Despite all the garbage that you read on the internet and the cleanse commercials that promise to “rid your body of excess belly fat”…the only REAL way to achieve this goal is…

Lose Body Fat—>Boost Your Metabolism—>This is done through a balanced diet and increasing LEAN MUSCLE—> Resistance Training

The more lean muscle tissue that you body has, the more calories you will burn at rest. This is what happens when we talk about increasing your metabolism. The long term goal is to have your metabolism at a high level constantly. That leads to fat loss. Why does this happen? Because lean muscle is a very active tissue and needs calories (energy) to burn at a much higher rate than fat.

When you have a high amount of lean muscle tissue, you will be burning calories when you are not working out (cool, huh?)…you will burn while you work, sleep…hey, I’m burning calories as I write this…

So many people (women specifically) want to lose weight. Now what does this mean exactly? When you focus all of your efforts on getting that pesky scale to display a lower number, you are not really progressing toward the ultimate goal. We can all lose weight but what does that do for us in the long run?

Do you want to weigh less or take up less space?

Think about that for a second…You could weigh 140 pounds and have 40% body fat (that’s 56 pounds of fat!) or you could be 140 pounds and 20% body fat (28 pounds of fat)…which is a very healthy percentage for an active woman.

If you are only focused on what the scale says; you will probably not achieve the ultimate goal of gaining lean muscle and losing fat.  How would I take up less space if I weighed the same, you ask?

Muscle is an active tissue, as we mentioned, and it’s also a very dense tissue. Muscle is 1.1g per cubic centimeter, which fat tissue is 0.9g per cubic centimeter. That means you can pack a lot more muscle into a small space than you can fat!

Gaining muscle is often a scary thought for women. I know what you are all thinking…”I don’t want to look bulky and thick.”
Don’t worry…women do not possess enough growth hormone and testosterone to produce such an effect. Plus, when training for fat loss and lean muscle development (I hate the word “tone”, but that’s pretty much what it is), you are not going to be pumping out body building type workouts.

Training for this type of result means:

1. Using large movements that incorporate a lot of muscles (squats, lunges, push ups, presses, chin ups)
2. Training in circuit or complex styles to increase work rate and conditioning
3. Lifting heavy weights with perfect form
4. Short, intense training sessions that maximize time
5. Avoiding machines and isolated movements

Here’s why strength training is far and away the BEST thing for you…

1. Will torch body fat
2. Increases strength
3. Gives you a tight and toned look
4. Workouts are fun and dynamic
5. Lets you fit into your clothes pefectly (and you might even have to buy new, smaller ones!)
6. Great for bone health and posture
7. Lose inches at an alarming rate
8. Gives you more energy and stamina

So, if you really want to lose inches, fat, and feel GREAT…lose the scale, focus on your clothes, develop a solid strength training program and get ready to see results.

She's pretty bad ass huh?

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Nickerson Field is not huge and the bleachers are moderate but it worked out just fine for me. The one problem that I have with some stadium stairs is that they are very close together. To remedy this situation and to make the workout more powerful and explosive, I simply took two stairs at a time.

Conditioning with the intense and explosive nature is not only fun, but it’s super rewarding. You get a huge anaerobic boost and your heart is pumping through your chest. What this means for most people who are trying to lose body fat and get lean, is that you are burning a TON more calories than if you are just jogging or using the elliptical machine. Those of you that follow my posts and that train with me know that I HATE steady state cardio more than anything. It’s a waste of time and pretty boring at that.

So check out the workout that I did today. It was kind of fun being at BU, it brought me back to my college days and kinda felt like I was “training” again. Here’s how I worked it out today…

Stadium sprints (2 steps at a time)- 3 trips up x 4 sets
100 meter sprints x2
80 meter sprints x2
60 meter sprints x2
40 meter sprints x2

This workout took me just  about 45 minutes including warm up and cool down.  My body is still feeling it, even after a shower and a recovery drink. The goal of any intense conditioning session is to work hard, smart, and quickly. Do not waste time with slow movements that don’t burn a lot of calories.

If your goal is a lean, athletic, fat burning machine of a body; try some sprints and hill or stadium runs and you will see a huge boost in your overall conditioning and body composition.

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With all the technology, medical break-throughs, and modern lifestyles; people are able to live longer. This is great except that many people are showing complete disregard for their bodies and the fact that we are given only ONE life. We have a lot of medical assistance in this country but the one thing that people don’t do enough of is actually prevent the issues from happening. Don’t get me wrong, I know that many diseases are hereditary but they had to start somewhere. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes…these things are all too often first treated with medicine. It’s our culture to just continually drug people up. What about good old fashioned exercise? It does not always eliminate these issues but it can help to curb them in many cases. Also let’s not forget about the fact that exercise is just GOOD FOR YOU!

I get frustrated as hell when I deal with people that give me excuses as to why they cannot lose weight, cannot drop below a certain body fat percentage, and just cannot see results with exercise. Here’s the answer folks: you can do it. Yeah it takes effort, sweat, dedication, training when you are a little sore and tired, but isn’t you life worth living with some purpose, energy, and vigor?

Why go through life sick, overweight, injured, fatigued, and sluggish? You only get one life so do yourself and your loved ones a favor and GET HEALTHY.

I get paid as a personal trainer and fitness consultant. My job is to motivate, guide, and inspire people to get fit and healthy. It’s all about changing your habits, accepting your faults, and working toward a better life through small goals and milestones. Of course everyone wants to look great, but don’t we all want to live longer in a healthy way?
The physique changes are great but it’s the metal change that really makes my job worthwhile. When people feel more energized, when they are sick less often, when they feel happier about their body and their lifestyle…that’s progress.

Being at a healthy weight is critical for living a long life. That’s the bottom line. If you are overweight you are creating a higher risk for cardiovascular issues, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, and even cancer. So if the words overweight and obese do not mean too much to you at this point; I hope the other ones do.

Body mass index refers to a measure of body fat based on your height and weight. A healthy body mass index is anywhere between 19 and 24.9. Overweight refers to a BMI of 25-29.9. A BMI of 30 or greater classifies you as clinically obese. Well check this out…

A recent study conducted by Martin Neovius of the Karolinska Institute of Stockholm and published in the British Medical Journal suggest that being obese ( having a BMI >30) carries a greater risk of premature death than being a heavy smoker.

Because I’m so passionate about health, fitness, and training it’s hard for me to sit back and accept the state of our country. It makes me so distraught to see people that have zero regard for their health and fitness. It’s not all about looking good at that point either, it’s a serious health risk.

Give up the excuses. You do have the time, you just have to make it for yourself. If you are not motivated then hire a personal trainer. If you just cannot change your nutrition plan, then start small and eliminate one bad habit per week. With all the advantages that our country has over other places, it’s a shame to see so many intelligent people just being blatently stupid when it comes to their health. I’m sorry if this makes people uncomfortable but that’s the way it is. In order for a human being to make a change, their comfort levels must be tested. Sure it’s comfortable to eat what you want, to train at a moderate pace, to go through the motions on a cardio machine. But it won’t get you the results that you want.

Step out of  your comfort zone and get some serious training work done. Your body will thank you in the long run!

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