym. Gym all-stars are almost always engaging in other types of heathy, and active, activities outside of the gym. Not only will developing active hobbies help you shed additional calories and fat, but it may even help you surround yourself with other people who serve as positive reinforcement of your newly claimed healthy lifestyle. Think about it…if you’re hanging with a bunch of cigarette smoking, Cheesecake Factory eating, don’t-wake-me-before-noon, couch poatotes…it won’t be long before their bad habits start rubbing off on you.

Other random thoughts…

Drink water. And leave anything with sugar, like coconut water (but omg I love coconut water..it’s soo in right now!) alone. You just burned 400 calories on the treadmill. Do you really want to drink them all back with that coconut water/Gatorade/fill in the blank?

Be nice. Just because you may now look and feel better than everyone else in the gym doesn’t mean you’ve got instant authority to act like a dick. Smile. Let people work in with you. Give advice if someone asks. It’s amazing how many people at my gym (guys and girls) walk around like they’re in the middle of a prison yard, just waiting to shank the first person who looks at them funny.

Leave the shades at home. Maybe it’s a San Diego thing, but the gym I work out at will almost always have someone sporting their sunglasses while working out…indoors. Real all-stars don’t need to draw attention to themselves. Wearing neon workout gear, beats by Dr. Dre headphones, and black sunglasses may get you some attention, but it doesn’t make you an allstar….just a douche.

Remember, becoming a gym all-star isn’t about being the hottest, most fit person in the gym. It’s about developing confidence, knowing what you’re doing, and knowing why you’re doing it. Learn to stick to that rock-solid plan you developed from the getgo, vary your workouts, keep the intensity and a hot, fit body will surely follow suit.

Each one of you has all-star potential within you. The key is finding out how to unlock that potential and use it for all it’s worth. Follow along with this how to guide and you’ll be well on your way to the body and health of your dreams. Good luck, all-stars, and please feel free to comment below if you’ve got any questions.

Want to connect with other all-stars or stay up to date with our insane workouts, healthy recipes, and other life changing fitness tips? Be sure to LIKE US on Facebook and don’t miss a beat!

Fat Tuesday Fat Facts You Didn’t Know and DON’T Want to Miss!

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Matt Posted in General Health, Self Improvement Leave a comment

Fat Tuesday Fat Facts

It’s Fat Tuesday; a time of celebration, partying, and over indulgence for many, regardless of religious affiliation. Whether or not you’re partaking in any festivities today, I thought I’d take this opportunity to focus on another, far less enjoyable thing; body fat.

For almost every exerciser on the planet, from the body builder to the guy who’s 400 pounds overweight, body fat is the enemy. Whether it’s for superficial reasons or literally life or death, the elimination of fat is why so many of us exercise. Obesity is a $100+ billion dollar industry. It accounts for nearly 10% of all medical spending in this country and is the reason there is seemingly yet another fat burning supplement or product popping up every week.

Sorry I’m not sorry?

It goes without saying, Americans are obsessed with fat, namely, how to lose it. It makes sense; we’re one of the most overweight and least healthy of all 1st world nations on this planet. We gain weight easily, and expect to lose it, when we want, even faster. Unfortunately for the overwhelming majority of our fellow Americans, it doesn’t work that way. One of the biggest reasons people are unable to lose weight, is because they simply don’t know how. They don’t know enough about their bodies, about fat, or about exercise, to cause significant change in themselves.

Today, I try to change that.

I scoured the web looking for all sorts of facts and information about fat. A simple google search of “fat facts” turns up millions of results. While browsing through countless articles and studies, I’ve consolidated my efforts into what I consider to be the seven best fat facts you probably didn’t already know. As such, I’m not looking at the basic stuff today. I’m digging a little deeper and showing you some not so obvious things, that can play a big part in your fat-fighting battle.

Fat Fact #1

Diet soda might be keeping you fat. That’s right, your favorite zero calorie soft drink may be responsible for keeping your tummy soft and squishy. Why’s that? Well, artificial sweeteners found in these drinks (aspartame) in particular, have been shown to raise blood sugar levels, which could very well be playing a part in your fat retention[1] . Busting your behind at the gym but not making the progress you think you should be? Consider giving up the diet sodas for a while and see how your body responds.

Fat Fact #2

Stress plays a much bigger role in your weight than you thought. Stress releases a chemical called cortisol. Coritsol directly impacts where and how your body stores fat. For those chronically stressed individuals, with an abundance of cortisol flowing freely throughout their blood streams, a specially enzyme to break down this stress-induced chemical is required. Where is this special chemical produced you may wonder? In subcutaneous fat of course. Let’s make this simple, when you stress, your body releases cortisol. When you have an abundance of cortisol in your body, it needs to be broken down. The enzyme which breaks down cortisol is found in fat cells; most regularly subcutaneous fat, i.e. the worst kind to have. Eliminate stress before it eliminates you.

Fat Fact #3

Soy protein is a fat killer. Studies have shown that a diet consisting of soy protein has “significantly reduced body fat, blood insulin levels, fat cell size, and expression of genes associated with abnormal colonic cell growth”[2]. Interestingly, researchers found a bigger reduction in body fat amongst test subjects given soy protein versus casein protein. While this is just one study, you may want to consider increasing your consumption of soy products, such as tofu or edamame and slowly cutting back on dairy-based (casein) proteins to optimize your fat burning potential, and health.

Fat Fact #4

Adding the right fats to food will increase satiation. How many of you have a problem with not feeling full after a meal? Maybe you’re going back for seconds or thirds…or just simply grazing throughout the day. Well, all that grazing adds up. Want to eliminate those pangs of hunger that hit way too early in the morning? Consider adding healthy omega-3 fats to your diet. Looking for an easy way to do it? Throw a couple of tablespoons of ground flax seeds into oatmeal, yogurt, or even a protein shake in the morning. Sit back and bask in the contentment of a full, and soon to be flatter, belly.

Fat Fact #5

Metabolism is the key to increasing fat burn. Forget all the nonsense thrown your way about 8 minute workouts, or fat burning pills and drinks. If you really want to impact your weight and simply “tighten up”, you’ve got to impact your metabolism. Boost your EPOC with intense workouts, focus on adding muscle mass to your body, and eat a balanced and protein/fiber rich diet to slowly but surely raise that metabolism. When your metabolism is moving along at a speedy pace, you’re burning more calories throughout the day, thereby burning that hard to lose fat.

Fat Fact #6

Drink your fat off. While not a huge factor in burning fat, drinking icy cold water each day can play a part in your fat burning potential. When you consume icy water (low to mid 30 degrees Fahrenheit) your body must expend energy warming it up. Studies show that 8 glasses of ice water a day will require roughly 70 calories of extra energy expenditure[3]. Multiply this by 365 days, and we’re talking almost 7 extra pounds of fat burn a year. I wouldn’t count on this alone to help me lose weight, but if I needed that extra push, the science says this will help.

Fat Fact #7

Each pound of fat means 7 miles of new blood vessels…And all those extra miles means your heart has to work that much harder to pump blood and oxygenate the surrounding tissue. It’s no wonder why those with loads of excess fat have weakened hearts. If you think a little excess fat is no big deal, remember this, and remember you’ve only got one heart. Once that goes, say goodbye.

Whether you’ve just begun your journey towards a lean and fit body or want to shave off those final pounds, the formula is simple. Boost your metabolism, eat a clean diet, consume ample protein, and above all, stay ACTIVE. Fitness is made to seem like it’s this mystery by those who want you to buy their products, use their services, or stay on their medications. On paper, losing weight and improving your health is one of the easiest things in the world. In practice, it takes a lot of hard work and determination, but with the right amount of knowledge and drive, you’ll be able to achieve all that you set out to conquer.

1. http://www.rd.com/health/diet-weight-loss/is-diet-soda-making-you-fat/

2. http://www.solae.com/About-Solae/News-Center/News-Releases/2012/2012-10-05-Protein-Consumption-Reduces-Fat-Accumulation.aspx

3. http://www.sharecare.com/question/drinking-ice-water-burn-calories

The 6×6 Mind, Body, and Soul Workout

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Matt Posted in Cardio Training, General Health, Self Improvement, Strength Training, Training, Weight loss Leave a comment

Improve your mind, body, and soul to unlock your true potential.

Several weeks ago, I was bouncing around the web, checking out a few new health and fitness sites that had been recommended to me. I was just casually scoping things out, looking for a little inspiration, when suddenly, something hit me. Maybe it was the 16th article titled “Lose the Belly Fat Fast!” or the random blog commenter asking what she needs to do to look like Victoria Beckham (seriously? you want to look like a pipe cleaner with fake boobs?), but whatever it was, it was clear; fitness content around the web is losing sight of the big picture.

It seems like more and more these days, people are demanding, and creators are producing, content that is geared towards the superficial. It’s all about how can I look better. Now, before we go any further, I’ll admit, wanting to look good is not in and of itself a bad thing. If that’s what motivates you to get off your butt and go to the gym, so be it. Personally, it’s a big factor in what dictates my intense regimen. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good. But from a content creator side of things (you know, the person or people who are producing the workouts and fitness articles you’re reading) we’re doing you a disservice by not paying attention to all aspects of your being.

At least around here, I think I do a pretty good job of trying to balance posts that are….a bit superficial in nature, shall we say (Anyone Want a Bubblicious Butt?), with others that conveys important physiological health and wellness information (Why the Number on the Scale Doesn’t Matter). But the truth of the matter is, if you stumbled upon only one of our articles, you might not get the full picture of what we’re all about. I truly want to help you from top to bottom, while getting you into the best shape of your life, both inside and out. With that in mind, I got to work on the a plan that respects all aspects of your health; mind, body, and soul.

This mind, body, and soul workout is unlike anything else you’ll find on Share it Fitness. It takes a three-pronged approach towards you and your health. Not only is it focused on improving your health and aesthetics (things like flattening your stomach, toning your arms, etc) but it strives to strengthen your mind and nourish your soul. This was a bit of a challenge. How can a workout really improve your soul? Well, it took some careful thinking, a little consulting with a couple of yogi’s I know, but I think we successfully put together something that achieves all three goals.

The workout I created is tough, both physically and mentally. The physical aspect of the workout I’m about to share with you takes more than strength or endurance; it takes determination and will-power. You’ll quickly figure out if you have the will-power to make it through this workout, let alone, stick with it over an extended period of time. This is where the mental aspect comes into play. Far too often, workouts are created like a grocery list. You start at the top, perform each exercise, and move on. There isn’t enough structure to push you to your limits. With this workout, exercises are carefully balanced and rest times precisely placed to give you that “I don’t know if I can make it through this entire workout” feeling. That feeling is what builds mental toughness. Strong mental tenacity is at the core of almost every one of those insanely fit (and insanely healthy) people, so many of you are striving to be.

As mentioned, I wanted to delve a little deeper and design something that took a more holistic approach to your health and wellness. Those yogi friends of mine helped me put together a guided meditation practice that will feed your soul, just as the physical aspect of this workout feeds your body and physical well-being. By using meditation and learning how to turn your thoughts inward, you’re able to channel your energy and come away a stronger, happier, and healthier person in the long run.

Now, on to the workouts….

Working the Mind, Body, and Soul

The Mind and Body

The workout format is as follows:

Two strength exercises followed by one cardio exercise (in bold). Each exercise consists of 36 repetitions, broken up into 6 sets of 6 repetitions. On strength exercises, shoot to use a weight that is roughly 10-20% heavier than you would for a standard 3 sets of 10 repetition format. For example, if you typically perform 3 sets of 10 reps on bench press with 100 pounds, bump it up to 110-120lbs for 6 x 6. Only decrease weights if you are losing your form and/or unable to reach the full 6 repetitions in later sets.

What makes this workout so hard is the strict rest times. We’re going to overload the muscle, so be sure to abide by the times listed. Wear a watch, keep an eye on the clock on the wall…do whatever you have to do. Continue to push and don’t let those rest breaks deviate from what is indicated below.

Shoot to perform this workout two times a week to start. Feel free to continue with any additional cardiovascular or strength training you’re currently doing. Just be sure you aren’t over training sore muscles; give yourself a solid 48 hours between strength workouts.

6 x 6 Smith Machine or Barbell Squats, 30 seconds rest between sets
6 x 6 Kettlebell/Dumbbell Swings, 30 seconds rest between sets
6 x 6 Box Jumps (perform tuck jumps if no box/bench available), 10 seconds rest between sets
6 x 6 Bent Over Rows, 30 seconds rest between sets
6 x 6 Bench Press, 30 seconds rest between sets
6 x 6 Burpees, 10 seconds rest between sets
6 x 6 Pull Ups (do dead hangs if you can’t do pull ups), 20 seconds rest between sets
6 x 6 Lat Pulldowns, 30 seconds rest between sets
6 x 6 Twist Jumps, 10 seconds rest between sets
6 x 6 Farmer Walks (holding dumbbells in both hands, walk the length of the room; ~10 feet = 1 repetition). 30 seconds rest between sets.
6 x 6 Curl Press, 30 seconds rest between sets
6 x 6 Russian Lunges, 10 seconds rest between sets

The Soul

With the physically tough stuff out-of-the-way, we’re going to now turn our attention to nourishing your soul. A lot has been written about mindfulness and the physical benefits derived from meditation. Meditation transcends the physical and improves the things you simply cannot measure. Learning to meditate, clear your mind, and channel your energy within yourself can help you become a happier, more thoughtful human being, and open up new doors within the mind.

I’m not going to lie, meditation is hard if you’re brand new to the practice. My first attempt at meditation didn’t exactly go as planned. What was supposed to be a 30 minute meditation session turned into a two and a half hour nap, as I awoke to find myself sprawled out on the ground. Needless to say, I got a little too relaxed. To avoid running into issues of your own, we’re going to have you start slowly. For your “soul training” you’re only going to mediate for six minutes at a time, six days a week. That’s it. Six, short minutes.

6 x 6 Meditation Practice

Originally, I wanted to lay out a different meditative focus for each of the six days. The yogi’s, knowing better, suggested I leave that part to the individual. Following their direction, I’m simply going to list some meditative options that I think you may find interesting. Feel free to come up with your own if none of the below appeal to you.

Our precious human life
Death and impermanence
Remembering the kindness of living beings
Wishing love

For a full list, check out some others I found on this website.

Some other options I personally find beneficial:

Envisioning yourself attaining a goal
How to become a better human being
A particular teaching from your preferred religion, if applicable.
Nothing at all - keeping a clear and open mind, allowing thoughts to calmly flow in and out, like a wave on the shore.

Remember, when you meditate, try to keep all of your thoughts and energy on that ONE focus. While outside influences and thoughts may invade your mental space, do not fight them. Recognize them for what they are, allow them to come in, before allowing them to slowly fade away. Do not grasp on to them or attempt to banish them. Just realize this is all part of the process. Over time, your ability to stay focused and present in the moment will increase, as well as your ability to increase the length of your meditation sessions. Do what’s right for you and proceed with your “soul training” as you see fit.

This mind, body, and soul workout is probably unlike anything you’ve ever attempted. I’m a true believer that incorporating the unfamiliar and potentially uncomfortable into our lives is how we achieve maximal growth. This powerful workout plan is designed to help you improve your body, mind, and soul with a carefully constructed method that uses a holistic approach to improving you as a human being, inside and out. Use all, or parts of it as you see fit, and be ready and open to experience change like you never thought possible.