I get a lot of questions from people on what they should do for cardio for losing fat, and my answer is always intervals. Intervals are a research-proven KEY to your fat loss program and health.

Now I know a lot of people worry that intervals can get boring. They will if you do the same ones over and over again. Now you should know there many ways to do this, the traditional bike, treadmill intervals, which I find very boring and so do many of my clients. That’s why we use metabolic conditioning for our interval training here at Fit-2-The-Core. We combine bodyweight exercises, strength exercises, core exercises with jumping rope, sprinting etc…

The key to an effective interval training program is to have variety, so you don’t end up at a fat loss plateau. Variety is one of the keys to continually to losing fat and reshaping your body.

Not only should you have variety within your training week (i.e. alternate between two different interval training workouts, rather than just doing the same interval workout each time), but you should also change these workouts every 4 weeks, just like we do at Fit-2-The-Core.

So just like your resistance training, you need to change your interval training program every 4 weeks. There are many ways to add variety into your interval program:

- switching exercise methods – Instead of always relying on traditional cardio equipment such as running or biking, start using bodyweight exercises or strength exercises.

- Increase or decrease the length of the interval (while decreasing or increasing the intensity, respectively)

- increase or decrease the number of intervals per workout

- increase or decrease the rest time between intervals

Let’s take a look some different interval methods. Here is my list of preferred ways to do your intervals, ranked in order from best to worst, based on my experiences…

1. Sprinting outdoors (and hills might be the absolute best)

2. Bodyweight interval circuits (with or without resistance)

4. Treadmill running

5. Stationary cycle (upright preferred)

6. Stair climber- As long as you’re not hanging all flexed over the handles or watching T.V.

7. Rower- Again it’s important to keep good posture throughout each row.

8. Swimming (only works for competent swimmers)- Believe me I suck at swimming so I personally know how true this is.

9. Elliptical & Cross trainer machines- I put this here for people who cannot do any of the above, I personally think this is the worst method.

Okay, now that you know some different methods your probably wondering how long should you do intervals for?

Well to be honest, there is NO “best” interval training program – no best “sets and reps” for fat loss.

But that is good thing because it allows you to use variety in your approach. So the best interval training method is simply the one that changes and progresses every 4 weeks.

Interval recommendations have ranged from 15 seconds (anaerobic intervals); 2 to 5 minutes (these are known as aerobic intervals). So let’s take a look at some interval recommendations from anaerobic (without oxygen) to long duration (aerobic with oxygen).

8 seconds on, 12 seconds off

This is the duration used by the Australian researchers in the now famous “intervals vs. cardio” study from 2007.The results found that intervals helped subjects lose belly fat, but cardio didn’t. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to replicate 8 seconds on, 12 seconds off using cardio equipment in your gym. So you have to very creative or you can try and use the same ratio at longer interval pace such as 24 seconds on, 36 seconds off. I use these with my clients for shuttle runs. These really kick butt and accelerate your fat loss.

15 seconds

The great thing about 15 second intervals is that you’ll be able to work at a very high rate (almost near your maximum power output), as long as you get adequate recovery between work intervals. The downside is that it is very difficult to do 15 second intervals on machines, because it takes a long time to “build up” and “bring down” the machine settings to the correct speed.

If you decide to use these short, high-intensity intervals, you should do so only if you already have an above average level of fitness. Your rest interval should be at least 15 seconds long, and can be as long as 60 seconds. The longer you rest, the harder you will be able to exercise in each interval.

20 seconds on, 10 seconds off

This method is known as the Tabata protocol, after the Japanese scientist that published a study on this routine. It is very demanding, and while some trainers have suggested this is the best method for interval training, there is NO proof that you will get better fat loss results.

The pro’s with this method (as well as the 15 second intervals) is that you’ll get your workout done faster (provided you do the same number of intervals as any other workout). Again, it would be very difficult to perform this type of interval training on a machine, due to the time lag as you increase or decrease the settings. And finally, these too should only be performed by above average fitness levels.

30 seconds

I’ve used and still do use a lot of 30 second intervals. Beginners will rest up to 90 seconds between intervals, while advanced fitness levels will rest 30-60 seconds. The longer (relative) rest allows you to work harder in each successive interval (i.e. you’ll almost be able to match your performance in the first interval with each following interval). Short rest intervals (as in the Tabata protocol) will lead to a dramatic drop-off in performance with each interval. You can easily do the 30-second intervals on any machine. Or work great for body weight exercises as well.

45 seconds

These intervals are proven for fat loss, in addition to being effective for many team sports (such as hockey, soccer, basketball, and rugby). Not only will these fatigue your muscles, they will also challenge your will to complete each interval (if done at the right intensity).People always tell me “yeah I do intervals for 30-40 minutes ” Sorry but those aren’t intervals that high intensity aerobics. If you perform these at the right intensity be happy if you get through 12 minutes. Use 45-90 seconds of recovery between intervals. Do 3-6 intervals per workout.

60 second intervals

Similar to the 45 second intervals in benefits and toughness. Use 60-120 seconds of recovery between each. You can start your first month at 120 seconds recovery, 2nd at 90 seconds 3rd at 90 seconds and 4th at 60 seconds. See how simple it is to add variety and progressions. Change the rest and you completely change the workout.

 

120- 180 second intervals

These are now officially aerobic intervals, and can be used for both fat loss and improving aerobic capacity for sports and running. A great way to achieve two fitness goals at once. Exercise for 2-3 minutes and then recover for 1 minutes. Repeat 6 times. These workouts take longer , but can play a role in changing your body and improving your performance.

Are you a Beginner?

If you are beginner your probably thinking that these intervals all sound “too intense” for you, don’t worry. Interval training is all relative.

First try working at a slightly harder than normal pace. By the end of the interval, you should be getting tired, but you shouldn’t be gasping for air. Start conservatively and progress each week and month, you will eventually get the hang of it.

For example, if you regularly use level 5 on the stationary bike for 30 minutes continuously, you might try doing a 1 minute interval at level 7 and then going back down to level 5 for 60-90 seconds and repeat. Try that for an interval workout see how it goes.

We are currently using between 30-60 seconds metabolic conditioning intervals for fat losses with our clients. My clients love these because of the variety, challenge and results they achieve from them. But again, I really do believe you will get your best fat loss results if you vary your interval training workouts – just like you must vary your strength training workouts for continual fat loss results.

Give some of these interval methods a try and let us know how it goes

Intervals truly are your secret to success,

Tim, Donnie and Dana

PS – Do you need to lose 3-4 inches off your belly this summer? Click on this link right now http://f2cbootcamps.com/28-day-meltdown-challenge/ sign up for our 28 Day Sizzling Summer Meltdown Challenge. You will be taken through the interval methods outlined above as well as out metabolic resistance training workouts in which we guarantee you will lose 3-4 inches off your belly in 28 days or your money back!

 

Memorial Day Weekend is here and it marks the unofficial start of summer. This is the time of year when the shirts come off, the swimsuits go on and everyone knows exactly how you did the last 3-4 months with your dieting and exercise.

So the big question is… Are you ready?

If not – you have two more holiday weekends this summer in which to make a huge difference in your body. So you don’t have to settle for swimming with your shirt on and never revealing that new bathing suit you bought for the summer.

Now that you know you have two more chances this summer to take the shirt off and put on that swimsuit, you need to set some goals.

Goal setting is all about setting S.M.A.R.T. goals — and T stands for “Timeline”.

When you’re training for fat loss or to look better naked – it is extremely important and effective to have a DEADLINE.

So you’re going to need to set two deadlines this summer.

Your first goal is for July 4th, Independence Day, which is only five weeks away.

With a combination jump start plan that includes a solid workout and nutritional support program, along with a healthy dose of motivation – you could easily be 10+ lbs leaner by then. I have seen this happen many times with our clients.

Your next goal is the end of summer – the Labor Day weekend (first weekend in September). This is currently Fourteen weeks away. So if you’re looking a little flabby this weekend or feeling a little embarrassed about your body — you can still make some amazing changes. It’s never too late.

So you still have an opportunity to look and feel great by the end of summer.

So today I’m going share 3 highly effective strategies for fat loss that will get you on the road to looking good in your bathing suit by July 4th …and even better by Labor Day Weekend.

1) You need to create a caloric deficit – there is no way around this – you must burn more than you consume. But that doesn’t just mean eat less – you will have to change the type of foods you eat. The most effective way to create that deficit is to use a combination of diet and exercise.

2) Your diet should consist of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, keeping starches and refined carbohydrates to a minimum.

Keep your fluid intake high (water only), and try to eat at least 4-5 small meals per day.

This helps to maintain blood sugar levels and keep you from falling off your diet.

Follow this plan 90% of the time, which will allow you to have some flexibility on weekends when your going out to dinner, party or barbeque.

Here is a sample of what a supportive nutrition plan looks like:

Breakfast: 2 Omega 3 Eggs scrambled with Havarti Cheese and Spinach, wrapped in a tortilla

Snack: 4-6 oz all natural Turkey wrapped in lettuce w/1/4 avocado

Lunch: Chopped salad-Romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, 1 hardboiled egg, 4oz chicken, tossed w/1 TBS olive oil & balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: Greek All Natural Yogurt Plain w/strawberries

Dinner: Turkey Burger w/Portobello Mushroom as a bun, ¼ avocado

When it comes to supplements, there is almost nothing that will make a difference. Certain supplements can boost metabolism, or increase your energy somewhat and these may be useful if there supplementing a supportive nutrition plan – but in terms of real world “pounds of fat lost” it really won’t make much of a difference.

A multivitamin and a fish oil supplement are vital though, since looking your best should also be about feeling and performing your best as well.

Protein shake or meal replacement powder can be useful for convenience but are nothing more than high quality food.

3) As far as exercising goes, interval training and metabolic resistance training will provide the most bang-for-your buck. Steady state aerobic training just doesn’t burn enough calories for your goals right now, and a body part training split will be less effective than total body training for fat loss. Metabolic resistance training coupled with interval cardio training will put your metabolism into overdrive accelerating your fat loss efforts. So try to exercise at least four to six days per week – two to three days of resistance training and two to three days of interval based cardio.

An effective metabolic resistance program should consist of compound exercise that train movements in a circuit format. In this example I’ll use a 30 second work 30 second rest prescription. This can be completed for four sets for a total of 20 minutes.

For example: 1a) Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats 2a) Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats 3a) Push-up variation 4a) Kettle bell sumo Dead lift 5a) Inverted Bodyweight Row

Finisher: 20 seconds of Squat Jumps 10 Second rest then 20 Seconds Mountain Climbers for 8 total rounds equaling 4 minutes.

Interval Cardio Example: 60 seconds Squat-Thrust (Carb burning zone) / 90 second Jump Rope or jumping jacks(Fat Burning Zone) for an 8 round, 20 minutes workout.

So now you have a blueprint and a deadline, no excuses get started now, it’s not too late to make some amazing changes by the end of this summer.

And if you can’t do it on your own, sign up for our two week free trial today and see for yourself how you can get results with a proven and real world program that has helped many people just like you…

 

You’ve read about it in magazines. Your trainer probably even told you that doing cardio on an empty stomach will help you burn more fat. I even saw a local so called diet and fat loss expert on T.V. say that you should do cardio on an empty stomach, WOW imagine all the people running on a treadmill starving LOL

I’ve known about this for years, not just from the science but the results from my clients here at F2C Results Boot Camp.

So today I’m finally going to dispel the biggest myth in fitness that “You Will Burn More Fat Doing Cardio on an Empty Stomach”

Over in Italy some researchers had a study published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition Exercise and Metabolism (21:48-54, 2011).

The Italian researchers wanted to see what would happen when eight healthy young men did the following workouts:

Workout A: 36 minutes of slow cardio at 65% maximum heart rate in the morning without eating

Workout B: 36 minutes of slow cardio at 65% maximum heart rate in the morning AFTER a small meal

The RESULTS?

24-hours after exercise, the results found that eating before cardio increased both calorie burning AND fat burning.

That’s right, eating before the workout increased fat burning in the 24-hours after exercise.

The scientists concluded that “fasting before exercise does not enhance lipid utilization (FAT); rather, physical activity after a light meal is advisable.”

So Don’t Believe the Hype!

The truth about fasted cardio is that it is NOT a magical way to boost fat burning.

But the REAL TRUTH about cardio in general is this:

You wont get optimal results from slow cardio, fasted or fed. I’ve wrote about this many times in my newsletter and blog over the years, so you should already know to skip it and use interval training using bodyweight exercises and bodyweight exercise with kettle bells, medicine balls etc… instead.

For example, here is what we did at Fit-2-The-Core in March for our Metabolic Cardio Program:

5 Minute Full Body Warm-up:

Glute Bridges-10

Bent Over T – 15

Ankle Mobilization- 10 ea

Straight Leg Kicks-10ea

Inchworms-5

Heel To Glute- 10

Squat- Thrust- 10

Circuit # 1 30-15 Each exercise is done for 30 seconds with a 15 second transition. 13 minutes

1A) Cone Figure 8’s (10yd)

2A) Squat + Thrust

3A) TRX Body weight Rows

4A) SB Knee Tucks

5A) Lunge Jumps

Complete for 3 Total Rounds

Rest 2 minute and move on to…

Circuit # 2 30-15 Each exercise is done for 30 seconds with a 15 second transition. 11 minutes

1B) Side Shuffle (5 yd)

2B) Plank Push-up

3B) Kettle Bell Swings

4B) KB Farmers Walks

5B) Inch Worms

Complete for 3 rounds

Check out this video if you want to see what theses Metabolic Circuits look like…

There you have it, interval training outside the box in only 30 minutes, no running on a boring cardio machine, no EMPTY STOMACH and very effective for stimulating your metabolism and fat burning hormones long after your workout is done.

Come see for yourself why You’ll Get Results here at F2C Results Boot Camp and sign up today for your Two Week Free no obligation free trial today…

No Obligation Two Week Free Trial

Here are six of the biggest fat loss mistakes men and women make everyday…fix these, and you’ll lose fat…

1) Not Writing Your Goals Down!

I’m sure you have heard it before, but a goal is just a dream unless you have it written down. There is so much research and social proof that substantiates writing down your goals for success, that you would be crazy not to do this one simple thing. Believe me when I say writing it down is one of the major keys to achieving not just your fat loss goals, but any goal you want to achieve in your life!

2) Not having Social Support!

Trying to lose fat without social support is really go to make things a lot more difficult. Ideally, you’d have your doctor, an RD, a trainer, your workout partner, your spouse, your fellow employees, and your friends all behind you. Research shows that you’ll benefit most from a fitness professional (i.e. a trainer) and a workout partner or partners that is also successful. Get these people on your team first, and then work on the rest of the group.

3) Not using a structured and proven fat loss program

If you ever go into the gym and wonder what you are going to do first, you’re already wasting your time – even before you choose. Get a plan that is proven to work and know what you have to do, stick to it, and see it through. That way, no wasted time wandering around the gym deciding where to start or for that matter what to do. Again if you just wing it results will be hard to come by and you will most likely feel frustrated and quit all together.

4) Not changing your workout after 4 weeks.

Four weeks is the longest you should stick to  the same program. If it’s been 6-months, give your head a shake. If it hasn’t worked yet, why do you think it’s magically going to start now? Change it up frequently. You’ll get more results and you’ll have more fun. This will keep you motivated and from hitting plateaus! You could go longer if your a beginner, but again 4 weeks is about the time when people just start to go through the motions and lose there mojo. So keep it fresh not only for your body but also for your mind.

5) Not realizing that you can’t out train bad nutrtion

You want to lose fat? You have to eat right to support your training for fat loss. You can’t train like an animal and then eat junk and expect to lose fat. No program is that good. None.. Even though there are so many positive hormonal and physical effects from training, you still must Eat whole, natural foods in 6 smaller meals each day. Get lots of fiber, lots of protein, lots of vegetables. Eat healthy fats, avoid trans fats. Drink lots of water and tea. So simple, so effective. Eat for energy, not for gluttony. Exercising without nutrition is like going up a creek without a paddle!

6) Not knowing when to quit

My current and new clients ask me all the time if they can add even more cardio and more lifting to their current workout plans. After all,if some is good, more training must be better?

Listen, you have to draw the line somewhere. You can’t keep adding more and more exercise. First, there is diminishing returns from each additional set you do, and from extra cardio. Second, your body can breakdown fast from too much work, particularly if your eating doesn’t support your training the daily stress of life, work and not getting the ideal hours of sleep. Overtraining and not enough or unhealthy calories go together like oil and water. Neither of these combos will make your engine run optimally. You need to understand that when you train you break your body down, it’s the recovery in between that determines what type of results you get,  for example how much sleep you get, how well you eat and stress etc…

And finally, focus on quality over quantity. The “volume approach to fat loss” from the 1980′s (characterized by lots of cardio and lots of carbs) didn’t work. For good reason. Stick to high quality nutrition, and high-quality training.

The only thing that matters is results. Not muscle soreness, not feeling exhausted after each workout, and not feeling deprived of food.

Quality work and quality food for a better body.

See what our clients have to say about Fit-2-The-Core

I am 49 years old and with Fit-2-The-Core, I feel much younger, I can get up and go walk the dog, with out even thinking oh my feet will hurt or will I make it.  I can go on vacation and know that I can go to Disneyland and enjoy it from one end of the park to other and then get up and go to the Zoo the very next day. Instead of hiding in the house, I have been outgoing and ready for new adventures…
 
Thanks so much for giving me back my strength and energy. I know I still have aways to go, but I am amazed of what you have helped me accomplish….
 
Pauline Mendez
49 yr old, Mother of 6

There is so much that I like about Fit 2 the Core.  For one, I get results.  During 2010, I went from size 8 to size 4 pants and I did NOT starve myself.  I attended boot camp three times each week, I did cardio two times each week, and I followed the suggested food program.  I also like that my workouts are planned for me.  I’m so busy in life that I would hesitate to go to the gym because I didn’t have time to plan my workout.  At Fit 2 The Core, our workouts are planned and they change frequently.  I receive instruction and direction as needed and I workout at my own level of challenge.  I feel so much better when I’m exercising and eating well.  THANK YOU to the Fit 2 the Core team.  I love the gym!

Caryn Wegerbauer-47 Years Old

“Tim and Donnie, Fit-2-The-Core has helped me gain strength and flexibility without machines, I use my own body weight, kettle bells, bands medicine balls etc.., all of which have helped me lose 20 pounds of body fat. I feel great and look forward to my workouts each week. Thanks for your help with my health and fitness.”
-Tom Spear

Tim and Donnie, after my pregnancy I tried everything to take the weight I gained off. Tim helped me lose 28lbs. I now feel anything is possible and find myself smiling every day. I wish I could say in words how much he empowered me to achieve other goals in my life.
-Kelly Barker

The New Year is right around the corner and this seems to be the one time of the year where most people make resolutions to lose fat and to get in better shape.

I think of New Year’s resolutions kind of like an excuse to eat and drink throughout the holidays. It makes people feel alright with gaining weight, because at the beginning of the New Year they convince themselves that they’re going to eat healthy, exercise consistently and get in the best shape of their lives.

It usually goes like this… On January 1st I’m going to eat good ( most are not sure how to do this), exercise consistently (most people think they know how to exercise for fat loss, but they don’t) and I’m going to run 1,2,3 etc.. a week (mst people depend on steady state exercise for fat loss… Big Mistake).

The above is a recipe for failure and why most of those with New Year fat loss resolutions give up on them by February.

So today I’m going to give you 3 secrets to fat loss success giving you a fighting chance to achieving your fat loss goals in the New Year.

Secret # 1

Flip The Food Pyramid Upside-down

The USDA’s Food Pyramid is a joke. Its origins leave little to be desired, let me let you in on some disturbing facts..

First, the grain industry was in a pinch when the Food Pyramid was created. And wouldn’t you know it… the grain industry increased their “contributions” to certain politicians to get placement atop the pyramid… or in this case at the very bottom.

Just think about this for a moment:

The USDA wants you to eat MORE starch than vegetables?

More bread than fruits, lean meats, and hormone-producing fats?

Sounds Crazy Huh…

Processed foods such as breads, crackers and other processed crap is the culprit when it comes to gaining belly fat while negatively affecting your overall health.

You’d be better off flipping the Pyramid upside-down so it looks more like this…

40% of your calories from healthy fats 30% of your calories from protein 30% of your calories from carbohydrates

Sounds crazy, right? Well it is.

Too bad I have the science and client results to back it up.

If you want a system laid out for you for a great start to the New Year then go to:

http://f2cbootcamps.com/contact/twofreeweek/

Secret # 2

Steady State Cardio…Waste Of  Time!

Look: This isn’t rocket science. Just walk into any gym…take a look at the folks who only do cardio work for 45-60 minutes every day.

Do they look any different from year to year?

Let me save you some time: NO. They do not.

Cardio (unless you are into endurance sports) is a waste of energy done this way. First, it increases your carbohydrate cravings. For most people that’s not a good thing. Why? Well cardio at this pace burns mostly SUGAR, not body fat.

I always go back to this landmark study…

A study published by the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, subjects aged 40 to 75 were instructed to do 60 minutes of aerobic exercise per day for 6 days per week for an entire year. Given the amount of exercise, you’d expect weight losses of 20, 30 pounds, or more, right? Well, the surprise findings showed the average fat loss for female subjects was only 4 pounds for the entire year, while men lost 6.6 pounds of fat over the year. That’s over 300 hours of aerobic exercise just to lose a measly 6 pounds of blubber. Not time well spent, in my opinion.

What do you want to burn? Body fat is my guess and you can see that traditional steady state cardio just doesn’t cut it…

Cardio is nowhere near as efficient as resistance training at burning body fat… and certainly not even CLOSE to resistance training when it comes to shaping lean muscle and getting the look all these cardio addicts are after.

Now, I ‘do’ have a much more effective Interval cardio workout… and it takes only 9-20 minutes 2-3 times a week to perform.

That’s it. And you get ALL the benefits heart-wise of long-session cardio.

Resistance training with interval cardio training just 3-5days a week and you can kiss long, boring cardio goodbye and of course your body fat as well.

Secret # 3

Here’s a mistake I see most people make in the gym: They do endless sets of crunches, leg raises, and sit-ups… all geared toward seeing those toned abs they want.

Guess what? Waste of time!

In fact, it’s worse than that… it can literally shut down your recovery ability. You’ll slow your progress in the gym (or at home)… and you’re fat-burning too.

 Also if you are still doing crunches and sit-ups, then you’re doing much worse than shutting down your recovery ability, your destroying your lower back..

And you may give up your plan entirely due to injury and no results…

Here’s the brutal truth: Ab ‘muscles’ are easy to build. It only takes about 3 minutes 2-3 times a week… that’s it.

The muscles are not what make your stomach flatter… it’s the nutrition plan.

You’re just building muscle underneath layers of body fat… not good.

When I do Core Training it’s usually 3-5 minutes’ tops 3 days a week. And all my clients’ abs are strong as nails. That’s right…training should be done for performance and back health,not fat loss.

My clients rely on resistance training, interval cardio and a supportive nutrition plan to get lean and healthy.

So make sure that you implement these 3 secrets to fat loss making 2011 the year you actually achieve your New Year resolutions.

And if you want to see first hand how this is done then go to http://f2cbootcamps.com/contact/twofreeweek/ for your two week no obligation free trial to start your New Year off with a proven and effective plan for fat loss.

No Excuse Just Results

Tim Rudd

“I am 49 years old and with Fit to the Core, I feel much younger, I can get up and go walk the dog, with out even thinking oh my feet will hurt or will I make it. I can go on vacation and know that I can go to Disneyland and enjoy it from one end of the park to other and then get up and go to the Zoo the very next day. Instead of hiding in the house, I have been outgoing and ready for new adventures”…

“Thanks so much for giving me back my strength and energy. I know I still have aways to go, but I am amazed of what you have helped me accomplish”….

Pauline Mendez

49 yr old, Mother of 6

Halloween season is here and the time is now for a big-time reality check: pumpkin season is REALLY when the holiday weight gain starts!

While the month of December is typically blamed for holiday weight gain, the fact remains that the pounds actually start to get packed on in late October.

The amount of eats and treats that people consume is alarming. One of the main problems is the smaller “snack sizes” that the candy manufacturers have made available.

Eating several “mini” chocolate bars is something people see as “ok“because of their smaller size. In other words, it becomes a lot easier to convince yourself to indulge in these fat storing goodies and then you end up eating even more than before!

So now let’s focus on what we can control. Use the following three fat loss friendly Halloween tips for keeping the pounds off while still allowing for the occasional indulgence this trick or treat season:

1).Workout with Pumpkins:

Engage in some amazingly fun and effective seasonal fat loss workouts involving only your body weight and you guessed it… a pumpkin! This orange fruit can be used just like a medicine ball except for the smashing or throwing aspect, unless that’s your goal! Make your very own four-minute total body pumpkin fat loss workout, using the provided template below (the options are endless):

Exercise#1- Double-Leg Lower Body: Pumpkin Swings @ 20 sec max reps, 10 sec rest and transition

Exercise#2- Upper Body Push: Pumpkin Push-ups @ 20 sec max reps, 10 sec rest and transition

Exercise#3- Single-Leg Lower Body: Pumpkin Lunges @ 20 sec max reps, 10 sec rest and transition

Exercise#4- Upper Body Pull: Pumpkin Bent-Over Rows @ 20 sec max reps, 10 sec rest and transition

- Perform this 2-minute circuit 2 x for 4 total minutes

These high-intensity, metabolism-boosting circuit interval training workouts only take four minutes to complete and will have you burning tons of calories during the workouts AND even more calories while you’re resting… or having those scary for fat loss Halloween treats!

2) Make Healthier Halloween Recipes:

Think outside of the box when it comes to preparing Halloween snacks. One great strategy is to use fruit as a main component in your baked goods. The most popular fruit of the fall, the Pumpkin, is a health food in disguise. Loaded with betacarotene and packing 7 grams of fiber in just one cup, adding this to any treat immediately improves it’s health profile.

For example, make a healthier version of the classic pumpkin pie recipe by substituting the loads of sugar with Stevia and replaces high-fat condensed milk with only half the amount of low-fat or fat free condensed milk. Simple changes like this eliminate the high-sugar, high-fat combination that is responsible for the major weight gain around the holidays.

3) Use Common Sense:

- Only buy enough candy so that you expect to run out before the evening is over. It’s crucial to weight loss success to not have “trigger” foods lying around – the temptation is often too great.

- Allow yourself just one piece of candy in the morning and then one at night. Skip any Desserts that you would normally eat after dinner. Also, be sure to stay consistent with your exercise activity especially on the days you consume thes treats. This is a great strategy for damage control during the holidays.

- Furthermore, if you indulge a bit too much it’s important to forgive yourself and move on. Dwelling on the past will not help your success.

We must break out of the frustrating emotional eating patterns that sabotage our fat loss efforts during the holidays. Our brains are wired to crave the sugar-loaded treats that typify the Halloween season.

So, instead of using Halloween as a reason to justify eating a bunch of junk food we spin the seasonal event to spice up our bootcamp workouts by using pumpkin exercises and healthier holiday recipes.

Halloween thus becomes a fat loss tool for us, an approach that is key to adopting a healthy lifestyle for long-term weight loss success especially during the Holidday Seasons.

Come Join Us For Our Second Annual Halloween Charity Boot Camp, supporting the Susan Komen For A Cure. 100% of all proceeds will go to this foundation for Breast Cancer research and awareness. Click on the link below to register today:

http://f2cbootcamps.com/halloween/

 “I do hundreds of crunches and sit-ups a day and I still have a flabby midsection. What gives?” 

 Well let’s debunk five very important myths about how to get lean sexy midsection: 

Myth#1- Weight loss is the key to seeing your abs 

 WRONG! 

 The key to seeing your abs is fat loss, not weight loss. Let me further explain: your body consists of fat mass and lean body mass (water, muscle, bone, organs, etc.). You want to minimize your fat mass and maximize your lean body mass for a fat burning metabolism: one that starves fat and builds muscle like clockwork. By improving body composition you will put yourself in the best position to show off that coveted six-pack. 

So if you lose 15 lbs on the scale at the expense of losing some lean muscle mass in the process you will end up slowing your metabolism, decreasing performance, and losing that good looking muscle tone. But if you lose 15lbs on the scale and your able to keep or gain lean muscle mass you will increase performance, see more visible definition throughout your body, and lose primarily body fat. 

The scale has far too many variables, such as hydration levels, sodium intake, and for women the menstrual cycle. I firmly believe one should NOT keep a scale at their home- it is such an anchor, particularly for women. 

Get off the scale and get over the numbers. The true goal is fat loss, not weight loss. Focus on clothing size reduction, digital before and after pictures, and of course the mirror for the most accurate progress tracking. 

 Myth#2- Do lots of abs work to preferentially burn off stomach fat 

WRONG! 

Spot reduction doesn’t work. You can’t just work the muscles of a certain area of your body and expect to have the fat in that region go away. Think about it: almost everyone does crunches but proportionately very few people perform total body workouts. 

So, with all of these crunches, we’d expect to see nothing but people with flat stomachs and fat everywhere else on their body (arms, legs, etc.). But think of how many people you know and see on a regular basis that has more than a few inches to lose in their midsection. See what I mean- spot reduction doesn’t work! 

See, your body loses fat in a genetically pre-determined way when there is the appropriate caloric deficit AND hormonal environment created by proper eating and training. 

So your best bet is to focus on burning as many calories during your workouts as possible by using your whole body each and every training session (not just your abs). Compound, multi-joint movements like dead-lifts, squats, push-ups, lunges etc… burn a lot more calories than isolation movements like crunches and sit-ups. In fact, the harder you train, the greater the increase in your post-exercise metabolism. 

That’s why you will get better results from performing sets of 8 reps than you will with sets of 12 reps or more. This has been known for quite a while now as shown in an important study presented at the 2001 annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine. 

So be sure to focus on these movements first at an effective intensity and then if you have time, you can do some extra core work to scratch that AB training itch! 

Myth#3- The best Exercises for Your Abs are Crunches and Sit-ups 

WRONG! 

The scientific term for your six-pack muscles are your rectus abdominis. For years now, we have been conditioned to think that the best way to work your rectus abdominis is by doing endless crunches and sit-ups since these trunk flexion exercises make the muscles you want to see in the mirror “burn.” 

However, the true function of the rectus abdominis is to prevent hyperextension, not to flex forward over and over again. Anytime you brace your abs (think slight crunch before you get punched in the gut) and pull your navel into your spine you effectively stabilize your spine into a safe, neutral position. And the moment you relax your abs and lose that braced abs position; your back will begin to hyperextend putting you at greater risk for injury. 

So, we focus on stabilization exercises in all three planes of movement (Saggital- Front to Back, Frontal- side to side, and Transverse- rotational) by using pillar exercise variations (also known as planks) and other forms of stabilzation exercises such as 1a farmers walks, pallof presses etc… 

 Besides training the true “anti-extension” and “anti-rotary function of your superficial ab muscles, these bridging/stabilization exercises also activate the key transverse abdominis muscles, or your deep abdominal stabilizers, that wrap around your spine and support your internal organs and protect your back.

Strengthening these inner AB muscles is the key to optimal posture and performance in addition to injury prevention, yet another benefit to performing pillars over primitive crunches and sit-ups that often cause unwanted neck and back pain and potential for injury.

 Myth#4- Do lots of long-duration cardio to burn the fat covering your abs 

 WRONG! 

Both scientific research and real world case studies show that aerobic training for fat loss alone doesn’t work. Total body resistance training is the true foundation of any solid fat loss plan.

In addition, interval training, where you alternate between bouts of maximum effort and active recovery, is scientifically proven to burn nine times more fat than ordinary exercise.

And research is also showing that certain types of interval training protocols can actually target an increase of fat loss in your midsection, something steady state cardio doesn’t even come close to doing, if anything endurance training can add fat to your body composition.

These can include a 30 second sprint and a 30 to 60 second recovery, or 20 second sprint 10 second recovery and even more recent 8 second sprint and 12 second recovery have shown to be highly effective for fat loss. But again the options are endless.

Myth #5: Exercise is the only thing I need for losing stomach fat 

Truth is, you can’t out train a bad eating plan. Many people still think that if they train hard or long enough they can eat whatever they want. They think it is as simple as calories in and calories out. Unfortunately the types of calories you take in greatly affect your body’s ability to burn off stomach fat. 

If you eat foods high in sugar, saturated fats and preservatives with little nutritional value, then your body will increase hormones such as insulin that will store rather than burn fat, while also increasing other hormones that will also have a negative affect on your lean mass and immune system along with recovery between your exercise sessions. So here is a nutritional blueprint to lose the fat that is covering your abs: 

A.)   Eat to lose fat and elevate your metabolism 

 - Drink at least 2-4 cups of water immediately upon waking and then drink at least 1-2 cups of water every 2 hours you are awake. Drink 1-2 cups of water for every 15 minutes of vigorous activity. 

 - Eat immediately upon waking and then every 2-4 hours after that for a total of 6-8 feedings per day (3 meals, 3 snacks- half the size of your meals, workout nutrition) 

 - Focus on a wide range of organic lean proteins, natural fats, and fruit and veggies 

 Sample One-Day Menu: 

Breakfast- Scrambled Eggs, Greens, and Turkey Sausage or Bacon- Take a daily multi-vitamin for your gender and an essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement 

Mid-Morning Snack- Mixed Nuts and Fruit/Veggie of Choice 

 Lunch- Chicken, Salmon, or Shrimp Caesar Salad 

 Mid-Afternoon Snack- Cheese and Fruit/Veggie of Choice 

 Dinner- Turkey or Beef Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash 

 Pre-Bed Snack- Protein and Flax Shake 

Use the following step by step process in the exact order listed to breakthrough any plateaus in your six-pack abs quest. 

 Step#1- Replace all white carbs with 100% whole grain carbs and all refined sugars with natural sugars.) Train to lose fat and elevate metabolism 

 Step#2- Limit all whole grain starches and natural sugar consumption to within 1-2 hours post-workout or immediately upon waking for breakfast 

 Step#3- Replace all starches and sugars with fruits and veggies 

 Step#4- Replace all fruits with green veggies 

 Step#5- Use strategic carb and calorie cycling to take your body to next level. 

Today is the dawn of a new age in core and fat loss training and it is my sincere hope that you take this killer information and run with it.

No Excuses Just Results,

Tim Rudd ISSA, NASM, IYCA(YFS-3, SAS-2,YNS-1)

 

  

  

 

We all have bad habits. Mine are avoiding to go out and create  business relationships in my town, being unorganized, and not always eating enough to fuel full recovery from my workouts.

Your bad habits might include too much snacking and cheating on your nutrition plan, coming up with excuses to skip exercise, or watching too much TV.

Bad habits are the reason we need coaches. One of my coaches gave me the exercises below, that I want you to go through to help you break your bad habits.

If you’ve been trying to lose fat and get lean by yourself, but with no luck, isn’t it time to get professional help & social support?

It’s hard to change. I know it. I battle against my bad habits all the time, just like you do every day. But each day I also make an effort to overcome my bad habits, just as you should have a plan in place to overcome your bad  habits.

Don’t let insecurity, fear of failure, or the fear of the unknown hold you back from making changes. Don’t be a victim. Empower yourself to change.

So let’s take action. Copy this and print it out. Now write down 3 excuses you are using to avoid making the changes you need to succeed.

1.______________________________________________________________

2.______________________________________________________________

3.______________________________________________________________

How have these excuses affected your life? What have the excuses stopped you from achieving? Write down 3 very important things that you have missed out on because you’ve allowed yourself to make excuses.

1.______________________________________________________________

2.______________________________________________________________

3.______________________________________________________________

Now how do you feel when you fall victim to one of your self-sabotaging excuses?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

What benefits do you get from the excuse? Is it simply that you get to remain in your comfort zone? That’s a big one for me. If I can convince myself that I don’t need to build business relationships, then I get to remain in my comfort zone and avoid the hard work and fear of failure that comes with trying to build these relationships. Or is it the fear of the unknown that is holding you back? Write down 3 ways you benefit from making excuses.

1.______________________________________________________________

2.______________________________________________________________

3.______________________________________________________________

So now we both know why we’ve created our excuses – to avoid something. All we need to do now is find a way to overcome these bad habits. I want you to write down 3 behaviors you want to stop.

1.______________________________________________________________

2.______________________________________________________________

3.______________________________________________________________

Now write down why you end up doing it…were you bored, fearful, lazy, etc.

1.______________________________________________________________

2.______________________________________________________________

3.______________________________________________________________

Now give yourself the permission to change. “Visualize the rewards you will get when you make the change to your life and habits,” Give yourself an emotional list of reasons for fixing the habit.

1.______________________________________________________________

2.______________________________________________________________

3.______________________________________________________________

Working on bad habits everyday will give you an incredible boost in self-esteem and confidence. With each small successful improvement you’ll build confidence and momentum to take on the other major habits that are holding you back.

Every day is a work in progress. You might have bad days, but as long as you make overall improvement each week and month – that is all that matters. Remember small changes and improvements overtime lead to monumental life changing improvements in the long run.

It’s also been proven that charting your progress increases your chance of success. You need to keep records of your workouts and nutrition. Only then will you know what works and how much improvement you have made.

And finally, get social support. Don’t expect to do this alone.

Scientists have suggested that if you have a positive social support system  you can overcome even the worst environments and accomplish great things. 

Unfortunately, if you don’t have these types of people around, it’s harder to accomplish even modest goals.  So who you choose to spend your time with has a lot to do with who you are today and who you will become in the future.

It has been said  that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. So add those people up and divide by five. Do you like the answer you get?

Well we want to offer you social support, via our “21 Day Drop a Dress Size Program”. You’ll get a 21 day membership that includes 9 supervised Boot Camp Workouts, 21 day done for you meal plans, 21 day member zone with cardio, nutrition and social support resources and weekly emails.

All this for a fraction of the price of our regular memberships. So for only $97 you can not only “Drop a Dress Size” but learn how to break bad habits, how to eat supportively for safe and effective fat loss, how to effectively resistance train for maximal fat loss and how to accelerate your fat loss with proven cardio strategies.

So if you’re ready for the support proven for guarenteed results for a fraction of the cost and a DOUBLE YOUR MONEY BACK GUARENTEE, then click on the image below and register today….