Fatless Formula

A New Day Workout

2011-12-05T23:47:00.000-08:00

We've had enough rest throughout the weekend, so here's a workout to get you back into the tough routine. A complete abs and chest workout.

5 minutes warmup

30 Push ups

60 second Plank

20 High Push ups

60 second Plank - For an advanced version, while staying in the plank position, bring your knee towards your chest.Take it back and do the same for the other leg. Aim for 20 reps.

20 Low Push ups

60 second Plank - For an advanced version, while staying in the plank position, bring your knee towards your armpit from the side, working the obliques.Take it back and do the same for the other leg. Aim for 20 reps.

Repeat the above 3 times

For that extra burn, do this:

100 Laying walking man (How to, coming soon)

50 Crisscrosses

Max push ups

Should take you about 20 - 25 minutes.

Front to Back Workout

2011-12-01T21:09:00.000-08:00

So this is the workout I did today and it was quite challenging. By the end of it my chest and back was completely sore. It is primarily a circuit training concept merged with Turbulence Training. Here's what you do.

20 Push ups
20 Dumbell Double Arm Rows
Repeat the about 3 times without any rest

15 Wide Push ups
10 Single Arm Rows (each side)
Repeat the above 3 times without any rest

15 High Push ups
15 Dumbell Double Arm Rows
Repeat the about 2 times without any rest

10 Narrow Push ups
10 Single Arm Rows (each side)
Repeat the about 2 times without any rest

Optional:
30 second Plank
20 Supermans
Repeat the about 3 times without any rest

Should take you about 30 minutes including a warm up.

All four directions workout

2011-11-29T07:20:00.000-08:00

This workout was developed to works your front, back, top and bottom. You engage all your muscles throughout the workout. You burn a lot of calories as you engage a lot of muscles during this workout and the best part is. You don't need any equipment.

- 15 Squat and Jumps

- 15 Shoulder Push ups

Repeat 6 times without any rest in between exercises. Rest 1 minute.

- 30 seconds Plank

- 30 Supermans

Repeat 6 times without any rest in between exercises.

How to do shoulder push ups

2011-11-29T07:19:00.000-08:00

A shoulder push up is a great replacement for shoulder press, if you do not have dumbbells. If you think you are not getting the full range of motion, then you can try to place your hands on two chairs and go deep. Start with the position shown below.

Go as low as you can. and come back up, just as you would in a normal push up.

How to do a Squat and Jump

2011-11-29T06:16:00.000-08:00

You know how to do a squat. Here is a slightly advanced version for those of you who find a normal squat too simple. This actually works you butt as well in addition to the front quads. If you keep you closer together and feet straight, you will work the slightly outer side of the quads and if your legs are further apart, you work the inner side of the quad. Here is what you do.

Stand straight and as you would for doing a normal squat. Go down and do a normal squat as shown in the picture below.

When you come up, instead of standing up, jump straight up. Make sure you land on the balls of your feet and not flat on them. In that same smooth motion, go straight into the squat. Try to control the squat as you come down or it will put too much pressure on your knees.

How to make your own diet plan

2011-11-29T05:15:00.000-08:00

As we all know, diet is a very vital part of your fitness regime. Many people think of dieting and say, START STARVING or I’LL SKIP MY LUNCH FROM NOW ON. In an actual fact, that is a very wrong way of going about it. You need to give your body enough calories to keep your energy levels high for your workouts. If you don’t eat enough, you will probably stop in your workouts way before you should.

Today, I intend to show you how you can:

- - Calculate the amount of calories you need to ensure your body runs efficiently

- - Calculate how many calories you need in one day

- - How many grams of each macronutrient do you need

- - What to eat and how to eat it.

Things you will need.

- Microsoft Excel (or any spreadsheet tool) or Fatless Formula calorie intake calculator

- Calorie Count

Start off with calculating your Basel Metabolic Rate (BMR) – i.e. the calories you require just to keep you systems going.

Option 1: Use the following formulas

Option 2: Use the calorie intake calculator in the right hand bar.

English BMR Formula

Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )

Metric BMR Formula

Women: BMR = 655 + ( 9.6 x weight in kilos ) + ( 1.8 x height in cm ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 13.7 x weight in kilos ) + ( 5 x height in cm ) - ( 6.8 x age in years )

Now calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).

Option 1: Use the following factors

Option 2: Use the calorie intake calculator in the right hand bar.

Sedentary - BMR x 1.2 (little exercise)

Lightly active - BMR x 1.375 (light exercise)

Moderately active - BMR x 1.55 (moderate exercise)

Very active - BMR x 1.725 (hard exercise)

Extremely active - BMR x 1.9 (hard exercise daily)

Now you have the amount of calories that you need on a daily basis.

There are different schools of thought about what ratio your macronutrients should be. Some day 60/30/10, then you also see a 40/40/20 and there is also a 20/30/50 – (Carbs/Proteins/Fats).

Quick tip: If you want to gain muscle then 60/30/10 is great. If you want to get fit then 40/40/20 will do very well and if you want to lower fat with very little exercise then 20/30/50 is fine. Mind you, don’t do the 20/30/50 for long, it might be damaging.

Once you decide which one you want to go for, distribute your calories over the three macronutrients.

Carbs – 60%

Protein – 30%

Fats – 10%

If your TDEE is 2000 calories, then here you what you should get

Carbs – 1200 calories

Proteins – 600 calories

Fats – 200 calories

Now divide the carbs and proteins by 4 and the fats by 9, which will give us

Carbs – 300 grams

Proteins – 150 grams

Fats – 22 grams

This is how many grams of each you require every day. Now create a plan with 5 – 6 meals in the day. Take most of your carbs in your breakfast and around your workout. Protein should be equally distributed throughout the day. The fats should also be distributed, but avoid them right after your workout. Try to choose healthy carbs (Low GI, complex and non-simple carbohydrates). Go to Calorie Count read about your food choices.

There’s not much too it. Oh and consult a doctor before you have some health issues.

1 Hour Push ups

2011-11-28T06:54:00.000-08:00

Today's workout is known as the 1 hour push ups. Most of the workouts on Fatless Formula are round about 20 minutes but this one is different so here's a chance for you to see how you get a long. Our aim is to try and do as many push ups as we can in one hour. If you do 5 push ups per minute, you will have done 300 push ups in one hour. If you do 2 push ups but minute, you will have done 120 push ups by the end of it. Now it's completely your choose. You can either go for 2 or 5 per minute OR you can go for 30 push ups in the first go which would be enough for 6 minutes, so you start the next set after 6 minutes. Play around with it. See what your progress is like and then adjust accordingly.

This is an amazing workout for men AND WOMEN TOO. Push ups do not bulk you up. They help you get defined, get great arms, chest, shoulders and core, so don't be afraid to go for this amazing exercise.

A Weekend of Weakness

2011-11-28T06:37:00.000-08:00

So I was thinking that I would stick to my diet and exercise in the best way possible. I ate very clean for the entire week. I am thinking of posting some of the things I eat everyday, so you will see some interesting dishes very soon. Anyhow, I went to a cousin's place this past Friday. Even before I arrived to his place, I was asked to come to a restaurant. When I got there, I saw a buffet of over 50 dishes (10 of them were sweet dishes). DAMN!!! was the thought that came to my mind, coz I couldn't stick to my diet. I tired not to eat everything but most of these dishes were so good, I had to have a second serving. To cut the long story short, I go up three times, returning with mountains in my plate. This was considered to be the lunch.

As the sun vanish and the darkness took over, I started feeling sleepy and drowsy because of that heavy lunch. I decided that I won't have supper, but suddenly, my cousin came to my room and say 'DINNER TIME'. What I couldn't understand was, how could he eat this much!!? I didn't want to be rude or anything so I said, OKAY and we went out again. Had some pretty unhealthy sweets (three different sweet dishes) and then had some chicken wrapped in tortillas. THANK GOD that the chicken was grilled (that was the healthiest thing I had all day). Finally, I went to bed went to bed with a stomach so full, I couldn't lay on my bed properly.

The very next day, I had a huge breakfast. All you need to know is that the breakfast had one 500 ml glass of milk shake and one 500 ml glass of a smoothie (with sugar). Then before I knew it, it was lunch time. But this time, lunch wasn't all that bad. What came next was the scary part. I had to go to a wedding of a cousin. I got their before time, hoping to leave before the food was served but I was stopped by two friends. Now he food was served and I had to eat something. That something became some things and those some more things and those some more things became LOTS of things - INCLUDING ICE CREAM...YUM!!

As I left the wedding hall, I thought to myself, that's the end of it. But surprise surprise, the cousin that I was staying with, hadn't had anything to eat and he was waiting for me so that we could go to PIZZA HUT and so we did. By the way, this was 12 at night. We finished the pizzas and got back home. The next day, I left without eating anything, because I couldn't take it any more.

That is IT. A weekend of weakness times a large number. Now let's hope that I can burn that off within a week or so.

300 Count Exhale Workout

2011-11-24T09:35:00.000-08:00

Now that you have had a day's rest, here's something to get you back on track. This is a full body strength circuit routine so make sure you you have had enough food throughout the day for energy. Not enough energy would mean you giving up before you should. Here is something different in the workout. Count each rep (or each second in case of plank) out loud and exhale hard.

So, here is what you do. Start off with 5 minutes of warm up. Once you are warmed up, start with the following.

30 Normal Push ups
30 Squats
30 Dumbbell Double Arm Rows

Rest for 1 minute

30 Normal Push ups
30 Squats
30 Dumbbell Double Arm Rows

Rest for 1 minute

30 Shoulder Push ups
30 Second Plank
30 Supermans

Rest for 1 minute

30 Shoulder Push ups
30 Second Plank
30 Supermans

There you go. A full body workout in about 30 minutes. If you feel that the first round was easy, then slow down each movement. Just a reminder, you need to eat right throughout the day - small frequent meals with the right balance of carbs, protein and fats.

Losing the Fat - Diet or Exercise?

2011-11-23T10:23:00.000-08:00

The other day I was on this forum and I got involved in a discussion about fat loss. The discussion was basically about what is better for fat loss, diet or exercise. Incidentally, this was a bodybuilding forum and a vast majority had the opinion that weight loss or fat loss has nothing to do with exercise. There were comments like

‘btw....'workout for fat loss'? stupid freakin' thread. fat loss is about a caloric deficit.’

And

‘Fat is lost in the kitchen and by doing lower repetitions with the fork at the dinner table.’

I found it very interested that people who kill themselves in the gym were of the opinion that exercise has very little to do with fat loss.

So, should I agree or disagree with them. Well, in my personal experience exercise and diet are both important to get fit, but to lose weight!! Not really. If you just start eating less, you will lose weight as your body will dig into the fat stores that you have to make up for the calorie deficit. However, the human body is very intelligent and it adapts to how you treat it. You can only lose to a limit but reducing calories. I mean, how many calories can you create a deficit of. On the other hand, what exercises do is, increase your overall calorie expenditure. The only way your body adapts to this increase in expenditure is by either building muscle or increasing your stamina and other health benefits.

The point is, if your aim is only to lose weight, the lower your calories will work. But if you want to have a healthy life and increase your fitness level, then you need to have some sort of exercise in your daily routine. You see many skinny or thin girls who can’t walk 3 flight of stairs. To me that just isn’t right.

Cutting the long story short, exercise and diet go hand in hand. The fatless formula is all about keeping the balance between the two.

How to do Double Straight Leg Crunches

2011-11-22T11:05:00.000-08:00

A great workout for the entire rectus abdominus muscle. Here's what you do. Lay down on your back. take your hands over your head. Now raise your legs and shoulders off the floor as shown in the picture below.

Then lift you legs, head and arm up as shown below. Without taking any rest, bring them back. Do not let your shoulders or feet touch the ground.

Back to the Core Workout

2011-11-22T05:11:00.000-08:00

Back to the Core as the name suggests is a workout that really works your back and your core muscles. I tried this workout a couple a few days back and really felt it in my back and abs. It is a mix of core training, plus some pulling exercises and the traditional abs stuff. Here is what you do.

Start off with a 5 minute warm up

Stretch your back and start with the following.

15 Single Arm Rows (Left Arm)

30 seconds Plank and Up

15 Single Arm Rows (Right Arm)

Repeat 5 times

20 Dumbbell Double Arm Rows

60 Criss Crosses in 30 seconds

Repeat 5 times

20 Supermans

20 Double Straight Leg Crunches

Repeat 5 times

Try not to rest between any exercise, but if you must, try to keep it under 20 seconds.

How to do the Pilates Criss Cross

2011-11-22T04:08:00.000-08:00

This is more or less in every abs exercise routine so most of you might already know how to do the criss crosses. Here is what you do. You lay on your back, take your hand being your head for support. Don't lock your fingers you will start pulling your head up.

Now raise your head up along with your shoulders and arms. At the same time, raise your legs about 6 inches off the ground. Twist your torso to the right so that left elbow is now at the front and your left elbow is at the back. At the very same time bring your right leg in towards the chest and try to touch your left elbow to your right knee.

Now go back to the starting position (i.e. head and legs both in the air) and do the exact opposite. A very good thing about this exercise is that you do not have to stick to a slow movement. You can vary your speed whenever you want.

How to do a Plank and Up

2011-11-22T03:51:00.000-08:00

I love coming up with names for exercises. Here's a name I recently gave to an amazing core exercise. It is known as the Plank and Up. The name is self explanatory, but here is a tutorial nonetheless.

You start off with going down into the plank position as shown below. Make sure your back is straight and try to flex your ab muscle as you try to pull in your gut. Don't let it hang. Stay in this position for 5 seconds.

After the 5 second come up, one hand a time into the push up position without letting your knees touch the floor. Try to keep your abs engaged at all times. Stay here for 5 minutes and repeat. See how long can you do it for.

Push the earth Workout

2011-11-21T04:18:00.000-08:00

You should all know by now that my favorite exercise is the push up, so you will more or less find this exercise in all of my workouts. Anyhow, here is the workout for today. I call it 'Push the earth' - !@%@??? - Glad you asked. There are only two exercises in the workout. The Push ups and the Squats. In both the exercises what you are trying to do is - Pushing the floor beneath you (i.e. the earth), but because you are so tiny (compared to the earth), you push yourself up. GENIUS!!! I know!!

The idea is to do as many in 20 minutes.

Warm up for 5 minutes and then start with push ups.

10 Push ups

15 Squats

Repeat the push ups and squats for 20 minutes. There will come a time when you won't be able to complete the 10 push ups or 15 squats in one go. No worries, rest for a few seconds and continue. You need to finish the 20 minutes. Note down how many you did for next time.

How to do a squat properly

2011-11-21T03:54:00.000-08:00

A squat is probably the simplest leg exercise that can be done anywhere without any equipment. Here is what you do. Stand straight with legs shoulder width apart as shown below. This works the frontal quad or the front part of the leg.

Here is another variation where you open your legs wider as shown below. You can go even wider. The exercise is more effective if you hold a weight while squatting. This targets the glutes and hamstring instead of the front part of the leg.

This final position is where you keep you legs together (guys might find it hard to do this, for obvious reasons ;)). This works the inner + front part of your thigh.

Now go down keeping your back straight and hands forward as shown below. You can put your hands anywhere as long as it help you keep the balance. Try not to bend forward too much. Go down till your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold for a second and come back up. You can keep you feet straight but keeping them pointed slightly outwards gives you better balance and engaged more muscles.

If you are a beginner, you don't have to go down so that your thigh is parallel to the floor. Stop earlier, but make sure that you keep trying to go lower in each workout till you get there.

There are a lot more variations of squats, but for now, perfect the standard squat and then try the harder versions.

Review of P90X

2011-11-18T01:01:00.001-08:00

I have tried many exercise programs, VIDEOS to be exact ranging for TaeBo to TurboJam to Biggest Loser to Jari Love to the PIT workout to you name it. Out of all of these, P90X stand out a head above most. Tony Horton claims to have made this program after a lot of research and has multiple workouts for the entire length of the training i.e. 90 days. You have a combination of a chest and back workout and an arms and shoulder workout, but if you are not happy with this combination, you have have the option of 'Back and Biceps' and 'Chest and Triceps', so basically, you have lots to choose from.

The program has multiple types of workouts ranging from cardio to plyometics to weight lifting to yoga. Each workout is about 1 hour (a part from the yoga workout, that one is longer) and at the end of each workout, you do an intense ab/core workout. The workout guide helps you decide which workout to do and stick to it for a some time e.g. 4 weeks. One thing that I love about the workouts is Tony's sense of humor. The guy makes you laugh during a tough move. He is absolutely hilarious. Oh, I completely forgot, some of the ladies working out also catch your attention so for the guys who MAY get motivated by looking at a pretty girl doing these things, this would motivate your LOADS.

There is also a PLUS section where the workouts are more intense. These are mainly full body workouts but very very tough so only try them if you can finish the usual workouts.

There is also a diet plan or diet guidance for you in the P90X pack. The thing about these workouts is that if you don't eat right, you will still see some results, but not as fast and may not be what you are looking for. For example, you might build muscle, which will be covered you fat, that's something you don't want.

The only drawback is the intensity. If you are a beginner and can't do some movements, you will get demotivated. Although Tony does give some variations but in some cases, the beginner movement can also be a bit difficult. One might give up very easily or even get scared before starting it. If I were to raise a concern, then I would say that maybe you are doing too much during the workout. It doesn't have to be an hour long, but that's what it is. As for the cost, it might be considered expensive, but from a practical point of view, it would cost you more in gym membership and hiring a personal trainer.

Conclusion: A highly recommended program with thousands of success stories. If you want to get lean, then this is your way to go.

Build Better Back & Biceps

2011-11-17T05:22:00.000-08:00

This is what I call the B x 4 workout. This is a complete back and biceps workout in a circuit format. This would work great even if you have one dumbbell (a heavy one). Here is what you do.

- 5 minute warm up
- Max Pull ups, if you can't do proper pull ups, try the beginner version (go to the bottom).
- 12 Single Arm Rows (Each Side)
- 12 Dumbbell Double Arm Rows
- 15 Supermans

No rest in between exercises. Once you complete the cycle, rest for a minute. Repeat the above 3 times

- 20 Hammer Curls
- 12 Single Arm Deadlift

No rest in between exercises. Once you complete the cycle, rest for a minute. Repeat the above 3 times

This will target the entire back and keep you sore for a few days...PLUS it is a great for your cardio capacity.

How to do the Superman

2011-11-17T04:59:00.000-08:00

All of us wanted to be Superman when we were young. Well here is your chance. Lay down on the floor on your belly as shown in the picture below.

Lift your chest and legs as shown below. Hold for 5 seconds and relax. It's that easy. So now, all you need to do is be faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive.

How to do a Dumbbell Double Arm Row

2011-11-17T04:44:00.000-08:00

If you want to target the center/middle part of your back without going to the gym, here is a great exercise. Use a heavy dumbbell and hold it with both hands as shown in the image below. Bend over so that your upper body makes angle of about 30 - 40 degrees with floor. Make sure your back is straight and your knees are bent slightly.

Pull the weight up as shown in the picture below with your back straight and knees bent. Lower the weight very slowly and repeat.

How to do Hammer Curls

2011-11-17T02:20:00.000-08:00

Guys love doing bicep curls, but they usually choose the wrong exercise for the wrong purpose. Because the preacher curl looks interesting, many people start with a preacher curl or many use the EZ bar and some just start with normal bicep curls. Here is a variation that is great for biceps arms - THE HAMMER CURLS.

Hold the dumbbell for a minute when you are up there.

Do the same for the other arm.

Here is a side view to see where to stop.

Another variation

You can bring both the arms up at the same time. PAUSE and then go back down.

How to do Single Arm Deadlifts

2011-11-17T01:52:00.000-08:00

Deadlifts are a great exercise for your lower back. Usually we do a deadlift with a barbell and hold it with both hands. However, doing it with a single arm forces you to balance yourself and engage some more muscles. Here's what you do. Pick up a dumbbell which is not VERY heavy, something like 50 - 60% of maximum lift would do.

Go down as shown below with your back straight and knees slightly bent. You need to stop before your upper body is parallel to the floor

In one swift movement come back up squeezing your back and butt. Switch hands after every rep.

The EPOC Effect

2011-11-15T23:37:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has been reading about fitness on the internet or in articles must have read about EPOC or Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption. If you are not sure what exactly it is, then here is your chance to get a good understanding of what the EPOC effect is and how can you use it to your advantage.

You must have noticed that every time you do something stenuous, gasp for air once you have stopped. Infact, you gasp for air even more than when you were actually doing the strenuous activity. You create an oxygen debt and this is basically your body trying to bring itself back to normal or the resting state. This effect stays active even after your have stopped all the gasping. The internal body keeps using oxygen on a higher rate for some time. The good news for us fatless junkies is that, it brings some other benefits along with it. These benefits are:

- Hormone balancing

- Replenishment of fuel stores

- Cellular repair

- Anabolism

- and last but not the least ELEVATED METABOLISM

All five of the above are extremely useful, but the raising of metabolism in particular is what will help you become FATLESS. Research has shown that if your workout session is demanding enough, your metabolism will be elevated for hours and hours after the workout. One study showed that the EPOC effect will stay in action upto 38 hours. Oh, another thing, as we will have more oxygen in the system, the fat cells are broken down and sent to the bloodstream to be used as energy. Great, isn't it.

The effects of EPOC are said to be longer and more prominent after HIT (High Intensity Training) or weight training as opposed to cardio. If you do a cardio session at a very low intensity for 45 minutes, you will get a bit of EPOC effect for something like a couple of hours. However, think about it this way, you will breakdown the fats and use them as energy during the workout and after the workout, you will have a marginally raised metabolism for a couple of hours where you use all sources for energy and recovery and then you are back to normal. On the other hand, after a weight training (or HIT) session, you will use energy primarily from carbohydrates and then the metabolism will be elevated for a long time therefore burning a lot of calories from all sources. So overall, you use a lot more energy in the latter option. One thing to note in the cardio option is that you burn the fats and a bit of carbs, but there are a lot of carbs left over and if they are not used, they will be converted to fat, therefore showing you less benefits.

So basically, if you want to really get benefits of the EPOC effect, you need to concentrate on HIT and weight training. Opt for cardio on off days or low intensity days as you should not be doing HIT or weight training every day.

Most of the workouts that you will find on FATLESS FORMULA are HIT workouts so that you can gain maximum benefits from your exercise sessions.

Chest of the Best

2011-11-15T02:48:00.000-08:00

Looking for a great chest routine? Well, is an amazing one. You work all parts of your chest in one intense workout and the best part is, you do it all without any weights. Oh, another intriguing part is that you burn work you cardio as well (which will help you burn some extra calories, plus that whole thing about EPOC) Intrigued? Here it is then.

Start off with a 5 minute warm up.

Once your body is all warmed up, you start off with one set of the maximum PUSH UP that you can do. Rest for 1 - 2 minutes and now the real workout starts.

10 NARROW PUSH UPS
Jumping Jacks for 30 seconds

10 WIDE PUSH UPS
Jumping Jacks for 30 seconds

Repeat the above 4 times without any rest and then wait for 1 minute.

10 HIGH PUSH UPS
Jumping Jacks for 30 seconds

10 LOW PUSH UPS
Jumping Jacks for 30 seconds

Repeat the above 4 times without any rest and then wait for 2 minutes.

To finish off, do an amazing PUSH UPS as you can.

Try this workout and you won't have to go to the gym again. Make sure you share this workout with all you first and family who want to get a great chest.

How to do more push up variations

2011-11-15T01:35:00.000-08:00

So you know how to do a push up. If you don't then CLICK HERE for a quick tutorial. Anyways, many people out there say that push ups cannot target the entire chest and not very good for your joints etc. I say to them, %$#^ YOU man! In all seriousness, if you want to become a professional bodybuilder then I might agree with this statement, but if you want to be fit (like a cover model) then you just need to change your hand positions to target a different part of your chest. If you want to target the top part of the chest (replacement of incline bench press), you can try the push up as shown below.

Place your hands wider than the shoulders and almost at shoulder height as shown above.

Come down as if doing a normal push up. This will target your upper chest.

If you want to target the lower part of the chest (replace the decline bench press), try the following push up.

Place your hands quite low as shown above. Make sure your body is straight.

Do a normal push up keeping your elbows close to your body. This will give definition to the lower part of your chest.