Boldness in Action!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Exercise holds promise to lower risk of breast cancer
I found a great article on exercise benefits in lowering the chances of women getting
breast cancer. Bottom line: Consistent Exercise on a weekly basis has a positive benefit
on reducing the chances of getting breast cancer. Also, the women who participated in the
study reported that their mood got better as well.
When in doubt---- Exercise!
Feb. 16, 2007 -- Exercise may help prevent breast cancer, and help those who do get it cope, two new studies show.
The first study, based on interviews with 15,000 women, shows that women who get more than six hours of strenuous exercise a week, and have no family history of breast cancer, may be 23% less likely to develop the disease than women who don't exercise at all.
The second study shows a 12-week group exercise program may boost mood and physical function in women with early-stage breast cancer.
The researchers don't promise exercise will prevent breast cancer, or blame breast cancer on a lack of exercise. Many factors affect cancer risk.
But, they do report exercise appeared to have benefits in protecting against cancer for women of all ages.
"We have found that exercise likely offers protection against breast cancer regardless of a woman's stage in life," researcher Brian Sprague, of the University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, says in an American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) news release.
"The take-home message for women should be that it is never too late to begin exercising," Sprague says.
Breast Cancer Prevention Study
The study by Sprague, assistant professor Amy Trentham-Dietz, PhD, also of the Carbone cancer center, and others, appears in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention.
For the study, the researchers interviewed more than 15,000 women in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin by telephone.
Those interviewed included 6,391 breast cancer patients and 7,630 women without breast cancer. The women were 20-69 years old, roughly split between women 49 and under, those in their 50s, and those in their 60s.
Family History of Breast Cancer
Most had no family history of breast cancer, including the women with breast cancer themselves. While family history increases breast cancer risk, most patients don't have a family history of the disease.
During the 40-minute phone interview, the women noted whether they had participated in the following activities at some point in their lives since age 14: jogging/running, bicycling, calisthenics/aerobics/dance, racquet sports, swimming, walking/hiking for exercise, or other strenuous individual or team activities.
Most women, whether or not they had breast cancer, reported getting up to three hours of weekly strenuous exercise at some point since age 14.
But 461 women without breast cancer, and 332 with breast cancer, said they had exercised strenuously for more than six hours weekly at some point since age 14 -- typically when they were in their teens and early 20s.
23% Less Likely
The women who reported getting more than six weekly hours of strenuous recreational physical activity were 23% less likely to have breast cancer, compared to sedentary women, the study shows.
Exercise appeared to benefit women, regardless of age.
But the benefits were only seen in those with no family history of breast cancer.
The results held after adjusting for other breast cancer risk factors.
The study doesn't prove that exercise single-handedly prevented breast cancer or show how exercise may lower breast cancer risk.
The effects of exercise on hormones and weight may help, the researchers suggest.
They note that they don't know if the women accurately recalled their workout habits.
Exercise for Breast Cancer Patients
The second study comes from researchers including Nanette Mutrie, PhD, professor of exercise and sport psychology at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
They studied 203 women with early-stage breast cancer who were 51 years old, on average, and hadn't been exercising.
The patients had had breast cancer surgery (lumpectomy or mastectomy) and were getting chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy to help prevent their cancer's return.
First, the women completed surveys about their mood and quality of life. They also took a 12-minute walking test and had their shoulder mobility checked.
Next, Mutrie's team split the women into two groups.
One group participated in a 12-week group exercise program. The other group wasn't asked to exercise.
Group Exercise Program
The women in the exercise group met twice weekly for 45-minute exercise classes. They were also encouraged to work out once a week on their own at home.
For the first six weeks of their 12-week program, the exercise group gathered after classes to discuss topics such as setting goals and the health benefits of exercise.
Both groups of women repeated the psychological and physical tests at the end of the 12-week program and again six months later.
Those in the exercise group had improved their scores on the physical tests and also reported being in a better mood and coping better with breast cancer. Those benefits generally held at the six-month follow-up.
It's not clear how much of the benefits were due to the workouts or to the social aspect of group exercise.
However, the researchers say doctors "should encourage activity for patients with cancer," and that future studies should also investigate home-based exercise programs, which may be more convenient for some patients.
The study appears in BMJ Online First. BMJ was formerly called the British Medical Journal.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
breast cancer. Bottom line: Consistent Exercise on a weekly basis has a positive benefit
on reducing the chances of getting breast cancer. Also, the women who participated in the
study reported that their mood got better as well.
When in doubt---- Exercise!
Feb. 16, 2007 -- Exercise may help prevent breast cancer, and help those who do get it cope, two new studies show.
The first study, based on interviews with 15,000 women, shows that women who get more than six hours of strenuous exercise a week, and have no family history of breast cancer, may be 23% less likely to develop the disease than women who don't exercise at all.
The second study shows a 12-week group exercise program may boost mood and physical function in women with early-stage breast cancer.
The researchers don't promise exercise will prevent breast cancer, or blame breast cancer on a lack of exercise. Many factors affect cancer risk.
But, they do report exercise appeared to have benefits in protecting against cancer for women of all ages.
"We have found that exercise likely offers protection against breast cancer regardless of a woman's stage in life," researcher Brian Sprague, of the University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, says in an American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) news release.
"The take-home message for women should be that it is never too late to begin exercising," Sprague says.
Breast Cancer Prevention Study
The study by Sprague, assistant professor Amy Trentham-Dietz, PhD, also of the Carbone cancer center, and others, appears in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention.
For the study, the researchers interviewed more than 15,000 women in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin by telephone.
Those interviewed included 6,391 breast cancer patients and 7,630 women without breast cancer. The women were 20-69 years old, roughly split between women 49 and under, those in their 50s, and those in their 60s.
Family History of Breast Cancer
Most had no family history of breast cancer, including the women with breast cancer themselves. While family history increases breast cancer risk, most patients don't have a family history of the disease.
During the 40-minute phone interview, the women noted whether they had participated in the following activities at some point in their lives since age 14: jogging/running, bicycling, calisthenics/aerobics/dance, racquet sports, swimming, walking/hiking for exercise, or other strenuous individual or team activities.
Most women, whether or not they had breast cancer, reported getting up to three hours of weekly strenuous exercise at some point since age 14.
But 461 women without breast cancer, and 332 with breast cancer, said they had exercised strenuously for more than six hours weekly at some point since age 14 -- typically when they were in their teens and early 20s.
23% Less Likely
The women who reported getting more than six weekly hours of strenuous recreational physical activity were 23% less likely to have breast cancer, compared to sedentary women, the study shows.
Exercise appeared to benefit women, regardless of age.
But the benefits were only seen in those with no family history of breast cancer.
The results held after adjusting for other breast cancer risk factors.
The study doesn't prove that exercise single-handedly prevented breast cancer or show how exercise may lower breast cancer risk.
The effects of exercise on hormones and weight may help, the researchers suggest.
They note that they don't know if the women accurately recalled their workout habits.
Exercise for Breast Cancer Patients
The second study comes from researchers including Nanette Mutrie, PhD, professor of exercise and sport psychology at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
They studied 203 women with early-stage breast cancer who were 51 years old, on average, and hadn't been exercising.
The patients had had breast cancer surgery (lumpectomy or mastectomy) and were getting chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy to help prevent their cancer's return.
First, the women completed surveys about their mood and quality of life. They also took a 12-minute walking test and had their shoulder mobility checked.
Next, Mutrie's team split the women into two groups.
One group participated in a 12-week group exercise program. The other group wasn't asked to exercise.
Group Exercise Program
The women in the exercise group met twice weekly for 45-minute exercise classes. They were also encouraged to work out once a week on their own at home.
For the first six weeks of their 12-week program, the exercise group gathered after classes to discuss topics such as setting goals and the health benefits of exercise.
Both groups of women repeated the psychological and physical tests at the end of the 12-week program and again six months later.
Those in the exercise group had improved their scores on the physical tests and also reported being in a better mood and coping better with breast cancer. Those benefits generally held at the six-month follow-up.
It's not clear how much of the benefits were due to the workouts or to the social aspect of group exercise.
However, the researchers say doctors "should encourage activity for patients with cancer," and that future studies should also investigate home-based exercise programs, which may be more convenient for some patients.
The study appears in BMJ Online First. BMJ was formerly called the British Medical Journal.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Think Yourself Thin. Is this a Hoax?
When I first saw this article I told myself, "People will come up with anything to
sell a diet product."
sell a diet product."
Before I clicked away from the page,I decided to have an open mind and give him a chance to explain this "Think yourself thin Theory".
I take back my first glance comments. This article is the real deal.
It makes so much sense.
I could not wait to share it with you.
Let me know your thoughts. I would love to hear them!
Yukio
The Law Of Attraction And Weight Loss: Can You Think Yourself Thin?
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.burnthefat.com
--------------------------------------------------
Metaphysics & Brain science merge and prove that positive thinking and goal setting literally create your body and your entire life experience
---------------------------------------------------
On recently broadcast special edition of CNN's Larry King Live, Mr. King interviewed a panel of "mind experts" about how the thoughts you think literally turn into the events you experience, the material things you possess... AND even the health of your body.
For years, "positive thinking" and goal-setting were often criticized as "pollyanna" and "the law of attraction" was relegated into the category of "new age" fluff.
On the recent Larry King show, panel experts Bob Proctor, John Assaraf and others who were featured in the movie 'The Secret' explained that recent breakthroughs in neuroscience along with understanding mental laws, reveal why goal setting, the "law of attraction" and "positive thinking" all work, regardless of whether you look at them from a metaphysical or a scientific perspective.
Scientists have even identified specific parts of the brain, such as the reticular activating system (RAS), which works with the visual parts of our brain to call our conscious attention to things that are important to reaching our goals and to filter out those things that are unimportant.
The RAS is activated by "programming" goals into our sub-conscious minds. Our sub concscious mind is the "power center" and THIS is the mechanism that explains why goal setting and positive thinking are now being accepted as scientific methods for change.
We are discovering that our brain is cybernetic in nature, which means that it is literally like a computer, waiting for a program to be installed.
Here's the kicker - the subconcsious is completely neutral and impartial - it will carry out any instructions you give it.
Unfortunately, many of us are still running negative programs we picked up from others as children when our non-conscious minds were totally open and impressionable, or which we developed over the years as a result of repetition of our own negative thinking.
As it turns out, our own thoughts, repeated daily, are one of the primary ways that our "mental computer" is programmed on a sub-conscious level, which is the level of beliefs, habits and automatic behavior.
To change your results, you must overwrite old negative programming and install positive new programming into your subconscious.
This can be achived through such techniques as written goal setting, positive self-talk (affirmations), and mental imagery (visualization).
In the 1970's, the Soviets and East Germans were the first to formally use structured mental rehearsal, and at that time, they dominated in several olympic sports. This was reported in great detail in Charles Garfield's landmark book, "Peak Performance." Today, virtually all elite athletes use visualization extensively, as we now know that the brain cannot differentiate between real practice and practice that is vividly imagined.
If you are getting more of the same negative results in your life - such as the same health problems, or the same body fat continues to return even after you lose it, then you have probably been un-consciously running old negative programs and re-inforcing them with negative thought patterns.
You can begin the positive mental reprogramming process by writing down your goals, changing your internal dialogue and taking a few minutes to relax, quiet your mind and perform a session of visualization or mental rehearsal every day (seeing yourself in your "mind's eye" not as you currently are, but as you ideally would like to be).
These methods, repeated often enough, will begin to program the non- conscious portion of the mind, which is the same part of the mind that controls your heart beat, digestion and new cell production, all on "automatic pilot."
In the last decade, neuroscientists discovered that you have the capacity to create an almost infinite number of new neural connections in your brain when you run new thought patterns.
The Old neural pathways are like grooves in a record, and if you are struggling with your health related behaviors or behaviors in any other area of your life, you have been playing the "old records" over and over again.
If you were to carve a new groove into that record, it would never play the same way again. the old pattern would weaken and the new one would take over. Brand new, positive thoughts, feelings and images begin to create new neural patterns.
Psychologists estimate that it takes 21 to 30 days to establish a new pattern in your brain. During this time, the focus on sticking with your practice and repeating your new thought patterns is critical.
Is this easy? For most people, no it's not. In fact, controlling your thinking and keeping it constructive may be one of the most difficult challenges you have ever faced. Fortunately, writing goals and reading affirmations can help get you started.
You can take some of the pressure off yourself by simply accepting that negative thoughts and self criticisms will pop up from time to time. Just observe them, without mulling over them or adding to them, and change the polarity of the thought by quickly repeating one of your positive affirmations or by changing your mental pictures.
So is there something to this whole "positive thinking" thing?
The philosophers and theologians have been saying yes for the entire span of recorded history: "As you think, so shall you be." Variations on this proverb can be found in every spiritual and philosophical tradition.
But... if you are the left-brained, "prove-it-to-me" type, you dont have to go on faith anymore. Scientists are beginning to prove more and more convincingly that thoughts are powerful things. Even Larry King seemed impressed with what his panel of "mind mentors" had to say.
So how soon are you going to begin your mental training right alongside your physical training? When are you going to learn how to harness this power locked up inside your mind?
Guess what? You're already using this force every day because you cannot turn it off. Whatever you are thinking and picturing in your mind repeatedly on a daily basis is already on it's way to you, so it's simply a matter of HOW you are using it, not IF you are using it.
What do you say to yourself every day? Do you say, "I am becoming leaner, healthier and more muscular every day?"... or do you say "I am a fat person - Ive tried everything, nothing ever works?"
The fact is - you can think yourself thin and healthy or you can think yourself obese and ill. Maybe not in the literal sense...but most certainly as the critical part in the chain of causation...
You see, there's a lot of talk these days in the personal improvement world about law of attraction, manifesting, intention, visualization, affirmations and of course, positive thinking.
Without understanding that there is an orderly, scientific basis underneath all of these things, many people will simply remain skeptics, while on the opposite extreme, others may get the idea that you can sit around meditating and visualizing, then expect a mystical "law of attraction" to kick in and then "poof!" a great body materializes out of thin air... along with the perfect relationship, a nice bank account and fantastic career success.
What really happens is "Positive thinking" and related methods quite literally re-program your brain, which in turn creates new behaviors that move you physically toward whatever you have been thinking about and focusing on.
So success is achieved through positive thinking + positive doing.... attraction + action. There are two sides to the coin. Without paying attention to both, you may continue to struggle... often against nothing but yourself.
If you want to transform your body or any other aspect of your life, then you have to change on the inside (the mind) first and then everything else will follow.
This process of *scientific* goal setting and mental reconditioning through emotionally charged mental imagery (visualization) and internal mental dialogue (affirmations) is the very first thing I have always taught my clients and the first thing I wrote about in my book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle You can learn all of these techniques in detail in chapter 1. Learn more about the psychology of body transormation inside the Burn The Fat ebook:
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to burn fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Fat Loss Lies Stop Your Success
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Are fat loss lies ruining your chances of success?
I sincerely hope that your 2007 workout and nutrition plan is already wildly successful and that you are well on your way toachieving your fat loss and fitness goals. But if you aren't, letme know why and what I can do to help.
Many people's programs suffer from misconceptions about fatloss - i.e. that cardio must be done everyday - and also falseperceptions about how well they are eating.
I've reviewed hundreds of client evaluations forms in my career,and just recently I reviewed 5 more for a transformation program we are working on over at Men's Health magazine.
And time and time again I see the same problem.
I have one question on my feedback form that asks the client:
"Do you eat lots of fruits and vegetables?"
Almost everytime the client's answer is "Yes".
On the next page, I have the client list their food intake.
And guess what rarely shows up?
If you guessed fruits and vegetables, you'd get a prize if I weregiving them away.
There are too many inconsistencies in our thoughts and actions when it comes to weight loss.
And the misguided notions that well-meaning fitness articles heap on us simply adds to the ever-growing confusion.
Here I want to shed some light on some of the most commonmisconceptions about training and dieting for fat loss.
The more I discuss weight loss and read the research, the more I realize fat loss results come from your nutrition, and thattraining is just a relatively small part of the equation.
But knowing this "truth" allows me to confidently design shorterfat loss workouts than most people traditionally use or expect are necessary.
Listen, you can spend 60 minutes on a cardio machine if you want. Sure you will burn 500 calories during that session, but your metabolism won't be significantly elevated after exercise AND you'll still have to find some time to do the mandatory strength training that a beautiful and healthy body requires.
Or you can do what I suggest...
Scrap the long, slow, excruciatingly boring cardio workouts andinstead stick to a much more manageable approach of...
A bodyweight movement warmup (5 minutes) Turbulence Training Strength Training Supersets (20 minutes) Turbulence Training Interval Training (20 minutes)
Done only 3 times per week, these 45 minute workouts still burn plenty of calories during training (300-400 calories), but the workouts also boost your metabolism for hours and hours (some research suggests up to a day and a half!), therefore burning far more NET calories AND fat than slow, mind-numbing cardio.
All you really need are some short intense training sessions toboost your metabolism and sculpt your body. And then you really just have to trust your nutrition to strip the fat.
Look at it this way...imagine you are carving an ice sculpture outof a block of ice. Your nutrition would be responsible for loppingoff the big chunks to get down to only the amount of ice youneed...and the Turbulence Training workouts would be responsible for chiseling in the details of your final sculpture.
As no matter how much confusing information there is aboutexercise, the debate over the best way to eat for fat loss isalways much more ridiculous.
(That's why I went to a credible and sensible source - Dr. ChrisMohr, Ph.D. - for the TT Fat Loss Nutrition Guidelines.)
As far as dieting misconceptions go, I think too many nutritionists are trading political correctness for results. In my opinion, PC diets don't work.
Take a look at the American Diabetes Association...they still make room for sugar in a diabetic's diet - because they don't want to deprive anyone of sugar.
Well that's not going to work. You have to make sacrifices. Youhave to stick to at least a 90% nutrition compliance if you wantbig-time results.
You can't go with the political correct approach of "having alittle bit of your favorite foods everyday so that you don'tdeprive yourself".
Think about the person that has your dream body - whether it's a cover model, your neighbor, a TV star, or the fittest person down at your gym. Do you think they haven't made sacrifices? Of course they have. They've done the work to get their reward.
Now its your turn!
You have to get strict and stick to whole, natural foods (fruits,vegetables, meat, fish, and nuts) if you want to succeed.
You need to accept that every action has consequences...
If you want to live a lifestyle where you don't deprive yourself ofdaily treats, that's fine. But realize the consequence of thisaction will be that you will always remain a few pounds of fat away from your goal.
According to your actions, you value your treats higher than youvalue your fat loss success.
But if you place your desire for fat loss success above your desire to eat junk, than the consequences will be that you will reach your body composition goals. It's that simple. We all get what we deserve and unless someone is holding a fork to your mouth, you are responsible for your own success.
And my last "non-PC" tip on dieting...almost all the people thattell me they are eating very well are lying to themselves and tome - as I mentioned before based on my client feedback experiences.
So do what Dr. John Berardi calls a compliance grid. Take a piece of paper and make a 6x7 grid (6 meals over 7 days). Then check off each time you eat according to plan and mark an "X" for each time you miss your goals.
Realize that you only have 4 mistake meals for an entire week ifyou want to stick to the 90% compliance.
Most of the time this is a bucket-of-cold-water-to-the-face wake up call to people. They quickly realize their nutrition compliance is much closer to 75% than 90%...and that explains why they aren't getting anywhere.
So the bottom line for fat loss:
1) Nutrition is where the hard work really is for fat loss.
2) The workouts don't have to be super-long to get fat lossresults. You just need short, intense, and efficient. And that'swhat my workouts are all about. Nothing fancy, no rocket science, just FUN workouts that are over quickly...and who wouldn't want that considering today's busy lifestyles.
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MSAuthor, Turbulence Training
PS - Here are just two of the TT Transformations...
"I am a 48 year old female, with four children, who has alwayswanted to have a well-sculpted body and have worked very hard toward this goal especially the last year or so. While I was able to get my body fat down to between 18 and 19%, I still could not get the definition I was looking for until two things happened: Turbulence Training and eating according to TT's suggestions. I just thought that since I was 48 years old there was no way I was going to achieve a sculpted body without hiring a trainer and working out like a bodybuilder. But I gave TT a try, and after only one month, the results have been so noticeable that my husband now wants to get in on it! I plan on doing this for many years to come. Thanks so much." Susan Siceloff
"Your workouts rock. I'm hooked and have been able to convert a lot of my friends also. I look a ton better than when I would just lift heavy every other day and jog on off days. At our health fair at work they were testing body fat and I was under 10% for the first time since high school, even though I was on the crew team in college, and I've run two marathons. TT training has given me a better physique than the training for either."Joe Dillon
About the AuthorCraig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Are fat loss lies ruining your chances of success?
I sincerely hope that your 2007 workout and nutrition plan is already wildly successful and that you are well on your way toachieving your fat loss and fitness goals. But if you aren't, letme know why and what I can do to help.
Many people's programs suffer from misconceptions about fatloss - i.e. that cardio must be done everyday - and also falseperceptions about how well they are eating.
I've reviewed hundreds of client evaluations forms in my career,and just recently I reviewed 5 more for a transformation program we are working on over at Men's Health magazine.
And time and time again I see the same problem.
I have one question on my feedback form that asks the client:
"Do you eat lots of fruits and vegetables?"
Almost everytime the client's answer is "Yes".
On the next page, I have the client list their food intake.
And guess what rarely shows up?
If you guessed fruits and vegetables, you'd get a prize if I weregiving them away.
There are too many inconsistencies in our thoughts and actions when it comes to weight loss.
And the misguided notions that well-meaning fitness articles heap on us simply adds to the ever-growing confusion.
Here I want to shed some light on some of the most commonmisconceptions about training and dieting for fat loss.
The more I discuss weight loss and read the research, the more I realize fat loss results come from your nutrition, and thattraining is just a relatively small part of the equation.
But knowing this "truth" allows me to confidently design shorterfat loss workouts than most people traditionally use or expect are necessary.
Listen, you can spend 60 minutes on a cardio machine if you want. Sure you will burn 500 calories during that session, but your metabolism won't be significantly elevated after exercise AND you'll still have to find some time to do the mandatory strength training that a beautiful and healthy body requires.
Or you can do what I suggest...
Scrap the long, slow, excruciatingly boring cardio workouts andinstead stick to a much more manageable approach of...
A bodyweight movement warmup (5 minutes) Turbulence Training Strength Training Supersets (20 minutes) Turbulence Training Interval Training (20 minutes)
Done only 3 times per week, these 45 minute workouts still burn plenty of calories during training (300-400 calories), but the workouts also boost your metabolism for hours and hours (some research suggests up to a day and a half!), therefore burning far more NET calories AND fat than slow, mind-numbing cardio.
All you really need are some short intense training sessions toboost your metabolism and sculpt your body. And then you really just have to trust your nutrition to strip the fat.
Look at it this way...imagine you are carving an ice sculpture outof a block of ice. Your nutrition would be responsible for loppingoff the big chunks to get down to only the amount of ice youneed...and the Turbulence Training workouts would be responsible for chiseling in the details of your final sculpture.
As no matter how much confusing information there is aboutexercise, the debate over the best way to eat for fat loss isalways much more ridiculous.
(That's why I went to a credible and sensible source - Dr. ChrisMohr, Ph.D. - for the TT Fat Loss Nutrition Guidelines.)
As far as dieting misconceptions go, I think too many nutritionists are trading political correctness for results. In my opinion, PC diets don't work.
Take a look at the American Diabetes Association...they still make room for sugar in a diabetic's diet - because they don't want to deprive anyone of sugar.
Well that's not going to work. You have to make sacrifices. Youhave to stick to at least a 90% nutrition compliance if you wantbig-time results.
You can't go with the political correct approach of "having alittle bit of your favorite foods everyday so that you don'tdeprive yourself".
Think about the person that has your dream body - whether it's a cover model, your neighbor, a TV star, or the fittest person down at your gym. Do you think they haven't made sacrifices? Of course they have. They've done the work to get their reward.
Now its your turn!
You have to get strict and stick to whole, natural foods (fruits,vegetables, meat, fish, and nuts) if you want to succeed.
You need to accept that every action has consequences...
If you want to live a lifestyle where you don't deprive yourself ofdaily treats, that's fine. But realize the consequence of thisaction will be that you will always remain a few pounds of fat away from your goal.
According to your actions, you value your treats higher than youvalue your fat loss success.
But if you place your desire for fat loss success above your desire to eat junk, than the consequences will be that you will reach your body composition goals. It's that simple. We all get what we deserve and unless someone is holding a fork to your mouth, you are responsible for your own success.
And my last "non-PC" tip on dieting...almost all the people thattell me they are eating very well are lying to themselves and tome - as I mentioned before based on my client feedback experiences.
So do what Dr. John Berardi calls a compliance grid. Take a piece of paper and make a 6x7 grid (6 meals over 7 days). Then check off each time you eat according to plan and mark an "X" for each time you miss your goals.
Realize that you only have 4 mistake meals for an entire week ifyou want to stick to the 90% compliance.
Most of the time this is a bucket-of-cold-water-to-the-face wake up call to people. They quickly realize their nutrition compliance is much closer to 75% than 90%...and that explains why they aren't getting anywhere.
So the bottom line for fat loss:
1) Nutrition is where the hard work really is for fat loss.
2) The workouts don't have to be super-long to get fat lossresults. You just need short, intense, and efficient. And that'swhat my workouts are all about. Nothing fancy, no rocket science, just FUN workouts that are over quickly...and who wouldn't want that considering today's busy lifestyles.
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MSAuthor, Turbulence Training
PS - Here are just two of the TT Transformations...
"I am a 48 year old female, with four children, who has alwayswanted to have a well-sculpted body and have worked very hard toward this goal especially the last year or so. While I was able to get my body fat down to between 18 and 19%, I still could not get the definition I was looking for until two things happened: Turbulence Training and eating according to TT's suggestions. I just thought that since I was 48 years old there was no way I was going to achieve a sculpted body without hiring a trainer and working out like a bodybuilder. But I gave TT a try, and after only one month, the results have been so noticeable that my husband now wants to get in on it! I plan on doing this for many years to come. Thanks so much." Susan Siceloff
"Your workouts rock. I'm hooked and have been able to convert a lot of my friends also. I look a ton better than when I would just lift heavy every other day and jog on off days. At our health fair at work they were testing body fat and I was under 10% for the first time since high school, even though I was on the crew team in college, and I've run two marathons. TT training has given me a better physique than the training for either."Joe Dillon
About the AuthorCraig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Metabolism Boosters for Weight Loss
8 Metabolism Boosters for Weight Loss
By: Craig Ballantyne,
CSCS, MS
Your metabolism is your fat loss foundation.
It keeps burning and burning fat 24 hours a day...the only problem is, do you have a fast metabolism?
And if not, what can you do about it to boost your metabolism and burn fat to lose weight?
Your metabolism is basically how many calories you burn each day.
Children have faster metabolic rates than adults, and we all know about the legendary metabolism's of teenage boys. That's the metabolism you wish you had.
And while it is inevitable that your metabolism decreases with age, it doesn't doom you to gaining weight.
It might even decrease 30% over your life, but really, is that any reason to become overweight?
No way. Not when you can turn it around with a couple of simple, proven techniques listed below...
Here are 8 possible metabolic boosters and the truth about whether each works.
1) Strength training
Claim: Boosts metabolism up to 10% after a training program
True!
In fact, despite what many men and women think, harder exercise is better for your metabolism. However, please note that 1 pound of muscle does not burn 50 calories per day.
In one study, women received a greater metabolic boost from using 8 repetitions per set rather than traditional high-rep (12 reps) sets. So stick to harder exercises (pushups and more advanced bodyweight exercises) or dumbbell exercises.
2) Breakfast
Claim: Because it stops your "fasting", it can boost metabolism
True? Maybe yes, maybe no. Your metabolism won't go into"starvation mode" without breakfast, but it is associated withsuccessful weight loss. So make it a habit to consume some protein, fiber, & fruit (& even veggies if you can fit them in) at this time. This will keep your appetite in check till your next break or even lunch.
3) Green Tea
Claim: Burns an extra 80 calories per day
True? Not really. It has been shown to burn 80 calories per day in young men on the first day of supplementation, but will this affect last once your body gets used to it? I don't think.
After all, take a look at caffeine. You can find studies that showit increases metabolism as well. But really, is anyone losing fatwith caffeine? The revolving doors at Starbucks say "No!".
Coffee is okay in moderate doses, and I recommend Green Tea to everyone, but for health reasons, not for fat loss. The only way you will lose fat with Green Tea is if you replace a 300+-calorie Frappucino with an iced, unsweetened Green Tea. Otherwise, don't count on it for much in terms of metabolism.
4) Fat Burners
Claim: Boost your metabolism big time!
See above. Fat burners are simply caffeine pills with a few otheringredients thrown in. You'll get an increase in mental energy, but that doesn't mean it will significantly boost metabolism or burn fat.
5) Ice Cold Water with Lemon Juice Squeed into it
Claim: The body will burn calories warming up the water and the lemon juice also burns more fat.
Truth? Nice in theory, short in practice. Nobody is losing fat with ice cold water. If it sounds too good to be true - you know the rest of the story.
6) Eating 6 small meals per day
Claim: Boosts metabolism and can help control cholesterol.
True! Simple and effective, and true! Try and split your meals up into smaller meals that can be eaten over the course of the day. This might be part of the breakfast magic...
7) Protein
Claim: Burns more calories (uses more calories in digestion thancarbohydrates or fat).
True!
Now I'm not sure if this is significant, but protein also helpsfill you up longer. And that's where the real benefit comes in -preventing overeating. And if you want details, another studyshowed that animal protein results in more energy burned thanvegetable protein.
8- Interval training
Claim: Interval training causes a greater increase in post-exercise metabolism than regular cardio.
I certainly believe it.
And I do know this. A recent study from Australia found that ashorter interval program led to more weight loss than atwice-as-long aerobic training program. This confirms the original interval training study from as far back as 1994 that showed greater results from a shorter interval program when compared to a traditional cardio program.
Bottom line: Intervals work!
So we see that hard work and diligent eating burn more calories and that magic pills and potions don't work.
But that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. My advice? Addstrength, intervals, mini-meals, and protein to your weight lossplan and you'll be leaner and warmer thanks to your fastermetabolism.
Turbulence Training was built to boost your metabolism,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MSAuthor, Turbulence Training
About the AuthorCraig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
10 Minute Fat Loss Workouts-
That's Right! It's not a misprint.
Start Reading to save more time and effective results Today.
10-Minute Fat Loss Workouts
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.turbulencetraining.com
Last week I helped Men's Health magazine on a piece about getting workouts done fast. Personally, I think you can get a great body-changing workout done in minutes.
How fast?
I'm talking 10-minutes.
By now, I'm sure you're asking...
How do you lose fat in only ten minutes?
or
What about the rule that it takes 20 minutes of cardio before you start burning fat?
Well, first of all, as I have said before, the whole idea of afat-burning zone or a magical fat-burning time period just doesn't fit with the common sense approach to fat loss.
People can lose fat without doing any cardio at all - so its clearthat you don't have to workout for at least 20-minutes with your heart rate at 60% of your maximum heart rate. Fat loss is far simpler than that - and I'll show you some basic workouts below that crank your metabolism and help you burn calories when you are not exercising.
Second, the results of your training occur outside of the gymrather than during the workout. That's why the before-mentioned "increased metabolism" is so important. If you put the right "turbulence" on your muscles in 10-minutes, you can change your body - without even thinking about doing cardio.
So let's look at the first fat loss in a hurry workout - a10-minute bodysculpting workout. Let's say you only have 10 minutes to do your workout today - what should you do?
In this case, you need to combine a warm-up, strengthtraining, and interval training all into one. So our efforts arebest put forward on bodyweight training.
And you don't have time for isolation work. Instead, you need tohit three "hot zones" on the body for maximum metabolism boosting: push muscles, pull muscles, and legs.
By doing so, you'll hit all the other muscle groups at the sametime. So you'll do a circuit of soemthing like:
1A) Prisoner Squats (advanced option: 1-Leg Squats)
1B) Pushups (advanced option: Spiderman Pushups)
1C) Inverted Rows (advanced option: Pull-ups; easy option:Stick-ups)
In the first round of this circuit, you'll go through it easy.Perform 25% of the maximum number of reps you can do for each exercise. So if you can do 20 pushups, do only 5 in the firstwarm-up circuit. That's a warm-up circuit.
Then you'll do as many circuits as you can in the remainder of the 10 minutes. Just go back-to-back-to-back on these 3 exercises. You can rest after the rows/pull-ups for 30 seconds if necessary, but that's it.
You'll be pleasantly surprised with how you feel at the end of the 10-minutes. And your metabolism will be elevated for a much longer period than if you trained in the fat-burn zone for 10-minutes.
Okay, now here's another option, moving into some dumbbell work. The following superset trains the entire body, and focuses on the 3 hot zones.
1A) DB Squat (8 reps per set)1B) DB Chest Press (8 reps per set)
Use light weights for one warm-up set, and then do as many sets as possible in 10 minutes for the rest of the workout.
In any case, if you find yourself with another 10 minutes, you can up the fat-burning ante by doing 10 minutes of intervals. This too is far more effective for fat loss and fitness than 10 more minutes in the "so-called" fat-burning zone.
Do 3-5 minutes of exercise-specific warm-up.
Then do your intervals for 30 seconds followed by 30-60 seconds of rest. Repeat 3-6 times. Then cooldown.
Okay, now let's get greedy and assume we have 30 minutes for our workout. We'll be close to getting maximum results with this"marathon" duration workout.
First, hit up the bodyweight circuit mentioned above. Do thistwice, nice and easy. That will take 5 minutes off the clock.
Then move into your strength supersets. Following the lead above, you'll look to train the entire body with only 2 moves. It's not always easy, but fortunately you can do 2 supersets in thisworkout. The strength training will take about 15 minutes as you'll do 3 sets of 8 per exercise with no extra rest between sets - just long enough to switch exercises.
1A) DB Split Squat (If you have a barbell, use it instead of DB's)1B) DB Row
2A) DB Romanian Deadlift 2B) DB Incline Press
Then finish with intervals. For this workout, try another program. Start with a warm-up, then do each "work" interval for 45 seconds, and rest 60 seconds between each interval. Do 4-6 rounds and finish with a cool-down, of course.
I could go on and on with these fast fat loss workouts...and ofcourse I do, in the Turbulence Training e-book.
I'll follow up on this article in the future, passing along some ofthe exact Turbulence Training workouts that I use with my clients to get the most results in the least amount of time.
Until then, train hard, train safe, and train better than everyoneelse in the gym.
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MSAuthor, Turbulence Training
P.S. Is a lack of time stressing you out?
"No time to exercise" is the #1 reason most people don't exercise consistently. In fact, a lack of time stresses most people out for many reasons - whether it's a lack of time to prepare good food, exercise, or be with your family.
That's why I created Turbulence Training to be the most efficient and effective fat loss program out there.
The warm-up is applicable to your workout, not some 5-minute waste of time on the treadmill.
The strength training supersets shave minutes off your wait time.
And the intervals cut your cardio in half, or more.
"I think TT is awesome. I have seen a serious change in my overall body composition. In 12 weeks I've gained a lot of muscle and have lost about 10 lbs, but inches are flying off."Gordon M.
"The TT workouts are excellent! You have literally changed my life! I got completely burned out on single body part training and long periods of cardio. It just isn't conducive to my life given that I work full time and have a spouse.
I'm already lean but I want to maintain a high level of health and have a fit, athletic look. I have to admit that I was skeptical because the workouts were so short, but even after the first workout my skepticism disappeared in a hurry.
The time flies by at the gym and the workouts have eliminated a lot of stress because if I got stuck at work and couldn't get to the gym for "leg day" it would mess up my training schedule for the rest of the week. I also like having the option to do some body weight circuits plus I have a full range of dumbells and a ball at home so I can get my workouts in at home." Janet M
About the AuthorCraig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines.
His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.turbulencetraining.com
Start Reading to save more time and effective results Today.
10-Minute Fat Loss Workouts
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.turbulencetraining.com
Last week I helped Men's Health magazine on a piece about getting workouts done fast. Personally, I think you can get a great body-changing workout done in minutes.
How fast?
I'm talking 10-minutes.
By now, I'm sure you're asking...
How do you lose fat in only ten minutes?
or
What about the rule that it takes 20 minutes of cardio before you start burning fat?
Well, first of all, as I have said before, the whole idea of afat-burning zone or a magical fat-burning time period just doesn't fit with the common sense approach to fat loss.
People can lose fat without doing any cardio at all - so its clearthat you don't have to workout for at least 20-minutes with your heart rate at 60% of your maximum heart rate. Fat loss is far simpler than that - and I'll show you some basic workouts below that crank your metabolism and help you burn calories when you are not exercising.
Second, the results of your training occur outside of the gymrather than during the workout. That's why the before-mentioned "increased metabolism" is so important. If you put the right "turbulence" on your muscles in 10-minutes, you can change your body - without even thinking about doing cardio.
So let's look at the first fat loss in a hurry workout - a10-minute bodysculpting workout. Let's say you only have 10 minutes to do your workout today - what should you do?
In this case, you need to combine a warm-up, strengthtraining, and interval training all into one. So our efforts arebest put forward on bodyweight training.
And you don't have time for isolation work. Instead, you need tohit three "hot zones" on the body for maximum metabolism boosting: push muscles, pull muscles, and legs.
By doing so, you'll hit all the other muscle groups at the sametime. So you'll do a circuit of soemthing like:
1A) Prisoner Squats (advanced option: 1-Leg Squats)
1B) Pushups (advanced option: Spiderman Pushups)
1C) Inverted Rows (advanced option: Pull-ups; easy option:Stick-ups)
In the first round of this circuit, you'll go through it easy.Perform 25% of the maximum number of reps you can do for each exercise. So if you can do 20 pushups, do only 5 in the firstwarm-up circuit. That's a warm-up circuit.
Then you'll do as many circuits as you can in the remainder of the 10 minutes. Just go back-to-back-to-back on these 3 exercises. You can rest after the rows/pull-ups for 30 seconds if necessary, but that's it.
You'll be pleasantly surprised with how you feel at the end of the 10-minutes. And your metabolism will be elevated for a much longer period than if you trained in the fat-burn zone for 10-minutes.
Okay, now here's another option, moving into some dumbbell work. The following superset trains the entire body, and focuses on the 3 hot zones.
1A) DB Squat (8 reps per set)1B) DB Chest Press (8 reps per set)
Use light weights for one warm-up set, and then do as many sets as possible in 10 minutes for the rest of the workout.
In any case, if you find yourself with another 10 minutes, you can up the fat-burning ante by doing 10 minutes of intervals. This too is far more effective for fat loss and fitness than 10 more minutes in the "so-called" fat-burning zone.
Do 3-5 minutes of exercise-specific warm-up.
Then do your intervals for 30 seconds followed by 30-60 seconds of rest. Repeat 3-6 times. Then cooldown.
Okay, now let's get greedy and assume we have 30 minutes for our workout. We'll be close to getting maximum results with this"marathon" duration workout.
First, hit up the bodyweight circuit mentioned above. Do thistwice, nice and easy. That will take 5 minutes off the clock.
Then move into your strength supersets. Following the lead above, you'll look to train the entire body with only 2 moves. It's not always easy, but fortunately you can do 2 supersets in thisworkout. The strength training will take about 15 minutes as you'll do 3 sets of 8 per exercise with no extra rest between sets - just long enough to switch exercises.
1A) DB Split Squat (If you have a barbell, use it instead of DB's)1B) DB Row
2A) DB Romanian Deadlift 2B) DB Incline Press
Then finish with intervals. For this workout, try another program. Start with a warm-up, then do each "work" interval for 45 seconds, and rest 60 seconds between each interval. Do 4-6 rounds and finish with a cool-down, of course.
I could go on and on with these fast fat loss workouts...and ofcourse I do, in the Turbulence Training e-book.
I'll follow up on this article in the future, passing along some ofthe exact Turbulence Training workouts that I use with my clients to get the most results in the least amount of time.
Until then, train hard, train safe, and train better than everyoneelse in the gym.
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MSAuthor, Turbulence Training
P.S. Is a lack of time stressing you out?
"No time to exercise" is the #1 reason most people don't exercise consistently. In fact, a lack of time stresses most people out for many reasons - whether it's a lack of time to prepare good food, exercise, or be with your family.
That's why I created Turbulence Training to be the most efficient and effective fat loss program out there.
The warm-up is applicable to your workout, not some 5-minute waste of time on the treadmill.
The strength training supersets shave minutes off your wait time.
And the intervals cut your cardio in half, or more.
"I think TT is awesome. I have seen a serious change in my overall body composition. In 12 weeks I've gained a lot of muscle and have lost about 10 lbs, but inches are flying off."Gordon M.
"The TT workouts are excellent! You have literally changed my life! I got completely burned out on single body part training and long periods of cardio. It just isn't conducive to my life given that I work full time and have a spouse.
I'm already lean but I want to maintain a high level of health and have a fit, athletic look. I have to admit that I was skeptical because the workouts were so short, but even after the first workout my skepticism disappeared in a hurry.
The time flies by at the gym and the workouts have eliminated a lot of stress because if I got stuck at work and couldn't get to the gym for "leg day" it would mess up my training schedule for the rest of the week. I also like having the option to do some body weight circuits plus I have a full range of dumbells and a ball at home so I can get my workouts in at home." Janet M
About the AuthorCraig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines.
His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.turbulencetraining.com
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