The Mind Over Body Matter Letter

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A news media feeding frenzy erupted recently when a new diet study broke in the New England Journal of Medicine…

… and almost all the reporters got it wrong, wrong ‘WRONG!’

(So did most of the gloating low carb forumites and bloggers.)

Come to think of, almost everyone interpreted this study wrong.

Some valuable insights came out of this study, but almost everyone missed them because they were too busy believing what the news said or defending their own cherished belief systems …

My buddy Tom Venuto reviewed this study hardcore style… you might not believe the golden nuggets of info that lay underneath what everyone THOUGHT was a big deal

Go check it out… this is good stuff… VERY well thought out…

==> Tom’s “Low Carb” Revelation

If you are looking for a few unorthodox methods for losing weight, you’ve come to the right place. Not only do these methods work, but you won’t find them anywhere else. So what are they:

1. Staple your good arm to your side.

Believe it or not, but if you force yourself to eat with your non-dominant hand, you tend to focus more on “what” you are eating. Plus, since you’ll probably end up missing your mouth once or twice, you’ll eat slower, which helps to prevent over-eating.

2. Glue headphones to your ears.

Most people waste time during their workouts and miss out on many compound effects. If you are working out in a club, “headphones” signify the “I’m too in to my workout, don’t bother me” person. Have you noticed that these people happen to be in the best shape as well. It’s no coincidence.

3. Shrink your stomach.

Doctors perform stomach stapling operations for one reason - they work! But, do you have to get this life changing operation to take advantage of the benefits. Absolutely not. The whole point of the operation is to “force” the patient to begin eating small, frequent meals. People see good results with the operation so, why don’t we just read between the lines and go ahead and do what we need to do?

4. Align yourself with track stars.

Okay, not the steroid using ones. Seriously though, work out with people that are in better shape than you are. Not only will you get to experience the types of workouts, that have gotten these people into phenomenal shape, but you’ll also be able to work with a person who is where you want to be. This person will “pull” you toward the results you crave. But, don’t worry, because since they will be seen as a role model, they’ll tend to work out harder as well - so they don’t let you down.

5. You gotta pay to play.

Most people skimp when it comes to buying good shoes, workout clothes and music. Don’t. The reason people do this is so they won’t feel bad when they decide to quit on themselves. Where’s the reasoning here? If you’ll feel bad for quitting on yourself because you’ve spent a few bucks - then bygolly, spend more! Now, I’m not advocating that you buy the latest technogadget but most people only become “in it to win it” when their wallet reflects the same notion. Not many people will tell you this because it’s counterinituitive, but it’s the truth.

So there you go, 5 easy changes to maximize your workouts and increase your results. Give them a go and if they don’t help you on your way to becoming “lean and mean”, I’ll sew my fingers together so I can’t type any more of this “nonsense”.

Tom always has a great outlook on things.)

Fat burner supplements are advertised everywhere these days - on the internet, in magazines and even on TV. The ads almost always feature a very lean fitness model or bodybuilder and claim that these products, usually pills, are the secret to their six pack abs and very low body fat levels. Some of these ads suggest that the only way to get as lean as the “hot bodies” you see pictured is by taking their “miracle pills” and that proper nutrition and exercise alone is not enough.

While I won’t dismiss the fact that there are ingredients in some fat “burner” products that might help a little bit, I take great displeasure in seeing misleading advertising claims as well as the misleading use of models who are often paid to endorse the product even though they may never have even used it (they’re just models!)

Many “fat burner” companies have been sued by the Federal Trade Commission for false advertising, false claims and falsifying before and after photos.

The best you get is a slight thermogenic effect and possibly some slight appetite suppression. A few products might work through other mechanisms like improving thyroid, but if you forgive me the generalization, I consider the effects of all these “fat burner” products to be minutia.

In one of my previous newsletters, I said that in my opinion, 97% of your results come from nutrition and training and maybe you get an extra 3% advantage from supplements. Just so you know those numbers aren’t something I pulled out of thin air, here’s an example:

I have reviewed scientific data that EGCG, the active ingredient in green tea extract, if consumed in enough quantity, could increase thermogenesis / metabolic rate by an average of about 75 calories in 24 hours. Since ephedrine was taken off the market, green tea extract appears in many ephedra-free formulas these days. What is a typical calorie expenditure for an active male in 24 hours? lets say 2700 calories per day. 75/2700 = 2.7%.

That little extra doesnt hurt, especially when it’s delivered in a healthful package such as green tea (rather than central nervous system stimulants), but it’s minutia in the bigger picture. Another way to put this into perspective is to make a list of what other things would burn 75 calories (for 150 lb person:)

* walk your dog for 15 minutes * walk for 5 minutes at normal casual pace three times a day * 30 minutes of ironing * bagging leaves and grass clippings for 14 minutes * re arrange your furniture for 10 minutes * wash your car, 15 minutes * vacuuming for 15 minutes *7.2 minutes of walking up stairs (could be spread throughout the day)

Of course, some people are probably wondering, “Why exert yourself if you could take a pill and your metabolism increases while you sit and watch TV?”

Here’s what any good personal trainer will always tell you: No amount of calorie restriction or pill-popping will ever give you FITNESS. It will never give you STRENGTH. It will never get you MUSCULARITY. It will never give you FUNCTIONALITY. At best it will help you reduce your body mass.

(Oh… and as a little note… fitness and exercise REALLY help prevent the injuries that just “happen” to happen as you get older. You know, the twisting your ankle by stepping on it wrong… knee problems… etc)

And how about for your health?

A body that’s not moved rots away. Unlike a car which only has so many miles on it and wears out from over-use, people are the only “machines” on earth that fall apart from under-use.

On one hand, I’m tempted to say that everything counts and that yes, 75 calories here and 75 calories there, it ALL adds up, because it does. After you’re exercising regularly and all your fundamentals are in place, details and little things do matter.

I’m simply asking you to put the benefits of any fat burners in proper perspective and realize that (1) there is no “need” for taking them and (2) the claims made in the ads are often erroneous or exaggerated.

My advice on fat burners:

1. NEVER buy a fat burner unless you get independent verification of the claims made for the product.

How do you know they really work? Are you seriously going to take the advertisers word for it? Are you going to take someone else’s testimonial as fact? Get verification for yourself by going to the pub med data base and looking for the primary research.

2. Put it in perspective

With those products that work, such as those providing a small thermogenic effect, put that in perspective as compared to how easily you could burn that many calories with even light exercise like walking or housework. Keep in mind the additional fitness and strength benefits you will obtain from exercise as opposed to doing nothing and popping a pill.

3. See if there are any side effects or health warnings.

With all supplements and especially with prohormones or stronger thermogenics like the ephedrine and caffeine stack, (if you still have access to them), understand the risk to benefit ratio, and be certain you know the dangers and contraindications.

4. Read the label and see if the product contains enough active ingredient to even work.

A classic scam is when a “fat burner” advertisement quotes research that a certain ingredient boosts metabolism, which might be true. What they may not tell you is that all the research with positive results used a large dosage of the ingredient, which might not be cheap. So the supplement company includes a “pinch” or “light dusting” of that ingredient just so they can say it’s in the bottle, even though it’s nothing more than “label decoration.” Then they have the audacity to invoke the research studies in their advertisements when the amount of the ingredient in their product is no where near what was used in the research!

5. Beware of the proprietary blend scam.

Some companies don’t let you see how much ingredient is in the product formula, because it contains multiple ingredients and they say their formula is a “trade secret” aka “proprietary”, so they list what is in the product but not how much. Well, if you don’t know how much is in there then how are you supposed to know whether it contains the proper dosage? (answer: you don’t!)

6. Make sure there is human research, not just rodent research.

In many cases, advertisements cite studies on rats and mice as “proof” under the assumption that the product will produce the same results in humans. Animal research is an important part of the scientific method, as it is often used to help find areas of research where human study should be pursued, or in the other direction, to trace back the mechanism that makes something work. However, for obesity research in particular, a positive finding in rats does not mean the same thing will happen in humans.

7. Look for more than one human study.

Consider trying a supplement after it has human research that has been replicated by different research groups which are not industry-sponsored. My policy is that I will usually only give a “buy” rating to a supplement when a product has an initial well-designed human controlled trial published and then similar research has been replicated by another research group that is not supplement-industry funded. Actually, I think it’s a good thing that nutrition and supplement companies fund and sponsor some of the research. They should. They should not only back up their claims with published clinical trials, they should share some of the cost of this expensive research.

However, a basic principle of the scientific method is replication. Other researchers should be able to duplicate the findings. Therefore, while the funding source does not necessarily prove bias, if there is only one study available on a supplement and it is company or industry sponsored, I usually take it with a grain of salt and put an asterisk next to it while I wait for confirmation from another study. (You might be surprised at how infrequently this type of confirmation occurs).

Do you really need “more” than nutrition and exercise?

Now, when you weigh the fact that even the products with research backing them only help a little, with the fact that many of the ads lie to you about research, exaggerate claims and hide vital information about ingredients, and with the fact that you can do a few more minutes of exercise per day and get the same results for free, how enthusiastic are you about fat burners? Yeah, that’s why I’m not real excited about them either and based on the fact that I use no drugs and no “fat burner” supplements and I compete in bodybuilding - very successfully - I’d say that the assertion, “it takes more than nutrition and exercise to get six pack abs” is patently false.

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer, certified strength & conditioning specialist and author of the best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle. Tom teaches you how to lose fat without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models so you too can learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism.

Here’s an email that I got today about the new launch of Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training For Abs:

Hey Brad,

You’ll never have to do another useless crunch on a stinky, sweaty dirty gym mat or hotel room floor EVER again!

…because Men’s Health expert, Craig Ballantyne, has just released his new CRUNCH-FREE Home Abdominal Workout program.

But hurry, only the first 100 copies come with his extra special gift for you worth $59.85…

And you’ll get his new program that features 5 new TT for Abs workout programs including…

1) The 4-Week Beginner Introduction to CRUNCH-FREE Ab Workout

2) The 4-Week Intermediate Level ANTI-CRUNCH Ab Workout

3) And THREE Advanced 4-Week Home Abdominal Workouts

PLUS, you’ll get…

4) The “TT Abs 300″ Workout Challenges (including one for beginners, intermediate, and advanced fitness levels)

5) The Bodyweight Abs program that you can do anytime, anywhere, without a single piece of equipment. (This program comes with beginner and advanced versions too!)

All that, AND STILL MORE…

The TT for Abs Home Abdominal Workouts also comes with…

a) The Advanced Ab Nutrition Meal Plans for Men & Women

b) The 5 Motivational Secrets to STOP Cheating on Your Diet and Never Skip Another Workout Again

PLUS, the first 100 men and women to grab their copy gets a 3-month TT Basic Level Membership to the TT forums and workout of the month club.

AND FINALLY, he’s added THREE more 4-week programs to sweeten the deal and keep you burning fat for another 2-3 months. When you grab your copy before Wednesday, July 23rd at midnight, you’ll get:

1) The NEW “Hot Zone TT Fat Loss Workout”…

…showing you how 4 simple exercises hit all the fat burning hot zones of the body and help you boost metabolism and burn more
belly fat.

2) “Bikini Ready Abs”…

…from America’s #1 Fat Loss expert for Mom’s, Holly Rigsby, giving you another “IN-HOME” fat burning abdominal workout you can do with minimal equipment.

3) The Big 5 Fat Burning TT Circuit Workout…

…revealing one of the most popular and innovative fat burning workouts Craig has ever put together. If you love burning fat with
circuits, you’ll love this simple 5 exercise solution to getting rid of stubborn belly fat.

WHEW!

That’s an incredible offer, but its only here for 3 days…

…So That You Can Burn Belly Fat and Work Your Abs in the Comfort of Your Own Home…

As you can see by HIS PHOTO on his new site, he knows how to get abs without doing crunches or long, slow boring cardio. And he’ll show you all NEW workouts to help you do the same.

Check out Craig’s abs and get his new program HERE:

=> Turbulence Training For Abs

But remember…

1) Only the first 100 copies get the extra bonus worth $59.85

2) The “Biking Ready Abs”, “Hot Zone Fat Loss”, and “Big 5 Circuit Workout” are only available as FREE GIFTS for the next 3 days. They are gone after Wednesday, to be put back in Craig’s workout vault for Platinum TT members only.

WHY IS HE DOING THIS?

Because he knows you can’t wait any longer to get working on your abs…summer is here and passing us by - and so are your chances to impress everyone with a new body on the beach, at concerts, or in backyard BBQ’s.

Check out TT for Abs for all of the details on this Limited-Time Special Offer:

=> Turbulence Training For Abs

So save time and money by grabbing your copy today. But hurry, this Special Offer expires and VANISHES - Poof, just like your belly fat will - at midnight on July 23rd.

Get started with the all NEW Turbulence Training for Abs Home Abdominal Workouts here:

=> Turbulence Training For Abs

Helping you look great this summer,

Steve

P.S. The bonuses are gone after July 23rd. In fact, only the first 100 copies get the 3-Month TT Membership bonus. So don’t wait, those will be gone before noon on Monday!

Visit Craig’s site to see his abs & get this limited time offer:

=> Turbulence Training For Abs

Okay, so I got this email earlier today… and I’m sure you’re probably getting a few emails that are just like this in your inbox.

After all, it’s a product launch, and that’s kinda how it works.

But here’s the deal.

I made Craig give me a copy of this before I even mentioned this launch to you one way or another.

Now, don’t get me wrong… Craig’s a good friend… but as they say in old gangster movies…

Friends is friends and business is business (I think that’s from New Jack City… lol)

Anyway, so what’s the skinny?

Basically, Turbulence Training For Abs is an ab program (duh)… that focuses on abs WITHOUT DOING A SINGLE CRUNCH!

Now, obviously, I haven’t had time to go through 4 weeks of the program to tell you if it’s gonna work or not… but I AM familiar enough with the concepts to know when something is on the MONEY or not.

I think you should test this out.

Naturally, you’re free to do as you wish (lol)… but if you’re looking for a new program to try… why don’t you give this a whirl?

Turbulence Training For Abs

(Oh, by the way, go check out the site and check out Bally’s abs… pretty jakked I’d say… haha)

The Best Cardio Intervals for Fat Loss… by Craig Ballantyne

Is there really a best interval training system for fat loss?

Do intervals really work as well as regular cardio for fat loss?

I’m going to cover these, and many more questions in Part 1 of your lessons on interval training.

But this is not just interval training 101. Today, you’re going to leave this article with a graduate degree in interval training for fat loss.

I’ll answer both questions upfront before the lesson begins, and I’ll give more details on each as we go along:

1) Conservatively, intervals are at least as effective as regular aerobic training for fat loss. Personally, I believe intervals are
far superior. And there is no denying that intervals allow you to get your workouts done a lot faster than slow, boring cardio
workouts.

2) I have to admit, there is no best interval training program for fat loss. But that is a good thing, because there are so many ways that you can change your interval training to keep your fat loss results coming week in and week out.

By changing your training program every three to four weeks, you are using one of the key principles of Turbulence Training - variety. It is essential to change your workouts this frequently, otherwise you might suffer from a dreaded fat loss plateau.

And if that is the case for you now, I’ll show you dozens of alternative interval training workouts you can use to kick-start your metabolism and fat loss.

Now what many people don’t know, or perhaps just fail to recognize, is that interval training is not just for advanced fitness superstars. No way. In fact, intervals are an effective and perhaps even the most effective method for beginners to get fit and lose fat.

First you have to understand that interval training is based on relative performance. While my intervals would be much too hard for a beginner, my intervals would be a joke for Lance Armstrong.

So even for those men and women that are just dipping their toe into the fitness waters for the first time in months, years, or dare I say, decades, they too can do interval training.

If you are a beginner and you can walk at 3.3mph for 20 minutes, then your intervals will start at a walk at 3.6mph for 30 seconds to a minute. That is interval training.

It doesn’t have to be high-intensity, sprint-to-the-death activity.

Instead, just increase the intensity slightly more than you can normally handle, and do so for a short time, and intersperse that
with periods of easier exercise for twice the duration.

So if you did 1 minute at 3.6mph, drop down to 3.0mph for 2 minutes. Do that up to 6 times, and you’ve had yourself an interval session.

Now for those of you that have been doing only slow, traditional cardio, switching over to interval training 2-3 times per week is
going to be the fat loss equivalent of throwing a lit, gasoline soaked rag on a pile of dry kindling.

Here’s why…research has given us a lot of evidence that intervals are superior to traditional cardio.

First, a study from Laval University in 1994 compared interval training to aerobic training - straight up - over a 12 week training period. Subjects that used interval training had better results.

They lost more fat. You can’t argue with that.

And second, interval training causes metabolic turbulence - also known as boost in your metabolism. Due to the high-intensity nature of intervals, there is more “turbulence” applied to the muscle. That means more muscle breakdown and more adaptations in the muscle.

Now I know that sounds very technical, but all you need to understand is that when all this extra activity goes on at the muscle level, it requires a lot more energy to return your muscle back to normal (i.e. to get out of turbulence and back to a normal resting state).

And when your body uses more energy, it means, in laymen’s terms, that you are burning more calories.

So it’s important for men and women not too get hung up on the calorie counters in the gym. First, because the calorie count of the workout is not the only factor in determining fat loss.

(intervals burn far more calories after the workout - more on that latter).

And second, a report on CBS showed that the calorie counters on some machines are often significantly inaccurate.

Doesn’t that boil your blood when you think back to all those times you did slow, boring cardio and patiently watched the calorie counter creep up to your goal of 250, 300, or even 400 calories?

And who knows if that was even accurate?

With intervals, you can forget about the calories on the machine.

Just work hard, do the intervals, then leave the gym and let your muscles continue burning calories on its own while it recovers from exercise.

OK, time is up, so I’m going to leave off here for Part 1. (more next Sunday… so come back for more

I apologize, you don’t have your Master’s of Science Degree in Interval Training yet, but you will after Part 2.

So your homework between now and next week’s class is to start incorporating interval training into your fat loss program. For beginners, see the outline above. Make sure to include a 5-minute specific warm-up and cool-down.

And if you truly did just peel yourself off the couch last week and you have not exercised in years, I insist that you see a doctor before you take up any exercise program. Believe me, you’ll thank yourself for it.

For more advanced fitness levels, let’s start with 60 second intervals.

Do a 5-minute specific warm-up, then exercise for 60 seconds at a slightly harder than normal cardio pace.

Follow that with 90 seconds of exercise at a very easy pace. (Don’t exercise too hard in the recovery period - that is one of the biggest mistakes people make with interval training!). Repeat this sequence for 3 more intervals (let’s just do 4 intervals for your first session).

Through trial and error, find an intensity that allows you to work to near fatigue - but not complete fatigue, there should still be some “gas” left in the tank - by the end of the 60 second interval.

In the next newsletter, I’ll discuss at least 6 different interval durations and when you should use them, as well as the best interval training methods - and don’t miss when I expose the most ineffective machine in the gym.

Hint - It is also the most common machine these days, yet I’ve yet to see a single person change their body by using this machine for their cardio and intervals.

(Don’t forget to check out my awesome Turbulence Training program… you can’t argue with the results…)