Apparently the week between September 24-30 is "Take A Child Outside" week...
The purpose is to encourage parents to take their child out for a hike or enjoy the fresh air...
This is good and bad...
I think it is awesome to meld with the child and do something together...
But one week ain't enough! And this is where it gets sad...
You see, there is a rising epidemic of child obesity everywhere...
Shoot, I remember when I was growing up... my mother would shoo me and my brothers out the door after breakfast during the summer months... and we can only come back for some lunch and then later on when it was time to come home for dinner and bedtime...
That was 25 years ago...
And now... kids prefer to stay in their rooms and use the computer online, watch tee-vee and play their video games.
And eat tons of junk food.
No more fresh air... no more exercises and kid games...
I get a little nostalgic about what life used to be and what it is now...
They say computers and modern conveniences are a boon for productivity and advancement of civilization...
But I don't think so.
Let's make it "Take a Child Outside" whenever the weather is great and shut the computers, tvs and video games off.
Are you with me here?
Monday, September 15, 2008
If Jennifer Lopez or J-Lo Can Rid of Her "Baby Weight"... Then So Can You With The Fit Yummy Mummy by Holly Rigsby
The Hollywood actress and singer J-Lo or Jennifer Lopez just came in 3rd place in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon in California...
This was her first triathlon... and Jennifer is 39 years young! And she just had twins back in February...
What can we take away from this? It doesn't matter where you started from... it matters how you end!
For many Moms... I have the perfect solution to help you lose the baby weight...
It is a program called, quite interestingly... The Fit Yummy Mummy that was written by Holly Rigsby. She is a certified personl trainer that lost her baby weight too... and I have read and really respect her well thought out book.
So if you are really interested in getting more information about her book to help Moms lose baby fat... then go here to get started:
Review of The Fit Yummy Mummy by Holly Rigsby
You'll be glad you did...
This was her first triathlon... and Jennifer is 39 years young! And she just had twins back in February...
What can we take away from this? It doesn't matter where you started from... it matters how you end!
For many Moms... I have the perfect solution to help you lose the baby weight...
It is a program called, quite interestingly... The Fit Yummy Mummy that was written by Holly Rigsby. She is a certified personl trainer that lost her baby weight too... and I have read and really respect her well thought out book.
So if you are really interested in getting more information about her book to help Moms lose baby fat... then go here to get started:
Review of The Fit Yummy Mummy by Holly Rigsby
You'll be glad you did...
Sunday, September 14, 2008
It Isn't Too Late... Craig Ballantyne's TT Transformation Contest Starts Today!
This is a short youtube video of Craig Ballantyne giving you fitness tips for an upper body superset that is sure to add strength and burn fat...
Enjoy and don't forget to sign up for the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest...
It starts TODAY!
There is only 12 weeks left and the final pictures must be in... so if you want to get maximum results... you need to get started TODAY!
Here are the RULES!
http://tinyurl.com/5hwcza
And I'm gonna give you 3 great reasons to get start and why you should get started TODAY!
1) You need a dead line to lose weight... no if ands or buts... it has been proven over and over again when we set a deadline... we tend to achieve more... so if you join the TT Transformation contest... you have 12 weeks to show Craig Ballantyne your fat loss success story.
2) Social support... another great reason to get started... and yeah... it has also been proven that social support is absolutely critical for weight loss success! So when you grab a copy of TT to help you through your transformation... you also get 3 fr.ee freakin' months of access to the TT Member's Are... where good folks from all over the world will help you go down the fat loss path...
So what are you awaiting for? Grab your copy here & get the support from the TT Members...
http://tinyurl.com/CBsite
3) Competition! Anyone who watches sports on TV understands this... when you are competing against others... you put more effort into the task at hand... in short... you are CHALLENGING yourself!
As the great John Belushi once said in the iconoclast of a college flick, The Animal House... "Let's do it!!!"
Helping you get fit and healthy for the holiday season,
Matt Taylor
Friday, September 12, 2008
Someone Asked Tom Venuto the Author of Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle How to Gain Muscle...
-----------------------------------------
BURN THE FAT Q & A
WITH TOM VENUTO, Fat Loss coach
-----------------------------------------
QUESTION:
Hi Tom. I have your BURN THE FAT ebook; it's great thanks, but now that I'm lean enough my aim is bodybuilding and muscle gain. I read your information on body types in chapter 5 of your book and it was very interesting. I am definitely an ectomorph body type. I am getting good results gaining about 1 to 2 pounds a week, but I'm pretty skinny so it's going to take a while to get where I really want to be, but that's fine, I'm patient and determined. My question is, can I use all the guidelines in your BURN THE FAT ebook for gaining muscle mass?
Martin
ANSWER:
Martin, first of all, even one pound of weight gain a week is excellent progress provided that weight is all lean body mass and not body fat.
So, if you're not measuring your body composition, use the information in chapter three of Burn The Fat to track your body comp, and if you're doing that already and it's all lean tissue, you're doing great - don't change a thing.
As for using BURN THE FAT for gaining lean weight, the answer is yes.
It's true that BURN THE FAT, FEED THE MUSCLE is primarily a fat burning program and as you are reading through the e-book, you'll see that the entire manual is written with references to getting leaner.
However, with a few simple adjustments, the program can definitely be used for gaining muscle.
The primary adjustment would be the calories.
The #1 reason why people can't seem gain lean weight is because they're not eating enough. You need a caloric surplus to gain lean body mass.
With the BFFM system of nutrition and training, gaining your first 10-12 pounds of lean mass is actually quite easy. The secret is in the proper caloric intake combined with short, intense training sessions using meticulous and continuous progressive overload.
If you're in a calorie deficit (burning more calories than you consume), it's very difficult to gain substantial amounts of muscle. To gain lean body mass at the maximum possible rate, you need a calorie surplus (consuming more calories than your total daily energy expenditure).
The trick in gaining lean weight without the fat is to select a small calorie surplus because gorging yourself is only going to make you gain fat along with the muscle.
Gaining fat and muscle weight is commonly known as "bulking up" and that's the old school approach you should avoid at all costs. The whole idea is to gain LEAN body mass.
Although BFFM is written with a fat loss slant, all the calorie formulas are included in chapter 6, so you can figure out exactly how many you need to lose, maintain, OR gain weight.
What I would recommend for lean gains is to take your maintenance level (also known as "Total daily energy expenditure," or TDEE), and add a 10-15% calorie surplus on top of that as your starting point for the muscle gaining calorie level.
The only other adjustments for gaining lean mass would be the protein-carb-fat ratios (covered in detail in chapter 8) and of course, the amount of cardio.
Weight gain programs require more carbs in the macro nutrient mix and less cardio. In some cases for ectomorph "hard-gainer" body types, no cardio at all.
For the endomorph body type who tends to gain fat easily, I recommend continuing to use a carb or calorie cycling method even for the muscle gaining phase. The difference is in the number of calories.
For fat loss, I typically recommend a carb cycle with a 20-30% caloric deficit for 3 days, followed by one full day at maintenance or even maintenance + 5-10%, with ALL the caloric increase coming from carbs.
For lean muscle gain with out fat gain, I'd recommend a cycle with 3 days at a 15% surplus, followed by 3 days at maintenance or a small caloric deficit of 5-10% below maintenance.
These are just guidelines which have worked well for me and my clients - of all different body types. They are not written in stone. In fact I have seen all types of calorie cycling variations work for different people. Any non-linear calorie approach is superior, in my opinion.
All the other principles in BFFM, such as eating the "foods that burn" fat and avoiding the "foods that turn to fat" apply as equally to weight gain programs as they do to fat loss programs.
In fact, many BFFM "graduates" quickly reached their fat loss goal using these techniques, and then with a few simple adjustments, shifted into a "muscle-gaining phase." Same program, 1 change in calorie levels.
Using the BFFM techniques for muscle mass gains, most people can expect to gain 1/2 pound to 1 pound per week of lean body mass with no increase in body fat, (1/2 to 3/4 of that for women).
These types of gains can be achieved completely natural - and in fact, natural is the only way I'd ever recommend you do muscle gaining programs.
Train hard and expect success,
Tom Venuto, fat loss coach and author of Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle
BURN THE FAT Q & A
WITH TOM VENUTO, Fat Loss coach
-----------------------------------------
QUESTION:
Hi Tom. I have your BURN THE FAT ebook; it's great thanks, but now that I'm lean enough my aim is bodybuilding and muscle gain. I read your information on body types in chapter 5 of your book and it was very interesting. I am definitely an ectomorph body type. I am getting good results gaining about 1 to 2 pounds a week, but I'm pretty skinny so it's going to take a while to get where I really want to be, but that's fine, I'm patient and determined. My question is, can I use all the guidelines in your BURN THE FAT ebook for gaining muscle mass?
Martin
ANSWER:
Martin, first of all, even one pound of weight gain a week is excellent progress provided that weight is all lean body mass and not body fat.
So, if you're not measuring your body composition, use the information in chapter three of Burn The Fat to track your body comp, and if you're doing that already and it's all lean tissue, you're doing great - don't change a thing.
As for using BURN THE FAT for gaining lean weight, the answer is yes.
It's true that BURN THE FAT, FEED THE MUSCLE is primarily a fat burning program and as you are reading through the e-book, you'll see that the entire manual is written with references to getting leaner.
However, with a few simple adjustments, the program can definitely be used for gaining muscle.
The primary adjustment would be the calories.
The #1 reason why people can't seem gain lean weight is because they're not eating enough. You need a caloric surplus to gain lean body mass.
With the BFFM system of nutrition and training, gaining your first 10-12 pounds of lean mass is actually quite easy. The secret is in the proper caloric intake combined with short, intense training sessions using meticulous and continuous progressive overload.
If you're in a calorie deficit (burning more calories than you consume), it's very difficult to gain substantial amounts of muscle. To gain lean body mass at the maximum possible rate, you need a calorie surplus (consuming more calories than your total daily energy expenditure).
The trick in gaining lean weight without the fat is to select a small calorie surplus because gorging yourself is only going to make you gain fat along with the muscle.
Gaining fat and muscle weight is commonly known as "bulking up" and that's the old school approach you should avoid at all costs. The whole idea is to gain LEAN body mass.
Although BFFM is written with a fat loss slant, all the calorie formulas are included in chapter 6, so you can figure out exactly how many you need to lose, maintain, OR gain weight.
What I would recommend for lean gains is to take your maintenance level (also known as "Total daily energy expenditure," or TDEE), and add a 10-15% calorie surplus on top of that as your starting point for the muscle gaining calorie level.
The only other adjustments for gaining lean mass would be the protein-carb-fat ratios (covered in detail in chapter 8) and of course, the amount of cardio.
Weight gain programs require more carbs in the macro nutrient mix and less cardio. In some cases for ectomorph "hard-gainer" body types, no cardio at all.
For the endomorph body type who tends to gain fat easily, I recommend continuing to use a carb or calorie cycling method even for the muscle gaining phase. The difference is in the number of calories.
For fat loss, I typically recommend a carb cycle with a 20-30% caloric deficit for 3 days, followed by one full day at maintenance or even maintenance + 5-10%, with ALL the caloric increase coming from carbs.
For lean muscle gain with out fat gain, I'd recommend a cycle with 3 days at a 15% surplus, followed by 3 days at maintenance or a small caloric deficit of 5-10% below maintenance.
These are just guidelines which have worked well for me and my clients - of all different body types. They are not written in stone. In fact I have seen all types of calorie cycling variations work for different people. Any non-linear calorie approach is superior, in my opinion.
All the other principles in BFFM, such as eating the "foods that burn" fat and avoiding the "foods that turn to fat" apply as equally to weight gain programs as they do to fat loss programs.
In fact, many BFFM "graduates" quickly reached their fat loss goal using these techniques, and then with a few simple adjustments, shifted into a "muscle-gaining phase." Same program, 1 change in calorie levels.
Using the BFFM techniques for muscle mass gains, most people can expect to gain 1/2 pound to 1 pound per week of lean body mass with no increase in body fat, (1/2 to 3/4 of that for women).
These types of gains can be achieved completely natural - and in fact, natural is the only way I'd ever recommend you do muscle gaining programs.
Train hard and expect success,
Tom Venuto, fat loss coach and author of Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle
Thursday, September 11, 2008
How You Can Train Your Abs in Six Minutes from Craig Ballantyne... the author of Turbulence Training
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!!
I thought you would like to know what Craig Ballantyne has been up to lately...
And here is what Craig writes about his experience with the upcoming 6 minute Ab circuit. It is a new bonus that he will be giving to all TT Ab customers...
Do you have a copy of the Turbulence training Home Abdominal Workout program yet?
http://tinyurl.com/CBabs1
Helping you look fit and healthy,
Matt Taylor
=====================================
I hit the local YMCA for a leg and 6-minute abs workout on Sunday morning. Six-minute abs is my latest mini-report and workout coming out in October.
You'll get a bunch of great beginner and advanced 6-minute ab workouts that show you how to get six pack abs in less time than it takes to watch all the commercials in a half-hour TV show. So some of these workouts you can do right at home in front of the TV.
The one I did yesterday was an advanaced 6-minute workout, and it requires a chin-up bar. Here's how it went down...
1A) Hanging Knee Raises (10 reps)
1B) Spiderman Climbs (10 reps per side)
1C) Plank with Arms on Ball (20-30 seconds)
Go through that circuit as much as you can in 6 minutes with as little rest as possible between exercieses. Don't even rest once you've completed the circuit, just start back again at the top.
It's tough. But fun and effective and gets your workout done faster than ever. And it was a far better use of workout time compared to the people I watched doing 15 minutes of crunches. What a waste.
I'll send you the bonus, "6-Minute Abs" workouts on October 1st, as soon as it is ready!
You CAN train your abs in only 6-minutes! Find out right here:
http://tinyurl.com/CBabs1
I thought you would like to know what Craig Ballantyne has been up to lately...
And here is what Craig writes about his experience with the upcoming 6 minute Ab circuit. It is a new bonus that he will be giving to all TT Ab customers...
Do you have a copy of the Turbulence training Home Abdominal Workout program yet?
http://tinyurl.com/CBabs1
Helping you look fit and healthy,
Matt Taylor
=====================================
I hit the local YMCA for a leg and 6-minute abs workout on Sunday morning. Six-minute abs is my latest mini-report and workout coming out in October.
You'll get a bunch of great beginner and advanced 6-minute ab workouts that show you how to get six pack abs in less time than it takes to watch all the commercials in a half-hour TV show. So some of these workouts you can do right at home in front of the TV.
The one I did yesterday was an advanaced 6-minute workout, and it requires a chin-up bar. Here's how it went down...
1A) Hanging Knee Raises (10 reps)
1B) Spiderman Climbs (10 reps per side)
1C) Plank with Arms on Ball (20-30 seconds)
Go through that circuit as much as you can in 6 minutes with as little rest as possible between exercieses. Don't even rest once you've completed the circuit, just start back again at the top.
It's tough. But fun and effective and gets your workout done faster than ever. And it was a far better use of workout time compared to the people I watched doing 15 minutes of crunches. What a waste.
I'll send you the bonus, "6-Minute Abs" workouts on October 1st, as soon as it is ready!
You CAN train your abs in only 6-minutes! Find out right here:
http://tinyurl.com/CBabs1
Find Out Why Bally the Dog Eats Better Than Most North Americans Do... By 9am...!
I interviewed Craig Ballantyne a month or so ago...
We were talking about his dog, Bally at one point and I remember one thing he said that got stuck in my mind...
Craig said, "My dog Bally probably eats more vegetables by 9am than most North Americans do all day!"
And the point of that was most folks are not eating enough raw vegetables and fresh fruit. Instead they are eating the typical western fare of refined sugar, breads and tran fats.
So here is a tip for you... start eating raw veggies. At first you may want to eat them with good quality salsa... but after a while you get used to it...
And now for a little confession... I actually found myself a little fat at the beginning of the summer...
So I decided to make some changes in my life... I'm 44 years old... I felt tired, I felt old and I felt out of control...
So I decided to make time for an exercise program and redesign my eating plans.
And there are a lot of good fat loss programs out there and I think it is a matter of preference... just stick to a good one and don't feel that you have to hop around to another fat loss program.
I tried out and really loved Turbulence Training by Craig Ballantyne. It is a well designed bodyweight training program that hits all the major muscle groups.
And besides, he also adds a common sense diet program that eliminates refined sugars and breads.
And you know... those two items are horrible for our bodies... they spike the blood sugar and your metabolism goes haywire.
And the summer is drawing to a close... isn't it time to take back control of your body?
Go here for more information about Turbulence Training:
http://tinyurl.com/CBsite
Helping you get leaner,
Matt Taylor
http://www.healthy-weight-loss-fitness-program.com/
P.S. Oh yeah, after two months... I lost 2.5 inches around my waist and my bodyfat went down from 17% to 9%!
http://tinyurl.com/CBsite
We were talking about his dog, Bally at one point and I remember one thing he said that got stuck in my mind...
Craig said, "My dog Bally probably eats more vegetables by 9am than most North Americans do all day!"
And the point of that was most folks are not eating enough raw vegetables and fresh fruit. Instead they are eating the typical western fare of refined sugar, breads and tran fats.
So here is a tip for you... start eating raw veggies. At first you may want to eat them with good quality salsa... but after a while you get used to it...
And now for a little confession... I actually found myself a little fat at the beginning of the summer...
So I decided to make some changes in my life... I'm 44 years old... I felt tired, I felt old and I felt out of control...
So I decided to make time for an exercise program and redesign my eating plans.
And there are a lot of good fat loss programs out there and I think it is a matter of preference... just stick to a good one and don't feel that you have to hop around to another fat loss program.
I tried out and really loved Turbulence Training by Craig Ballantyne. It is a well designed bodyweight training program that hits all the major muscle groups.
And besides, he also adds a common sense diet program that eliminates refined sugars and breads.
And you know... those two items are horrible for our bodies... they spike the blood sugar and your metabolism goes haywire.
And the summer is drawing to a close... isn't it time to take back control of your body?
Go here for more information about Turbulence Training:
http://tinyurl.com/CBsite
Helping you get leaner,
Matt Taylor
http://www.healthy-weight-loss-fitness-program.com/
P.S. Oh yeah, after two months... I lost 2.5 inches around my waist and my bodyfat went down from 17% to 9%!
http://tinyurl.com/CBsite
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Bodyweight Workout Exercises by Craig Ballantyne
Most guys don't give much thought to bodyweight workouts, but some of the toughest exercises I've ever done have used only my bodyweight. The two that come to mind immediately are the Pistol Squat and the 1-arm pushup. You have to be very strong and fit to do either of those exercises.
If those are too advanced for you, you can try 1-leg Squats (only going down half as far as the Pistol Squat) and Decline Pushups (elevating your feet on top of a second stair of a staircase).
There are also a lot of abdominal exercises you can do with only your bodyweight, and I don't just mean crunches. Better exercises include planks, side planks, mountain climbers, and cross-body mountain climbers. Those are all total body ab exercises and are not as hard on your low back as situps and crunches.
You don't need a cardio machine to burn calories. For years, my clients have been using bodyweight circuits for interval training. Most bodyweight exercises are the perfect hybrid of strength training and interval training, and unlike cardio machines, they don't put as much repetitive stress on your joints (from doing the same thing over and over again) and they help improve your athletic mobility. Bodyweight exercises and workouts are a much better way to train than with machines!
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
If those are too advanced for you, you can try 1-leg Squats (only going down half as far as the Pistol Squat) and Decline Pushups (elevating your feet on top of a second stair of a staircase).
There are also a lot of abdominal exercises you can do with only your bodyweight, and I don't just mean crunches. Better exercises include planks, side planks, mountain climbers, and cross-body mountain climbers. Those are all total body ab exercises and are not as hard on your low back as situps and crunches.
You don't need a cardio machine to burn calories. For years, my clients have been using bodyweight circuits for interval training. Most bodyweight exercises are the perfect hybrid of strength training and interval training, and unlike cardio machines, they don't put as much repetitive stress on your joints (from doing the same thing over and over again) and they help improve your athletic mobility. Bodyweight exercises and workouts are a much better way to train than with machines!
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
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