Don’t let the Economy Keep you Fat!
December 21, 2008
I was a little more than disturbed the other day when I overheard someone at the gym explain to the lady at the front desk that she cannot train anymore and that she would have to quit the gym. When asked why, her reply was because the economy is killing her and she has to think of her finances.
I am not going to pretend to know what her circumstances are or if she is truly struggling to pay her bills… but the reality is this: Once she quits, training and quits going to the gym, she will stop training, and she will gain all of her weight back. (Incidentally, she had already lost 15 pounds and was doing great.) Read more
Can you burn Fat with NO “cardio?”
December 12, 2008
I had an interesting conversation with an “in home” client of mine a couple of months ago. He was wondering if he will still be able to burn fat without the use of traditional cardio exercise.
He has no treadmill, elliptical machine, stationary bike, or any other machines in his home.
I told him, that without a doubt he could lose fat and will lose fat without doing any of that stuff. In fact, he may see more fat burning than when he counted on his 30 minutes-a-day treadmill work.
The results are in…after 2 short months, he has lost 2 inches around his waist, and 15 pounds. No “cardio” was done. None at all.
So, without the use of traditional cardio, how was he able to be successful in burning fat?
I met with him three times a week, for one hour in his basement “gym.” All we had were two sets of dumbbells, a heavy bar, stability ball, and one super band.
The program consisted of carefully timed circuits with very little rest between sets.
I had this man perform squats, squats with presses, Lunges, walking lunges, DB dead lifts, rows (all kinds,) band presses, step ups, DB swings, DB clean and press, and some core work.
Nothing magic, nothing out of the ordinary…just good and effective old-school training. This man happens to be 67 years old and he is training as effectively as someone half his age… and getting better results than most.
I make him do higher range repetitions (8-15) and multiple sets within each circuit. This keeps his heart rate way up, and he will burn fat during and after his training session.
The lesson here is that fat can be burned more effectively by not performing traditional “Cardio” as long as you are programming your strength training the correct way. You don’t need ellipticals, treadmills, bikes and worse…30-60 minutes of boring cardio to get results!
13 Random Thoughts
December 8, 2008
- People need to measure fat loss success by seeing how their clothes fit, rather then worrying about the scale.
- People need to fine-tune their macronutrient intake (Carbs, proteins, and fats) as much or more than their physical training sessions. Diet is a HUGE component of success in fitness. Whether it is fat loss, or muscle gain. Sometimes macronutrients need to be adjusted each day, depending on what you are doing.
- People need to get more active in the hours that they are NOT with their trainer or not at the gym. Take a walk, do some housework, play with your kids. Do something. The more “extra” movements you are doing, the better. Read more
Killer “At Home” Fat Loss workouts for the clinically insane
December 1, 2008
I get asked all of the time for “at home workouts” that will be quick but will get maximum results. This is one of the workouts I gave a few people last week. They told me that I was insane. I replied that they were more insane for doing it.
They did it, hated it and loved it at the same time.
Does it work? That is for you to decide. If you make it through, I think you will be a believer. Burn fat? You bet!
Good luck, and remember…do your best. Even if you cannot make it through the first time, do the best you can.
PS: There is no rest between exercises, only a 20 second rest between circuits.
As always, check with your physician before you start any kind of training program.
Circuit 1:
- Alternating Lunges with DB’s - 45 seconds
- T-Pushups with DB’s- 45 seconds
- Squat Jumps - 45 seconds
- 2 arm DB Clean and Overhead Press - 45 seconds
- Sumo Squats with DB’s - 45 seconds
20 second Rest
Circuit 2:
- Standing Two Point DB Rows - 45 seconds
- Squat with an Overhead Press with DB’s - 45 seconds
- Mountain Climbers - 30 seconds
- Split Squat Jumps - 30 seconds
- Burpees with a Jump - 45 seconds
20 second Rest
Circuit 3:
- Step ups (alternating) with DB’s - 45 seconds
- Pushups - 45 seconds
- DB swings (two hands) - 45 seconds
- Reverse Lunges - 45 seconds
- Reverse Crunches - 60 seconds
Repeat if you dare
Burnout
December 1, 2008
You have been working at your fat loss or fitness program for months now. Day in and day out, you make it to the gym, put your time in, and reap the benefits. You are starting to see progress, and things are going really well for you right now.
You are reaching your goals, you are looking good and feeling great…then how come you are losing motivation? Why don’t you just feel like making it to the gym, or doing your program? Why do you dread working out or training now?
Chances are, if this has ever happened to you, that you are experiencing burnout. Burnout is a real and can happen to anyone; even the most motivated and disciplined people.
Just like going to work each day, working out can get old fast.
Dealing With Burnout
How do we combat burnout so we don’t just stop exercising and lose all of our motivation?
When you start to feel like you are experiencing burnout, follow these steps and get your motivation back for good.
- Change your program! You don’t have to stop training, but instead, change things up. If you are following a program and have been strict about it, great…but that does not mean you cannot veer away from the program for a while to re-fuel your fire. If you are doing a program that calls for 4 days a week, change it to 2 or 3 days a week. If you have been doing full body routines…change to a body part split routine. No matter what it is, change something up. This will help make things fresh.
- Take some time off. Yes, I said it…take time off. There is no harm in taking a few days off, getting away from the gym and resetting yourself. If the alternative is losing interest and stopping your training all together, it is better to take a few days and get yourself right. Besides, in many cases your body might need the break and signs of burnout may be telling you something.
- Find a new form of training for a couple of weeks. If you are doing weights or resistance training, do a week or two of cardio instead. If you are doing mostly cardio (i.e. machines) do some body weight circuits for a while. I have done this a lot. When things get stale and I start to get burnt, I switch things up. I have done a few weeks of high rep, body weight routines just to change it up and when I get back to the weights, I have returned refreshed and better than ever. Some people join a boot camp or a class, but whatever it is, make it way different than what you have been doing.
- Find a new place to train for a while. If you have been going to the gym, train at home and vice versa. New locations can help a lot with burn out. With that said, try training at a brand new time. Just seeing fresh faces in the gym can help a lot.
- If you train a lone, get a partner. Even if it isn’t someone you will continue to work with, having someone that you can count on to push you will help minimize the boredom and burnout.
- Change your play list. Sounds simple, but I know many people that listen to the same exact music for months. Go download a brand new playlist and train to something entirely new. I do this routinely. I will train to rap for a few weeks and then change to hard rock or something different.
No matter what you do, make sure you change things up. There is nothing worse than continuing down the road of burnout without changing things. If you don’t, you may just get burnt for good.
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