How much thought do you put into what you eat?

If you want to get into great shape then you’ll be interested to know that 80% of your fitness results are attributed to your diet.

In our fast-paced society, eating is often done with little or no thought as to what exactly it is being ingested. Excess body fat is a direct outcome of this hurried, poor nutrition. Even if you have the best intentions with your diet, you are likely frustrated and fed up with extra pounds.

I don’t blame you for being confused about what you should eat. The media surely doesn’t help. One day the talking heads want you to give up all fats. The next day carbs are the culprit, and then acai berries become the holy grail of weight loss.

The food manufacturers increase confusion by printing misleading labels and bogus health claims.

Sometimes it seems like the whole system is set up to confuse and frustrate us into buying the latest and greatest packaged food.

The bottom line is that your physique is largely a result of what you eat, so the foods that you put into your body should be carefully selected.

It’s time to re-examine what you eat.

It all starts with reading nutritional labels. The nutritional content and ingredient list will give you everything you need to know about the quality of the food item.

I’ve outlined 5 ingredients that should raise a red flag when you turn over that package and find them listed:

Red Flagged Ingredient #1: High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

HFCS is a manmade sugar, derived predominantly from genetically modified corn. The sweet concoction has been shown to promote binges and hysterical hunger, and wrecks havoc on your blood sugar levels, promoting fat storage.

The introduction of HFCS into our food supply directly paralleled a 47% spike in Type 2 Diabetes cases as well as an 80% increase in obesity. Food manufacturers use HFCS in many mainstream products, including the following:

• Sauces (including ketchup)
• Yogurt
• Energy Bars
• Soft Drinks / Fruit Juices
• Processed baked goods
• Cereals
• Crackers
• Ice Cream
• Salad Dressing
• Most packaged snack foods

Red Flagged Ingredient #2: Hydrogenated Fat / Partially Hydrogenated Fat (Trans Fat)

Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats have undergone such extensive processing that the chemical structure has changed from a “cis” shape, which the human body recognizes and utilizes, to a “trans” shape, which is foreign and destructive to human physiology.

Check each food label for the word ‘hydrogenated’ and avoid it diligently. Cutting out hydrogenated fats is a simple set towards looking and feeling your best.

Red Flagged Ingredient #3: Aspartame

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that was denied 8 times by the FDA before being approved in 1973. Many scientists objected the approval, claiming that aspartame hadn’t been proven safe for use as a food additive.

MIT neuroscientist, Richard Wurtman, researched the effects of aspartame and concluded that it promotes cravings for foods high in calories and carbohydrates. Though aspartame is calorie-free it still causes insulin to be released, which job is to stow away sugar – when this sugar is not available, the result is often hypoglycemia and severe hunger. Not exactly a recipe for weight loss.

Red Flagged Ingredient #4: White Sugar

White sugar comes from the juice of a sugar cane plant that has undergone an intensive refining process. In this process all of the enzymes, fiber, vitamins and minerals are destroyed, rendering it nutritionally void. White sugar is also extremely high in calories, which your body loves to store away in fat cells.

Refined sugar has been linked to a weakened immune system, hyperactivity, ADD, mental and emotional disorders, dental cavities, hypoglycemia, enlargement of the liver and kidneys, and an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain. All that and it leads to weight gain.

Red Flagged Ingredient #5: White Flour

White flour comes from natural whole wheat that has been stripped of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. This results in a nutritionally void product that is packed with calories that release quickly into your system, creating a spike in blood sugar. As you know, this promotes fat storage and leads to hysterical hunger and cravings. You don’t need that.

Once you cut these 5 items out of your diet, you’ll be pleased with the results. Expect to lose weight, to have more energy and to feel better than you have in a long time.

If you’re serious about looking and feeling your best through purifying your diet, then focus on eating real food items. Real foods include lean meats, vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds.

Would you like to expedite your fitness and weight loss results? Email today to get started on a fitness program that will quickly transform your body.

Remember, while nutrition is vitally important for weight loss, true results are achieved through a combination of both nutrition and challenging, progressive exercise.

Hey Gang, Luke Wold here

You’re about to read a great post by my friend Dr. Daniel Chong.  When I saw it on his blog I HAD to ask him if I could share it with you.  (The words are his, the goofy pictures are mine – hope you don’t mind, Daniel!)

Without further ado… here’s Dr. Chong!

Everyone is human.

Myself included.

Lately, I’ve been drinking coffee. Of course it’s organic and I only have one cup a few times a week, but it’s still the dreaded COFFEEEEE (supposed to look spooky) that I learned in naturopathic school is something akin to devil water, especially if you have adrenal stress.

I admit, I have, at various times in the past, asked my patients to stop drinking this stuff. It is very dehydrating and can lead to mineral imbalances and even constipation if consumed excessively. It can also overstimulate a tired person, giving them a false sense of ‘energy’ when really they should be feeling so horribly fatigued that the only viable option for them should be a nap.

AND- It stains your teeth!

These are not good things.

Why then do I drink it sometimes? Why then have I recently adopted more of a lenient attitude about this beverage with my patients (and myself)? Well, a couple of reasons.

For one thing, as I mentioned already, I’m human. So are most of my patients.

Being human, amongst other things, means we are typically unable to maintain a perfect diet and lifestyle 100% of the time, especially if our lives are so crazy that we have no choice but to become so tired that even though we should (correction- we HAVE to) take a nap, we can’t.

What are we all supposed to do then? Drinking green tea would a MUCH better idea if we needed a bit of caffeine pick-me-up, but green tea doesn’t taste like coffee. So some of us, addicted as we are to its lovely flavor and aroma, will keep on drinking it, regardless of what I or anyone else tells them.

The point of this post then is this- For various reasons, some better than others, many of us feel as though we need a vice- some ‘bad’ habit or another that is less than perfectly healthy but makes us feel good. And so, I have come to realize that my job is not only to teach you about the healthiest possible things you can do in your life, but also to teach you about the healthiest UN-healthy things you can do in your life.

In other words, I know many of you think I’m a perfectionist when it comes to health, but I’m trying to be a realist here OK people? I know that this world is FULL of unhealthy things, many of which smell good, look good, taste good and can even make you feel good. These are attractive attributes, especially for someone who is so wiped out and worn down they don’t smell good, look good, taste good OR feel good! So, I’ve come up with a short list of the healthiest options out there for a good old fashioned vice.

Here is my list:

• Coffee
• Dark Chocolate
• Red Wine

What, no doughnuts? No french fries? Come on people, this isn’t a free for all. There actually has to be some benefit to be had here. (I know, I know, “But french fries are made from potatoes, and potatoes are VEGETABLES!” Blah, blah, blah. I’ve heard it all before.)

Coffee

So you are already familiar with some of the negative attributes of coffee. Well, there may be some other ones that are potentially much worse, but for the most part the jury is still out. You see, while some studies suggest that coffee could actually contribute to heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis, other studies show just the opposite, like this one and this one.

All that being said, coffee is still my least favorite vice, mainly because people tend to drink it (or “need it” as some of my patients like to say) when they really shouldn’t, ie when they are wiped out and need a nap! If this is you, try the nap- it’s cheaper and healthier. However, if you are basically healthy and just like the taste and the gentle pick me up it provides you, I don’t really have a problem with it. I would, however, recommend always drinking an extra cup of water and making sure you are taking regular amounts of magnesium and other minerals to help compensate for some of the potential negative effects.

Dark Chocolate

Yummy.

High in powerful, disease preventing antioxidants.

Good fat source.

Lowers blood pressure and reduces stroke risk.

Potential aphrodisiac.

‘Nuff said.

Red Wine

There is rapidly growing list of the likely health benefits to be had from consuming alcohol in moderation, in particular red wine. In fact, when consumed in moderation (1-2 small glasses per day) this is probably my favorite, “healthy” vice of all for most people.

The simple fact that red wine is high in resveratrol, perhaps one of the most health-benefiting antioxidants to be discovered yet, is good enough for me. But now, even the big boys in the health care industry are starting to sing its praises.

Conclusion

So, should we all just skip the exercise, sleep and organic whole foods eaten in a more ‘primal way’ and instead just eat chocolate, and alternate between cups of coffee and red wine?

Funny enough, if you did you’d probably still be better off than the average American, but obviously I jest.

The idea instead would be to do the exercise, get the good sleep and eat really good foods in a primal way, AND THEN feel free to dabble in a few, higher quality vices like these.

Adios from one human to another…..

Dr Daniel Chong is a family physician who enjoys treating people of all ages, with a wide variety of ailments. Over time, he has also developed a keen interest in the treatment of chronic health conditions. His passion is to combine what he calls treating his patients the “old fashioned way”, with cutting edge advancements in functional diagnosis, nutritional and herbal medicine. In addition to his private, clinical practice, he also offers his services via online and telephone consultations.

Dr. Chong is a 2000 graduate of the National College of Natural Medicine, in Portland, an active member of the Oregon Association of Naturopathic Physicians, and is licensed as a primary healthcare provider in the state of Oregon. He can be contacted at www.SeekHealth.net.

Print out this page and keep the quiz for your records.

Are you an emotional eater?  (I’ve written about this before: Emotional Eating)

If you think your emotions are making you overeat, this quiz will help determine why. Choose A or B, or both if they are equally true. If neither A nor B applies to you, don’t circle either one.  (Excerpted from Life is Hard, Food Is Easy by Linda Spangle, R.N., M.A.)

1. When I crave something to eat even if I’m not really hungry…
(a) a specific food immediately comes to mind, such as cookies or potato chips, and nothing else will do. I may even drive to the store to get it.
(b) I wander around thinking, “I want something to eat, but I don’t know what.” I usually end up choosing ice cream or bread.

2. I often experience cravings…
(a) when I’m at work, feeling stressed and pressured.
(b) when I’m home alone or bored.

3. When I crave something sweet, I usually choose…
(a) a candy bar, trail mix or chewy cookies.
(b) a milkshake, a bowl of ice cream or a slice of cake.

4. Even when I’m not really hungry, I could go for…
(a) hot dogs, pizza and French fries.
(b) Mom’s cooking, especially a meal or one of her homemade desserts.

5. The time of day that I’m most likely to experience cravings is…
(a) in the middle of the afternoon, when I’m at work feeling pressured by a million deadlines or I’m watching the clock.
(b) late at night, when I’m exhausted and have nothing to do and no one to talk to.

6. I’m a sucker for…
(a) potato chips, nuts or other snack foods.
(b) macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, fresh-baked bread or other comfort foods.

7. On a given day, I’m likely to feel…
(a) angry, frustrated, resentful, irritated, stressed or tense.
(b) discouraged, lonely, bored, restless or fatigued.

8. Sometimes I snack to avoid…
(a) doing something—eating is a great way to procrastinate.
(b) thinking about my feelings—food helps me bury my emotions.

9. I eat mainly because…
(a) it’s fun. I often seek out snack-type “party foods.”
(b) it feels good. I go for my childhood favorites.

10. If I find myself craving breakfast-type meals, regardless of the time of day, I’m more likely to choose…
(a) cereal or granola.
(b) eggs or biscuits with gravy.

SCORING for Emotional Eating Quiz

If you chose more A’s:
It means your feelings of anger, stress, frustration, resentment, burnout, bitterness, self-disgust or being overwhelmed and/or your desire for excitement are causing you to seek chewy, crunchy foods. You may be munching on a cookie or candy bar, but what you really want to chew on is something in your life: deadlines, your spouse or your boss. Spangle calls this sort of craving “head hunger” because it’s generated by thoughts, attitudes and pressures.

If you chose more B’s:
It means you are probably struggling with feelings such as boredom, loneliness, sadness, grief, depression, restlessness, hurt or disappointment, hopelessness, an overwhelming need for love or attention and/or a lack of meaning in your life. You also may be feeling fatigued or ill. Spangle calls such emotions “heart hunger” because people who are feeling them often crave soft, creamy comfort foods to fill a void in their lives.

If you circled three or fewer responses:
It means emotional eating is not likely to be a problem for you. You may occasionally use food to cope, but for the most part, it doesn’t hamper your weight-management efforts. If you’re having trouble losing weight, it’s probably your eating patterns and/or exercise program (or lack of one) rather than your emotions that are to blame.

What is emotional binge eating?

It’s when you eat large amounts of food when you’re upset, tired, stressed, angry, bored, anxious, lonely, sad, or have low self-esteem 0r relationship problems.  If you’re like me, you usually binge on junk or “comfort” foods.

One study in my files says that 80% of excessive eating is caused by emotions – NOT hunger!

I figure it’s ok to eat for emotional reasons once in a while.  The problem is that we eat emotionally so often that it becomes impossible to distinguish betweeen true, physical hunger and endless emotional hunger.

When I surveyed my facebook friends on their biggest fitness problem, the number one thing people told me they do wrong is binge eat.  At office parties, at home in front of the TV, at the bar on weekends.

If you binge eat, you need to find out what TRIGGERS the emotion that leads you to overconsume.

To do this, try keeping a 2-column food/stress journal.  (My younger clients also keep a “zit journal”, which is kind of gross, but necessary)

Write down what you eat, when you eat, and how much you eat in one column.  In the other list the stresses, thoughts, and emotions you’re feeling right before and while you’re eating.

You’ll see the link between the two columns very very quickly.

Here are the most typical emotional triggers that lead to binge eating:

Location/Situation:

This is the number one problem for me, I eat when food is there.  At office birthdays, everyone presses you to try their cake.  At a friend’s house, you don’t want to be rude and turn down anything, so you eat it all.

Negative Thinking:

A LOT of people eat when they feel unworthy.  When their self-esteem is down, they eat for comfort.  Or they actually scold themselves WHILE they’re binge eating, berating their lack of will-power.

Physical:

This is when you eat for physical reasons that aren’t really hunger.  Eating to cure headaches or because you didn’t sleep well are two common causes.

(Or maybe you’re using the phenylethylamine in chocolate to fill other desires, like in the movie Down With Love)

Nervous Energy:

When I’m stressed out or anxious, I become “orally fidgety” and chew gum.  Other people bite their nails or grind their teeth or smoke.  But many many people much on chips or soda to give their mouth something to do.

Boredom:

This is a biggie.  Standing in the kitchen, staring off into space, and finishing off a box of Chips Ahoy.

Habits:

My mom is a GREAT cook.  So lots of my comforting memories revolve around food.  If your parents used to reward you with treats, or take you out to celebrate, or built the habit of dessert after every meal – it has probably become a habit.  And breaking a comforting habit is very emotional.

Misc Emotions:

Have you ever eaten to “fill the hole”?  Stress, fatigue, andger, anxiety, and loneliness usually make the “void”, not true hunger.

Someone who doesn’t like confrontations might go eat 2 snickers bars instead of telling a co-worker that they need to step up.

Food takes the edge off of anger, resentment, fear, and anxiety – and almost everyone uses food for this reason.

Emotion-based hunger usually focuses on a particular food.  One of my friends just texted me that she wants pizza because she’s “craving cheezy greasy stuff.”  This is a comfort food.

To help you identify comfort foods in your food journal, here’s a list of the most common comfort foods.

Number One for both men and women: ICE CREAM.

Men: Pizza, Casserole, Beer, Steak

Women: Chocolate, Cookies

The first step in ending emotional eating is to identify what triggers you to start bingeing.

Your homework: Keep a journal for the next week and find out what sets your eater off.  Next week I’ll give you my best strategies to bust each type of binge eating.

If you go to the gym right now, you’ll see hundreds of people working on their New Year’s Resolution to lose weight.  And almost all of them are doing the exact same thing: 45 minutes in their “fat loss zone.”

Research and experience has proven time and again that interval training is superior to steady state training when it comes to fitness, health, and fat loss.  The problem is that most people don’t know how to set up an interval-based session.

Here is a handout from my last seminar, with an EXACT plan of what to do.  This can be recycled every month (with week one having a higher intensity each time).

Do this on the “off days” from your metabolic resistance training sessions.

Interval Training For Extreme Fat Loss

This program is designed to raise your metabolism so that you will liberate and shed as much body fat as possible.  Do this routine 2, 3, or 4x a week and choose a different piece of cardio equipment each time.

Week 1:

5 Minute Warm Up

Intervals: 3x through this set

1 min high intensity (9/10 effort)

2 min moderate intensity (6/10)

5 min Very Low Intensity (2-3/10)

20 min moderate intensity (5-6/10)

3 min cool down

Total time: 42 minutes

Week 2:

5 min warm up

Intervals: 4x through this set

      1 min high intensity (9/10 effort)

      2 min moderate intensity (6/10)

5 min very low intensity (2-3/10)

20 min moderate intensity

3 min cool down

Total time: 45 min

Week 3:

      5 min warm up

      Intervals: 5x through this set

            1 min high intensity (9/10 effort)

            2 min moderate intensity (6/10)

      5 min very low intensity (2-3/10)

      20 min moderate intensity (5-6/10

      3 min cool down

      Total time: 48 min

Week 4:

5 min warm up

Intervals: 6x through this set

      1 min high intensity (9/10 effort)

      2 min moderate intensity (6/10)

5 min very low intensity (2-3/10)

20 min moderate intensity (5-6/10

3 min cool down

Total time: 51 min

I hope you’re doing great and that 2010 is off to an awesome start for you!

This post is a little different than my last few.

It’s a new year. You probably have some health and fitness goals for the next 12 months.

Here’s the deal:  I want to help you achieve those goals.

So what I want to know from YOU is; what can I do for you?

What do you need more clarification on?

What topics should I cover in the next few blog posts?

In the comment box below let me know what you need help with, and what I can
do for you to help you reach your goals for 2010.

Rock on!

I love seeing “after photos.”

You know, those jaw-dropping body transformations.

Like the guy who changed his beer belly into a six pack.

Or the girl who traded her muffin top for a boy short ready booty.

Big time body transformations are awesome.  Unfortunately, they are also few and far between.  Sure, anyone who walks into a gym and does even a little work will lose some fat, tone some muscles, get stronger, and feel better.

But very few make those head-turning, “holy smokes!” changes in their bodies.

Today I’m going to share the secrets of those people who succeed in big-time transformations.

My main man Tony Robbins has a saying: “Success Leaves Clues.” If you ask 100 people with an amazing set of before-and-afters, I’d bet big money 95% of them took the same route to get there.

So… Here are the 7 things all successful body transformations have in common:

Body Transformation Secret Number One: The Right People

You MUST start surrounding yourself with the right people if you want a mega-change in your body.

A personal trainer I know says that your weight is an average of the five people you spend the most time with.

A study from Harvard found that hanging out with fat people is enough to make you fat.  The wrong people in your life are almost certain to drag you down.  (Maybe not right away, but they can wear anyone out)

This happens because of something called “cultural para stimuli.”  Victor Starling came up with this theory after experimenting on cats.

Starling took half of the cats in the study and performed brain surgery on them.  This surgery made them act in bizarre and self-destructive manners.  Then he put them in with the rest of the cats.

What happened?  Did the crazy cats try to act like the normal cats?  Did the normal cats ignore the crazy cats and get on with their lives?  Nope.  ALL of the cats started acting crazy!

Look at the self-destructive behavior of your friends and family.  They eat too much.  They’re lazy.  Their lifestyle sucks.  Do you pull them up or do they drag you down?  Most of the time, it’s the latter.

Your mission: Ditch the lazy crazies and find some like-minded companions for your transformation.

Body Transformation Secret Number Two: Set A SPECIFIC Goal, With A Deadline

Deirdre Reid set a goal of losing half a percent of body fat per week for 8 weeks. Here’s her picture:

Deirdre went from a size four to a size zero in less than 8 weeks by following the Wold Fitness Ripped Plan.

See, “losing weight” isn’t a goal.  (And it’s better to focus on inches instead of weight anyway.)

A goal has to be measurable, have a time frame, and there has to be a REASON.

The power of a goal with a deadline is most obvious in bodybuilding and figure competitors.  They KNOW they are going to be on stage in a teeny swimsuit in just 16 weeks, so they don’t cheat on their diet, they don’t miss or half-ass their training, and they stay focused.

Your Mission: TODAY sit down with a pad and pen and set a specific goal with a deadline.

Body Transformation Secret Number Three: MEASURE!!

Everyone who has made an amazing body transformation has gone through a period of measuring their food and calculating calorie and macronutrient breakdowns.

This is because measuring raises your awareness of what you’re REALLY putting in your body.

You don’t have to do this forever.  Just two weeks of keeping a detailed log will provide you invaluable knowledge to carry you through any body transformation.

And this is really cool – as a fitness coach, I can tell you that absent anything else, measurement improves results.

Wrapping a tape measure around your waist every Friday afternoon will keep you on track better than hopping on a scale every morning.  I promise.

Your Mission: Start keeping a food log.  Write down everything you eat for just 3 days.

That’s it for today…

Stay tuned to get the rest of my secrets to an amazing body transformation.

WARNING: Two of them are DEFINITELY not politically correct.

An interview with John Alvino of How to get Ripped Abs.

Luke Wold: Hey John, I consider you a “real world” guy – in that you work with real people with busy lives and hectic schedules. We all know that there is a ton of fat loss advice for pre-contest bodybuilders (fasted cardio, two-a-day sessions, egg whites and steamed fish 6 times a day…).

And we also know that there’s good advice out there for the overweight guys who have never exercised before (like don’t eat Oreos, and take the stairs instead of the elevator…).

But what about the “in between” person? You know, the professional man or woman who works a solid 9-5 job with maybe up to an hour commute each way, and still tries to spend time with the family and kids. There’s a serious lack of information for this demographic. How do you set up a solid “real world” fat loss nutrition plan for these people?

JA: I couldn’t agree with you more. Earlier in my career, I would tell this type of client that they had to eat a broccoli and alfalfa sprouts omelet for breakfast every single day! When they told me that they didn’t have the time to prepare that, I would accuse them of not being committed.

Looking back on it now, I realize that as a young trainer, I had no idea how difficult it is to work a stressful job, raise a family, and still summon up enough energy to even get to the gym.

It wasn’t too long before I realized that my expectations were unreasonable, unnecessary, and unrealistic for them to stick to. Thus, I had to be creative enough to devise meal plans that would deliver results while being realistic and easy enough for this busy folks to actually follow.

After years of trial and error, I have found several ways to accomplish this goal. For starters, these clients have a tough time following a diet that has very precise parameters.

For instance, instructions such as: “eat exactly 3.35 ounces of salmon with 1 ¾ cups of broccoli at exactly 10:25 a.m. each morning”, or “You must prepare and eat 7 meals per day.” Their lives are simply too stressful and busy to be this rigid. They need more flexibility in their diet protocol.

Trying to force this “all or nothing” approach onto a person such as this will more often than not result in total failure. After your client realizes that he can’t follow the plan, he will fall off the wagon and feel completely defeated.

This may discourage him from ever trying to lose fat again. And it is just unnecessary. A successful diet, first and foremost, must actually be feasible. If it’s not, it doesn’t matter how great it is, because it will most surely fail.

To make an eating plan realistic for a busy businessman or woman, I would suggest that they eat 3 meals per day. Most people eat breakfast, lunch and dinner anyway, so this would not be disruptive to their extremely busy day. In between these “regular” meals, I would suggest eating 2-3 convenient snacks.

LW: What about training? Doing six or seven days a week, or multiple sessions for these people is just fantasy land. What about some real world workouts? I’ll give you an example – a 40 year old father of two – with a full time job (40 plus hours per week) who is maybe 19-20% body fat but wants to see his abs for the first time this summer?

JA: In my experience, when someone has a restricted schedule like this, I am usually only able to meet with them around train 3 times per week. So it is imperative that we get the most out of each training session. The most important goal for each of these training sessions is to create a metabolic elevation that will last up until the next training session.

Let’s assume that he would be using a Monday, Wednesday, Friday training schedule. Our goal is to perform a workout that increases metabolic rate for 48 hours. In order to accomplish this, we must work all major muscle groups – so that means full body training routines.

These full body routines should emphasize exercises that have a high metabolic cost. In addition, this routine should be designed using a multi-station approach.

Because there is a time constraint, you will spend very little time resting in between sets. Therefore, exercises performed back to back should not interfere with each other. In other words, consecutive exercises should not fatigue the same exact muscle groups.

Immediately following the resistance phase of this routine, he would perform a special type of interval training. For the actual interval, you will work hard (about 90% of your max) for 30 seconds. Then decrease the intensity to about 60% of your max for 60 seconds. That is one interval.

After the 60 second “easy” period, increase the intensity back up to 90% and begin the second interval of the workout. Start with 6 intervals per workout, and build your way up to doing 12 intervals per workout. Once you can perform 12 intervals at maximal intensity, it is time to vary your workout.

Varying your workout from time to time, when done in a calculated manner, will keep your body constantly stimulated to respond positively to this type of training.

LW: Can you give us a sample workout based on your training principles?

JA: Sure. I’ll give you’re a workout that I designed for my client JR. He fits the “busy working client” criteria perfectly. He works about 70 hours per week, has a wife and 2 kids that he spends a lot of time with. To his credit, he still manages to train hard 3 times per week. This is the workout that he just performed:

1: Dynamic Movement Phase (5 min):

Rope Jumping 3×60 seconds with 30 sec rest.

2: Joint Prep Phase (3 min):

Overhead Squat 30 seconds, Reaching Split Squat 30 seconds, Forward Flexion 30 seconds, Supine Hip Raise 30 seconds, Intermediate Plank 30 seconds

3: Resistance Phase (25 min): This is a multi station circuit. Perform 5 rounds without any rest.

1a) DB Squat Push Press Combo 5x 12,10,8,6,4

1b) Strap Chin Ups 5x 12,10,8,6,4

1c) DB Step Up 5x 12,10,8,6,4

1d) Hands Elevated A Frame Push Up 5x 12,10,8,6,4

1e) DB RDL With Shrug 5x 12,10,8,6,4

4: Interval Phase: (12 minutes)  Do 4 continuous sets

2a) Med Ball Slams 30 sec maximal effort

2b) Jumping Jacks 60 sec easy pace

2c) Rocket Jumps 30 sec maximal effort

2d) Seal Split Shuffles 60 sec easy pace

5: Static Stretch Phase: (5 minutes)

This routine has JR out of the gym in 50 minutes. And the results speak for themselves. JR has lost 22 pounds of fat in 9 short weeks and is in the best shape of his life.

LW: Nice. Any other tips for these people?

JA: There are several little things that they must do in order to succeed. Some of the keys to success are:

• Since you are only training 3 times per week you must make each workout count.
• You must be consistent.
• No missed workouts.
• Prepare food in bulk. (Most cheating stems from not having healthy food readily available).
• Keep the house stocked with quick and accessible healthy foods and snacks.
• During the first week of your meal plan, I encourage you to weigh/measure your food.

For instance, if one of your meals requires 1 cup of rice, you should have a pretty good idea of what a cup of rice looks like. That way, when you are eating out, or on the road, you will be able to estimate your portions with reasonable accuracy.

LW: Thanks so much, John, for taking the time to share these great insights with us. For those of you who are interested in creating an amazing body transformation and losing fat at an incredible rate, you should definitely go to John’s website, How to get Ripped Abs

He has changed a lot of lives with his amazing fat loss techniques, and clearly he is sensitive to the working class person who is busy, but still wants and deserves to get in great shape!

JA: Thank you, Luke. It’s always a pleasure speaking with you. I look forward to next time!

~ Luke Wold

PS – Click here to check out How to get Ripped Abs

One of the first things you need to do if you want to lose weight is quit drinking anything with calories in it.

This is one of the 7 Fundamental Rules Of Nutrition that make up the best fat loss and fitness programs.  (Here’s all 7: Carson City Nutrition)

Calories add up quick with any kind of a drink, and liquid doesn’t set off the “fullness alert” in your brain.

Quick Example:

I was talking to a lady on Saturday afternoon.  She told me she has a tall cafe latte with 2% milk from Starbucks every morning (and sometimes one in the afternoon too).

Now for some quick and easy math – a tall latte with 2% milk has 150 Calories.  365 of these come out to 54,750 Calories over the course of a year.

And you know what, a pound of fat has 3500 Calories.  Some quick division (54750/3500) shows us that a daily latte with 2% milk comes out to the same calories as 15.64 pounds of fat.  (And those lattes would cost you$949, not counting taxes and tips)

Yikes!

I’m NOT telling you to cut out coffee.  No way!  But if you switched from a latte with 2% milk to an Americano, you’d save yourself 54,750 Calories a year – without having to exercise!  (To jog off that many calories you’d have to cover over 684 miles)

Here’s another example: a cup of orange juice has 121 Calories.  Every breakfast in a commercial has a glass of orange juice next to it.

A cup of orange juice every day comes out to 44,165 Calories over a year.  This is the same calories found in 12.62 pounds of fat.

Now, what about the title of this post?  How To Gain 15 Pounds In 2010. Simple – if you drink just a few extra calories every morning, you can easily put on 15 pounds in this coming year.

OR you can switch to coffee, water, and green tea and start losing weight without breaking a sweat.

The choice is up to you.

Remember that kid in school who scored so well on tests that everyone got a little suspicious?

Then one day during a big exam – BAM – the teacher pulled a cheat-sheet out of the kid’s pocket. It was game over for that kid and the rest of the class was able to breathe a little easier knowing that those perfect scores weren’t real.

A cheat-sheet gives you an unfair advantage – it supplies you with what you need to get ahead.

How would you like a cheat-sheet for getting through holiday parties without putting on a single pound?

What if this cheat-sheet could also help you lose a few pounds before New Year’s?

You’re in luck, because below I have outlined the 5 shortcuts you need to avoid gaining holiday party pounds.

Your Holiday Party Cheat-Sheet

Short Cut #1: Eat a sensible meal before the party.

You should always arrive at parties with a full stomach. I realize that this goes against the popular trend of starving yourself before a party, and that’s exactly why most people gain weight. Since your stomach will be full, you’ll have the clarity to pick and choose the treats that you really want, rather than stuffing yourself with everything in sight.

Short Cut #2: Bring a healthy dish to share.

Don’t worry if the party that you’re going to isn’t a potluck – the hostess will love you for being so thoughtful, and you’ll have a healthy option to enjoy.

My Festive Hummus recipe is perfect to bring to parties.

Short Cut #3: Never drink calories.

Do you realize how quickly calories add up when you’re slurping them out of a cup? Alcoholic beverages and sweet holiday drinks are simply packed with calories. These calories don’t take up much room in your stomach so you’re left wide open for even more calories.

Your best strategy is to avoid these beverages altogether, and stick with water. Aim to drink 2-3 glasses of water at the party.

Short Cut #4: Fill your plate, but only once.

I’m certainly not going to tell you that you shouldn’t eat anything at the party. By all means, go and fill up your plate. But only once.

That’s right, you heard me. No going back for seconds. Since you’ve already eaten a sensible meal before arriving, this rule is going to be easier to keep than you think.

Short Cut #5: Taste dessert, just a taste.

The holidays are all about sweet treats, so go ahead and partake. But just a taste. Look at desserts as something to savor, not something to fill up on.

And since you ate a sensible meal before you came, then you filled up your dinner plate once you’re probably going to be pretty full at this point anyway.

That’s it – all you need to know to not gain a single pound at holiday parties.

But what about the rest of the year?

Wouldn’t you love to make 2010 the year that you transform your body?

Wouldn’t it feel great to throw out all of your fat clothes? To look forward to bathing suit season? To be given a clean bill of health from your doctor? And to be showered with compliments by family, friends and that special someone?

It’s all more possible than you think.

But you’ll need to take massive action.

My programs are designed to quickly and efficiently get you into the best shape of your life.

Call or email now to schedule your first body transforming workout.

Go on, do it now and secure your spot before the New Year’s rush.