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Guess what kills your results faster than a moment of weakness at Krispy  Kreme?

That’s right, routine.

Have you ever seen the bro’s at the big box gyms that celebrate National Bench Press Day every Monday. They’ve been doing the same thing over and over forever. The fact that they don’t look any different, aren’t any leaner or stronger is beside the point. They are slaves to their routine.

There’s nothing wrong with a familiar comfortable workout. Not every workout should take an hour to psyche up for. Heck medium-hard is where the majority of most training takes place.

But, just one minor tweak will instantly maximize your results. Just changing one or a few things to your training regularly will pay compound interest in progress. You’ll lose more fat faster, get toned quicker, and be way stronger and injury proofed with one little thing. Just to add in one exercise you haven’t done before. Get out of your comfort zone for 10 minutes each workout. You’ll be amazed at the amount of progress you’ll make in a short time.

Just try a new move each workout. Change your grip, change where your feet go. Just change it. Your body burns more fat while  adapting itself to new challenges, so give it some challenges.

This is  one of the reasons my clients and campers get crazy results  so quick. No routines. Ever.

Comfort zones are a faint memory.

There are some basics that will always be in your training. Squatting and picking stuff up off the ground. Pushing things away from you. Pulling yourself up. Throwing things over your head.

The principles never change. The exercises you’re choosing to apply the principle to should always change.

So you change.

Dedicated to Your Success,
Dave

Boring or Ineffective? How about Both!

I meet a lot of you that are stuck. Stuck with 20-30 even 50 pounds of fat you don’t want. Stuck in clothes that are 4 sizes larger than you want to be in.  Often you’re stuck working out for hours and hours with no results to show for it!  Sometimes you’re even gaining fat because of the exercise you do!

Everyone it seems, including the USDA, thinks that the key to fat-loss is lots and lots of aerobic exercise. And you’re probably thinking to yourself, “If I could just get an extra couple of hours of some of that  sweet cardio  maybe 6 or 7 days a week, then I’d see a flat stomach for sure!”

For the record –IT’S NOT TRUE! Not at all. Not even a little bit.
You’ve been told Lies, Lies, Lies!

Did you know the USDA came out with their recommendation to do 60-90 minutes of aerobics for fat-loss in 2005?  The FIRST EVER research study to confirm the accuracy  of their advice didn’t come out until LATE 2007. Do you know what the study showed?

Men who did moderate to vigorous (target heart rate zone) exercise for over 60 minutes per day, 6 days per week, for an ENITRE YEAR lost ONLY 6.5 lbs of body fat! That is a half pound per month, for more than 6 hours of exercise per week!

So, if you had 20 lbs to lose, all you’d need is 18 hours of aerobic exercise per week and you’d be set in 12 months! Do you have 18 hours to spare each week? No really do you? If you did would you really want to spend it power walking on a treadmill?

There’s a better way that will get you much leaner in way less time. But because of the brainwashing that has set in you may need a little more convincing.  So let’s look at two more studies.
Researchers in Australia took two groups and put them on very different programs.
Group 1

■ 20 minutes of high-intensity interval training (at week one they did only 5 min)

■ 3 days per week

■ In 15 weeks, they lost an average of 5.5 lbs of fat

Group 2
■ 40 minutes of steady state aerobics (TWICE as much exercise)

■ 3 days per week

■ In 15 weeks, they GAINED an average of 1 lbs of fat

In HALF as much time, the interval group lost body fat while the steady state group actually got fatter(ouch)!

This is not new information.

Way back in 1994 Canadian researchers pitted steady-state aerobics vs. interval training:
Group 1: Was put on a 15-week interval training program

■ Burned only 13,614 calories during their workouts

Group 2: Was put on a 20-week steady-state aerobic program (5 weeks longer)

■ Burned 28,661 calories during their workouts (more than TWICE as many)

But Group 1(interval training) lost 450% MORE body fat than group 2, despite the fact that their training program was both shorter AND burned fewer calories! The calories you burn during your workout are much less important than the calories  you burn after your workout.

What exactly is Interval Training? I’d describe it as working very hard for a brief period(usually 30seconds to 2min) followed by a longer period of relatively easy recovery. You warm up, do this hard/easy cycle 6-10 times, cool down and stop.A 20-30minute workout at most. But way better results than hours of cardio. And you also have more time for the more interesting things in your life.

Why Interval Training Is So Much Better:
Interval training is like putting your money in a high-yield, low-risk mutual fund (which doesn’t actually exist) while steady-state aerobics is like saving your money under your mattress. It beats spending everything you make, but you get no residual benefit and your money (efforts) are constantly being eroded by inflation.

Example:A 30-minute jog will give you 30 minutes of a metabolic boost and that’s it. So, it is definitely better than watching American Idol for fat-loss.

However, a 20-minute, high-intensity interval workout will:

■ Burn more calories during the actual workout

■ Create a 12, 24, or even 36 hour metabolic boost after you workout (this way you actually can work on your fat-loss while watching American Idol)

■ Cause your body to burn more fat all day long (your body will burn a greater percentage of calories from fat all day long after an intense workout. Whereas, the low-intensity stuff, like jogging, seems to decreases this percentage slightly.)

In addition there really is aerobic “inflation.” Every time you do an aerobic workout your body gets better at it – better in the sense that it burns fewer calories and less fat every time you do the workout.
With interval (and resistance training) you can train once and reap the benefits for 1-2 days afterwards.  But, with aerobics the benefits cease as soon as you stop exercising.

These studies are one reason clients dump so much fat when they switch to our  programs. Even when they’ve already been exercising for a long time. Our Bootcamps don’t have any long runs. Just short burst cardio sessions(usually body-weight cardio) interspersed with resistance. Because steady state isn’t effective for fat loss we threw it out. So you get better results in less time.

Friday I’ll share a few beginner and intermediate Short-Burst Cardio programs you can use in your training to start or accelerate your own fat-loss.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Dave

‎”If things start to become complicated, stop, regroup, and start over. Success is always simple. Not easy, but simple.” – Larry Winget

Step One: remove cat

Your kitchen will make or break your weight loss results.

Countless successful clients have told me they just stopped buying the crap that was causing them to fail. To accelerate this some have done a kitchen clean out. I think it helps you mentally too. Out with old habits and in with new!

A kitchen stocked with the makings for healthy meals and snacks will keep you on track, even when late-night cravings strike. On the flip side, a kitchen filled with unhealthy munchies will kill your drive and results every single time.

So what should your cupboards hold and what should be off limits? I’ve designed this self-guided kitchen raid to help you sort out the good from the bad.

Go ahead, grab a garbage bag, print out the list below, and then head to the kitchen.

Your Refrigerator
Let’s start with the fridge, the heart of your kitchen. If you find something in your fridge that is on the “Dump this” list, then you know what you have to do. Get that garbage bag ready.

Dump this: Drinks with high fructose corn syrup or sugar such as juices from concentrate.

* Replace with: Water. It is a well known fact that most people are partially dehydrated, a condition that is harmful to your health and wreaks havoc on your weight loss efforts.

Dump this: Rich dairy products. Such as heavy cream and cream cheese. Eliminate high-fat cheeses and milks.

* Replace with: Fresh Vegetables. The produce drawer in your fridge should be overflowing with colorful nutrient-rich veggies. In fact, your fridge should hold more veggies than the drawer can hold. Veggies are filled with fiber, vitamins and nutrients and are a vital part of a healthy well-rounded diet.

Dump this: Fatty meats.

* Replace with: Lean meats. Skinless chicken breast, lean ground turkey, white fish – there are numerous choices when it comes to lean meats.

Dump this: Fruit-flavored yogurt.  More than 50% of the calories in fruit-flavored yogurt come from sugar.

* Replace with: Plain low-fat yogurt, Greek yogurt, or low-fat cottage cheese.  Another option is to have a scoop of low-fat cottage cheese with chopped fruit on top.

Your Freezer
Next let’s take a look into your freezer. Anyone who has walked the freezer aisles at the store knows how plentiful frozen temptations are. How does your freezer measure up?

Dump this: Ice cream.(worst “food” ever for those trying to lose fat) Save yourself from that temptation and don’t buy ice cream.

* Replace with: Frozen fruit and low sugar pudding.

Dump this: Frozen Pizza.  Try instead to make a healthy pizza with a whole wheat crust and lots of fresh veggies as toppings.

* Replace with: Turkey or Veggie Patties.

Dump this: Frozen dinners. Yes I know they’re fast and “low cal” OPRAH said so! They’re also full of preservative, chemicals and High Fructose Corn Syrup.

* Replace with: Home-made Portioned Meals. Spend some time on the weekends to cook up healthy meals, and then freeze them in portioned containers. Then throughout the week you simply need to reheat and enjoy.

Dump this: Frozen Breakfast Food such as French toast, waffles and pancakes are popular items in the freezer aisle.

* Replace with: Whole Grain Bread and Muffins. It is just as easy to throw a slice of sprouted, whole grain bread into the toaster as it is a frozen waffle. Spread it with some natural peanut butter and pair it with a piece of fruit. Now that’s a much healthier breakfast.

Your Pantry
Last, but not least, we come to your pantry. This may be the most painful part of your kitchen raid, since most junk food ends up here. So take a moment to give yourself a pep talk before grabbing that garbage bag and opening your pantry.

Dump this: Sugar-filled cereal.

* Replace with: Whole Grain Oatmeal.-(Not flavored  or sweetened. That’s sugar disguised as oatmeal). Use honey or fruit to add flavor.

Dump this: Refined/White Bread/White Rice/ Heavily Processed Pasta.-

* Replace with: Whole Grain Bread/Brown Rice/Pasta.  Whole grain is filled with healthy fiber, and is less likely to contain harmful, waist-expanding ingredients.

Dump this: Chips/Crackers.

* Replace with: Almonds.-(most popular-get me to the next meal snack today.)

Dump this: Packaged Sweets such as cookies, cakes and candies. Nothing here you don’t know already.

* Replace with: Dried Fruit.  Make sure that you purchase dried fruit that does not contained added sugars.

That’s it raid over. Do this raid every couple of months as a way of keeping yourself on track. Talk with your family members about the healthy changes that you’re making, and try to get everyone’s support.

(Sidebar-What to do if your husband or kids don’t want to eat what you’re eating? You have 2 choices-

1. Tell them they can starve until they get on board. Why would you want your closest loved ones to eat junky fattening unhealthy food anyway? We haven’t had a  husband die of starvation yet.

2. Tell them they’re on their own and put their food into a box and set it in another part of the kitchen. Keep their food segregated and out of sight and refuse to cook it.-Remember you’re not a doormat.

-end rant)

You know that weight loss comes as a result of healthy eating and consistent, challenging workouts. Call or email today to get started on a fitness program that will get you on the fast-track to your best body ever.

If you’re going to read on book about eating, nutrition, getting and staying lean for life(and you just need the facts-no drama) I recommend Food Rules by Michael Pollan.

Here’s the link to Amazon-Food Rules by Michael Pollan (I make no money with this link, just so you know). Yes, I know the book is $6. How much are you willing to pay to look and feel better the rest of your life? Just asking.

Hope this helps you on your way to less struggle, and a leaner better body and more energy than you’ve ever had!

Dedicated to Your Success,

Dave

Energy and persistence conquer all things.
Benjamin Franklin

The Ultimate Key to Success Is Your Ability To Motivate Yourself To Take Consistent Action And Change Your Habitual Behaviors

Your mind can do some amazing things to your body. Your beliefs, thoughts, and internal dialogue will have a profound effect on your fat-loss.

Here are my Top 10 Tips for getting your mind right to lose fat, fast.

1) There will never ever be a perfect time to start.

So start now.

2) Take control of your belief system.

You have to believe it will work or it won’t.

3) Write down your goals.

Set 3 short-term goals (achievable in 3-4 weeks) and 3 long-term goals (8-12 weeks, 6 months, 1 year). The 12-month goal should be just beyond realistic – so even if you fall short, you’ve crushed it.

4) Plan your success.

This is the process part – goals are your end point, but writing down the processes on paper will get you to your goals.

5) Put together a list of accountability partners.

Relying on your own will power is a bad idea that leads to a lot of  struggle, failure and self-blame. There are 4 types of accountability in this game. They’re listed from weakest to strongest:

1) accountability to yourself

2) to your coach/trainer

3) to your training partners/fellow boot campers

4) to friends, family and the public (Biggest Loser anyone?)

– The more types of accountability you put in place, the higher your chances of success

6) There is no right diet.

The right diet is the eating plan you will STICK with.

7) Take measurements and photographs.

Denial and vague ideas are of no use in the process of achieving results.

8 ) Deadlines are one of the greatest inventions ever.

A deadline acts as a forcing mechanism. Forcing you to take  to action even when you don’t feel like it, and you need that. So use them and stick to them (remember your short-term and long-term goals?).

9) Reward yourself for accomplishment.

Doesn’t have to be food, it can be anything that makes you happy.

10) Perseverance is your friend.

Never, ever give up. If it took you 10 years to get to your current weight, it may take more than 4 weeks to get it off. Expect occasional failures and setbacks, but once they’ve happened, pick yourself up and get focused back on your goals.