Uh-oh, Five Fat Loss Mistakes

Straight to it. Here are five of the biggest fat loss mess-ups that
I see men and women doing everyday...fix these, and you'll lose fat.

1) Not having back up.

Trying to lose fat without social support is the wrong way to go
about this. Ideally, you'd have your doctor, an RD, a trainer, your workout partner, your spouse, your workmates, and your friends all behind you. Research shows that you'll benefit most from a health professional (i.e. a trainer) and a workout partner that is also successful. Get those two people on your team first, and then work on the rest of the group.

2) Not using a structured 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, 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.

3) Not changing your workout after 4 weeks.

That's the longest you should go on one 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.

4) Not realizing your results will come from nutrition more than
they will from training.

You want to lose fat? You have to eat right 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. Diet beats training everytime, like
scissors beats paper. 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.

5) Not knowing when to quit.

I get emails everyday from readers asking 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 when you are dieting. Overtraining and low calories go together like oil and water. Neither of these combos will make your engine run optimally.

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.

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Unlock The True Potential Of Your Mind

Imagine if you could:

- Unlock the true, limitless potential of your mind to
achieve unbelievable results in any endeavor you take up..

- Master the 6-step plan to start attracting wealth into
your life and gain fina.ncial freedom (you can literally THINK
yourself rich)

- Gain access to the SAME techniques that most successful
people do to instantly boost their productivity, energy
levels and self confidence (techniques deliberately kept
secret from you by the Powers That Be)

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word-for-word

Chris D'Cruz is a confident man. Why do I say that? Because on UniversalLifeSecrets.com he makes no qualms about offering you "god-like" powers which will enable you to create your own reality as you see fit.

I'm not kidding, that's almost word-for-word what he says on his site.

He promises to show you secrets that will give you greater personal power, power that will give you, amongst other things, the ability to influence ANYONE to do your bidding. He even mentions somewhere about the "Jedi Mind Trick", and for all you Star Wars fans out there, you'll know how impressive the "Jedi Mind Trick" can be.

The problem here is that the "Jedi Mind Trick" is supposed to be fictional, but Chris D'Cruz promises that you'll have that very ability once you learn the secrets he'll reveal to you.

Now, I don't know about you, but the thought of mastering such a powerful (albeit fictional) ability makes me wary of everything else he has to say. But as a self-help product reviewer I have to keep an open mind no matter what, and so I read everything else he had to say with regards to Universal Life Secrets.

Upon browsing the site you'll find that his promises does seem a little exaggerated, and you almost feel as though he's offering the entire universe for you to control. Who else in your entire life has made you the promise of "god-like" powers?

Yet, as you read on, you can't help but be intrigued by the man's confidence. You find his promises a little absurd in his exaggerations, but at the same time you wonder why he's willing to back his promises with a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee. If it's a scam why bother offering to give your money back?

That was the exact thought I had by the time I was done reading the entire site. I figured if it was all just an elaborate scam there wouldn't be any sort of guarantee, what more one that lasts up to 2 whole months.

So I ended up giving Universal Life Secrets a try.

I was quite surprised to discover that those exaggerated promises weren't so exaggerated after all. What Chris D'Cruz has managed to do is that he has come up with what may just be the most comprehensive set of documents with relation to acquiring great personal and sexual power.

These secrets are actually techniques on how a person can become greater than they already are by building on their personal strengths and achievements, and how one can become a commanding and authoritative figure that has the ability to influence practically anyone. It's a must-have for anyone who has had self-esteem issues, or simply looking to be more confident in both their personal and professional lives.

Other than empowering individuals, Universal Life Secrets also reveals knowledge on a more intimate subject: Sex. Chris teaches some of the best techniques you can apply before you get a woman to bed, and after you get her into bed. Basically he gives you the secrets to acquiring a confidence that will have you attracting any woman (or women) you fancy, and then impressing her (or them) with a sexual confidence and skills that even the original Don Juan may be envious of.

Personally I think Universal Life Secrets is a rare gem amongst all other self help products out there. Not only does it set itself apart from the others with its grand promises, but it also delivers every step of the way.

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Six “Little-Known” Muscle Building Tips Part 1

So you think you know everything about building muscle? If you have read everything, tried everything and heard everything about muscle building but still resemble the silouette of a Calvin Klien model instead of a buff fitness model than I promise these three 'little-known' muscle building tips will accelerate your muscle gains immediately!

1. Body Weight Training

This was once a popular muscle building technique but is very commonly ignored. Why? Perhaps because most body weight training is simply hard and can put a dent in your precious ego! As far as I am concerned, if you can not work with your own body weight than you have no freaken business using external loading such as barbells and dumbbells.

It's incredible how many attempt to use heavy weights with a microscopic range of motion but can't do a set of push ups, a squat to the floor or even one chin up. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely a place for external loading with heavy weights but not until you have the ability to master the following bench marks:

Males should aim for 1 set of 80 push ups, 1 set of 20 chin ups, 1 set of 20 1-leg squats, 1 set of 40 dips and 1 set of 20 pull ups.

Females should aim for 1 set of 40 push ups, 1 set of 5-10 chin ups, 1 set of 10 1-leg squats, 1 set of 10-15 dips and 1 set of 3-5 pull ups.

These standards will ensure a solid foundation of general fitness and muscular endurance and lead to building muscle mass more easily in the following stages of your weight training program.

2. Flip Your Program Upside Down Every 3 Weeks

This is an extremely powerful tip to building muscle mass, not to mention one of the easiest tricks to ensure your body side-steps plateaus forever. Consider that you have been training your chest shoulders and triceps every Monday. In you next phase, three weeks later, you should do the complete opposite. You will train your triceps, shoulders than chest on Friday. This will prevent plateaus because each muscle group will have an opportunity to train completely fresh.

Let's say you are training your back, biceps, forearms and abs on Friday. Than you will train your abs, forearms, biceps, and back on Monday (in the opposite sequence). You will literally switch everything upside down. Again, this will ensure that these muscles receive an opportunity to train first in the week when your body is the most fresh.

You will curse my name when you blow the heck out of the smaller muscles first and than train the larger muscle groups last. Yes, I know this months issue of Bodybuilders Digest said to never train the smaller muscle groups before your larger muscle groups. I have heard it before so stop analyzing, trust me and give it a try. You be the judge and don't be surprised if you see new levels of muscle mass and strength after this one technique.

3. Spend More Time At The Grocery Store

If you are serious about building muscle, accept the fact that you will need to spend more time than you do right now in the grocery store. Have you ever opened the fridge for something to eat and all you found was Aunt Wilma's Thanksgiving turkey leftovers with mold on it? Ever gone into the cub boards and discover only a few leftover bags of potato chips from last weeks Super Bowl party?

To ensure a optimal environment for building muscle and fat loss you must ensure your cub boards and fridge are constantly stocked. This will mean more frequent trips to the grocery store. Chuck the crap that is in your kitchen right now and replace it with good stuff and keep on replacing it. Don't ever let that supply of good food run low.

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The Skinny Guy's/Gal's Guide To Getting A Six-Pack

The title of this article is a little ironic, isn't it? Since when did skinny guys have a hard time getting a six-pack? Are not all skinny guys like 2.1% body fat and less than 150 pounds soaking wet? Why in the world would a skinny guy need an article on how to get a six-pack? Isn't that why skinny guys are afraid to bulk up – because they are paranoid about losing their treasured abdominals? I asked the same thing until this question almost earned it's own email account!

The volume of interest I receive from skinny guys who wish to build their mid-sections is more than enough evidence to disprove the false reality of, "I should be able to 'see' my abs if I have low body fat." I'm sure you know of a friend who is completely scrawny, yet, without a shirt, on he has zero abdominal definition! To me, that would be salt on an open wound.

Abdominals Are A Muscle, Too!

You want your arms to be bigger, your shoulders to be broader and your chest to be fuller, correct? And what is the solution to making these muscle groups increase in size? High intensity weight training, overload, consistency and a healthy surplus of calories. Starting to sound familiar?

The same goes for your abdominals. Your abdominals are a muscle group that requires the same formula and attention and are not any different. For some reason many consider abdominals to be a 'special' body part that requires a different set of rules and a completely different formula for training. Abdominals were not given a 'secret code' to crack. To get thick, dense abs – those ones that 'pop' out - you must train them with intensity and overload. Here are some practical tips you can apply to your program so that you can be the 'man' or 'gal' at your gym with a ripped and muscular six-pack!

Prioritize By Sequence

If your abs are your worse body part, then why do you keep training them last, at the end of your workout? Which muscles groups will receive the highest priority when you train? The ones done at the start of your workout or the ones done at the end of the workout? Of course, the ones done at the start of the workout while you have the most energy and focus. If abdominals are the muscle group you wish to prioritize, then don't be afraid to disagree with the 'experts' who say "Never train your abdominals first because you'll weaken your core muscles for the rest of your workout...". I completely disagree with this and often reply, "Show me the evidence." The typical response is "Nobody does abdominals first...". That is pure BS. This just supports the notion that many people who work out don't ever question what they hear or do. They want to be spoon fed answers and follow the trends of others without thinking for themselves. I ALWAYS train abdominals first in a workout if they need the highest attention.

Prioritize By Frequency

What's going to receive better results? A muscle group that is trained one time a week or two times a week (assuming you are recovered prior to the second workout commencing)? Of course, the muscle that is trained 2x a week. The more stimulus on a muscle, the more growth. That is why professional athletes are professional athletes. They have conditioned their bodies to such a high amount of stress that they are able to train more frequently.

How often you train your abdominals is based on the inverse relationship of intensity and volume. The harder you train your abs, the more rest they need. The less intense you train your abs, the more frequently you can train them! If your goal is rehab or injury prevention, then you will be able to train them often with more frequent and lower loads. If your goal is to make your abs more muscular and dense, then a higher load and less frequency would be ideal. If your goal is maintenance, then a medium load and frequency would be ideal. Refer to this table:

Purpose	Frequency	Intensity	Volume	Reps
Injury Prevention	5-7x a week	Low	1-4 sets	20-30
Hypertrophy	4x a week	High	6-12 sets	8-12
Maintenance	2-3x a week	Medium	3-6 sets	10-20

If building a sexy six-pack is on your 'to do' list for 2008, then start training abdominals 2-4x a week. I will teach you in a moment how to split your abdominals up into two different days based on movement.

Divide Your Abdominals Into Two Separate Workouts

To train your abdominals safely and effectively you must know the basic movement patterns of your abs and train them within all sub-categories:

• Truck Flexion (upper abs)
• Hip Flexion (lower abs)
• Rotation (obliques)
• Lateral Flexion (obliques)

The majority of books and articles you have read revolve the bulk of the ab exercises around trunk flexion that is better known as 'upper ab' exercises. A full sit up is a perfect example of this.

Bill Starr in his 1976 classic 'The Strongest Shall Survive' wrote that the abdominals "...can be strengthened in a wide variety of ways. Sit-ups of all types, leg raises, truck rotation movements all involve the abdominal muscles to a different degree..."

I wouldn't be surprised if the abdominal program you are following right now is based on one movement - trunk flexion. I am guessing that your primary goal is actually to have a well-defined and sculpted six-pack, so I have provided a sample abdominal program to break it up into a four day program:

A	B	C	D
Trunk Flexion	Rotation	Trunk Flexion	Rotation
Hip Flexion	Lateral Flexion	Hip Flexion	Lateral Flexion

Even though you are training each movement twice per week, you will perform different exercises for each workout.

Use A Variety Of Functional Exercises

The Top 3 Hip Flexion Exercises:

1. Lying Hip Raise
2. Incline Hip Raise
3. Hanging Hip Raise

The Top 3 Trunk Flexion Exercises:

1. Swiss Ball Crunch
2. Weighted Swiss Ball CruncH
3. Weighted Cable Crunches

The Top 3 Rotation Exercises:

1. Russian Twist
2. Weighted Russian Twist
3. Weighted Cable Crossover

The Top 3 Lateral Flexion Exercises:

1. Lateral Flexion on back extension machine
2. Lateral Flexion with medicine ball over head
3. Lateral Flexion with medicine ball and twist

Each of these exercises progresses from basic to intermediate to advanced. I suggest you master the first exercise of each before commencing to the next.

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Water Helps Ease General Anxiety!

Today I want to look at something so simple and yet equally powerful in alleviating the symptoms of general anxiety.

This tip also helps reduce the frequency and strength of panic attacks.

Fresh Drinking Water

Water is a great quencher of thirst but more importantly here -a great quencher of anxiety.

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Weight Lifting Rules For Skinny Runts

You wake up in the morning and look in the mirror. Pleased with your appearance? If you more resemble the appearance of a long distance marathon runner than a world class sprinter, don't worry, you aren't alone. You just need to start following these weight lifting rules.

There are quite a few guys who simply have trouble packing on the lean muscle mass. Whether their hormonal environment isn't quite as favourable or genetics was just out to get them at birth, one thing is for sure and that's that they need to follow a slightly different set of weight lifting methods than those who seem to grow muscle overnight.

Luckily for you, you're taking the time to do your research about weight lifting so you won't be destined to a life where it seems like a strong wind might knock you over.

First, one of the key factors that skinny guys need to remember is that they must avoid volume work at all costs.

Rule #1:

Get in the gym and get out! That should be your motto from this day forward. Repeat it. Breathe it. Live it. Weight lifting is a calorie expensive activity and you need all the calories you can get at this point. If you are burning it up in the gym every single day, how do you expect to grow? You won't.

You grow when you are resting and generally, the skinnier you are, the more rest you are going to need.

Now, that doesn't mean you should park it on the couch for a few days in between your workouts. It simply means that each weight lifting should not consist of set after set after set. Followed by a rest break to talk to that hot receptionist and then back to another twenty sets.

No, you're workouts need to consist of ten-twelve or fewer sets where you are pushing yourself to the MAX. There is no room for sissy, light-weight work in your weight lifting program.

Which brings us to Rule #2:

Ditch the isolated exercises. Who needs them? You certainly don't.

If your workouts normally include bicep curls, followed by tricep kickbacks, followed by leg extensions, followed by chest flys, followed by… you get the picture, you've got to change this pronto.  Remember, you've only got so much time you are allowed to be in the gym for. Don't you want to get the biggest bang for your buck?  Likely you do, so that means focusing on compound lifts only. This includes weight lifting exercises such as squats, bench presses, deadlifts, rows and military presses.

Become friends with those exercises and you will have new muscles in the picture soon enough.  Toss the five day split program, get yourself on a good upper/lower or full body workout program and you have found the key to unleashing new muscle mass.

Now onto the next significant point. Cardio.

Rule # 3.

I know, I know, you want to be big, but you don't want to be fat.  Let's not worry about that at this point, because you and I both know you are a long ways from fat.

Gaining fat weight is going to be more a concept of diet than anything else so as long as you are being smart in the kitchen, you don't need to perform hours of cardio to remain lean. Cardio is just going to further burn off precious calories that could have gone towards building you new muscle mass. For you, calories are a hot commodity and should not be spent on the treadmill.

If you want to keep up some cardio for general health sake, fine, but limit this to two or three twenty minute sessions per week - TOPS. And make it low to moderate intensity as well.  The only place you are to be intense is in the weight room.

This leads to rule #4.

REST! You've put in your effort at the gym, fed your body with some good food and now what? Plans to go out partying all night with your buddies? You might want to rethink that.  While you definitely want to maintain your social life while trying to gain weight - and you should - it should not come at the sacrifice of sleep.

Sleep is primetime when it comes to your body repairing itself and growing stronger so short-circuit sleep and you are short-circuiting your results. Just don't do it. Period. It's that simple.

Get ready for rule #5.

Technique.  Ever seen that guy in the gym who is hoisting so much weight on his barbell for barbell curls that it looks like he's got more momentum going on than the Gravitron at the fair? He's pretty much working every muscle in his body except his biceps. Not so beneficial.  Not only that, but give him two weeks and a hundred bucks says he's out with back pain.

You must maintain proper form throughout your weight lifting, not only to prevent injuries but also to see the muscular gains you are looking for. If you cheat form, you are only cheating yourself.  If you don't know what proper form is yet, book a session with a trainer or find yourself a spotter who can help you.

And now, bonus rule #6

Find a mentor.  You want someone who's been there, done that. They used to be a skinny bastard just like you and they've managed to overcome the curse and now tip the scales and dominate the weight room.  This guy will do wonders for your motivational levels. Don't feel like lifting? Have a good look at his body.  You'll want to pick that weight up after that. Furthermore, he can let you in on some of his tried-and-true secrets that just might be key for you as well.

So to sum up your new approach to your weight lifting sessions - get in, train hard and with proper technique, get out, eat and rest. Repeat this process over a few months without getting distracted or becoming too much of a party animal and you will make this the year you change your dreaded skinny image.

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The Weight Loss Equation Simplified

If you're trying to lose weight and are finding the massive amount of information (and misinformation) out there about how to do it best, you're not alone.

There's an easy way to lose weight but for some reason the dieting and nutrition industries have managed to confuse the subject so much many people don't know where to turn for the real answer.

I'm here to tell you what that 'REAL' answer is:

Your calories consumed must be less than the calories your body needs to function on a day by day basis.

In other words, "Eat Less, Move More".

Don't stuff yourself with every meal… or any "one" meal. This might seem like a no-brainer when you read it but you'd be surprised how many people gorge at meal time past the feeling of 'full' until they are stuffed, but wonder why they can't lose weight when they only eat one meal a day and starve the rest of the day.

Well, logically speaking, fat burning doesn't happen under these circumstances because that one meal was worth TWO days of calories and their body is unlikely to burn all of it off before their next huge meal the next day. Even worse off are the people that eat lots of meals throughout the day and do the same thing with every meal.

And, give your body lots of reasons to burn calories (which is why most weight loss gurus preach that in order to lose weight, working out is a must, and they are 'mostly' right).

You don't 'absolutely need to' work out to lose weight, but it sure helps. You CAN lose weight by dieting alone, but exercising can make it happen faster by creating a bigger calorie deficit (and help you get that 'toned and defined, fit look' that goes along with 'getting in shape' … dieting alone can just make you look like a smaller version of your current self, which may not actually be a fit 'look').

If you work out, you're increasing the amount of calories your body needs to get you through the day, but if you keep your calorie intake the same or lower as when you aren't working out, then your body automatically goes into a calorie deficit.

Once you've created a 'calorie deficit' your body is FORCED to take some of its energy from whatever energy you have stored within your body: your FAT. Take energy from your fat and the fat in your body is burned and therefore REDUCED! Yay!

This concept becomes even more powerful if you combine exercise with proper nutrition and further lower your daily caloric intake by a couple hundred calories.

Now you're in a deficit that can get you burning fat at an accelerated rate.

But now you also need to look at the quality of the calories you are consuming.

You don't want to feel starved, or deprived while you're doing this 'calorie deficit' thing so you're not suffering through this process, right?

The thing you really want to aim for is finding foods that will keep you feeling fuller longer (and this can be different kinds of foods for different people … we aren't all cut from the exact same metabolic cloth here), and eat a little bit less than you need to satisfy your body's caloric needs and NOT MORE.

So… what kinds of foods are the best so that you feel fuller, longer and not have to limit yourself to one meal a day or starving all day long every day?

Most people find that nutrient dense foods will make them feel fuller longer, as opposed to 'empty calories' that you find in most processed foods, fast foods and junk foods, refined flour and bakery goodies or sugary snacks.

So, look to fill up on whole, natural fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds and meats and seafood. The closer to nature your food source is the more nutrient dense it will be. These types of foods also tend to be lower in calories than their processed brethren, so you can eat more of it and get fuller faster.

However, all that being said, it is not impossible to eat processed and junk foods and still lose weight as long as you're keeping your calories "IN" lower than your calories "OUT".

It's unlikely you'll be very healthy at your lower weight if you aren't giving your body the proper nutrients it needs so remember THAT when reaching for your next donut instead of a healthy salad. Also remember you won't be able to eat as MUCH junk food because of their extremely high caloric content.

So, if you want junk food, have it. But don't overdo it. And, remember it might just very well be your only meal that day if it's worth your entire day's calorie allotment.

Simple. Easy. No trick. Calories In must be less than Calories Out.

Get that math equation perfect and you'll lose weight. Guaranteed.

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