Like I have written before, I ONLY do High Intensity Cardio (HIIT), and I use it to augment and workout specific lower body parts. I previously wrote about a great glute workout on the stair machine, now I’m ready to tell you about a workout that emphasizes quads and hamstrings using a stationary bike. This is directly from my ebook, “Fat Burning Secrets”:

1. Set the seat height so that when your leg is extended it is almost extended at
about 170 degrees.
2. Warm Up: Pedal at a moderate rate for 10 minutes.
3. Sprint Interval Training:

a. Increase the resistance to 100% for 30 seconds. The resistance should be
enough to require standing on the pedals. If the peddles have straps for
the feet, strap them tight and pull up with your legs as they come up so
that you work the hamstrings on the way up and the quadriceps on the way
down with the opposite leg.
b. Return the resistance back to the moderate setting (warm up level) for 30
seconds.
c. Repeat steps a & b two more times.
d. After the 3rd 100% interval, pedal for two minutes at moderate level.
e. Repeat steps a, b and c two more times.

4. Cool down: Pedal for 10 to 15 minutes at a moderate pace.
5. Stretch the quadriceps, hamstrings and calves very well while they are warm.

Enjoy the workout, and you can buy my ebook here on this site or the audiobook on iTunes.

Good Health to You!

Want a tasty, low-fat and low-sodium recipe for grilled chicken? This is really good and a little spicy. I originally chose the seasoning because it was low sodium and I was preparing for a contest, but it is so good I use this year round now. I did not include this in my EMF Cookbook that I give away to those who purchase my ebook, “Fat Burning Secrets”, so I’ll post it here for all of you to enjoy.

Ingredients:

1. Boneless chicken breast halves – can be frozen or thawed (I’ve found them to grill better frozen)

2. Weber’s Kick’N Chicken Seasoning

3. Lemons (number will depend on how many breasts you are cooking)

Directions:

1. Wash chicken breast halves (if not frozen) and place in casserole dish

2. Cut lemons into halfs

3. Squeeze lemon 1/2s pouring generous amount of lemon juice over each piece of chicken

4. Lightly sprinkle the Weber Kick’n Chicken Seasoning onto the pieces of chicken

5. Turn chicken pieces over and repeat steps 3 & 4

6. Put casserole dish in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to marinade.

7. Grill at 325 degrees F for roughly 15 minutes each side (longer if frozen) making sure to watch the flames so you don’t burn them.

Here’s a picture of the seasoning’s Nutritional Facts label:

Please let me know what you think…

Good health to you

OK, you know I’m a big proponent of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) over normal, long cardio sessions where you keep your heart rate at a certain level for 45 minutes or longer. The latter burns fat, but it also burns much more muscle mass than HIIT. Now I’m going to share with you one of my favorite HIIT cardio workout to not only give a great cardio workout but also focus on the glutes. For this exercise, I use the stair step machine. The stair step machine works out the quads quite well, but with a little alteration you can really focus on the glutes during this workout. Here’s how I do it.

Steps: 1. Select Interval Training once you start stepping 2. Set your high intensity and moderate intensity times evenly about 1 to 2 minutes in duration 3. Set total time to 20 minutes. 4. Warm up for two intervals or 4 to 5 minutes. 5. When you start the high intensity interval, set it so that you make it fast enough that you will be stepping on every other step briskly. 6. Hold on to the handrails at your waist. Put your forearms down on the handrests and lean back so that you’re holding on with your hands and you have your weight on your elbows. 7. As you take each step, slightly turn your torso into the upcoming knee. 8. Really lift yourself on every step in the high intensity intervals, but keep the forearms fixed on the rests. I know this sound counterintuitive and you’ve been told to not support your weight with your arms, but I promise you’ll feel this in your glutes and you WILL sweat. I put the high intensity interval to the highest level so that I’m stepping at a jog’s pace, but adjust the level to meet your fitness level. By leaning back you will lengthen your forward stride and when your foot hits the the step it will be in the middle of the arch of the foot at a 45 degree angle from the floor (not the heal or ball of foot). Also, this will also allow your leg to make a right angle with the lower leg perpendicular to the floor and the upper leg parallel to the floor. Get a good sweat from this one…I do. Enjoy! To learn more purchase the ebook from this site or audiobook from iTunes, or see http://tiny.cc/ys6h3.

One of my favorite coffee drinks is a Caffè Mocha, but count the calories and you will cringe. I was enjoying my usual double-tall  non-fat two pump mocha at the local Starbucks one morning and decided to read the label on the syrup. For each pump, 75 non-productive calories go into your body.  For a 16 oz Mocha, you get 4 pumps of syrup: For a 12 oz, you will get 3 by default.  Assuming you get no whip cream and use non-fat milk, you sucking down 25 to 32 grams of sugar. Since I have an espresso machine at home, I came up with a healthy alternative and will still get my mocha flavor.

Instead of the chocolate syrup I use my chocolate protein powder. Your protein powder may vary, but with mine I’ll get (this is protein powder only):

• 100 calories
• 18 grams of protein
• 1 gram of sugar
• 2 grams of fat
• A high concentration of branched amino acids
• And, believe it or not, similar taste

Here’s how I make it at home:

• Froth the non-fat milk* as normal (my Nespresso brand frother won’t froth the milk if I mix it first. If your espresso machine will, it will be easier to mix first then froth)
• Pour milk into blender or whatever you use to mix your protein powder
• Pour into cup with espresso shot(s)

*You can also substitute hot water or some other kind of milk (Soy or Almond). If using water, mix hot water in blender or whatever you use to mix your protein powder along with one scoop of chocolate protein powder. Mix thoroughly, then add to your cup with espresso shot(s).

Note: If using a shake container to mix your protein powder, remember to make sure your lid is on extra tight because mixing hot liquids will create pressure inside the container.

Enjoy!

Many people are familiar with the phrase, “I need to lose weight fast”. We hear this all the time. The fact is that it is simply not possible to lose weight safely in an extremely short period of time. Any improvement to your fitness must occur over a number of weeks and months. However, you can certainly improve on most people’s results and in a relative sense lose weight fast and safe by following a few basic guidelines and techniques. Here are some tips to lose weight fast:

High Intensity Training (HIT) with Weights

Having lots of muscle helps us burn calories, and a pure cardio workout does not necessarily help with this. Some long-distance runners are very lean, for example, due to their burning both fat and lean muscle tissue. In order to build up muscle and stay toned as well as thin, high intensity weight training is a good solution.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for Cardio

This is an excellent way to get the benefits of cardio without the drawbacks. Possible drawbacks include the aforementioned muscle loss along with the frustration of having to do a lot of work for relatively little payoff. High intensity interval training means alternating between jogging and sprinting every so often in order to make your exercise more efficient.

Diet

The “Zone Diet” is intended to be comprised of 30% fat, 30% protein and 40% carbohydrates. This is achieved through eating a variety of fruits and vegetables along with grilled meats. It is inspired by the function of athletes, and can be a really great boost to your fat-loss regime. However, although what you eat is important, the question of how you eat should also be addressed, particularly how often. Many people find that the practice of eating six smaller meals each day as opposed to the more traditional 3 large meals can help improve their metabolism considerably.

Conclusion

Of all the tips to lose weight fast you might see, these are some of the most important. A combination of weight and cardio training and a correct approach to diet will invariably achieve the best results. It is important not to be swayed by tales of miracle cures, which are the equivalent of get-rich-quick schemes. In reality, steady exercise and moderate amounts of good food combined with a lot of hard work is key to improving your fitness, which will help you lose weight fast and safe.

You can learn more about this by purchasing my ebook from this site, or the audiobook from iTunes at http://tiny.cc/25l50.

I get asked this question a lot, so here’s my take on this based on research as well as personal experience. In short, the best time to do cardio is when your glycogen stores are empty. How cryptic is that? Well, let me explain.

What is glycogen (pronounced glahy-kuh-juhn)? Glycogen is the body’s main source of energy, and it’s created in the body as a result of the digestion of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, fructose and galactose. Glycogen is mainly stored in the liver, but is also stored in skeletal muscles and the brain.

With this being said, I repeat that the best time to do cardio is when your glycogen stores are depleted. When you workout your body will use glycogen for energy. However, in the absence of glycogen, the body will use fat for energy instead. For this reason, doing cardio first thing in the morning before eating is ideal. On the other hand, if you combine your weight and cardio workouts like I sometimes do, then eat a small, balanced meal 45 minutes or so before your do your resistance workout and do cardio afterwards. This way, you will have the energy for weights and will deplete glycogen during your resistance training. Your cardio workout will then use any remaining glycogen and switch to fat for energy.

Update on the upcoming competition – March 27

I’ve been asked by several of you to post my current workout as part of my preparation for my contest.  First, my goal is to come in weighing right at 164 lbs.  I started dieting down January 1st at 179 lbs, and as of this morning I’m at 169lbs.  As far as the diet, I’ve significantly reduce the number of grams of carbs I normally eat as well as increased the protein.  I have also increased the number of meals from 6 to 8 meals a day and it includes a lot of fish, chicken and steak.

My workout has altered somewhat from my book, but not significantly. Specifically, I do not workout on weights any more frequently than I wrote in the book, but I have added a few exercises specifically for defining muscles.  I am doing my full body workouts on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Every workout is still full body (no split routines like when I competed before), but each workout will slightly differ in how I attack each muscle group.  All exercises still follow HIT (High Intensity Training) principles I talk about in the book. Specifically, I do only one set to failure and get between 8 to 12 reps. Less than 8 reps, I reduce weight and more than 12 I increase weight. Each repetition is performed with a 3 to 4 count on both the way up and way down with a 2 count at flex point (where applicable) to help pull out the definition in the muscle. No resting at the bottom…continued motion throughout the entire set. Finally, no more than 60 seconds between exercises.

Now, with that said, here is my workout from this morning. I will post Wednesday’s workout so you can see the contrast between days:

Total Gym Time: 50 minutes

1. 5 Minute Warm up on stationary bike (I’m sweating already)

2. Lunges performed on a Smith Machine

3. Standing Calf Raises on a machine

4. One-Legged Leg Extension (emphasizing the flex position for 3 seconds)

5. Crossover Cable Deltoid Lateral Raises – here you lower the cable to the lowest level, then grab right side cable handle with left hand, left side with right hand so that your arms cross in front of your body at lower position.

6. Same as number 5 but leaning over so that you emphasize the rear deltoids rather than middle deltoids (note: this is a deviation from book, but required to pull out definition in shoulders)

7. Lat Pull Downs (front)

8. Incline Dumbell Presses

9. Decline Bench Dumbell Traps – this allows me to use a heavier weight without risk to my back. Here, you raise an incline bench to a high level.  Grab the dumbells and then sit face against the back of the seat and keep your chest and torso flat against the bench back.

10. Hanging Leg ups

11. Ab Crunches

Stretch, stretch, stretch

Again, I was in and out of the gym in 50 minutes.

Thanks for reading!

Richard

Traveling workout

I travel about once a month, and when I do I try not to miss my workouts. Consistency is one of the key ingredients to my workout plan I describe in my ebook, so don’t let traveling prevent you from your workouts.  I write this because I not only want to motivate you to be consistent, but I also want you to accept diversity in your workouts. Take whatever your hotel will give you.

For example, while on the road, many hotels will have gyms conveniently located on the premises.  And while you may not be able to do the exact workout plan that I outline in my book, you can get a workout in.  And, just so you know, diversity in your workouts is a good thing for your muscles and your metabolism.

Here’s a suggested travel muscle workout guide. You never know what equipment you will have, so I offer you simply the compound movements to workout the entire body.

1.     Quads

Best Case: Leg Extension

Worst Case: Air squats-no weights, good form, slow continuous movement high quantity-one set and make them burn

2.    Ham Strings and Calve

Best Case: Leg Curl Machine

Worst Case: No machine, don’t risk it.

3.    Chest and triceps

Best Case: Bench Press machine

Worst Case: Pushups to failure, slow controlled continuous movements.

4.    Lats, back and biceps

Best Case: Lat Pull Down Machine

Worst Case: No machine, don’t risk it

5.    Shoulders & triceps

Best Case: Shoulder Press Machine

Worst Case: Shoulders only: Empty your suitcase or computer bag, support yourself with one hand/arm against a wall. With the other hand,  grab    your bag by the handle and have it by your side. Raise your arm laterally away from your body keeping your elbow straight and the palm of your hand facing down. Once your arm is parallel to the ground, lower it back to your side in the same slow, controlled and continuous movement. Add or subtract clothing for weight in the suitcase as necessary. Perform one set to failure. Switch arms and repeat.

6.     Abdominals

Best Case: Leg Raise or Abdominal Sit Up Bench

Worst Case: Leg raises with back securely on the floor. Crunches with knees up and feet flat on floor, and be sure not to pull up on the neck.

The worst case is nothing like your gym workout, but it certainly beats not working out at all.

Good health to you.

Richard

You’ve heard it’s true, but maybe you don’t know how diet affects aging exactly. If our diet affects how we age, how can we stop or perhaps even reverse the effects? Research actually proves we can mitigate and even reverse the effects our diet has on our aging.

Advanced Glycosylation End Products (also and appropriately called AGEs) are the result of sugar molecules attaching to a protein without the controlling action of an enzyme. Where the sugar attaches to protein is where inflammation occurs, and when sugar attaches to a collagen protein wrinkles form as the inflammation produces enzymes that break down the collagen. The collagen protein, which was once soft and supple, becomes stiff and inflexible. Basically, the sugar molecule attachment prevents the protein from doing it’s original job. Aging skin is a direct result of AGES in our bodies.

AGEs are well known in the medical community, but are relatively unknown to the rest of us. Research has shown AGEs to be linked to diebetes, cardio vascular diseases, decreased brain function, as well as many other age-related diseases. The majority of the AGEs that attack our bodies as we get older are a result of genetics and our environment.  However, roughly 10% of AGEs are through consumption of foods, and research has proven that we can not only reduce AGEs effects but can also reverse them through diet.

We can reduce the amount of AGEs in our bodies by consuming less sugar and changing the way we cook.  Consuming products that are high in sugar increase the sugar levels in our bloodstream. The rise of sugar in the bloodstream increases the reactions between sugars and proteins which lead to the production of AGEs. Additionally, cooking food until brown is also a major cause of AGEs in our bodies. Scientists have known that cooking foods until brown, or proteins and sugars cooked together without water, forms advanced glycation products.  Grilling a chicken until brown is a good example. That browned skin may taste very good, but that browned and brittle skin is a good representation of what the AGEs do to your skin.

As an example, the National Academy of Sciences of the US says that cooking cereal (granola) for 25 minutes at a temperature of 175 degrees Celsius increases the AGE content by 400%. More examples, click here. Likewise, this same organization shows that a diet soda (with dark coloring) contains almost 9000 more units per cup of AGE content than Orange Juice, click here for table.

Nicholas Perricone, MD, goes into detail about AGES in his book, “Ageless Face, Ageless Mind: Erase Wrinkles & Rejuvenate the Brain” It’s very enlightening, and Dr. Perricone goes into a lot of detail about how AGEs affects the skin and how to change our diets to reduce and reverse AGEs effects on our skin and body. In the book, he suggest that if you are going to grill, cut meats into smaller portions so that they are exposed to high heat for less time. Additionally, he suggests eating fiber-rich fruits and vegetables (see my post on June 10, “Zoning in on Diet“).

Other resources used in this post: Advanced Glycation Endproducts And Aging Skin

I encourage you to provide comments here.

Thanks for reading and find “Efficiency in Fitness” using my program, “Fat Burning Secrets”

Richard

That’s what Stephen Covey wrote in “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” Motivation, desire, and constant steps towards a goal are key to success. We use goal setting in other parts of our lives, so why not for obtaining the physique we desire?  If you don’t use goal setting and have a hard time getting motivated to workout, then give it a try.  Here are some ideas:

1. What the mind can conceive the body can achieve

This means you should have a firm mental image of what you want to look like. Is it a six pack you’re after? If so, you should have a picture of the body you are working towards. Maybe it’s a picture of you in that prom dress back in high school? Pull it out and dust it off.

2. Put a date to your goal

Put a definite date as to when you will achieve your goal

3. Make a short list of things you will do to reach your goal

Plan your workouts a week in advance and review them

Plan your meals out to insure you are eating the correct foods and proportions

4. Review the image and your list twice daily

Now you have a picture of what you want your body to look like and a list of things you will do to meet your goal. You need to review this picture and the list first thing in the morning when you get up as well as right before you go to bed.  It is important for you to find a quiet place so to read your list out load and look at your picture. Hearing your voice saying the words will help tune the brain into your goal.

Here’s an example what that list might look like:

By December 1, 2009 I will have the same waist size I had in high school: 34 inches. I will achieve this by following this plan:

1. I will follow my workout plan outlined for each week

2. I will eat the correct 30-40-30 proportions of proteins, carbohydrates & fats at each meal

3. I will use low glycemic index choices for carbohydrates

4. I will eat smaller meals 6 times per day

As you read this list and view the picture, you should imagine yourself already achieving the goal. After you read the goal and look at the picture, close your eyes and picture yourself meeting your goal and what that will feel like. By reinforcing these goals and believing that you are already there, you will find yourself doing the necessary things to achieve your goal in your day to day life.

This is not a new principle. The steps I mention above have been written about by several authors. It is the basis for many books, including:

• “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill -  While Mr. Hill wrote this book specifically to achieve financial goals, these principles can be used for all aspects in life
• “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne

So, THINK AND GET FIT!

Richard