I just returned from hanging out at a conference with a lot of the ‘big names’ in the fitness training and body transformation industry.  And I wanted to bring you a bit of information about a guy I met who -not only is he a extremely good person – but he also happens to have what I and a LOT of other trainers were really impressed with – and that is:

A Different System that will promote fat loss, body conditioning, extreme cardio endurance and serve as a SUPERB Tool for your workout arsenal.  Oh and you don’t need equipment…You should check this out below:  A good and varied fitness system is a real plus nowadays:

Rocky ran stairs. Enough said! Read on:

Ok, I’m going to tell you below about Virgil Aponte.  This is his story and honestly its not just a good read but he has a uniqe answer to proven results for all areas of fitness training, and especially fat loss.

So, A few days ago I got chance to chat with Stair Training Expert, Virgil Aponte about what he does to stay in shape.

A lot of trainers have their clients going to the gym – and ONLY the gym.  However,Virgil goes a different route.

Instead of the gym he hits the stairs twice a week. !!! (YEP)

Don’t get me wrong Virgil loves the typical gym stuff but back in 1996 he hurt himself in the gym and had to have hernia surgery.

Because of this Virgil could not hit the gym for 3 months!  Imagine giving up something you love for 3 months!

Now you know that must’ve been torture for Virgil.  He also became very depressed because he’s supposed to set an example for his clients and for his students.

So what did Virgil do?

Well the first thing he did was a big mistake.

He went back into the gym only 3 weeks after surgery and pulled an abdominal muscle.  Now he was set back even further

What next?

He tried swimming but no good. Still too painful even for a former New York City Lifeguard!

He used the exercise bike at the gym but it was just way too boring.

You see Virgil was used to lifting weights, playing 3 on 3 basketball, wiffle ball and touch football and now he’d have to use a boring as hell exercise bike!

There had to be something better!

And that is exactly what Virgil found that actually made him famous. (At least when it came to stairs)

He was visiting a friend who happened to live on the 19th floor but one of the elevators was out or service.

Instead of waiting for the second elevator Virgil decides to take the stairs and the rest was history.

By the time he hit the 19th floor he was breathing heavy but more importantly there was no pain from his injuries.

He found a new training tool!

And it simply was walking the stairs in his friends 21 story building.

Yup that is how the stairs guru got started.

Over the next few months while healing from hernia surgery Virgil got up to walking 140 flights of stairs in a workout!

Now something really special started to happen.

Virgil was all healed up and was ready to go back into the gym but he still wanted to keep stairs in his routine.

So he decided to hit the gym 2 times a week and the stairs 2 times a week.

Virgil also came up with most unique stair exercises you will ever find and put them into an ebook and video series called The Ultimate Stair Exercises.

Stair Running Protocol - no equipment - just results!

This system is structured to burn fat and transform your body

And we are not just talking about walking stairs either:

He came up with exercises to

-Improve Aerobic Fitness: Great for Beginners or Recovery Workouts

-Improve Anaerobic Fitness: The Kind of Workouts that Burn Tons of Fat!

-Improve Your Strength: The Kind of Exercises that give you Buns of Steel!

-Improve Your Power: The Kind of Exercises that Help You Perform on the Athletic Field, Burn Fat & Make You Look Amazing!

-Improve Conditioning: The Kind of Exercises that Elite Athletes Use for Incredible Stamina and Give You Tons of Energy!

-Improve Your Flexibility: The Kind of Exercises that Alleviate joint Paint and Make You Feel Great!

-Make Good Use of Your Time: The Best Stair Exercises of All Time. Time Efficient & Super Effective.

Now are stairs the only thing you should be doing I asked Virgil?

Of course not he says. I’d have to be crazy to say that considering I always tell people to keep an open mind and learn as much as you can about other training tools.

The more tools you have the betters: Gyms, Spinning, Yoga, Stairs, Bands, Kettlebells etc… all have their place

In fact when he was the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the New York Liberty back in 2002 they didn’t even have access to the New York Knicks training center because it was still under construction.

This gets results FAST.

Can you imagine the best basketball team in the nation not having a place to train.

So actually they were forced to uses stairs and bands for a bulk of their training and that served them just fine as they were the best conditioned team in the league and went to the WNBA Finals!

Can you imagine if Virgil only believed in using a gym?

So I ask you this:

Could stair training help you?

That’s something you have to ask yourself

And if the answer is yes for a limited time Virgil has 3 free stair training videos for you just for visiting his site:

3 FREE Stair Training Videos!

Go to that link now before he takes them down –

not bad for free!

________________________________________

*All 3 Reports ARE NOW LIVE – Grab Them Before They Are Taken Down!

FREE Training Guide 1 – Stair Climb Basics CLICK HERE

FREE Training Guide 2 – Stair Lunge Variations CLICK HERE

FREE Training Guide 3 – ‘Running Stairs’ For Fat Loss Report CLICK HERE

(you can right click also and save to your computer)

Greg Carbone, Monmouth County Boot Camp trainer, back again for another guest post for my buddy Tristan.  I am actually slightly surprised I was invited back after that first post.  Luckily for all of you, Tristan and I will be taking Connecticut by storm in the very near future.  Watch Out!

This is not Tristan -

Gym, Tan, Laundry to get a flat stomach.

Really?  Well, 1 out of 3 is correct.  It is actually gym, diet, posture to fasttrack your way towards flat abs.

1. GYM: Your gym workout should consist of something similiar to my Monmouth County Boot Camp or Tristan’s killer bootcamp class.  High intensity weight training intertwined with high intensity cardio interval sessions will start melting fat off of places you can’t even see in the mirror.

The standard rule of thumb is that if you can have a pleasant conversation with your classmates, then you better push that butt a little harder.  Get moving!

2. DIET! DIET! DIET! Before you get too disappointed, I am referring to diet as what you put into your mouth, not as the action of starving yourself with that pre-packaged shit that Dan Marino eats.  Meat is meant to be refrigerated.  If it is in a cardboard box, then please do yourself a favor and pass on it.

Having a solid diet is rather simple to be honest.  I like to tell my Monmouth County Boot Camp members to imagine all of the aisles in the grocery store.  Then I ask them to draw a path around the outside aisles.  Follow that path and you will be ahead of nearly 99% of people.  Fresh vegetables, dairy, lean meats, fruits, olive oil (for cooking), and whole grains should make up your diet.

3. Posture. Do you sit at a desk all day?  Do your shoulders come forward?  Does your workout consist of mainly chest and biceps work and very little back work?  You probably answered yes at least once to those questions.  Who cares though, right?

Posture can play a major role in the way you look…and the way your stomach looks.  By keeping shoulders back and sucking in your stomach and holding it tight, you can reduce your waistline by nearly 2 inches.  Seriously.  Try it.

Hope those quick tips will get you on yor way to a flatter, firmer stomach.  Until next time…

****Check out this link for a great abdominal workout

Ladies Only Fat Loss Advice Here! Busy?  No Time?  Want Total Female Body Makeover Advice – Everything fro mweight loss tips to flat tummy exercises!

* Click here for the ultimate Flat Tummy Makeover System For Women Everywhere!

1) Is eating whatever I like – whatever the time of evening…..

2) Is Deciding not to eat anything after 7.30-8pm…

I used to think that one was absolutely right and the other was totally wrong.   The right one I assumed at one time in my life was to stop after 7.30 and not touch a thing.  I used to stick to this after my heavy traveling years once I ‘settled down’.  But then it all changed…

what time of day do you stop eating?

You probably hear people tell you that you have to stop eating after 8pm.  And hear a lot that to eat later than this time is to add pounds direct to your frame – or fat direct to your ‘stubborn areas’.

It makes sense I suppose when you consider the fact that 95% of us don’t do anything close to ‘energetic’ after this time – well almost nothing!

Seriously, a majority of people don’t work out late in the evening – even though the rise in 24hour health clubs has exploded and the opportunity to train into the small hours is right there for all of us.  Hey, and even if people do train late, in an ideal world the majority who want to lose fat will stick to a lighter protein or meal replacement option instead of say a large plate of pasta at 11pm.

But in looking at both growing research, my own ideas and theories and the habits of many top pro fitness trainer friends I have, I’ve decided to sum it up and sit somewhere in the middle – to give us all options and less guilt or panic over late night feeding – and therefore not stick to one theory or the other anymore.

So for a good while now I’ve told my clients and a lot of you too, my ‘diet solution’ of a ‘slide diet for fat loss’ – meaning I tend to consume and recommend people consume there most heavy carbs, and bigger meals at breakfast, then taper off during the day.  This to me is a good way to structure your diet as of course you are moving during the day which in turn allows you to burn those calories.  As we get to 2-3pm I tend to NORMALLY stop complex carb intake, like potatoes, pastas and such foods – instead replacing them with fibrous vegetables and fruits.

This way I don’t feel bloated in the evening.

However, here I’ll add that I do in fact eat after 8pm as well! – What? You ask….

No worries, I’ll explain: – it’s light snack type meals – nuts, oranges, seeds etc. (even snacks of raw vegetables up to 10pm)  but my portions are small handfuls.

NOW – there are also occasions when I do train late in the day.  On these occasions I actually change my ‘mantra’ – I allow myself to consume some pastas later in the evening (BUT it has to be whole grain or high fiber pastas – not general pasta)  Also my portions are smaller.

Now in saying this I’m saying that its ok to have an evening meal later at night but the secret is the type of meal and the frequency.   I personally don’t do this every night, I switch out, simply because I enjoy the feeling of having less of a bloated stomach in the evenings.  (I like to consume a lot more water to diminish my ‘cravings’ and maybe a handful of nuts on typical days.)  I just don’t want you to worry if sometimes you do go carb heavy in the PM!

Again – don’t think this is a case of approving people to go out each evening, eat at any restaurant then wonder why all the workouts in the world don’t make them drop the weight or tone up; will power will always be a major component in many peoples lives, especially when it comes to fitness and the way to eat if this is a major goal in your life.   You see people are beginning to understand that the primary component to fat loss and weight control is 70% diet and 30% workouts/rest and recuperation.

Essentially its great to have a solid workout protocol – but at the same time people need to know that a solid part of that workout is equally strict diet control / or sensible eating.  Of course I recommend cheat days (a day once per week to eat anything you like! – I mean almost anything!) – but the whole point of dedicating to a fit lifestyle to get your new fit body and low body fat is to understand the commitment is both in the gym AND in the kitchen.

The points I’m making above are to say, “hey – its ok to eat some nights after a workout with high quality carbs and sensible portions control, don’t kick yourself.  But try to treat your body like a fine-tuned machine.  You wouldn’t over fill a ferrari with gas, you want it to run consistently and its the same with your body.  You can have the cheat days, the evening carb sessions – but make 85% of your eating structure one that allows carbs to taper off during the day, eat more fruit and vegetables later into the day.  Eat smaller meals and in a lot of cases maybe even 5-6 throughout the day (not 5-6 BIG meals) – also drink copious amounts of water as it will make you feel fuller and add a good protein supplement source if you like once a day in the form of a smoothie with protein powder and fruits etc.

So no big deal – if you do have a few nights of more carbs than typical – no problem – just stay in control, eat good carbs and whole grain /whole wheat sources and steer well clear of refined, fried or other ‘heart attack’ foods…

In a ‘nutshell’ eat whole foods whose ingredients you can both spell and pronounce – add more water, fruit and vegetables  – add a cheat day to let your hair down – workout hard with correct training principles…..And enjoy life!

If you’ve committed to this type of lifestyle these tips above will not send a bolt of fear through you but in fact have most people asking ‘Why more don’t do it if its so easy…’

I know, sometimes people think self control in the world of healthy diets is akin to torture.  Truth is its an easy part of your dedication to change your body.  For good.

Trust me, a few weeks in you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner!  (If in fact you are not already:)

Cheers all:)

Tris

See all the 2010 Superbowl commercials - as you take a break from your fat loss training!

I know we all need a bit of a break now and then, and I’m sure you all love the commercials in the Superbowl almost as much as the actual game.

Well, The Saints did it last night – congrats to them.  Hard luck Indy, but what we are left with are  the hilarious ads that companies spend millions on for those precious few minutes (or seconds?)…

So I thought you’d like to take a breather from your intense workouts and enjoy all the ads in one place.

So here you go, enjoy:

(see you later when we get back to the workouts, fat loss programs, lean muscle training and carving out our six pack abs. yes!)

You must have Adobe Flash Player 9 or higher installed to view this content

Why are most Protein powders made with Whey Protein?

Interesting…

If you follow these 7 rules, you will lose belly fat, simply because your entire body will be burning fat at all times.

There are 7 Fundamentals for women to lose fat and transform their bodies - Callie tells you all 7...

Read each one, its not complicated – its proven and it is easier than you think.  This is your simple road-map to real results and a fat loss, lean muscle, tight hips and firm body COMBINATION!

1. Strength Training- the BEST way to change your body composition and boost your metabolism so that your body is a fat burning machine, burning fat optimally at all times.

2. Interval conditioning- skip the boring, slow cardio and rev up your metabolism and fat burning capabilities with interval work such as sprints or jumping rope. This type of training creates a metabolic effect that will allow you burn calories at the workout rate for up to 36 hours post workout.

3. Eat breakfast. Skipping breakfast slows the metabolic process down and you will not burn calories at rest as quickly as you should. It can also lead to over eating later in the day. Have a combination of complex carbs and protein and you will feel energized and full.

4. Drink plenty of water. Figure out your body weight (pounds) and drink 1/2 of that in ounces. Staying hydrated keeps your metabolism going and also helps prevent fluid retention.

5. Perform multi-joint movements when strength training. Squats, lunges, pull ups, push ups, and Kettlebell movements are the best for fat loss. You will rev up your metabolism, develop lean and toned muscles, and burn a ton of calories both during and after the training session. Avoid machines and isolated movements if you want to kick that extra belly fat (especially around the middle).

6. Don’t obsess over the scale. Weigh yourself once a week if you have to. Otherwise, just stay away. Focus on your physique, how your clothes feel, and your body composition. Get your body fat percentage tested every 6 weeks if possible. This will ensure that you are losing the right kind of weight. The scale cannot tell the difference.

7. Eat every 3-4 hours. If you starve yourself and restrict calories, your body automatically slows down and you will not efficiently burn fat. Fuel the fire (your metabolism) every several hours with quality foods such as fruits, veggies, lean protein, low fat dairy and healthy fats including nuts and avocados.

Losing body fat (in most cases, belly fat) is a complete process. You must strength train, eat properly and at the right times, perform high intensity interval conditioning, and drink plenty of water. If any of these pieces of the puzzle are lacking, you progress will suffer.
You cannot lose fat in just one spot, but for many women the excess fat lies around the middle of the body. If your body becomes efficient at burning calories while you are NOT working out, you will see drastic changes in your overall composition. Follow these 7 tips and remember that it’s a long term process, not a quick fix. Anyone can lose a few pounds in a week, but to create an efficient fat burning body, you must get in the trenches and do the work.

(*Note from Tris – Callie, SUPERB concise informative post – people, I hope you take these on board as they are the fundamentals – brilliant!)

Ladies Only Fat Loss Advice Here! – Get Flat Toned Tummy Muscles & The Body Makeover You Dream Of – Female Weight Loss Advice Right Here!

So, when Tristan asked me to be an expert on his website, I was truly honored.  It was especially shocking since the last time I saw him I was headed back to my room from the bar where Tristan, Sam, Rob and I drank this crazy concoction called Patron.  I figured it must be some upscale version of Perrier.   Looked like water to me, and since I know water is good for you, I decided to drink as much as I could.  Besides, the cheapasses at the Hilton bar just kept giving us these tiny little glasses full and expected us to drink them in one quick shot. (Normally I am 200% on top of my nutritional requirements - but we are all allowed nights off!)

I started to feel very weird for a while as my vision got very cloudy and Tristan and Sam started saying made up words like “mate”, “bollocks”, “knickers”, “Bobs your Uncle” and all types of other crazy shit.   Then I started seeing a bunch of dudes dressed up in blouses, tight pants and eyeliner.  They were talking with Tristan and making him do pushups and flex as they smiled in delight. (*note from Tris – I don’t do push-ups in bars – ever – let alone ‘flex’ ugh! – but carry on Greg )

This is when I got very upset.  I thought the bastards at the bar had given me dirty tap water in place of my special ‘Patron’ water.  I quickly felt better again when I got my tab and saw my bill.  THIS WATER WAS SUPER EXPENSIVE!  Over $70 for just a few Dixie cups worth.  Not sure what happened next, but I do remember saying goodbye to the guys and walking down several halls at the hotel looking for my room.  I then woke up with a half eaten ice cream bar smeared on my face and shirt…and even some got down to my feet somehow.

Great Friends - Great Fitness Coaches - Enjoying a rare 'cheat night'!

The next I ran into a few of the guys who were in the Fred Astaire dance contest and they smiled and waved.  One even winked.  I even heard them talking about how they loved Tristan and Sam’s English accents.  Nice guys I guess.  Not sure where I was going with this, but we had a great time.

I really look forward to bringing you all some articles on fat loss, super secret motivational tactics and just good ‘ole rants on why most personal trainers at big box gyms are about as educated as a juicehead on the Jersey Shore.

Don't End Up Like This! It's not big, it's not clever - and it DOES NOT impress your friends...

I will also be bringing you some pictures and videos from my Monmouth County Boot Camps to share some great fat loss workouts that shred your body in less time.

Until then…

Go-To Maverick Fitness Pro Callie Dubrow Knows Exactly How Women Should Train

Strength training is THE MOST important way to lose fat. Often times though, it’s the thing that women avoid because of the notion that they will turn into some pumped up body builder as soon as the pick up the weights.

This will not happen and I’ll explain why later. Here’s the real truth and the inside scoop on how you can lose fat, tighten your entire body and just look flat out amazing…

Lose Body Fat—>Boost Your Metabolism—>This is done through a balanced diet and increasing LEAN MUSCLE—> Resistance Training

There is the formula folks….it’s simple and does not involve a lot of complex hours at the gym, fancy machines or running miles.  Here’s why it works…

The more lean muscle tissue that you body has, the more calories you will burn at rest. This is what happens when we talk about increasing your metabolism. The long term goal is to have your metabolism at a high level constantly. That leads to fat loss. Why does this happen? Because lean muscle is a very active tissue and needs calories (energy) to burn at a much higher rate than fat.

Women need to have lean muscle - period.

When you have a high amount of lean muscle tissue, you will be burning calories when you are not working out (cool, huh?)…you will burn while you work, sleep…hey, I’m burning calories as I write this…

So many people (women specifically) want to lose weight. Now what does this mean exactly? When you focus all of your efforts on getting that pesky scale to display a lower number, you are not really progressing toward the ultimate goal. We can all lose weight but what does that do for us in the long run?

Do you want to weigh less or take up less space?

Think about that for a second…You could weigh 140 pounds and have 40% body fat (that’s 56 pounds of fat!) or you could be 140 pounds and 20% body fat (28 pounds of fat)…which is a very healthy percentage for an active woman.

If you are only focused on what the scale says; you will probably not achieve the ultimate goal of gaining lean muscle and losing fat.  How would I take up less space if I weighed the same, you ask?

Muscle is an active tissue, as we mentioned, and it’s also a very dense tissue. Muscle is 1.1g per cubic centimeter, which fat tissue is 0.9g per cubic centimeter. That means you can pack a lot more muscle into a small space than you can fat!

Gaining muscle is often a scary thought for women. I know what you are all thinking…”I don’t want to look bulky and thick.”
Don’t worry…women do not possess enough growth hormone and testosterone to produce such an effect. Plus, when training for fat loss and lean muscle development (I hate the word “tone”, but that’s pretty much what it is), you are not going to be pumping out body building type workouts.

Here’s how you can efficiently and effectively develop the body of your dreams:

1. Use large movements such as squats, lunges, chin ups, push ups and step ups that will burn more calories and use more muscles
2. Train in circuit or complex formats that will boost your heart rate and help you train in less time
3. Lift heavy weights with perfect technique
4. Use shorter duration, higher intensity
5. Avoid machines, isolated movements, and long slow cardio

women can train at levels they probably don't believe.

If you are looking for a fun, efficient and effective workout…variations of strength training is the way to go. Your clothes will fit better, you will feel tight and lean, you will be burning fat at rest and you will have more confidence. Train hard!

Ladies – Go Here for my fat loss advice to lose weight, get a new body with tight sexy toned muscles that turn heads!

elite training begins NOW!

The Death Finally Of Cardio & Old Style Conditioning

Ok, we could define elite conditioning training as many things from an athlete aiming to complete a marathon and training accordingly to a ‘regular person’ wanting to challenge themselves with a new fitness protocol to move them out of a comfort zone.

This last definition is what I feel the future of real elite conditioning and fitness training should be.  Today people are challenging themselves more than ever.  Ok, we are not all going to be elite olympic marathon runners but the exciting thing changing in the fitness world is that of more and more people seeing the possibilities in front of them that will offer variety, challenge and a level of personal results that  have not been so accessible before.

Training Is Now Challenging Any Person To Test Their Boundaries

Today people want variety in their fitness. I agree, as a trainer, there will always be people who look at their fitness regime as one that requires they get into their gym 2-3 days a week after work and they are perfectly happy following their trainers program that may have them in front of the cardio tv sets on their treadmill and then on to a nice run through the machines etc.  Thats fair enough and not bad at all – not optimal – but not bad.  and congratulations to anyone who gets into the gym in the first place!

But what I’m alluding to here is the growing number of people who know they are capable of so much more and capable of levels of training and stimulating fitness protocols that they are searching out the new breed of fitness training.  Its out there, trust me, and new forms are popping up daily.

Certainly the old guard like weight training, cardio (though not long form cardio please! – read HIIT), circuit training etc are still great, but now the HYBRID forms of training are starting to take over.  Look at cross-fit for a perfect example of the shift in training protocol.

You could say its a return to old school principles and in a way it is, yes.  But its all wrapped up in a new challenging ideology that numerous forms of training can be blended together to offer an elite level workout that any person can succeed in with the right determination and faith in their ability to do this type of training.

A Person Should Continually Challenge Themselves - They'll Be Surprised

All in all I’ll sign of here saying that a person today understands that they can really challenge their bodies and there are tools and systems available to prove people right.

For too long people have only really known or been schooled in the idea of going to the gym, doing the few different exercises sandwiched between some cardio for good measure….

But the shift from the smart people who began moving into properly structured group training classes and circuits is giving way to more and more people realizing that anyone can attempt and succeed in the new breed of fitness training systems coming up….

And in turn really test the boundaries of any persons true fitness potential!

Change It Up To Guarantee The Best Results of Your Life...

more on this coming soon…

Until then try these links to Man Versus Fitness:

*Push Up Challenge Workout For Great Conditioning….

*The Truth About Six Pack Abs Results And Workouts…

*How to get six pack abs with the right workouts…

*Ladies Only Fat Loss Advice Here! Lose Stubborn Tummy Fat Right Now.