Juice fasting is one of the things that people talk about a lot when people think of fasting.

However, Pilon talks about juice fasting, and why you don’t want to do it when you’re on his Eat Stop Eat plan…

Enjoy.

I suppose all of us have at one time or another wondered does fasting work?

On the surface it appears to make sense, especially for the short term.

Less food, giving the body a chance to cleanse itself from unwanted toxins that have managed to take up residence, and allowing the body’s natural processes to work. This all seems to make sense. Then we head to the supermarket and are confronted by images of the latest starlet and her emaciated form clinging to life, and wonder what if any benefits are to be found in denying the body the basic building blocks of life? The answers, like in many areas, lies somewhere in between the emphatic abstinence from all fasting, and the fanatic abstinence from all food!

Fasting does have a beneficial effect on our bodies, but only if it’s not overdone. We’ve all seen and heard about famous fasts for political and spiritual reasons, and far be it from me to debate the spiritual benefits one may or may not receive from such an endeavor, (political fasting tends to end badly most of the time) fasting for a health benefit is both a good practice and long a staple of those seeking optimum health.

The key question here is how much and how often. I’ve become a fan of what is known as “intermittent fasting”, which is the practice, as the name implies, of doing a fast at intermittent periods. There is a lot of latitude here. Some people do as much as alternate day fasting, some one or two days per week. Most people opt for the once or twice per week regimen, in part because many who are employing these methods are on a fitness quest, and to deprive the body further would likely derail their efforts at optimum health.

Doing this type of fasting allows for individuals to still maintain a rigorous workout routine if they so desire, and in fact can benefit that aspect greatly, both by helping to cleanse the body of accumulated toxins by the use of the fasts, as well as by helping to keep additional weight from adding another element to the fitness equation.

Make sure you are healthy enough to employ a fast, without a heart condition, hypoglycemia or other serious medical issues. Start slowly and get used to the lifestyle and see what works for you and you’ll have a much greater shot at success. Programs started at light speed sometimes lose their traction as people get discouraged and lose interest. Start slow to ensure success!

You would do well to check out this kind of fasting as a method of not only improving your dietary and general fitness levels, but also for the many added benefits that fasting usually brings around, some of those being a sense of discipline, improved sense of well-being, a real chance for your body to rejuvenate, and an antidote to the fast paced lives we all live.

Yep, no doubt about it. You can indeed build muscle without weights, and it’s not as primitive or as barbaric as you might imagine. No, you don;t have to get into hurling, (though that would definitely do the trick!) In fact, people have been doing this for centuries!

For many people the thought of hitting the gym gives them a great deal of unease. Perhaps it’s a physical limitation, injury, transportation, time, money or even a small dose of self-consciousness; whatever the reason, there’s a number of exercises you can employ that will enable you to build muscle without weights.

Let’s look at some of these.

• Pushups - An old standby, now aided by tools that can isolate chest muscle efficiently. You absolutely don’t need any tools, and there are many varieties of this kind of exercise to choose from.
• Pullups - There are many variations on this theme too, where you cannot only work your shoulders and arms, but add an abdominal element as well.
• Bench Dips - This one is as simple as finding a convenient bench, and start dipping!
• Regular Dips - Find two handles short distance above your waist, and employ this technique to develop your arms, shoulders and chest.
• Reverse Dips - Or tricep dips. Do this one backwards, and you’ll work out your triceps, upper back and shoulders.
• Squats - Doing these either quarter, half or full, sometimes adding difficulty by increasing your load, will definitely strengthen your quads and knees.
• Stairs - Okay, now we’re getting evil here. Running, or even walking briskly several hundred stair steps can not only help build muscle, but can bring an added cardio benefit to the table as well.
• Bands or Isometrics - Using rubber bands designed to deliver resistance training can add a great strengthening element to your training without having to use weights. Other isometric exercises also deliver these benefits.
• Gymnastics - If you are fit enough and limber enough, and have access to gymnastic equipment these can provide terrific results. Who hasn’t admired the strength of athletes who use rings, parallel bars, pommel horses and other gymnastic exercises.
• Crunches - Also available in many flavors, these work out the smaller but socially vital abdominal muscles!
• Boxing workouts - Shadow boxing, or working against a heavy bag are very tough workouts indeed!
• Scissor Kicks - another tough ab exercise.

Finding the best combination of exercises to build muscle without weights is one of personal choice and convenience. All of these have their benefits, and there are many, many more to choose from, but this list will give anyone a great start. All you need is time, a bit of space, and a lot of imagination!

Make sure you combine these moves with a sensible eating plan and other fitness activities to get a total body benefit!

If you’re seeking a marvelous way to lose weight and build muscle fast then you could do a lot worse than giving Kettlebell training a try.

Kettlebells are a demanding and tough weight training routine emphasizing the use of bell-shaped dumbbells you swing in a variety of different exercises, all designed to give you a total body weight workout along with an added cardio benefit.

Combine this type of exercise with a sensible eating plan, and you’ll not be able to keep on unwanted pounds, even if you wanted to! Let’s take a look at some of the basics of this kind of training and how you can implement it.

Be sure and be clear from the start just what you hope to attain with a program like this.

Write it down!

Studies show that written goals are far more likely to be paid heed to, and actually accomplished! Make sure you do not have any medical issues that would prevent you from doing an activity as strenuous as kettlebells, and then you can dive right in!

Once you’ve got a goal, medical clearance, and some actual kettlebells, (sometimes available at gyms or certainly available online) you can start a program that has you employing this kind of regimen at least three times a week.

There are many devotees of this type of training that go at it 5 or 6 days a week, but to start, 3 days a week is fine. This type of training is difficult, and you’ll be working muscles you never thought you had. You don’t want to set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals when you’re just starting out. Remember, the cardio element may take some getting used to as well.

A big part of an effective kettlebell training regimen is the employment of a sensible eating plan along with the actual kettlebell training. ( I know; this isn’t the exciting part!) Make sure you get plenty of protein, fruits and veggies, and keep a rein on simple carbohydrates. One tip I can share is to not try and go on any kind of extreme diet plan, as this type of training is quite demanding, and you’ll need a well-balanced, nutritious plan to render the best results possible.

Once you get into it you’ll find that swinging kettlebells is a hoot! Most of the exercises, like the cleans, snatches, and swings are not that hard to get the hang of, but it’s best to begin this type of exercise with a partner if at all possible, so as not to hurt yourself and make your goals even further away! To achieve the best results for weight loss, kettlebells should be done with heavy weights and low reps, with an active rest in-between. Soon you’ll find yourself able to take on more weight or less rest, and reap further strength, weight loss and cardio benefits.

Kettlebell training can be a great way to go about losing weight while building muscle. Just be sure to have written goals, a sound diet plan and safety first in mind and you’ll soon find yourself shedding pounds and gaining strength at the same time!

Fasting has been around since time immemorial, and many of the first references to it come from the Bible. They knew even back then the many and varied benefits one can derive from fasting, whether it be for short or longer periods of time. There are many examples from all religions that detail the benefits of fasting from a spiritual perspective, but there are also many other benefits to be realized from a health and wellness standpoint as well.

First, let’s debunk some myths!

1. Fasting is a religious activity. Not necessarily. Many devoted holistic health practitioners employ some form of fasting into their health regimen, whether it is for cleansing or for weight loss help.

2. You can fast in many ways. Partially true, but the spirit of this gets us thinking in the wrong direction. The purpose of a fast isn’t to necessarily “fast from chocolate for a day”, but to be part of a well-thought out health plan that emphasizes a total health solution. Many people decide to fast from whatever their latest obsession is, in the hopes that this will somehow help.

3. Juice fasting is a great way to go. I would take issue with this. To me this isn’t really a fast, just another fad diet trick. The increased amounts of natural sugars can cause spikes in insulin, which in the absence of other foods being ingested can bring on other unwanted side effects.

4. Long-term fasting can rid the body of toxins. Not true. Long term fasting can deplete the body of many, many necessary and vital nutrients, and bring on a host of associated problems due to the body’s inability to fight off anything. There is a reason people die from long term fasts.

5. Political fasting is a viable way to make a point. Doing a prolonged fast for a political cause is one of the worst ways to make a point. Short, one or two day fasts are sufficient, but probably don’t have the sensational aspect political believers seek.

6. Fasting is only for medical purposes. Not true. While there are valid medical reasons when a fast is recommended, such as before surgery or blood tests, there are other useful benefits of fasting.

7. Fasting is way too hard. Again, not true! A one or two day fast can be accomplished with no problem by almost anyone.

Fasting can be a useful tool to aid in a total health plan. Done correctly there are virtually none of the popular “side effects” such as light-headedness or weakness. Make sure to not be derailed by fears and myths and you’ll find that fasting can in fact be a great help!

There’s only one resource that’s got the weight loss and fasting equation nailed down… and you’ve likely never seen it. The question is:

“What mistakes are YOU making with your fat loss plan” ==> Click Here To Find Out

.

(Notice: I just received this email today… the kicker is whether we should believe it or not. Analysis further down.)

Dear Friend,

I received a shocking email from someone I respect the other day that I want to share with you. (I have permission.)

My friend just came right out and told me the brutal truth: “You’re wasting months of your life for nothing.”

Pretty scary…and I had no idea what he meant!

So, I kept reading…

“Look, just figure out how many hours you’re spending in the gym and doing cardio every week. Multiply that number by 52. Then email me back.”

So I did the math. It freaked me out! It was a lot more time than I thought. I was spending literally YEARS of my life in the gym. Let’s not even talk about cooking food and eating 6 meals every day. It feels like my workout routine is like a second job sometimes. Can you relate?

Anyway, I emailed him back and here’s what he said:

“Okay, take that number down to less than an HOUR a week…tops. How much time have you just added to your life?” The obvious answer: A lot!

By now I was wanting him to give me the answer. If there was a workout program where I could see results in minutes a day versus hours I was all ears.

He said, “Check out my latest book and video series.”

Here’s the website so you can see it too –

7 Minute Muscle

The guy I’m talking about is bestselling fitness author Jon Benson. His latest book “7 Minute Muscle” is an absolute jaw-dropper. You owe it to yourself to at least visit his homepage and discover what this is all about.

Jon spent three years researching one simple question: “How can you get the MOST results in the LEAST amount of time?”

Seems like common sense, right? Well it’s not. Most people, myself included, are spending FAR more time than necessary to get results.

Even worse –

— > I learned that all that time in the gym
— > was keeping me from the body I wanted!

Of course there is more to the story than just “working out less.” This is not some gimmick that involves pills or gadgets either. Honestly, it’s hard work.

But only 7 minutes of it.

7 minutes. No joke.

After that 7 minutes you feel like your muscles will explode from the pump. You get leaner, stronger, and you do it faster than any other workout I’ve ever seen. Your energy shoots through the roof to boot.

See for yourself –

7 Minute Muscle < --- click.here

I'm sure you'll love "7 Minute Muscle" as much as I do. Even more, you love the months of life you'll get back by train smarter, not longer.

Sincerely,

Dave G.

P.S. Jon has some limited-time offers going on right now so it's a good time to check out his homepage. Go see what others are saying about this revolutionary new way to train in just 7 minutes a day --

7 Minute Muscle

7 Minute Muscle

You can’t boost your metabolism with supplements. Or at least not enough to cause weight loss. This is hope in a bottle, but this hope doesn’t stand a chance. It doesn’t work.

One misconception is that caffeine boosts your metabolism, but I’ve also heard that fish oil, protein, CLA, and green tea will do it, too. As with the fat burning zone, this myth comes from a distortion of science.

Green tea, for example, was shown to increase the daily energy expenditure of young men by eighty calories per day. Now, that’s great news for the people who make supplements because they can put that claim on their label, but what that doesn’t take into account is that people’s bodies adapt to a stimulus.

If there is any benefit to taking a particular supplement, by the end of the week, your body has adjusted to the chemical and no longer reacts to it. And that’s why, as a recent study showed, that taking Green Tea supplements for 12 weeks did not cause any fat loss. Most supplements seem to be nothing more than glorified caffeine pills.

Let’s think of this another way. Say for example that green tea extract actually did help you burn an additional eighty calories per day. It is agreed upon by most trainers that one pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories. Even if the supplement worked as intended, then it would take nearly a month and half to lose one pound!

Unfortunately, you’ll find big promises from supplements in every magazine, and it is very difficult to avoid the allure of the quick fixes that supplements present. Supplements make you think, “Why work out when you can take a pill?”

And as long as there are people who aren’t willing to work for their results, there will always be a product claiming to work miracles.

Unlike these “miracle” supplements, research repeatedly shows that both strength training and interval training can help boost your metabolism and burn fat.

In one study, women did a strength training session with eight repetitions per exercise and had a significant increase in their post-exercise metabolism. This is just another example of how short burst training will burn more calories and more fat. These are proven results that no diet pill can compete with.

Boost your metabolism with hard work, not the easy way out,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

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. Click here for more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment.

==> Sneaky Ninja Link To Vince’s Site

The reason:

I haven’t reviewed it… like… in… NO WAY shape or form.

So I can’t, in good faith, tell you to go pick it up.

BUT…

I do know how Vince does business and I DO know that if it’s not for you, that you can get a quick and easy refund.

So go test it out yourself.

If it works for you… phenomenal.

If not, get a refund.

But you only have 86 hours to get this pricing… so make a decision.

I mean, it’s not like your MARRYING the guy (although some of you ladies might enjoy that).

That’s my 2 cents for now… more later as I get a Your Six Pack Quest review copy…

For now, check out this article from Vince…

6 Pack Abs - The Secret To 6 Pack Abs

By Vince DelMonte

Everywhere you turn, someone’s promising the next secret to getting 6 pack abs. Some of these so called ’secrets’ have some degree of accuracy, while others, not so much. Deciphering which are the best methods to getting 6 pack abs is going to be critical to your having success with this goal.

The biggest area you need to focus on when trying to obtain 6 pack abs is going to be on your diet. Like it or not, the old saying that ‘abs are made in the kitchen’, is probably one of the most truthful statements in the fitness industry. If your diet isn’t in line, your stomach is going to show it.

So, what should you be doing with your diet?

First, ensure you are getting enough protein. Not only is protein going to form the key building blocks you need to build muscle tissue, but it’s also going to provide you with a better feeling of fullness than eating just carbohydrates alone would for example. Protein is more “expensive” than any other macronutrient meaning that your body will burn more calories breaking down protein compared to carbs and fats.

Next, don’t be afraid of dietary fat that comes from primarily monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as olive oils, fish oils, a mix of nuts, natural peanut butter and avocado. While it’s true that eating fat will increase your calories fast, as long as you keep it between 20-30% it can be one of the best things to get 6 pack abs fast. The important point here is that dietary fat helps keep your insulin level stable, which, when high enough can actually cause fat gain itself.

Furthermore, dietary fat will keep you feeling the fullest for the longest duration in time; longer than both protein or carbohydrates would. Interestingly, some diets high in fat can get you 6 pack abs fast because your body learn to metabolize fat for energy.

So, while you do need to watch it, be sure you are getting some in your diet.

Finally, when it comes to carbohydrate intake and getting 6 pack abs, you want to focus most of your carbohydrate intake around the post workout period.

Why?

The biggest reason for this is because this is when your body is going to need those carbohydrates the most and will really suck them up into the muscle tissue. When you eat them at this time, it is least likely that they will turn into body fat.

Additionally, consuming carbohydrates during this period will also help to aid with muscle recovery and repair, so that means less down time from the gym for you.

If getting 6 pack abs fast is your goal than each meal you should consist of 1-2 cups of raw vegetables to control insulin levels, improve absorption of your protein and flood your body with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.

So, if you are aiming to get 6 pack abs in the coming months, have a good hard look at your diet. That is the big secret that must not be overlooked if you are to succeed.

———————————-
About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of Your Six Pack Quest.

He specializes in helping chubby guys and gals get six pack abs without gimmicks, supplements or dieting.

Contradictory headlines come out on a daily basis, you’ve heard them all; “carbs are good, carbs are bad”, “eat low fat, eat healthy fats”, “count your calories, don’t count calories”, “high protein, 40/30/30”.

It’s no wonder nobody has a clue what to eat anymore.

This is all contributing to our national Obsessive Compulsive Eating (OCE) habits. Eating good food, looking good and losing weight is not that difficult if you know what to believe and what to ignore, this however is easier said than done.

Here is my top 11 list of diet misconceptions that can be sabotaging your diet and stopping your weight loss dead in its tracks. Avoid these mistakes and get back on track to enjoying your food, losing weight, and looking great.

1. I have to drastically cut calories to lose weight faster.

Drastically cutting calories will obviously help you lose weight rapidly, however it is usually unsustainable and you will end up crashing if you keep your calories too low for too long. It’s just too hard to eat extremely low calorie every day. Even the most disciplined dieters will end up cracking under the continued social pressure to eat more food.

If you are only looking for a temporary weight loss and need it to happen fast then this might work for a short time, but this is not sustainable.

A better way to jump-start your diet, is adding in regular fasting days.

Taking a 24 hour period off of eating is very healthful, it helps you reduce calories without sacrificing what you like to eat on your non-fasting days, and maybe even more importantly it stimulates your body to produce more growth hormone. Yes that’s right growth hormone, the same one you hear about the celebrities taking to ‘stay young’. Growth hormone has many anti aging benefits, and one of the most interesting being fat burning! The most practical and easy to follow fasting diet I have ever come across is Eat Stop Eat by Brad Pilon.

2. The stricter the diet, the better it will work.

If you can stick to a super strict diet, and count every calorie, and measure and weigh all of your food while not go completely insane, then yes you will lose weight.

But we all know this is basically impossible, and sanity is something that I’ll bet you value.

Super strict diets are almost always doomed to fail even if they produce weight loss initially. Any diet that is going to work long term must be easy to follow and fit into your lifestyle, instead of you needing to rearrange your life to fit your diet. A strict diet just means you are stressing about food too much.

Constantly thinking about your diet and food will always leave you unsatisfied even if you do lose weight. This is just no way to live. A good healthy diet is one that doesn’t consume your life.

3. Skipping meals won’t help me lose weight

False.

Simple math, if you eat less you will lose weight.

This is the whole concept behind intermittent fasting for weight loss. In healthy adults there is no magic to eating regular meals and there is definitely no magic to eating breakfast.

Eat it if you like, but if you don’t regularly eat breakfast don’t worry, there’s no scientific proof that you have to eat breakfast or even 3 meals per day. If 1 or 2 meals per day is how you like to eat, then continue to do so.

Don’t let the diet dogma tell you that you MUST eat more times per day. Fit your diet to your life. Your body is perfectly equipped to handle eating once per day, as well as twice, 3 times; 4 times etc…it’s really up to you.

4. Eating small, frequent meals boosts your metabolism.

This one really gets under my skin because it makes no sense at all.

Okay, for the 1000th time I will try to explain this so it makes sense. Your metabolism is almost completely controlled by your muscle mass and organs. The food you eat has almost no impact on your metabolic rate at all.

Although it is true that it does take some energy to metabolize the food you eat, the amount of energy it costs is far less than the amount of calories you eat. For example eating 400 calories of food might cost your body 20 calories to burn it due to the metabolic cost of digesting the food itself. This has no effect on your resting metabolism that is always running at its regular rate no matter what you eat. This is hardly a good exchange when it comes to a lasting weight loss program.

The only thing you can do to lose weight is eat fewer calories than you burn off in a day. The amount of calorie burning that comes from each meal is so small it will not make a difference.

Think of it this way; if you don’t eat at all today, I guarantee you will still burn a day’s worth of calories.

5. Can certain foods increase your metabolism?

Trick question.

As I just stated, all food has some metabolic cost to digest it, some foods are slightly more than others. But the overall amount of calories burned to digest your food is so small that it will have virtually no effect on fat burning or weight loss, and does nothing to change your base metabolism. If your body is built to burn 1500 calories per day, then it’s going to burn at least that many calories no matter what you eat.

6. Eating carbohydrates makes you fat.

Eating too much of any kind of food will make you fat. Carbohydrates just happen to be very easy to overeat. They don’t seem to fill us up or satisfy our hunger that well.

Think of all the pasta, cereal, French fries, bagels, bread, cake, and sugary snack foods you could eat and not feel full. Now think of how much less food you could handle eating if it were all protein like steak or chicken until you’d feel sick of eating it.

This is the problem with refined carbohydrates, in moderate amounts they are totally fine, but a moderate amount of fettuccini Alfredo never fills anyone up!

7. Fat free is calorie free. Eliminating all fats is necessary to lose weight. Low-fat is Healthy.

There is nothing wrong with fat. Fat tastes good, and it is satisfying to eat. Some fats are essential for good health. One of the true joys of food is the fats that make it taste so good.

Fat is not your enemy, the enemy is too many calories.

Fat happens to be dense in calories so it gets picked on for causing weight gain but fat itself is not a problem if you’re eating a good diet. There is no reason to shop for fat free foods or low fat foods.

Often times the chemicals and substitutes they use to replace the fat are less healthy than the regular version with some fat in it.

8. Vitamin supplements are necessary for everyone. Protein supplements are necessary to gain muscle.

In most industrialized western countries it’s almost impossible to be deficient in any vitamins or minerals now matter how bad you think your diet is. Take a vitamin supplement if it makes you feel better about your diet, but you most likely don’t need it.

Most people in industrialized countries also take in more than enough protein in a day. Vegetarians and vegans may need some extra protein and protein powders are a very convenient protein source. From this standpoint protein powders may be beneficial considering protein is usually the more expensive food and takes more time to prepare and spoils faster (ie: meats, eggs, dairy, fish, poultry).

9. Eating a salad is always a healthy choice.

It’s hard to argue this one, salads are pretty good.

Throw any amount of mixed fruits and vegetables in a bowl and you’re doing pretty good. However, as soon as you start loading it down with rich cheeses and dressings it becomes a full meal that can get high in calories in no time. I’m not saying you can’t have dressing or cheese on your salad, just be aware that most of the calories in any salad come from toppings like dressing and cheese, and can add up very quickly.

10. I should not eat anything after 7:00pm.

There is no magic to the time of day that you eat.

If you were a shift worker and didn’t start work till 7pm this rule would sound pretty ridiculous, wouldn’t it?! Don’t stress about the time of day that you eat. If you feel like eating at midnight, then have something to eat. Remember the only thing that makes you gain weight is eating more calories than you burn, it doesn’t matter when you eat them, but how many you consume.

If you only ate one small salad per day, and it happened to be at midnight, do you really think you’d gain any weight? Didn’t think so.

11. Low Calorie Soft Drinks are good for losing weight.

Trick question. Losing weight as we have already discussed is a matter of eating less calories overall. If you replace a high calorie regular soft drink with a zero calorie soft drink and keep the rest of your diet the same, then this is an effective way to reduce calories. If on the other hand you are replacing water with a zero calorie soft drink then you’re not any further ahead. Drinks that have a significant amount of calories and sugar in them can add up fast and totally ruin any fat loss you were hoping for.

As a general rule I recommend never drinking calories, only drink water and other fluids that have no calories in them. Drinks don’t typically satisfy your hunger even though they can have as much or more calories in them than food.

Get your calories from food, and get water and hydration from your drinks.

John Barban is the co-creator of the Adonis Effect. Build Your Perfect Body Today!

… 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

Could you teach me how to gain muscle fast? Could you teach me how to pack on an extra ten to fifteen pounds of muscle mass before my next vacation? Could you help me get ready for my first bodybuilding or fitness model competition? Could you help you look like someone who actually lifts weights? Could you help me build a body that turns heads and demands respect?

As a skinny guy muscle building expert, I get approached these questions daily in my office. Every single hard gainer I consult with wants to know how to gain muscle fast and how to do safely and effectively.

Hard gainers, please listen up! There is hope for you. I am happy to say that learning how to gain muscle fast is not as hard as some would make you believe but it also not as easy as you might think. But you must be prepared to train smarter and not harder. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about wimping out during your workouts. I am referring to the big picture of training more intelligently.

Here is some of the most popular advice I give to the hard gainer when he wishes to gain muscle fast.

1. Never Perform More Than 10 Reps.

If you are lifting weights beyond 10 reps than you are emphasizing your slow-twitch muscle fibers which have the smallest opportunity for muscle growth. You are a hard gainer and you need recruit the maximal amount of muscle fibers in every set. Always choose your weights knowing that a 11th rep is forbidden and trespassing into ’skinny land.’

If you really want to gain muscle fast than get your mind into heavy lifting mode. Every single set and every single exercise. Keep the weights heavy and never more than 10 reps. Approach every workout knowing that you are going to be venturing into new territory and waging war on your skinny genetics. I recommend these workouts with a workout partner so you can eliminate any safety issues, not slack off and push your limits every inch of the way.

2. Reduce Your Workout Time

Perform more work in less time and you have increased your work capacity. Work refers to the number of sets, reps and poundage within your workout. Who is fitter? The guy who can do 4 sets of 185 pounds bench press with 30 second rest or the guy who can do 4 sets of 185 pound bench press with 90 second rest? The one who can do the same amount of work in less time. Guess who is more muscular? The one who has a higher work capacity.

Next time you enter the gym, try to complete your current workout in less time. Take shorter rests. Move from one exercise to the next much quicker. Don’t be surprised if you feel out of shape! This is one of the easiest tips you can take away to increase your muscle density and take your fitness to a new level. Be prepared to humble yourself and get out of your comfort zone.

3. Do Only One Exercise Per Muscle Group

Only one? Yes, only one, unless you want to buy into the notion that you must mutilate a muscle for over an hour to get any growth out of it. Consider this typical day in the gym. Today is your chest day. Your first exercise is bench press. You perform your first set with 185 lbs, second set with 205 lbs, third set with 225 lbs and fourth set with 245 lbs.

Assuming this is your max weight for the desired number of reps, is it not safe to say that you have used the maximal number of muscle fibers? Your goal is to simple spark your muscles into growth. Not exhaust them to death. Once they experience a unknown assault (stimulus), your body will be forced to adapt and create new muscle to prevent future assaults! Therefore, your take home lesson is this: Once you have out performed your last workout, it is time to move onto the next exercise.

4. Do No More Than 3-5 Sets Per Muscle Group

I question a hard gainers workout intensity if they must do more than 3-5 sets per muscle group. Now if you are using anabolic steroids or have muscle friendly genes than you can safely dismiss this advice. Remember, learning how to gain muscle fast for the hard gainer requires following a new set of rules.

Consider the first 1-2 sets at 85% maximal effort. The third set at 95% maximal effort and the fourth (and sometimes fifth) set at 100% maximal effort. It is only this last all out set that contributes to the greatest muscle growth. Anything over and above this last go till you blow set simply exhausts the muscle beyond reason and delays your recovery ability to hit the muscle again. It is this last set that you should perform at least 1-2 extra reps or 5-10 extra pounds than last workout. Mission accomplished. You have sparked your muscles into growth. Time to move on.

5. Increase Your Strength 5% Every Two Weeks

One of the biggest mistakes I see hard gainers make in the gym is not track there progress. They return week-after-week to simply rehearse the same workouts with the absence of progress. How do you expect to gain muscle fastif you continue to lift the same weights each workout? Your body is designed to tolerate stress. Assault it and let it get bigger. Assault it and let it get bigger. It’s a simple concept.

So your take home message is to aim for a minimum of 5% strength increase every two weeks. You might progress a little quicker with larger muscle groups like back and legs versus smaller muscles like biceps and triceps. Just think, in six months from now, you will be over twice as strong as you are now! I would actually recommend writing down your strength goals for six months from now and than work backwards. If you are currently dead lifting 135 lbs, aim to be deadlifting 270 lbs over the next few months!

Conclusion

I know these five tips were not your typical Muscle and Fitness 101 advice and not your typical generic bodybuilding advice. I learned a long time ago to question everything you read and hear. Learn for yourself by doing and not by talking about it. As a skinny guy once myself, 149 lbs to be exact, I defeated my skinny genetics and learned how to gain muscle fast by not following the herd and training smarter and not harder Will you?

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”.

(Here’s a great post by Tom Venuto… the author of Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle…

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.

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)

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…)

It talks about the differences between calories from carbs and calories from fats and how they relate to people gaining or losing weight.

Here’s the interesting part:

From many kinds of studies conducted over years, we are quite confident now that a calorie from fat will cause a similar amount of weight gain as a calorie from carbohydrate. There are some interesting questions about whether eating carbohydrate calories versus fat calories will make you eat more calories, but based on what you put into your mouth, it’s pretty clear that the source of the calories is really not important.

So maybe a calorie… is a calorie… is a calore.

The Eat Stop Eat Review (like you need it… just watch the video) Tomorrow…

Sick…

… seriously.

I saw this video on YouTube and felt like commenting on it.

You see, not only have I read BP’s Eat Stop Eat… but I’ve read the research and seen the studies.

As long as you are weight training, you will not lose significant muscle mass while engaging in short term fasting.

In fact, here was my response to the YouTube video:

Hey guy…

As far as the research is concerned, Pilon’s Eat Stop Eat is actually his master’s thesis… lol.

In other words, it had to pass peer review so that he could get his degree

For me, the eating 6 meals per day is a tougher way to go… as I stay hungrier throughout the day for some reason.

Also, because of the growth hormone surge as you approach your 24th hour… it is possible to gain strength… or at least I haven’t stopped gaining strength yet.

Plus, it’s easy (a plus)

I have heard some pretty quack advice over the past few years… some of the “nuggets”…

* If you don’t eat breakfast, then your next meal will turn to fat

* Eating an apple will make you fat… because it jacks up your insulin levels

* Make sure to stay in the fat burning zone…

All crap advice for most people.

Anyway, I’m doing an interview with Pilon next week… you’ll definitely want to get on that…

(Although we DO cover some of these in Adonis… hint, hint)

For more info, you might want to check this out… free personality quiz?!?