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!

There are golden fitness rules and there are ‘crazy fitness rules’.  The crazy ones can be eliminated right now.  The golden ones will give you success. Check out 21 below that are just about useless…

Just say NO to Gadgets...

There are many fitness ideas out there today and a lot of junk on the internet. I occasionally even hear crazy things come out of some personal trainers mouths. Here are 21 mistakes that you should avoid at ALL COSTS if you want to get in shape…

1. Doing too much cardio
2. Not lifting enough weight
3. Not lifting weights at all
4. Eating too much crap
5. Participating in “restriction” diets…aka low carb, low fat, etc
6. Not eating enough to support muscle recovery and energy levels
7. Dehydration
8. Not staying committed to the training process
9. Sticking with the same workout for months or even years
10. Long, slow cardio sessions instead of intense conditioning intervals
11. Using machines and single joint movements instead of complex, multi-joint free weight and body weight exercises
12. Not getting enough sleep
13. Reading while performing “conditioning” workouts on the bike…if you are reading, you are not working hard enough
14. Training every single day without recovery days
15. Not working on mobility…if you can’t move, you can’t train properly
16. Not properly stretching or foam rolling after a training session
17. Trying to do everything on your own (hire a trainer or work out with a friend)
18. Training sessions are too long, rest time is too long. Unless you are training for absolute power, you do not need 3+ minutes between sets…Get into the gym and kick butt for 45-60 minutes and leave.
19. Bringing your cell phone to the gym. Get over yourself. Unless it’s an emergency you are not that important
20. Not eating enough fruits and vegetables
21. Too much focus on the scale. Focus on your clothes, body fat percentage, and how you feel

In order to really get fit, in shape, and feeling great you MUST perform strength training workouts, eat a balanced nutrition plan with plenty of fruits, veggies, lean meats, natural protein sources, whole grains, and tons of water, and skip the cardio and replace it with high intensity interval workouts such as sprints, jump rope, hill sprints, or interval runs.

Train hard and smart,

Callie Durbrow, Boston personal trainer

Ladies Only Fat Loss Advice – Learn about weight loss for busy ladies and everything you need for a new sexy body!

By Callie Dubrow

strength training for fat loss

Hey again, Callie Durbrow back in the corner with Maverick Fitness Coach Tristan Lewis. It’s great to be able to give you all some fitness training information that you can use immediately. As much as you read, learn and absorb, if you don’t put it into action it’s useless. So get out there and work hard!

In order to effectively lose fat, and keep it off, people need to change their body composition. This does not happen overnight or with a quick fix diet. As a personal trainer in Boston I have seen many people struggle and become frustrated with their fitness programs. Losing fat is a difficult task but it can be broken down into a few simple equations.

1. Lose Fat + Gain Lean Muscle = Change in overall Body Composition

2. Strength Training + Solid Nutrition Plan = Lean Muscle Gain

3. Lean Muscle Gain + Consistent Progressions to Exercise Plan = Fat Loss and Overall Change in Metabolism

Many people rely too much on cardio and calorie restriction when trying to lose body fat, lose weight, and ultimately change their “shape.” The most effective way to do this however, is quite the opposite. You need to develop a solid strength training program, eat 5-6 small meals and snacks each day, and engage in higher intensity conditioning exercises (interval training) in order to achieve the lean, strong, and fat burning body.

Here are my Top Eight Strength Exercises for Ultimate Fat Loss:

1. Squats (dumbbell, barbell, sandbag, kettle bell)
2. Lunges (dumbbell, barbell, sandbag, kettle bell- various directions including lateral, walking, reverse, forward)
3. Chin Ups (assisted, body weight, or weighted)
4. Push Ups (modified, body weight, on bench or ball, explosive using med ball)
5. Overhead Press (barbell, dumbbell, unilateral or bilateral)
6. Turkish Get-Ups (using dumbbell or kettle bell)
7. Kettle Bell Swings (for reps or time)
8. Weighted Trunk Exercises (medicine ball sit ups, twists, back extensions)

All of these exercises recruit large muscle groups, tax the nervous system, increase the heart rate and challenge the cardiovascular system, and develop real world strength (not machine based). These movements can all be modified with variations depending on strength levels, training experience, and goals of the individual. Performing these movements as a circuit or a superset will elevate the heart rate and challenge all areas of your body.

Regardless of the design; these exercises give you more bang for your buck and you will see results much faster than smaller, isolated movements that do not tax your system nearly as much.

Integrate some or all of these exercises into your training program 2-3 days per week, along with 2-3 days per week of higher intensity conditioning for a maximum of 30 minutes, and a clean nutrition plan and you will be well on your way to a consistent change in your metabolism, an increase in lean muscle tissue, and overall fat loss.

*Try these intense workouts for real six pack abs results – abs workouts here

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

“Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.”

Well its a quickie but a goody – I preach almost all the time to clients about the need to trust their own strength and know they are capable of more than they ever imagine.  Once it gets clear in their heads – and yours! – the sky is the limit!

Check out this video for a bit of a light-hearted break from your day.  Oh and click here to learn a great arm workout that builds muscle and will create the lean muscle you want -men and women!

And here if you fancy reading the TOP 5 Fat Loss Tips You can use today to see amazing results…

And enjoy this:

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…

Today I wanted to give you five quick but essential fundamentals or tips to fully realising your fat loss goals.  But also as well as losing the stubborn fat and getting on the path to the body you want, these 5 also mean you preserve the valuable lean muscle that in effect is your body’s fat burning furnace and the reason you actually blast calories at all.

So below I give you the 5 that if understood and made a part of your fitness lifestyle will not fail to deliver you results.

Ok,

NUMBER 1:  Keep Your Fitness Sessions Short! (But Very Sweet)

I am a big fan of Intensity Training.  My classes and bootcamps are structured around this.  You see the longer a person works out the lower the intensity level drifts.  During peak effort you are working in intensity levels that produce results, but as you move out of ‘the zone’ you are at risk of injury, de-motivation and also a slide in your real results.

train with short sessions - high intensity

Intensity training is the incorporation of high demand training in short periods of time.  You basically will make a bigger improvement on your body composition, fitness levels and overall appearance – and attain the goals you want – if you focus on shorter workouts, with high intensity.

I do recommend mixing up these short intense sessions to allow your body to recover.  Don’t do them every session.  But the facts are that an intense workout raises afterburn (fat burning capability – burning calories at a higher rate during recovery).

This type of workout is the way you need to be training if you want those results.

NUMBER 2:  You Need To Weight Train.

It is still prominant in today’s society to hear people mention ‘toning’ or ‘long form cardio’ sessions as their staple fitness structure.  The fact remains and always has that to see change and results in your body every person must be incorporating weight training or resistance training.

The goal of weight training is not to build huge muscle but maintain our lean muscle mass.  Because lean muscle burns calories better than anything else you can do.

As a person ages muscle will diminish, so weight training is not just a young persons game – it is essential for everyone.

The reality is that women will NOT get big and bulky, men will not find its just that young persons pasttime and every person will shift their body into the zone where calories are burnt at optimal levels, lean and toned muscles will be structured and their body will perform as nature intended.

Again, other types of exercise are still fine to use but leaving out resistance training is like trying to drive a car with no wheels.

NUMBER 3:  Nutrition AFTER Your Workout.

I’ve seen many people really get into the swing of worthwhile training.  They challenge themselves, they commit to a sensible program and they begin with an attitude that 9 times out of 10 will lead them to stunning results.  BUT it is all too common to find that a lot of people do not really take seriously the need to replenish and re-fuel their bodies AFTER these new and challenging workouts they are committed to.

You need the best nutrition AFTER your workouts.

Simply put:  we all need to put the right fuel into our system after a workout – within a window of around 30mins to an hour max.

And that ‘fuel’ is a good recovery drink or meal replacement with a mix of protein and importantly CARBOHYDRATES: Don’t think its all about protein at this moment.  You need carbs afterwards to protect the bodies protein from being used.  It also helps create the blood sugar and insulin response that helps move protein to the workout damaged muscle fibers and aid in repair of what you’ve just done to them!

A good recovery drink is absolutely paramount.  You can have a look at this one because it is one of the best – if not the best.

NUMBER 4:  Protein Is Essential In Your Diet.

Carbohydrates and essential fats are important BUT protein is the building block of muscle.  You need to have adequate amounts in your system.  DO not neglect this, especially when you are breaking down that muscle in your intense new workouts, your job is also to supply your body with protein for repair and regeneration of new muscle tissue.

Protein can induce satiety – a feeling of being full – if you have adequate amounts in each meal you consume.  Also dietary protein is actually harder to break down so you interestingly will burn extra calories doing so.  Nice. (that’s a simple explanation – we’ll go into this in detail in an upcoming post).

Protein is King.

Protein does not build muscle, it actually aids in repair due to the damage caused by your workouts.  Also you want protein to assist in the maintenance of your lean muscle especially during fat loss training or dieting when you desperately need to keep the lean muscle and not let it get broken down.

Increase your protein levels with both a good supplement and lean meats, dairy protein and vegetable sources of protein and you’ll allow your muscles to remain protected as your metabolism controls fat loss.

NUMBER 5:  Please, Please, Please Don’t Starve Your Body…

If a person starves themselves, because they assume this is the way to lose weight or fat, they simply put themselves into the territory of firstly only really losing water weight in the initial stages and also facing the reality that once they get back to a ‘sensible’ eating schedule they will almost always gain back that weight 100% – and sometimes they’ll gain back more.

‘Starvation mode’ is not a method any person should consider or employ.

To lose weight consistently and safely and keep it off a person needs to elevate their metabolism with proven exercise whilst maintaining a balanced, consistent diet that involves regular eating, a control of the amount of carbs eaten after 2-3pm in the day and a serious commitment to never starving or forcing the body into yo-yo eating schedules.

Never Go Down The 'Starvation Road'. Ever

Consistency both in training and diet is key.  Starvation is for uneducated people who will face more frustration after an initial ‘suprise’ weight loss – that is only that water weight loss.  This road is not one you want to travel.  Period.

Do it right and you’ll be on the road to being fit for life.

*Ladies Only Fat Loss Advice- get that flat toned healthy midsection fast…