Category Archives: Weight loss

The Great Debate: Can You Use an Elliptical Machine To Lose Weight?

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elliptical

Like a worn-out security blanket, the elliptical has become the defacto exercise machine for millions of exercisers.  Not surprisingly, this gym staple has been the object of scorn amongst personal trainers, Cross-fitters, and hordes of other “hardcore” fitness pro’s everywhere.  There probably isn’t another piece of gym equipment that’s caused this much polarization since the Thigh Master…kidding of course.

You’ve probably heard a few different takes on this gym staple, but where do you stand?  Are you using the elliptical?  Do you feel like it’s helping you reach your goals?  Burn more fat?  Build more muscle in your lower body?  In the spirit of election season, we’re going to tackle this issue, debate style, and lay out both sides of the argument in hopes of getting a more clear picture on the actual benefits of using an elliptical exercise machine.

On one side we have Steady Sally (SS) who has been a life long proponent of the elliptical and cannot gush enough about how much this machine means to her.  She prefers the long and slow way of doing cardio, which she takes full advantage of on the elliptical.  The elliptical also provides the familiarity and comfort that she seeks when she’s at the gym.  On the other side, we have Juicin’ Joe (JJ) who thinks the elliptical is for the weak.  His no-nonsense attitude and ACE-certified opinion say the only way to get a good workout is through high-intensity cardio and throwing heavy objects around the room. 

So enough with the introductions, let’s get down to business and see what these supporters and haters have to say…

For a little background, first tell us about your exercise style and how the elliptical fits in, or contrasts with that.

SS: Well, I’ve been exercising almost my whole life.  I try to go to the gym for about 45 minutes 4-5 times a week.  I dedicate three or four days for cardio, sometimes including weight training afterwards.  I’ve been doing full body routines so I can maximize my time; I really don’t have the time or patience for 2+ hours in the gym.  The elliptical is my go-to because it helps me burn a ton of calories, I’m familiar with it, and it’s easy on my joints.

JJ: I’ve been working out six days a week, at least 90-minutes a day since my high school football days.  At the moment, I’m really into Cross Fit two to three days a week, with a couple of cardio sessions on top of that.  I’ll usually do some sort of isolated work another two days a week. I lift heavy weights, low reps, and always push myself to do more.  When I do cardio, I do sprints, and nothing but.  Anything else is just a waste of time.  The elliptical is what lazy people do so they can feel good about themselves for going to the gym.  It’s a huge time waster.

Steady Sally, I noticed you prefer long, slow, and steady-state cardio.  Why do you feel this is better than Juicin’ Joe’s method of high-intensity cardio?

SS: Well, I’m not sure if Joe knows, but your body burns more FAT calories when you exercise at a lower intensity.  Since I’m trying to burn fat, this is why I focus on long and slow cardio.  It just makes sense.  I’m not trying to become an Olympic sprinter.  The elliptical is perfect for the long and slow approach..and you know what?  It’s actually kind of fun! 

JJ: Sally doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about.  When you do your cardio at a higher intensity, you burn more total calories, which makes what Sally is saying, irrelevant.  More total calories burnt means you will have less body fat.  The elliptical is almost impossible to sprint on, so it really is just there for people who want to raise their heart rate slightly, but not make progress.  Also, the act of sprinting helps develop lean muscle mass in the lower body which the elliptical could never do.

What about for people with weak knees or other joints?  Do you still recommend all of your clients perform high-intensity cardio, Juicin’ Joe?

JJ:  Let me answer that question with a question of my own.  Do these people with weak knees or other joints want to make progress?  If so, then YES!  High-intensity cardio combined with heavy lifting is the only way to make progress!  If you want to make progress you will sprint….and avoid the elliptical.  Period.

SS:  I don’t agree with that.  Yes, I still have some weight to lose, but the elliptical has been so effective for me.  Not to mention, it’s helped spare my knees, ankles, and hips which lets me continue working out even as I age.  Juicin’ Joe has no idea what aches and pains of middle-age are like.  People my age can’t sprint like a 25-year-old!

JJ: That’s because you don’t push yourself!  You’ve been working out for 20 years doing the same damn thing…and you STILL have weight to lose?  Obviously something ain’t workin!  You can’t keep doing the same thing forever and expect change…it doesn’t work that way!

SS: Like I said, I’ve lost a ton of weight, I just have some remaining stomach fat to lose, but I can already tell I’m down a pound or two this month…so it’s coming off.  Slow and steady..that’s the healthiest way to lose weight!

JJ:  A pound or two this month?  I used to lose 10 pounds in an afternoon when I was cutting weight for wrestling!  You need to raise your goals or you’ll never make progress!

Alright calm down…Let’s move on to a topic Joe brought up; changing what you do.  Steady Sally, do you buy into the ideas of muscle confusion and mixing up your routines to promote change?

SS:  I’ve heard about muscle confusion on P90X, but I’m pretty sure that’s for people who are lifting serious weights.  Cardio is cardio.  The machine tells me how many calories I’m burning, so I know it’s working.  If I could fix my diet a little more, I know I’d be losing much more weight than I am.

JJ: No way.  Muscle confusion isn’t just for the weights.  You’ve got to switch up your cardio too.  I try to do biking, running, whatever.  I just do something different and I can making progress.  Look at me!  My abs are phenomenal.  Does this look like I don’t know what I’m doing?  Hardcore abs, 2 grams of protein per body weight, and sprints….this is why I look the way I do.

But Juicin’ Joe…let’s be honest; your name is Juicin’ Joe.  Do you really expect us to believe your approach and physique are all natural? 

JJ: Like I said, mixing up what I do has me looking the way I do.  I do sprints bro, you don’t even know about them because you probably jog on the treadmill or something.  You’ve got to sprint or you’re just wasting your time!

SS:  I’d also like to add, people like Juicin’ Joe are the reason the elliptical is so enjoyable.  I don’t have to see, talk, or interact with all these meatheads and hussies running around the gym.  Just hop on my elliptical, read my mag, and get out. 

JJ: Maybe if you stopped being so lazy and started doing what I was doing in the gym, you wouldn’t have that spare tire to lug around?

Juicin’ Joe, that’s a low blow, let’s stay professional here.  Before we wrap things up, I’d like you both to sum things up for the people at home.  Explain your position and what you feel is the best way to lose weight.  Sally, you go first…

SS:  Finding something you actually enjoy doing is the best way to make progress.  If you hate your workouts, how long do you think you’ll keep up with them?  I love the elliptical and it works for me.  It tells me how many calories I’m burning and makes me feel good about myself.  It works out my upper body, lower body, and boosts my heart rate.  On top of that, it’s not hard on my joints and is perfectly suited for burning those fat calories which you can only do at a lower intensity.  It’s the best overall machine and something everyone should consider.

JJ: I’ll say it again, the elliptical is for lazy people who want to feel good about going to the gym, but don’t care about making progress.  If you want to make progress you’ll lift as much weight as possible, do sprints, and eat clean.  It’s that simple.  Everyone can look the way I do, they just don’t work hard enough.  Do sprints outside or do complex workouts to boost your heart rate and maximize the calories you burn in the gym.  If you want to look soft and average, use an elliptical.  If you want to be a ripped up beast, you better up the intensity. 

So in this oversimplified and admittedly corny debate, we’ve look at two extremes.  First, we have Steady Sally, who is the typical elliptical user.  She believes the long and slow approach is best for burning fat and is a bit hesitant to try things outside of her comfort zone.  Juicin’ Joe is the kind of guy who jumps on the latest fitness trend and believes there is only way to accomplish fitness goals.  To be perfectly honest, both points of view have some validity to them, it’s just about discerning what points to take away from each. 

 

So, the answer the million dollar question…. Can an elliptical trainer machine help you lose weight? 

Yes, with a few big IF’s….

Ellipticals can help you lose weight if you use them appropriately.  Sally was wrong in that exercising long and slow is the best approach for significant weight loss.  Joe has the right idea when he explained that burning more total calories will help you out in the long run.  Also, continually confusing your cardiovascular system is just as important as confusing your muscles.  Don’t rely solely on the elliptical.  It can help you lose weight most effectively if it is combined with other forms of cardio, as well as weight training.  Use an elliptical as just one part of a total weight loss plan, not the one and only focus. Additionally, the low-impact nature of the elliptical is great for people with bad joints, as Sally pointed out.  Combining the elliptical with other forms of low-impact exercise would be a good plan for those more limited.   

A few other helpful tips to maximize the benefits of the elliptical machine…

  • Use the settings on the elliptical to bump the intensity.  Keeping it on the lowest setting isn’t going to cut it.  Bump it up and remember you can still perform interval sets by simply pressing a button.  Try bouncing between a high/low settings which should help you push yourself harder.
  • Try doing “elliptical sprints”.  Just like high-intensity interval training on a treadmill or bike, you can alternate between periods of all out exertion and a relaxed pace.  A :45/:45 split (45 seconds all out, 45 seconds relaxed pace) can be very challenging and beneficial when performed over a 30-45 minute period. 
  • Combining the elliptical with a challenging weight training program will give you the best results.  Adding muscle mass to your body will bump your metabolism and help you burn more calories overall.   

The Winter Warrior Workout Plan Part 1 of 3

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winterwarrior
Follow this workout plan and there’s no reason you can’t keep in this kind of summer shape year round…
Summer has officially been dead for almost 3 weeks now, the weather is starting to cool down, swimsuits are going into hibernation, and waistlines everywhere are slowly but surely starting to expand.  Does all of this just sound too depressing to even think about to you?  Unfortunately for millions of hardworking summer fitness freaks, the fall and winter months are when their motivation takes a hit and their well-deserved progress they’ve made all summer slowly melts away; covered in a pale, flabby layer of winter fat.
First off, if you’re reading this, you’re a human, not a bear.  You don’t need winter fat, nor do you need to hibernate all winter long.  Odds are you’ve been going at it full-throttle for 4-6 months and are probably in need of a serious change to your workout plan.  We’re going to give you something so uniquely awesome, it’s sure to jumpstart your metabolism, as well as motivation, and keep you on the track to lean body heaven.
Something else to keep in mind; it’s a lot harder to eat healthy during the cold winter months when EVERYTHING seems more difficult.  Farmer’s markets are gone, the days are shorter, and picking up a quick meal on the way home seems oh so easy.  Let’s not forget about the Thanksgiving to New Year’s gauntlet which is sure to throw more pies, cakes, and fatty goodies at you than any other time of the year.
This winter, we need something that is SERIOUSLY going to combat all of these things working against us.  To keep this a fair fight, we need a workout plan over-the-top, but engaging enough to keep you on top of things all fall and winter long.  I KNOW how hard it can be to get yourself to the gym when its overcast, rainy, and 42 degrees out….so a lot of these workouts can be done from your living room…provided you have a little bit of room and a couple of pieces of equipment.

The Winter Warrior Workout Plan

This plan uses a lot of full body workouts to keep your metabolism spiked all winter long.  The short rest times and explosive movements are great for burning fat (much better than boring steady state cardio) and keeping your endurance levels high and heart healthy.  We’ll only *require* you go to the gym once or twice a week for the complex lift sequences.  These are very important as we can’t let our muscles atrophy over the winter.  By keeping the muscles engaged all winter (and assuming you’re eating healthy), it’s very likely you’ll come out more ripped and lean than you were in the middle of summer.

Weeks 1-6
Day 1:
Tips: Burn 5-600 calories, spike EPOC, build explosive lean muscle in the lower body.  Repeat each circuit a total of three times.  This workout can be completely accomplished at home, so no need to head to the gym today.

Day 2:

Tips: Maintain the heightened metabolism we established in day one, burn an additional 5-600 calories, completely fatigue the muscles, hit all major muscle groups.  Unless you’ve got a great home gym, you will want to get yourself to your gym or fitness center for today’s workout.  We’re going to use complex workouts to burn your muscles and increase your endurance.  Repeat this complex 6-8 times total.  Be sure to use a weight that allows you to perform 8-10 reps on your WEAKEST exercise.

  • 8-10 Dumbbell Curl Press
  • 6-8 Bent Over Dumbbell Row
  • 6-8 Hanging Knee Raises
  • 6-8 Push Up Plank Rows
  • 8-10 Burpees
  • 8-10 Squat Press
  • 10-12 Russian Twists with Dumbbell

Day 3:

Tips: Again, this is another workout you can easily do at home as long as you have a little room.  This workout is going to require you to use a jump rope.  Don’t already have one?  Luckily you can pick one up for under $10 at Play It Again Sports or something similar.  This workout is extremely intense and great at building shapely muscles in your lower half while helping you melt fat all over your body and tighten your midsection.

15 rounds of:

Jump Rope 1 minute/Max Burpees 30 seconds/Plank 30 seconds

Day 4:

Tips: You’re likely going to have to head to the gym to get on a treadmill and stationary bike here.  But don’t worry, this one is going to be short and sweet.  We’re all about doing HIIT cardio today, i.e. short periods of 100% max effort followed by a slower and longer less intense period.  This is one of the best, if not the best way to burn that annoying fat covering your stomach, sides, and lower body.  Remember, 100% max effort means as FAST AS YOU CAN GO.  Don’t worry, you’ll be able to catch your breath during the slow periods.

  • Minutes 1-12 (30 second sprint/1:30 jog)
  • Minutes 13-14 Bump treadmill incline to 7.5% and set speed to 5 mph
  • Minutes 15-16 Bump treadmill incline to 10% and set speed to 3.5 mph
  • Minutes 17-24 (30 second sprint/1:30 jog

Get off the treadmill and head immediately to the stationary bike…

  • Minutes 1-6 (45 second sprint/45 second relaxed pace)
  • Minutes 6-8 Bump resistance to 50% of max and grind it out….keep those legs moving!
  • Minutes 9-15 (45 second sprint/45 second relaxed pace)

Day 5:

Tips: Today we’re all about doing heavy, complex lifts.  We’re going to focus on going heavy, setting rep ranges between 5-8 while doing 3-5 sets per exercise.  Make sure you’re using a weight that causes you to fail before completing your last rep on your final set or two.  In the coming months we’ll change things up, but for now, focus on using heavy weights.

  • 4 sets of 5-6: Bench Press
  • 4 sets of 6-8: Barbell Squats
  • 3 sets of max: Wide Grip Pullups
  • 4 sets of 6-8: Skullcrushers
  • 5 sets of 5: Clean and Press
  • 3 sets of max: Push Ups
  • 4 sets of 6-8: Single Arm Dumbbell Rows
  • 3 sets of max: Dips
  • 5 sets of 5: Close Grip Seated Row

A quick tip…if you are unsure of any of the exercises in this workout plan, simply hop over to ShareItFitness.com and browse our Body Diagram tool.  We feature hundreds of exercises demonstrated on video, so simply take a look and make sure to get the form down right.

This plan takes you through six weeks of workouts.  After this point, you’ll want to check out part 2 of this 3 part series and follow along for the next six weeks.  Expect a stark change in parts two and three as we aim to confuse your body and keep your muscles and cardiovascular system guessing about what’s coming next.  We’ll be sure to slowly increase the difficulty of workouts so you’re guaranteed to keep making progress.

In total, we’re giving you 18 weeks of fat blasting and lean muscle-building workouts.  Depending on when you start, this should take you to right about the end of February or early March.  Give yourself a well-deserved and much-needed break of two weeks.  When you’re fully recuperated and ready to get back at it, spring should just about be ready to start blooming and hopefully you’ll have a much improved and fit body to go along with it.

Like Our Workout Plan?  Want More Great Share It Fitness Content?

Head on over to our full site, shareitfitness.com and check out all that we have to offer.  If you’re looking for additional workouts or fitness classes on video, we’ve got you covered.  Share It Fitness features one of the largest libraries of OnDemand fitness classes on the web.  Head on over and sign up for free at shareitfitness.com and browse our OnDemand library.  Whatever you like doing to keep fit, we’ve got something for you, so come check us out today!

Burn Fat Fast with This 10 Minute Workout “Finisher”

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10minute

Use this 10 minute “finisher” to burn fat fast and give your metabolism a kick in the pants.

Think back over the course of the past month.  How many workouts do you think you did?  10, 15, 20 or more?  Okay, great.  Now, do you recall how you ended most of these workouts?  Maybe a little ab work?  How about a few dumbbell curls to pump up those biceps before you walk past all the chicks on the treadmills on your way out.  Perhaps a light one mile jog to finish things out?  Do some of you even remember doing anything in particular to finish off your workout before leaving the gym?

If you’re like most people, the end of your workouts probably leave a lot to be desired.  Today, I’m going to explain to you why you need to change this, and why the last 10 minutes of your workout are arguably the most important 10 minutes of your ENTIRE day.

Physiology Is Your Friend

I’ve touched on this several times in past articles, but I’ve got to highlight the phenomenon known as EPOC one more time.   For those that don’t know, EPOC stands for Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption.  This represents the number of calories burned while your body attempts to get itself back into a pre-exercise state.  You see, everything your body does to regulate itself requires energy; i.e. calories.  In brief, the harder you exercise, the more work your body has to do to get itself back to the way it was before your killer workout.

The key to successfully boosting your EPOC to stratospheric levels AND maintaining a good workout while you’re in the gym is highly dependent on:

  • High intensity
  • Carefully calculated rest times
  • Complex movements hitting multiple parts of the body at once

You probably already know how to bring the intensity.  What you may not know are how to use rest times to satisfactorily allow you to continue exercising at a high level, but push you hard enough that EPOC receives a significant boost.  You can’t just go out there, pump some weights, take a breather, maybe run on the treadmill for a while, and expect to reap all of the EPOC benefits.  You want to maximize EPOC and burn fat fast?  Then you need a carefully designed workout that takes into account all of the above.

Additionally, if you think simply jacking your heart rate through high-intensity cardio alone is going to get the job done, guess again.  Lifting heavy weights takes a major toll on the muscles (in a good way) and spikes your heart rate as well.  This combination of extreme muscle fatigue and increased respiration and heart rate are the perfect storm for a sizzling EPOC.  Combining heavy weights with high-intensity cardio is the single best way to increase your post-exercise caloric burn.  Next, I’ll show you how we can realistically accomplish this.

The Most Intense 10-Minutes of Your Life

Before people start jumping on me for my choice of words, allow me a brief admission.  I’ve never given birth to a child.  I’ve been told in some cases, that process can go on for days.  So please, forgive my slight exaggeration in calling this the most intense 10-minutes of your life.  I fully respect the intensity it takes to shoot a watermelon sized human out of your body.  But, bottomline, this workout is KILLER.  Thankfully though, it’s not long enough that you want to die.  It’s the right mix of intensity and length that does the job without completely burning you out.

So check it out, we’re going to shift between high-intensity plyometric work and low rep/heavy weight lifts…and we’re going to shift quickly and with limited rest, so get yourself ready for 10 minutes of intensity.

Tips: On the snatches, perform right side, left side, 15 seconds rest, repeat.  Use a weight that is heavy enough that completing the final rep of each set is difficult.

30 Second Rest

Tips: On the Bent Over Dumbbell Rows go for only 30 seconds rest between sets and again, go heavy so the final rep of each set is very tough to complete.

30 Second Rest

  • 1 minute Box Jumps (substitute squat jumps if no access to a box)
  • 1 minute Mountain Climbers
  • Windshield Wipers until failure

So there you have it; this is the 10  minute workout finisher that is going to completely change your outlook on weight loss and staying fit.  Bet you never thought something so short could be so effective.  How effective you may be wondering?  Well, keep reading…

The Little Things Add Up

By now we should have a clear understanding of what EPOC is and why we want to use it to our benefit.  After all, continuing to burn loads of calories after you’ve gotten off the treadmill, gone home, and laid yourself out on the sofa is a pretty awesome thing.  I want to show you in a more concrete way why this 10 minute workout is literally going to change your life.  Take a look..

As we know, caloric burn is dependent on several variables such as weight, gender, muscle mass, etc.  So the numbers I’m giving you below are simply guidelines to illustrate my point.  These stats are fairly accurate for my body type.  As a reference, I’m 5’10″, 165lbs, ~8-10% body fat..so it’s safe to say I probably burn more calories during exercise than most, but I digress..

Over the course of 10 days, I calculated that this 10 minute workout finisher burns on average ~140 calories per workout.  While 140 calories may not seem like much, lets take a look at that number in the grand scheme of things…

  • 140 calories burned x 6 workouts a week = 740 EXTRA calories burned a week
  • 740 calories burned a week x 4.33 weeks a month = 3,204 calories a month

We should also know by now that 3,500 calories is equal to one pound of body fat.  So, with this 10 minute finisher tacked on to the end of your workout, you instantly, magically, and wonderfully are now losing an extra 12 pounds a year.  Again, this is on top of EVERYTHING you are currently doing.  Consider this excess fat burn a little bonus.

BUT WAIT….

Didn’t you say that EPOC will continue to help burn fat AFTER the workout?  As a matter of fact, I did.  So hold on to your horses, because things just got even better here.  Not only are you burning 3,204 calories a month WHILE you’re actively engaged in this workout, but since this 10-minute finisher is designed to spike EPOC, you’re getting all of the post-exercise calorie burning benefits as well.  So when combined together, this nifty little workout finisher is helping you seriously torch calories, burn fat FAST, and build lean, strong muscles across your body.  Not bad for 10 minutes of work, huh?

Using This Workout

It doesn’t matter WHAT plan you’re on now.  Whether your on our Total Body Blitz plan, doing Crossfit WOD’s, or doing the P90x DVD’s, it doesn’t matter.  This 10-minute finisher is easily tacked on to ANYTHING.  Since it’s so short, you don’t have to worry about it throwing off your next day schedule.

Like I said, this plan is just right bit of intensity and length, making it something you could theoretically do after each workout.  That said, if you are performing this long-term, consider shifting the weight training exercises every 2-3 months.  Wide grip pull-ups, heavy lat pull downs, bench press…there are tons of complex movements that would fill in nicely.  The cardio exercises are what I consider to be some of the best exercises for jacking your heart rate, as well as hitting the major muscles in your lower body and core.  Keep them constant and shuffle the resistance work as you see fit.

The Total Body Superset Complex Workout Plan

Posted on by Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Uncategorized, Weight loss 12 Comments
Girls Working Out 19

Training with intensity is key to success with this program...

By now, you’ve got to realize we feature a lot of workout plans on Share It Fitness.  We’ve had tons of success with our total body transformation plan, Total Body Blitz.  The Greatest Ab Workout in the World has also developed a legion of loyal followers.  The great thing is, combining or moving on to other plans is something we highly encourage here at Share It Fitness.  There isn’t ONE plan that will give you everything you need for the rest of your exercising life.  Once you’ve made it through one plan, start looking for another.

One of the great things about our plans is that we try them out on ourselves and our completely willing (I promise) guinea pigs, real-life clients before submitting to our online fans.  We see what works, what doesn’t, and in turn, you, our online readership only see the best and most effective fitness routines.  This is what Share It Fitness is about and this is why we’re different.  That said, it’s been some time since we come out with another plan…so hold on to your hats, because we’ve got something that is simply going to blow you away.

By now, we should be familiar with the idea of complex workouts.  Complex workouts are great for building muscle, burning fat, and making the most of your time in the gym.  I got to thinking though…what if we were to take the standard complex workout format and break it down into a more specific routine.  What if there were a way to create a hybrid split/complex routine that still managed to achieve massive amounts of fat burning power?  Well after a little trial and error, I’ve got something that turns everything else on its head; meet Superset Mini-Complexes.

Superset Mini-Complexes are for anyone looking to up their intensity in the gym, while maximizing their time, AND focusing more of their efforts on improving their physique through the development of lean muscle mass.

How They’re Performed

Similar to regular complexes, we perform a series of exercises one after another, with rest only after the completion of the final exercise.  However, instead of sequences featuring 5-8 exercises as normally found in a complex workout, we break things down into 3 exercise complexes, performed in superset format.  Similar to supersets, we perform exercises hitting differing muscle groups one after another.  However, to put a twist into things, we add a third exercise, which goes back to hitting the first muscle we targeted, thereby inducing extreme fatigue (and growth).  Additionally, the shortened rest times keep intensity and fatigue on the muscles through the roof.  An example exercise sequence in the Superset Mini-Complex workout would look like this:

  • 8-12 Incline Bench Press, supersetted with
  • 8-12 Incline Dumbbell Curls, supersetted with
  • 8-12 Incline Dumbbell Flys, rest 30 seconds, repeat entire sequence 2-3 more times.

One point of note, the weights used during these exercises sequences should be slightly lower than you are accustomed to.  To perform these exercises listed, especially with short rest times, it’s vital to use a weight that is doable.  Whatever weight you choose, you should be reaching failure on most (if not all) exercises by the third or fourth set.

Why They’re Awesome

This workout plan is great for a variety of reasons.  First and foremost, they allow you to hit your entire body effectively in a short period of time.  However, unlike regular complexes, you can really get in and hit your muscles to a greater degree.  Because of this, this workout routine is great for anyone who has trouble building muscle, or simply wants to continue improving their physique through muscle development.  Complexes are great in that they bump the heart rate while allowing you to hit your muscles, but to really get the muscle-building benefits of a serious weight training workout, you’ve got to attack the fibers and make the beg for mercy…which is exactly what Supersetted Mini-Complexes do.

a hot guy working out 0 300x176 For those concerned with the inclusion of fat burning benefits in a workout plan, rest assured the high-paced format of these workouts will get your heart rate pumping at and the sweat dripping.  The short rest period of 30 seconds is just enough to allow you to catch your breath, but not enough for your heart rate to completely drop down.  This is one of the bigger problems with a split schedule routine, i.e. chest/triceps one day, back/bi’s the next, etc.  How many times have you seen someone at your gym do a set of a particular exercise, put the weight down, the sit and rest for 60-90+ seconds?  This format is great for body builders or other individuals interested in large, yet not so functional, muscles…but for anyone else wanting to burn some fat and develop a lean, athletic physique…not so much.

This format is all about inducing serious fatigue, then backing off as not to over train the muscle.  Training in this manner allows you to shock your muscle fibers in a way they likely haven’t seen in quite a while, if ever.  Most people don’t train in this manner, so whenever someone new starts this plan, extreme soreness for the first week or so is expected.  That said, once past the soreness, all you have to look forward to are serious gains.

The Workout

Day 1 – Upper Body Focus

Mini-complex #1

  • 8-12 Bench Press, superset with
  • 8-12 Lateral Dumbbell Raises, superset with
  • 8-12 Dumbbell Flat Bench Flys
  • Rest 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 more times

Mini-complex #2

  • 8-12 Single Arm Dumbbell Rows, superset with
  • 10-15 Feet Elevated Push Ups, superset with
  • 8-12 Curl Presses
  • Rest 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 more times

Mini-complex #3

  • 8-12 Dumbbell Military Press
  • 8-12 Overhead Tricep Press, superset with
  • 8-12 Bent Over Rear Delt Dumbbell Flys
  • Rest 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 more times

Mini-complex #4

  • 8-12 Tricep Rope Pushdown, superset with
  • 8-12 Close Grip Lat Pulldown, superset with
  • Dips til failure
  • Rest 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 more times

Day 2 – Lower Body Focus

Mini-Complex #1

  • 8-12 Smith Machine Squats, superset with
  • 15-20 Smith Machine Calve Raises,  superset with
  • 8-10 Squat Jumps
  • Rest 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 more times

Mini-Complex #2

  • 8-12 Reverse Barbell Lunges,  superset with
  • 8-12 Barbell Bench Step Ups,  superset with
  • 8-12 Bulgarian Squats
  • Rest 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 more times

Mini-Complex #3

  • 12-15 Russian Lunges,  superset with
  • 25-30 Bodyweight Squats (get 90 degrees!), superset with
  • 8-12 Leg Press Machine
  • Rest 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 more times.

I’d recommend taking these two workouts and alternating between them so you are hitting your upper body muscles 2-3 times  a week (play around with what ratio works best for you) and your lower body 1-2 times a week.  In addition, I recommend some short HIIT cardio on off-days.  A full program with this routine would look like this…

  • Monday: Day 1 Superset Mini-Complex Workout
  • Tuesday: Day 2 Superset Mini-Complex Workout
  • Wednesday: REST
  • Thursday: 15-20 minutes HIIT Sprinting (:30 second sprint/1 minute jog)
  • Friday: Day 1 Superset Mini-Complex Workout
  • Saturday: Day 2 Superset Mini-Complex Workout
  • Sunday: 15-20 minutes of HIIT Sprinting/Cycling/your choice using a sprint/rest ration of 50% (as used on Thursdays workout)

Every body is different, if you need more weight training, feel free to mess around with my schedule and adjust accordingly.  Just be sure you are NOT over training.  If your muscles are still sore from a pervious workout, I would highly suggest you either train the opposite day or get in a little extra HIIT cardio.

The happy medium for our participants we tested this workout on have been about 2-3 days of upper body training with 1-2 days of lower body training.  Figure out what works best for your body then roll with it for 2-3 months.

Keeping Things Fresh

If you want to keep things fresh, feel free to mess around with the exercises to find different things to challenge yourself.  Head on over to our full site, ShareItFitness.com and browse our exercise video library.  We’ve got hundreds of exercises demonstrated on video for you.  Just browse by body part and you’ll surely find things to supplement what I’ve listed above.

Additionally, and this is very important, make sure you are keeping track of the weights used in a journal, notebook, on your computer, etc.  Reference this often and continually make efforts to bump the weights.  One of the best ways to avoid plateau and keep making progress is by always looking to increase weights as your strength improves.  It’s impossible to improve your strength and physique if you’re using weights that are too easy or that your body has grown used to.  Don’t be afraid to push yourself.  It’ll likely take a bit of mental willpower to lift weights that are uncomfortable at first, but once you see you can make it through a full workout, the next time out will be that much easier.

Happy lifting to everyone, and as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Like This Workout Routine?

…Then you’ll love everything we’ve got over at ShareItFitness.com.  We feature one of the largest full-length exercise video databases on the web in our OnDemand library.  Browse hundreds of group fitness classes and DVD-style workouts that you can stream on any phone, tablet, computer, or television.  All available at the touch of a button, and best of all, free for a little while longer.

 

 

How 60 Seconds Can Make or Break Your Workout

Posted on by Posted in Cardio Training, Training, Weight loss 4 Comments

 

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Start performing high-intensity exercises like box jumps during those precious 60 seconds...

 

To most people, 60 seconds isn’t much.  General consensus is that not much can be done in just a minute.  But hang on…what happens when you combine lots of those insignificant little minutes together?  ….Well, they combine forces and become a powerful chunk of time.  I realize this concept is a bit heady and I probably just blew everyone’s minds, but stay with me….

So think about it…when you’re working out you’re most likely taking a rest between sets, am I right?  For 60-90 seconds, you sit around doing nothing but allowing yourself to catch a breath and your muscles to regain their strength.  Let me first say, there is nothing wrong with working out in this format; hell, I work out like this from time to time.  But with all things fitness, what you are doing needs to be customized to your specific goals. 

Working out with 1-2 minute rest periods after each set is great for those looking to maximize their muscle mass, i.e. get big.  Typically this type of workout is done by bodybuilders, strength athletes, and your run of the mill brodies looking to pump up those beach muscles.  But for the vast majority of you SIF’ers, your goals are different.  You most likely aren’t trying to build a huge chest and pair of biceps.  You guys and girls are more concerned with losing that annoying bit of fat on your stomach, improving your endurance, or adding lean muscle mass evenly across your body.  Doesn’t it make sense to opt for a workout that helps you reach your goals and stop using the standard lift, rest, lift sequence that is so common?  Of course it makes sense…that’s why I’m writing this article.

You see, those 60 seconds between each set are valuable….very valuable.  It’s during this period of time that you are able to transform your boring, hardly effective workout routine into something that will actually transform your body and make even the most fit people in your gym respect what you’re doing.  When you reach fatigue, and continue to push yourself further than what you normally do, your body doesn’t know how to react.  While your body is freaking out and unable to adapt to the additional work load, magic happens.  Your endurance increases, your muscles slowly become more developed and defined, and the fat begins to start melting off your body at an increased rate. 

So, for those of us who aren’t all about our beach muscles or actively engaged in sports requiring great strength, it’s time to change-up your workout format.  One quick point; I’m not saying to NEVER rest.  Rest is important..I’m just saying to make less wasted time by utilizing 60-75% of the time you’re currently resting after sets. 

Below you’ll see the best ways to maximize the 60 or so seconds between your sets and amplify the gains you’re making.

  • Cardio between sets.  Performing strength-based exercises followed by periods of intense cardio is one of the best things you can if you’re going for a total body transformation.  Expect to increase your EPOC which will increase your metabolism, which leads to greater fat burn during (and after) your workout.  A lean, athletic, and healthy body is sure to follow anyone who pushes themselves with this type of workout.  Feel free to get creative with your exercises, but an example would be:

Bench Press/60 second jump rope/Military Press/60 second jump rope/Bench Press/Rest

  • Supersets.  If you’re one of those people who has trouble putting/keeping on weight, and want to focus on building your muscles, go for this type of training over the standard lift/rest/lift sequence.  A superset is when you complete two exercises back-to-back without rest between sets.  You can superset the same body part, i.e. bench press and dumbbell flys or opposing body parts, i.e. skullcrushers and incline dumbbell curls.  Supersets are great for giving you a great muscle burn while also helping you improve your endurance.  A well-designed plan utilizing a lot of supersets will do wonders for your metabolism and physique in general. 

 

  • Short rest.  As you probably realize by now, variety is the spice of life.  It’s also what keeps your body making progress.  If you’ve been accustomed to 60-120 second rest periods, mix things up.  Short rest is strictly timed and makes use of very short rest periods to throw your muscles out of whack.  Rests of 10-20 seconds will allow you enough time to complete another set, but keep your muscles in a near constant state of fatigue.  Consider bringing over a couple sets of weights so you can move to a lower poundage when things become too difficult…and they will.  An example of a short rest sequence looks like this:

100 lb lat pulldown/10 second rest/100 lb lat pulldown/10 second rest/75 lb lat pulldown/15 second rest/50 lb lat pulldown

By doing something other than sitting around and reading about the latest celeb to get knocked up or texting your girlfriends about how your boyfriend is an inconsiderate jackass, make the most of your time.  Think about it for a second, if during a 60 minute workout you have 20 rest periods of 1 minute, and you start performing work during 75% of those rest periods, you’ve just increased your workout by nearly 50%, i.e. adding 15 minutes to a 40 minute long workout. 

Those little minutes are going to add up..If you do this every time, or almost every time out, it’ll be like adding another day or two to your overall workout plan.  How much more progress would you be making if you had an extra day or two spent working out?  Probably a lot more than you’re making now.  Don’t underestimate little things like rest period.  By making the most of your workout and utilizing advanced training concepts as mentioned above, you’ll start looking more like an advanced athlete and less like the chick you see flipping through an US Weekly on the elliptical every day. 

 

Want More Awesome Tips, Articles, and Workout Videos From Share It Fitness?

The days of repeating the same old fitness DVD are over.  If you want access to hundreds of group fitness classes and DVD-style workouts on video, available OnDemand 24/7, at the touch of a button, sign up for our premium site, ShareItFitness.com.  We’re giving away free premium memberships for a little while longer, so don’t wait!  In addition to our OnDemand library we feature tons of great recipes, fitness tips like the ones found in this article, live health and fitness professionals ready to answer your questions, and an interactive social network of other like-minded people.  Don’t delay, join the revolution today!

 

The “Level Up” Workout: The Only Workout Plan That Progresses As You Do

Posted on by Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Weight loss 21 Comments
levelup

Want the body of an athlete? The Level Up Workout Will Get You There....

Doesn’t it seem like almost all fitness plans are designed the same way?  Week 1 you’re doing this, week 2 you’re doing this, etc.  It’s just a steady stream of exercises and workouts to complete.  There is no real concern for how you’re progressing or in some cases, not progressing.  Let me say, I don’t think workout plans created in this manner are inherently bad.  Personally, I’ve created general fitness plans, plyometric weight loss plans, and a variety of other plans that follow this format.  When attempting to create a workout plan for the masses, this is an effective way to go about doing it.

But after hearing countless stories and frustrations from clients and our online users about their own personal situation, it got my wheels turning.  What if there were a way to create a fitness plan, like the highly successful Total Body Blitz, that was more in tune with each individual and their abilities?  Could it be possible to give direction to tens of thousands of people at one time, but respect the different fitness abilities of each individual?  It took a little while, but I’ve put together what I think is the solution to this problem – The Level Up Workout.

The premise behind The Level Up Workout is simple…

  • Scheduled challenge workouts keep things interesting and always give you something to work towards
  • You only graduate or “level up” to the next phase of the fitness plan once you have passed the challenge workout.

I find introducing periodic challenges is a fantastic motivator for a couple of reasons.  People are generally motivated by a challenge and it helps define the progress you’ve been making.  By formatting a workout plan based on this idea, we’re able to allow people to move on to the next phase at their own pace.  No longer are you thrust into doing something too difficult simply because the plan dictates that you do so.  You only “level up” when you’re physically able to do so..simple as that.

The Level Up Workout

The Level Up Workout is designed as a general fitness plan to help you lose weight, i.e. burn fat, build muscle, and develop an overall athletic physique. This plan uses some of our best workout routines as daily workouts, ensuring each day is unique, effective, and challenging.  If you are able to pass the initial challenge workouts, feel free to start at later weeks.

Week 1/2/3 – Focus on establishing a base of endurance for the workouts ahead.

Week 1/2/3 CHALLENGE WORKOUT: Run 1.5 miles in 12 minutes or less.

 

Week 4/5/6 – Continues to focus on endurance while bumping strength training aspects by placing greater emphasis on strength/cardio combo workouts.

Week 4/5/6 CHALLENGE WORKOUT: The 1,200 Rep Challenge. Complete in 26 minutes or less.

 

Week 7/8/9 – We’re going to bump the strength aspect along with our cardio focus during this phase by introducing complex workouts.  Continue to push yourself by using weights that cause muscle fatigue on the last rep or two of the final set.

Week 7/8/9 CHALLENGE WORKOUT:  The 500 Challenge (may use pull up assistance if needed).  Complete in 25 minutes.

 

Week 10/11/12 – Keep doing what you’re doing.  If you’ve made it this far you’ve been totally changing your body and should be making serious progress.  We’re using a lot of HIIT cardio during this phase to increase your fat burn potential and bump your endurance for the challenges ahead.On weight training days, increase the weight as the reps are significantly decreased during this phase; continue to reach fatigue on your last rep of the final set or two.

Week 10/11/12 CHALLENGE WORKOUT: The 300 Workout (For the deadlift and snatch, use the same weight you would use when doing 3 sets of 10.  Use 50% less weight than your deadlift when doing windshield wipers while holding the barbell).  Complete in 31 minutes or less.

 

Week 13/14/15 – We’re going to hit the almost 4-month mark at the end of this phase.  By now, you should already be seeing huge changes in your strength levels, endurance levels, and overall physique.  Things are intense at this point.  If you aren’t able to keep up, I would suggest going back to the previous phase and focusing on nailing the HIIT cardio workouts.

Week 13/14/15 CHALLENGE WORKOUT: 6.2 mile run, 24.8 mile bike ride, 1 mile swim.  If you don’t have access to a pool, substitute the swim for a 3.1 mile run.  Complete this Olympic Tri workout in under 3 hours.

 

**If you are unsure how to perform specific exercises and don’t see a link to a demo on Youtube, simply head over to ShareItFitness.com and browse our Body Diagram containing hundreds of exercise demos on video (or click the previous link).

 

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Photo courtesy of Instinct Magazine

This is the final challenge in The Level Up Workout.  If you are able to complete it in under 3 hours, give yourself a huge congratulations.  If you are simply able to complete it, give yourself a congratulations nonetheless.  You just completed an Olympic distance triathlon.  Bet you didn’t think you could do that when you started all of this, did you?  It’s a huge accomplishment and something to be proud of.

Hopefully by now, a new way of looking at working out and fitness has been instilled in you.  You are now a full-blown lean, mean, athletic machine.  You have what it takes to push yourself harder and further.  But don’t think you’ve made it to the finish line.  Keep working hard.  Sign up for a real triathlon, go for a half-iron man, push yourself to lift heavier weights….The goal is to never stop challenging yourself.  The benefit is going to be continuing to improve your health and creating a body to die for.  Take what you’ve learned from The Level Up Workout over the past 5 months and cement the principles, ideas, and teachings into your life.  You are now that bad-ass in the gym people look up to and wonder how they became what they’ve become.  Congratulations, you made it a long way and are so much better off as a result.

 

Like This Article?  Want More Awesome Content From Share It Fitness?

The days of repeating the same old fitness DVD are over.  If you want access to hundreds of group fitness classes and DVD-style workouts on video, available OnDemand 24/7, at the touch of a button, sign up for our premium site, ShareItFitness.com.  We’re giving away free premium memberships for a little while longer, so don’t wait!  In addition to our OnDemand library we feature tons of great recipes, workout plans like this one, live health and fitness professionals ready to assist you, and an interactive social network of other like-minded people.  Don’t delay, join the revolution today!

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Can You Keep Pace With This Intense New Workout Style? Find Out…

Posted on by Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Weight loss 6 Comments
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Combining weight training exercises in a circuit style will bump your heart rate and lead to better overall gains.

 

 

Anyone into that two birds, one stone sort of thing?  Hey, I mean, why would you not be?  If there’s a way to save myself some time you better believe I’m going to take full advantage of that.  When it comes to working out, my feelings are really no different.  I find my clients/readers who are making the most progress are the one’s who are using cardio/strength workouts and fitness classes.  This format is opposed to the standard strategy of breaking up a routine into separate strength training and cardio training days.

Complex workouts as well as other types of routines using active rest and/or intense-interval plyometric style training are great for getting you to push your muscles to fatigue while also working your cardiovascular system.  The benefits are two-fold, you maximize your burnt calories, EPOC, and progress, while spending less time at the gym.

Meet “Pacer” Training

Unlike some of the fitness plans and work outs we feature on this blog, today’s is a bit different.  The workout we’re featuring today is a video workout which has been set to a very specific pace.  What does this mean?  It means, the entire workout has been designed to keep intensity high and ensure you are getting a proper workout in.  In order to accomplish this you need to keep pace with Casey, the trainer on your screen.  We talk a lot about “keeping pace” on Share It Fitness.  The reason for this is simple..our trainers have designed our workouts at a specific intensity level to ensure maximum progress.  Unlike a list of exercises to complete, when we utilize our pacer training methodologies, we are more able to have control over the workout AND your progress.  All you’ve got to do is keep up with your trainer…that’s it.

About The Workout

pacer This workout is done in reverse pyramid fashion.  Reverse pyramid is a style of organizing your sets so each time through, you are cutting one repetition off each exercise.  This is an effective way to mix things up and keep your muscles guessing.  Casey will run through the entire circuit in about 8 minutes.  In order to get a full workout in, we recommend using this reverse pyramid circuit, complex style.  What this means is once the circuit is complete (after ~8 minutes) re-start the workout video and run through the circuit again.  You want to shoot for 4-5 total rounds, for a 32-40 minute workout.

All you’re going to need is a set of dumbbells and your own body weight for this workout.  This workout is great for hitting the major muscle groups as well as hitting your beach muscles (shoulders, biceps, etc.).  As I alluded to above, this style of workout is also going to bump your heart rate, increase your caloric burn, and boost your fat burn potential well after the workout has ended as a result of increased EPOC.  Remember, to ensure these benefits, it’s very important that you stay with the carefully designed pace that Casey has set.  If he’s moving too quickly for you, well, you now have a new goal to work towards.

The Workout

If you’re ready for a serious challenge and think you’re up for this total body transforming fitness class, simply click HERE.

 

Have any questions?  Want to know how to make this class even harder?  Leave a comment below and I’ll be happy to get back to you.

In and Out in 20: INTENSE Cross-Training Circuit Routine When You’re Pressed For Time

Posted on by Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Weight loss 5 Comments
athletetraining

You want to look like a lean, mean, fit athlete? We'll you better start training like a lean, mean, and fit athlete.

athletetrainign1 218x300 It’s Friday…for a lot of you the week is pretty much over and you’ve already begun switching into weekend-mode…even as you read this from your desk at work.  That’s all well and good and I don’t blame you for wanting to check out early….but do yourself a favor and don’t forget about your fitness the way you did about the cover sheets on your damn TPS reports.

Being that it’s Friday, I think something short, sweet, and intense will do the trick today.  I actually created this two cross-training circuit a couple of months ago and ran through it at the gym last night.  This workout is intense and will do wonders for your endurance as well as helping you get a nice muscle burn going.  As I often preach, if you want to look like an athlete, you’ve got to train like an athlete.  This athletic conditioning circuit is perfect for those wanting to break from their standard routine and add a little variety to their workouts. 

Do your best to complete all 10 rounds of the circuit in under 20-30 minutes.

 

The Workout

Rounds 1-5

  • Barbell Squat/Front Press x 10 reps - Holding a barbell at shoulder level squat down and as you rise, push the barbell up and over your head, extending arms fully. 
  • Plated Box Jumps x 10 reps
  • Plank Rows x 16 reps
  • Barbell Curls x 10 reps
  • Jump Rope 1 minute

Aim to perform all five exercises in a row without rest.  After the 5th exercise rest for 30 seconds.  Repeat the circuit a total of 5 times.  At the end of the 5th round give yourself a full two minutes of rest time.

Rounds 6-10

  • Hindu Push Ups x 10 reps
  • Barbell Box Jumps x 10 reps – With the barbell behind your neck perform box jumps. 
  • Curl Press x 8 reps per arm  – Bicep curl into an overhead press.  Perform one arm at a time.
  • Mountain Climbers x 30 reps

This routine is extremely effective in that it utilizes aspects of plyometrics, standard weight training, and traditional cardio to give you an all around total body burnout.  Cross-training in this fashion is a fantastic way to develop a lean physique and an athletic skill set.  Whether you complete in athletics or not is not the point.  By becoming more athletic you’ll be able to function better in real life and protect yourself from injuries that often afflict other, less agile and fit individuals. 

Bonus Work

If you’re feeling especially motivated (as I was yesterday) go for a little bonus work at the end of this workout.

  • 200 crunches in as few sets as possible.  I was able to knock these out in 4 sets…see if you can top that.
  • 200 push ups in as few sets as possible.  For these it took me 5 sets to complete…give it your best shot and try to do it in 4 sets!

Keep in mind this is just one type of cross-training conditioning workout.  There are countless other programs that can be designed using cross-training methodologies that will help you achieve the physique and health you’re after.  Always look to mix things up and head over to ShareItFitness.com if you’re ever looking for more routines, both video and text-based or assistance from our staff of health and fitness professionals.

 

The Flat Tummy Formula: 5-Step Plan for Burning Belly Fat

Posted on by Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Weight loss 16 Comments

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ShareItFitness.com member Angelica T. showing off her flat tummy

Before we even get started, I’ve got to get a couple of things out of the way upfront…The Flat Tummy Formula is intense.  It’s strict, it’s tough, it’s demanding, it’s (fill in the blank).  I get it.  When I developed this 5 step formula to help you burn belly fat and slim down your midsection, I knew what I was asking of you.  I knew a lot of you would fizzle out and not be able to stick to the formula.

The bright side of this  is it really, absolutely, positively, WILL work for you if you can stick to this formula.  I’ve benefitted from being able to test this thing out on family, friends, clients, and even myself over the past 10 years and have found the keys to unlocking “six-pack abs” and making your belly fat a thing of the past.

At the end of the day, like almost all things fitness related, it comes down to how bad you want it.  How bad do you want to have a flat stomach?  How bad do you want to not feel self-conscious?  How bad do you really want that fried chicken?  Do you want it more than a tight and toned midsection?  Truthfully answer questions like that and you’ll have a good idea if this formula is going to be “too tough” for you to follow.

Burning Belly Fat

  1. Cut Sugar and Simple Carbs NOW.  Sugar, high-fructose corn syrup…it’s all junk.  Sugar and other simple carbs) has been shown to have a negative impact on belly fat due to the havoc they wreak on your blood sugar levels.  Avoid the insulin spike, avoid the fat retention, and avoid all the other ugly side effects this white devil brings on.  You want to get serious about your diet?  Stop eating unnecessary sugar; sugar is bad for belly fat.  Now, I do realize fruit contains sugar.  I’m not anti-fruit, I’m just anti-over doing it with fruit.  Be cognizant to the fact that even though fruit is healthy, it still contains insulin-spiking sugars that will cause you trouble if you consume too much.  Shoot for no more than 25 grams per day; with less being even better.
  2. HIIT Cardio 3x a Week.  HIIT cardio, i.e. short bursts of all out intensity followed by longer and more relaxed periods (:30 all out sprint/1:30 jog/repeat 15 times) is THE most effective way to burn fat.  Long and slow bouts of cardio aren’t going to get you where you want to be.  Go with HIIT sprinting and possibly a day of HIIT cycling (on a stationary or actual bike).  A Monday/Wednesday/Friday set up for your HIIT cardio would be fantastic.  Aim to keep sessions around 20-30 minutes to start with an eye on gradually increasing to a full 45 minutes.
  3. Complex Workouts 2X a Week.  Complex workouts are quite possibly the most effective way to get additional cardio AND train your muscles.  This short but intense style of work is excellent at trimming fat, improving endurance, and helping you build lean muscle.  Remember, adding lean muscle mass to your body will help boost your metabolism, which in turn will help your body burn more calories than it otherwise would.  A heightened metabolism is the key to losing your belly fat for good.
  4. Abdominal work 3x a Week.  Ab workouts should be in the 15-20 minute range.  Feel free to tack these on the end of your other workouts, or complete them on off days.  Just be sure to give yourself 48 hours between ab workouts.  If you have access to a gym, day 1 should be heavy.  Do decline crunches while holding a plate, use the weighted crunch machine, perform side bends with a heavy plate in your hand..you get the idea.  Day 2 should be high repetition.   Shoot for 30-40 reps of bicycle crunches, leg up crunches, in/outs, etc.  Day 3, get yourself a $7 ab wheel and just roll it out.  The movement an ab wheel requires hits the abs better than almost any other core exercise in my opinion.
  5. Intermittent Fasting.  Intermittent fasting involves a 18-24 hour fast every so often.  Some do it every other day, some do it once a week.  I find once every 4-5 days is most effective.  And before people get all up in arms about this approach, there have been numerous studies that suggest a reduced calorie diet will lead to longer life spans.  Read about intermittent fasting and increase life spans here or check out this study on intermittent fasting and disease prevention to get a better idea of how some of the medical community views this approach.  Personally, this was one of the biggest factors for a lot of people I’ve worked with.  Take your time to do due diligence and see if IF is right for you.

I should add, there is actually a sixth, unofficial step in this formula.  That step is having PATIENCE and PERSEVERANCE.  The changes you want aren’t going to come over night.  They aren’t even going to come in a month.  Getting the midsection I know you want is going to take several months of work.  But in the grand scheme…what is a few months?  It’s nothing.

flattummymale2 There are going to be days you don’t want to do the workouts.  There are going to be days you want to eat a carton of ice cream.  There are going to be days you swear this formula isn’t doing anything for you and you curse my name.  All of those feelings and emotions will pass.  The people with the greatest success do NOT allow themselves to make knee-jerk decisions or react to emotional thoughts.  Persevere even when you feel you are wasting your time and you will soon find these negative thoughts easier to ignore.  Eliminating negative thoughts and overcoming burnout is the key to achieving success on any fitness plan, whatever your goals are.  Give this plan a solid 3 months.  Make the changes, do the workouts, and give it your all, and I guarantee, without a shadow of a doubt, you will have MUCH flatter, tighter, and a more defined midsection than you do today.

Looking for Additional Support?

Need some help with workout ideas or just want to connect with and hear from other people already using the Flat Tummy Formula?  Come on over to our full site, www.shareitfitness.com, and sign up for your FREE premium membership.  We’ve got hundreds of full-length (15-60 minutes) OnDemand workouts at your fingertips, a supportive community forum, and access to live health/fitness professionals ready to answer your questions or assist you. Membership will be free for a little while longer, so hurry up and sign up before it’s too late.

The “Get Toned” Hoax: The Most Destructive Buzz Word in Fitness

Posted on by Posted in Cardio Training, Strength Training, Training, Weight loss 11 Comments

toned hoax She’s “toned”…and she didn’t get that way doing 5 lb. dumbbell curls…

We hear the word all the time.  Pilates studios tell us we’ll get,  “Long, lean, and toned muscles!”.  The covers of fitness magazines tell us “Tight and toned in 4 weeks!”.  Yoga studios tell us, “A total body tone!”.  Have you ever wondered what “toned” really means?

“I Want to Tone Up!”

To most people, “toned” means ripped, shredded, defined, cut….whatever you want to call it, in your mind, it means you have well-defined musculature.  Women in particular think of “getting toned” as the alternative to “getting big and bulky”.  Fitness providers are wise to this, and thus, use the word toned, especially when targeting potential female consumers.  This doesn’t mean they’re doing something dishonest, they’re just using a buzz word they know their potential customers are paying attention to and looking for.

So what does “toned” really mean?  Well first off, when someone says they want to get “toned”, they are really saying, I want less body fat covering my muscles, thereby making my muscles look more defined, pronounced, or……toned.  That’s all being toned really is.  People with less body fat covering their body will look more toned.

How You DON’T Get Toned

Now that we know what “toned” really means, isn’t it obvious there aren’t specific exercises that lead to a “toned” appearance?  Lifting 5 lb dumbbells won’t lead to less body fat covering your biceps.  It’s ridiculous to think this even possible.  Just like there isn’t only one weight that will lead to toned muscles, there aren’t specific exercises that will make someone toned, while other exercises make them “big and bulky”.  Talk to any fitness professional who isn’t trying to sell you something….they’ll all tell you to forget what you’re reading on the fitness mag covers about how to get “toned”.

How You DO Get Toned

Knowing what we now know, the goal of getting toned has become much easier to reach.  A well-designed plan that incorporates ample amounts of cardio (to burn the fat covering your muscles) and compound exercises (to actually build the muscle) will eventually result in a toned appearance.  The line between too much cardio and not enough is fine.  Do too much cardio and you’ll start wasting away your muscle gains and start looking like a marathon runner (not toned).  Not enough and you’ll never burn the fat covering your muscles.

Additionally, change your diet and you’ll start noticing changes fast.  Getting toned is about being lean.  Eat foods that help you reach your goal while avoiding foods that hinder your progress.  Consume ample protein to build muscle tissue and make sure to avoid sugars and other simple carbs that your body will easily store as fat.

The Big and Bulky Myth

All of you reading this have the potential to develop a beautifully tight and toned body.  For many of the women out there, they never accomplish their goal because they allow themselves to become too scared of getting “big and bulky”.  This topic has been beaten to death, but allow me to very quickly explain to you why this won’t happen.

  • Female bodies do not possess the same levels of the hormone testosterone  (15-20 times less than men).  Testosterone is an anabolic (muscle building) hormone.  On the other hand, women have far more of the hormone estrogen than men.  Estrogen is a catabolic hormone (muscle destroying).
  • Men are genetically predisposed to building more muscle.  Under a perfect scenario a man could theoretically gain up to half a pound of muscle a week.  Women, if they’re lucky, could gain a third of this at best.
  • You don’t get bulky overnight.  Instead of refusing to do certain exercises, or using heavy weights for fear of getting bulky, give it a shot and see how you look/feel before swearing them off.
  • You aren’t eating like a man, are you?  Muscle doesn’t build itself out of thin air.  There is a reason bodybuilders, big men, and high-caliber strength athletes eat thousands upon thousands of calories a day.  In order to build serious muscle, you’ve got to feed your body insane amounts of food.  If you aren’t eating like an offensive lineman, you don’t need to worry about turning into one overnight.

toned hoax male

The “Get Toned” Plan

A lot of you are now probably wondering, “Okay great, now how do I get toned…I mean, how do I burn fat, build muscle, and build a healthy and lean physique?”  So glad you asked.  As I mentioned before, you need a well-designed plan that walks the fine line between not enough cardio and too much.  Given the opportunity to test and re-test the ratio on myself and clients over the years, I believe I found something that will work will for MOST individuals.  As I always preach, fitness is NOT an exact science.  What works for one may not work for another.  Tweak things here and there as needed for your body type.  If you need a little more cardio, add 10-15 minutes a day…Have a hard time building muscle? Cut back until you’re able to keep muscle on.

A 5 day routine looking like something below would be ideal…Notice that each workout has been defined as either fat burning, muscle building, or a combo of both.  When subbing in your own workouts, if you so choose, opt to keep the ratio of fat burning/muscle building workouts.

  1. Monday - Explosive plyometric cardio workout, 45 minutes (primary-fat burning/secondary-muscle building)
  2. Tuesday - Lower body weight training using compound exercises (leg press, squats, Bulgarian squats, box jumps, deadlifts, etc) 60 minutes (muscle building)
  3. Wednesday – Complex workout sessions, 30-40 minutes (primary-fat burning/secondary-muscle building)
  4. Thursday - Upper body weight training using compound exercises (bench press, dips, military press, lat pulldowns, etc.) 60 minutes (muscle building)
  5. Friday – Intense interval cardio, 45-60 minutes (fat burning)

Feel free to sub in some HIIT cardio on cardio days or add an extra day of yoga, pilates, kickboxing, etc. on the weekend.  If you’re looking for a huge database of full-length OnDemand fitness classes (like the ones mentioned above) you can take at home or anywhere else you have an internet connection, come check out our full premium site and sign up now for free access.

Change Yourself

The only thing stopping you from developing the body of your dreams is yourself.  You’re the one who allows your know-it-all inner voice to talk you out of doing the right things.  You allow yourself to be overcome with doubt and fear of getting too bulky.  Forget that.  For once, listen to a fitness professional who ISN’T trying to sell you something.  Once you make better decisions in the gym and in the kitchen that lean, athletic, and “toned” body won’t seem so far away after all.

What are some workouts that have been particularly great in helping you develop your body?  Comment below and share your workout tips, advice, and secrets!  Good karma will follow…!