January 2014
Forget About Your Weight Loss Resolution… It Won’t Work!
How do I know it won’t work? Because it didn’t work last year, or the year before…
Why? Here’s why:
1) You don’t have a fitness plan… Seriously. Most people’s plan is to join a gym, as if that’s going to do anything other than drain $20-40 per month from your checkbook. Somehow, just by showing up you’re going to morph into a gym-rat, or that aerobics class full of people is going to suck you in chubby and spit you out thin. “I’m going to join a gym” is just like “I’m going to start investing in the stock market.” What’s your plan???
2) You don’t have a nutrition plan… More exercise alone ain’t gonna cut it… “I’m going low-carb”, “I’m going Paleo”, or “I’m going gluten-free” are not plans either… How many calories do you really need? What is your basal metabolic rate? What are your body’s needs for protein? What balance of exercise and calories will get the fat coming off without over-taxing or under-taxing your body?
3) You don’t have a psychological plan… Huh? What’s THAT? Significant fat loss is a mental/psychological undertaking as much as it is physical or nutritional. WHY do you miss workouts? Why do you like some exercises, and loath others? How do you stay consistent and motivated past January? Why do you make bad food choices when you make them? How do you reward yourself? Do you regularly punish yourself with compulsive exercise, or starvation? Do you allow yourself a cupcake because you had a great workout? WTF???
So many people set weight loss in the top three of their resolutions every year… and fail every year. So many people still believe that starving themselves and flogging themselves with huge volumes of cardio will work… and they are WRONG. So many people hit the weights trying to replicate their old football workouts from 25 years ago… not realizing that their strength coach 25 years ago was an IDIOT. They end up permanently injured or at least set back… then give up. So many people read a work-out plan from a magazine, written by a 30 year old bodybuilder/fitness-model with 15 years of training experience, and jacked up on a bunch of hormones… and assume that they (at age 45) can do the same thing with ZERO training experience, and no performance enhancers… and look like that bodybuilder/fitness-model within 90 days… because that’s what the supplement company who is paying the athlete says.
PLEASE America… If you want to lose fat and get in shape, get a plan.
Educate yourself in fitness, nutrition, and psychology of exercise… Step away from the fad diets, put down Flex/Shape Magazine. Go find a qualified, experienced, full-time professional to build a plan for you from square one. Don’t dabble with your health, or your nutrition. Your only wasting precious time, or setting yourself up for injury.
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
Forget About Your Weight Loss Resolution… It Won’t Work!
How do I know it won’t work? Because it didn’t work last year, or the year before…
Why? Here’s why:
1) You don’t have a fitness plan… Seriously. Most people’s plan is to join a gym, as if that’s going to do anything other than drain $20-40 per month from your checkbook. Somehow, just by showing up you’re going to morph into a gym-rat, or that aerobics class full of people is going to suck you in chubby and spit you out thin. “I’m going to join a gym” is just like “I’m going to start investing in the stock market.” What’s your plan???
2) You don’t have a nutrition plan… More exercise alone ain’t gonna cut it… “I’m going low-carb”, “I’m going Paleo”, or “I’m going gluten-free” are not plans either… How many calories do you really need? What is your basal metabolic rate? What are your body’s needs for protein? What balance of exercise and calories will get the fat coming off without over-taxing or under-taxing your body?
3) You don’t have a psychological plan… Huh? What’s THAT? Significant fat loss is a mental/psychological undertaking as much as it is physical or nutritional. WHY do you miss workouts? Why do you like some exercises, and loath others? How do you stay consistent and motivated past January? Why do you make bad food choices when you make them? How do you reward yourself? Do you regularly punish yourself with compulsive exercise, or starvation? Do you allow yourself a cupcake because you had a great workout? WTF???
So many people set weight loss in the top three of their resolutions every year… and fail every year. So many people still believe that starving themselves and flogging themselves with huge volumes of cardio will work… and they are WRONG. So many people hit the weights trying to replicate their old football workouts from 25 years ago… not realizing that their strength coach 25 years ago was an IDIOT. They end up permanently injured or at least set back… then give up. So many people read a work-out plan from a magazine, written by a 30 year old bodybuilder/fitness-model with 15 years of training experience, and jacked up on a bunch of hormones… and assume that they (at age 45) can do the same thing with ZERO training experience, and no performance enhancers… and look like that bodybuilder/fitness-model within 90 days… because that’s what the supplement company who is paying the athlete says.
PLEASE America… If you want to lose fat and get in shape, get a plan.
Educate yourself in fitness, nutrition, and psychology of exercise… Step away from the fad diets, put down Flex/Shape Magazine. Go find a qualified, experienced, full-time professional to build a plan for you from square one. Don’t dabble with your health, or your nutrition. Your only wasting precious time, or setting yourself up for injury.
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
December 2013 (2)
Guarantee Your New Year’s Weight-loss Resolution!
This year, make your New Year’s Resolution of fitness and fat-loss “bullet-proof”. How do you do that? It seems every year, we resolve to lose the weight… and every New Year we resolve again. Very often it’s because we go about it all wrong!
The typical New Year’s weight-loss plan for the typical American involves two things… deprivation dieting, and flogging yourself with hours of cardio! With the age-old falsehood of “eating less, and moving more will cause weight loss” repeating over and over again like an annoying Christmas song at the mall…
In fact, eating less and moving more is critical… IF you’ve got 50+ pounds to lose. But if you just need to melt off 10-30 pounds like most Americans, your best bet lies in a different strategy.
What’s that strategy? Eat more (but differently), and train LESS (but harder)!!!
Seriously!
Many of my new clients come to me with a metabolism crushed by long term dieting interspersed with binges of over-consumption of sugar (and alcohol)… Their only form of exercise it walking or jogging, and they’ve been doing that forever! And shockingly… their weight-loss has stalled. Frequently, they have sore knees or lower backs, which limit their cardio, and no matter how many calories they cut… they still are stuck at the same weight.
When they come to me, the first thing I do is start pouring larger volumes of food into their systems; low calorie, high nutrition, high protein foods. The second thing I do is cut their cardio volume to 1/3 what they frequently report, but add in interval based strength training. Moderate weights, and short rest-periods. Continual movement, but for only 30-45 minutes at a time!
This year… don’t go back to what has never worked in the past. It’s no wonder so many people’s resolutions fail after only 1-2 months. The gym is packed from early January until mid-February… then by the end of March, it’s the same faces that were there in December.
Nobody can sustain a starvation diet! By common sense, you eventually have to eat again, and when you do, you’ll likely eat garbage out of frustration and craving.
Nobody can sustain massive volumes of cardio either! Life intercedes, and overuse injury catches up. If your weight loss is DEPENDENT on 1-2 hours of cardio per day??? How long can you do that? Typically… a month… then you QUIT.
This year… break the cycle. Make a change. Gain control.
GET RESULTS!
For a crash course in RESULTS… Contact a Burn Fitness Trainer!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
Guarantee Your New Year’s Weight-loss Resolution!
This year, make your New Year’s Resolution of fitness and fat-loss “bullet-proof”. How do you do that? It seems every year, we resolve to lose the weight… and every New Year we resolve again. Very often it’s because we go about it all wrong!
The typical New Year’s weight-loss plan for the typical American involves two things… deprivation dieting, and flogging yourself with hours of cardio! With the age-old falsehood of “eating less, and moving more will cause weight loss” repeating over and over again like an annoying Christmas song at the mall…
In fact, eating less and moving more is critical… IF you’ve got 50+ pounds to lose. But if you just need to melt off 10-30 pounds like most Americans, your best bet lies in a different strategy.
What’s that strategy? Eat more (but differently), and train LESS (but harder)!!!
Seriously!
Many of my new clients come to me with a metabolism crushed by long term dieting interspersed with binges of over-consumption of sugar (and alcohol)… Their only form of exercise it walking or jogging, and they’ve been doing that forever! And shockingly… their weight-loss has stalled. Frequently, they have sore knees or lower backs, which limit their cardio, and no matter how many calories they cut… they still are stuck at the same weight.
When they come to me, the first thing I do is start pouring larger volumes of food into their systems; low calorie, high nutrition, high protein foods. The second thing I do is cut their cardio volume to 1/3 what they frequently report, but add in interval based strength training. Moderate weights, and short rest-periods. Continual movement, but for only 30-45 minutes at a time!
This year… don’t go back to what has never worked in the past. It’s no wonder so many people’s resolutions fail after only 1-2 months. The gym is packed from early January until mid-February… then by the end of March, it’s the same faces that were there in December.
Nobody can sustain a starvation diet! By common sense, you eventually have to eat again, and when you do, you’ll likely eat garbage out of frustration and craving.
Nobody can sustain massive volumes of cardio either! Life intercedes, and overuse injury catches up. If your weight loss is DEPENDENT on 1-2 hours of cardio per day??? How long can you do that? Typically… a month… then you QUIT.
This year… break the cycle. Make a change. Gain control.
GET RESULTS!
For a crash course in RESULTS… Contact a Burn Fitness Trainer!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
December 2013
Top 3 Reasons You’re Not Seeing Results in the Gym
So many of my new clients have been exercising for months, and even years, and not getting the results they expect. They hit the gym regularly and exercise, but after months of work… see little in results. Usually the reason they don’t get the results they are seeking in muscle gain and fat loss, is because they are missing the three basic principles for results! If you’re not seeing the results you’d like to see… make sure you’re applying these principles!
1) Raise the Intensity!
Most people train at too low of a level of intensity to really see results. Going through the motions is the worst thing you can do. I understand that not all workouts are going to be epic, but the majority of them have to be TOUGH! The principle of “progressive overload” (forcing your body with each workout to do a few more reps, or a few more pounds, than the last workout) is critical.
Intensity is also critical to hormone production, and hormones are the key to results! Low intensity training will NOT force your body to produce higher levels of testosterone and growth hormone. Your natural levels will ONLY rise at the highest intensity levels. Reduce your rest between sets or add compound sets and drop-sets to your routine to keep the hormones flowing!
2) Stick with the basics!
Every year, a new fantastic exercise fad hits the market. Every one of them claiming to be the best thing since squats… yet the best physiques on earth are STILL created with squats, lunges, chest presses, rows, and deadlifts! If you have joint issues that limit you, get as close to these basic exercises as you can. Add new and interesting stuff to your routine for variety, and do some “functional” movements to train for balance, correct firing sequence, and stability… but don’t skip the basics!
3) Fuel your body or fail!
Never forget that the best bodies in the gym… are created in the kitchen! The foundation of your house is the most critical part. Without a solid foundation, the most incredible house will crumble in on itself. Your diet is the foundation of your results. Garbage in, is garbage out. If you’re trying to build a great physique with fast food, microwave burritos, and alcohol… you’re never going to see results! Build your body with clean proteins, natural foods, vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables. Fuel up before your workouts, and replenish afterwards! Always remember that fat-loss is not about starvation. To burn fat (and build healthy muscle) you need to increase your metabolism with MORE food, and CLEAN food.
If you find that your workouts are lacking in consistent intensity, that you’re jumping from one exercise fad to the next but don’t understand basic fundamentals of strength training, and that your diet is holding you back… Come see a Burn Fitness Professional! We’ll get all three on track and get you seeing results!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
Top 3 Reasons You’re Not Seeing Results in the Gym
So many of my new clients have been exercising for months, and even years, and not getting the results they expect. They hit the gym regularly and exercise, but after months of work… see little in results. Usually the reason they don’t get the results they are seeking in muscle gain and fat loss, is because they are missing the three basic principles for results! If you’re not seeing the results you’d like to see… make sure you’re applying these principles!
1) Raise the Intensity!
Most people train at too low of a level of intensity to really see results. Going through the motions is the worst thing you can do. I understand that not all workouts are going to be epic, but the majority of them have to be TOUGH! The principle of “progressive overload” (forcing your body with each workout to do a few more reps, or a few more pounds, than the last workout) is critical.
Intensity is also critical to hormone production, and hormones are the key to results! Low intensity training will NOT force your body to produce higher levels of testosterone and growth hormone. Your natural levels will ONLY rise at the highest intensity levels. Reduce your rest between sets or add compound sets and drop-sets to your routine to keep the hormones flowing!
2) Stick with the basics!
Every year, a new fantastic exercise fad hits the market. Every one of them claiming to be the best thing since squats… yet the best physiques on earth are STILL created with squats, lunges, chest presses, rows, and deadlifts! If you have joint issues that limit you, get as close to these basic exercises as you can. Add new and interesting stuff to your routine for variety, and do some “functional” movements to train for balance, correct firing sequence, and stability… but don’t skip the basics!
3) Fuel your body or fail!
Never forget that the best bodies in the gym… are created in the kitchen! The foundation of your house is the most critical part. Without a solid foundation, the most incredible house will crumble in on itself. Your diet is the foundation of your results. Garbage in, is garbage out. If you’re trying to build a great physique with fast food, microwave burritos, and alcohol… you’re never going to see results! Build your body with clean proteins, natural foods, vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables. Fuel up before your workouts, and replenish afterwards! Always remember that fat-loss is not about starvation. To burn fat (and build healthy muscle) you need to increase your metabolism with MORE food, and CLEAN food.
If you find that your workouts are lacking in consistent intensity, that you’re jumping from one exercise fad to the next but don’t understand basic fundamentals of strength training, and that your diet is holding you back… Come see a Burn Fitness Professional! We’ll get all three on track and get you seeing results!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
November 2013
Avoiding Holiday Fat Gain
The holidays are tough for people trying to lose weight/fat. There are a lot of meals that are well out of your ordinary routine, with foods you don’t normally eat, holiday parties and booze, and emotional eating situations brought on by holiday stress. In this issue, I want to address these three big hitters and try to help my readers and clients from getting clobbered by holiday fat!
First… High calorie holiday foods! Pies, Christmas cookies, sweet potato casserole… The secret is to understand how our bodies gain and lose fat, and to have a plan! One meal isn’t going to cause you to gain three pounds. In fact one whole weekend shouldn’t cause three pounds of fat gain. Three pounds is an additional 10,000 Calories over and above your normal steady-state/steady-weight intake. No matter how badly you eat, 10,000 EXTRA Calories is a lot. Your weight gain and loss is going to be effected by your total calories for a week, not day to day. If you KNOW you are going to be eating a big holiday meal, make sure you cut back by a FEW calories per day the days before and after. Don’t starve yourself, because that will just cause you to eat MORE, but just drop your portion sizes a bit before and after. Typically my clients are eating 4-6 meals per day. On Thanksgiving, I’m suggesting they eat 3… because one is going to contain 2-3 meals worth of calories! The day after a holiday meal, get back on routine!
Alcohol is another big hitter during the holidays. All alcohol effectively gets turned to sugar in your system, and sugar is what makes us fatter… so the less, the better! But if you MUST drink, use two rules of thumb: 1) Alternate waters with drinks. Drink a 12oz glass of water in between each alcoholic drink. It will reduce your total alcohol intake, AND reduce your hangover! 2) Opt for lower-sugar options. Clear alcohols typically have less sugar than brown alcohols, and go with sugar free mixers. My favorite is vodka and club soda, flavored with a tiny bit of MIO (sugar free/aspartame free fruit flavors).
Emotional eating is the biggest hitter for some during the holidays. Though they are supposed to be a time of celebration, for many, the holidays bring a mixed bag of happiness and sorrow. Sugary foods in particular raise serotonin levels (pleasure hormones) in the brain, so when we are depressed, we crave sugar. We’re not actually hungry, just looking for a serotonin high to counteract our depression. That stress/depression-induced sugar fix can really add up, when it’s multiplied by the readily available Christmas cookies on every countertop in your life. Solutions?? Stress management! Exercise is one of the best!! Get out and burn off the stress, don’t drown it in sugar!
If you want a great boost during the holidays to keep off the weight, come see a Burn Fitness Trainer…
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
Avoiding Holiday Fat Gain
The holidays are tough for people trying to lose weight/fat. There are a lot of meals that are well out of your ordinary routine, with foods you don’t normally eat, holiday parties and booze, and emotional eating situations brought on by holiday stress. In this issue, I want to address these three big hitters and try to help my readers and clients from getting clobbered by holiday fat!
First… High calorie holiday foods! Pies, Christmas cookies, sweet potato casserole… The secret is to understand how our bodies gain and lose fat, and to have a plan! One meal isn’t going to cause you to gain three pounds. In fact one whole weekend shouldn’t cause three pounds of fat gain. Three pounds is an additional 10,000 Calories over and above your normal steady-state/steady-weight intake. No matter how badly you eat, 10,000 EXTRA Calories is a lot. Your weight gain and loss is going to be effected by your total calories for a week, not day to day. If you KNOW you are going to be eating a big holiday meal, make sure you cut back by a FEW calories per day the days before and after. Don’t starve yourself, because that will just cause you to eat MORE, but just drop your portion sizes a bit before and after. Typically my clients are eating 4-6 meals per day. On Thanksgiving, I’m suggesting they eat 3… because one is going to contain 2-3 meals worth of calories! The day after a holiday meal, get back on routine!
Alcohol is another big hitter during the holidays. All alcohol effectively gets turned to sugar in your system, and sugar is what makes us fatter… so the less, the better! But if you MUST drink, use two rules of thumb: 1) Alternate waters with drinks. Drink a 12oz glass of water in between each alcoholic drink. It will reduce your total alcohol intake, AND reduce your hangover! 2) Opt for lower-sugar options. Clear alcohols typically have less sugar than brown alcohols, and go with sugar free mixers. My favorite is vodka and club soda, flavored with a tiny bit of MIO (sugar free/aspartame free fruit flavors).
Emotional eating is the biggest hitter for some during the holidays. Though they are supposed to be a time of celebration, for many, the holidays bring a mixed bag of happiness and sorrow. Sugary foods in particular raise serotonin levels (pleasure hormones) in the brain, so when we are depressed, we crave sugar. We’re not actually hungry, just looking for a serotonin high to counteract our depression. That stress/depression-induced sugar fix can really add up, when it’s multiplied by the readily available Christmas cookies on every countertop in your life. Solutions?? Stress management! Exercise is one of the best!! Get out and burn off the stress, don’t drown it in sugar!
If you want a great boost during the holidays to keep off the weight, come see a Burn Fitness Trainer…
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
October 2013 (2)
Training Fact vs. Fiction: Spot Reduction
It’s amazing to me in 2013 that the general public still believes that “spot reduction”, losing body fat off of one specific body area, is possible. Unfortunately… many “fitness professionals” and even personal trainers continue to keep this myth alive, be it due to a horrible educational deficiency, or to outright deception to make them money. It’s all over the magazines, the internet, and TV… “Do this MAGIC EXERCISE to lose 3 inches off your waist!” “Take this MAGIC PILL to burn belly fat!” If you hear anybody tell you they have a training technique, or diet, or supplement, or gizmo… that will reduce body fat off of one specific body part… don’t walk away, RUN.
What’s the scientific truth?
The truth is, shy of liposuction, you cannot spot reduce. Your body’s pattern of fat storage is completely genetically predetermined. Your DNA tells your body where excess calories, in the form of fat, will be stored. And unfortunately, the first place that excess fat shows up is the last place it will come off. So, most people’s “trouble area” which is where they gain weight first (and most) is the last place for the fat to leave. Doing hundreds of ab exercises is a good way to strengthen your core, but a horrible way to burn fat belly. Doing five leg workouts per week will REALLY make your legs sore… but burns fat off your arms just as much as it does your legs!
Well… How do you get fat off of that “trouble spot”?
The answer is body-wide fat loss… PERIOD. Correct your balance of calories, nutrients, strength training, and cardio… and hormones… and you WILL lose fat everywhere… including the “trouble spots”.
If spot reduction is impossible, is it possible to change your body’s shape?
YES! You cannot spot-train fat, but you CAN definitely spot-build muscle!
Want a round butt, and a small waist? Burn fat everywhere (lose the waist), and add muscle to your back side… SQUATS and LUNGES! Want nice sculpted arms? Build shoulder and arm muscle… and lose fat everywhere! Your arms will become more defined. Want to trim belly fat? Sure… do ab exercises a few times per week just like you train every other muscle in your body, but understand that squats produce more belly fat loss than crunches! Why??? Because squats impact the largest muscles in your body, at a high intensity level, raising heart rate and hormone output, while building the most fat-burning muscle! Large muscle groups, trained with heavier weights, with less rest, produce the heart-rate, hormone output, and “after-burn” required to max out your fat loss… when combined with proper nutrition!
Six-pack abs, sculpted arms, and toned curvy legs are made just as much in the kitchen as they are in the gym! And the best exercises to attack your “trouble areas” are the same ones required to tone up your best body parts.
If you want a detailed, targeted, scientifically based, proven program… put down the People Magazine… come see a Burn Fitness Trainer…
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
Training Fact vs. Fiction: Spot Reduction
It’s amazing to me in 2013 that the general public still believes that “spot reduction”, losing body fat off of one specific body area, is possible. Unfortunately… many “fitness professionals” and even personal trainers continue to keep this myth alive, be it due to a horrible educational deficiency, or to outright deception to make them money. It’s all over the magazines, the internet, and TV… “Do this MAGIC EXERCISE to lose 3 inches off your waist!” “Take this MAGIC PILL to burn belly fat!” If you hear anybody tell you they have a training technique, or diet, or supplement, or gizmo… that will reduce body fat off of one specific body part… don’t walk away, RUN.
What’s the scientific truth?
The truth is, shy of liposuction, you cannot spot reduce. Your body’s pattern of fat storage is completely genetically predetermined. Your DNA tells your body where excess calories, in the form of fat, will be stored. And unfortunately, the first place that excess fat shows up is the last place it will come off. So, most people’s “trouble area” which is where they gain weight first (and most) is the last place for the fat to leave. Doing hundreds of ab exercises is a good way to strengthen your core, but a horrible way to burn fat belly. Doing five leg workouts per week will REALLY make your legs sore… but burns fat off your arms just as much as it does your legs!
Well… How do you get fat off of that “trouble spot”?
The answer is body-wide fat loss… PERIOD. Correct your balance of calories, nutrients, strength training, and cardio… and hormones… and you WILL lose fat everywhere… including the “trouble spots”.
If spot reduction is impossible, is it possible to change your body’s shape?
YES! You cannot spot-train fat, but you CAN definitely spot-build muscle!
Want a round butt, and a small waist? Burn fat everywhere (lose the waist), and add muscle to your back side… SQUATS and LUNGES! Want nice sculpted arms? Build shoulder and arm muscle… and lose fat everywhere! Your arms will become more defined. Want to trim belly fat? Sure… do ab exercises a few times per week just like you train every other muscle in your body, but understand that squats produce more belly fat loss than crunches! Why??? Because squats impact the largest muscles in your body, at a high intensity level, raising heart rate and hormone output, while building the most fat-burning muscle! Large muscle groups, trained with heavier weights, with less rest, produce the heart-rate, hormone output, and “after-burn” required to max out your fat loss… when combined with proper nutrition!
Six-pack abs, sculpted arms, and toned curvy legs are made just as much in the kitchen as they are in the gym! And the best exercises to attack your “trouble areas” are the same ones required to tone up your best body parts.
If you want a detailed, targeted, scientifically based, proven program… put down the People Magazine… come see a Burn Fitness Trainer…
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
October 2013
IS YOUR WORKOUT HURTING OR HELPING?
So you’ve been psyching yourself up for weeks or months to (re)start and exercise routine, and you finally got in to the gym! The first week, you’re sore… but you push through, knowing that the first week back is the worst! The soreness will subside. Week two and three pass, and the soreness subsides to just a satisfying soreness from 3-4 good sessions per week. You do your strength training, like you should. You do your cardio too. Everything is going GREAT! You start seeing a little muscle pushing through the flab, and the waist line is melting slowly. You fine tune your diet a little more each week, skipping the fast food, and cutting back on sugar, excess fat, and bump up the lean protein! Everything is GREAT! You feel better than you have in years! Your friends start to notice. Your mom asks if you’ve been eating enough!! Heads start turning… You feel great… You look great…
Then it happens…
OUCH!
Whether it’s a shoulder, your low back, a knee, or a wrist… PAIN!!!
You didn’t do anything horrible, but you just woke up to a sore. What happened? Why now? You push through for a week or two, but the pain stays, or gets worse.
Now what???
In my 17 years’ experience… one of two things has happened. 1) Either your exercise intensity is fine, but your form and mechanics are off. Even an exercise that LOOKS correct is being done with the wrong form, and it’s caused an injury. Or, 2) You have an existing, underlying muscle imbalance from inactivity, work, or posture that has been irritated by the exercise, even if done right!
What should you do?
Well if you haven’t started your exercise routine yet… consult with an EXPERIENCED Personal Trainer BEFORE you start. It’s not as simple as just going and working out! And surprise, surprise… the older we get, the easier it is to suffer an exercise-induced injury, and the longer it takes to recover!
If you have already experienced all of the above, and you’re in pain… STOP what you’re doing, and consult with an experienced Personal Trainer! Find a professional who can look at what you’re doing wrong, and fix it! Find a professional that can offer alternative, still effective, exercises to do while you heal. Find a professional who can get you back on track, keep your fitness level moving forward, but also allow the damage to heal and the joint to get strong so it doesn’t happen again!
Exercise-induced injury is NOT a reason to QUIT exercising! You’re NEVER too old, too injured, or too susceptible to exercise. Just don’t keep on doing what CAUSED the injury!
Here at Burn Fitness Training, we have experienced pros who not only can help you train injury-free, but who can work specifically with your injury to speed up recovery… without losing your gains.
Give us a call to find out how!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
IS YOUR WORKOUT HURTING OR HELPING?
So you’ve been psyching yourself up for weeks or months to (re)start and exercise routine, and you finally got in to the gym! The first week, you’re sore… but you push through, knowing that the first week back is the worst! The soreness will subside. Week two and three pass, and the soreness subsides to just a satisfying soreness from 3-4 good sessions per week. You do your strength training, like you should. You do your cardio too. Everything is going GREAT! You start seeing a little muscle pushing through the flab, and the waist line is melting slowly. You fine tune your diet a little more each week, skipping the fast food, and cutting back on sugar, excess fat, and bump up the lean protein! Everything is GREAT! You feel better than you have in years! Your friends start to notice. Your mom asks if you’ve been eating enough!! Heads start turning… You feel great… You look great…
Then it happens…
OUCH!
Whether it’s a shoulder, your low back, a knee, or a wrist… PAIN!!!
You didn’t do anything horrible, but you just woke up to a sore. What happened? Why now? You push through for a week or two, but the pain stays, or gets worse.
Now what???
In my 17 years’ experience… one of two things has happened. 1) Either your exercise intensity is fine, but your form and mechanics are off. Even an exercise that LOOKS correct is being done with the wrong form, and it’s caused an injury. Or, 2) You have an existing, underlying muscle imbalance from inactivity, work, or posture that has been irritated by the exercise, even if done right!
What should you do?
Well if you haven’t started your exercise routine yet… consult with an EXPERIENCED Personal Trainer BEFORE you start. It’s not as simple as just going and working out! And surprise, surprise… the older we get, the easier it is to suffer an exercise-induced injury, and the longer it takes to recover!
If you have already experienced all of the above, and you’re in pain… STOP what you’re doing, and consult with an experienced Personal Trainer! Find a professional who can look at what you’re doing wrong, and fix it! Find a professional that can offer alternative, still effective, exercises to do while you heal. Find a professional who can get you back on track, keep your fitness level moving forward, but also allow the damage to heal and the joint to get strong so it doesn’t happen again!
Exercise-induced injury is NOT a reason to QUIT exercising! You’re NEVER too old, too injured, or too susceptible to exercise. Just don’t keep on doing what CAUSED the injury!
Here at Burn Fitness Training, we have experienced pros who not only can help you train injury-free, but who can work specifically with your injury to speed up recovery… without losing your gains.
Give us a call to find out how!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
September 2013 (2)
Bodybuilding for Every Body?
When most people think of the term “bodybuilding”, the first image in their mind is a hulking steroid monster on stage in a posing suit. In reality, even though it’s the most visible segment of the bodybuilding world, it’s only a tiny portion of the lifestyle and the population who train for muscle and lower body fat.
Another misconception is that bodybuilder’s training is all about appearance and size, without concern for health and function. In reality, again it’s only a small portion of bodybuilders who abuse their bodies for the extremes of growth and appearance. The vast majority eats incredibly healthy clean diets, devoid of preservatives, sweeteners, and processed foods. Athletes train for healthy joints, flexibility, and strength balance because it’s critical to training later into your 40s, 50s, and even 60s! Bodybuilding done right is about as healthy a lifestyle as one can choose, and it’s NOT limited to just the young hard-body types out at the beach!
Take a look at the “bodybuilding” shows these days, and the evolution is evident; you’ll see divisions including not only bodybuilding, but “physique”, “figure”, “bikini” and even “male model”. Basically, every level of muscularity is represented, from the mass-monsters in bodybuilding, to the athletic muscularity (without bulk) of physique and figure, all the way down to the slimmer, lighter model and bikini divisions. All of them train hard with weights, and cardiovascular training, but all with different goals.
The other great thing you’ll see is the age divisions! Most shows are divided into Open (all athletes), Masters (over age 40), and even Grand Masters (over age 50!). You should see the fitness level of some of the men and women, even into their 60s!
Many believe that the “fountain of youth” is in strength training and eating cleanly. The process of aging as we know it is heavily influenced by a more sedentary lifestyle we typically follow as we age. If you stay active, strong, and lean, the body simply ages MUCH more slowly. Strength training improves tendons, ligaments, and cartilage as well as muscle mass. Clean eating staves off digestive issues, heart issues, diabetes, and even cancer!
Is it too late to start???
NEVER! Many of the bodybuilders you see (competitive on non-competitive) didn’t lift a single weight until their later 30s and 40s. In fact, I’ve had clients who started in their 50s, who’ve ended up looking YOUNGER at 60 than they did at 50!
At its very core, “bodybuilding” has evolved from a contest to see who could get biggest and leanest, into a lifestyle of looking and feeling YOUNG for as long as possible! I haven’t stepped on stage myself, however I embrace the bodybuilding lifestyle every day, and with my 43rd birthday coming this month… I feel just as good as I did in my early 30s… and I honestly look BETTER!
If you want to look and feel younger, stronger, and leaner… come see our resident Professional Bodybuilder/Trainer, Lisa! Still rocking a tiny bikini into her, ahem… MID-40s…
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
Bodybuilding for Every Body?
When most people think of the term “bodybuilding”, the first image in their mind is a hulking steroid monster on stage in a posing suit. In reality, even though it’s the most visible segment of the bodybuilding world, it’s only a tiny portion of the lifestyle and the population who train for muscle and lower body fat.
Another misconception is that bodybuilder’s training is all about appearance and size, without concern for health and function. In reality, again it’s only a small portion of bodybuilders who abuse their bodies for the extremes of growth and appearance. The vast majority eats incredibly healthy clean diets, devoid of preservatives, sweeteners, and processed foods. Athletes train for healthy joints, flexibility, and strength balance because it’s critical to training later into your 40s, 50s, and even 60s! Bodybuilding done right is about as healthy a lifestyle as one can choose, and it’s NOT limited to just the young hard-body types out at the beach!
Take a look at the “bodybuilding” shows these days, and the evolution is evident; you’ll see divisions including not only bodybuilding, but “physique”, “figure”, “bikini” and even “male model”. Basically, every level of muscularity is represented, from the mass-monsters in bodybuilding, to the athletic muscularity (without bulk) of physique and figure, all the way down to the slimmer, lighter model and bikini divisions. All of them train hard with weights, and cardiovascular training, but all with different goals.
The other great thing you’ll see is the age divisions! Most shows are divided into Open (all athletes), Masters (over age 40), and even Grand Masters (over age 50!). You should see the fitness level of some of the men and women, even into their 60s!
Many believe that the “fountain of youth” is in strength training and eating cleanly. The process of aging as we know it is heavily influenced by a more sedentary lifestyle we typically follow as we age. If you stay active, strong, and lean, the body simply ages MUCH more slowly. Strength training improves tendons, ligaments, and cartilage as well as muscle mass. Clean eating staves off digestive issues, heart issues, diabetes, and even cancer!
Is it too late to start???
NEVER! Many of the bodybuilders you see (competitive on non-competitive) didn’t lift a single weight until their later 30s and 40s. In fact, I’ve had clients who started in their 50s, who’ve ended up looking YOUNGER at 60 than they did at 50!
At its very core, “bodybuilding” has evolved from a contest to see who could get biggest and leanest, into a lifestyle of looking and feeling YOUNG for as long as possible! I haven’t stepped on stage myself, however I embrace the bodybuilding lifestyle every day, and with my 43rd birthday coming this month… I feel just as good as I did in my early 30s… and I honestly look BETTER!
If you want to look and feel younger, stronger, and leaner… come see our resident Professional Bodybuilder/Trainer, Lisa! Still rocking a tiny bikini into her, ahem… MID-40s…
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
September 2013
Is your workout program the most effective for YOU?
We are constantly barraged about the “latest and greatest” of everything, and exercise is no exception. Every gym, trainer, and guru is pushing a new form of exercise, or re-inventing an old one… to get more customers/clients. But remember, like most things, one size does NOT fit all. And the latest new exercise trend may NOT be the best exercise for you.
When I get a new client in front of me, the first thing we talk about it their personal goals. Why are they talking to me? Why are they here? Very often, they have routines they are already using, including spinning classes, Zumba, distance running, strength training, Crossfit (or some variant), boot-camp classes, the list goes on and on. Why did they choose these workouts? Because a friend was going… because it was convenient for their schedule and was offered at their gym… because they simply were bored and it was the next new thing! Many reasons, but none that address if it’s actually the RIGHT exercise for their goals.
In exercise science, there is one master principle that dictates all else. This principle is called S.A.I.D. which stands for Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand. Simply put, the body will adapt to the demand imposed on it. So, if the demand imposed (the exercise) does not match the goal of the exerciser the body will adapt (change)…but not in the way the exerciser wants! And many times, the physical demands of the exercise type are actually dangerous or counterproductive to the exerciser.
Example:
Let’s say your personal goal is fat-loss, and your gym offers spinning classes (group exercise on stationary bikes). A friend of yours took spinning and lost a bunch of weight… so it MUST be good for you too!
But you sit at a desk for a living, and after years of sitting, you have low back pain. Your low back pain is caused by your hip-flexors becoming chronically shortened and tight from the seated position, which tilts your pelvis anteriorly, which causes your lower back muscles to spasm…
So in an effort to lose fat, you choose an exercise that puts your body in a crouched over seated position that makes your back pain MUCH worse!!!
Your efforts to lose fat, though well intentioned, result in more damage, which leads to more body fat!
In general… many forms of exercise are GREAT for one person, yet HORRIBLE for another. Factors such as body type, age, previous injury, muscle imbalances, and other pre-existing conditions can dictate where your best choices lie. Picking the RIGHT form of exercise for you can be the difference between exceptional success and miserable failure, regardless of your motivation and effort.
Many of my clients do plenty of exercise outside of their sessions with me. Some run, some swim, some bike… but they are all doing exercises that are in line with their goals, and in line with their abilities.
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
Is your workout program the most effective for YOU?
We are constantly barraged about the “latest and greatest” of everything, and exercise is no exception. Every gym, trainer, and guru is pushing a new form of exercise, or re-inventing an old one… to get more customers/clients. But remember, like most things, one size does NOT fit all. And the latest new exercise trend may NOT be the best exercise for you.
When I get a new client in front of me, the first thing we talk about it their personal goals. Why are they talking to me? Why are they here? Very often, they have routines they are already using, including spinning classes, Zumba, distance running, strength training, Crossfit (or some variant), boot-camp classes, the list goes on and on. Why did they choose these workouts? Because a friend was going… because it was convenient for their schedule and was offered at their gym… because they simply were bored and it was the next new thing! Many reasons, but none that address if it’s actually the RIGHT exercise for their goals.
In exercise science, there is one master principle that dictates all else. This principle is called S.A.I.D. which stands for Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand. Simply put, the body will adapt to the demand imposed on it. So, if the demand imposed (the exercise) does not match the goal of the exerciser the body will adapt (change)…but not in the way the exerciser wants! And many times, the physical demands of the exercise type are actually dangerous or counterproductive to the exerciser.
Example:
Let’s say your personal goal is fat-loss, and your gym offers spinning classes (group exercise on stationary bikes). A friend of yours took spinning and lost a bunch of weight… so it MUST be good for you too!
But you sit at a desk for a living, and after years of sitting, you have low back pain. Your low back pain is caused by your hip-flexors becoming chronically shortened and tight from the seated position, which tilts your pelvis anteriorly, which causes your lower back muscles to spasm…
So in an effort to lose fat, you choose an exercise that puts your body in a crouched over seated position that makes your back pain MUCH worse!!!
Your efforts to lose fat, though well intentioned, result in more damage, which leads to more body fat!
In general… many forms of exercise are GREAT for one person, yet HORRIBLE for another. Factors such as body type, age, previous injury, muscle imbalances, and other pre-existing conditions can dictate where your best choices lie. Picking the RIGHT form of exercise for you can be the difference between exceptional success and miserable failure, regardless of your motivation and effort.
Many of my clients do plenty of exercise outside of their sessions with me. Some run, some swim, some bike… but they are all doing exercises that are in line with their goals, and in line with their abilities.
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
August 2013
Keys to Fitness: Find a Support Network
Any major undertaking is almost impossible to do alone. If one of your personal major undertakings is fitness, fat-loss, and good health… venturing out alone on the journey is a TOUGH job. But if you have a complete support network behind you to help you when you stumble, support your meal-planning and healthy eating, and to push you a little harder in the gym… you’re destined to succeed!
A lot of my clients have tried alone again and again to lose the weight and get healthy, but the smallest hurdle or set-back could completely derail their efforts.
So how can you build a bullet-proof support system for success?
First, it starts at home. Make sure that husbands, wives, boyfriends, etc. all understand that fitness is a HUGE priority for you, and understand what is involved… from the food to the exercise. Get their support to eat at home more often, and join you in your healthy eating habits. If you can encourage your partner to join the battle with you, that’s your best bet. If they aren’t willing to eat cleanly with you, at least recruit them to SUPPORT your choices. Even if they won’t change their diet much, encourage them to walk with you in the evenings after dinner. It’s a great time to connect, de-stress and communicate.
Second, find a training partner for the gym! Find a co-worker, a relative, a neighbor, or a friend who has similar goals. Reach out and offer to be a strong supportive training partner to someone else who needs the exercise lifestyle too. Make a pact with them of support. It does you no good if your training partner cancels more sessions than they make. It can actually be de-motivational. Make sure you set a schedule you both can make and keep.
If you cannot find support locally, reach out for “virtual support”. There are plenty of fitness and fat-loss groups out in social media that people find for motivation and some camaraderie; sharing recipes, motivating one another, and even just a place to vent a little. Just don’t be the one always venting, and never supporting!!!
If family/household support is lacking, if nobody at work, or in your social circle is supporting, and Facebook-Fitness isn’t for you… then get out there solo, but be consistent, and be open to finding help! Just going to the gym the same days and times every day will expose you to others who have the same schedule, and help you find a partner in fitness. If you’re a social butterfly anyway, network there, and find your support and training partner right where you train. So many people either completely tune out at the gym, or never hit the same schedule, that they never make friends there.
Then of course… if ALL ELSE fails… Hire a training partner! You will have an appointment with a professional motivator who is PAID to be there… every time… on time… you have NO excuse not to go and work hard. If your Trainer reschedules as often as your flaky training partner used to… FIRE THEM! Find a Trainer that can support your goals, on your schedule, and stick with the program!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
Keys to Fitness: Find a Support Network
Any major undertaking is almost impossible to do alone. If one of your personal major undertakings is fitness, fat-loss, and good health… venturing out alone on the journey is a TOUGH job. But if you have a complete support network behind you to help you when you stumble, support your meal-planning and healthy eating, and to push you a little harder in the gym… you’re destined to succeed!
A lot of my clients have tried alone again and again to lose the weight and get healthy, but the smallest hurdle or set-back could completely derail their efforts.
So how can you build a bullet-proof support system for success?
First, it starts at home. Make sure that husbands, wives, boyfriends, etc. all understand that fitness is a HUGE priority for you, and understand what is involved… from the food to the exercise. Get their support to eat at home more often, and join you in your healthy eating habits. If you can encourage your partner to join the battle with you, that’s your best bet. If they aren’t willing to eat cleanly with you, at least recruit them to SUPPORT your choices. Even if they won’t change their diet much, encourage them to walk with you in the evenings after dinner. It’s a great time to connect, de-stress and communicate.
Second, find a training partner for the gym! Find a co-worker, a relative, a neighbor, or a friend who has similar goals. Reach out and offer to be a strong supportive training partner to someone else who needs the exercise lifestyle too. Make a pact with them of support. It does you no good if your training partner cancels more sessions than they make. It can actually be de-motivational. Make sure you set a schedule you both can make and keep.
If you cannot find support locally, reach out for “virtual support”. There are plenty of fitness and fat-loss groups out in social media that people find for motivation and some camaraderie; sharing recipes, motivating one another, and even just a place to vent a little. Just don’t be the one always venting, and never supporting!!!
If family/household support is lacking, if nobody at work, or in your social circle is supporting, and Facebook-Fitness isn’t for you… then get out there solo, but be consistent, and be open to finding help! Just going to the gym the same days and times every day will expose you to others who have the same schedule, and help you find a partner in fitness. If you’re a social butterfly anyway, network there, and find your support and training partner right where you train. So many people either completely tune out at the gym, or never hit the same schedule, that they never make friends there.
Then of course… if ALL ELSE fails… Hire a training partner! You will have an appointment with a professional motivator who is PAID to be there… every time… on time… you have NO excuse not to go and work hard. If your Trainer reschedules as often as your flaky training partner used to… FIRE THEM! Find a Trainer that can support your goals, on your schedule, and stick with the program!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
July 2013 (2)
Meal Planning and Prep for SUCCESS!
Do you know what you’re going to eat for dinner next Thursday? Most people have no idea. And most people’s “diet” will fail again next week because they don’t know!
If you already know what you’re going to have for dinner next Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday, and breakfast, and lunch… you get the idea… Your diet will be PERFECT 90% of the time.
Eating perfectly all the time is an unreasonable expectation, but eating right 80-90% of the time is VERY doable. If you’re eating right 90% of the time, you CANNOT FAIL! The secret is all in the planning and prep.
“I don’t have enough time to meal-plan and prep!”
BS… It takes LESS time to plan and prep than it does to eat by the seat of your pants! Count how many times in the last week you’ve made bad food choices, simply because you were hungry, and had no plan… so you ate what was convenient (like fast food), or available like cookies, crackers, or chips. If you set aside an hour or two per week, out of the 168 hours available, you can easily plan and even prepare MOST of your meals.
Plan out six snack-sized meals per day and then make a grocery list from that menu (see my previous article on SNACKING vs meals - 7/11/13 issue), to include a consistent snack-breakfast and three other on-the-go snacks (like protein bars and shakes). Then all you really have to “prep” is lunches and dinners. Pick an evening that is easy and convenient for cooking like Sunday night, and cook all the protein and carbs you’ll need for the week! If you need 5 chicken breasts, 3 servings of ground turkey, 2 servings of pork loin, etc… cook all that at once. I typically cook my steaks (or fish) fresh. So I eat steak on Sunday night, while I’m cooking my chicken and pork loin for the week. I buy all my protein in BULK at Sam’s. While you have half a dozen chicken breasts on the grill, cook up a large rice cooker full of brown rice, and a few sweet potatoes in the oven. In a few hours’ time, you can have ALL of your clean protein and carbohydrates for a WEEK cooked, and in Tupperware!
Now… when you get home late from work next Thursday night, all you need to do is grab a chicken breast (cooked), some brown rice (cooked), and then add some fresh veggies, preferably raw! You have a plan… your CLEAN food is all ready to go. All you need to do is heat it up.
Watch your food budget and waistline shrink as you ALWAYS have the right food on hand, and all it took was a few hours on Sunday night…
If you want to learn more on how to plan and prep your meals for YOUR fitness lifestyle, contact me.
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
Meal Planning and Prep for SUCCESS!
Do you know what you’re going to eat for dinner next Thursday? Most people have no idea. And most people’s “diet” will fail again next week because they don’t know!
If you already know what you’re going to have for dinner next Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday, and breakfast, and lunch… you get the idea… Your diet will be PERFECT 90% of the time.
Eating perfectly all the time is an unreasonable expectation, but eating right 80-90% of the time is VERY doable. If you’re eating right 90% of the time, you CANNOT FAIL! The secret is all in the planning and prep.
“I don’t have enough time to meal-plan and prep!”
BS… It takes LESS time to plan and prep than it does to eat by the seat of your pants! Count how many times in the last week you’ve made bad food choices, simply because you were hungry, and had no plan… so you ate what was convenient (like fast food), or available like cookies, crackers, or chips. If you set aside an hour or two per week, out of the 168 hours available, you can easily plan and even prepare MOST of your meals.
Plan out six snack-sized meals per day and then make a grocery list from that menu (see my previous article on SNACKING vs meals - 7/11/13 issue), to include a consistent snack-breakfast and three other on-the-go snacks (like protein bars and shakes). Then all you really have to “prep” is lunches and dinners. Pick an evening that is easy and convenient for cooking like Sunday night, and cook all the protein and carbs you’ll need for the week! If you need 5 chicken breasts, 3 servings of ground turkey, 2 servings of pork loin, etc… cook all that at once. I typically cook my steaks (or fish) fresh. So I eat steak on Sunday night, while I’m cooking my chicken and pork loin for the week. I buy all my protein in BULK at Sam’s. While you have half a dozen chicken breasts on the grill, cook up a large rice cooker full of brown rice, and a few sweet potatoes in the oven. In a few hours’ time, you can have ALL of your clean protein and carbohydrates for a WEEK cooked, and in Tupperware!
Now… when you get home late from work next Thursday night, all you need to do is grab a chicken breast (cooked), some brown rice (cooked), and then add some fresh veggies, preferably raw! You have a plan… your CLEAN food is all ready to go. All you need to do is heat it up.
Watch your food budget and waistline shrink as you ALWAYS have the right food on hand, and all it took was a few hours on Sunday night…
If you want to learn more on how to plan and prep your meals for YOUR fitness lifestyle, contact me.
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
July 2013
Quit Eating “Meals” for Fat-Loss
Frequently, Personal Trainers and Nutritionists use terminology that is familiar and comfortable for their client, but that terminology can hurt their client’s goals of effective eating for consistent fat loss. I’m guilty of this myself, but I’m making a switch, and I suggest you do too.
For consistent and significant fat loss results, we have to throw out the traditional term “meal,” because of the traditional pattern of eating it suggests. As a culture we are trained to eat three meals per day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is ingrained in us since childhood, from the day we are weaned from a bottle. But in actuality, it is the BABY who eats instinctively, the way the human body was designed to eat. Culture and society have forced us to conform to a norm of three meals per day, often 6-8 hours apart. The human animal has been on earth 200,000 years, but only in the past 1000 years have we had a semi-structured ”civilized” diet. And, only in the past 50 years have the human diet been plagued with fast food and highly processed carbohydrates. For the first 199,000 years we were hunters and gatherers who “grazed” and consumed mostly raw and roasted foods. For the first 199,950 years our bodies never consumed anything “processed” or “fortified.”
In reality, the most efficient way to fuel the human machine to run optimally, cleanly, efficiently, with no need to store fat, and maximize muscle gain, is to fuel it with high-quality fuel every 2-3 hours, the way we evolved over centuries. Small meals, dense in complex carbs in the morning when our sugar levels are low, and dense in proteins and natural fats in the evening before we sleep and repair, just like our ancient ancestors.
If you choose to completely reset the way your body uses the food/fuel you put in it, and use your body’s exceptionally efficient energy/nutrient/building-block delivery system the way it was designed, you will see an amazing change in your body fat levels.
Eliminate the term “meal” from your vocabulary. Instead think in terms of “fuel” for your body.
Eliminate the concept of 3 meals per day, and instead eat 6 “snacks.”
Eliminate the concept of eating as a reward, or a celebration, or as ceremony. The food/fuel we put in our bodies is no less important than the fuel we put in our cars. You wouldn’t pour diesel, or lamp oil, or charcoal into the gas tank of your Ferrari…
Focus instead on what fuel and raw materials your body needs, for performance, for health, to fuel the lean fit athletic you… Starve the fat! Eliminate the “crud” in your diet. Put your body on a fuel and raw material plan of small, clean, targeted “fueling-stop/snacks” every 2-3 hours.
You will be AMAZED at how it responds!
If you want to learn more on how to integrate this information into YOUR fitness lifestyle, contact me.
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
Quit Eating “Meals” for Fat-Loss
Frequently, Personal Trainers and Nutritionists use terminology that is familiar and comfortable for their client, but that terminology can hurt their client’s goals of effective eating for consistent fat loss. I’m guilty of this myself, but I’m making a switch, and I suggest you do too.
For consistent and significant fat loss results, we have to throw out the traditional term “meal,” because of the traditional pattern of eating it suggests. As a culture we are trained to eat three meals per day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is ingrained in us since childhood, from the day we are weaned from a bottle. But in actuality, it is the BABY who eats instinctively, the way the human body was designed to eat. Culture and society have forced us to conform to a norm of three meals per day, often 6-8 hours apart. The human animal has been on earth 200,000 years, but only in the past 1000 years have we had a semi-structured ”civilized” diet. And, only in the past 50 years have the human diet been plagued with fast food and highly processed carbohydrates. For the first 199,000 years we were hunters and gatherers who “grazed” and consumed mostly raw and roasted foods. For the first 199,950 years our bodies never consumed anything “processed” or “fortified.”
In reality, the most efficient way to fuel the human machine to run optimally, cleanly, efficiently, with no need to store fat, and maximize muscle gain, is to fuel it with high-quality fuel every 2-3 hours, the way we evolved over centuries. Small meals, dense in complex carbs in the morning when our sugar levels are low, and dense in proteins and natural fats in the evening before we sleep and repair, just like our ancient ancestors.
If you choose to completely reset the way your body uses the food/fuel you put in it, and use your body’s exceptionally efficient energy/nutrient/building-block delivery system the way it was designed, you will see an amazing change in your body fat levels.
Eliminate the term “meal” from your vocabulary. Instead think in terms of “fuel” for your body.
Eliminate the concept of 3 meals per day, and instead eat 6 “snacks.”
Eliminate the concept of eating as a reward, or a celebration, or as ceremony. The food/fuel we put in our bodies is no less important than the fuel we put in our cars. You wouldn’t pour diesel, or lamp oil, or charcoal into the gas tank of your Ferrari…
Focus instead on what fuel and raw materials your body needs, for performance, for health, to fuel the lean fit athletic you… Starve the fat! Eliminate the “crud” in your diet. Put your body on a fuel and raw material plan of small, clean, targeted “fueling-stop/snacks” every 2-3 hours.
You will be AMAZED at how it responds!
If you want to learn more on how to integrate this information into YOUR fitness lifestyle, contact me.
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
June 2013
Are You Exercising Reactively or Proactively?
I hear so many stories every day, and even concerns from clients on occasion, that they seem to be exercising to “make up for” what they’ve neglected or what they’ve eaten in the previous few days. They ate too much, or drank too much over the weekend, or they skipped a workout or two… so they are pushing themselves constantly to catch up… always working from “behind”. They are forever trying to atone for their “sins” of the past by working harder in the present.
They feel like they have to work out longer or harder this week, to make up for ground they’ve lost. They count calories for their cardio sessions and get hugely frustrated that the pile of cookies they ate last week, will effectively take them an extra 3 hours of exercise this week, just to catch up!
I want you to STOP that now. The past is the past. Make this the week you get “ahead”. Refocus your workouts for a positive goal in the future that you are working towards. Consider your training sessions “investments” for your body, understanding that these investment will definitely pay out in the future. Train TOWARDS a goal, not away from a negative past event or habit.
Get PROACTIVE with your workout, your diet, and your life. Plan out your sessions in the gym, and your cardio if you need it. Plan out your food needs for the week, down to every meal, every day. Plan for each workout and each meal to build to a future goal and way-point. Failing to plan, is effectively planning to fail, especially when it comes to fitness and nutrition. And a focus on the BIG picture will result in less stressful individual workouts, and less frustration.
If you are CONSISTENT with your clean eating, consistent with your training… because you are following your plan… results will come. And best, you will feel a sense of control, rather than fitness desperation!
Control in most people’s lives doesn’t seem to come easily. Between work pressures, family pressures, deadlines, obligations, and the constant “wrench in the works” that set your life plans back… let fitness and nutrition be the one area you have absolute control. What you do in the gym, and what you put in your mouth, are ENTIRELY controllable and can lead to a sense of empowerment that spreads well outside of fitness, through the rest of your life! At the very least… let the gym be your sanctuary away from the madness… your time and your space. You’re in charge! You’re working toward your own goals, and you’re checking off every little step. Because YOU wrote the plan.
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
Are You Exercising Reactively or Proactively?
I hear so many stories every day, and even concerns from clients on occasion, that they seem to be exercising to “make up for” what they’ve neglected or what they’ve eaten in the previous few days. They ate too much, or drank too much over the weekend, or they skipped a workout or two… so they are pushing themselves constantly to catch up… always working from “behind”. They are forever trying to atone for their “sins” of the past by working harder in the present.
They feel like they have to work out longer or harder this week, to make up for ground they’ve lost. They count calories for their cardio sessions and get hugely frustrated that the pile of cookies they ate last week, will effectively take them an extra 3 hours of exercise this week, just to catch up!
I want you to STOP that now. The past is the past. Make this the week you get “ahead”. Refocus your workouts for a positive goal in the future that you are working towards. Consider your training sessions “investments” for your body, understanding that these investment will definitely pay out in the future. Train TOWARDS a goal, not away from a negative past event or habit.
Get PROACTIVE with your workout, your diet, and your life. Plan out your sessions in the gym, and your cardio if you need it. Plan out your food needs for the week, down to every meal, every day. Plan for each workout and each meal to build to a future goal and way-point. Failing to plan, is effectively planning to fail, especially when it comes to fitness and nutrition. And a focus on the BIG picture will result in less stressful individual workouts, and less frustration.
If you are CONSISTENT with your clean eating, consistent with your training… because you are following your plan… results will come. And best, you will feel a sense of control, rather than fitness desperation!
Control in most people’s lives doesn’t seem to come easily. Between work pressures, family pressures, deadlines, obligations, and the constant “wrench in the works” that set your life plans back… let fitness and nutrition be the one area you have absolute control. What you do in the gym, and what you put in your mouth, are ENTIRELY controllable and can lead to a sense of empowerment that spreads well outside of fitness, through the rest of your life! At the very least… let the gym be your sanctuary away from the madness… your time and your space. You’re in charge! You’re working toward your own goals, and you’re checking off every little step. Because YOU wrote the plan.
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
May 2013 (2)
TRAINING IN THE SUMMER HEAT
The thermometer keeps climbing here in Florida, and the humidity is ramping up with it. With the official kick off to summer right around the corner, we need to talk about being safe in the summer heat when you’re working out.
First and foremost, stay hydrated! There’s a huge misconception in the “classical” fitness thinking that “sweating off the pounds” is a great way to lose weight, and that increased body temperature leads to increased fat loss. This is simply completely FALSE, and VERY dangerous.
When you train in the heat and high humidity, you WILL lose weight faster, but all you’re losing is body water, not fat. As soon as you rehydrate, the water weight returns. In the high heat, we are very susceptible to heat stroke, especially older athletes, which can lead to coma and even death if not treated immediately. If you do not replace the fluids you are losing as you exercise, your body cannot cool your internal organs and brain. The spike in body temperature and decrease in hydration can cause the blood to thicken and trigger heart attacks or strokes in those in less than optimal health. Even world class athletes will suffer severe cramping, vomiting (worsening dehydration), and can even pass out from extreme heat and exercise. Weigh yourself before and after a workout session. Replace ALL your lost bodyweight with one pint of water per pound lost!
If you feel yourself getting nauseous or weak while exercising in the summer heat, find shade (and A/C if possible) immediately. Get water into your system as soon as possible. Not sports drinks, or sodas, or caffeinated drinks… WATER. Apply cool wet towels to the head and neck to drop body temperature as quickly as you can. Do NOT jump right back up and continue to exercise after you feel a little better. Give your body time to recover, or you’ll be right back down… FAST.
Second, watch out for the sun! Direct sun on your head will heat you up faster, and can result in a nasty burn. Even “sweat-proof” sun blocks won’t stay on if you’re constantly wiping sweat off your face with a shirt or towel. Wear a hat and keep the hat wet down as you train. You lose more heat out of your head than any other body part, so keep it cool and wet in summer, and warm when training in the cold.
Train early in the day. Getting out and doing your cardio before the sun gets too high will help with heat, and sun exposure.
Swim! Find a local pool and swim laps for cardio. Not only is it great exercise, but it will keep you cooler. Don’t forget to drink as much water when you’re swimming as when you’re running! Even though you are bathed in water, your internal hydration levels will drop, and the chlorine levels of public pools can dry you out!
Enjoy your summer exercise, but train smart!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
TRAINING IN THE SUMMER HEAT
The thermometer keeps climbing here in Florida, and the humidity is ramping up with it. With the official kick off to summer right around the corner, we need to talk about being safe in the summer heat when you’re working out.
First and foremost, stay hydrated! There’s a huge misconception in the “classical” fitness thinking that “sweating off the pounds” is a great way to lose weight, and that increased body temperature leads to increased fat loss. This is simply completely FALSE, and VERY dangerous.
When you train in the heat and high humidity, you WILL lose weight faster, but all you’re losing is body water, not fat. As soon as you rehydrate, the water weight returns. In the high heat, we are very susceptible to heat stroke, especially older athletes, which can lead to coma and even death if not treated immediately. If you do not replace the fluids you are losing as you exercise, your body cannot cool your internal organs and brain. The spike in body temperature and decrease in hydration can cause the blood to thicken and trigger heart attacks or strokes in those in less than optimal health. Even world class athletes will suffer severe cramping, vomiting (worsening dehydration), and can even pass out from extreme heat and exercise. Weigh yourself before and after a workout session. Replace ALL your lost bodyweight with one pint of water per pound lost!
If you feel yourself getting nauseous or weak while exercising in the summer heat, find shade (and A/C if possible) immediately. Get water into your system as soon as possible. Not sports drinks, or sodas, or caffeinated drinks… WATER. Apply cool wet towels to the head and neck to drop body temperature as quickly as you can. Do NOT jump right back up and continue to exercise after you feel a little better. Give your body time to recover, or you’ll be right back down… FAST.
Second, watch out for the sun! Direct sun on your head will heat you up faster, and can result in a nasty burn. Even “sweat-proof” sun blocks won’t stay on if you’re constantly wiping sweat off your face with a shirt or towel. Wear a hat and keep the hat wet down as you train. You lose more heat out of your head than any other body part, so keep it cool and wet in summer, and warm when training in the cold.
Train early in the day. Getting out and doing your cardio before the sun gets too high will help with heat, and sun exposure.
Swim! Find a local pool and swim laps for cardio. Not only is it great exercise, but it will keep you cooler. Don’t forget to drink as much water when you’re swimming as when you’re running! Even though you are bathed in water, your internal hydration levels will drop, and the chlorine levels of public pools can dry you out!
Enjoy your summer exercise, but train smart!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
May 2013
Realistic Goals for Your Body Type? Are your fitness goals in line with your body type?
Many prospective clients come to me with goals to look a certain way, typically thin! The problem is, “thin” is a relative term! Thin, by the American definition, is an impossible goal for some body types. Understanding what body type you are, and adjusting your fitness/appearance goals to match up, leads to healthy goal planning, and minimizing disappointment with your results.
Not all bodies are created equal! We all know this. But what is the “optimal” shape for YOUR type? First, we need to figure out which body type you are (or which predominates). In general, there are three body types: ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. The human population spans the spectrum to include “ecto-mesos”, and “meso-endos” which have a blend of two types.
Ectomorphs have narrow shoulders and hips. They tend to be taller, lighter boned, and are “blessed” with higher metabolisms. They have long arms and legs, and shallow ribcages. Weight gain is actually hard for ectomorphs. Most commercial models are natural ectomorphs. They were “skinny” girls/boys as kids, and tend to stay that way. They will never be “curvy”.
Mesomorph males have wider shoulders, but narrower hips. Mesomorph girls have natural “hourglass” shapes. Born muscular, mesomorphs are natural athletes. They gain muscle quickly, but can also pack on fat if they’re not careful with their calorie intake and exercise. Most body builders and fitness athletes were BORN mesomorphs. They have great “natural genetics” for a V-shaped physique.
Endomorphs are naturally broader through the hips, and narrower in the shoulders. They have heavier skeletons, and deep ribcages. Shorter legs and shorter arms give them the “stocky” appearance they battle through life. They can gain muscle quickly, and develop huge strength with their large skeletons and body mass.
Accepting the fact that you were born with a body that will NEVER transform from endomorph to ectomorph can be a frustration, but it’s not a life sentence of obesity. Female endomorphs CAN be very lean, but they will HAVE to carry more muscle than their thin ectomorph friends, in order to stay lean. They do have to watch their calories more closely, and do more cardiovascular exercise, but “lean” is very possible. “Skinny” will never happen. On the other end of the spectrum, the natural ectomorph with dreams of bodybuilding or powerlifting will likely never make it. Packing on muscle to an ectomorph physique is JUST as hard as getting an endomorph body to get “ripped”.
Pick a fitness/aesthetic role model for yourself with the same body type you were born with. Maximize the athletic potential of YOUR body, and forget starving yourself or stressing yourself out over turning yourself into something/someone you’re not! If you’re looking for the best way to train for YOUR physique, seek out the guidance of a pro, like the Trainers in my studio. They can help you set healthy and attainable goals to maximize YOUR personal results!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
Realistic Goals for Your Body Type? Are your fitness goals in line with your body type?
Many prospective clients come to me with goals to look a certain way, typically thin! The problem is, “thin” is a relative term! Thin, by the American definition, is an impossible goal for some body types. Understanding what body type you are, and adjusting your fitness/appearance goals to match up, leads to healthy goal planning, and minimizing disappointment with your results.
Not all bodies are created equal! We all know this. But what is the “optimal” shape for YOUR type? First, we need to figure out which body type you are (or which predominates). In general, there are three body types: ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. The human population spans the spectrum to include “ecto-mesos”, and “meso-endos” which have a blend of two types.
Ectomorphs have narrow shoulders and hips. They tend to be taller, lighter boned, and are “blessed” with higher metabolisms. They have long arms and legs, and shallow ribcages. Weight gain is actually hard for ectomorphs. Most commercial models are natural ectomorphs. They were “skinny” girls/boys as kids, and tend to stay that way. They will never be “curvy”.
Mesomorph males have wider shoulders, but narrower hips. Mesomorph girls have natural “hourglass” shapes. Born muscular, mesomorphs are natural athletes. They gain muscle quickly, but can also pack on fat if they’re not careful with their calorie intake and exercise. Most body builders and fitness athletes were BORN mesomorphs. They have great “natural genetics” for a V-shaped physique.
Endomorphs are naturally broader through the hips, and narrower in the shoulders. They have heavier skeletons, and deep ribcages. Shorter legs and shorter arms give them the “stocky” appearance they battle through life. They can gain muscle quickly, and develop huge strength with their large skeletons and body mass.
Accepting the fact that you were born with a body that will NEVER transform from endomorph to ectomorph can be a frustration, but it’s not a life sentence of obesity. Female endomorphs CAN be very lean, but they will HAVE to carry more muscle than their thin ectomorph friends, in order to stay lean. They do have to watch their calories more closely, and do more cardiovascular exercise, but “lean” is very possible. “Skinny” will never happen. On the other end of the spectrum, the natural ectomorph with dreams of bodybuilding or powerlifting will likely never make it. Packing on muscle to an ectomorph physique is JUST as hard as getting an endomorph body to get “ripped”.
Pick a fitness/aesthetic role model for yourself with the same body type you were born with. Maximize the athletic potential of YOUR body, and forget starving yourself or stressing yourself out over turning yourself into something/someone you’re not! If you’re looking for the best way to train for YOUR physique, seek out the guidance of a pro, like the Trainers in my studio. They can help you set healthy and attainable goals to maximize YOUR personal results!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
April 2013 (2)
Are You Psyched Up for Results? The Role of Adrenaline in Muscle Gain and Fat Loss
We’ve all seen it on TV: Olympic lifters, pro athletes, and anybody seeking maximum performance… they have a routine to psych themselves up before they compete, to get their Adrenaline flowing and maximize performance. Football players shove one another and smack helmets. Olympic lifters slap themselves in the face and chest, and even yell. Bodybuilders in the gym are notorious for their iPods and ear-buds plugged in, blasting heavy metal.
Why do competitive athletes do this, and how can it help the average fitness and fat-loss athlete?
The reasoning why, is to force the body to produce Adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone produced in the adrenal glands on the tops of our kidneys. Stimulation from the brain causes release of Adrenaline, which increases a number of physical factors that increase performance remarkably: muscle contraction force, muscle contraction speed, mental focus, coordination, all of which greatly increase performance.
What causes the Adrenaline release? Adrenaline is described as a “fight or flight” hormone. When the body is under stress, Adrenaline is released. When you’re out for a jog and a car pulls out in front of you… When you’re out for a cocktail and some drunk decides to pick a fight with you or a friend… your body naturally releases Adrenaline. That Adrenaline release “cranks you up” instantly, with the ability to fight back, or to flee.
But is an Adrenaline release important to the average fat-loss or “toning” athlete at the gym?
YES!!!!!
As I’ve highlighted in previous articles, training intensity is very important to success, both fat-loss and muscle gain. Using heavier multi-joint exercises (squats, dead-lifts, presses, and rows), forces greater muscle growth, greater metabolism boost, more fat-loss, and bigger increases in strength. Lifting heavier weights produces more Adrenaline than lifting lighter weights. The FEAR of the weight, and just balancing the weight produces Adrenaline. That Adrenaline allows you to lift more weight, and do more reps. More weight, more reps, more results… Sprints are MANY times more effective than jogging for the same reasons.
Also, Adrenaline is the “first domino” in a chain of hormones that are produced from exercise. The presence of Adrenaline in the blood stream forces the body to produce more Testosterone (makes sense). The presence of more Testosterone produces more Growth Hormone! The presence of Growth Hormone in the blood produces more Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1). On down the line with each hormone producing more results, more muscle gain, and more fat loss, and a higher metabolic impact. The first domino in this chain is the bump from Adrenaline. Without the Adrenaline bump, the rest hardly has an impact.
If your workouts are “ho-hum”, and repetitive, and low-intensity… you’re NEVER going to maximize your return on your exercise investment! If it’s time to crank it up, and you need some help to do it safely and effectively… enlist the help of a training professional.
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Are You Psyched Up for Results? The Role of Adrenaline in Muscle Gain and Fat Loss
We’ve all seen it on TV: Olympic lifters, pro athletes, and anybody seeking maximum performance… they have a routine to psych themselves up before they compete, to get their Adrenaline flowing and maximize performance. Football players shove one another and smack helmets. Olympic lifters slap themselves in the face and chest, and even yell. Bodybuilders in the gym are notorious for their iPods and ear-buds plugged in, blasting heavy metal.
Why do competitive athletes do this, and how can it help the average fitness and fat-loss athlete?
The reasoning why, is to force the body to produce Adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone produced in the adrenal glands on the tops of our kidneys. Stimulation from the brain causes release of Adrenaline, which increases a number of physical factors that increase performance remarkably: muscle contraction force, muscle contraction speed, mental focus, coordination, all of which greatly increase performance.
What causes the Adrenaline release? Adrenaline is described as a “fight or flight” hormone. When the body is under stress, Adrenaline is released. When you’re out for a jog and a car pulls out in front of you… When you’re out for a cocktail and some drunk decides to pick a fight with you or a friend… your body naturally releases Adrenaline. That Adrenaline release “cranks you up” instantly, with the ability to fight back, or to flee.
But is an Adrenaline release important to the average fat-loss or “toning” athlete at the gym?
YES!!!!!
As I’ve highlighted in previous articles, training intensity is very important to success, both fat-loss and muscle gain. Using heavier multi-joint exercises (squats, dead-lifts, presses, and rows), forces greater muscle growth, greater metabolism boost, more fat-loss, and bigger increases in strength. Lifting heavier weights produces more Adrenaline than lifting lighter weights. The FEAR of the weight, and just balancing the weight produces Adrenaline. That Adrenaline allows you to lift more weight, and do more reps. More weight, more reps, more results… Sprints are MANY times more effective than jogging for the same reasons.
Also, Adrenaline is the “first domino” in a chain of hormones that are produced from exercise. The presence of Adrenaline in the blood stream forces the body to produce more Testosterone (makes sense). The presence of more Testosterone produces more Growth Hormone! The presence of Growth Hormone in the blood produces more Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1). On down the line with each hormone producing more results, more muscle gain, and more fat loss, and a higher metabolic impact. The first domino in this chain is the bump from Adrenaline. Without the Adrenaline bump, the rest hardly has an impact.
If your workouts are “ho-hum”, and repetitive, and low-intensity… you’re NEVER going to maximize your return on your exercise investment! If it’s time to crank it up, and you need some help to do it safely and effectively… enlist the help of a training professional.
Jeff Ward, CSCS
April 2013
Bulking Up? Toning Up? Slimming Down? Pick One!
As a fitness professional, I’m constantly battling the arguments for and against weight training, and the balance of cardio, diet, and strength training to get the results people want. This week, I’m going to try to clarify the terms that are thrown around, and explain the basic science behind each.
The concept that people miss, is that weight gain and weight loss, is separate from fat gain and fat loss, and separate from muscle gain and muscle loss. The three are quite distinct, yet the “weight loss industry” is so focused on the number on the scale, that they completely ignore the science. The majority of the medical industry has almost ZERO nutritional education, so they also misinform the majority of the time. I am a classic walking example. At 6’3” and a weight that varies between 245 to 250 lbs, I’m considered by the medical profession as very over-weight, even obese. Yet, I have visible abs! Hmmmmmm…
Let’s clarify:
“Bulking Up” is considered an increase in muscle mass with a minimal gain in fat mass. This requires an increase in calories, minimal cardio, and an increase in calorie intake. Lift heavy with lots of rest between sets, and eat a lot including carbs and fats for more calories.
“Toning Up” is considered a combination of a modest increase in muscle, with a corresponding decrease in fat. The body weight stay roughly the same, but you get leaner and leaner. This requires lifting like you’re bulking but with less rest between sets, but eating like you’re slimming down. Cardio volume is greater than Bulking, but less than Slimming.
“Slimming Down” is a significant loss in fat mass, with a minimal loss of muscle. Where the challenge is keeping the muscle mass you have while losing fat fast! This goal REQUIRES moderate intensity weight training with minimal rest between sets to make sure the muscle is maintained, higher volumes of cardio (typically daily), and cutting calories while maintaining protein intake to maintain muscle.
Where the weight loss industry, and medical profession gets it wrong, is neglecting the strength training, and pushing the calories too LOW! High volumes of cardio and starving the body with no weight training will result in “Weight Loss”… but much of the weight you lose will be MUSCLE. As a result, you lose weight, but gain no “toned” appearance. You end up lighter, but no more attractive/fitter. And worse, you set yourself up to gain all the weight back, and MORE after your diet and exercise routine ends.
Doing exercise DVDs with weights no heavier than 10lb, for dozens of repetitions will NOT retain muscle mass. Getting on a drug-based “medically supervised” weight-loss program will NOT retain muscle mass. Sure, the number on the scale will drop. But you are GUARANTEED to regain most or all of the losses as soon as you stop.
If you want to drop the fat, but keep the muscle, come see a professional for the right balance of diet, cardio, and weights for your specific needs!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
727-560-2332
Bulking Up? Toning Up? Slimming Down? Pick One!
As a fitness professional, I’m constantly battling the arguments for and against weight training, and the balance of cardio, diet, and strength training to get the results people want. This week, I’m going to try to clarify the terms that are thrown around, and explain the basic science behind each.
The concept that people miss, is that weight gain and weight loss, is separate from fat gain and fat loss, and separate from muscle gain and muscle loss. The three are quite distinct, yet the “weight loss industry” is so focused on the number on the scale, that they completely ignore the science. The majority of the medical industry has almost ZERO nutritional education, so they also misinform the majority of the time. I am a classic walking example. At 6’3” and a weight that varies between 245 to 250 lbs, I’m considered by the medical profession as very over-weight, even obese. Yet, I have visible abs! Hmmmmmm…
Let’s clarify:
“Bulking Up” is considered an increase in muscle mass with a minimal gain in fat mass. This requires an increase in calories, minimal cardio, and an increase in calorie intake. Lift heavy with lots of rest between sets, and eat a lot including carbs and fats for more calories.
“Toning Up” is considered a combination of a modest increase in muscle, with a corresponding decrease in fat. The body weight stay roughly the same, but you get leaner and leaner. This requires lifting like you’re bulking but with less rest between sets, but eating like you’re slimming down. Cardio volume is greater than Bulking, but less than Slimming.
“Slimming Down” is a significant loss in fat mass, with a minimal loss of muscle. Where the challenge is keeping the muscle mass you have while losing fat fast! This goal REQUIRES moderate intensity weight training with minimal rest between sets to make sure the muscle is maintained, higher volumes of cardio (typically daily), and cutting calories while maintaining protein intake to maintain muscle.
Where the weight loss industry, and medical profession gets it wrong, is neglecting the strength training, and pushing the calories too LOW! High volumes of cardio and starving the body with no weight training will result in “Weight Loss”… but much of the weight you lose will be MUSCLE. As a result, you lose weight, but gain no “toned” appearance. You end up lighter, but no more attractive/fitter. And worse, you set yourself up to gain all the weight back, and MORE after your diet and exercise routine ends.
Doing exercise DVDs with weights no heavier than 10lb, for dozens of repetitions will NOT retain muscle mass. Getting on a drug-based “medically supervised” weight-loss program will NOT retain muscle mass. Sure, the number on the scale will drop. But you are GUARANTEED to regain most or all of the losses as soon as you stop.
If you want to drop the fat, but keep the muscle, come see a professional for the right balance of diet, cardio, and weights for your specific needs!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
727-560-2332
March 2013 (2)
Are You an "Over-Fat" Long Distance Runner?
Are you trying to lose fat by running/walking endless miles?
STOP!!!!
Modern fitness science is pushing long-distance running farther and farther down the list as a preferred method of fat loss. The old concept of long-duration-low-intensity exercise for fat loss is getting rightfully pushed aside by short-duration-high-intensity training.
Quite simply, the more you run, the better your body gets at it. The more and more efficient you become, the few and fewer calories your body burns per minute. As your stride gets more efficient, your arm movement gets more efficient, and your heart and blood vessels get more efficient at moving oxygen and removing carbon dioxide... your body gets less and less fat burning effect. The volume of training required to make a significant impact on your calorie balance gets very high. You need to run farther and farther just to maintain your body-fat levels, let alone lose more.
Second... long-duration training causes a shift in the type of muscle in your body. We are all born with Type I (slow twitch) and Type II (fast twitch) muscles. Some people have a predominance of Type I, and find low intensity exercise (slow-twitch dominant) easier. Some are born with a higher percentage of Type II muscle, and find power and speed effortless, but endurance sports are brutal.
Long-duration training forces an adaptation in your body, turning Type II muscle into what is called Type IIA, which is more like Type I. What does this mean? Well... Type II muscle is bigger, stronger, and very "inefficient". It burns massive amounts of calories! The more Type II you have, the more calories you burn. Type I muscle "sips" calories, and functions on a lower energy supply. If your primary goal is fat/weight loss, you want to consume as many calories per minute as you can. Teaching your body to burn less calories by forcing your Type II muscle to act like Type I is horrible!
PS... Strength training at high intensity trains the Type II!!! And makes it LESS efficient (more gluttonous in consuming fat)!
Third... Training intensity is directly linked to endogenous (natural) hormone production! Our body is highly impacted by the volume of anabolic (muscle building) and lipolytic (fat-burning) and catabolic (muscle burning) hormones we produce and maintain. Low-intensity training causes virtually no stimulus to your body to produce more results-enhancing hormones, and can actually shift your body to burning more muscle for fuel, and storing more fat. High intensity training boosts the anabolic and lipolytic hormones which build muscle, and burn fat!
Every shred of modern exercise science points to high intensity training as the most effective method for burning fat.
High-mileage training makes you nothing but a better (fat) runner.
If you're interested in making the transition from "fat-marathoner", to "lean-sprinter", stop by Burn and let me show you how to transition your training to a more effective form.
727-560-2332
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Are You an "Over-Fat" Long Distance Runner?
Are you trying to lose fat by running/walking endless miles?
STOP!!!!
Modern fitness science is pushing long-distance running farther and farther down the list as a preferred method of fat loss. The old concept of long-duration-low-intensity exercise for fat loss is getting rightfully pushed aside by short-duration-high-intensity training.
Quite simply, the more you run, the better your body gets at it. The more and more efficient you become, the few and fewer calories your body burns per minute. As your stride gets more efficient, your arm movement gets more efficient, and your heart and blood vessels get more efficient at moving oxygen and removing carbon dioxide... your body gets less and less fat burning effect. The volume of training required to make a significant impact on your calorie balance gets very high. You need to run farther and farther just to maintain your body-fat levels, let alone lose more.
Second... long-duration training causes a shift in the type of muscle in your body. We are all born with Type I (slow twitch) and Type II (fast twitch) muscles. Some people have a predominance of Type I, and find low intensity exercise (slow-twitch dominant) easier. Some are born with a higher percentage of Type II muscle, and find power and speed effortless, but endurance sports are brutal.
Long-duration training forces an adaptation in your body, turning Type II muscle into what is called Type IIA, which is more like Type I. What does this mean? Well... Type II muscle is bigger, stronger, and very "inefficient". It burns massive amounts of calories! The more Type II you have, the more calories you burn. Type I muscle "sips" calories, and functions on a lower energy supply. If your primary goal is fat/weight loss, you want to consume as many calories per minute as you can. Teaching your body to burn less calories by forcing your Type II muscle to act like Type I is horrible!
PS... Strength training at high intensity trains the Type II!!! And makes it LESS efficient (more gluttonous in consuming fat)!
Third... Training intensity is directly linked to endogenous (natural) hormone production! Our body is highly impacted by the volume of anabolic (muscle building) and lipolytic (fat-burning) and catabolic (muscle burning) hormones we produce and maintain. Low-intensity training causes virtually no stimulus to your body to produce more results-enhancing hormones, and can actually shift your body to burning more muscle for fuel, and storing more fat. High intensity training boosts the anabolic and lipolytic hormones which build muscle, and burn fat!
Every shred of modern exercise science points to high intensity training as the most effective method for burning fat.
High-mileage training makes you nothing but a better (fat) runner.
If you're interested in making the transition from "fat-marathoner", to "lean-sprinter", stop by Burn and let me show you how to transition your training to a more effective form.
727-560-2332
Jeff Ward, CSCS
March 2013
Keeping a Training Journal – Maximizing Results
A little while back I posted about nutrition/meal planning. Success in fitness and fat-loss depends on consistency. If you are not consistent with your diet, you will never get optimal significant results. Meal planning, including plotting out your week’s meals, and creating a shopping list off that plan is critical, almost required, for real results.
Similarly, having a plan for your exercise is critical! If you are simply going and working out, with no plan, when you get the time… you are setting yourself up for failure. Just like knowing what you plan to eat for dinner every night 7 days in advance is critical, knowing what you will accomplish in the gym a week in advance is critical too! And it’s not just your gym sessions; it’s your cardio plan, heart-rates, distances/times, and intensity.
To get maximum success in minimum time with my clients, I track every set they do, every workout, every week… weight and reps. I know what weight they used last week for each exercise, and how many reps they did. This gives them a target for this week’s workout of a few more reps, or a little more weight. EVERY workout is progress. EVERY workout is incremental success! I try to get them to do the same for me for their workouts away from the studio, and there is a DIRECT correlation between my clients who get amazing results, and the ones who just get some results… The clients who get amazing results keep journals. They know what they did last week for their cardio, and they know what they ate. They know what happened to their weight, and we track monthly what happens to their inches!
This all seems like a LOT of work, but it really isn’t! Keeping a food journal is difficult… for about 2 weeks. Why? Because we are creatures of habit, and we tend to eat about the same stuff all the time, and once you journal how many calories, and how much protein, there is in a grilled chicken breast, you never have to look it up again! Same goes for rice, eggs, a salad from Wendy’s, whatever you regularly eat.
The food journal takes 1 minute per meal.
The cardio journal adds 1 minute to your jog.
The strength training journal gives you something to do between sets, when you’re resting anyway.
Journaling your progress can be the difference between enormous success, and mere progress!
If you have any questions on how to maximize your results with your fitness and fat-loss program, please give me a call! The consultation is always free…
Jeff Ward, Burn Fitness Training, LLC
Keeping a Training Journal – Maximizing Results
A little while back I posted about nutrition/meal planning. Success in fitness and fat-loss depends on consistency. If you are not consistent with your diet, you will never get optimal significant results. Meal planning, including plotting out your week’s meals, and creating a shopping list off that plan is critical, almost required, for real results.
Similarly, having a plan for your exercise is critical! If you are simply going and working out, with no plan, when you get the time… you are setting yourself up for failure. Just like knowing what you plan to eat for dinner every night 7 days in advance is critical, knowing what you will accomplish in the gym a week in advance is critical too! And it’s not just your gym sessions; it’s your cardio plan, heart-rates, distances/times, and intensity.
To get maximum success in minimum time with my clients, I track every set they do, every workout, every week… weight and reps. I know what weight they used last week for each exercise, and how many reps they did. This gives them a target for this week’s workout of a few more reps, or a little more weight. EVERY workout is progress. EVERY workout is incremental success! I try to get them to do the same for me for their workouts away from the studio, and there is a DIRECT correlation between my clients who get amazing results, and the ones who just get some results… The clients who get amazing results keep journals. They know what they did last week for their cardio, and they know what they ate. They know what happened to their weight, and we track monthly what happens to their inches!
This all seems like a LOT of work, but it really isn’t! Keeping a food journal is difficult… for about 2 weeks. Why? Because we are creatures of habit, and we tend to eat about the same stuff all the time, and once you journal how many calories, and how much protein, there is in a grilled chicken breast, you never have to look it up again! Same goes for rice, eggs, a salad from Wendy’s, whatever you regularly eat.
The food journal takes 1 minute per meal.
The cardio journal adds 1 minute to your jog.
The strength training journal gives you something to do between sets, when you’re resting anyway.
Journaling your progress can be the difference between enormous success, and mere progress!
If you have any questions on how to maximize your results with your fitness and fat-loss program, please give me a call! The consultation is always free…
Jeff Ward, Burn Fitness Training, LLC
February 2013 (2)
Where is your fitness focus? Is it killing your results?
So many people focus on weight-loss all the time when it comes to fitness, and the frustration and stress/pressure to lose the weight may actually hurt their results! Fitness isn't just about losing weight, it's about watching your body do things today that it couldn't do just a week ago... then seeing MORE progress NEXT week.
I've found that if my clients focus on the positive progress they are attaining, and eating the right foods to fuel that progress, that the weight loss becomes secondary. Once your focus leaves the weight loss, and you start to track the positive gains in strength, endurance, flexibility, etc... the fat loss then comes on its own.
So much of our body composition is ruled by our hormones. We know this scientifically, yet we forget about one very critical one... Cortisol.
Cortisol is a stress hormone that works counter to testosterone and HGH. Our bodies produce large amounts up cortisol when we are over-stressed. Cortisol’s role in the body is to tear down older muscle so that the body can replace the old with the new. But at elevated levels, it tears down healthy lean muscle, and forces your body to store fat. Stress-induced cortisol overproduction also spikes insulin production, which added to stress-induced eating... equals increases in fat, in addition to the loss of muscle. No matter how little food we eat, cortisol will force fat gain and muscle loss. So remember, starving your body is STRESSFUL! Even if you eat right, but your stress/cortisol levels are too high, your gains can be lost.
Focusing on the POSITIVE empowering incremental progress you see from training, tracking every set, every minute of cardio, and every meal as your performance increases, as your energy increases, and as your sense of well-being grows, DECREASES cortisol through decreased stress. The decreased cortisol output leads to fat-loss! Because you body’s hormones return to normal.
Focusing on the frustration of slow weight-loss INCREASES your stress levels, and your body fat. Focusing on small steps of success in your strength and endurance reduces stress… and fat!
Do what you know works through science. Focus on CLEAN healthy foods, in modest proportions. Focus on feeding your inner athlete, feeding the lean person inside the fat. Reduce stress wherever possible... including one of the world’s best stress-relievers... Vigorous EXERCISE!
You'll find over time that your body will respond!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Owner, Burn Fitness Training, LLC
Where is your fitness focus? Is it killing your results?
So many people focus on weight-loss all the time when it comes to fitness, and the frustration and stress/pressure to lose the weight may actually hurt their results! Fitness isn't just about losing weight, it's about watching your body do things today that it couldn't do just a week ago... then seeing MORE progress NEXT week.
I've found that if my clients focus on the positive progress they are attaining, and eating the right foods to fuel that progress, that the weight loss becomes secondary. Once your focus leaves the weight loss, and you start to track the positive gains in strength, endurance, flexibility, etc... the fat loss then comes on its own.
So much of our body composition is ruled by our hormones. We know this scientifically, yet we forget about one very critical one... Cortisol.
Cortisol is a stress hormone that works counter to testosterone and HGH. Our bodies produce large amounts up cortisol when we are over-stressed. Cortisol’s role in the body is to tear down older muscle so that the body can replace the old with the new. But at elevated levels, it tears down healthy lean muscle, and forces your body to store fat. Stress-induced cortisol overproduction also spikes insulin production, which added to stress-induced eating... equals increases in fat, in addition to the loss of muscle. No matter how little food we eat, cortisol will force fat gain and muscle loss. So remember, starving your body is STRESSFUL! Even if you eat right, but your stress/cortisol levels are too high, your gains can be lost.
Focusing on the POSITIVE empowering incremental progress you see from training, tracking every set, every minute of cardio, and every meal as your performance increases, as your energy increases, and as your sense of well-being grows, DECREASES cortisol through decreased stress. The decreased cortisol output leads to fat-loss! Because you body’s hormones return to normal.
Focusing on the frustration of slow weight-loss INCREASES your stress levels, and your body fat. Focusing on small steps of success in your strength and endurance reduces stress… and fat!
Do what you know works through science. Focus on CLEAN healthy foods, in modest proportions. Focus on feeding your inner athlete, feeding the lean person inside the fat. Reduce stress wherever possible... including one of the world’s best stress-relievers... Vigorous EXERCISE!
You'll find over time that your body will respond!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Owner, Burn Fitness Training, LLC
February 2013
Maximum Results… Minimum Time! Crank up your Cardio!
Most of my clients are very busy people. They come to a Trainer because they need to make the most efficient use of every hour of their day. They always want to know how to get the most results, in the least time. Maximum results come from a great meal plan, structured strength training, and effective “cardio”.
Like strength training, cardio can be measure in its intensity, from a gentle walk, to an all-out sprint. Traditionally, it was thought that long-duration low-intensity jogging or walking was the best route to fat-loss. Recent science has proven that to be entirely false. Just like lifting 5lb dumbbells 50 times is a very ineffective way to build muscle… slogging along for an hour at a pace just above a stroll is a horrible way to attack excess body-fat.
Well… you cannot sprint all-out for 30 minutes, and slow jogging isn’t effective. Should you run at moderate pace? No! The answer is… DO BOTH, sprint and jog!
Science has shown that far and away the most effective cardio training for fat loss is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), also known as sprint training. If you ever played sports growing up, think of shuttle runs, or “Indian-laps”, where the intensity varies within the workout from a sprint, back to a jog, back to a sprint, back to a jog, etc…
Many of my clients live in the beach cities where BeachLife is distributed, so I will use the beach as a perfect example. Start with a 5-10 minute warm-up jog to get your legs warmed up, and a sweat going. Never sprint with cold legs! You’re just begging for a pulled hamstring! After a brief warm-up, find an open section of beach and find two of those big blue trash cans about 200 yards apart. One full stride is about a yard, so measure it out. The big, open beaches in Treasure Island are perfect for this. Only the people in the top floors of the condos will think you are entirely nuts…
Start by jogging the 200 yards from can to can, then turning around at the far end and sprint back at about 80% of max speed. Move it! When you get back to Can-1, turn back around and jog (slowly) back up the beach to Can-2. Turn the corner… SPRINT! Repeat…
An Olympic sprinter covers 100 yards on concrete in under 10 seconds. Anything under 30 seconds in sand, over 200 yards, is pretty good! Even 45 seconds is okay if you’re just starting out. It will typically take you about 90-120 seconds per circuit, so 7-10 laps will get you to 15 minutes. If you can’t do 15 minutes, start slowly, and build up. Walk or job the rest of your training time.
Those 15 minutes of sand-sprints will burn as many calories as a 1 hour jog! And the HIIT will cause your body to burn more calories for the next 24 HOURS!
So if you’re pressed for training time, and you want to maximize your fat burn in minimum time… Do HIIT!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Owner, Burn Fitness Training, LLC
Maximum Results… Minimum Time! Crank up your Cardio!
Most of my clients are very busy people. They come to a Trainer because they need to make the most efficient use of every hour of their day. They always want to know how to get the most results, in the least time. Maximum results come from a great meal plan, structured strength training, and effective “cardio”.
Like strength training, cardio can be measure in its intensity, from a gentle walk, to an all-out sprint. Traditionally, it was thought that long-duration low-intensity jogging or walking was the best route to fat-loss. Recent science has proven that to be entirely false. Just like lifting 5lb dumbbells 50 times is a very ineffective way to build muscle… slogging along for an hour at a pace just above a stroll is a horrible way to attack excess body-fat.
Well… you cannot sprint all-out for 30 minutes, and slow jogging isn’t effective. Should you run at moderate pace? No! The answer is… DO BOTH, sprint and jog!
Science has shown that far and away the most effective cardio training for fat loss is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), also known as sprint training. If you ever played sports growing up, think of shuttle runs, or “Indian-laps”, where the intensity varies within the workout from a sprint, back to a jog, back to a sprint, back to a jog, etc…
Many of my clients live in the beach cities where BeachLife is distributed, so I will use the beach as a perfect example. Start with a 5-10 minute warm-up jog to get your legs warmed up, and a sweat going. Never sprint with cold legs! You’re just begging for a pulled hamstring! After a brief warm-up, find an open section of beach and find two of those big blue trash cans about 200 yards apart. One full stride is about a yard, so measure it out. The big, open beaches in Treasure Island are perfect for this. Only the people in the top floors of the condos will think you are entirely nuts…
Start by jogging the 200 yards from can to can, then turning around at the far end and sprint back at about 80% of max speed. Move it! When you get back to Can-1, turn back around and jog (slowly) back up the beach to Can-2. Turn the corner… SPRINT! Repeat…
An Olympic sprinter covers 100 yards on concrete in under 10 seconds. Anything under 30 seconds in sand, over 200 yards, is pretty good! Even 45 seconds is okay if you’re just starting out. It will typically take you about 90-120 seconds per circuit, so 7-10 laps will get you to 15 minutes. If you can’t do 15 minutes, start slowly, and build up. Walk or job the rest of your training time.
Those 15 minutes of sand-sprints will burn as many calories as a 1 hour jog! And the HIIT will cause your body to burn more calories for the next 24 HOURS!
So if you’re pressed for training time, and you want to maximize your fat burn in minimum time… Do HIIT!
Jeff Ward, CSCS
Owner, Burn Fitness Training, LLC
January 2013 (2)
What about weight gain?
I've had a lot of requests for weight gain advice in the past few weeks. It's a part of my business that gets glossed over on the advice side often, since 75-85% of the Training business usually focuses on fat loss.
I've had LOTS of success with "hard-gainers" in the past, mostly men, but also some women, who wanted to put on lean size and weight. Even a 47 year-old who gained 40 lbs in less than a year, drug-free. Increases in 2-3" on his chest and legs, and at least an inch on each arm.
For many people, adding weight can be just as hard as weight loss is for others. I'm personally a great example. I graduated high school at 6'3" and 185-190 lbs. Today I vary between 250-255 lbs, with the same size waist as I had in high school, and at an even lower body-fat percentage. It took me a long time to gain 60 lbs, but I didn't try to do it all at once. Depending on your starting weight, and metabolism, 30-50 lbs of muscle gain is very possible, given the right diet, the right program, and enough time. Growth of 0.5-1.0 lbs per week is typical. And dietary adjustments including "caloric cycling" can produce great gains with a minimal increase in fat mass. This can result in 30-50 lbs of solid muscle in one year.
Who needs mass gains?
Aspiring athletes are the typical answer. High School and college age athletes who want to make the jump from one playing position to another, or jump to the varsity level or prep for a college athletic program, where the athletes are MUCH larger need weight gain.
"Aesthetic" clients are also great candidates. For a guy who's always been smaller/thinner, who wants to bulk up without getting fat, I can REALLY help. Many women today are also seeing the fitness and figure girls out there with amazing physiques, who refuse to conform to the anorexic model look. Yuck... Modest lean muscle is dead sexy ladies... And the 5 lb dumbbells and "body-pump" classes aren’t going to get you there... Gains of 10-15 lbs with NO increase in dress size?? Completely possible! NEVER starve yourself again! EAT!
Finally, I have to include medical weight gain. Cancer survivors NEED to replace the pounds ravaged away not only by the disease, but the treatment. Low bone mass is also a huge issue, typically among smaller framed women, that strength training and weight gain can really help. And bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is all the rage these days! Did you know that strength training (correctly) can and WILL naturally boost all those hormones you're considering getting a shot for. An EXPENSIVE shot... Growth hormone, testosterone, HCG, etc, etc... ALL rise naturally when the body is put under demand. Training with a qualified train can do all of that.
Muscle mass is the fountain of youth! Done incorrectly, the damage and injury can age you. But done correctly... it will turn back the clock.
If you know ANYONE in need (or interested) in ADDING a few pounds... You know where to turn.
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
What about weight gain?
I've had a lot of requests for weight gain advice in the past few weeks. It's a part of my business that gets glossed over on the advice side often, since 75-85% of the Training business usually focuses on fat loss.
I've had LOTS of success with "hard-gainers" in the past, mostly men, but also some women, who wanted to put on lean size and weight. Even a 47 year-old who gained 40 lbs in less than a year, drug-free. Increases in 2-3" on his chest and legs, and at least an inch on each arm.
For many people, adding weight can be just as hard as weight loss is for others. I'm personally a great example. I graduated high school at 6'3" and 185-190 lbs. Today I vary between 250-255 lbs, with the same size waist as I had in high school, and at an even lower body-fat percentage. It took me a long time to gain 60 lbs, but I didn't try to do it all at once. Depending on your starting weight, and metabolism, 30-50 lbs of muscle gain is very possible, given the right diet, the right program, and enough time. Growth of 0.5-1.0 lbs per week is typical. And dietary adjustments including "caloric cycling" can produce great gains with a minimal increase in fat mass. This can result in 30-50 lbs of solid muscle in one year.
Who needs mass gains?
Aspiring athletes are the typical answer. High School and college age athletes who want to make the jump from one playing position to another, or jump to the varsity level or prep for a college athletic program, where the athletes are MUCH larger need weight gain.
"Aesthetic" clients are also great candidates. For a guy who's always been smaller/thinner, who wants to bulk up without getting fat, I can REALLY help. Many women today are also seeing the fitness and figure girls out there with amazing physiques, who refuse to conform to the anorexic model look. Yuck... Modest lean muscle is dead sexy ladies... And the 5 lb dumbbells and "body-pump" classes aren’t going to get you there... Gains of 10-15 lbs with NO increase in dress size?? Completely possible! NEVER starve yourself again! EAT!
Finally, I have to include medical weight gain. Cancer survivors NEED to replace the pounds ravaged away not only by the disease, but the treatment. Low bone mass is also a huge issue, typically among smaller framed women, that strength training and weight gain can really help. And bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is all the rage these days! Did you know that strength training (correctly) can and WILL naturally boost all those hormones you're considering getting a shot for. An EXPENSIVE shot... Growth hormone, testosterone, HCG, etc, etc... ALL rise naturally when the body is put under demand. Training with a qualified train can do all of that.
Muscle mass is the fountain of youth! Done incorrectly, the damage and injury can age you. But done correctly... it will turn back the clock.
If you know ANYONE in need (or interested) in ADDING a few pounds... You know where to turn.
Burn Fitness Training, LLC
January 2013
New Year’s Fitness Resolution?
How many years in a row has it been? Three? Thirteen? Thirty? Will you make a resolution to lose weight again this year, or have you just given up?
The number one New Year’s Resolution of all time is weight loss. This year will FINALLY be the year where you get in shape! More gym memberships are sold in the month of January than any other month. More “diets” are started on January 1st than any other day. Yet every year… this resolution seems to sputter and fail before we even reach March! Why is this, and how can YOU make this year’s resolution stick?
1. Dieting always fails. Even IF in the first few weeks, your “diet” works miraculously well, you are almost always doomed to gain all the weight back. Since diets by their very nature are temporary, as soon as you return to your old ways, the weight returns. Worse, most diets starve the body, neglect protein intake and don’t include any resistance training, so your body loses nearly as much muscle as fat. When you start eating “normally” again, you will regain all fat and little muscle. You will return to your old weight, yet you will be even fatter. You MUST incorporate a new nutritional lifestyle with a plan that balances calories, proteins, fats and carbs into a life-long change in the way you eat.
2. “Blind exercise” gets little results. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Just like a diet, a workout routine with a plan is a MUST. Your exercise should target fat-loss, NOT muscle loss, and should incorporate progressive, safe increases in intensity, because what works this week, will no longer produce results in a month! Diving in to an hour of high intensity exercise per day, six days per week, will most likely leave you sore, injured, and out of commission for weeks or months.
3. Unrealistic expectations lead to quitting! News flash… you can’t burn fat as fast at 45 as you did at 25! 30lbs in 30 days is very unrealistic, and extremely unhealthy! Target 1lb of fat loss per week, per 100lb of bodyweight, and factor in age and metabolism. So if you are 200lbs, shoot for 2lbs per week. If you’re 150, shoot for 1.5lbs per week. If you’re over 40, and haven’t exercised in years, it will take longer. Remember that only 1lb/week is 52lbs in a year! Focus on INCHES more than pounds, since muscle weighs nearly twice as much as fat. Also… the first place YOU gain fat will be the last place YOU lose it. You cannot spot-train just your belly, or thighs, etc.
Educate yourself! Make a resolution this year to LEARN about the real science of fat loss, stop buying all those worthless supplements and gimmick products on late-night TV. Come see a professional, like myself, for a FREE consultation on the realities of fat loss and muscle gain. Don’t spend another year struggling, and giving up, then resolving AGAIN in 2014 to finally lose the weight!
To start a plan that will finally work, contact me.
JEFF WARD, CSCS, Owner - BURN Fitness Training, LLC
New Year’s Fitness Resolution?
How many years in a row has it been? Three? Thirteen? Thirty? Will you make a resolution to lose weight again this year, or have you just given up?
The number one New Year’s Resolution of all time is weight loss. This year will FINALLY be the year where you get in shape! More gym memberships are sold in the month of January than any other month. More “diets” are started on January 1st than any other day. Yet every year… this resolution seems to sputter and fail before we even reach March! Why is this, and how can YOU make this year’s resolution stick?
1. Dieting always fails. Even IF in the first few weeks, your “diet” works miraculously well, you are almost always doomed to gain all the weight back. Since diets by their very nature are temporary, as soon as you return to your old ways, the weight returns. Worse, most diets starve the body, neglect protein intake and don’t include any resistance training, so your body loses nearly as much muscle as fat. When you start eating “normally” again, you will regain all fat and little muscle. You will return to your old weight, yet you will be even fatter. You MUST incorporate a new nutritional lifestyle with a plan that balances calories, proteins, fats and carbs into a life-long change in the way you eat.
2. “Blind exercise” gets little results. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Just like a diet, a workout routine with a plan is a MUST. Your exercise should target fat-loss, NOT muscle loss, and should incorporate progressive, safe increases in intensity, because what works this week, will no longer produce results in a month! Diving in to an hour of high intensity exercise per day, six days per week, will most likely leave you sore, injured, and out of commission for weeks or months.
3. Unrealistic expectations lead to quitting! News flash… you can’t burn fat as fast at 45 as you did at 25! 30lbs in 30 days is very unrealistic, and extremely unhealthy! Target 1lb of fat loss per week, per 100lb of bodyweight, and factor in age and metabolism. So if you are 200lbs, shoot for 2lbs per week. If you’re 150, shoot for 1.5lbs per week. If you’re over 40, and haven’t exercised in years, it will take longer. Remember that only 1lb/week is 52lbs in a year! Focus on INCHES more than pounds, since muscle weighs nearly twice as much as fat. Also… the first place YOU gain fat will be the last place YOU lose it. You cannot spot-train just your belly, or thighs, etc.
Educate yourself! Make a resolution this year to LEARN about the real science of fat loss, stop buying all those worthless supplements and gimmick products on late-night TV. Come see a professional, like myself, for a FREE consultation on the realities of fat loss and muscle gain. Don’t spend another year struggling, and giving up, then resolving AGAIN in 2014 to finally lose the weight!
To start a plan that will finally work, contact me.
JEFF WARD, CSCS, Owner - BURN Fitness Training, LLC
December 2012
SUPPLEMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS! WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS?
The supplement industry in the United States is a multi-billion dollar business. After the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), the flood gates opened for supplements in the United States. This act of congress was a double edged sword. The good news was, DSHEA allowed the supplement industry to release many new products to the market without regulation and oversight of the FDA. After significant lobbying (ie $Millions) by the supplement industry, DSHEA released the FDA restrictions from products sold as “dietary supplements”, separating them from the food and drugs, which are still regulated today. As long as the products had labeling (small type) that defined them as not proven or approved by the FDA, it slid through.
The bad news… it opened the flood gates for a bunch of worthless products, sold to a public hungry for get-thin-quick results. As long as nobody got seriously ill or died using the product, and it met the guidelines, it wasn’t even tested by the FDA!
So what actually works? Here’s a list of “supplements” proven time and again to be more than hype.
Amino Acids: Amino acids are the building blocks of the proteins that our body is built out of, and that we use for repair. Luckily, if you eat significant amounts of “complete proteins”, like beef, poultry, fish, and eggs, you WILL get all you need. Every protein powder on the market is loaded up with enough of the essential amino acids your body needs, so most people don’t even have to supplement them.
Vitamins and Minerals: Again, there are a long list of vitamins and minerals that our body needs every day, not in large amounts, but they are critical, but if we eat reasonable amounts of vegetables and fruits every day there’s NO requirement for a multivitamin supplement. If you REFUSE to eat your vegetables… pop a high quality multi. They’re cheap.
Caffeine: Caffeine is a highly effective fat burner. It increases your body temperature, causes faster/stronger muscle contraction and increases your body’s use of fat as a fuel. It also suppresses appetite and cravings. As long as you don’t have blood pressure sensitivity, hit the java!
Creatine: Banned by professional sports, yet shown to be 100% safe when taken as directed, creatine increases water content in the muscles, and bolsters your body’s phosphagen energy system, increasing the reps you can do in your workout. More reps = more growth = more calories burned. Creatine is found plentifully in red meat.
Beta Alanine: Beta Alanine is an amino acid that reduces fatigue in the muscle cell, allowing an athlete to train longer and harder. Beta Alanine is a common ingredient in many ”pre-workout” drinks (which are also loaded with sugar and caffeine). But again, you will get plenty from simply eating meats. It’s everywhere in a healthy diet.
There are others which have a VERY minimal impact on your workouts, but tend to bump up the price of your supplement bill. In reality, short of caffeine, all the substances we need for optimal performance are already present in a diet high in lean meats, vegetables, and fruits! And caffeine is found in half the drinks we consume daily anyway.
In 17 years in the fitness business, I’ve been approached by every supplement multi-level-marketing scheme ever devised, and I’ve never stooped to pitch their products to my clients. I know they’re not worth the investment, so I won’t endorse them. Well… I haven’t been approached by “Red Bull” or “Monster” yet… They work!
What do I use? Supplemental protein, caffeine, creatine… and Advil… That’s a drug…
For more info, contact JEFF WARD, CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist)
SUPPLEMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS! WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS?
The supplement industry in the United States is a multi-billion dollar business. After the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), the flood gates opened for supplements in the United States. This act of congress was a double edged sword. The good news was, DSHEA allowed the supplement industry to release many new products to the market without regulation and oversight of the FDA. After significant lobbying (ie $Millions) by the supplement industry, DSHEA released the FDA restrictions from products sold as “dietary supplements”, separating them from the food and drugs, which are still regulated today. As long as the products had labeling (small type) that defined them as not proven or approved by the FDA, it slid through.
The bad news… it opened the flood gates for a bunch of worthless products, sold to a public hungry for get-thin-quick results. As long as nobody got seriously ill or died using the product, and it met the guidelines, it wasn’t even tested by the FDA!
So what actually works? Here’s a list of “supplements” proven time and again to be more than hype.
Amino Acids: Amino acids are the building blocks of the proteins that our body is built out of, and that we use for repair. Luckily, if you eat significant amounts of “complete proteins”, like beef, poultry, fish, and eggs, you WILL get all you need. Every protein powder on the market is loaded up with enough of the essential amino acids your body needs, so most people don’t even have to supplement them.
Vitamins and Minerals: Again, there are a long list of vitamins and minerals that our body needs every day, not in large amounts, but they are critical, but if we eat reasonable amounts of vegetables and fruits every day there’s NO requirement for a multivitamin supplement. If you REFUSE to eat your vegetables… pop a high quality multi. They’re cheap.
Caffeine: Caffeine is a highly effective fat burner. It increases your body temperature, causes faster/stronger muscle contraction and increases your body’s use of fat as a fuel. It also suppresses appetite and cravings. As long as you don’t have blood pressure sensitivity, hit the java!
Creatine: Banned by professional sports, yet shown to be 100% safe when taken as directed, creatine increases water content in the muscles, and bolsters your body’s phosphagen energy system, increasing the reps you can do in your workout. More reps = more growth = more calories burned. Creatine is found plentifully in red meat.
Beta Alanine: Beta Alanine is an amino acid that reduces fatigue in the muscle cell, allowing an athlete to train longer and harder. Beta Alanine is a common ingredient in many ”pre-workout” drinks (which are also loaded with sugar and caffeine). But again, you will get plenty from simply eating meats. It’s everywhere in a healthy diet.
There are others which have a VERY minimal impact on your workouts, but tend to bump up the price of your supplement bill. In reality, short of caffeine, all the substances we need for optimal performance are already present in a diet high in lean meats, vegetables, and fruits! And caffeine is found in half the drinks we consume daily anyway.
In 17 years in the fitness business, I’ve been approached by every supplement multi-level-marketing scheme ever devised, and I’ve never stooped to pitch their products to my clients. I know they’re not worth the investment, so I won’t endorse them. Well… I haven’t been approached by “Red Bull” or “Monster” yet… They work!
What do I use? Supplemental protein, caffeine, creatine… and Advil… That’s a drug…
For more info, contact JEFF WARD, CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist)
November 2012 (2)
When you eat… Does it really matter?
We know that weight gain and weight loss is a matter of calories “in” verse calories “out”. If you eat more calories than your body burns over the course of a few days or a week, you will gain weight. If you burn more calories over the course of the same time than you take in, you will lose weight. This is simple thermodynamics, science… nothing magical. But the thing I always stress to my clients is that WEIGHT LOSS is not the primary goal they should shoot for. The primary goal is actually FAT loss!
To many it seems obvious, that the weight you gain through inactivity and overeating is fat-weight, so the weight you should lose from exercise and calorie control SHOULD be fat-weight! Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Severe dieting and low-intensity-long-duration exercise can also cause your body to shed significant muscle with the fat loss. Even if your diet is “successful” and you’ve lost your extra weight, you won’t get leaner, just lighter. Then… after you stop dieting and you go back to eating “normally”, the weight comes back, but the muscle doesn’t! You’re quickly back to your old higher weight, but now you’re even FATTER. This is the long-term result of “yo-yo” dieting.
Last month I wrote a tip on training intensity and fat loss, so this issue I’ll focus on the nutrition plan for fat-loss.
Simply put, WHEN you eat is almost as important as WHAT you eat. As simply as I can put it, if you eat the SAME 1500kCal spread over six small meals, as you normally would spread over three, you will lose FAT. Even though your food and calorie intake is the same, your blood sugar will be much more stable, as oppose to the peaks and valleys of three meals with 5-6 hours between. Simply eating half of your breakfast at 7, and finishing it at 10, then half of your lunch at 1, and finishing it at 4, then half of your dinner at 7, and finishing it at 10… will force your body to burn fat, and make muscle gain easier! This “grazing” style of eating is tough if you work a 9-5, but if you eat a small breakfast, lunch and dinner, then add 2-3 snacks in between, like a protein bar, apple, or yogurt, you’ll get the same effect.
Shoot for 5-6 snack-sized meals per day, instead of 2-3 large meals. You’ll see amazing results!
For more fitness and nutrition tips, please give me a call at BURN Fitness Training, and set up a free consultation!
JEFF WARD, CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist)
When you eat… Does it really matter?
We know that weight gain and weight loss is a matter of calories “in” verse calories “out”. If you eat more calories than your body burns over the course of a few days or a week, you will gain weight. If you burn more calories over the course of the same time than you take in, you will lose weight. This is simple thermodynamics, science… nothing magical. But the thing I always stress to my clients is that WEIGHT LOSS is not the primary goal they should shoot for. The primary goal is actually FAT loss!
To many it seems obvious, that the weight you gain through inactivity and overeating is fat-weight, so the weight you should lose from exercise and calorie control SHOULD be fat-weight! Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Severe dieting and low-intensity-long-duration exercise can also cause your body to shed significant muscle with the fat loss. Even if your diet is “successful” and you’ve lost your extra weight, you won’t get leaner, just lighter. Then… after you stop dieting and you go back to eating “normally”, the weight comes back, but the muscle doesn’t! You’re quickly back to your old higher weight, but now you’re even FATTER. This is the long-term result of “yo-yo” dieting.
Last month I wrote a tip on training intensity and fat loss, so this issue I’ll focus on the nutrition plan for fat-loss.
Simply put, WHEN you eat is almost as important as WHAT you eat. As simply as I can put it, if you eat the SAME 1500kCal spread over six small meals, as you normally would spread over three, you will lose FAT. Even though your food and calorie intake is the same, your blood sugar will be much more stable, as oppose to the peaks and valleys of three meals with 5-6 hours between. Simply eating half of your breakfast at 7, and finishing it at 10, then half of your lunch at 1, and finishing it at 4, then half of your dinner at 7, and finishing it at 10… will force your body to burn fat, and make muscle gain easier! This “grazing” style of eating is tough if you work a 9-5, but if you eat a small breakfast, lunch and dinner, then add 2-3 snacks in between, like a protein bar, apple, or yogurt, you’ll get the same effect.
Shoot for 5-6 snack-sized meals per day, instead of 2-3 large meals. You’ll see amazing results!
For more fitness and nutrition tips, please give me a call at BURN Fitness Training, and set up a free consultation!
JEFF WARD, CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist)
November 2012
How to Lose Fat Between Thanksgiving and New Years!
As we approach the Holiday Season… most people’s thoughts turn to Thanksgiving dinner, pies, stuffing, Christmas dinner (or Hanukah which can be just as bad!), holiday parties, big bowls full of nuts and Chex mix… and the corresponding weight gain that goes with it. The average American gains between 4-8 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years! Considering gaining ONE pound requires eating an extra 3500kCal (over what you burn), the average gain of 6 pounds means you ate 21,000 EXTRA calories in only about 6 weeks!!!
Here’s the way I describe it to my clients. In a full year, if you add up national holidays, holiday weekends, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, etc where over-eating is the norm… it totals about 30-35 days. That’s 30-35 “cheat days” in 365 days, or less than 10%! If you eat what you’re supposed to eat 90% of the time… You’ll be leaner than ME!
So how does this apply to the Holidays? PICK YOUR DAYS! Eat super clean from today up to Thanksgiving, and then enjoy Thanksgiving Day, and the Saturday after Thanksgiving (FOOTBALL!). Eat super-clean again up until Christmas Eve, then eat what you want for 2-3 days. The Friday before Christmas is the office Christmas party… Plan for that too! Finally New Years Eve is going to be a nightmare for your diet. Plan for it! Eat perfectly in between.
Go to dinner at other people’s houses! If dinner is at your house, give away the leftovers to your skinny relatives and friends! (Or drop them off at my studio)
We gain and lose weight from the calories we eat in a week, not in an individual day. If you KNOW you’re going to overeat for a day or two, just cut back a few hundred calories per day with smaller portions for a few days before and after. On your “cheat days”, pick your poisons… Don’t go for stuffing, AND mashed potatoes, AND pumpkin pie… Pick one! Eat all the turkey you want! Load up! You get the idea.
Pick 3-5 days in the Holidays where you plan to eat the wrong stuff, dial back your intake on the days before and after to compensate, and pick a few things to splurge with, not EVERYTHING. Add 15-30 minutes per day of exercise daily through the holidays, plan on walking a LOT during your holiday shopping.
Speaking of Holiday shopping… Splurge a little on yourself for the months of November and December and hire a Trainer to kick your butt (safely) 3-5 days per week. Maybe you’ll DROP 6 pounds in the next 45 days!
JEFF WARD, CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist)
How to Lose Fat Between Thanksgiving and New Years!
As we approach the Holiday Season… most people’s thoughts turn to Thanksgiving dinner, pies, stuffing, Christmas dinner (or Hanukah which can be just as bad!), holiday parties, big bowls full of nuts and Chex mix… and the corresponding weight gain that goes with it. The average American gains between 4-8 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years! Considering gaining ONE pound requires eating an extra 3500kCal (over what you burn), the average gain of 6 pounds means you ate 21,000 EXTRA calories in only about 6 weeks!!!
Here’s the way I describe it to my clients. In a full year, if you add up national holidays, holiday weekends, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, etc where over-eating is the norm… it totals about 30-35 days. That’s 30-35 “cheat days” in 365 days, or less than 10%! If you eat what you’re supposed to eat 90% of the time… You’ll be leaner than ME!
So how does this apply to the Holidays? PICK YOUR DAYS! Eat super clean from today up to Thanksgiving, and then enjoy Thanksgiving Day, and the Saturday after Thanksgiving (FOOTBALL!). Eat super-clean again up until Christmas Eve, then eat what you want for 2-3 days. The Friday before Christmas is the office Christmas party… Plan for that too! Finally New Years Eve is going to be a nightmare for your diet. Plan for it! Eat perfectly in between.
Go to dinner at other people’s houses! If dinner is at your house, give away the leftovers to your skinny relatives and friends! (Or drop them off at my studio)
We gain and lose weight from the calories we eat in a week, not in an individual day. If you KNOW you’re going to overeat for a day or two, just cut back a few hundred calories per day with smaller portions for a few days before and after. On your “cheat days”, pick your poisons… Don’t go for stuffing, AND mashed potatoes, AND pumpkin pie… Pick one! Eat all the turkey you want! Load up! You get the idea.
Pick 3-5 days in the Holidays where you plan to eat the wrong stuff, dial back your intake on the days before and after to compensate, and pick a few things to splurge with, not EVERYTHING. Add 15-30 minutes per day of exercise daily through the holidays, plan on walking a LOT during your holiday shopping.
Speaking of Holiday shopping… Splurge a little on yourself for the months of November and December and hire a Trainer to kick your butt (safely) 3-5 days per week. Maybe you’ll DROP 6 pounds in the next 45 days!
JEFF WARD, CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist)
October 2012 (2)
Strength Coaching for High School Athletes?
Parents, do you have a young athlete in your household? If you do, is hiring a Strength Coach going to improve their performance, and is it worth the investment?
First let’s discuss the PURPOSE of high school sports. We all know, despite our dreams of grandeur and professional aspirations, that only a VERY small percentage of high school athletes ever go on to a professional career in sports. In reality, high school sports are MUCH more important in the development of a future business professional! Teamwork, competition, and the experience of victory and failure are incredibly critical in the development of a future business owner, or leader in any professional field. This has been proven time and again with the number of CEOs and business owners who have a background in sports.
It’s also well established that early success in middle and high school sports, leads to greater success at higher levels, young athletes staying fit and lean for life, and keeping on competing all the way through college and beyond. Early sport frustration and failure leads to teens quitting a competitive sport, which leaves them lots of “extra time” for activities that are detrimental to their future professional success… Parents, you know what THOSE activities are!
So whether your son or daughter has the gifts to play at the college or professional levels or not, early success in sports can make or break their future in ANY profession!
What can a Strength and Conditioning Coach do for your teen?
A Strength Coach does NOT work on developing sport-specific skills, like shooting, passing, and technique. The Strength Coach develops power, speed, agility, durability, and endurance. The high school coaching staff has responsibility for 15-50+ athletes at once, and is limited by state law to only spending a limited time with the athletes. A Personal Coach has no limitations to time, and offers 100% attention to the athlete. EVERY athlete can use more speed, power, etc to add to their skill sets, and it’s proven that even a lower-skill athlete with greater conditioning can always compete! If your athlete is blessed with a college/pro level skill set, the school’s conditioning program is rarely enough to maximize their performance. If a college scout is looking at your athlete as a sophomore, or junior… speed and power are very easy to see, and definitely set one athlete apart from the pack.
How do you choose the right Strength Coach?
First: Qualifications… Choose a Trainer/Coach with a Certification in Strength and Conditioning!!! This is a very different skill set than adult fat-loss.
Second: Personality… Choose a Strength Coach who can connect with your athlete, and that your athlete will enjoy working with, and will stick with.
If you’ve got a young athlete in the family… come see me for a free consultation.
JEFF WARD, CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist)
Owner, BURN Fitness Training, LLC
Strength Coaching for High School Athletes?
Parents, do you have a young athlete in your household? If you do, is hiring a Strength Coach going to improve their performance, and is it worth the investment?
First let’s discuss the PURPOSE of high school sports. We all know, despite our dreams of grandeur and professional aspirations, that only a VERY small percentage of high school athletes ever go on to a professional career in sports. In reality, high school sports are MUCH more important in the development of a future business professional! Teamwork, competition, and the experience of victory and failure are incredibly critical in the development of a future business owner, or leader in any professional field. This has been proven time and again with the number of CEOs and business owners who have a background in sports.
It’s also well established that early success in middle and high school sports, leads to greater success at higher levels, young athletes staying fit and lean for life, and keeping on competing all the way through college and beyond. Early sport frustration and failure leads to teens quitting a competitive sport, which leaves them lots of “extra time” for activities that are detrimental to their future professional success… Parents, you know what THOSE activities are!
So whether your son or daughter has the gifts to play at the college or professional levels or not, early success in sports can make or break their future in ANY profession!
What can a Strength and Conditioning Coach do for your teen?
A Strength Coach does NOT work on developing sport-specific skills, like shooting, passing, and technique. The Strength Coach develops power, speed, agility, durability, and endurance. The high school coaching staff has responsibility for 15-50+ athletes at once, and is limited by state law to only spending a limited time with the athletes. A Personal Coach has no limitations to time, and offers 100% attention to the athlete. EVERY athlete can use more speed, power, etc to add to their skill sets, and it’s proven that even a lower-skill athlete with greater conditioning can always compete! If your athlete is blessed with a college/pro level skill set, the school’s conditioning program is rarely enough to maximize their performance. If a college scout is looking at your athlete as a sophomore, or junior… speed and power are very easy to see, and definitely set one athlete apart from the pack.
How do you choose the right Strength Coach?
First: Qualifications… Choose a Trainer/Coach with a Certification in Strength and Conditioning!!! This is a very different skill set than adult fat-loss.
Second: Personality… Choose a Strength Coach who can connect with your athlete, and that your athlete will enjoy working with, and will stick with.
If you’ve got a young athlete in the family… come see me for a free consultation.
JEFF WARD, CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist)
Owner, BURN Fitness Training, LLC
October 2012
RESULTS! It’s all in the INTENSITY!
We’ve been told for years that low-intensity, longer-duration “aerobic” exercise was the key to fat loss, and that high-intensity exercise was for power, and bodybuilding training… Turns out, science has proven that almost completely wrong.
So what is the magic formula to major fat loss? It seems that the secret to fat loss… is muscle gain. Now before I lose 90% of my female readers… It’s not “bulking up”, it’s replacing the lost muscle mass that fueled your 20-something metabolism. We know that the average American loses 1 of muscle per year with age (unless they are strength training). This loss can result in 10lb of lost muscle in 10-15 years at least. Our bodies replace that lost muscle with fat weight, so the scale still reads the same number… but the mirror tells us we’re not as “toned” as we once were.
The solution? Stop jogging, and start “sprinting”. Stop curling those 2lb weights, and grab the 10s… or bigger! Here’s why:
The exercise we do TODAY can produce short-term, mid-term, and/or long-term calorie/fat-burning. Short-term burn is the calories you burn in the next 2-3 hours (while working out). Mid-term burn is the extra calories you burn in the next 2-3 days (caused by today’s workout). Long-term burn is the extra calories you burn for the next 2-3 MONTHS (caused by today’s workout). Obviously, if the exercise you do today forces your body to burn more calories for the next 2-3 months, it’s more effective than exercise that stops working after only 2-3 hours!
In order of importance:
CIRCUIT TRAINING WITH WEIGHTS: Weights heavy enough to exhaust the muscle in 8-15 reps! 3-5 circuits per exercise session, in a “split routine”. Circuit weight training causes HIGH short-term, HIGH mid-term, and HIGH long-term calorie-burning (due to gradually increasing muscle mass)!
HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING: Sprint/Walk/Sprint/Walk intervals for 15-20. HIIT causes HIGH short-term, HIGH mid-term, and LOW long-term calorie impact.
LOW INTENSITY LONG DURATION: Jogging or walking more than 20 minutes. Jogging causes MODERATE short-term, ZERO mid-term, and ZERO long-term calorie impact.
Obviously, you want to spend as much of your precious exercise time as you can doing exercise that will cause the BIGGEST impact to your short, mid, and long-term calorie impact! How does that translate into a weekly routine? For most of my clients, that means 2-4 circuit training sessions, 3-5 HIIT sessions, and 1-3 low intensity sessions per week! Yes… walking/jogging ONCE per week.
If you want guidance on maximizing your results from your exercise, in minimal time… Call me for a free consultation!
JEFF WARD, CSCS
Owner, BURN Fitness Training, LLC
RESULTS! It’s all in the INTENSITY!
We’ve been told for years that low-intensity, longer-duration “aerobic” exercise was the key to fat loss, and that high-intensity exercise was for power, and bodybuilding training… Turns out, science has proven that almost completely wrong.
So what is the magic formula to major fat loss? It seems that the secret to fat loss… is muscle gain. Now before I lose 90% of my female readers… It’s not “bulking up”, it’s replacing the lost muscle mass that fueled your 20-something metabolism. We know that the average American loses 1 of muscle per year with age (unless they are strength training). This loss can result in 10lb of lost muscle in 10-15 years at least. Our bodies replace that lost muscle with fat weight, so the scale still reads the same number… but the mirror tells us we’re not as “toned” as we once were.
The solution? Stop jogging, and start “sprinting”. Stop curling those 2lb weights, and grab the 10s… or bigger! Here’s why:
The exercise we do TODAY can produce short-term, mid-term, and/or long-term calorie/fat-burning. Short-term burn is the calories you burn in the next 2-3 hours (while working out). Mid-term burn is the extra calories you burn in the next 2-3 days (caused by today’s workout). Long-term burn is the extra calories you burn for the next 2-3 MONTHS (caused by today’s workout). Obviously, if the exercise you do today forces your body to burn more calories for the next 2-3 months, it’s more effective than exercise that stops working after only 2-3 hours!
In order of importance:
CIRCUIT TRAINING WITH WEIGHTS: Weights heavy enough to exhaust the muscle in 8-15 reps! 3-5 circuits per exercise session, in a “split routine”. Circuit weight training causes HIGH short-term, HIGH mid-term, and HIGH long-term calorie-burning (due to gradually increasing muscle mass)!
HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING: Sprint/Walk/Sprint/Walk intervals for 15-20. HIIT causes HIGH short-term, HIGH mid-term, and LOW long-term calorie impact.
LOW INTENSITY LONG DURATION: Jogging or walking more than 20 minutes. Jogging causes MODERATE short-term, ZERO mid-term, and ZERO long-term calorie impact.
Obviously, you want to spend as much of your precious exercise time as you can doing exercise that will cause the BIGGEST impact to your short, mid, and long-term calorie impact! How does that translate into a weekly routine? For most of my clients, that means 2-4 circuit training sessions, 3-5 HIIT sessions, and 1-3 low intensity sessions per week! Yes… walking/jogging ONCE per week.
If you want guidance on maximizing your results from your exercise, in minimal time… Call me for a free consultation!
JEFF WARD, CSCS
Owner, BURN Fitness Training, LLC