Training

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]

by Shin Ohtake
If you’re doing traditional split body training (arms one day, legs the next, etc…), my guess is you’re probably spending a good 1-2 hours “working out”, including the occasional chit chat with your fellow gym goers…all while barely breaking a sweat.

If this sounds familiar, you already know that it hasn’t worked out the way you thought it would, right? If you’re feeling more like the Pillsbury Dough boy than Mr. Clean, there’s a real good reason and I’m going to show you why and how you can dramatically change the outcome by applying a few simple but very powerful concepts into your workout routine, so you can finally get that athletic, chiseled “300” Spartan-like body.

Let’s get straight to the point:  Traditional bodybuilding routines using isolated exercises and splitting body parts were popular back in the 1980’s (when everybody was juicing up trying to look like Arnold), but the science of fitness has come a long way since then.

So why don’t body-building style workouts work (other than the fact that you have to use illegal substances to get any results)?

Because they lack POWER.

Let me explain…

Power is your ability to perform a given amount of work in a specified amount of time – it’s also known as “work capacity”. The more work you can do in a shorter amount of time, the more power you produce.  It’s like beefing up your car with a V8 engine. The bigger the engine, the more powerful the car.

Power is key when it comes to getting a lean, fit body.  That’s because, physiologically when you produce more power, it triggers a powerful neuroendocrine response—the natural release of Human Growth Hormone (HGH).

Here are just a few of the effects HGH has on your body:

• HGH triggers fat metabolism for energy use in muscle growth, which means you lose fat while gaining dense muscle tissue!
• HGH enhances protein synthesis in skeletal muscles, building stronger, larger muscles
• HGH slows the aging process

In fact, did you know HGH is so effective that some men are even buying it and injecting themselves with it?  That’s craziness…you don’t need to!  You just need to learn how to workout properly so your body will produce it naturally…

Here’s the most critical factor you need to understand if you want your body to produce more HGH: The release of HGH is dependent on the INTENSITY of the exercises you perform because intensity is key to increasing your power.  So you better kick those old school body-builder workouts to the curb, stat!

Seriously though, if your idea of a workout is a series of isolated exercises combined with breaks for small talk, watching TV or texting (my pet peeve!), you can’t expect your body to change.

But if you’re sick and tired of not seeing any difference in your physique and you’re ready to burn off that stubborn fat and get lean and ripped, then it’s time we lit a fire under your butt and got you working out with some intensity!

There are several key variables that will shoot your intensity level through the roof.  The amount of rest you take between exercises and sets, the amount of weight you use, the type of exercises you do and the speed at which you perform those exercises has e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g to do with how good your results will be.

This is really important because intensity equals power.  Remember, the more powerful you are, the more lean muscles you can build—and that means you’ll burn MORE fat and increase your strength at the same time.

Don’t be like that guy sporting a gut and a headband who stands in front of the mirror performing lateral raises while making grunting noises (thinking he’s being intense)…That is NOT intensity.

How long should a high-intensity workout be?

If you’re working out with enough intensity, there’s no way that you can workout for more than 20 to 30 minutes.  Since you’re expending more energy in less time, you don’t need to waste an entire hour doing a more “traditional” workout.

Think about it.  Let’s take running for example…If you ran all out at 100% effort (a sprint) for as long as you can, how long do you think you can run for before you fall flat on your face from exhaustion?  10 seconds? 20 seconds? Maybe 60 seconds if you’re Superman!

If there’s one thing I want you to learn from this article, it’s this:

Fitness is intensity dependent, NOT time dependent.

So even if you have a crazy busy schedule, you can spare 30 minutes a day for your health can’t you?  It’s a small price to pay for not only looking better, but having more energy and stamina, increasing your overall health and feeling like you’re in your 20’s again.

…And there’s another MASSIVE benefit to doing high-intensity workouts that’s really gonna rock your world, so stay with me…

High-intensity workouts trigger a physiological effect called EPOC, which stands for Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption, but it’s better known as the “Afterburn”.

The Afterburn is when your body continues to burn calories even after your workout is over…for up to 48 hours! That means you can train your body to burn fat all day long, even while you’re sitting at work, watching T.V., and yes…even sleeping.

Here’s how it works:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=p4y-xZXYNVA]

Just to reiterate, the Afterburn occurs after an intense bout of exercise that forces your body to go into oxygen debt. The oxygen debt causes a metabolic deficit, which forces your body to expend more energy to make up for it…and that extra energy is provided by your body fat.

In essence, you’re using your own body fat as fuel to increase your metabolism.  How awesome is that?!

And since triggering the Afterburn is directly related to your level of intensity—the more intense your workout is, the greater the Afterburn and that means more fat burning.  If you start doing high-intensity workouts regularly, you’re basically turning your body into a fat-burning furnace that torches calories 24/7!

So keep it short and intense, my friend.  I want you to workout smarter, not longer so you can maximize fat-burning and lean muscle building, getting you lean and fit in half the time—while everyone else’s body looks the same (or worse) than it did last year.

by Dr. Kareem Samhouri – CSCS, HFS

If you want to lose stubborn abdominal fat faster, don’t make these 3 common fat loss mistakes below…

1. Relying on Abs-Specific Training:

For some reason, the misconception of spot reduction continues.  No argument has ever convinced me that you can lose fat in a specific area by contracting the muscle in that specific area.  Fat loss just does not work this way.  Yet for some reason, we see hundreds of people every day at the gym doing hundreds of crunches and situps and thinking that they are somehow burning fat from their abdomen, when in reality, they’re just wasting time!

Fat loss is a systemic effect that takes place as your body morphs into a healthier you.  Fat storage patterns vary person to person according to hormonal levels, genetic fat storage patterns, myofascial restrictions, and inflammation.  Reducing body fat in those areas through exercise is only done if you are working to modify hormonal levels that have related fat storage areas, for example.

However, there has yet to be convincing evidence that you can do tricep presses, for example, and lose fat in the back of your arms… Just doesn’t work that way.  The same is true with your abs.  In this case, even if you do 3000 sit ups per day, you wouldn’t be doing much for fat loss.  Fat loss is about:

1. Energy system training
2. Compound movements targeting many joints at once
3. Muscle balancing
4. Motor unit recruitment, and
5. Multi-planar movement

It’s impossible to add all of the above into an abs exercise, or even a series of abs exercises.  The goal is to tire as much of your body as possible, to a safe extreme.  This is referred to as momentary muscular failure, and it’s when lactic acid onset takes place.  Remember, lactic acid, which is what makes you sore, is a very good thing.  It means your body is working hard to reduce inflammation and repair.  You’re well on your way to rapid fat loss.  You’ll see incredible results when you accept this:

I believe muscle soreness following a fat loss workout should be a 5 – 7 (on a 0 to 10 scale), most of the time, where:

0 = no pain whatsoever, no muscle soreness
10 = extreme muscle soreness, emergency level

This is a big wake-up call for a lot of people, but it may just shed light on why you’re not seeing the fat loss results for which you were hoping.
2. Low To Moderate Intensity Cardio For Long Duration:

Walking.  This, alone, simply won’t work for long-term fat loss results. It may work at first for somebody who is extremely obese and has been sedentary, but not for most people.  While I strongly believe in the benefits of walking for stress relief, personal time, reflection with movement, blood pressure and cholesterol modification, etc., I do not consider it a good method to lose body fat.

Losing fat is about shocking your body and stimulating a repair process.  Giving your body the chance to adapt to a demand over time doesn’t help you lose fat quickly.  Sure, you can see some initial results, often masked as ‘toning’, but in the end you’re turning your Type IIa muscle fibers (oxidative-glycolytic, or medium speed fibers) to Type I (oxidative, or slow muscle fibers that have great endurance).  The only trouble is that the Type II muscle fibers do a much better job of getting you lean.

By stimulating muscular strength (not necessarily “bulking”) you are enhancing your metabolism.  It takes energy to build and restore lean muscle tissue.  Allowing it to grow consumes a bit more energy, but you don’t have to bulk up to see great results.  Rather, just create a muscle repair process while stimulating your metabolism with fat-burning foods and you’ll see your results go wild.

After a full-body resistance-based alternation-style workout session, you’ll spike your metabolism for 2-3 days as your body re-uptakes the lactic acid from your bloodstream, restores oxygen to the muscle tissue you’ve worked, and repairs the micro-tears that took place in your muscles.  Supersets or circuits in full body workouts is one example of this, and interval training accomplishes this too, but what if we take things a step further and get you off a machine?

I suggest that we alternate body parts, directions, speeds, intensities, and muscle synergies, or pairs.  Alternation in any form, even when the intensity is a bit lower, is still a rapid fat loss signal to your body.  You’re sure to see wild fat-burning results once you start thinking about fat loss as “shocking the fat away”.
3. Caloric Restriction:

Caloric restriction = muscle starvation = fat loss grinds to a halt.

Muscle requires calories to grow.  Without some degree of muscle growth, it will atrophy under duress.  If you’re exercising intensely, which you should be, your muscle will be eating itself to survive.

It’s really important that you feed your system so it can grow and maintain its level of function.  Your body requires food for muscle repair, concentration, heart health, and digestive health.  Regular meals are best.  There are 2 schools of thought with eating for fat loss:

1. Eat 3 meals per day and up to 2 snacks.
2. Eat 5-6 small meals per day.

Normally, I recommend #2, because I find this is a great way to ensure you are not snacking on things that are bad for you, because you are eating healthy small meals often enough.  Also, I tend to never feel hungry when I’m eating on this schedule.  That’s very helpful for fat loss.

Contrarily, eating 3 meals per day seems like it should also allow you ample time to digest and re-spike your metabolism.  I believe there should be a small bout of exercise in between each meal if you choose this approach.  If thats the goal, let’s go at it.

Again, my recommendation is 5-6 meals/day, where you pre-plan your week’s meals over the weekend, cook many meals at once, and prepare yourself for fat loss.  The most helpful resource I’ve read to date, on this, is Fat Burning Kitchen.  I recommend you read this also.

Most importantly, make sure you are getting enough calories.  Yes, you do need a caloric deficit to lose fat over a certain time period, but taking your daily calories too low can reduce your metabolism and halt your fat loss.

Under no circumstance should an active female eat less than 1300 calories or an active male eat less than 1500 calories when trying to lose weight.  Within a few months of coaching, most of my female clients are eating 1800 – 2000 calories, and my male clients are eating 2100 – 2800 calories.  …and they keep losing fat faster and faster.  The goal should be to stimulate your metabolism to be able to eat more, not less.

In summary, there are 3 major fat loss mistakes you absolutely want to avoid:

1. Low to moderate intensity cardio for long duration – great way for your body to adapt to exercise and stop burning fat.  Plus, you’re converting your muscle fibers to the wrong type.

2. Abs-specific training – 3000 sit ups and no result?  That’s just depressing.  Train for full body systemic fat loss.  You’ll be glad you did.

3. Caloric restriction = starving muscle = no more fat loss; instead, make the goal to eat more and build more fat-burning muscle to ramp up your metabolism, permanently.

I specialize in helping people just like you burn fat at absolutely ridiculous rates.  I’ve focused on this for 12 years now, and I’ve even added advanced physical therapy techniques that exploit how your nervous system works to get you results faster than anything you’ve ever seen.  I’d like to teach you all about this awesome method that has people losing fat at record speed with these 2 special gifts below: