Happy Holidays | Download Your Free Gifts

Happy Holidays, to those who are regular readers of this blog and to those who are new to the blog. Please take a moment to download your "Free" eBooks that I have put together, especially for the holidays. Please consider this as my "Gift" to "You" for the Holidays as a thank you for being apart of this Blog! = )

The eBooks can be downloaded HERE

500 Workout; What Is It & How To Do It...

Here’s a pretty cool article by Craig Ballantyne, author of Turbulence Training…

If you’ve seen the movie “300″, then you probably notice the incredible physiques that the actors had. There has been much hype over the film 300, or more specifically over the athletic physiques of the men that appeared in the film. Many people were soon asking, how do I get a body like that? What sort of training program do I need to follow? Is it possible for the average guy to look so athletic? In short, the answer is yes. But it requires a lot of hard work. The sculpted bodies in the movie "300" were chiseled by the legendary 300 workout found in Men's Health magazine. The actors trained hardcore, using kettle bells, weights, bodyweight, tires, and more.

But for most people, this workout was difficult to do because it includes a lot of equipment typically not found in home gyms or commercial gyms. So you couldn't do the kettle bell clean and press or box jumps.

That's why Men's Health expert Craig Ballantyne developed the Turbulence Training Bodyweight 500 workout. This is a 500 repetition workout performed using only bodyweight exercises. No weights are needed. It's still challenging, it will still burn fat, and it will still help you achieve the body of a Greek Warrior. The great thing is that you can do it in any gym, or with a few pieces of equipment, a home gym also.

Craig Ballantyne describes how the workout developed:

"Now earlier this year I tried the 300 movie workout. It is a challenging 300 repetition workout put together by a trainer for the lead actor in the 300 movie. This isn't how they did their workouts...it was just a test of his strength-endurance."

Here is the workout all exercises are done without rest:

No visual effects my friends, just hardcore training.

Read on for another version of a workout to test your boundaries.

The Men’s Health 300 workout did an incredible job of creating actors with ripped abs for the 300 movie.

But for most people, this workout was difficult to do because it includes a lot of equipment typically not found in home gyms or commercial gyms. So you couldn’t do the kettle bell clean and press or box jumps.

That’s why I came up with the Turbulence Training Bodyweight 500 workout. This is a 500 repetition workout performed using only bodyweight exercises. No weights are needed. It’s still challenging, it will still burn fat, and it will still help you achieve the body of a Greek Warrior. The great thing is that you can do it in any gym.

Now earlier this year I tried the 300 movie workout. It is a challenging 300 repetition workout put together by a trainer for the lead actor in the 300 movie. This isn’t how they did their workouts…it was just a test of his strength-endurance.

Here’s the workout…Do not rest between exercises. Just go, go, go.

Pullups - 25 reps

Deadlifts with 135lbs - 50 reps

Pushups - 50 reps

24-inch Box jumps - 50 reps

Floor wipers - 50 reps

1-arm 36lbs Kettlebell Clean n Press - 50 reps

Pullups - 25 reps

That was one tough workout. But like I said, I think I’ve put together something that is just as tough, and more available for people to do. Obviously both are advanced workouts…and you shouldn’t do either unless you are as fit as a college athlete.

So here is my TT Bodyweight 500 Workout:

50 Prisoner Squats

50 Pushups

25 Jumps

25 Stability Ball Leg Curls

50 Stability Ball Jackknifes

50 Step-ups (25 reps per side)

25 Pull-ups (NO substitutions)

50 Forward Lunges (25 reps per side)

50 Close-grip Pushups

50 Inverted Rows

50 Squats

25 Chin-ups (NO substitutions)

Whew! Where you are really going to slow down is with the pulling exercises. That is a lot of chin ups and pull ups and rows to do in one workout. But you will have such an arm and shoulder pump after the workout it will blow you away.

You can watch the workouts on the Internet. Just search You tube for Bodyweight 500 or Turbulence Training.

WARNING! WARNING. This is a very advanced workout. So don’t do it unless you are already fit.

If you aren’t super-fit, but want to work up in a challenge, I have an alternative for you. Start with the following workout, called the Bodyweight 100. Please note: This is still not a beginner workout.

Here is the bodyweight 100. Do the 100 workout on a Saturday. After 7 days, try it again, doing it two times. One week after that, try doing it 3 times. Then you could be ready for the Bodyweight 500 in the fourth week.

20 Prisoner Squats

20 Pushups

10 Jumps

10 Inverted Rows

20 Forward Lunges (10 reps per side)

15 Close-grip Pushups

5 Chin-ups or Inverted Rows

Those are the 300 and Bodyweight 500 workouts. These will put turbulence on your muscles and help you burn fat and boost your metabolism without slow boring cardio.


Men’s Health expert Craig Ballantyne has designed the trademarked Turbulence Training home fat burning workouts to help thousands of men and women with weight loss and fat burning in less than 45 minutes three times per week. Craig’s workouts help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment. Craig’s beginner bodyweight workouts for fat loss help you lose fat without any equipment at all.

Check out the official website for the Bodyweight 500 Workout

Fat Burners - Do They Really Burn Fat Or Just Your Money?

There are a thousand products out there claiming to change your life over night. The truth is, NOTHING CHANGES OVERNIGHT!

Read On.... Before You End Up Burning Money Instead!!

There are literally an endless number of different weight loss systems, and fat burners available on the web today, most of which are overpriced and ineffective junk. The recent statistics are to no surprise: Over 97% of people who begin a weight loss program quit after just a few weeks due to a lack of positive results. This is a vicious circle created by the marketers so they can sell you more and more. Consumers who are in the "Hope & Purchase" cycle are ideal targets for them to make money! Yes!! That's true! Avoid being in this vicious circle at any cost!

You spend $60 on a Fat Burner that might last you a month and on top of that you may get no results. How many bottles of Fat Burners or other stimulant based fat loss pills have you bought over the years? Most people have spent a small fortune and still haven't been able to burn an ounce of body fat with any fat burner...Don't spend your money on fat burners; spend your money on something that will benefit you for a life time. As the saying goes teach a man to fish and he will be eating everyday. The same is true about weight loss; you need to learn how to lose weight, so you can be in control of your results. We need to become more aware of what it really takes to lose weight and how to keep it off. And I'll tell you this, it won't happen from a fat burner. You need to learn the basics of weight loss before you even think of any supplements at all.

Not all fat burners are created equal; some are totally a waste of time and others may work to speed up your metabolism but at what cost. You don't want to rely on a supplement to trick your body into speeding up your metabolism when you can do this with the foods you eat & safely. There really is no point taking a fat burner when you diet is suffering. And especially if you have no idea how important your nutrition plays a role on your weight. My clients are always eager for me to put them on a fat burner, but I always tell them it's about long term eating habits not short term fixes. If you continue to look for short term fixes you will never lose weight and keep it off. The goal is to lose weight right? So then when you finish taking the fat burner what do you think will happen...hmm, my guess would be you would gain the weight back. Why you ask, well have you done anything to improve your eating habits within that time, probably not. And that's why relying on supplements isn't the answer. The real answer lies in education. Why would you spend over $60 bucks every single month and sometimes more for something that isn't even guaranteed to work? My advice is to learn the basics of nutrition, not dieting. The goal is not to go on a diet but to incorporate nutritional changes that benefit our weight loss goals.

Every fat burner company is out there to make money. They will do anything to make a sale. With so many fat burners on the market each one trying to gain market share in the weight loss industry it's no wonder why people end up taking them. We are bombarded with weight loss ads for supplements promising to help us lose weight. I don't want to sound like I am repeating myself but it takes some commitment to lose weight and taking a pill wont do that for you.

There are a lot of fat burners on the market, and so called research proving that they work. But it can't be further from the truth. Fat burners in general don't work; more often than not they typically don't work for the average person who uses them. I'll quickly run you through the facts of fat burners, and I hope to shed some light on the topic:

Negative side affects of fat burners

Some of the side effects of supplements like this included: hypertension, dramatically increased blood pressure, thinning of the blood, and it can keep you awake all night, heart palpitations, night sweats, anxiety, panic, jitters. The extreme ups and downs of these stimulant supplements are extremely difficult for anyone, probably you included. The industry is huge, and there's so much information on this subject. The Internet is by far a major resource for everyone to research what they are looking for, but unfortunately the amount of accurate and unbiased information is almost non-existent. I always suggest you get the fundamentals down. You really should be eating clean and exercising before you consider adding any supplement to the equation. But if you are doing what I just mentioned you probably won't ever need a fat burner.

Fat loss is a very hot, hot subject which has created a large industry in itself. Many companies have capitalized on this opportunity to make money from this, but at the benefit of the consumer or their own pockets? Many people have been brainwashed to use supplements for their weight loss goals. Don't get me wrong there are some great products out there, but the focus still remains on what you do. How do you eat? Do you work out? Have you taken the time to put your health on the list of things to do? Is your health important to you? Everyone complains about being overweight, but no one seems to ask the question why? If we all took a moment to look at our life styles and diets we would probably see that this is to blame. Than again who wants to blame anyone, we need to take responsibility for our actions, and reverting to take a fat burner isn't being responsible. Taking the right steps to improve your diet is being responsible.

Hundreds of thousands of people swallow pills every day without having a clue of what it is and how it works. Before popping any supplement pills you need to know how it works and if it can cause you any health complications.

I strongly believe that proper nutrition and exercise comes first and you can achieve your weight loss goals without fat burners. You just need the right information!

There are a few fat burners on the market today that are effective, not many. But at least there are some that do what they are meant to. I'm not going to get into them because I want you to understand that it's more beneficial to you in the long run to know what it takes to lose weight rather than putting it in the hands of a fat burner. Are you planning on taking a fat burner for the rest of your life? I think the answer is no. But eating is something we do everyday, and why not learn what foods help you burn fat, and which ones make you fat for starters...

Download your free copy of the 12 foods that make us fat and you will soon find out that you will never need a fat burner, ever. CLICK HERE!

Dean Boukaras is a person who has dedicated his life to educating and helping as many individuals as possible reach their absolute physical best. I truly want to impact one person at a time by spreading the health and fitness truth.

Why Some People Can Drink Alcohol Without Getting Fat

Why Some People Can Drink Alcohol Without Getting Fat

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com

Alcohol has been implicated as a factor that may hurt your efforts to lose body fat. Whether alcohol is "fattening" has been a very controversial subject because technically speaking, alcohol is NOT stored as fat; it is oxidized ahead of other fuels.

Whether moderate drinking is healthy has also been a subject of controversy. Many studies show that cardiovascular health benefits are associated with moderate beer or wine drinking (which has been of particular interest lately with reservatrol in the news so much), while other studies show improved insulin sensitivity. Some experts however, say that alcohol has no place in a fitness lifestyle.

A recent study published in the journal Obesity adds new findings to our knowledge about alcohol, insulin resistance and abdominal obesity. Analysis of the results as compared to other studies also gives us some insights into why some people seem to drink and get fat while others seem to drink and get thin!

The truth about the beer belly phenomenon

This new study, by Ulf Riserus and Erik Inglesson, was based on the Swedish Uppsala Longitudinal cohort. The researchers found that alcohol intake in older men did not improve insulin sensitivity, which contradicted their own hypothesis and numerous previous studies.

They also said there was a very "robust" association between alcohol intake, waist circumference and waist to hip ratio. They pointed out that a high alcohol intake, especially hard liquor, was closely associated with abdominal body fat, not just overall body mass.

Abdominal fat accumulation is not just a cosmetic problem, it can be a serious health risk. Abdominal fat, also known as "android" or "central" obesity, increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, glucose intolerance and elevated insulin levels.

Many other studies have also found a link between alcohol intake and abdominal fat, but this too has been controversial. A study that was widely publicized by the BBC in 2003 dismissed the concept of the “beer belly.”

Nevertheless, it looks like there’s some scientific support to it after all (or at least a “liquor belly” according to this newer study).

Hormones may be strongly involved because high alcohol intake has been shown to decrease blood testosterone in men, and also increase cortisol levels, which can lead to visceral fat accumulation.

Why is there so much controversy? Why the discrepancy in research findings about alcohol’s influence on obesity, abdominal fat, and insulin sensitivity?

Well, here’s the real story of why some people don’t get fat when they drink:

A lot of the confusion is because epidemiological research cannot show cause and effect relationships and mistakes can easily be made when drawing associations based on limited data.

With the nature of these longitudinal studies, you have to look at the lifestyle and nature of drinkers in general (or in this study, hard liquor drinkers). Also, the Swedish study focused on older men, so age may have been a factor. You may be more likely to deposit alcohol right on your belly as you get older.

When you hear that alcohol increases belly fat, you also have to look at what else is going on in the life of the drinker, particularly what the rest of a person’s diet looks like, and how alcohol intake affects appetite and eating habits.

Research says that alcohol can mess up your body’s perception of hunger, satiety and fullness. If drinking stimulates additional eating, or adds additional calories that aren’t compensated for and which lead to positive energy balance, then you get fat. You may also get fat in the belly, no thanks to what booze does to hormones.

Another thing that confounds the reports on whether alcohol contributes to weight gain is the fact that the game changes in heavy drinkers. We know that alcohol contains 7.1 calories per gram and these calories always count as part of the energy balance equation… or do they? With chronic excessive alcohol consumption, it's possible that not all of these calories are available for energy. Due to changes in liver function and something called the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS), alcoholism may be a real case of where some calories don’t count. Many alcoholics also skip meals and eat less with increasing alcohol consumption.

Alcohol metabolizing pathways notwithstanding, even if binge drinkers, daily drinkers or heavy drinkers consume most of their calories from alcohol, if they eat very little, and remain in a calorie deficit, they will not get fat. Compound this with the hormonal effects and you witness the skinny, but under-nourished, unhealthy and atrophied alcoholic (the person you'd think would be most likely to have a beer belly).

It's the calories that count

The bottom line is, the idea that alcohol just automatically turns into fat or gives you a beer belly is mistaken. It’s true that alcohol suppresses fat oxidation, but mainly, alcohol adds calories into your diet, messes with your hormones and can stimulate appetite, leading to even more calories consumed. That’s where the fat gain comes from.

If you drink in moderation, if you’re aware of the calories in the alcohol, if you're aware of the calories from additional food intake consumed during or after drinking, and if you compensate for all of the above accordingly, you won’t get fat.

Now, with that said, you might be wondering: “You mean I can drink and still lose fat? I just need to keep in a calorie deficit?”

Yes, that's exactly what I mean. But before you rush off to the pub for a cold one, hold that thought for a minute while you consider this first: The empty alcohol calories displace the nutrient dense calories!

When you’re on a fat loss program you have a fairly small “calorie budget”, so you need to give some careful thought to how those calories should be “spent.” For example, if a female is on a 1500 calorie per day diet, does she really want to "spend" 500 of those calories – one third of her intake - for a few alcoholic drinks, and leave only 1000 for health-promoting food, fiber and lean muscle building protein?

I realize some people may answer “yes” to that question, but then again, if some people spent their money as frivolously as they spent their calories, they would be in deep trouble!

To summarize this into some practical, take-home advice, here are 7 of my personal tips for alcohol consumption in the fitness lifestyle:

(1) Don’t drink on a fat loss program. Although you could certainly drink and “get away with it” if you diligently maintained your calorie deficit as noted above, it certainly does not help your fat loss cause or your nutritional status.

(2) Drink in moderation during maintenance. For lifelong weight maintenance and a healthy lifestyle, if you drink, do so in moderation and only occasionally, such as on weekends or when you go out to dine in restaurants. Binge drinking and getting drunk has no place in a fitness lifestyle (not to mention hangovers aren’t very conducive to good workouts).

(3) Don't drink daily. Moderate drinking, including daily drinking, has been associated with cardiovascular health benefits. However, I don’t recommend daily drinking because behaviors repeated daily become habits. Behaviors repeated multiple times daily become strong habits. Habitual drinking may lead to heavier drinking or full-blown addictions and can be hard to stop if you ever need to cut back.

(4) Count the calories. If you decide to have a bottle of beer or a glass of wine or two (or whatever moderation is for you), be sure to account for the alcohol in your daily calorie budget.

(5) Watch your appetite. Don’t let the “munchies” get control of you during or after you drink (Note to chicken wing and nacho-eating men: The correlation to alcohol and body fat is higher in men in almost all the studies. One possible explanation is that men tend to drink and eat, while women may tend to drink instead of eating).

(6) Watch the fatty foods. When drinking, watch the fatty foods in particular. A study by Angelo Tremblay back in 1995 suggested that alcohol and a high fat diet are a combination that favors overfeeding.

(7) Enjoy without guilt. If you choose to drink (moderately and sensibly), then don’t feel guilty about it or beat yourself up afterwards, just enjoy the darn stuff, will you!

To see a complete fat burning system that takes you by the hand, step by step and shows you what to eat, what to drink (and what not drink), how to exercise and how to stay motivated, visit: www.burnthefat.com

References:

(1) Alcohol Intake, Insulin Resistance, and abdominal obesity in elderly men. Riserus U, Ingelsson E., Obesity. 15(7): 1766-1773. 2007

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com

Lose Belly Fat - 7 Reasons Why You Can't

Hey, don't get offended by the title...it's only there to make you read on...

1. Make a decision

First of all in order to lose weight, you need to first make that decision. If you're overweight, you simply haven't made the decision to lose weight. I see this all the time in my practice, where people are given the best personalized programs but they never do anything with them. Why? Because they have not decided that they want to lose weight.

Right here, right now I want you to make a decision that you will lose weight. Have you done it yet...What are you waiting for? Well now that you have decided to lose weight you might need to know how to go about it now...Read on!

2. You make more excuses than you think

Excuses get the best of us. Even top athletes have used the occasional excuse to miss a practice or two. What does an excuse sound like? Here let me spell them out for you. I'm too tired, I will do it tomorrow, I don't have any time, I'll never be able to do that, I'm not good enough, and on and on and on...These are but a few, but I'm sure you know what I am talking about. Hey, I have made my fair share too. But nothing great ever happens when excuses rule your world. Stop making excuses, and start making progress.

3. You treat food like it's the enemy!

You think not eating, is what will have you losing weight faster. You think skipping breakfast is a smart thing to do. While at lunch time you decide to join your colleagues for a feast at the closest fast food joint. The fact is that eating isn't the enemy. It's the types of foods we eat and when we eat them. Never skip breakfast. This is the most important meal of the day, and not because the cereal commercials tell you that. It's because this meal known as breakfast will start up your metabolism. This is a good thing, trust me. Not eating in the morning and through out the day will have your metabolism screeching to a halt. Eat clean foods and frequently. The definition of eating clean seems to be different from person to person, but I will eliminate that confusion in an upcoming article.

4. You eat 5-6 times in a week

Many people eat once a day, and usually in he evening right before bed. This isn't good, a) because you consumed a high calorie dense meal that will most likely end up getting stored as fat and b) your metabolism becomes very slow when you sleep making the food easily stored as fat, rather than being used as energy. The objective is to eat frequently throughout the whole day, eating anywhere from 5-6 portions. This will help you keep your metabolism from shutting down. When I say portions I mean portions, not full servings. You can schedule 3 portions and 2 snacks if this is easier for you. You can have a portion at breakfast, lunch & dinner and 2 snacks between your meals. What is a portion? A portion is the size of a closed fist. Picture you were going to eat a piece of chicken, a sweet potato, and some salad. The chicken breast would be the size of your closed fist, and so would the potato. This is considered a portion. I would eat an unlimited amount of salad, and I would include a home made dressing, such as olive oil with herbs.

5. You try to lose weight that you've had for years in a few weeks

Losing weight too fast can be unhealthy, and will leave your skin very loose. The objective is to do it gradually. Shoot for 1-2 maybe 3 lbs a week of weight loss. You may lose a bit more especially in the beginning and depending on your size. By losing weight slowly your metabolism can adjust and so can your skin. It will be able to adapt to the gradual weight loss. Take your time, after all it probably took you some time to accumulate the weight, so what's the rush to get rid of it.

6. You go on "fad" diets like it's going out of style

Fad diets have confused all of us, especially those whom want to lose weight. The fact that it's a diet alone should warn you. You have to understand these diets are made to capitalize on this ever growing weight loss market. If you decide to follow a fad diet you'll notice you gain the weight back once you come off it. These diets are quick fixes, but the real fix is long term healthy habits and the right knowledge and application.

7. You don't have the right information in the right order

Many people out there claim to be experts but the sad truth is not many are. For the few that are, you need to listen to them and take their advice as it will surely help you succeed like never before. My good friend Mike Geary has a great website full of helpful information. Take a minute to visit it as it will prove useful. The link has been provided below...

Dean Boukaras is a person who has dedicated his life to educating and helping as many individuals as possible reach their absolute physical best. I truly want to impact one person at a time by spreading the health and fitness truth. Find out how many of my clients lost their weight from their computer... Click HERE to find out how they did it!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dean_Boukaras

How to get Abs without the boring Ab routine

So you really want to know what the best ab workout is for losing stomach fat, right???

Are you ready for the answer?

There are none.

Doing ab workouts don't help you lose fat around your waist line; they only help develop your core muscles. Do as many abs routines as you wish and you will never burn the fat off your mid section, but there is a way though.

Read On...

As a Personal Trainer, Nutrition Expert, and Fitness Coach, I often get people asking me this one question; "Dean, what are the best types of exercises and workouts that are for losing stubborn stomach fat in order to bring out visible six pack abs?"

Here's the problem. Most people that have excess stomach fat are usually looking for a "miracle ab workout" that is going to have them ripped with abs in not time. The only thing is that this is not a reality. They are going about it the wrong way. You don't lose stomach fat by doing a "miracle ab workout." Although it will help you develop your abs but not lose the fat around your abs. You get abs by doing compound workouts targeting your whole body, and eating well.

When you focus your time and effort on ab workouts and ab exercises to flatten your stomach and bring out those 6 pack abs the sad truth is your wasting your time. You need to do the correct workouts that will actually help reduce your stubborn body fat for good.

The answers I give my clients when they ask for the best workout for their abs, and for loosing belly fat is that I tell them to include a full body workout. A full body workout can include the exercises listed; lunges, a variation of squats, clean & presses, dead lifts, snatches, presses and pulls, swings, sprinting, mountain climbers, etc.

These exercises are known as compound movements. Movements that include many other muscle groups rather than the one being isolated; these maximize your full body burning potential also known as your metabolism. Your metabolism is sent into high speed and turns into a fat burning machine. Soon enough you will reveal your abs, if you follow the advice.

When I evaluate my clients, I still recommend working on the core and abdominals, but only the exercises that are designed to strengthen the mid section. I focus on getting my clients more bang for the buck per say. Getting them result in a timely manner, and stimulating more muscles in less the time. A full body routine that stimulate the greatest hormonal and metabolic changes within the body.

When you train with these compound movements, you are stimulating your mid section. These exercises aren't specific to your abs, but they do work them, a lot. The body can gain much more benefit when it is trained using multiple-joint workouts.

In order for you to actually see your abs you need to know that your nutrition is the most important ingredient. It doesn't matter how hard you train, or how many time you are in the gym. If your diet sucks, than don't expect to see any results! Nutrition is the key if you want to ever see your abs.

Let's take a moment and clear up the confusion;

You don't need to waste time with ab exercises to see your abs. Stop wasting your time doing sit ups, crunches, leg raises, etc. Just add old fashion high intensity full body workouts to your routine. With this said, add that to a healthy diet full of unprocessed foods in there most natural state and you will see your abs in no time.

Learn more about my secret strategies for losing stubborn stomach fat at the internet's authority for Getting Flat Six Pack Abs

Does Diet Soda Pop Make You Fat!?

Hey, here is a great article from my friend Mike Geary, founder of the Truth About Abs Program. Don't forget to check it out, if you're serious about getting a toned tummy or a ripped 6 pack by the new year...

http://TruthAboutAbs.com

You can read more about artificial sweeteners, here

and alternatives to artificial sweeteners, here

Read on if you want to know why diet POP makes us FAT>>>

We all know by now that soda (aka "pop" in some areas) is one of the most evil things you can put in your body... the nasty chemicals, the gut-fattening high fructose corn syrup, and a myriad of health problems caused by this carbonated cocktail worshiped by those that don't care about their health or body.

Since you're one of my subscribers, I know that you actually do care about your health and the appearance of your body.

Surprisingly, many people falsely believe that "diet" soda is in some way a good thing for losing body fat. In fact, I hear people all the time proudly state that they eat so healthy and only drink diet soda.

So let's set the record straight...

There is NOTHING even remotely healthy about drinking diet soda. In fact, I've even seen several studies that showed dedicated diet soda drinkers got even FATTER than their regular soda drinking counterparts.

Here's some findings from an 8-year University of Texas study that I had read...

An excerpt from the study author:

"What didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to overweight and obesity," Fowler tells WebMD. "What was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of obesity was even higher."

"There was a 41 percent increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day," Fowler says.

Ok, as if we didn't already know how bad regular soda was for us, and now they're showing us studies that diet soda makes us even fatter than the already bad stuff!

There's a lot of complicating factors as to why this occurs...

One reason is that the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas create a negative hormonal response in the body that increases fat storing hormone production and increases cravings for more sweets and refined carbohydrates in the time period after consuming the diet drink.

Another reason is that people may subconsciously think that because they are drinking a diet soda, that gives them more leeway to eat more of everything else, hence consuming more calories overall.

I've said this all along, but the bottom line is that if you're serious about your health and body, soda of any kind (and artificial sweeteners in anything for that matter!) should be avoided at all times, except for very rare occasions when you can't avoid them.


So what is a good alternative to diet sodas?

The best alternatives are good old water with lemon or unsweetened iced teas... you have plenty of options with teas - green, white, black, oolong, red... be creative in making your iced teas and you'll enjoy it more. Plus, you get a greater array of anti-aging antioxidants.

I just add a little of the natural non-caloric sweetener stevia to my iced teas and I love them.

Mike Geary
Founder of The Truth About Abs Program
Learn more about it HERE

The 7 Things To Look For When Joining A Gym

The New Year is upon us and I’m sure one of your New Years resolutions is to join a gym. So you’re finally committed to get in shape but you don’t know what to look for in a gym…Here’s what to look for;

You want to go to a gym where the treat their staff and members with respect. There are a lot of low grade gyms that don’t do this and they won’t last long. A good fitness center has their members as their number one priority. They are customer service oriented. A bad fitness center is only looking at your dollar value. Once you join they will not want to know you and most likely shut down very soon.

Take a look at this list before you join a gym;

Equipment
Take a walk around the gym and have a good look at each piece of equipment. Get on and use some. If they grind, or seem loose or unstable then that’s a sure sign that the equipment is not serviced often. Any gym that doesn’t service their equipment is not going to service you.

Cleaning
This is a great way of seeing how important the owner’s business is to them. If it’s not cleaned daily then they’re probably cutting costs, which isn’t good for a prospective member. When you’re walking around have a good look at how clean the machines are. If they’re covered in dust, they are probably not cared for.

Service
If you don’t know much about exercise and nutrition, this is the most important of all. A quality gym will want to help you in any way they can. You should be given a new program every 4-6 weeks and another fitness assessment every 8-12 weeks. There should always be someone around to answer your queries. The staff should also be friendly and easy to talk to.

Type of Gym
What type of people use the gym at the times you will be training? Unless you’re into bodybuilding you probably want to stay away from ‘muscle head’ gyms after 3pm. These gyms are easy to identify. They have loads of weights, no aerobic classes, and no (or very old) bikes and treadmills.

Ethics
Are they constantly trying to push their products? This is often done with nutrition supplements. There’s nothing wrong with selling these products as some are quite good if you need them but some unethical centers try to push supplements onto all new members. If the salesperson or instructor seems pushy with their products, run for cover!

Staff
Whilst qualifications are important, it’s not everything. The most important trait in a good fitness instructor is that they must care. If they are tertiary qualified as well then you have yourself a great trainer, but even the most knowledgeable person in the industry is of no value if they’re not interested in helping you. It’s easy to identify staff that care because they are friendly, courteous, and listen! (They may even remember your name)

Membership Price
Every region is different but the membership price should reflect the service, equipment, and instructors. You shouldn't judge a fitness center on price alone (this is why they rarely give prices over the telephone!). Have a look at a few gyms in your area and compare each one. That is the only reliable way to measure true value.

Take a look at this program if you decide you want to workout from home! Click HERE

The Ultimate Secrets to a Flat Stomach and Six Pack Abs

Hey Guys, and Gals...Sorry for the double post. It just seems that everyone wants to know how to get rid of their stubborn tummy fat just before the New Year. I included some more info in this article about diet and training methods and a program that I highly recommend = )

P.S.
I appreciate those who took the time to email me topic suggestions. So here you have it, enjoy!

With this article, I want to show you why you might be struggling to lose that stubborn stomach fat that is covering up your abs. These are the main reasons most people just can not seem to get those six pack abs that everyone desires. If you haven't already seen me around online somewhere, I'm the creator of one of the most popular abdominals and fat loss programs on the internet.

So in this article I want to highlight for you the main points and strategies that I use to make this program one of the most effective programs in existance for fully developing your abdominals as well as getting rid of that stubborn stomach fat that is covering them up.

Pay attention, because once you get this stuff right and start using these techniques regularly, you'll be showing off your ripped abs in no time flat, whether it's at the beach, at the pool, in the bedroom, wherever... Just think how great it's going to feel when people are complimenting you on your washboard stomach!

Alright, here's what make's The Truth about Six Pack Abs different:

1. The main focus of this program is NOT abs exercises... And, better yet, this program consistently get's better results by NOT focusing on abs exercises!

I know that sounds counterintuitive, but the fact of the matter is that abs exercises are ok, and you do need to do a certain amount of them to develop the abdominals as best as possible. But to be honest, most people that are trying to get better looking abdominals waste WAY too much time training the abs directly. What you really need to focus on is burning off the extra fat that is covering them up.

Let's get this straight right now... Abs exercises do NOT burn fat away from your abs! This can only be accomplished through a much more effective full body training routine that maximizes both your metabolic response and your hormonal response to your workouts. This is the main focus of my Truth about Six Pack Abs Program.

Now don't get me wrong. It wouldn't be an abs program if I didn't show you the most effective exercises for developing your abdominals. I also give you detailed instructions and photos on how to do them right. But like I said, the main focus of this program is the secret method that I use to compile the full body training routines and maximize your fat burning effect.

This is the main reason that this program will be much more effective for you than any other abs programs you've ever tried before. You've got my word on that.

2. This program uses none of your typical boring monotonous cardio routines.

In fact, you don't have to do any typical cardio if you don't want to! I actually recommend against it.

Seriously, almost every program out there tells you that you must do endless cardio exercise regularly to lose the body fat that is covering your abs. Most of them tell you to do 30-60 minutes of cardio exercise 3-4 days/week in addition to your strength training routines.

The truth is that this is not only unnecessary, but it can actually be counterproductive if you're really trying to get as lean as possible, as quick as possible. I go into this in much more detail in the book, but basically this all comes back to the aspects of your metabolic rate, how much lean muscle you have, the hormonal response in your body from the exercise, and the residual calorie burn in the hours and days following your workouts. And normal boring cardio routines are all wrong when it comes to maximizing these effects!

Now you're probably thinking that since I'm against typical boring cardio routines, then that must simply mean I'm a proponent of interval training. Yes, as a matter of fact, I believe interval training is MUCH better than typical cardio.

However, I also use a special exercise combination and sequencing in my Truth about Six Pack Abs Program that gets even more powerful fat loss and muscle defining results than interval training. And that's saying something, because interval training kicks butt! You'll find out how this system works inside the program.

Want proof that you don't need typical long-duration steady-pace cardio?

Well, first of all, I actually took a course recently that was devoted to scientific research into why steady-pace cardio exercise is actually not that effective at strengthening the heart. The focus of the research basically boiled down to the fact that the heart needs to be trained in a wide variety of ranges to actually be truly strengthened and ready for all the various stresses that life throws at it. Not only that, but steady-pace cardio was also proven in the research studies to be far less effective in the long term at reducing body fat stores.

To give you a real life example... Personally, I haven't done what most people would label "cardio" in probably well over 5 years, and I'm actually leaner now and have a lower bodyfat % now than years ago when I did cardio regularly. Not only that, but my heart is in the best condition ever, as I now consistently have the resting heart rate of an elite athlete at about 50 bpm (remember that lower is better). My resting heart rate used to be in the mid to upper 60's years ago when I used to do typical cardio and strength training routines like most people do.

This improvement in both body fat % and reduced resting heart rate is the direct result of the unique training methods I used in developing the programs in The Truth about Six Pack Abs.

3. This program does NOT revolve around having to use supplements or "fat-loss" pills.

Trust me when I say that for the most part, about 95% of supplements are a complete waste of your hard earned money. I've been approached by supplement companies in the past looking for me to promote their products for them, and offering me a lot of money to do so. Well, you know what I do? I tell them to shove it! Seriously, I won't promote something to my readers that I don't honestly believe in.

The fact is, I've learned over the years through my own experience, as well as hundreds of my clients and friends experiences with supplements, that they are really just selling you the dream that their pill or powder will be some "magical" solution to your struggle with getting that lean ripped body that you've been wanting for years. In reality, most supplements do nothing at all to help you improve your body.

Don't get me wrong... I'm not totally bashing supplement companies, but like I said, about 95% of the products they promote are worthless, and won't create any noticeable changes in your body. I will admit that there can be a place for meal replacements for people that can't find the time to prepare or pack all of their real food meals. I also admit that I do think a high quality, fast digesting protein like whey protein can be useful to mix into your post-workout smoothies.

But the fact is that real food is always better for you than processed supplements (as long as you pick the right "real foods"). Anybody that tells you otherwise has either been brainwashed by all of the propaganda and super-hyped up ads that the supplement companies have spread throughout every magazine on the planet, or they have financial ties to selling supplements in some way themselves.

I have dedicated myself to not being lured into the lucrative world of selling supplements. Even though I could make a lot more money selling supplements than by selling my abs program, it's just plain against my morals to rip people off like that.

Frankly, it amazes me that most people are more willing to spend $30, $40, even $50 or more on a bottle of pills or powder than to spend $30 on a comprehensive training and nutrition guide like this Truth about Six Pack Abs program, which will set them up for life on training programs and dietary secrets that will keep them lean and ripped for life. The only thing that bottle of pills or powder is going to do is give you expensive urine! You make the choice.

4. This program does not revolve around using any fancy "ab machines" or "ab gadgets".

In case you were suckered into buying any of these worthless ab belts, loungers, rockers, or any other worthless ab gadget or machine, I have bad news... You were ripped off!

The truth is that most of these machines and gadgets are not the best way to develop the abdominal muscles. Sure, some of them may help a tiny bit with strengthening the abdominals, but they are far less effective than some of the best floor, hanging, and standing abs exercises.

Also, more importantly, virtually all of these abs machines, belts, and gadgets do absolutely nothing to burn fat off of the abdominal area!

Again, losing the fat that's covering up your abs can only be accomplished with a smart nutritional program, and a well designed progressional training program that increases your metabolism and stimulates your fat-burning hormones in your body. Achieving this is simple once you understand the secrets I reveal in the Truth about Six Pack Abs program.

5. This program does not include some sort of fad diet or gimmicky diet trend.

None of that here. I promise you won't be given any more crap about needing to eat "low-carb" or "low-fat", or low or high anything, for that matter. The nutritional secrets I reveal in this program go against all of the authors and companies out there that are trying to lure you in with another one of their gimmicks.

The fact is that they need to come up with some sort of different "angle", so that their diet program appears unique and gives the media something to talk about. That's why there's always some gimmick, like low-fat, or low-carb, or high protein, or the "colors diet", the "low glycemic index diet", the fasting diet, the cabbage diet, and so on.

Instead, I wanted to give you the truth about what it really takes to eat a nutritious diet that not only will have you burning off that stubborn belly fat, but will also have you feeling full of energy every single day. If you don't already feel energetic and alive every single day, then you are missing out, because it is an awesome feeling!

The great thing is that once you start eating balanced and healthy all the time, you virtually eliminate cravings altogether. Personally, I used to crave sweets constantly before I adopted the nutritious diet that I currently eat. Now, I can honestly say I can't remember the last craving I had. It had to be more than 5 years ago... no joke!

Not only that, but I actually enjoy everything I eat way more than I used to years ago when I ate a lot of junk. Does that mean that I never eat burgers, or pizza, or beer? Of course not... We all have a social life. In fact, there are actually very healthy ways and variations to preparing healthier burgers and healthier pizza that I occasionally use.

I hope this article has given you some insight as to where you may be going wrong with your exercise and nutrition plans in striving for those elusive abs. See below for more info on losing stubborn stomach fat and developing ripped six pack abs.

Check out the Truth about Six Pack Abs Program

The 3 Best Ab Exercises That Are Not Direct Ab Exercises

Instead of the typical ab exercise routines that we see so often with crunches, situps, leg lifts, etc... I like to give my readers better options for metabolism-boosting high intensity workouts that work their entire body while also working their abs.

I'm going to show you an example today of one of my favorite ab workouts that doesn't include any direct ab exercises at all. It's in a tri-set format (similar to a super-set but alternating between 3 exercises).

Here goes:

1a. Renegade Dumbbell Rows
1b. Front Squats with Barbell
1c. Mountain Climbers on Floor

A good rep scheme to use with this could be 3-4 sets of 8 reps for each exercise, or more sets for less reps, such as 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise. Mountain climbers can be done for a time interval (such as 30 seconds) instead of "reps".

Renegade dumbbell rows are done starting in a pushup position with the hands on 2 dumbbells. You then row one dumbbell up while stabilizing your body with the other arm. Bring the dumbbell back to the ground and alternate the rowing arm while stabilizing with the opposite arm. This stabilizing effect during the rows creates incredible work for your entire midsection core area. Trust me... you'll feel it in the abs!

Front squats are done similar to back squats, however with the barbell in front of your body on the front of your shoulders instead of resting on the upper back as in back squats. You stabilize the barbell on your shoulders by crossing your arms and pushing your fists into the bar against your shoulders while keeping your elbows out in front of the body. This takes a little practice at first, so you will want to seek a professional trainer at your gym to help you with the form. Front squats require extreme stabilization strength from the abs due to the barbell weight being shifted to the front of the body instead of the back. Even though this is mostly a leg exercise, you'll feel this one in the abs big time!

Mountain climbers are done by starting in a pushup position and then shuffling your feet in and out so that your knees are moving in under your chest and then back out to starting position. It sort of resembles climbing a mountain but flat on the floor. If you want an advanced version, you can also shuffle your hands 8-10 inches forward and backward in addition to the leg movements. This really makes it a full body exercise and MUCH more difficult than standard mountain climbers.

After finishing each exercise, rest about 30 seconds before starting the next exercise. Rest about 1-2 minutes after completing each "tri-set" before repeating.

This will give you one of the best ab workouts you've ever had without even doing any direct ab exercises. You'll see what I mean after you try it!

If you are tired of failing to get visible six pack abs, consider losing the traditional ab exercises and bogus ab gadget machines, and find out the real fat loss for abs truth at Best Ab Exercises & Workouts for Abdominals

Will 'Cweet' Be the Next Big Sweetener?

Hey here is another product call Cweet that is similar to the natural sweetener Stevia, but is far more sweeter. Read more about it. I always suggest using natural sweeteners while avoiding artificial ones at all costs. Click Here to refer to the last article that covers these toxic artificial sweeteners and the names they go by!

Brazzein, a sweet protein from the berries of a West African plant named Pentadiplandra Brazzeana, may soon hit supermarket shelves as the newest “natural” alternative to sugar.

The product, which will be marketed globally as Cweet, is said to be 1,000 times sweeter than sugar with no undesirable aftertaste. Cweet is also touted as tasting similar to sugar, is heat stable and water soluble, and has zero calories.

Brazzein was originally developed as a sugar alternative by University of Wisconsin, Madison researchers in 1994. However it wasn’t until recently that a “production breakthrough” was achieved that will allow the product to reach the market.

Natur Research Ingredients, the Californian company that has exclusive rights to manufacture and distribute Cweet, is currently preparing to submit a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The company has already gathered interest from large food and beverage companies, and, pending approval, Cweet could reach the market in 12 to 18 months. It would rival popular artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose.

Natur Research Ingredients of Los Angeles announced today that it has obtained the exclusive worldwide license from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) to manufacture and distribute Cweet™ Natural Intense Sweetener, which is derived from brazzein, found in a West African fruit.

Cweet™ Natural Intense Sweetener, which tastes like cane sugar, is 1,000 times sweeter than sugar on a weight-basis. Cweet™ is a zero-calorie sweetener with no after-taste, and is heat-stable.

According to Loren Miles, CEO of Natur Research Ingredients, scientists and the sweetener community have long been aware of the potential of brazzein, the fruit of Pentadiplandra brazzeana Baillon, which has been consumed by humans in West Africa for thousands of years. "Early attempts to commercialize this remarkable natural sweetener failed, because no practical manufacturing process was ever developed that would allow the product to reach the marketplace," said Miles.

A recent breakthrough achieved by Fariba M. Assadi-Porter, Ph.D., Staff Scientist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, has solved the problem. Dr. Assadi-Porter developed an expression and purification protocol suited to mass production within the pharmaceutical and food industries, making it possible to use existing infrastructure and to access worldwide manufacturing capability.

"My focus has been on developing an expression and purification system for the production of this challenging, naturally sweet protein," said Dr. Assadi-Porter. "We have validated such protocols and the sweetness profiles and are now in the production scale-up phase," she said.

"Cweet™ will represent one of the first natural intense protein sweeteners to be available as an alternative to sucralose and aspartame," said Miles. "I believe demand for a natural intense sweetener will be a fast-growing segment of the market. Each intense sweetener will have its own share of the universe. But now, manufacturers and consumers will have a natural choice with Cweet™," he said. I believe Cweet™ represents a significant ingredient breakthrough for the food and beverage industry and, ultimately, for consumers," said Miles.

Cweet™ will be seeking GRAS status through self-affirmation and then full GRAS approval from the FDA.

"We are thrilled to be working with Dr. Assadi-Porter on the Cweet™ program and wish to acknowledge the WARF organization for their superb support as well," said Miles.

As a protein, he noted, Cweet™ is safe for diabetics, very soluble in water and heat stable, characteristics that are highly desirable to food and beverage manufacturers. Unlike most natural sweeteners, Cweet™ provides a sweetness profile that is very close to sucrose (cane sugar) with no after-taste lingering side effect.

It is estimated that demand for alternative sweeteners will grow to $1.1 billion by 2010, mainly in diet soft drinks and tabletop uses, according to Freedonia Group, a market research organization.

"As a new sweetener resource, we will be seeking sustainable manufacturing processes with a low carbon footprint," stated Miles. "Further, because the brazzein plant is native to Africa, we are exploring establishing a foundation that will contribute to humanitarian causes in Africa once production and distribution has started."

Sources:

• NutraIngredients.com November 5, 2007
• warf.org