If you haven’t made the switch over to my new blog http://BackToFormFitness.com make sure you do. You can sign up for your free informative newsletter here: http://backtoformfitness.com/newsletter/ 

If you want more, make sure you go to the new blog and sign up for your new FREE report that is packed with great information on how to reach your fitness goals faster without wasting valuable time!

 This blog that you know and love has moved to a brand new home and brand new address. What does that means for you? Not much other than, I ask all of you that read my blog, and those of you that have linked my blog to you site or sites, to please link the new address and share it with anyone out there that may be interested. I will leave this blog “live” for some time until most people complete the move. (www.backtoformfitness.com)

If you have feeds, remember to change them too.

I have moved because there are some cool things happening in the near future and I need some more “blogging power.” The content will be better than ever and I will be updating the blog a lot more.

Please spread the news, change your feeds, and your links. See you at my new “home.” Once you are there, make sure you sign up for my free report that I am offering.

New Blog:

http://www.backtoformfitness.com

 www.backtoformfitness.com   

While food shopping with my girlfriend today, I was looking to stock up on some nutritious foods for the next couple of weeks. As we surveyed the isles, we picked up various things such as veggies, different beans, green and white teas, nuts, etc… We decided to walk up and down each isle just so we would not forget anything, and we started down one isle that I would call the most dangerous isle in the store. It was the “Breakfast Isle.”   On one side of this isle, it was packed with sugar filled cereals, and breakfast items. Probably 90% of every food item on this side of the isle was processed carbohydrates, and sugar packed in a cardboard box, marketed to kids. Even the supposedly “nutritious” cereals and breakfast bars, were packed with bad fats, a lot of sugar and processed ingredients. On the other side of the isle, from front to end was nothing but “fruit juices” and different drinks. This store had every type of juice and drink that you can imagine, and this did not include sodas. Soda was in another isle. At the very end of the isle was a small area with maple syrup, pancake ingredients, and other “pastry type” of foods.  

Before you email me, yelling at me that fruit juice is healthy and wondering how could I think otherwise, stop to think about something; First of all, most of these drinks are not all fruit juice. A good portion of these drinks is filled with additional sugar on top of the “juice” that is contained within. The bigger problem in my opinion is that even though it is fruit juice, fruit juice is sugar in itself. Each bottle of juice is loaded with calories, and sugar. No one needs that much “fruit” in one serving. People think however, that because it is juice it must be healthy. In addition, since it is healthy, you can drink a lot of it.   

The truth is, many people have gotten very fat from partaking in a traditional “American” breakfast. The typical breakfast in this country is a heaping bowl of cereal,  and a large glass of ‘juice.’ Sometimes, the cereal will be replaced with a breakfast bar, which is nothing more than a large candy bar with some oats pack inside. Other times, people will make pancakes topped with butter, and tons of maple syrup. Either way, eating like this on a daily basis will contribute to most people gaining weight.

Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day, but the traditional model of breakfast is nothing more than desert most of the time.  

 If you are looking to control your weight, develop the body of your dreams, rethink breakfast and stay away from that dangerous food isle in your local supermarket. As a matter of fact, the best places in most food stores are usually on the ends. The outer isles contain your fruits, veggies, eggs, healthy cheeses, and a lot of smarter choices.   

To help you with more of your nutritional choices check out Mike Roussell’s Naked Nutrition Guide. It is one of the most comprehensive, easy to follow and effective nutritional guides on the market. I have been nothing but impressed with this guide and everything Mike has done.

My friend and colleague Alwyn Cosgrove just posted this awesome video on his blog.

 Check it out.

 http://alwyncosgrove.blogspot.com/2008/01/excuses.html

The next time you have an excuse……………

Happy New year!!

Hope that all of you had a great New Year’s and more so, are on the path to an incredible 2008.

I am making some major changes for the New Year for myself.

I have some big plans coming up in ‘08!!!

I am taking my blog to another level….stay tuned for that. It will be full of much more content and will benefit all of you tremendously. I am going to use my 18 years of experience and blend that with new ideas, interviews and help from the best in the industry to bring you great content and so much more.

I am working on some very cool information products. I have received many emails over the last year about producing some content rich products for people that need help in their quest for total fitness and health and I am ready to make that happen. Watch for these in the up coming months.

I have been busy writing for Men’s Fitness and have some spots coming up in the next few months including an article on core training that you don’t want to miss in the March issue.

Personally, I am committed to getting into the absolute best physical, and mental shape of my life by introducing new training routines into my own personal program while keeping things new and fresh.

Beyond that, I am going to be incredibly busy with work, life and making great things happen. Hope you are all committed to doing the same.

Set some goals, have some fun and take control of your life. The time is now so get busy!!

Below is an article contributed by Mike Geary, the founder of TruthAboutAbs.com. I thought this was an important topic to share with you because the reality is that most people simply don’t realize how dangerous their excess abdominal fat really is to their health.

The Hidden Dangers of Your Excess Abdominal Fat - It’s More Serious Than a Vanity Issue!by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

Did you know that the vast majority of people in this day and age have excess abdominal fat? The first thing that most people think of is that their extra abdominal fat is simply ugly, is covering up their abs from being visible, and makes them self conscious about showing off their body.However, what most people don’t realize is that excess abdominal fat in particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your health. Scientific research has clearly demonstrated that although it is unhealthy in general to have excess body fat throughout your body, it is also particularly dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.

There are two types of fat that you have in your abdominal area. The first type that covers up your abs from being visible is called subcutaneous fat and lies directly beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles.The second type of fat that you have in your abdominal area is called visceral fat, and that lies deeper in the abdomen beneath your muscle and surrounding your organs. Visceral fat also plays a role in giving certain men that “beer belly” appearance where their abdomen protrudes excessively but at the same time, also feels sort of hard if you push on it. Both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat in the abdominal area are serious health risk factors, but science has shown that having excessive visceral fat is even more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Both of them greatly increase the risk your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, various forms of cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

Part of the reason visceral fat is particularly dangerous is that it apparently releases more inflammatory molecules into your body on a consistent basis.If you care about the quality of your life and your loved ones, reducing your abdominal fat should be one of your TOP priorities! There’s just no way around it. Besides, a side-effect of finally getting rid of all of that excessive ugly abdominal fat is that your stomach will flatten out, and if you lose enough stomach fat, you will be able to visibly see those sexy six pack abs that everyone wants.

So what gets rid of extra abdominal fat? Is there actually a REAL solution beyond all of the gimmicks and hype that you see in ads and on commercials for “miracle” fat loss products?

The first thing you must understand is that there is absolutely NO quick fix solution. There are no pills or supplements of any sort that will help you lose your abdominal fat faster. Also, none of the gimmicky ab rockers, rollers, or ab belts will help get rid of abdominal fat either. You can’t spot reduce your stomach fat by using any of these worthless contraptions. It simply doesn’t work that way.The ONLY solution to consistently lose your abdominal fat and keep it off for good is to combine a sound nutritious diet full of unprocessed natural foods with a properly designed strategic exercise program that stimulates the necessary hormonal and metabolic response within your body. Both your food intake as well as your training program are important if you are to get this right. I’ve actually even seen a particular study that divided thousands of participants into a diet-only group and an exercise/diet group. While both groups in this study made good progress, the diet-only group lost significantly LESS abdominal fat than the diet & exercise combined group.Now the important thing to realize is that just any old exercise program will not necessarily do the trick. The majority of people that attempt getting into a good exercise routine are NOT working out effectively enough to really stimulate the loss of stubborn abdominal fat. I see this everyday at the gym.

Most people will do your typical boring ineffective cardio routines, throw in a little outdated body-part style weight training, and pump away with some crunches and side bends, and think that they are doing something useful for reducing their abdominal fat. Then they become frustrated after weeks or months of no results and wonder where they went wrong.Well, the good news is that I’ve spent over a decade researching this topic, analyzing the science, and applying it “in the trenches” with myself as well as thousands of my clients from all over the world to see what works to really stimulate abdominal fat loss.The entire solution… all of the nutritional strategies, as well as training sequences, exercise combinations, and more have all been compiled in my Truth About Six Pack Abs Program.

Keep in mind that the point of this whole program is NOT abdominal exercises (that is only a very small portion of it). The main point of this program is showing you the absolute most effective strategies for losing your stubborn abdominal fat, so you can get rid of that dangerous health risk, as well as get a flatter more defined midsection.If you follow the guidelines, you WILL lose your belly fat that has been plaguing you for years. This is not guesswork… it is a proven system that works time and time again for all of my clients on every corner of the globe that actually apply the information I teach. If you apply it, the results will come. It’s really that simple. The only reason most people fail in their fitness goals is that they have good intentions at first to adopt a new lifestyle, yet after a few weeks or months, they abandon their good intentions and slip right back into their old bad habits that gave them the excess body fat in the first place. I want to help you succeed in finally getting rid of that extra abdominal fat that is not only UGLY, but also DANGEROUS. Don’t waste another day allowing that nasty abdominal fat to kill your confidence as well as contribute to your risk for MAJOR diseases.

Get the solution to rid yourself for life of this problem at…www.Truthaboutabs.com Train hard, eat right, and enjoy life!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs  

Its been a while since I have blogged, but I wanted to wish everyone out there a happy Thanksgiving.

I will be hosting my first Thanksgiving in my new home and entertaining 16 people and one very large dog Great Dane. It should be fun.

Tips to make your Holiday better:

1. Eat smart. This doesnt mean you can’t eat everything you want, it just means that you should take it slow. Don’t load your plate up on the first go. Eat what you have, take a break, and if you are still hungry, save that for dessert.

2. Go for a walk after dinner. I know football will be on, and you will be fat and lazy after that meal, but the best thing you can do is walk it off. Get out in the cool Fall air and have a nice 30 min stroll.

3. Be Thankful. Remember what the day is all about. Thank those that have helped you in your life and be grateful. We get lost in the food and drink and forget the “why” of the day.

4. Get a Black Friday training session in. Dont take the whole weekend off. Get a quick workout in on Friday and go hit the malls later if you want.

Have a great day and weekend. Eat well, and be safe.

This is disturbing, but not surprising.

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2007/11/its-a-fat-world.html

By the way, have you been crammed in between two “large” people on an airplane lately?

Fat doesn’t discriminate ……..

“It’s a tough thing for people to accept - but the smaller the rate of fat loss - the longer you can keep losing fat without a plateau and the easier it is to keep it off.” – Alwyn Cosgrove

I took this from Alwyn’s blog and I thought it was perfect. Many people out there NEED to read, hear and understand this statement. Alwyn is the best when it comes to fat loss. You will not find someone that knows the subject better or has gotten better results.

Fat loss is simple, but doesn’t always happen as people want it to. Sometimes you will lose 4 pounds a week and sometimes a ½ of pound. It doesn’t always reflect your work ethic or your diet. It is the way it is. If you are one of the people that are losing fat and seeing some changes on the scale, be happy and understand that sometime slow and steady does win the race in the long run.

Chew on this: I have witnessed people lose large amounts of fat and weight over a year’s time, and gain it all back and more in less than that year’s time. Drastic weight loss rarely yields permanent long-term results. You can take all of the diet pills, and supplements that you want, and it really will not matter. You need to be on a sound training system, and a great diet plan to succeed. Better than that, you need to understand that big results will occur, but it’s a long process and you will need to stay the course.

Make fitness a way of life and strap in for the long haul. Even if you reach your goals, set new ones and keep going. If you don’t, you may wind up where you started faster than you think.

  If you don’t have a trainer or cannot figure out a program of your own, one program that works and is designed for the long haul is Turbulence Training. This is more than a program, it is a system that will keep you on track for the entire year.

   I have most of my fat loss clients doing HIIT training. ALL of my fat loss clients are losing unwanted fat, and losing it fast. Much of their success has to do with making the right diet choices; the rest has to do with hard work. Along with a good and efficient resistance-training program, I integrate HIIT into their programming each week. The results are awesome. To see the “how and why” of doing HIIT, check out a previous blog article about it here.    

If you are trying to lose fat, and lose it fast, you need to get your diet right, get on a sound resistance-training program and incorporate HIIT into your plan. Here are some basics:

• Find a cardio machine that you like or even better, one you do not like. Yep, I said one that you do not like. Chances are the one that you do not like is more difficult for you, which is why you do not like it; however it will probably give you the best results. Stationary Bikes are probably the best in the beginning. Elliptical machines will work, but are not my favorite for this type of training. Stay away from the treadmill for HIIT training. It can be dangerous. If you really want to run (which is fine by the way…just do it outside. More on that later)

• Start by warming up for about 3-5 minutes. Once you are warm, crank the resistance of the machine up to over where you would normally have it. If you usually go with level “5”, crank it up to level “10.” Once you crank it up, start moving as fast as you possibly can, and do this for 15 seconds. Once the 15 seconds is up, decrease the resistance on the machine to level “1” or “2” and move as slow as you can, but keep moving. “Rest” at this level for the next 30-45 seconds. Once the rest period is up, repeat the “on” cycle by cranking up the resistance and the movement for another 15 seconds.

• Do this cycle of “on” and “rest” for a total of 5-8 cycles. When you are finish, stay on the machine and cool down for another 5 minutes.

• Do this type of training after you do resistance training, not before.

• Make sure you check with your physician before trying this type of training system, especially if you are obese, or have heart/cardio vascular issues.

• WARNING: HIIT Training is very difficult and should not be taken lightly. Be ready for an incredibly tough training session, but one with many rewards.

• Finally, you don’t have to do any more “cardio” when you are finished. The fat burning effects of this will follow you out of the gym and all the way home for hours to come. That is the key to this type of training.

The Tale of Two “Skinny Kids”  High school kids have been coming up to me for years asking the same old questions…”what should I eat?” “Does this supplement work” and “How do I get big?”  A little over two months ago, two high school athletes both approached me at different times, each asking the same questions. Each wanting to get “big!” Since neither had the time to sign up for continuous training sessions with me, I gave them both what I consider the best source on the market for getting “big” fast. I led each of them to Muscle Gaining Secrets, from Jason Ferruggia.   

Fast forward to this past week. Athlete number one, who I will call Matt walked in weighing a little over 5 pounds more than he did 2 months ago. Matt told me that he got a great program from a guy at his gym and has been following that.

Athlete number two, who I will call Devin went to Muscle Gaining Secrets and bought Jay’s program and has been following it for the last two months religiously.  Devin is almost unrecognizable. He has gained 20 pounds of lean muscle and is stronger then ever before. At this time he has three Division I colleges looking at him seriously for full scholarships. Just two months ago, he was a skinny kid, who never picked up a weight. As of yesterday, he is one of the strongest kids in his school and bigger than ever.

  Moral of the story: If you want to pack on serious muscle, in the fastest time possible, you have to check out Muscle Gaining Secrets, by Jay Ferruggia or you will be left in the dust.

The pain of war cannot exceed
The woe of aftermath,
The drums will shake the castle wall,
The ring wraiths ride in black, ride on.
Sing as you raise your bow,
Shoot straighter than before.
No comfort has the fire at night
That lights the face so cold.
Oh dance in the dark of night,
Sing to the mornin light.
The magic runes are writ in gold
To bring the balance back, bring it back.
At last the sun is shining, the clouds of blue roll by,
With flames from the dragon of darkness
The sunlight blinds his eyes.

-The Battle Of Evermore

Led Zeppelin   

They come to battle with their war face on, ready for anything, ready to give everything they have, no matter what. This is their promise to you, their war-master, their general…the person that will prepare and throw them into the fight of their lives. Although you try to quell their enthusiasm a bit and remind them of the tough battle ahead, they continue to promise “I will do whatever it takes” “Work me as hard as you can” “What ever I need to do, consider it done!” These promises go on and on, with incredible optimism and fervor. 

Months later, as the war moves on, and the warrior is tired, motivation is waning, and the fighter feels like this is all for nothing, you quietly and purposely remind them of the promises that were made months ago. They don’t really want to hear that…after all, they have given EVERYTHING they had for these past few months, and although battles have been won, the war still rages on.

Finally you sit them down, and go over this never-ending war with them…face to face, no fighting on this day…talking it out…letting them see just how far they have come.

  Body Fat is WAY DOWN from a few months ago………………….but scale weight isn’t! Measurements are down in some places……………………………but not in other places!!!Blood Pressure is way down as is resting pulse rate. Heart is stronger than ever…………..Joints don’t hurt much anymore…………………………………but they feel tired a lot more……

Their diet’s and nutrition are better than ever………………………….but why cant they eat what they want?

“It isn’t supposed to be this way”. “It was supposed to be easier, quicker,” they tell you. You remind them that there really are no hard fast rules…we all respond to this war a bit differently. You lovingly remind them however, that they will make, and they will win.

As their general, you try to convince them that this war is being won and its being won day after day…small battles, small victories…but they do not always listen. In this war, there are some casualties along the way. Self Esteem goes up and then way down. Family members, co-workers and friends seem to discourage these warriors just when they need the most encouragement. Self-worth gets a hit as well. This is not an easy war, it never will be. The war on the body is just the beginning and seems in most cases to be the easy part. The war in the mind is the real war…where the real battles take place. This is the war that must be won.

 The scale is not moving as much, but much muscle has been put on the tired, but war-hardened body. Body fat is way down, joint pain and stiffness are things of the past, so much so, they really cannot remember how bad they felt before. Heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol are down and better than ever. The war is being won. The battles are frequent, but manageable. Moral, however is a different story. As the warriors grow tired of not seeing huge changes, day in and day out, and plateaus are being hit each week, and the scale does not seem to move, moral goes south. Charts of progress, current measurements and feedback from strangers all seem to help. These things help just enough to bring the warrior’s spirit back up, just for another few weeks. The inner-battle will go on.

The war will rage on, the strong will stay the course and fight. The weak will pack it in and “try something new!” Only the real warriors will survive. Only the super smart will trust and keep fighting, for they know that this war is never ending, but that this war will only be won one week and one day at a time.

  Fight on.

As a fitness coach, I see a lot of success in the people I work with. Some lose a huge amount of body fat, some gain a bunch of rock hard muscle, others get their cholesterol down, while getting the heart in the best shape ever. Total health improvements, physique improvements, energy levels go way up, etc… Very seldom do I see failures with people I work with. To be honest, I really cannot sit here and talk about any clients, athletes or otherwise that have failed while working with me. That is not necessarily me being great at what I do, but rather having great people that work my plan the way I want it worked. When that happens, success happens. It’s that simple. Its about commitment, refinements, and constant action.

What I do see many times however, are unhappy clients with outrageous expectations. When the expectations get out of control and people begin to believe that they are entitled to play by different rules than the rest of the human race…problems ensue. What I am getting at is simple: You cannot outpace biological rules very much. Well, with certain drugs, and other unhealthy practices, something’s can be sped up, but more times than not, we all play by the same rules. To think otherwise is disastrous.

Self-Destruction will occur 100% of the time as soon as we think we can break those rules and achieve things at an unreasonable rate. “Keith, how come I can’t lose 5 pounds/week?” “Keith, I only lost 2 inches around my waist this week, how come I can’t lose more?” “Keith, while my measurements are going down, and I am feeling better than ever, I am not losing as fast as I should be!” “Keith, my squat went up 40 pounds this month, can I get another 40 by the end of the week?”…yada yada yada…………

There is nothing wrong at all with being positive and shooting for lofty goals, as a matter of fact, I WANT people I work with to expect greater than average results. I expect better than average for them, so they should too. However, when those expectations become unreal and that unreal-ness attitude becomes their only reality…it sets them up for failure and misery.

Rules of Keith (part 1):

1. If you are trying to lose weight (Fat) and you are actually losing weight and fat each week…be happy!! If you have not hit the wall of plateaus like many do, and the weight is still coming off, or the inches are decreasing, celebrate and keep working that plan. I can promise you this, you WILL HIT PLATEAUS along the way, so be happy when you are not.

   2. If your clothes are looser than they were last week, and much looser than last month…BE HAPPY and celebrate. Don’t expect that each week you will lose 2-3 inches. It doesn’t work that way. As long as you are losing, you are doing the right thing.

3. If you have gotten stronger since you starting your training program, great!! You are doing better than most people are.

4. If your heart is in great shape, your blood pressure is down, and your cholesterol is at an all time low be happy. As a matter of fact, be more than happy. Many people DIE from having high blood pressure, a fatty heart, and high cholesterol, so if you have good numbers, awesome for you. Keep working and live a happier, longer life.

5. Remember where you were when you started this journey of fat loss, or muscle gain and look where you are now. If there is progress in ANY aspect (fat loss, inches off, strength/muscle gains, heart heath, blood sugar down, etc…) than you need to smile and realize you are doing better than you think. Work harder and you will keep seeing progress.

6. If you are one of the people that has stalled…meaning, you have STOPPED losing weight, STOPPED losing inches, or have STOPPED gaining strength, find a qualified fitness professional to help you push through that wall.

7. If you are reading this and think I am talking about YOU, you are probably right. But understand this, I have these issues with almost every single client I work with at one point or another, so don’t assume YOU are the only one I am talking to, cause I can assure you I am not. You are in good company.

  Self Destruction can ruin a plan faster than anything out there can. Cheating on your diet can be overcome, as can missing a workout or two. Self-destruction has been known to make people quit their plan and never come back. If you are one of those people, seek out help and stop destroying your good work. Realize that you all play by the same rules for the most part and if you are making progress, any progress, celebrate and keep working hard.

www.backtoformfitness.com  

High Intensity Interval Training HIIT – High Intensity Interval Training…Explained

I recently wrote a little about HIIT, and about how much I love it… and how much it has changed the way I work out… and how much it has changed the way other people shed fat and keep in condition. What I didn’t explain very well if at all, is what HIIT is and how you go about implementing it into you workout and life.

Without getting deep into the exercise physiology of the thing, I will do a little back log into the WHAT, HOW and WHY of HIIT.

High Intensity Interval Training is just what it says it is, performing very high intensity, intervals for a short period of time. Why is it effective? To answer this question we need to backtrack a little and look at the more traditional type of training and the one that most people out there still do; Low Intensity Cardio training.

Traditional Low Intensity, Long Duration Cardio:

• Walking
• Jogging
• Stationary Bike
• Cross Trainer or Elliptical Machine
• Low to moderate intensity Aerobics classes

Most people will perform any of the above for 30 minutes to an hour, day after day, with little or no progress. Also, with all of the time constraints, why do people still do this type of workout?

Some reasons:

• It’s easy- This type of training is easy to get used to, and there is a very low or even zero chance of having the lactic acid build up that causes most people to quit. Why do you think almost any one with an average fitness level can hope on the elliptical machine and go non-stop for over an hour?

•  Its low risk – If you are way over weight, or have certain conditions, low intensity is safe and can be prescribed to almost anyone.

• It has been pounded in everyone’s brain that the number one way to lose weight or burn fat is to perform aerobic training. Although this form of training can burn a higher percentage of fat than high intensity training, it doesn’t mean you will burn more fat by the end of the day. This is an outdated fat lose modality and doesn’t work very well at all long term!

Let me explain; In a nutshell low intensity training will help you burn a certain amount of fat and calories in the time that you are actually exercising and not much more than that. It has been documented that low intensity training burns about 50% of fat for energy while training. Not bad. High intensity training will use about 40% of fat for energy while training. Not much of a difference between the two.

As I mentioned above, low intensity training only burns fat calories for the amount of time you are working out. This means that as soon as you stop exercising, fat burning basically stops. In contrast, High intensity training will spike you metabolism and keep it spiked for the rest of the day, sometimes up to 24 hours! This means that you will continue to burn calories and fat all day long. With HIIT training, fat is not burned much during the workout, rather it is burned for the rest of the day. That is a powerful fat burning system and one that really works.

Not convinced yet? The best way to ramp up your metabolism for the long haul is to build lean muscle mass. Muscle will always need to burn more and more calories even if you are just sitting down. The more muscle you have, the more you burn. Low intensity cardio, especially any kind that lasts more than 40 minutes at a time, will set your body up for catabolism. Catabolism is responsible for the breaking down of muscle tissue. This is what you don’t want. You want to maintain your muscle tissue at all costs. HIIT will help keep that muscle tissue in ways that low intensity cardio couldn’t. The right kind of HIIT can even help build lean muscle tissue.

HIIT is not only great for fat burning but also has other great “side effects”:

• Increased Lactic Acid Threshold – Lactic Acid is that burning feeling you get when you work out very intensely. Increasing this threshold means you will be able to do more work, at higher intensities, which means more fat burning and better results.  
• Shorter Workouts – Which would you rather do, spend 30-60 min. working out while listening to your high energy dance mix MP3, or just 4-12 minutes of increased intensity while listening to AC/DC and then you are done? (AC/DC is not a requirement, by the way, but is a great addition to this kind of workout!)
• Improved cardiovascular System – While trying to recover between interval bouts, your aerobic system has to work hard to overcome the oxygen debt caused by the lactic acid. This in turn helps to increase your aerobic capacity as well. Your over all cardiovascular system will be better off. So not only is your anaerobic system worked, but your aerobic system is as well. By the way, this is how most athletes train.

Convinced? I hope so. Now to the program guidelines.

You can perform intervals on almost any piece of cardio equipment (Elliptical, Bike, Stair climber, etc.) You can even do this with sprints while running.

Start with a warm up for about 3-5 min. Once you are warmed up, crank up the intensity on your machine to very high and then sprint as fast as you possibly can for 30 seconds. This means that during those 30 seconds you are going as fast as possible. Once the 30 seconds is up, turn down the intensity and “rest” for 1 minute. Now this rest is stopping your movement, rather just jogging very slow, or pedaling very slow at a low intensity. This will allow you to recover somewhat until the minute is up. Once the minute is up, crank up the intensity and go again for 30 seconds. Continue to do this for 4-12 minutes depending on your fitness level. WARNING: This is extremely difficult and you may feel like throwing up when you are finished. This is normal. You will be experiencing a lot of lactic acid your first few times, until you body adjusts. Don’t kill yourself in the beginning. Do what you can, and you will get better as time goes on. Most people can only handle 4-6 minutes in the beginning. Don’t go much over 15 minutes even if you are in great shape. You should be hurting after this workout.

I strongly recommend that you do the HIIT routine 2-3 times a week for the first couple of weeks and no more than 4 times per week once you are into the program. Mix this with a good resistance training program and a decent nutritional plan, and you will see results soon. 

This program is NOT FOR EVERYBODY. If you are extremely over weight, or have any kind of heart condition, DO NOT DO HIIT. Also, if in doubt, consult your doctor first. This is also not easy, and I never said it was. Just be warned that it will be very tough if done correctly. But as I tell everyone that starts this, it’s a quick 4-12 minutes and you are done. Hang in there and you will see great results.

If you need a program or system that will without a doubt help you melt that fat away, the following two programs are musts!! Check out Turbulence Training from Craig Ballentine. Craig’s system falls right in line with HIIT training and it’s guaranteed to get you fit and help you win the battle with your waist line. The other system is another excellent choice written by one of the best fat loss experts in the world, Alwyn Cosgrove. Check out  AfterBurn. This program has help 1000’s lose that horrible body fat in the quickest time possible. You won’t go wrong with either product!

 Quest for Excellence 

When you are hungry and want something bad enough, nothing will get in the way of your goal. NOTHING. : Exhibit A:   

A long time client of mine, who has made huge strides in his training goals in the past year, was recently was married. Although he was looking forward to his upcoming honeymoon as any man would, he was distressed a bit because he was not sure he would be able to train while in Italy for two weeks. I assured him that he would be able to get some kind of training session in a few days a week. Italy must have gyms, right? Unbeknownst to me, his hotel did not have a gym and there was nothing of the sort around where he was staying. While many people might just shrug it off and take those two weeks to enjoy the country side and not worry about training, my client did just the opposite. His brand new wife spied him one day doing a routine of shoulder raises, modified deadlifts, curls and a few other exercises using loaded up suitcases, and everything else he could find with weight. He even asked his new bride if he could put her on his shoulders and squat her…this she declined. The overall message here is that in his quest for physically excellence, even this man’s honeymoon could not and would not get in the way of his training progress. This is exactly the kind of person I love to work with!!

Exhibit B:

A female client of mine had lost over 20 pounds since we started working together, and significant inches around her body. She works harder than almost anyone I have come in contact with to lose her excess body fat. So what? Well the kicker with her is that she has no Thyroid. It was taken out years ago and if you don’t know, it is extremely difficult to regulate body composition without a Thyroid…so much so that her Endocrinologist told her that she would never be able to lose weight.  If a specialist that you trusted with your care told you that it was futile to try to lose weight, what would you do? This woman didn’t listen and thank god she didn’t. As I said, she has lost over 20 pounds in a few short months and her clothes are getting looser and looser by the week. She is an example of commitment and drive. The program I have her doing is working so well, that her doctors are paying attention and amazed beyond words what has occurred. The truth of the matter is that this woman is working hard and totally committed to her diet and training. That in itself is the key to success.

Exhibit C:

  One of my athletes whom I have blogged about before (67 year old baseball player) is still training like a 20 year old pro. He comes in consistently 3 days a week, and trains with incredible intensity. Coming off shoulder surgery less than a year ago, he is probably throwing better than ever. Last weekend, he reported to me that he threw for 7 innings, and over 106 pitches and felt as good in the 7^th as he did in the first inning. Did I mention that he is a few years shy of 70?

-         Why are people so afraid of rap music? I am not saying that everyone needs to like it, but why fear it. I have people in my gym complain the second a rap song comes on. They run up and ask to change it. Now I understand if there is vulgarity and other things that may offend them…but it never gets to that point. Its music! I sense racial undertones sometimes from these people and it makes me sick. Besides, if “Young MC, Bust a move” offends you, you are really out of touch.

-         Innocent until proven guilty. I am all for that. However, if it really comes to light that Mike Vick DID actually kill, torture, or hurt dogs in any way, how the hell can anyone defend him? I heard recently that another professional athlete called Dog Fighting a sport, so therefore “we” should cut Vick a break. After all, he was just participating in a “sport!” If you really believe that, you are not much better than the people involved are. 

-         If you drink Alcohol routinely, you WILL have more trouble losing that fat that you are trying like crazy to get rid of. If you can throw back shots of Jack and still lose that weight and your life is good, drink up. If not, and you can’t seem to loose that extra weight, put the bottle down.

-         I have said this once before…there is nothing quite like High School Friday night football games. I miss being on the sidelines a lot, but I try to go to as many games as I can. Go support your local high school team and check out what I am talking about.

-         Highlights of my week – (1) I helped a man that has been confined to his wheelchair stand today by himself and aided him in walking 5 steps. Cool moment. (2) Woman that I have been working with for the past 2 months has no Thyroid…since we started training, she has lost about 20 pounds and about 10 inches around her waist. Her doctor told her that it would be impossible for her to lose weight without a Thyroid. (More on her later.) (3) Signed up my 10^th baseball player this summer for performance training. Two of my guys are throwing in the 90’s. After some more work, it will be scary to watch what they can do. (4) Gave a talk to 26 respiratory patients about how they can still workout with resistance bands. The excitement on their faces was priceless. These people started to lose hope and now they have something to work for. Very cool moment.

  Well, it seems that way. As many people out there have pointed out to me via emails, text messages, and other means, I have not be “around” much this summer, if at all.  I had…well let’s just say an interesting summer full of many ups and many downs. Without getting into details and bumming everyone out, I lost a couple of close family members, had to deal with illness of some other family members and a multitude of things related. The good in all of that is that I purchased and moved into a new home, which I love…was given a tremendous opportunity at work, and have increased my income quite a bit. I am working with a ton of great athletes and I find myself having to turn people away that want to work with me because I am so busy. Production at work has been awesome. Finally, I have been given numerous opportunities to write for Men’s Fitness. Look for the September issue on news stands now. I have a few articles in there that deal with strength and stretching that I think you will like. 

 I did manage to have some fun this summer as well. I attended my first Lollapalooza in Chicago this August with my good friends Jason Ferruggia, Craig Ballentine, and John Alvino. Pearl Jam was the headliner and the main reason that we all went, but I got to witness some outstanding performances for those three days. If you like music, don’t miss this event. I will be there next year for sure. 

 It has been amazing how many emails I have gotten asking where I have been, why I have not been updating my blog, etc… I really didn’t realize that so many people read this on a daily basis. Either way, there is still work to be done in my life, but I hope to get back to things on a normal basis pretty soon.  I will leave you with a list of things I learned this summer. Both good and bad, and maybe some in between.  

1. Most of the things you think are important in your daily life take a back seat when tragedy strikes and they never really take in the same importance again. Life will always be different for me, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

2. No matter how “famous” people out there think they are on the internet, no one really gives a you-know-what how many internet articles you have written or how well known you are on a message board. The only thing that matters is whether you get results in the real world. Stop worrying about getting internet fame and start working on your business…the one that pays your bills. If you doubt this, and think you are hot stuff, go outside, walk down the street or even in your local gym and I bet no one really knows who you are or cares that you write articles for internet sites.

  3. Internet Message boards are crazy places. Apparently, people really believe that these places are “real” and spend all day racking up post counts. If you have 1000’s of posts on these boards, I really feel bad for you. Hopefully you will “get it” one day and go outside for a change.

4. Along those same lines, people who listen to message boards “fitness guru’s” for all of their information…don’t! If you are listening to people that make their living by gaining points from message board debates, then you are a moron. Good coaches and fitness “experts” are too busy training people to be on message boards.

5. If you gained a little weight this summer because you were less than disciplined, don’t sweat it. You will get back to where you were before without too much problem. Summers are for you to enjoy.

6. Pearl Jam is an amazing band on record and even better live, as is Snow Patrol. If you have the chance, see both of them before you die. Ben Harper is absolutely riveting live. Add him to your list.

7. Energy drinks work. I hate to say it, but when you are beat and can’t move because you are exhausted from a hard training session or working too much, they seem to do the trick. I am not one for supplements or anything along those lines, but a good energy drink can get you going quickly. Right or wrong, they work, but so do steroids, so take that for what it is worth.

8. If you are a young gun in the fitness industry (20-28 years old) spend time with people that have been doing this for over 15-20 years. In other words, books, research articles, and other 25 year olds are never going to replace the education you can get from spending a few days with people that have been in the field for a long time. Keep reading, writing, and studying, but get a real education and learn from people that have done it. PS:  I am taking applications as I write this. : )

9. Obesity is not a permanent condition.  Work hard, eat the right things and you CAN lose fat and a lot of it. No secrets or gimmicks needed. I will fill you in soon about a few clients of mine that have lost HUGE amounts of fat when most people thought they never would.

10. Doctors can be morons sometimes. (as can anyone) The next time a doctor tells you an absolute, challenge him or her. Get another opinion, and whatever you do, don’t give up. I have witnessed small miracles this summer from people going against the norm and trying something else when all else failed.

11. New Jersey has the BEST summer produce in the world. Well, in my opinion. If you are ever in Jersey in the summer, don’t drive past a fruit and vegetable stand without stopping and trying what they are selling.

12. Blogs are like A-Holes…everyone has one these days. Careful where you get your information. If you ever have a doubt about someone’s qualifications…check out his/her experience level FIRST and education second. It will tell you a lot.

 13. Don’t take yourself too seriously…have fun and enjoy your time and those around you.  More later…….   

I mentioned a while ago how I was asked to be a host on the ever popular FitCast Pod Cast show that usually runs once a week. If you have not done so already, you really need to check out this pod cast.

We pack in a ton of information and the show is fun too. Not only do we have great guests (some of the top names in the fitness industry) but we also talk about everything under the sun when it comes to general fitness, nutrition, weight management, strength training, corrective exercise, rehab, etc… Oh yea, we even throw a movie review or two in just about every show.

We also have a new format on the website where you don’t even have to download the show to your ITUNES or IPOD to listen, you can listen directly from the web page.

  To check it out, go here.