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What the latest research says about omega-3 fatty acids and weight loss

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com

Unless you’ve been living under a rock somewhere for the last several years, you’ve probably heard about the health benefits of eating fatty fish or taking fish oil supplements. Well, it looks like you might be able to add fat loss alongside the other benefits like heart, blood (cholesterol/triglycerides), brain, skin and joint health (and the rest of the list, which is too long to print here).

The biologically active ingredients that seem to make fatty fish so beneficial are are the long chain omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, EPA and DHA. At least a half a dozen human studies and more than two dozen animal studies have been completed in the last 10 years which suggest that these omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may help you lose more fat. However, the fat loss benefit is not as much as some people want you to believe…

The results of two new studies on fish oil and fat loss were just released earlier this year. In one study published by the International Journal of Obesity, researchers from Reykjavik Iceland tested the effects of fish or fish oil consumption equivalent to 1.5 grams of combined EPA/DHA on body weight and body composition as part of a calorie restricted diet. (1)

The subjects were 324 young overweight men and women who followed one of four experimental protocols for 8 weeks:

(1) sunflower oil capsules (control)
(2) lean fish
(3) fatty fish (salmon)
(4) fish oil capsules

The researchers reported the following results:

“In young, overweight men, the inclusion of either lean or fatty fish, or fish oil as part of a hypoenergetic diet resulted in 1 kilogram more weight loss after 4 weeks than a similar diet without seafood or supplement of marine origin. The addition of seafood to a nutritionally balanced energy-restricted diet may boost weight loss.”

It should be noted that the study was supported by the Seafood Plus organization and there were some limitations in the design that could have influenced the subject’s compliance.

The second study, conducted at the University of South Australia and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2) investigated the effect of combining fish oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise.

In a 12-week, placebo-controlled study, the subjects were divided into four groups:

(1) sunflower oil
(2) sunflower oil plus exercise
(3) fish oil
(4) fish oil plus exercise.

The fish oil groups were given 6 grams of high DHA fish oil per day, which contained a total of 1.9 grams of long chain omega-3 fatty acids. The exercising groups performed aerobic exercise three days per week for 45 minutes.

As you might expect, the fish oil plus exercise group came out with the best results:

• minus 1.2% body fat (compared to no decrease in the other groups)
• minus 2 kilograms/4.4 lbs (compared to no decrease in the non exercise group).

Unfortunately, there was a limitation in this study as well: The food intake of the subjects was self reported, which is known to be notoriously inaccurate.

There have been several other human studies on fish oil and fat loss in the last ten years or so and the majority of the findings have been positive. The research is compelling and there have been numerous, and very plausible mechanisms of action proposed.

However, more and more often, I am hearing people in the health, fitness and nutrition industries making some pretty bold and I daresay, premature and outrageous claims about what fish oil can do for fat loss; claims which are not supported by the research.

The studies on fish oil and fat loss are encouraging, but the vast majority of research has been on animals (rats, mice and hamsters) and there have been limitations in nearly all the human studies so far, including:

Small sample sizes, short study durations, statistically insignificant results, lack of randomization, no control groups, imprecise body composition testing, measurement errors, self-reporting of food intake, low compliance control and fish industry or supplement industry-sponsored bias.

Even if you take the results of the existing research at face value, the fat loss really isn’t all that impressive - an extra pound here, an extra kilo there.

Many of the research results barely reach statistical significance, and you even have to wonder if these small improvements in fat loss are simply correcting omega-3 deficiency or fixing omega-3 and omega-6 imbalance… therefore, will they continue over a longer time period or is this a one time improvement?

One of the earlier studies showed the same kind of measurable but modest results: The fish oil group that took 1.8 grams of combined EPA/DHA daily lost 2 pounds and the non fish oil group lost only 0.7 pounds after 3 weeks (3).

Of course, you’ll probably take all the fat loss help that you can get, and since there are already enough good reasons to eat fatty fish for cardiovascular disease prevention and other health benefits, it’s really a no brainer to eat fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel or sardines at least twice a week. (By the way, with the exception of King Mackerel, these are species which have not been reported as having problems with mercury contamination).

Alternately, you can use a fish oil supplement to get the equivalent in omega-3 fatty acids as found in the fish. Non fish eaters or vegetarians can use flaxseed oil, a plant-based source of Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA) which converts in the body to EPA and DHA (the efficiency and amount of conversion has been a subject of controversy, however).

Based on the three studies cited above, it looks like 1.5 to 2.0 grams per day of combined DHA/EPA is the right dose when fat loss is the goal (although some suggest you should consider body weight when choosing the dosage, i.e., 1 gram total fish oil for each 20 lbs body weight, so a big guy might go with as much as 3.0 grams)

Most fish oil capsules come in 1,000 mg size at a 30% concentration, so if you took five 1000mg capsules a day, that would give you 1.5 grams of EPA/DHA; about the same as you’d get in 3 ounces (85 g) of salmon.

Note: other studies on fish oil and fat loss tested 3.0 to 4.0 g/day of EPA/DHA, but the American Heart Association has warned against taking more than 3 g EPA/DHA per day without a physicians supervision, as there may be potential contraindications and side effects such as increased bleeding time. Based on the research, more fish oil will NOT burn more fat, so be wary of the “mega dose gurus.”

Another tip: Don’t fall for the “premium price” necessarily means better quality party line. Quality and purity are important, but you can get molecularly-distilled, mercury, PCB, Dioxin, Organochlorine-free, 3rd party tested-to-meet-label-claims fish oil for less than ten bucks per bottle of 400 (one gram) capsules… yet I have seen “fish oil gurus” selling the exact same thing for $50 to $60 claiming that everyone else’s products are “contaminated” and “inferior” in quality. If that’s true, then I’d like to see those products submitted to consumer lab for voluntary 3rd party independent analysis and head to head comparison on purity AND cost effectiveness. If they come out superior and cost effective, I will gladly publicize the results myself.

The bottom line is it looks like fish oil may be a legitimate help to your fat loss efforts, especially when combined with exercise, as there may be an important synergy there. However, the idea that fish oil is some kind of miracle fat burner is just not true.

Like Mulder on the X-files, “I want to believe”… but we need much, much more research before we can say for certain exactly how much body composition improvement you can really expect from eating fatty fish or taking fish oil supplements.

References:

(1) Hill AM. Combining fish-oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise improves body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Am J Clin Nutr. 86(5): 1267-1274. 2007

(2) Thorsdottir I et al. Randomized trial of weight loss diets for young adults varying in fish and fish oil content. Int J Obesity. May 2007. pp 1-7

(3) Couet C. Effect of dietary fish oil on body fat mass and basal fat oxidation in healthy adults. Int J Obes. 21: 637-643. 1997

Innovation is the backbone of progress. The market is flooded with newly introduced liquid nutritional supplements, attractively packaged, better tasting. These supplements are proof of the continuous research and development efforts of companies engaged in the manufacture of nutritional supplements. Fast-paced and changing lifestyles have made such innovations necessary as people today hardly get the time to prepare proper food. Moreover, we do not get nutritious raw food any more as synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and pollution take their toll and damage the nutrients in the food. Cooking methods that are being used nowadays are also to be blamed for destroying nutrients.

The result is that we are not eating healthy food and are missing out on the necessary nutritional ingredients that are so necessary for our bodies. Nutritional supplements are used as substitutes to fill the deficiencies. However, some people are not in a position to take the natural nutritional supplements due to various factors such as age, disease and other handicaps. Supplement manufacturing companies then introduced liquid nutritional supplements to get over these problems.

Advantages Of Liquid Nutrition Supplements

- Liquid nutrition supplements are ideal for children, old people and patients who can only take liquid diet. It’s easier to feed liquids rather than solids to such people. Moreover, patients who are fed through tubes can get the required nutrients easily. Flavored milk, nutritional supplements and fruit juices are examples of liquid supplements.

- As compared to capsules, pills and other forms of nutritional supplements, liquid nutrition supplements are more easily absorbed by the body. Solids need to get dissolved before absorption but liquids get directly absorbed. The action in the body is, therefore, quicker and more effective.

- Children find the liquid nutrition supplements to be more appealing as they are available in attractive packages and they taste better than the solid products. They also come in more kid-friendly flavors.

- On the flip side, it is possible that because of the good taste of the liquid nutrition supplements, people might consume more of them than necessary, which should be avoided.

Hints For Choosing Proper Liquid Nutritional Supplements

- For easier digestion and quicker action, you should go in for herbal supplements, especially the liquid ones as they can also be mixed with other liquid drinks. Liquid herbal supplements that have organic ingredients are preferable as they might contain a lower amount of pesticide.

- Since there is the likelihood of over-consumption of liquid nutrition supplements, it is advisable to check the dosage mentioned on the package before consumption.

- Each person needs different nutrients in varying degrees. As such, itís important to check the nutritional information tables provided by the manufacturers. Your doctor is the best person to advise you regarding the liquid herbal nutritional supplement that would be best for you.

Go ahead and drink to your health.

By Tracie Johanson

For many people, trying to diet during the holidays is like trying to find the perfect Christmas gift for Aunt Edna: almost impossible. No diet pill or weight loss program can overcome the irresistible draw of fudge, eggnog and candy canes. So what’s a weight watcher to do? Is there any hope for holiday weight loss, or are we destined to add some more pounds before the inevitable New Years resolution?

Conventional wisdom is that most people gain from five to ten pounds of fat during the holidays. Happily, that much at least appears to be false. However, Americans do tend to gain some weight during this time of year: “Previous studies suggested that Americans gain an average of 0.4 to 1.8 pounds each year during their adult lives” (source: nichd.nih.gov). What’s alarming is that although we’re putting on fewer pounds during the holidays than we had previously thought we’re not taking that extra weight back off.

“Researchers now say they have some good news for us — and some bad news. The good news? Most of us gain less weight over the winter holidays than we think, only one pound on average. The bad news? We never take it off” (source: archives.cnn.com).

Dr. Yanovski has conducted extensive research on weight gain. “Although an average holiday weight gain of less than a pound may seem unimportant, that weight was not lost over the remainder of the year, Dr. Yanovski said. When 165 of the study volunteers were weighed a year after the study began, they had not lost the extra weight gained during the holidays, and ended the year a pound and a half heavier (1.4 lb) than they were the year before” (source: nichd.nih.gov).

Permanent holiday weight gain isn’t a pleasant thought for most of us, especially since the number one New Year resolution is fast weight loss. As reported by mygoals.com, 80 percent of Americans made a New Year resolution in 2005. A whopping 26 percent of those resolutions were to improve overall health and fitness, making this the top category for self-improvement. This year was no anomaly, either, according to Amy O’Connor, deputy editor of Prevention magazine: “Fifty-nine million people every year resolve to lose weight.”

So what can we do to maintain some degree of weight control this season? Is there anything we can do to stick to our weight loss plan, or perhaps even achieve some quick weight loss, in the midst of all that Christmas cheer?

Thankfully, the answer is yes. But it will require a two-pronged approach. First, we need to maintain a healthy diet plan despite all the holiday temptation. Second, it is absolutely critical that we keep exercising throughout the Yuletide season. So without further ado, let’s take a look at some diet information that may help us maintain our ideal weight this year.

Healthy Holiday Food Tips:

1) At holiday parties, provide or bring veggie trays instead of traditional meat and cheese platters, which are much higher in fat. Reduced fat salad dressing makes a great veggie dip, and when used in place of the full-fat version will save you at least 70 calories per serving.

2) When it comes to holiday desserts, replace the typical pies with fruit or yogurt parfait.

3) Cut back on alcoholic drinks and drink water, fruit juice or diet soda instead. An 8-ounce eggnog with rum contains 450 calories, about 25 percent of what the average woman should have in an entire day! The average alcoholic drink contains 150-200 calories per glass. Not only does alcohol pack a lot of empty calories, but over-consumption lowers inhibitions and self-control…..not a good combination when you’re near the buffet table!

4) Be sure to eat a healthy, high-protein snack before going to that holiday party or dinner. The protein will help you feel full longer and stabilize blood sugars. You’ll be less likely to binge, and overall calorie consumption will fall.

5) It seems that at every holiday party there is a group that congregates near the buffet table to talk. Don’t be part of that group!

6) Out of sight is out of mind. If you have a stockpile of Christmas candy at home (only for guests, of course!), hide it in a cupboard. You’ll be much less likely to graze on it throughout the day. Keep a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter instead.

7) Avoid temptation. If the breakroom at work is full of holiday treats throughout November and December, consider taking breaks at your desk. Even better, use that time to take a walk down the street or simply around the office building.

On the day of the party or big family feast, don’t starve yourself prior to the banquet. That will only leave you so famished that you overindulge. Instead, eat small high-protein meals or snacks every three to four hours before the big dinner.

9) If you’re serving stuffing with the turkey this year, cook the stuffing separately. This will prevent the fat from the turkey from soaking into the dressing, which will dramatically lower the calories.

10) All turkey is not equal. Choose light meat instead of dark meat and you’ll save a lot of calories. A 3 1/2 ounce serving of sliced meat from a whole roasted turkey has either 161 calories (white meat without skin) or 192 calories (dark meat without skin).

11) Speaking of turkey, don’t forget to trim off the skin before serving it up! You’ll save 33 to 40 calories and 4 or 5 grams of fat per serving (source: urbanext.uiuc.edu).

12) Make the gravy in advance so you have time to put it in the refrigerator. As it cools, the fat will rise to the top and solidify, allowing you to skim it off with a spoon and put it where it belongs: in the trash!

13) Don’t rush the meal. It takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to signal the brain that you’re full, so any meal should last at least that long! Take your time, eat slowly, and enjoy your family and friends.

14) Wear ‘skinny’ clothes to that holiday party as a reminder to watch what you eat. Snug, tight clothes don’t leave much room for bingeing!

15) When confronted with a buffet table, make your first trip count. Pile up your plate with fresh vegetables, lean meats and other low calorie options. Eat as much healthy food as you can! This will dramatically lower the amount of desserts you’ll later take and will result in a healthier meal overall.

16) When filling up plates for the kids, only give them what they can eat. It’s too tempting to just ‘finish off’ those leftovers for them. Moms, you know what we’re talking about here!

17) Follow the ‘Dessert Split’ plan: Go ahead and take something from the dessert table, but split it with a friend. If you must taste two desserts, split them with two friends. If you feel the need to sample three desserts, split them with three friends. You get the idea. That way you’ll get to taste all the new foods and recipes without completely breaking the calorie budget.

18) When cooking, use evaporated milk straight from the can instead of heavy cream.

19) When baking, three tablespoons will substitute nicely for 1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate.

20) When baking, substitute two egg whites in the place of one whole egg.

21) When baking, substitute unsweetened applesauce for an equal amount of oil.

22) For desserts, don’t forget to use non-fat frozen yogurt where you would normally use ice cream.

23) Don’t attempt to deprive yourself of your absolute favorite food. This only sets you up for a disappointing binge. Instead, allow yourself one small serving of your preferred treat and really savor it.

Just watching your diet alone won’t lead to easy weight loss. For true fat loss, it is critical that you incorporate regular exercise into the holiday routine.

Again referring to Dr. Yanovski’s holiday weight loss study, we can confirm the important of exercise. “The finding that study volunteers reporting more physical activity had less holiday weight gain suggests that increasing physical activity may be an effective method for preventing weight gain during this high-risk time” (source: nichd.nih.gov).

Traditional holiday activities don’t even come close to solving this weight issue. The popular ‘after dinner nap’ burns only about 34 calories for every thirty minutes asleep. Watching television, that great American holiday pastime, burns just 37 calories every thirty minutes. Even sitting down and eating burns more calories than that (56 calories burned every thirty minutes). Clearly, our favorite holiday activities don’t make the best weight loss program (source: caloriesperhour.com).

Only regular and consistent exercise, combined with a low fat diet, will get us the holiday weight loss results we’re seeking. Don’t have the time or urging to exercise? Take a look at this list of the top ten ways to get some holiday exercise without being a humbug:

Holiday Exercise Tips:

1) It’s beautiful outside during the holidays! Take a walk outside, down the street or around the block. Take a walking tour of Christmas lights in the neighborhood. A 165 lb. woman walking for 30 minutes will burn approximately 187 calories (source: caloriesperhour.com).

2) Going shopping this Christmas season? Who isn’t? Park as far away from the entrance as possible so you’ll be forced to walk further. Remember, every little bit adds up!

3) Investigate a new shopping mall. You’re going shopping anyway, so why not get some extra exercise in the process? Find a mall you’ve never been to before and make it a point to walk up and down every single staircase. While you’re at it, walk past every single store too.

4) Failing to plan is planning to fail. Right now, before the holiday get crazy, make a plan to get into the gym. Thinking you’ll ‘get around to it’ just doesn’t happen when there are gifts to buy, foods to prepare, and family to visit. Make a plan, write it down, and stick to it.

5) Don’t fall into the ‘all or nothing’ trap. If you’ve missed a few visits to the gym already this week, don’t give up until New Years! Instead, get in there and exercise now – even if it’s just once. Some exercise is always better than none at all.

6) When you’re really short on motivation or time, try to get at least ten minutes of exercise. Chances are, once you get started you’ll finish up with the recommended thirty minutes. Even if you do quit after ten minutes, that’s still a lot better than zero!

7) Get in a good solid exercise session right before a big meal. It will increase your will power and your metabolism.

Don’t pay the neighbor kid to shovel off the walk for you – do it yourself! You’ll save a few bucks and burn about 225 calories for every thirty minutes of shoveling (source: caloriesperhour.com).

9) Clean the house! Hey, you need to get ready for the annual family visit anyway. Vigorous house cleaning burns about 150 calories every thirty minutes (source: caloriesperhour.com).

10) Find a workout buddy. Pick a good friend or family member that also wants to lose weight fast, and together make a commitment to exercise regularly. You might even want to buy each other a gift certificate for a local gym as a Christmas gift!

There’s no doubt that healthy weight loss during the holidays is difficult, but it is certainly not impossible. Follow a sensible weight loss diet, remember to exercise regularly, and this year you’ll be smiling like Santa instead of grimacing like the Grinch!

* Copyright 2005 Pick Up The Pace. Permission is not required for the distribution of Pick Up The Pace articles as long as they are used in their entirety, are properly credited to Pick Up The Pace, and are accompanied by our website link: http://www.letspickupthepace.com

* The information in this article and on this site is for general reference purposes only and not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information in this article or on http://www.letspickupthepace.com should be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tracie_Johanson

If you’ve decided to get into bodybuilding, it’s important to remember that the right bodybuilding routine is crucial for best results. Just like the bodybuilders who design them, bodybuilding routines are also equally different in many ways. The best bodybuilding routine is ideally the one that achieves the maximum result in the minimum amount of time.

It’s a common mistake for rookie bodybuilders to think that they can attain a physique like that of a certain Mr. Schwarzenegger by simply renting copy of “Pumping Iron” and imitating Arnold move for move.
Now, borrowing bodybuilding techniques from a world-class bodybuilder is fine, however, expecting those same techniques to give you a sculpted body within ten months is really just building castles in the air.

Here are three fundamentals of bodybuilding routines that work which you should keep in mind when choosing a workout routine for yourself.

Fundamental #1 of Bodybuilding Routines That Work: No such thing as One Routine Fits All

When it comes to bodybuilding, what works for one individual doesn’t ever work for the other. You can see this by spending sometime observing builders at your local gym and you will realize that each one of them is performing separate exercises for different rep counts and with different weights in order to tone, sculpt or build different body parts. Experienced bodybuilders have all found their routines through a basic trial and error process and so shall you if you proceed diligently.

Fundamental #2 of Bodybuilding Routines That Work: Different Strokes for Different Muscle Folks

In order to choose a bodybuilding routine that actually works for you, make sure to pick one that suits your body type. There are three basic body types as far as gaining muscle mass is concerned. These are Endomorphs, Ectomorphs and Mesomorphs. Those with the Endomorph body type are able to easily build muscle mass but are also prone to putting on weight. This type has to watch their diet carefully and need some amount of cardio in their workout routine as well. Ectomorphs on the other hand are of the tall, thin and lean body type with long, slim limbs. Ectomorphs don’t put on weight or muscle mass easily and need to eat the right kind of food to increase their calorie and protein intake. They must also weight train to a great extent instead of cardio in order to sculpt a good body. The final body type is Mesomorphs and those with this kind of body type are extremely lucky since they don’t put on weight easily and are also able to gain muscle mass fast. If you fall in this category, do not change the amount of food you eat, only eat healthier and start bodybuilding immediately.

Fundamental #3 of Bodybuilding Routines That Work: Change is the Name of The Bodybuilding Game

Finally, if you do find a bodybuilding routine that works amazingly well for more than three months, then chances are that you will probably have to add some variations as you go along, doing what’s necessary to get the desired results as well as adding or removing exercises to build different muscle groups and parts of your body.

To conclude, no bodybuilding routine that works is complete without the right kind of nutrition. And also no bodybuilding routine includes workout sessions longer than 75 minutes or more than 5 sessions per week. If you push your body beyond its limit, you must be ready to face the consequences such as injury and long recuperation periods. This is why it’s especially important to choose and follow a bodybuilding routine under the watchful eye of a professional natural body builder or trainer. Apart from that, keep the above-mentioned bodybuilding fundamentals in mind to find the perfect bodybuilding routine that works for you and before long you will be well on your way to attaining that dream body you’ve always wanted.

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You’ve tried everything; now try a bodybuilding routine that actually works! Get a full 26-week detailed and simple workout plan from a professional natural bodybuilder and get ripped.

Join the email course and get sample chapters and tons of awesome free stuff here:

http://www.body2envy.com/musclegaintruth
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Practically everybody has heard the “leg bone connected to the hip bone…” song, but how many actually realize that knowledge can make you look better? The point here is not that the bones connect, but that by keeping in mind the way our body parts interact with each other, we can greatly reduce excess fat and build toned, sculpted bodies much easier! The example of this to take note of for now is your back and stomach muscles. The straighter your posture, the stronger your stomach muscles have to be to support your back, but the stronger your ab muscles, the straighter your back has to be. This is a vicious cycle, but one that can catapult you back to toned and skinny if combined with your regular exercise and diet quite easily.

Stand Up Straight!

The first thing to help lose belly fat is to stand up straight. There are many effects this creates for you. Slouching in your chair or standing up accentuates belly fat, so simply making an effort to be straight makes you appear much slimmer! (Now that’s a quick fix…) Another benefit is that proper posture improves the strength of your back, which makes it easier to maintain your posture, keeping you looking slimmer. Lastly, a straight posture enhances blood flow throughout the body, particularly to the legs and lower back, which are both involved in stomach exercises. So sit up straight! Geez, I caught you slouching already. =)

Back Extension

This is an exercise similar to the “crunch-less crunch”. You start by lying on your stomach with you forehead on the floor. If needed, use a mat or towel for comfort. Put your arms by your sides, palms up. Contract your back muscles to lift your torso off the floor. Hold the contraction briefly, then release and slowly lower your torso back down to the floor. Repeat for an entire set.

The next part of this exercise begins by extended your arms out above your head (pretend you’re Superman flying through the air). Now lift your legs off the floor simultaneously while keeping your head and arms held in place. Try to imagine your legs growing longer as you are lifting them up. Hold your legs up briefly, and then slowly lower them back to the floor.

Doing these two simple things will help you strengthen your back and correct your posture, which are great first steps to losing an unwanted belly. You will also want to continue working on your back muscles and other core muscles, such as the transverse and rectus abdominus. Stomach exercises that work the core will help you straighten up your posture, lose belly fat, and gain muscle tone in both your back and tummy. As with any workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury.

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
TurbulenceTrainingSystem.com

Do you know the 2 biggest reasons men and women stop exercising?

1) Lack of time
2) Lack of motivation

Let’s tackle “Lack of Time” today with 5 ways you can get your
workouts done faster. After all, no one should spend more than 50 minutes in the gym.

Here are 5 ways to cut time from your workouts.

a) Supersets

I use “non-competing” supersets. This means, choose two exercises for different muscle groups - and preferably completely opposite movements. For example, choose a push and a pull. That way, one muscle group rests while the other works…and you cut the rest time you need between sets.

b) Choose a better warm-up strategy

Don’t waste 10 minutes walking on the treadmill. Instead, use a
total body circuit of bodyweight exercises as a general warm-up, and then move directly into specific warm-up sets for your first two exercises.

c) Pair dumbbell and bodyweight exercises together in your supersets

This saves you time at home (you don’t need to change the dumbbell weight between exercises) and in the gym (you don’t need to fight for 2 sets of dumbbells).

d) Choose Intervals over slow cardio

The latest research shows more weight loss when people use
intervals, and intervals take half as long to do.

e) Limit the use of isolation exercises

Pick multi-muscle exercises, such as squats, pulls, pushes, and
rows. If you have time, you can squeeze in some drop-sets for arms and shoulders if you want. However, if you only have 3 sessions of 45 minutes per week, isolation exercises must be the first to go.

In addition, don’t spend more than 10 minutes per week on direct ab training. It’s not efficient and won’t give you rock hard abs alone.

Workout less, live life more,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Creator of Turbulence Training

PS - Don’t know where to start?

If you are a beginner, start by reading Dr. Mohr’s nutrition
guidelines…eating properly will be the biggest factor in your
early success.

Beginners should also start with the Introductory TT workouts to prepare their muscles for the upcoming intense training.

For others, it’s best to start with the Intermediate Level TT
workouts. If those aren’t enough of a challenge, you can move onto the Original TT workout and follow the 16-week advanced program right through.

If at any time you need a break, try the TT Bodyweight 4-week plan.

And then finish off with the TT Fusion Fat Loss program followed by the 30-day Maximum Fat Loss program to cap off a full 24 weeks of Advanced TT fat loss workouts.

After that, choose between the TT for Women or TT for Muscle
programs to help put the finishing touches on your physique. All of these are included as bonuses with the Turbulence Training System.

Today, I would like to share with you a special report from Mike Geary entitled:

“Hidden Dangers of Your Excess Abdominal Fat - It’s More Serious Than a Vanity Issue!”

This report is free, and it won’t take long to read (about 2.5 pages), but it will wake you up to a whole new motivation to exercise like it did for me! Here’s the beginning for a quick taste:

“Did you know that the vast majority of people in this day and age have excess abdomi-
nal 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…”

Read the rest of this fascinating guide for free by downloading it here:

 Hidden Dangers of Your Excess Abdominal Fat - It’s More Serious Than a Vanity Issue!

by Andre Botelho

Here, let me share with you some of the effective soccer exercises that can help your players learn the skills to kick harder and run faster so that they could utilize every single opportunity coming their way to win the match. Explosive running speed and powerful kicks are something that you must help your team players acquire.

In soccer, if you want to make your contribution in the game, you need to get the ball and do something with it. This is where your running speed and powerful kicking skills come very handy. No one but a soccer coach can help the players sprint faster and kick harder and farther.

It is not the strength of the muscles but the fact that how fast they are that determine how harder you can kick and how faster you can run. Running long distances or training for longer periods are some of the effective ways to make the muscles of your players faster. Some coaches train their players by instructing them to lift weights. Well, you must understand that lifting weights can make the muscles stronger, not faster.

This is something most coaches do not pay heed to. It is very important to organize specific training sessions where the players could only focus on making their muscles faster. One of the best ways to develop muscle speed is to use a program of isometric exercises with resistance bands. When you teach isometrics using the resistant band, it can develop blazing speed and quickness in your team players.

* Normal sit-ups also make an ideal exercise. Keeping your abdomen fit and in good shape is very important and it will help the players run faster and kick the ball with more power. While the players are doing the normal sit-ups, make sure that they keep their chin off their chest.

* Another good abdominal exercise is to alternate elbows to knees. But, you have to count reps on one side only.

* Alternating hand to foot is another good abdominal exercise. In this exercise also, you have to count reps on one side only.

Along with the above exercise, you can also have your players do straightforward cardiovascular training in the form of running, rowing and stepper’s. However, when you are running the training sessions for soccer exercises, you must keep in mind that it is important to give the body a chance to rest and recover for key matches.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of soccer coaching.
His web site, Youth Soccer Drills: www.SoccerDrillsTips.com, provides a wealth
of informative soccer articles and resources for soccer coaches, parents and players.

by Mike Geary, Founder - Truth About Abs .com

As a fitness professional, I receive questions about vitamins all the time. Questions like…What kinds should I take? How much? Should I take a multi or just a couple of the important individual ones like C, E, or folic acid? Will they help me lose weight or build muscle?

So with all the talk and hype about vitamin and mineral supplements…..Are they really necessary for optimal health? The answer is a definitive…..HELL NO! That is, if you’re eating a balanced healthy diet, which most people don’t. Let me put it this way…a vitamin/mineral supplement probably will be somewhat beneficial to you if you have a poor diet. However, if you’re really serious about getting lean and ripped and truly healthy for good, why would your diet be poor? So, in the case that you’re eating a healthy, balanced diet, the answer is that you don’t need a vitamin supplement.

Let’s think about this for a second. Did humans thrive for tens of thousands of years to be the amazing creatures we are today by popping an artificially created vitamin pill. Out of tens of thousands of years of human existence, vitamin pills have only been around for a couple of decades, yet the population is in worse health than ever before. Sure, maybe the human race is not in its worst health from a contagious disease perspective, but we definitely are from a degenerative disease perspective. Now I admit that we do live longer these days compared to historically, but that is only because medical advances keep us alive longer even though we are in horrendous shape physically. People might live longer now, but they’re simply living longer while being overweight, crippled with degenerated joints, plagued with heart disease and cancers, and on and on. You get the point.

So let us get right to some answers as to why I contend that vitamin/mineral supplements are a waste of money and are not necessary to optimal health. Well, first and foremost, a healthy balanced diet consisting of a large variety of natural unprocessed foods (from meats, dairy, eggs, fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, etc.) provides a rich array of vitamins, minerals, and all the other nutrients we need to thrive in perfect health. The problem is that many people don’t choose a healthy balanced diet full of variety. They claim they are too busy, or it’s too inconvenient. Well, I hope that you take your body and the health of you and your family more seriously than these people that apparently don’t care about the physical being that they are walking around in day in and day out.

Another problem with attempting to obtain your vitamins and minerals from a pill instead of natural foods is that your body does not absorb and utilize the nutrients from a pill as efficiently as those obtained from natural food. Whole foods naturally contain vitamins and minerals in combinations that are best assimilated. On the other hand, vitamin/mineral pills contain lots of vitamins and minerals that many times interfere with each other. For example, zinc and copper taken at the same time interfere with each others absorption. Also, high doses of Vitamin E can interfere with absorption of beta carotene (a vitamin A precursor) and other fat soluble vitamins. Many other combinations interfere with each other as well.

Another problem with vitamin pills is possible excess consumption of fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K). Fat soluble vitamins accumulate in fatty tissue in our bodies, and therefore it is easier to overdose on these compared with water soluble vitamins (vitamin C and the various B vitamins). Excess fat soluble vitamin accumulation can cause various toxic effects within the body. It is much harder to take in excess quantities of fat soluble vitamins through natural foods. You would have to consume exorbitant quantities of liver and other organ meats to take in too much Vitamin A and D. It would be rare for someone to overeat on foods such as that. Also, it would be hard to over consume a plant-based precursor to Vitamin A (beta carotene), found in sweet potatoes, carrots, etc., because your body simply would shut down the conversion to Vitamin A once it has obtained what it needs.

There are even some instances where mega-doses of water soluble vitamins can be toxic. Mega doses of some B vitamins can potentially cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and even liver damage. However, in most instances, you simply excrete excess water soluble vitamins in your urine. That is why many times, your urine will be a deep yellow color a couple of hours after taking a vitamin that has high doses of vitamins B and C. So, when you take a vitamin pill, most of the water soluble vitamins are simply flushed down the toilet. You might as well just eliminate the middleman and flush your money right down the toilet.

Another problem with vitamin pills is that they often use synthetic versions of vitamins that can actually be unhealthy. For example, the forms of vitamin E that are found in pills can be either d-alpha tocopherol (a natural version) and dl-alpha tocopherol (a synthetic version). First of all, the bioavailability of synthetic vitamin E is much lower than natural vitamin E. In addition, I’ve seen many articles that indicated that there could be potential health dangers with taking synthetic vitamin E. Once again, we get back to the fact that natural is always better than something that has been heavily modified by man.

The bottom line is that as long as you eat a balanced diet full of a good variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, meats, dairy, eggs, etc., you will obtain all the nutrients your body needs to operate efficiently without the need for a man-made vitamin/mineral pill.

Exercise is obviously very important for losing body fat and building a strong, lean body, but always remember that proper nutrition is even more important. A lousy diet means a flabby, unhealthy body, regardless of how often someone works out. For a fully comprehensive nutritional analysis of how to establish a truly healthy diet and a lean body for life, learn more in my book at The Truth About Six Pack Abs.