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Beating The Plateau:

by Shin Otake

When you repeat the same activities over and over again, eventually you get bored—and so does your body.  That’s when you hit the dreaded fitness plateau—where despite your workout efforts, your results come to a grinding halt.  Today I’m going to show you how to bypass a plateau and share with you one of the most effective tricks to accelerating your results, but first let me tell you a quick story…

Did you ever the story of the guy that became a doctor at the age of 48?

Yeah, 48. He already had a comfortable job making a good living, but there was one problem: It wasn’t what he really wanted to do. So instead of staying in his comfort zone and residing to the fact that life was good enough “as-is”, he decided to make a change and enrolled in medical school at the age of 40.

He literally gave up everything he knew and was good at to pursue the life he really wanted.  Pretty cool, right?  While this story is truly inspiring, most of us only wish we had the guts to make a change like that.

So what does this story have to do with your fitness goals?

Plenty.

The truth be told, we’re creatures of habit. We get comfortable with doing things a certain way and we tend to stick to our old methods simply because they’re familiar and for the most part, well, we just don’t take change very well (even though change would improve our lives in most cases).

So, if you’ve been stuck in a rut and haven’t seen much muscle definition or the fat around your belly budge for a long time (despite working out), you need a change…and you need it bad!

Here’s why…

Did you know that it only takes as little as 3 weeks for your body to adapt to a workout routine – at which point your results come to a standstill?

Yikes!  That’s probably not what you wanted to hear, but this is exactly why when you start a new workout routine, you get good results in the beginning and then your progress suddenly stops after just a few short weeks.

Even the very best workout isn’t going to get you the results you want if you repeat it too often.

What causes this “plateau” effect?

Your body is very smart, and over time it adapts to your routine.  It becomes so efficient that it no longer has to work as hard to perform the same exercise or workout.  That means, eventually you’ll burn LESS calories doing the SAME thing!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0JufI4iPc_s]

So let me ask you, do you tend to repeat the same exercises or workouts with no real plan in mind?  Don’t worry, I know how it is.  You get good at doing certain exercises and get comfortable doing a handful of routines.  Plus, you don’t have spend a lot of time planning your workout when you do the same stuff all the time.  It’s just easier to stick with what you know.

But that ain’t gonna get you the results.

Your body responds to CHANGE, not comfort.

The more you can keep your body from getting used to an exercise or workout routine, the better it will respond by building lean muscle and shedding unwanted fat.

…And change doesn’t always have to be drastic. A little tweak may be all you need to keep your body guessing…just enough for you to stay challenged so you can KEEP getting better results.  Even small changes like decreasing your rest period between exercises, changing the number of reps, and using full-body exercises instead of isolated exercises are all super effective ways to challenge yourself.

The bottom line is this:  You MUST get out of your comfort zone if you want to beat the plateau and kick things up a notch so you can start seeing visible changes in your body again.  Variety is key to fast-tracking your way to better results without stagnation.

Here’s another tip: by constantly mixing up your exercises and routines, you can actually multiply your results.  It’s a like a cumulative effect.  By avoiding any halt in your progress, you not only get results faster but you also end up getting better results in the process.  Go figure!

by shin Otake

All that time spent pounding the pavement and what do you have to show for it?  Maybe a pair of worn out sneakers and a little weight loss, but certainly nothing to get overly excited about.

I know, it doesn’t seem fair.  Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but slaving away on the treadmill, bike, or elliptical day after day is a surefire way to make your body retain fat. (Yes, you read that correctly!)

Here’s why…

Long, moderate-paced cardio activates destructive hormones that eat away at your muscle tone, which increases your body’s affinity to hold onto your existing fat!  You see, when you do long cardio, your body uses glucose (sugar) as it’s first source of energy and once that’s used up, it turns to your muscle and starts breaking it down for energy use.  Fat is the last energy source to be utilized.  This is really bad…

You see, muscle is metabolically active, which means it burns calories just sitting there.  So when you lose muscle, you burn less calories.  And here’s the real kicker: doing long cardio forces your body to protect your “fat” from getting burned for energy (as a survival mechanism).  So essentially, you’re programming your body to go into survival mode, causing it to protect the last source of energy, which is your FAT!

Worse yet, steady-state cardio also increases your cortisol production which enhances your insulin activity.  Insulin is your fat storing hormone and it loves to target your stomach, hips, butt and thighs.  Makes you think twice about cardio, doesn’t it?!

Not only is “traditional” cardio an ineffective way to lose fat, but it can eventually lead to overuse injuries. When you repeat the same movements over and over for long periods of time, you put too much stress on certain areas of your body, which can eventually become repetitive stress injuries.

So if you’re already putting in the effort, now all you have to do is redirect that energy into doing the right things so you can start burning fat faster…

The good news is there’s a right way to do cardio that will “trick” your body into naturally producing a flood of fat-burning hormones—and it’ll take you half the time of a “regular” cardio workout…

I’m talking about high-intensity interval cardio.

Interval cardio triggers your anaerobic metabolism, which will skyrocket your heart rate and melt the fat—without eating away your muscle tone.  Remember, you need to keep your lean muscle so you can keep burning more fat and calories throughout the day.

With interval cardio, you perform short bursts of high-intensity cardio (like sprinting, biking at a fast pace, rowing, etc…) followed by a short rest period.  Then, you repeat the set for a number of rounds and you can even vary the interval times and intensity levels.

With high-intensity interval cardio training, you can cumulatively work at higher intensities for longer, which produces a triple whammy when it comes to fat-burning:

1. It triggers the “Afterburn”, which is a physiological effect that creates a metabolic deficit in your body, causing you to burn calories even AFTER your workout is over…for up to 48 hours (this is scientifically proven, not just a bunch of hooey!)
2. It maximizes all of your fat burning hormones, so you lose more fat while maintaining your lean muscle (essentially doubling your calorie burn!)
3. It greatly improves your speed, power and endurance all at the same time, making you fitter, faster and stronger—all while sculpting a lean, athletic physique.  Even if you’re an endurance junkie, you’re going to reap the benefits when it comes to your specific event.

Better yet, these short, high-energy workouts dramatically reduce the stress on your joints.  Since each bout of high-intensity exercise is alternated with a short rest period for recovery, you won’t be banging away at your poor inflamed joints for hours on end.

3 Killer Techniques That Get Rid of Stubborn “Ab Flab” So You Can Carve Out Those Ripped Abs Without Starving Yourself or Doing Hundreds of Sit-Ups

by shin otake

We all want great abs.  In fact, “abs” consistently rank as the number one body part people are most attracted to in the opposite sex AND want to improve most about themselves.  So, I’m going to set the record straight and give you the TRUTH about losing that spare tire so you can reveal those lean, defined abs hiding underneath that stubborn layer of belly fat.

Have you been doing countless sit-ups, crunches and side bends hoping to flatten your stomach, but you haven’t noticed a bit of difference whatsoever?

Hell, at some point you’ve probably been so determined to get rid of that stubborn ab flab that you tried every “As Seen on TV” ab gadget out there. (I admit, I tried a few myself back in the day).  Yet, even after religiously crunching it out on your new ab sculptor after every workout, you finally came to the conclusion that your mid-section looked exactly the same as it did before you bought the darn thing!

The thing is, your abs do get sore after doing isolated ab exercises and so it makes you think (or hope) that the exercises are working.  But the soreness eventually goes away, and your belly flab sticks around like that annoying neighbor that you just can’t seem to avoid. Frustrating, I know.

It may be hard to believe, but the best way to tone up your stomach is WITHOUT trying to specifically target the abdominal muscles.  I know it seems to make sense to try and “spot treat” your abs—that is, until you discover what the role of your abs really is…

Most people think that abs are made to crunch, twist, and bend.  However, it’s the complete opposite!  The role of your abdominal muscles is to prevent your mid-section from crunching, twisting, and bending. You heard it right, your abs are a stabilizing force designed to resist movement and protect your spine.

So even though you “feel the burn” when you do crunches and other traditional ab moves, you’re actually putting unnecessary pressure on your back, causing more harm than good.  These isolated exercises can cause lower back injuries by forcing your spine to flex too much.

Here Are The 3 Keys To Getting Rock-Solid Abs:

#1 – Burn Off That “Ab Flab”

Intensity is the most important factor if you want to put fat burning on auto-pilot.  Why?  Because high-intensity workouts trigger the “Afterburn” effect (like I talked about on Day 2) by spiking your metabolism for up to 2 days after your workout is over.  This scientifically proven method has you burning fat around the clock (literally)!

The real trick to maximizing fat-burning with high-intensity training is choosing the right exercises.  The most effective exercises are full-body, functional exercises (like I talked about on Day 1).  These compound exercises activate your core and enable you to recruit more muscles simultaneously, which creates a bigger metabolic demand on your body and triggers the release of your fat burning hormones—so you can finally bring that six pack out of hiding.

#2 – Strengthen Your Abs

Strengthening your abs will reinforce your core stabilizers to promote a strong, healthy back.  In the video below, I’ll demonstrate some simple, effective functional ab strengthening exercises that you can start incorporating into your workouts right away:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CrugaN7jVsw]

#3 – Cut Down On the Biggest Fat Causing Foods

I’m talking about carbs.  Now before you say, “Oh no, not another low-carb diet!”,  there’s something really important you need to understand…

Carbs break down into sugar…and sugar is THE biggest reason that you carry fat on your body.  Why?  Because sugar stimulates a fat storage hormone called insulin…

Let me explain: Insulin is a powerful hormone that’s secreted by your pancreas in presence of sugar.  So the more sugar you eat, the more insulin your body will secrete…and that means more potential for storing excess FAT.  That’s because any excess sugar your body can’t metabolize gets turned into fat!  And the worst part is that your insulin hormone loves to store fat in the belly area for men and in the hips, butt and thigh regions for women.  So any excess sugar that your body doesn’t metabolize, guess where it’s headed?!

This is why cutting way down on carbs causes nearly instant fat loss.  It’s not a matter of opinion, it’s the science of how your body metabolizes food.  Not to mention, most of the “carby” foods out there are highly processed and absolutely terrible for your overall health (you wouldn’t believe some of the health problems these foods have been linked to).

Now, I’m not saying you should eat like a rabbit all day long, but I’m not going to sugar-coat it either (pun intended!).  If you aren’t willing to make some changes to keep your carbs in check, you’re NOT going to get flat, washboard abs no matter how much you exercise because you can’t out-exercise a bad diet.

by shin Otake

Despite your efforts, it’s not your fault you haven’t been able to achieve the lean, toned body you deserve, so don’t be too quick to blame your age or genetics…

Just look at what we’re surrounded with—celebrities who are paid big bucks to endorse fitness products.  You’ll see them on T.V. touting, “You can get a totally sculpted body in just 10 days, all you have to do is buy my latest and greatest whatcha-ma-call-it exercise gadget!”.  (You know the drill)

Sheesh, for the right amount of money, these people will say just about anything.

…And is it just me or have you noticed how all the fitness magazines are overrun with ads for “miracle” fat-burning supplements?  Listen, the magazines aren’t going to tell you the truth about those bogus fat-burner pills scattered throughout the pages when that’s where all their advertising dollars are coming from.

It’s almost to the point you need to hire a private investigator just to figure out what’s legitimate and what’s not!

So if you’ve been working out with nothing to show for it but a pairs of worn out sneakers and clothes that look the same on your body since the day you joined the gym, isn’t it time you changed something?

I don’t want you to waste another minute of your time using the ineffective, inefficient methods plastered all over the internet and magazines, so today I’m going to debunk THE most common workout myth and share my proven methods that’ll turn your body into a fat-burning furnace.  You’ll be back in your two-piece before you know it!

First, let me ask you a quick question…

Do your workouts focus mostly on cardio (jogging, aerobics, elliptical) or doing isolated exercises with small pink dumbbells (to avoid getting “bulky”)?  Or, maybe you take those fitness classes that promise to “lengthen” your muscles for a thinner look (Pilates or yoga ring a bell?).

Listen, I have nothing against Pilates and yoga (or the color pink), I think they’re great, but NOT when it comes to burning off tons of fat and getting a slender, sculpted body.

Here’s the thing:  If you’ve been avoiding the weight room (or using “girl” weights) for fear of bulking up, you’re missing out on your body’s most efficient fat-burner…muscle.

Now, please read carefully because I want to finally put one of the most common misconceptions to rest:

Lifting weights, will NOT make you “get big or bulky” or look like one of those muscle-clad women on the cover of a bodybuilding magazine—not even close!

Unlike men, your body doesn’t produce enough testosterone to stimulate large, bulky muscle growth.

Those masculine looking gals you see on the cover of magazines are juicing up with testosterone and spending HOURS everyday in the gym.

I’m not sure if you know this or not, but it’s really difficult for a woman to develop muscles that are popping out all over the place like that.  In fact, it’s so hard that even though these ladies spend hours in the gym everyday, they still have to use illegal substances to get that big!

What you WILL get by ditching the Barbie weights and picking up more challenging weights is a super-lean, toned and tight body.

Here’s why…

One pound of muscle can burn up to 20 calories a day.

That means if you just replaced 5 pounds of fat with 5 pounds of lean muscle, you’re essentially burning an additional 100 calories a day.

Not to mention, muscle takes up MUCH less space than fat.  Take a look:

By shedding unwanted fat and replacing it with lean muscle, you can increase your Basal Metabolic Rate (your metabolism) by up to 15%.  That means you have the potential of burning 15% more calories a day without lifting a finger!

But, if you’ve already been lifting weights and still have stubborn fat and cellulite lingering around, here’s something you should know (and this is where most women go wrong)…

If you’re doing countless reps of isolated moves (like bicep curls, leg lifts, and tricep kickbacks, etc…) in an attempt to “spot treat” specific areas of your body, you will never get you the results you’re after.

You see, even though your body tends to deposit more fat in certain areas as opposed to others, burning it off doesn’t work the same way.  For example, if you tend to carry more weight in your hips and thighs, doing isolated exercises like leg lifts or inner and outer thigh machines won’t help those areas slim down.

To transform your body from head to toe, you’ve got to workout using full-body exercises.

Let me explain…

Full-body exercises demand that more muscles be used at the same time. This places significant metabolic stress (the good kind of stress) on your body, which responds by producing a flood of fat-burning hormones.

Isolated exercises on the other hand, simply don’t recruit enough muscle fibers to make this process even possible— and that’s why your trouble spots never seem to get any smaller.

Let’s look at an example (there are over 40 full-body exercises, but this is one of my favorites):  The Squat Press Up

This movement involves the use of all of your lower body muscles (quads, hamstrings, and glutes) along with your upper body muscles (shoulders, arms, chest, and upper back) and your core stabilizer muscles.

As you can see, this full-body exercise demands the use of your entire body.

Not to mention, full-body exercises are also functional, meaning they mimic the way your body naturally moves.  So it’s no surprise that when you workout using these exercises, daily activities become even easier and your overall fitness level vastly improves.

Isolated exercises simply can’t accomplish the same level of results (no matter how many of them you do) because they only work one muscle group at a time.

Think about it…your body works as a whole – the sum of it’s parts – never in isolation.

When’s the last time you participated in any activity that required you to use only one muscle at a time?  So why would you train any differently?

Full-body exercises are the biggest metabolic boosters and by implementing these turbo-moves into your workouts, you’ll finally be able to unleash your full fat-burning potential—getting you slim, toned and super fit.

Here’s the video:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y_bcT0Xvyl8]