Going Head-to-Head with Father Time

If you seek great challenges, you will achieve great things. One of my favorite speakers, the great Les Brown said, “The worst thing in life is not to aim too high and miss, it’s to aim to low and hit.” He is a very smart man.

You are so strong and so capable, but if you do not challenge yourself, you will never know how powerful you really are. I have grown to love seeking ridiculous challenges. There have been many in my life. What I have noticed is, if I become single-minded of purpose, I reach whatever goal I set. This is in regard to school, athletics, career, crazy non-sequitur life-pursuits and fitness. All have enriched my life.

What limitations?

You deserve to live your fullest life. People will keep trying to stop you. Why? I don’t know, and I don’t care. I want you to understand the greatest truth in life. Your limitations are all in your head. They were put there by people you trusted, but these people simply can’t see. I am sad for them. I can see.

I have seen far too many people do things that “can’t be done” to ever believe anyone who tells me what I can’t do. The Wright brothers were told that people can’t fly. Oprah Winfrey was told she didn’t have “what it takes” to make it in television. Roger Banister was told that human beings could not run a mile in under 4 minutes. How many times do we need to be shown that we are strong enough to do what we want before we believe in ourselves?

Taking on Father Time

I was told what I couldn’t do so many times I have lost count. So, I did all of those things. More recently, my uncle told me that I could never get my 30-inch waistline back, now that I’m in my 50’s. Challenge accepted.

Here’s the deal, I have arthritic knees. Both knees have been dislocated. I have a surgically repaired bicep. It was torn completely off the bone and needed to be reattached. I separated both shoulders. One of which seems to still be off-line a bit. I have chronic back-pain, and I am about to turn 54 years old. Oh yeah, one last thing. I have a hip replacement. So, what’s the problem?

I have a gym membership, and there’s 24 hours in a day. I know what to do when I get to the gym. I know what I should and should not eat. All I have to do, is eat right and work out daily. I refuse to believe that I cannot achieve my goals. I will. I have begun my training. I have been consistent and I am improving.

Look, here’s the deal. I have made many mistakes in my life. It took me until I was 50 years old to understand the things I am writing today. That’s fine. I’m not done. I wish I had done and achieved more in my youth. Well, I can’t go back in time. So, I will move forward with everything I have and do all I can to make all of my goals a reality.

It’s a bit late in the game, but I am staging a strong 4^th-quarter comeback! I’m beat-up, I’m tired and it was looking like I was going to get blown-out. I understand too, that Father Time has the ultimate 2-minute offense and is undefeated. I don’t care. The fourth quarter is all mine!!!

The clock is ticking, for all of us. Call a play and run it to the best of your ability!

Don’t listen to weak people with no courage. Find your courage and live your best life.

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Why You Should Build Strength First

If you are new to the gym, or have returned after a long absence (Like me!), getting traction in your workouts can be challenging. What I have noticed is, this challenge is as much psychological as it is physical. No one feels great about dragging their unfit physique into a gym full of hardbodies. (By the way, thinking that everyone at the gym is fit, is all in your head. Most feel the same as you. You’re in good company.)

I know it feels like a chore to “force yourself” to go to the gym. I understand that you may feel bad about the way you look (I did, anyway). I know how hard it is to do the work when you feel out of shape. You tire easily. The weights seem heavy and foreboding. The workout seems so tough, and ineffective. After all, you look in the mirror and at the scale every day and you seem to be getting nowhere. Right?

If what I described above sounds familiar, I understand. I was sharing my own experience with you. Now, I want to share with you, how I learned to overcome these feelings to get to a place where I look forward to going to the gym. I want to show you how I went from feeling bad about myself, to getting into great shape and feeling good about the journey. You can do this too, with a simple change in your approach and perception.

The value of strength-training

I share this one concept all the time, cardio exercises are good for you, but they are not the way to go to burn fat and build a shapely body. Before anyone gets upset with me, let me say yes, cardio exercises are good for you. These exercises are good for overall health and fitness and they do burn calories.

That being said, if you want to lose more than 20 lbs. I would suggest putting cardio on the back-burner for the moment. If you want to learn more about burning calories, I discuss this in other posts. Feel free to check them out. For now, I want to concentrate on using strength-training to kick-start your new routine.

The great value of strength training for newcomers and the newly returned, is twofold. The first benefit is physical. Strength-building workouts, especially in the beginning, are not going to be long workouts. This is good when you are just getting started. You get in, do your thing and go. Also, those who are not used to working out will notice something interesting. Your strength will increase rather quickly. This brings us to our second benefit, the psychological boost.

“Hey, look what I can do!”

The psychological benefit of early strength-training is as simple as it is effective. As Tony Robbins likes to point out, “Humans are happiest when they are making progress.” I find this to be true, and the easiest way to make real and measurable progress in the gym is by building strength.

You may not see the results on the scale, right away. It may take a bit of time to see the changes in the mirror. But, if you want to see real, and measurable progress almost immediately, you will find this progress in your strength.

In short-order, if you make the effort to do so, you will see rapid improvement in your strength. Now, I realize that many of you joined the gym to lose weight, not build strength. I get that. However, in order to achieve your fitness goals, you will need to work hard, consistently, over time. This will take commitment on your part. It will also take a strong, muscle base which can pull you through the tough workouts. It will also require a positive mental attitude. Both of these elements will be improved as you see your strength grow.

Each week, as you go through your workouts, add more weight, more repetitions and even more sets. Do this a little at a time. You WILL impress yourself. You will be amazed at what you can do. Write down your exercises, weights used, and number of sets. Start this from day one. Each week you will be pleased and encouraged at your progress. After 2 months, look back at what you were capable of during the first week. You will be blown away! It happens that fast.

What happens as I get stronger?

Here’s the cool thing. At first, you may not see much movement on the scale. That’s ok. This is because, even as you burn fat, you are gaining muscle. What you WILL notice, and this surprises everyone, is how your clothes will fit.

You see, as you lose fat and gain muscle, you shrink. Yep! This is because muscle is denser than fat and therefore takes up less space. This is also why muscle doesn’t jiggle, like fat. As your body shrinks, your confidence will grow. You will begin to love the gym and want to go more often, stay longer and work harder.

I know all of this from experience. I love what the gym does for me and I want you to love it too. You will. Get there and get stronger. Everything you want to do will flow comfortably from your newfound strength, even adding cardio exercises!

Now, Go Get ‘Em!

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Your Workouts Are Misguided

Well then, that sounded harsh, didn’t it? I realize how this sounds, so let me clarify. This post is not intended for everyone. It is intended for those of you who are working hard, being dedicated, trying to lose weight and get that great mid-section, but are having little or no success. I write this because I care. I write this because I see people at the gym, every single day, doing all the wrong things. These workouts are ineffective for the task-at-hand.

When I see someone with a 60-inch waist doing crunches, I cringe. I see people who are 30, 50, 100 lbs. overweight doing “toning” exercises. These exercises are for putting the final touches on a trim, fit physique. If you have read my previous posts, you know that I discuss things repeatedly. Well, until we all get on the same page, and are ready to move on, I feel obligated to keep hounding folks with the information that they so desperately need.

WHY are these workouts ineffective?

Now, I know many of you are reading this and thinking, “Wait a minute. I read this article, book, blog post, etc. written by a successful bodybuilder, athlete, fitness model, etc. They said that this is what they do, and they look great!” Fair enough. Let me explain.

As I mentioned above, these are fine-tuning exercises. I have no doubt that the person who wrote the article, uses these exercises effectively. I have done so myself. However, you need to understand that your current situation, and the situation in which this person used these methods, may be very different.

Let’s look at it this way, all exercises are simply tools we use to do a job. Even if you have a great tool and expert advice on how to use that tool, you still need to ask yourself a very basic question. Is this the right tool for the job? There is a reason you don’t use a power drill to bang nails into wood, or a chainsaw to cut your ham sandwich. It’s not the quality of the tool, it’s the application. Always use the right tool for the job.

What are YOU doing wrong?

You may be doing nothing wrong, but if you are trying to trim your waist by doing multiple versions of crunches, or other ab-tightening exercises, you are making things far tougher than they need to be. Exercises created to “target” the abdominal muscles will strengthen those muscles. However, these exercises are extremely inefficient for stripping away the body fat which covers your abs. Also, these exercises are tough, even when you are fit.

The reason I get so upset when I see people doing these exercises is, I feel like a carpenter watching someone try to knock down a concrete wall with a ball-peen hammer. They work, and struggle and suffer, but get nowhere.

What to do

If you want to make your waist-trimming workouts more efficient and effective, there are some easy changes you can make. Stop working your abs. There is no such thing as target training. (This I discuss in many posts and I go into this more in my book as well.) Target training is an attempt to work fat off of a particular part of the body by training that body part. This doesn’t work. Nature, not you, will decide what fat will be burned for energy to fuel your workouts.

That being the case, what you need to do, is train to burn as many calories as possible. That way, you will become leaner overall. No matter where the fat is burned off of first, eventually, if you keep at it, your abs will be uncovered and revealed for the world to see!

What exercises burn the most calories?

This is the ultimate secret (although I share it constantly). The secret to burning massive amounts of calories in record time is, train your legs with heavy weight! Yes. Do this. Trust me.

The first thing women say is, “I don’t want my legs to get bulky.” I understand. If you do this right, they will NOT get bulky. In fact, most women who follow my methods, find that their legs get smaller!!!

This explanation is a bit involved. It is also the main theme of my book. If you need those extra details, and the exercises, and the routines and so much more, it’s all in the book. You can also simply keep checking back to this blog. Read over the other posts. You’ll find what you need. If there is something you would like me to address, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Thank you and happy training!

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Drop the Bricks if You Want to Succeed

You have a goal. You want to succeed. Do you want to succeed as soon as possible? If so, drop the damned bricks!!!

(I am including this post on both of my blogs, because it is appropriate for both, “You are Stronger than You can Possibly Imagine” and “Phoenix Fit”. Readers of each will benefit from this message.)

Dropping your bricks will help you move faster

We are all carrying bricks and these bricks are slowing us down. The bricks are anything that is impeding our progress, making it more difficult to succeed. If you want to succeed, you need to make a commitment. You need to make the best use of your time and you need to eliminate the things that make success difficult.

Whatever your goal, you should be asking yourself one question over and over again, all day, every day. What’s the question? Simple. “Is what I am doing at this very moment, moving me closer to, or farther from, my goal?” That’s it. Ask yourself that question, and when you know the answer, act accordingly.

What are your bricks?

So, what are these bricks anyway? Well, these are the things that hold us back from our goals. For instance, fear and self-doubt are pure baggage and prevent us from taking the risks necessary to succeed in many endeavors. As for fitness, junk food and poor sleep habits make success in the gym far less likely.

Most of the bricks are universally damaging to basically any goal and we need to drop them now. The reason I refer to these impediments to our success as bricks is because we carry them around, metaphorically, like a sack of bricks. They weigh us down and slow our progress.

It’s like we are running toward our goal. We can see it far ahead of us. We want to run as fast as we can to get there as soon as possible because our lives will be better when we get there. However, we are lugging this heavy sack of bricks with us everywhere we go. It drags us down and slows us. The strap is digging into our shoulders, yet we refuse to simply drop it, even though we can.

Can we simply set the sack of bricks down?

Well, yes.

Oh, come on! Is it really as easy as that? Just set the sack down?

That’s a fair question. Let’s take a look and see. Since I am writing this for the fitness crowd as well as the life-goal crowd, I’ll split the two for this section.

Fitness:

What bricks are in this sack?

1. Junk food

2. Alcohol

3. Procrastination

4. Poor sleep habits

5. Excuses

Can we drop these bricks? Sure. No one will make you eat junk food or drink alcohol. It may be tempting, and you may be in the habit of consuming both, but why would you continue? It’s no secret that both of these provide useless, empty calories. The next time you are about to pick up a beer or a burger, ask yourself, “Do I want this, or that chiseled beach-body I have been working so hard to create?” Then, set the burger, beer and brick down.

Procrastination. I’ll get around to discussing this one later. (Just kidding) This one, like alcohol, is a problem for achieving any goal. Like alcohol, this will keep you from your goals longer simply by wasting time. Both of these bricks steal time. Use your time to work on your goals and you will make them a reality. How hard is it to drop this brick? Get to the gym…NOW!

Proper rest and sleep are necessary for recovery when working out. Staying up late, watching T.V. (another brick) or drinking, or both, will rob you of your sleep. Drop the brick and get to bed on time. If you are well rested, you will get more done.

Excuses are the first brick to drop no matter what you are trying to do. Again, how tough is it to drop this brick? No excuse is valid. Quit complaining and do what needs to be done. If you refuse to drop this brick, you’ll get nothing done because . . . (insert B.S. excuse here) will prevent your success. I say the following every day.

“Excuses are lies that we tell ourselves to give ourselves permission to quit.”

Drop that stupid, worthless brick and move on! Next . . .

Life-Goal:

What bricks are in this sack?

Well, there are a few duplicates here. No need to double-up. But there are a few must-mentions here.

1. Fear

2. Self-Pity

3. Self-doubt

4. Ego

5. Plan B

6. Alcohol

7. Procrastination

8. Excuses

Of course, there are more, but I think you’ll get the idea with these.

Fear of failure is a huge killer of dreams. Look, in order to succeed, you MUST come to terms with a simple idea. Everyone fails, and successful people fail more than most. The reason they fail so often, is because they take more risks. The more risks you take, the more failures you will have. However, you will also have more successes. That’s simply the way life works. If you want to succeed, you MUST drop the brick of fear.

A close personal friend of fear, is self-pity. This has to be one of the greatest wastes of time and energy ever! Quit your crying! Everyone has tough times. YES! EVERYONE! Get over it. Sometimes things go wrong and our plans don’t work out. Let it go. Learn from failures, hard times and disappointments and use this knowledge to be stronger, wiser and better. Drop this brick right now. It has only one use, slowing you down!

Another self-imposed obstacle we tend to carry with us is self-doubt. The sooner you drop this brick and begin to fail your way to success, the sooner you will begin to build confidence. Take the chances, fail repeatedly until you succeed. Once you succeed, you will see that you are as capable as anyone and self-doubt will be gone for good!

Ego is another ridiculous brick to carry, and here is how it slows you down. It will partner with fear to prevent you from taking the necessary risks needed to succeed. You will hold back from trying because you may fail and look bad. So the hell what??? Fail, look bad, repeat. Keep doing this amid people laughing at you. Here is another quote of mine you may like.

“If you have a big dream, first they will laugh at you, then they will pity you, if you never give up, eventually, they will admire you.”

Drop the brick.

The last brick I want to address, that you need to drop is, any “Plan B”.

This is your back-up plan, your safety net. You must eliminate this. As Will Smith says,

“I never have a Plan B, it distracts from Plan A?”

You see, if you have a safe retreat, you will use it when the going gets tough. (Spoiler alert: It WILL get tough!)

I love the example I created for this. (There’s my ego talking.)

Most people think they can’t run a 100-yard dash with a broken leg. They are wrong. If you break your leg because you fell, running from a rapidly approaching forest fire, with safety 100 yards away, I bet you’d run your fastest 100-yard dash ever. (Especially if you have dropped all your bricks!)

So, drop your bricks and lighten your load. Run toward your goals freely and without any useless burden. Live life on your terms.

It’s all up to you!

The Gym Reduces Stress

If you want to reduce stress, get to the gym! Life can really test our resolve. Sometimes, we feel like we will explode from the pressures created by work, family, finances, etc. Everyone needs a way to let off some steam. The gym is a perfect place to start.

No time for the gym!

I cannot tell you how important physical activity is for reducing stress. I learned this lesson in college and I have used it ever since. During finals week, freshman year, I got myself into an academic jam. I had gotten behind in my classes. My grades were not what they should’ve been. I needed to do very well on my finals. I was stressed. I knew I didn’t have time to do the studying necessary and complete the papers I needed to write. This was bad.

A friend stopped by my dorm room as I was preparing to head to the library. He asked me to go to the gym with him. I explained my situation. He said the workout would do me some good. In a moment of procrastinating weakness, I agreed to go. I am so glad I did!

Lesson learned

I went to the gym and worked out for an hour. I was so stressed. I worked out my stress in that gym, and I pushed extremely hard. By the time I was finished, I was exhausted. I could barely walk back to the dorm. Great, I thought, I just lost an hour, and now I’m too tired to focus. Ah, but I was wrong.

I got a shower and ate dinner. I walked back to my dorm room and looked at my books. I noticed something strange. The stress was gone! I looked at my stack of work and thought, OK. What’s first! I felt amazing. I had new-found energy and focus.

 A new routine

I had such a productive evening with my schoolwork, that I decided to workout each day before studying. It worked like a charm! I brought all my grades up and learned the greatest lesson of all. I learned that taking time to hit the gym real hard, calmed me, and gave me renewed energy and a wonderful new attitude.

(Training hard this way releases endorphins into the system. This creates a very relaxed and euphoric feeling.)

These days, I like to make a habit of getting to the gym regularly. Plus, now I know, when things really get to me, all I need to do to get my focus back, is train the stress out of my system. Give it a try. I think you’ll like the results!

Gym Success for Beginners

Succeeding in the gym is so much easier than you think!

It’s the beginning of a new year and that means it’s time to finally get in shape . . . you know, like you promised yourself you would last year. OK. That seemed harsh, but maybe the time has come for some tough love. I want you to succeed. You can succeed, but in order to do so, you will have to stop doing the things that experience has proven, do not work.

Let’s keep this simple. Do the five things listed below, and you will see changes in your attitude toward fitness and in the results you experience. This stuff is not very complicated. You can do this if it is important to you. Let’s get started!

1: Create a daily routine

Making workouts a part of your daily life is not as difficult as people make it out to be. (I share this idea in most of my posts. You really need to accept this.) Go to the gym every day (5 days per week) at the same time and stay for one hour. After about 2 weeks, it will become automatic.

Believe it or not, once you have done this for 2 weeks, you have conquered your greatest obstacle to getting the body you want! I’m completely serious! That’s all it takes to set you on the path to amazing results. Now, let’s see what else you can do to improve your chances of success.

2: Stick to the basics

This is a HUGE issue for beginners! I cannot tell you how often I see newcomers to the gym doing exotic exercises, or fine-tuning exercises that are meant for bodybuilding competitors. This makes no sense. It’s like signing up for Karate lessons and trying to break a brick with your forehead on the first day. (Probably not a good idea.)

You should only do simple, basic exercises for each body part. Get into a good, consistent routine. Learn to do these exercises properly and safely. Get stronger, and improve your endurance before moving to any, more challenging, exercises or routines. You are in this for the results, not to prove anything to anyone.

3: Alter your diet

If you’re training wisely, you should also eat wisely. Don’t put cheap gas in a good car. Try to begin adding good, healthy foods into your diet. Then, slowly begin removing the high-calorie, unhealthy foods. Think of food as fuel more than a source of pleasure.

You can still enjoy a tasty meal, once per week. Just try to avoid eating yummy, but unhealthy, foods for each meal. Also, eat 5 or 6 small meals every 2 hours or so. This will speed up your metabolism and it will shrink your stomach.

4: A new mental approach

Rather than thinking of fitness as something to be suffered through, to get where you want to be, try to make this an enjoyable journey. Start doing things on a regular basis which are both physical AND fun. Get outside and enjoy yourself!

In the gym, if you are trying to “get in shape” or lose weight, try this. Start by building strength. This is where you will see results first. This is important because when you see progress, it will make you feel good about what you are doing. You will want to improve more, and you will find yourself motivated to work out.

The next thing that will happen is, you will begin to see muscles develop. This is cool for everyone, but I love when women experience this and find that they like the experience more than they had expected. I love seeing anyone get excited about their progress.

5: Be patient

Look, what I’m asking you to do WILL work. It will also take some time. Learning, or building, anything worthwhile will take time, dedication, effort and consistency. There is a reason that so many people quit the gym so easily. I don’t care what excuse they give, the reality is, they just couldn’t make the commitment.

You can do this. If you follow the steps above, you will be surprised at what you can do. I believe in these steps. I believe in you.

Do you believe in you?

Sculpting Magnificent Abs

Creating a sexy midsection is something so many people want to do, try to do, and fail to accomplish. Why does this seem so difficult? The answer is simple. They do everything wrong. I know that this sounds discouraging, however, this is the good news!

Why is it good news to be told that you are doing everything wrong? Because this means you can fix the problem. You see, if you were doing everything correctly, and still failing, what do you do then? In this case, all you need to do is change your approach.

How to train your abs

The first thing you need to understand is that, you have nice abs, they simply need to be revealed. I go into this in more detail in my post “The Surprising Truth About Your Abs”. The idea here is that in order to reveal your abs, you don’t train your abs. You merely need to burn off as many calories as possible so that you no longer have belly fat covering your abs. In a more recent post Get Your 2019 Beach-Body in 5 Steps + “The Ultimate Fat-Burning Secret!” you will learn the best technique to burn calories fast. Today, we will look at some great exercises and techniques for strengthening and shaping your abs.

The exercises:

Once you have eliminated the fat from your midsection, you will be able to see those beautiful abs. Now the work you have done on them will be evident. The following exercises are the basics for what you need to create awesome abs. You can start now by adding the first two exercises. Crunches/sit-ups, and hanging leg raises.

Do one of these exercises in the beginning of the week and the other later in the week. You will be learning the technique and strengthening your muscles. There’s no need to rush.

The following exercises and illustrations are from my book “The Ultimate Secret Weapon of Fitness for Women”.   

Exercises:

    Crunches/Sit-ups:

    Hanging Leg Raises:

    Twisting Sit-ups:

    Cable Crunches:

Let’s look at the form for your first two exercises.

Work your way up to doing each of these exercises for 4 sets of ten reps each. Then advance to 4 sets of 20 reps each. Once you feel ready, you can add weight resistance to these exercises. I used heavy weight and did sets 4 to 6 sets of only 10 repetitions. On occasion, I would go very heavy for sets of 5 repetitions. This was to increase the size and strength of the abdominal muscles to make them stand out. These methods proved very effective.

Remember, start out slowly and work your way up.

Ø  Crunches/Sit-Ups: This will work your upper abdominal muscles.

You can do crunches and sit-ups safely and effectively in two ways. You should do these with your arms crossed over your chest. (Never hold the back of your head. You will strain your neck.

The difference between the full sit-up and the crunch is simple. To complete a full sit-up, you will start out lying flat and stretched-out. You will then use your abs to bring your upper-body to the full, upright position.

For crunches, rather than pulling your upper-body all the way to an upright position, you will flex your abs tightly to curl your midsection, as though you were trying to pull your abs to your hips. You will look like you are trying to fold your upper-body in half, like an armadillo in defense-mode.

To add weight resistance, you can do the full sit-up (on a decline) while holding weights on your chest. Add weight slowly and gradually. You will be surprised at how strong you can get.

Ø  Hanging Leg Raises: This exercise works your lower abs.

Most gyms have the equipment for this. If not, you can do these while hanging by your hands from a chin-up bar. Usually, you will be in a position where your bodyweight is supported by your elbows, with your back against a pad for support. (Pictured here.) Your legs will be hanging straight down, feet together. This is the starting point.

Simply pull your knees up toward your chest until your thighs are parallel to the ground. This is the mid-point. Return to starting point. This is one repetition.

There are many variations to this exercise. You can use a twisting motion to bring your knees up to one side and then the other. You can lift your legs in a pike position (pictured above). Or, to use weight resistance, you can hold a dumbbell between your feet and pull your knees toward you. This is challenging and effective.

In the beginning, this is all you will need to do. As you get better and better at these exercises, you will want to do both exercises on the same day. You will also want to do them twice per week.

Once you are ready to add exercises to your abdominal routine, you can incorporate the following exercises.

Ø  Twisting Sit-ups:

This version of the sit-up will work all of your abdominal muscles and incorporate your obliques (sides).

This is simply a slight variation of the full sit-up. Lay back on the bench or floor with your arms crossed over your chest and knees bent. This is your stating point. Pull yourself up and bring your right elbow up to meet your left knee. This is the mid-point. Then return to your starting point. Next, bring your left elbow up to your right knee and return to the starting point. That is one full repetition.

You can also use the crunch-method for this exercise if you prefer. Again, I like the full sit-up for this because I like the full range of motion. If you feel that full sit-ups are causing discomfort in your back, switch to crunches and see if that alleviates the pain. I have not experienced any issues with my back, due to the full sit-up, so I continue with this method.

I do not use weight resistance with this exercise.

Ø  Cable Crunches:

The cable crunches work the same as sit-ups. On the cable-crossover machine, use a double ended rope for this exercise. (Your gym should have one). Grab the ends of the rope and kneel down. The weights (light weights) should be lifted at this point. Hold the rope, with your wrists at your forehead. This is your starting point.

Now, bend at the waist, in a crunching motion, to bring your head toward your knees. Return to starting point. That is one repetition.
For great Abs,
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There is no mystery to creating great abs. Eat a healthy diet and burn off any excess fat by training your entire body with intensity. Shape and sculpt your abdominal muscles to your liking by incorporating the exercises above. As you progress, you will see your abs taking shape. When this happens, you can adjust your training methods accordingly to create the look you want.

You are an artist and your body will be your masterpiece. You can do this!!!

Get your Beach-Body in 5 Steps + “The Ultimate Fat-Burning Secret!

It’s time to get started on that beach body, and I mean RIGHT NOW! Do you promise, every year, that next year, you’ll be ready for the beach on the first day of summer? How has that worked out for you? For those of you who said, “AWESOME!”, I say, “AWESOME” right back at-cha! For those who said, um . . . well . . . I say, “let's change that now.

(For safety, before you enter into any nutritional or exercise program, talk to your doctor. Also, make sure that you have a qualified personal trainer teach you the proper form to do any exercises. Be safe!)

Step 1: Start NOW!

I live in the northeast and every year I am amazed at how many people pour into the gym on the first warm day of spring. Summer is weeks away, and the masses return to the gym to work on their “beach body”. Ugh . . . where have you been??? You are months behind and you want to get in shape now?

If you want to be beach ready by the start of summer, the best news is, if you read this today, (Jan 11, 2019) that you have plenty of time to make significant changes before summer. If you are reading this much later, then start now anyway. You will still make the changes you want. Hey, the bright side? You get another summer next year! Either way, start NOW!

Step 2: Get your mind right

If you want to succeed in creating the body you really want, DO NOT rush! This is the biggest mistake people always make. If you want real and lasting results, be practical and consistent. Do the right things each day. This is a lifestyle change, and a great one. This goes for working out, and eating.

When you rush, problems occur. Think of it like waking up late for work, then rushing to get there on time. Oh, what could go wrong? (Insert list of possible problems here.) It will be the same if you rush to get fit. However, if you start moving forward, in a controlled manner, you will keep closing in on your goal until you are there. Keep your focus on what you need to do each day, rather than how far you have to go, and before you know it, you’re there!

Step 3: Nutrition

NO FAD DIETS!!! (See step #2) Fad diets (really, all diets) are a bunch of B.S. (Check my other posts for more on this.) Remember, you need to do this wisely and safely. This is a process, and you cannot rush this if you want real results. I will show you how to speed this up in Step #5.

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Start by adding healthy foods first, then begin removing the high-calorie foods that are holding you back. Do this a little at a time so you won’t get discouraged and quit. By the time summer rolls around, you should be eating a healthy diet all the time. There will be an exception to this diet. You should have 2 cheats per week. Have a cheat on Wednesday, and one on the weekend.

This system is amazingly effective and easy to maintain. First, a “cheat” is an entree or a snack, that you otherwise would not have. It is not an all-day binge. Second, you can start by having 4 cheats a week and work your way down to 2. I found that having a treat to look forward to made eating healthy easier.

Step 4: Work out!

Make a daily habit out of going to the gym. Go every weekday, at the same time each day, if possible. Work out for 1 hour each day. I mean work out! Don’t go to the gym to text, play with your music or socialize. You can socialize at the beach while everyone asks you where you work out, and what is your secret?

Quick gym-tip: The best way to use your smartphone at the gym? Put it in the locker!

When you begin, stick to the basics. Too many people come into the gym with a magazine article and they do all sorts of exotic (ridiculous) “exercises”. Learn the basics and get good at them. You are trying to get fit, not win a Mr. Olympia title.

Step 5: The BIG Secret! The FASTEST way EVER to burn calories is . . .

Here we go. I am giving you the greatest fitness secret ever. I just wish for you to use this. I can’t believe how many people don’t. They just won’t try. It makes me sad. I can tell you this, everyone I know who has used this secret, has had spectacular results. Ready?

The fastest way to burn calories is to train your legs with heavy weights! YES. YES. YES. This works and it works like nothing I have ever seen. You have to do this properly, to be safe and effective. You have to do this consistently (For 2 months max) to get the best results. And, you have to do this with intensity!

Here’s why this works. Your legs are your biggest muscles. They demand the most calories when worked. The more weight you move, the more calories you burn. 

Just think about the muscles at work when you do cardio exercises, running, biking, stair climbing. You are using your leg muscles. However, you are using them in a superficial way. Training with heavy weight, helps you to hit those same muscle fibers all the way to the core. This will burn far more calories.

NO ladies, your legs will not get bulky!!!

Women always ask about this, that’s why I directed this one to the ladies. (I hope I don’t offend anyone. I want everyone to succeed.) To build up muscle you need more calories. Since you will be eating healthier, these workouts will burn off all of the food you take in, any fat you may have stored and I found that if I keep training like this, I burn off muscle next. MY legs got smaller doing this!

As long as you eat right and train your legs (with heavy weight) 2 times per week, you will burn calories very fast. If you train your legs like this only once a week, that may give your leg muscles time to grow, but only if you eat enough.

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All Diets Are Bull***!

This one will get me into trouble, but I don’t care! I write about this all the time. I know I repeat myself on this topic, but that’s only because there are far too many people out there that still don’t realize how bad diets are. I hate seeing people fall for these scams. I hate seeing people be victimized.

Diet’s are complete B.S. They all do the same thing. They make big promises. They convince you that, “This time, this time, it will work. THIS is the one true answer!” But they all only do one thing, when you get right down to it, they get you to take in fewer calories than you are burning off. But that’s the problem.

You are burning off more calories than you are taking in . . .for the moment. However, all this does is help you lose weight, temporarily. Eventually your body will slow down your metabolism, and you will gain the weight back. I have written about this in several previous posts. I won’t rehash this point. Today, I want to share an alternative, moderation. (GHASP!)

Psst . . .Carbs are good!

OK. You already know that carbs taste good. Bread, rice pasta and so forth are delicious. Unfortunately, the diet-selling maniacs, in their quest to make big money fast, have sold the public a fairy-tail about the evils of carbs. Well, it’s time for this to stop!

First of all, how can any diet that preaches, pork rinds are good and apples are bad, maintain any validity? Are we so ready to believe what we want to believe, that we throw common sense out the window? What’s that? I can live on a diet of bacon? Yes. Yes, that does make good sense. (Facepalm)

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I eat carbs. I always have and I always will. I am just now returning to the gym after a long absence. I had several surgeries to repair some sports related injuries. (Football and ice-hockey, not gym related injuries.) During my layoff from the gym, I gained 20 lbs. and lost a lot of muscle. The reason I wanted to share this is because while I was at my peak (at 5% body-fat) and eating pasta and rice every day, people told me I was lucky and that I had a “special” metabolism. (Facepalm #2) You see, I needed the carbs, to fuel my workouts.

No carbs, no power

I accidentally went carb-free for about 2 weeks. I was in bulk-up mode. I wanted to add a few pounds of muscle before the summer months. I started taking protein drinks 3 times a day. I was eating egg whites, chicken, turkey and cottage cheese all day every day. I wanted that all important muscle building-protein. Seemed like a good idea.

The problem was, without even realizing it, I had eliminated carbohydrates from my diet. I was so busy, buying, preparing and eating protein, that I didn’t think about the carbs I was missing. One day, I was doing bench presses. I put my warm-up weight on the bar. I should have been able to do 30 repetitions easily. I struggled to do 10 reps.

I didn’t know what was going on. I had been running low on energy for a few days now. I felt so weak. I knew I had enough rest and sleep. I was eating my high protein diet. What was wrong? Was I sick? Then, as I sat on the end of the bench, it hit me! Oh shoot! I haven’t eaten any carbohydrates in 2 weeks!

Problem solved

I got up and went home to eat dinner. I made a big plate of spaghetti. The next day. I was throwing weights around like a beast! Well, I’m not a big guy. I was a little beast. (Hey, my teachers used to call me that!) Anyway, I realized then, just how important my carbs were.

I know that many of you want to avoid the carbs because you have been told that they get converted to fat and stored. Yes, that can happen. But that only happens when you take in more than you need for energy. Carbs are fuel for energy, and that’s why your body wants to keep them for later. If you eat only what you need, and get regular exercise, you’ll be fine.

The moral of this lesson?

Forget anything extreme. All things in moderation. Check out some more of my posts for details on exercise and nutrition. And remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Eat a well-rounded and healthy diet. You’ll look better, you’ll feel better, and you’ll be healthier too!

Fitness is for the Birds: 3 Cool Recipes

If you follow my blogs, videos, tweets or read my book, you’ll know that I don’t like “Diets”. By diets, I mean any “nutritional plan” that has a name. I do not like anything extreme. I prefer wise moderation to anything over-the-top.

There is a trick to moderation, however, and that’s why I wrote the blog post, “Diets Suck”. Here I explain how to transition wisely into healthier eating. I also explain the importance of incorporating “cheats” into your week. This will help create a structure to your moderation. I needed that structure for myself. I created these methods and they worked for me. I decided to share. I hope they work for you as well.

One of the things I noticed is, I don’t really like much in the way of healthy food. I’m a quirky eater. (I don’t eat seafood. Yes. I know that’s weird.) So, I need to get creative. I came up with a few dishes that I really enjoy. They are reasonably low in fat and high in protein. I need to warn you, I am NOT the type to get out a scale and carefully monitor my micro-nutrients. And, yes, I eat carbs! That’s where energy comes from. I write a lot about that subject. For now, I want to share 3 simple meals that I hope you will enjoy.

These meals are easy, and I happen to like them. I am a bachelor. Some of you are grown-ups and may prefer other choices. I understand. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you will want to skip this post.

For those of you who are fitness fanatics and watch every calorie and/or nutrient, you may be disappointed as well. These dishes were my standards when I was in my 40’s and at 5% body fat, so I stand by these options.

Baked Chicken

Ok, this is the simplest meal ever. This is the base of my nutritional plan. Chicken is high in protein, low in fat and simple to make. I use skinless chicken. Baked, boneless, skinless chicken is rather bland, but it gets the job done (for me anyway).

For flavor, I prefer to use spices rather than cheeses, sauces or frying the chicken in oil. What I usually do, is shake some creole seasoning onto the chicken before I bake it. I will not tell you on what temperature, or for how long, to bake the chicken. The reason for that is simple. I am paranoid with poultry. I always overcook my chicken. I usually end up with chicken cookies.

I usually steam frozen green beans and corn. (Yeah, I know…corn. I don’t care. I like it!) Instead of butter, I got into the habit of topping my vegetables with a drizzle of olive oil.

Not so Sloppy, Wades

This is a new spin on an old classic. I never ate Sloppy Joes as a kid, but even then, I could see the obvious flaw. I mean really, it’s right there in the name. You know it’s going to be a mess! Too messy for me! I created a better version of this dish. I call the upgraded version, Neat Wades. (After me of course.)

For this one, we will use the standard Sloppy Joe mix in a can. We will replace the ground beef, with 1 lb. of 99% fat-free turkey.

Simply put the turkey in a large sauce-pan with some water. This is important because the turkey is so lean. It is very dry and will stick to the pan otherwise. Over medium heat, continue mixing the turkey until it turns white. Drain the water and add the Sloppy Joe sauce. Mix in thoroughly over medium heat. For extra flavor (You’ll need it. It really loses something without the beef.) I add sriracha sauce. Cook this in as well, mixing for about 5 minutes.

Now, here’s where my genius comes into play. Rather than spooning this messy mix onto a round roll (I mean REALLY???) I use a hot dog roll. This will cradle the loose meat better, and create less mess. Depending on how strict your diet is, you may want to take 1 slice of pepper-jack cheese, tear it in half and use it to cover the seam in the hot dog bun. This will prevent the meat from sopping through, and it adds a little zip.

I usually serve these with some small pretzels, which I also use to push any stray meat back onto the roll. See? Brilliant! I drink water with all of my meals. I need to stay hydrated, it has no calories and it helps fill me up.

Spaghurkey

OK. I have saved the best for last. This one made me an instant hero at a pot-luck at my old job. Ready for a testimonial? Try this:

“I’m not too proud to say, I was eating this with my hands at a stoplight on the way home from the pot-luck.”

(Co-worker which I won’t name.)

This one too, is incredibly easy. It’s just equal parts, ground turkey, pasta sauce, and angel hair pasta.

Simply cook the ground turkey (just as with the Neat Wades) and boil the pasta. (You can decide how much pasta. I add or subtract depending on my energy needs. If I am really training hard, I add more. If I’m cutting weight, I use less.)

Now, this is the important part. You can decide how much of what seasoning you want, but I’ll tell you what I do. I put a little olive oil in a sauce-pan with some minced garlic. (Go easy, I chased my roommates out of the house with this in my younger days.) I heat this up for a few minutes before stirring in one jar of spaghetti sauce. (I’m sorry to all of you I offend with the jar of sauce.)

Next, because I’m lazy, I shake in some dehydrated onion chips. Then I add oregano. Lastly, I add (probably too much, but so worth it) black pepper and crushed red pepper. These really bring it home. People love this and always ask for the recipe. I know I did it right if I sweat when I eat this dish.

Next, I mix the sauce and turkey together in a large pot. I heat and stir this on low heat for a few minutes. Then I stir in the pasta. I cook this for about 10 minutes. I serve some up and put the rest in the fridge. Now, I have an awesome meal I can throw in the microwave whenever I want. You will love this one, I swear!!!

Oh, one last thing. I never make this if I don’t have ant-acids available. (Man am I getting old!)

Enjoy!!