TYRON PITEAU'S BLOG

Bootcamp in North Vancouver Discusses that Cholesterol is Good - Part 2

2012-01-26T23:54:00.000-08:00

In my last blog post I shared about how important saturated fats and cholesterol are to your health and that the conventional wisdom of eating a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet to improve your heart health has led millions astray down a path that actually INCREASES heart disease. If you didn't get a chance to watch that video, click the link directly below. The content is shocking!

Watch part 1 by clicking the link below:

==>http://tyronpiteau.blogspot.com/2012/01/bootcamp-in-north-vancouver-discusses.html

Today what I want to share with you is part 2 of that video where I go into more detail about how important it is to consume fats and cholesterol in your diet and that cholesterol-lowering drugs are doing havoc on society and are actually making things WORSE! Watch part 2 below.

Helping you get lean and healthy in 2012,
Tyron

Bootcamp in North Vancouver Discusses that Cholesterol is Good - Part 1

2012-01-26T23:41:00.000-08:00

In today's blog post I share about how important saturated fats and cholesterol are to your health and that the conventional wisdom of eating a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet to improve your heart health has led millions astray down a path that actually INCREASES heart disease. See what I mean by watching the video below. The content is shocking!

Helping you get lean and healthy in 2012,
Tyron

North Vancouver Boot Camp: This Could Save Your Life...Literally

2012-01-19T23:24:00.004-08:00

Helping you get health in 2012,
Tyron

North Vancouver Boot Camp: Will Fat Actually Help You Lose Fat?

2012-01-12T18:22:00.001-08:00

Fat isn't our enemy so lets use it to our benefit as our body's were created to need it. Below are some interesting points to consider regarding fat.

• Michael DeBakey, a famous heart surgeon, did an experiment on 1,700 patients with hardening of the arteries and found no relationship between the levels of cholesterol in the blood and the incidence of atherosclerosis.

• Similarly, The Medical Research Council showed that men eating butter had half the risk of heart disease as those who ate margarine (a deadly trans fat butter substitute).

• Uffe Ravnskov reports, concerning saturated fats in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, that “the scientific evidence, honestly evaluated, does not support the assertion that ‘artery-clogging’ saturated fats cause heart disease. Actually, evaluation of the fat found in clogged arteries reveals that only about 26 percent is saturated. The rest is unsaturated, of which more than half is polyunsaturated.

• Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, Ph.D., state that heart disease should not be blamed on animal fats or cholesterol, but upon consumption of vegetable oils, hydrogenated fats (trans-fats), and refined carbohydrates; vitamin and mineral deficiencies; and the reduction or disappearance of antimicrobial fats from the food supply, i.e. animal fats and tropical oils.

Benefits of saturated fat:
1. Constitute at least 50 percent of all cell membranes.
2. At least 50 percent of all fat we consume should be saturated; otherwise calcium cannot be effectively incorporated into the skeletal system.
3. They lower Lp (a), a key substance in the blood that indicates proneness to heart disease.
4. Protect the liver from alcohol and other toxins, such as NSAIDs.
5. Enhance the immune system.
6. We cannot properly utilize essential fatty acids (omega 3s and 6s) without saturated fats.
7. Saturated 18-carbon stearic acid and 16-carbon palmitic acid provide the preferred fuel for the heart. The heart is mainly covered by saturated fats.
8. Short- and medium-chain fatty acids found in butter, coconut, and palm oil have important antimicrobial properties especially in the GI tract.

Benefits of cholesterol:
1. cholesterol in the cell membrane gives our cells necessary stiffness and stability.
2. cholesterol acts as a precursor to vital corticosteroids, hormones that help us deal with stress and protect the body against heart disease and cancer, and to sex hormones.
3. cholesterol is a precursor to vitamin D
4. bile salts are made from cholesterol, which are essential for fat digestion.
5. its an antioxidant. Protects us against free radical damage that leads to heart disease and cancer. This is a likely explanation for why cholesterol goes up with age.
6. Cholesterol is needed for proper function of serotonin receptors in the brain. Serotonin is the body’s natural “feel good” chemical. Low cholesterol has been linked to aggressive and violent behaviour, depression, and suicidal tendencies.
7. mother’s milk is rich in cholesterol which is essential for the proper development and growth of the child’s nervous system.
8. Dietary cholesterol plays an important role in maintaining the health of the intestinal wall. Low cholesterol diets can lead to leaky gut syndrome and other intestinal disorders.

Good sources of fats and oils:
• Fats to include: extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil, raw, organic, grass-fed butter, ghee (clarified butter), organic, grass-fed animal fats, fish oil (EFA Icon), organic seeds (flax, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin), organic raw nuts (walnuts, pecans, macadamia, almonds), avocados, eggs (yolk).

• When buying fish oil supplements make sure the fish are from a region of low toxicity and make sure the product has been molecularly distilled in order that the toxins are at a low level. Consume 10 grams/day. For a good quality fish oil, check out EFA Icon at http://ProgradeNutritionals.com/essential-fatty-acid.html. Save 15% off on this order and the entire store. Just use coupon code NEW15 at checkout. It includes Krill Oil with Astaxanthin (a powerful antioxidant). Because of the way the EPA and DHA fatty acids are bound to phospholipids, its much more potent and bioavailable meaning you don't have to take as many capsules as a regular fish oil to get the same dosage and benefit, i.e. 2 capsules compared to taking 6-10 of fish oil.

• Fats to avoid include: trans-fatty acids, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, vegetable oils (i.e. corn, soy, canola, etc. oils), fats from conventionally-raised animal/fish.

I hope that helped :)

Also don't forget to let us know if you can join us for our celebration! On Saturday January 21, 2012 we'll be having our New Year/Grand Opening to celebrate our new facility as well as just another reason to party ;)

There will be live music, dancing (for those who want to) and food so if you can make it we'd love to have you. Please fill out the attached file indicating how many guests you'd like to bring (including yourself) as well as the food item you'd like to bring if you are able to (don't feel obligated) and then save it and email it back so we can prepare for the event and know the exact numbers.

Helping you get lean and healthy in 2012!

Tyron

PS. On February 20th, 2012 my friend Mich will attempt all 5 boot
camp classes to raise money and awareness of eating disorders. All
donations will be going to help support The Looking Glass
Foundation. Check out the flyer that's attached to learn more and how you can support.

Could This One Nutrient Be That Important To Your Health?

2012-01-05T17:22:00.003-08:00

Now watch what Dr. Mercola has to say about vitamin D.

So if you have access to the sun or a safe, healthy tanning bed, obtain your vitamin D that way. If not then obtain vitamin D3 by taking 8000 IU per day.

For a good quality fish oil with astaxanthin in it, go with Krill Oil. Click this link http://ProgradeNutritionals.com/essential-fatty-acid.html and get 15% off at checkout by entering this code: NEW15.

Helping you get healthier in 2012,

Tyron

PS. If you live in North or West Vancouver, BC and want to experience the boot camp in North Vancouver that GUARANTEES you'll lose at least a clothing size in 28 days or your money back AND will help you get fast results then click the link below. Also check out a sample of our class in the video below.

===>North Vancouver Boot Camp

===>Here's the video:

Dark Chocolate Macadamia Bark Sprinkled with Sea Salt

2011-12-30T22:29:00.001-08:00

‘Tis the season of candy and sugary baked goods showing up everywhere you go. Plates of cookies, tins of caramel corn, strings of candy canes and leaden logs of fruitcake – why these things symbolize good cheer is hard to figure out. There’s no reason to be a complete Scrooge about holiday desserts, though, just as there’s no reason to deprive yourself entirely if you’re craving something festive. When your sweet tooth goes looking for the ultimate dessert indulgence this year, look no further. Dark Chocolate Macadamia Bark Sprinkled with Sea Salt (as shared by Mark Sisson from
http://www.marksdailyapple.com) tastes fully and completely like “real” dessert. Not only will you enjoy every bite, so will the family and friends that you gift it to (hint, hint, don’t eat it all yourself!)

This perfect dessert is loaded with flavonoids from the dark chocolate and has a positive fatty acid profile from the macadamias. But the very best part about this decadent treat is that you can whip it up in less than 30 minutes using only three ingredients.

The full recipe is below, but there’s not a whole lot more to it than melting chocolate, stirring in nuts, sprinkling with sea salt and refrigerating. So why is the result so amazing? First of all, it’s important to use good chocolate. The darker the better, both for health reasons and intensity of flavor. The macadamia nuts add a sweet, buttery component and the crucial sprinkle of sea salt on top is the flavor equivalent of an exclamation point.

The result is a dessert that’s the perfect thing to nibble on around a roaring fire, surrounded by those you love most. Or, at a holiday office party or New Year's event surrounded by those you love a little less dearly, but still love of course ;). Wherever the event, it will be a little bit merrier if Dark Chocolate Macadamia Bark Sprinkled with Sea Salt is your indulgence of choice.

Ingredients:

9-10 ounces dark chocolate (aim for 85 – 90% cacao), chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

Heat 2/3 of the chocolate in the microwave or on the stove. If using a microwave, heat the chocolate in 30-second increments, stopping to stir vigorously each time. It should take 2 minutes or less to melt the chocolate. If using the stove, create a double boiler by filling a pot with a few inches of water then balance or hold a smaller pot filled with the chocolate just above the water line. As the water gently boils, the steam will melt the chocolate in the smaller pot without burning it. Stir occasionally, removing from heat as soon as the chocolate melts completely.

Remove the melted chocolate from the microwave or stove. Add the remaining hard chocolate to the hot melted chocolate, stirring vigorously until it melts as well.

Stir the macadamia nuts into the chocolate.

Line a rimmed dish of your choice with parchment paper or wax paper. The size of the dish will determine how thick the bark is. A 2-quart squarebaking dish makes thicker bark (like in the photos). A larger dish will obviously yield thinner bark.

Spread the chocolate evenly in the rimmed dish. Sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes, longer if chocolate isn’t solid yet. Use a knife to cut the bark into squares or misshapen pieces. Store the bark at room temperature.

Dessert doesn't have to be all bad. This is one of those good ones. Enjoy!

Tyron

Mark Sisson is the author of a #1 bestselling health book on Amazon.com, The Primal Blueprint, as well as The Primal Blueprint Cookbook and the top-rated health and fitness blog MarksDailyApple.com. He is also the founder of Primal Nutrition, Inc., a company devoted to health education and designing state-of-the-art supplements that address the challenges of living in the modern world.

North Vancouver Boot Camp Christmas Eating Tip

2011-12-20T17:17:00.003-08:00

So enjoy all the good food (and cheesecake as I know I will ;) and time with family and friends just use the rich food and desserts to your advantage by incorporating a workout in that day. If you are coming to boot camp (http://MakersBody.com/SlimDown.html) we'll be open throughout the holidays at our regular times as detailed below.

And the winner of The Maker's Body Complete Package is... (drumroll please)... Farideh Mansouri! Congratulations Farideh. The complete package includes a kitchen overhaul, a Whole Foods shopping tour, learning about different products, the do's and don'ts of eating, helpful tips, a monthly meal plan with recipes, a grocery list and our in-house chef Mich will cook and prepare a 7-day breakfast-lunch-dinner meal plan based on your dietary requirements! What better way to start January than with all your meals cooked for a week and a plan for the rest of the month :)

Boot Camp Calender

Monday	6:00-7:00 AM 11:30 AM-12:30 PM 5:00-6:00 PM 6:00-7:00 PM 7:00-8:00 PM
Wednesday	6:00-7:00 AM 11:30 AM-12:30 PM 5:00-6:00 PM 6:00-7:00 PM 7:00-8:00 PM
Friday	6:00-7:00 AM 11:30 AM-12:30 PM 5:00-6:00 PM 6:00-7:00 PM 7:00-8:00 PM
Saturday	10:00-11:00 AM

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Your friend and 2012 fat loss solution,

Tyron

P.S. How to Get Signed Up for the 14 Day Slim Down
1.) Go to http://MakersBody.com/SlimDown.html.

2.) Fill out the form on that page.

3.) Fill out the registration form that will be emailed to you after following the steps above and email it back to us. Must be completed before attending.

How to Get Six-Pack Abs

2011-11-29T23:13:00.004-08:00

The fitness industry is a crazy business, especially when it comes to abs. For example, if you want to reveal your six-pack, you generally have two product choices.

1. The too-easy-to-work method.

You know this better as "5-minute abs!" or some such hype. But if this approach were really effective, even Chris Christie would have a washboard.

2. The so-hard-it-has-to-work method.

Think 60 to 90 minutes of exercise, 6 days a week. Now if you have the time and energy for this kind of regimen, we commend you. But plenty of people are missing one or the other. And that's just reality, not a cop-out.

So we wondered: Could there be an ab-sculpting program that actually works and is doable for most people? For the answer, we turned to Mike Wunsch, C.S.C.S., and Craig Rasmussen, C.S.C.S., creators of Men's Health's newest fat-loss plan, 24-Hour Abs! The answer: "Absolutely," says Wunsch, who teams up with Rasmussen to design the workout programs at Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California. "That's exactly how we make our living."

One important fact about Results Fitness: Even in a recession, this Southern California gym has expanded. Twice. Why? Because its trainers have developed a fat-loss formula tailored specifically for busy people. (Read: mostly everyone.) The requirements are simple: 30 to 40 minutes a day, 3 days a week. So how do these trainers do it when so many others have failed? They threw out the old guidelines. The new ones they've created are based on 21st-century science and the methods that work best with their clients. Now you can benefit, too.

Don't target your abs to lose fat

Or you might end up frustrated like this!

Back in 2002, we reported that it would take 250,000 crunches to burn a pound of fat, according to estimates from University of Virginia scientists. We're pretty sure those researchers published that statistic to make a point. But after almost a decade, the point still may not have hit home. "I'm amazed at the number of people who think that simply doing ab exercises will make their belly disappear," says Rasmussen. "That is probably the least efficient way to reveal a six-pack."

Do work every single muscle

Ok maybe not to this extreme but you get the point

"Muscle is your body's primary fat burner," says Rasmussen. Your muscles require energy to contract, which is why you burn calories when you exercise. But resistance training, unlike running or cycling, also causes a significant amount of damage to your muscle fibers. And that's a good thing. "Your body has to expend energy to repair and upgrade those fibers after your workout," says Rasmussen. "And a single total-body weight-training session can boost your metabolism for up to 2 days."

So you shouldn't neglect a single inch of your body. That goes double for the legs, a body part that plenty of men either train just once a week or simply ignore. Case in point: Syracuse University researchers determined that people burned more calories the day after a lower-body resistance session than the day after they worked their upper bodies. [you're welcome The Maker's Body clients for all those leg exercises we give you...they're a reason for the pain...good pain that is :)] Why? Because your lower half houses more muscle. The upshot: "A busy guy's smartest approach is to train his entire body every other day," says Rasmussen. "That allows you to elevate your metabolism maximally all week long, even though you're working out only 3 or 4 days a week."

Don't start your workout with crunches

"You can do lots of crunches and situps and still have a weak core," says Wunsch. "We see that all the time." The reason: Classic ab moves like crunches and situps work the muscles that allow you to flex (that is, round) your lower spine. (In fact, there's new evidence out there that shows the crunch might be The Most Useless Exercise Ever.) True core exercises, on the other hand, train the muscles that prevent your spine from rounding. They also allow you to transfer force from your lower body to your upper body (in a golf swing, for example), and vice versa. Core exercises target the same muscles that crunches do, but they also include your hip and lower-back muscles. So what's a true core exercise? One that trains you to keep your spine stable and in its natural alignment. Besides the plank (more on that in a minute), scores of exercises qualify, including the side plank, mountain climber, and even the pushup.

Do start with core exercises

Stability Ball Rollout

"We test everything in our gym," says Wunsch. "And we've seen that people achieve far better results when they do core exercises at the beginning of their workout instead of at the end." The reason: By training your core when your muscles are fresh, you achieve the fastest gains in strength, says Wunsch.

That's important for the average guy, Wunsch and his colleagues have found, because the core is the limiting factor in almost every exercise. "A weak core is what keeps most men from lifting more weight in the squat and deadlift and just about everything else," says Wunsch. "If we focus on strengthening their core first, they'll ultimately be able to lift heavier weights, which allows them to work more muscle and burn more calories. We're thinking about long-term success."

Don't spend hours on your core

While 5 minutes of exercise a day isn't enough to reveal your abs, it is about the right amount of time to dedicate to targeted core training. "We've found that just 2 to 4 sets of one or two core exercises is quite effective," Rasmussen says. "Our goal is to make you stronger, not more tired." A 5-minute core routine prior to weight training has a side benefit, too. "It revs up your core muscles so they fire better as you do other exercises," Rasmussen says.

Do master the plank

Ok not that kind of plank...

this kind

Flip through any issue of Men's Health and you'll probably find some version of the plank. This exercise may appear boring and easy—after all, you look like you're simply holding a pushup position but with your weight supported on your forearms instead of your hands. "The plank is easy only if you're doing it incorrectly or don't know how to make it more challenging," says Wunsch. What's more, he adds, the plank is key because it teaches you to make your core stiff. "That's a skill you need for almost every exercise."

So how do you perfect this exercise? Start by assuming a plank position, and then have a friend place a broomstick along your back. It should touch your head, upper back, and butt; this indicates that your spine is in proper alignment. If the stick doesn't make contact at all three points, simply adjust your posture until it does. That's the position you need to hold. Now to learn all the secrets to the perfect plank, watch this video.

Don't waste a second on the treadmill

"If you have only 30 to 40 minutes to devote to a workout, then every second has to count," says Rasmussen. "In those cases, our clients do zero running." His contention is that you can achieve faster fat loss with resistance training. How so? First, drop the assumption that running burns more calories than lifting does. A University of Southern Maine study found that a single set of a weight-training exercise torches as many calories as running at a 6-minute-mile pace for the same amount of time. So for every second you spend lifting weights, your body is expending high amounts of energy.

There's also the metabolism boost of weight training. "Resistance training has a much larger metabolic impact than long-distance running does," says Rasmussen. "Plus, your body is being given a stimulus to gain strength and build new lean tissue." One last efficiency benefit: Lifting weights through a full range of motion can improve your flexibility as well or even better than static stretching does, according to a University of North Dakota study.

Do keep your body moving

"Our goal is to pack as much physical work as possible into whatever time our clients have," says Wunsch. To that end, he and Rasmussen frequently implement supersets and circuits—strategies that save time without sacrificing results. To understand why, you'll need a few quick definitions.

Straight sets: This is a traditional weight-training routine, in which you complete all the sets of a given exercise before moving on to the next.

Alternating sets: These involve alternating between exercises that train your body using two noncompeting movements. For example, you pair an upper-body exercise that works the muscles on your front side—a pushup or bench press, say—with a lower-body exercise that emphasizes the muscles on your back side--the deadlift, for example. The idea is that you work a group of muscles with one exercise, but instead of sitting around for a full 2 or 3 minutes while that muscle group recovers, you perform an exercise that doesn't heavily engage those same muscles. As a result, you can cut your rest time in half or eliminate it completely.

To perform the deadlift with perfect form click here.

Circuits: These are similar to alternating sets, except that they involve three or more exercises. You can rest after each exercise in the circuit, or only after the last exercise.

How much time can these techniques save? A 2011 Spanish study found that men who trained with circuits achieved the same gains as those who trained with straight sets—yet their workouts were 42 percent shorter. But that's not to suggest you should hit the showers early. No, it means circuits and alternating sets can help you squeeze more total sets into the same sweat session.

Your friend,

Tyron

PS. If you live in North or West Vancouver, BC and want to experience the boot camp in North Vancouver that GUARANTEES you'll lose at least a clothing size in 30 days or your money back AND will help you get fast results like this girl in the video below who lost 20 pounds, 6.5 inches off her waist and 4 inches off her hips, then click the link below to get your free workout and $50 off any one of our programs:

===>North Vancouver Boot Camp

===>Here's the video:

Craig Rasmussen

Craig has relocated back to Southern California after spending several years in Indianapolis, Indiana working as a fitness coach at a private training facility, and a strength coach at the high school level. Prior to that, Craig worked as a full-time Physical Education teacher at the middle school level in Santa Monica, California. Craig also received his BA in Physical Education from CSU Chico. He grew up in Ventura attending Buena High School with basketball being his sport of choice.

Craig became passionate about weight training following his freshman year in college when his Junior College basketball coach listed that two of his weaknesses were his strength and size. This proved to be a great motivation for him and he now is a competitive powerlifter and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Find out more about Craig at http://www.results-fitness.com/trainers.php?page=4&action=9.

Get More Sleep To Lose Body Fat

2011-11-26T14:39:00.002-08:00

You'll see what I mean by bad news at the end.

Everybody knows that if you want to lose body fat you need to pay attention to diet and exercise. However, there's another factor that hardly anybody talks about...sleep. As a culture, Westerners get much less sleep today than their ancestors did. You can blame a lot of that on the blessing of electricity. What happens when you go to bed too late and what is "too late"? I'm guilty of this so don't think I'm perfect. I need to work on this.

Is this you?

Any competitive athlete will tell you that they can feel the difference between 8 hours of sleep that starts at 9pm compared with 10pm compared with 11pm. When you push your body hard, you recover much better if you get to bed early. Why is this? Eve Van Cauter PhD is a world authority on the endocrine system and circadian rhythms. Put her name into Google or PubMed and you'll find dozens of her studies clearly showing the unpleasant influences that sleep deprivation has on hormones and other physiological parameters. Side note: hormones play a critical role in how much muscle you build and how much fat you lose. I repeat: the better your hormone profile (affected through sleep, diet, training, stress, etc.), the more fat you will lose.

A colleague of mine in California, Chris Maund, spent over 3 years gathering information on this topic before writing a review of literature entitled "Sleep, Biological Rhythms and Electromagnetic Fields". His conclusion after spending all those months reviewing literature? Very simple...if you wish to get lean and feel physically recovered from day to day you need at least 8 hours sleep and you'd better be asleep by 10pm at the latest. This is partly because getting to bed later than this adversely affects your natural secretion of growth hormone. You only get one pulsed secretion of growth hormone every 24 hours....if you're not in bed early that pulse is significantly diminished in size.

WHY WHOLE GRAINS MAY NOT BE GOOD FOR YOU

You are probably aware that most people feel better and lose body fat when they cut gluten from their diet. What you might not realize is that all grains are problematic for most people...not just the classic gluten containing grains.

Why is this? Partly it's because there is a lot of confusion over which grains contain gluten and which ones do not. Many "gluten free" people continue to eat oats and quinoa because they have been told these two are gluten free. There are two major problems with this logic.

Oats

Quinoa

The first problem is that most people feel better, have more energy and less body fat, when they eliminate ALL grains INCLUDING oats and quinoa. Chris and his wife Janet have seen many clients over the years who were unable to get rid of their symptoms (and body fat) until they cut oats and quinoa from their diet. This is partly because oats and quinoa do contain a form of gliadin which does cause significant health problem in many people. Gliadin is the relevant offending sub fraction of gluten.When someone says "I'm gluten intolerant" it's more accurate to say "I'm gliadin intolerant".

The second problem is that all grains - even rice and corn, which are truly gluten/gliadin free - are simply delivery vehicles for huge amounts of carbohydrate. Most people do not do anywhere enough exercise to burn off the carbohydrates that they get from their daily grain consumption. Unless you are doing at least 60 mins of HARD exercise every day, you should cut ALL grains from your diet and get your carbohydrates from vegetables.

So the bad news is you might need to go to bed earlier (myself included ;) and you might need to eliminate, or at least cut back, grains from your diet. But the good news is you'll feel better, become healthier and lose more body fat...I know you like hearing that :)

Your friend,

Tyron

PS. We're considering opening up more North Vancouver boot camp class times. Currently we have M, W, F at 5:45 am, 11:30 am, 5 pm, 6 pm, 7 pm and Saturdays at 10 am. Would you be interested in a 7:00 am, 9:30 am and/or 12:30 pm (noontime) class?

PPS. Make sure you give these people a big high 5 next time you see
them as they each referred their friends to our program and because
of our referral incentive program got some serious rewards:

Allison - referred 1 friend - gets $100 off next month of training
Mich - referred 2 friends - gets $200 off next month of training
Aly – referred 1 friend – gets $100 off next month of trainingTania – gets half off program
Rob and Sonja – gets half off program
Kristen H. - gets half off program

Thanks for bringing your friends out! And this is not all of them
either.

Hey by the way, so that you can get on this list and get free
training and save like these did, encourage your friends, family
and coworkers to come out for their first session at no cost to try
it out and if they choose to sign up, they’ll get $50 off whichever
program they choose and I will totally hook you up with our referral
bonuses of giving you 50% (half) off for EACH person you refer
that joins. Not bad if you ask me.

Janet Alexander

A 25-year veteran of the Health and Fitness Industry and commited endurance athlete, Janet draws her experience from a varied career base, including teaching, sales and marketing, advertising and design as well as working with clients requiring sports performance and orthopedic rehabilitation. Janet is one of the Senior Faculty at the C.H.E.K Institute, co-owner of The CHEK Studio, Inc. in Encinitas, CA where she works predominantly with golfing athletes and their coaches including PGA and LPGA professionals. https://www.chekconnect.com/Page/ConnectProfile?member=janetalexander1

Chris Maund

Chris Maund is a member of the C.H.E.K Faculty and has been teaching for the C.H.E.K Institute since 1998. Chris has a bachelor's degree in Physical Education and Sports Science from Loughborough University in England. He has written a thesis to satisfy part of the requirements for C.H.E.K Practitioner Program entitled "Sleep, Biological Rhythms and Electromagnetic Fields". Chris is a strong believer in the value of massage therapy and studied Paul St John's Neuro Muscular Therapy program. An experienced triathlete, he was a member of the British National Squad from 1989-1992 before emigrating to New Zealand in 1993. Chris has a wealth of experience working in a wide variety of rehabilitation and sports conditioning scenarios. https://www.chekconnect.com/Page/ConnectProfile?member=chrismaund

Boot Camp in North Vancouver Shows More Proof That Crunches Alone Don't Work

2011-09-29T21:51:00.003-07:00

If you can't see your abs, it's not a sign you need to do more crunches. You need to get rid of the fat layer over your abs. Simple as that. You can't spot reduce and you'll get plenty of ab work doing compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, push-ups and overhead presses. Check out this research study that showed this: http://www.ergo-log.com/sixpackcrunches.html.

Doing ab work is important but don't put your focus on it to give you that flat stomach as you're wasting your time.

Check out some tips below to help get that layer of fat off ;)

1. Are you looking a bit too happy when you are working out?

If you're not grimacing, grunting, or experiencing some sort of discomfort, you're not training hard enough. One good set where you have to fight for the reps is better than a week of half-effort sets.

Do you struggling in your workout and feel like this afterwards?

...or is your workout more like this?

An intense workout...if I'd say so myself

2. Are you afraid of "bulky muscles" and therefore stick to the lighter weights?

Women, you need to put down those light pink dumbbells (operative word is "light" as there are some heavy pink weights, i.e. pink kettlebells which we'll be seeing in the gym soon :). Some women (none of those that read this blog of course ;) believe that the modest amount of strain will cause them to wake up looking like a bodybuilder in the morning. Nonsense. It's impossible for that to happen unless you're secretly injecting steroids between workouts (and I know you aren't...right?). You don't have enough natural testosterone in your blood stream to elicit such a large muscle building response. A female has 10 times less testosterone in their bloodstream at any one time than a male so there's no worries ladies. Use those heavy weight...trust me as you'll be happy you did.

No pink dumbbells here

...or here

Michelle doing some high box jumps...good work Mich! (sorry for the side tilt of the camera everyone)

Michelle performing a heavy deadlift

3. Supplements for fat loss

Note: I have not personally used all the supplements listed below so I cannot speak from personal experience and therefore encourage you to speak with your physician first better using any stimulant.

Also for those that are fasting, fasting potentiates the effect of stimulants. Any stimulant ingested during the fasted phase will have a greater effect compared to it's ingestion during the fed state. Some caution should therefore be exercised for those not familiar with the use of stimulants.

Caffeine

If you're not a regular coffee drinker (I'm not a regular drinker), you're missing out by not adding caffeine to your diet when the going gets tough, i.e. trying to lose fat. It's cheap, suppressses appetite and has thermogenic properties.

Clenbutrx

The taste is supposedly not good however on the plus side, it has a quite potent stimulatory effect and works very well as an appetite suppressant.

VPX Meltdown

If you can't stand the horrid taste of Clenbutrx, VPX Meltdown is a great alternative. This one actually has legit scientific backing, which is a true rarity when it comes to fat loss products. You can read both (free full text) studies on Meltdown here and here. Note the effect on resting energy expenditure. Not bad.

Yohimbine HCL

This herb may be particularily useful for those trying to get rid of stubborn body fat - such as the fat covering lower abs and back in lean men and thighs and hips in lean women. Hokey as that may sound, there is a valid explanation for how this occurs. Lyle McDonald explains this in great detail in The Stubborn Body Fat Solution. In short, yohimbine inhibits alpha-2-receptors (and lower abs/back has a high density of a2-receptors) which aids with blood flow and fat mobilization from stubborn fat areas.

Yohimbine is another fat loss product that has been proven effective in clinical trials and this is perhaps the most widely cited study on the effects of yohimbine on bodycomposition.

AlphaBurn

Pure yohimbine may lead to feelings of anxiety and even panic attacks in predisposed individuals. A better alternative can be found in Alpha Burn, and other supplements containing rauwolscine, which is a stereoisomer of yohimbine. While it won't make you as jumpy and jittery as yohimbine, it seems to have a pretty potent appetite suppressive effect.

L-Tyrosine

L-tyrosine is a precursor ("building block") to the catecholamines dopamine and norepinephrine. For this reason, it has been studied in the context of performance enhancement among other things. Although studies show mixed results, empirical evidence suggests that tyrosine has it's use as a pre-workout stimulant when combined with other substances such as caffeine. It seems to enhance the effect of other stimulatory substances. Tyrosine has also shown promise in alleviating the decrements in cognitive performance associated with stress and fatigue. For this reason, it might be useful for keeping your mind sharp during intense stints of dieting.

Tyron

===>North Vancouver Boot Camp

===>Here's the video:

Thanks to Mark Berkhan of LeanGains.com for his insight and input. Mark works as a nutritional consultant, magazine writer and personal trainer. LeanGains.com is dedicated to his approach to intermittent fasting, which shatters peoples preconceived notions on how to eat for muscle gain and fat loss.

North Vancouver Boot Camp Shares 25 Fall Slim Down Tips

2011-09-13T21:49:00.003-07:00

Avoid a steady diet of this!

1. You can never out exercise a bad diet. I have mentioned this to people for a few years now and its so true. Start eating whole foods and stay away from junk (duh on the second part...but the first part, remember that you can NEVER work off a caramel frappucino with some cardio)...wish it were so.

2. When eating out make sure you ask the waiter to fill up your plate with two servings of veggies rather than the mandatory carb that comes along with it.

Do as Popeye :)

3. Write down goals for yourself. Don't type them.

4. Make sure those goals are so out of this world that everyone will be looking at you like you are crazy. Shoot for the stars and you'll end up in the clouds. It's so cliche but true.

Are your goals this big?

5. Take a before picture of yourself. Front, side and back. I can hear the jeers now...you'll be happy you did.

I bet she's glad she did.

6. Front load your carbs in the beginning of the day. On workout days you can have more than normal carbs. Non workout days I would really watch it especially at night.

7. Drink water. A dehydrated body will not lose fat. Half your bodyweight in ounces per day is a good gauge.

...well maybe not that much ;)

8. To burn the most fat in the least amount of time, 99% of the time do full body circuit training workouts with little to no rest in between exercises except for a longer rest between cycles. Check out www.MakersBody.com for these types of workouts.

You gotta push yourself and...

use weights that challenge you. Good work all of you!

9. Don't take fat loss advice from someone that doesn't look like they practice what they preach.

Probably not the person you want to take fat loss advice from.

10. You will end up living up to the expectations of everyone else around you. Put yourself in the company of people who have achieved what you already want to achieve.

11. There is no one perfect fat loss program...but the one you are consistently doing.

Ya this can always help to push one just a little bit harder...

12. There are only a few fat loss principles. "Fat loss is simple: 1) Eat less, 2) Exercise, 3) Repeat, 4) Forever." - Lyle McDonald

13. If you mess up (which you will eventually do) don't beat yourself up for slipping up. Focus on the solution rather than the problem.

14. Thoughts equal things. Focus on what you want ie. Flat stomach, toned thighs etc..rather than what you don't want ie. "I don't want to get fat", "I don't want to eat badly" etc..

15. Always aim for the "Afterburn effect". Afterburn happens when you end a workout but an hour later you are still sweating from the workout. This is your metabolism on FIRE. This is done through different forms of circuit training, tabata training, etc. just like we do at boot camp and personal training.

Is your metabolism roaring like this after a workout?

16. Buy clothing that is a size or two down from what you normally wear. Make it your goal to fit into that piece of clothing in two months.

17. Fitness classes (Step classes, fake weight classes, tae-bo, Zumba classes, etc...) are fun but ineffective at helping you burn fat and achieve the body you want to achieve. Do them for the fun of it, not for the body sculpting changes.

18. Classes that focus on stretching are good for developing an injury resistant body but horrible for fat loss. An average stretching/yoga type class burns 130 calories. Sweeping your floor burns 130 calories.

19. Doing exercise with a friend is the best way to stick to a workout program.

Maybe without the costumes though :)

20. If you do exercise with a friend, make sure they are AS SERIOUS AS YOU ARE in terms of achieving your goals.

21. PLEEEEAAASSSEEE don't do long boring cardio. Do burst training instead, i.e. hill sprints :). See http://tyronpiteau.blogspot.com/2011/08/quick-workout-to-blast-your-abs-and.html

22. Adopt a long term mindset when trying to achieve a goal. Nothing happens overnight. We live in an instant gratification society where we want things done FAST. Tip: Consistency is key. Not a flash in the pan type of approach.

23. Stop rationalizing. We rationalize and lie to ourselves to soften the blow. We gotta be radically honest with ourselves and push for the solution.

24. Stay outside of your comfort zone as much as you can. Doing uncomfortable things will result in more confidence, more growth as a human being and more skills.

25. To lose fat, you MUST create a caloric deficit and the easiest way I have learned to do this is through your diet, not just exercise. The combo of the two is the most effective, but you won't be able to see significant change in your body just exercising, research studies have shown otherwise.

Don't just do this...

but this too!

Bonus: Intensity EQUALS results.

Leave it all on the floor.

Just focus on your goals, persevere and you'll get to where you need to be in no time.

Your friend,
Tyron Piteau

PS. Click the link below to download the special report on Prograde's natural testosterone booster, Prograde K20. Ladies may be the men in your life need to know about it so download it for them. ==> http://ProgradeNutritionals.com/Discover-the-Secret-of-How-to-Knock-20-Years-Off-Your-Body.html

PPS. Click here to learn more about the benefits of Krill Oil and on the checkout page enter the code: EFA13 for your 13% discounts.

Thanks to Dustin Maher of Fit Moms For Life in Madison, WI for sharing the 25 slim down tips. Dustin runs a bootcamp in Madison. I edited and provided my own two cents worth from what Dustin shared.

North Vancouver Bootcamp Reveals One Thing That Sabotages Fat Loss

2011-09-08T16:21:00.006-07:00

I had a conversation last night with a client about alcohol and it reminded me about a blog post I sent two years ago about that topic and its affects on weight loss and fat gain so I thought I'd post it again as it's a good reminder to all of us.

Look, no one wants to be Debbie Downer, but someone has to say something already.

Society as a whole is in the worst shape of their lives, many suffering from a very dangerous condition called Metabolic Syndrome X.

One of the main indicators of someone who has metabolic disorder is abdominal obesity, as clearly demonstrated in the picture above. The dangerous part is that many of the people we love have this same condition!

Please read below for an excellent description of Metabolic Syndrome from www.MedicineNet.com:

What is metabolic syndrome?

An association between certain metabolic disorders and cardiovascular disease has been known since the 1940s. In the 1980s this association became more clearly defined and the term metabolic syndrome (also known as syndrome X or the dysmetabolic syndrome) was coined to designate a cluster of metabolic risk factors that come together in a single individual. In more current times, the term metabolic syndrome is found throughout medical literature and in the lay press as well. There are slight differences in the criteria of diagnosis - depending on which authority is quoted. Regardless, the concept of a clustering of risks factors leading to cardiovascular disease is well accepted.

The main features of metabolic syndrome include insulin resistance, hypertension (high blood pressure), cholesterol abnormalities, and an increased risk for clotting. Patients are most often overweight or obese.

Insulin resistance refers to the diminished ability of cells to respond to the action of insulin in promoting the transport of the sugar glucose, from blood into muscles and other tissues. Because of the central role that insulin resistance plays in the metabolic syndrome, a separate article is devoted to insulin resistance.

How is metabolic syndrome defined?

The definition of metabolic syndrome depends on which group of experts is doing the defining. Based on the guidelines from the 2001 National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III), any three of the following traits in the same individual meet the criteria for the metabolic syndrome:

1. Abdominal obesity: a waist circumference over 102 cm (40 in) in men and over 88 cm (35 inches) in women.

2. Serum triglycerides 150 mg/dl or above.

3. HDL cholesterol 40mg/dl or lower in men and 50mg/dl or lower in women.

4. Blood pressure of 130/85 or more.

5. Fasting blood glucose of 110 mg/dl or above. (Some groups say 100mg/dl)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has slightly different criteria for the metabolic syndrome:

1. High insulin levels, an elevated fasting blood glucose or an elevated post meal glucose alone with at least 2 of the following criteria:

2. Abdominal obesity as defined by a waist to hip ratio of greater than 0.9, a body mass index of at least 30 kg/m2 or a waist measurement over 37 inches.

3. Cholesterol panel showing a triglyceride level of at least 150 mg/dl or an HDL cholesterol lower than 35 mg/dl.

4. Blood pressure of 140/90 or above (or on treatment for high blood pressure).

And though Metabolic Syndrome affects more women than men, there is certainly no shortage of men 40 years and older who have that “deadly beer gut” that literally makes them a ticking time bomb for a slew of serious medical conditions.

But there is good news amongst this frightening reality: The most common cause of metabolic disorder is of course a vicious combination of a lack of exercise and poor diet.

A major key to help save our lives as well as our waistlines: Lay off the Brewskis

It’s no wonder why our dads have more of a keg for a stomach than a six-pack. See below for one of the best ways of explaining how detrimental alcohol can be on your body composition:

How Alcohol Makes You Fat

-Alcohol first passes through the esophagus as it travels to your stomach.

-From there, 20% of the alcohol is absorbed immediately by your bloodstream.

-The remaining alcohol travels to your intestines and is absorbed from there.

-The alcohol in your bloodstream then travels directly to your liver. It is here that the body breaks the alcohol down, something that is absolutely essential since alcohol is toxic to the body.

-Alcohol brakes down into acetate and acetaldehyde which IMMEDIATELY signals to your body to stop burning fat. I repeat: signals to your body to stop burning fat. Yikes for all of us wanting to be lean and lose body fat. Even worse, another waste product of alcohol, acetyl CoA, actually starts to make more body fat.

If you booze, you WON’T lose! Fat that is.

What Does this Mean?

-Your body can only effectively process 0.5 to 1 ounce of alcohol per hour.

-How much damage? A 12-ounce beer contains about 0.6 ounces of alcohol. If
you consumed 5 of these, your body would be inhibited from fat burning for up to
6 hours. This is aside from the fact that your body will actually be storing fat
during these 6 hours! The more you drink, the longer your body is inhibited from
burning fat in addition to a greater fat build up from excess acetyl CoA. As you
can see, one day of binge drinking can set you back days if not a full week when
it comes to fat loss!

-What’s the worst-case scenario? Mixing alcohol with sugary beverages
promotes even further fat gain due to the resulting insulin surge that triggers fat
storage (e.g. regular beer or cocktails mixed with regular soda and/or fruit juice)

The Bottom Line

If you want to be lean, you must minimize ALCOHOL consumption!

If you must drink:

a.) Choose wine or hard liquor and “light” beer
b.) Limit alcohol consumption to 1-2 days per week with a 1-2 drink per day max

References:

Campbell and Volek, “TNT Diet: Targeted Nutrition Tactics”

PS. If you live in North or West Vancouver, BC and want to experience the boot camp in North Vancouver that GUARANTEES you'll lose at least a clothing size in 30 days or your money back AND will help you get fast results like this girl in the video below who lost 20 pounds, 6.5 inches off her waist and 4 inches off her hips, then click the link below:

===>North Vancouver Boot Camp

===>Here's the video:

North Vancouver Boot Camp Reveals 4 Signs You're Not Training Hard Enough

2011-08-30T19:30:00.002-07:00

A colleague of mine by the name of BJ Gaddour, co-creator of WorkoutMuse.com, shared an interesting article with me that he wrote about training intensity that I wanted to share with you.

Before I get into the 4 signs, let's first define what Metabolic Training is...

Metabolic Training is the ultimate fusion of anaerobic strength and aerobic cardio exercise and adds a new twist to the classic bodybuilding routines of the past.

A metabolic workout is essentially a total body interval workout using short, max effort anaerobic work periods (typically 15-60 seconds in length) performed in an alternating set format (such as supersets, circuits, complexes, Tabatas, etc.) with short, incomplete rest periods between exercises (typically 10-30 seconds in length).

The high training intensity builds strength and muscle, jacks up anaerobic metabolism, and creates a large post-workout afterburn for up to 48 hours after completing your workout.

The high training density, or work completed per unit of time, causes a great deal of direct calorie burning during the workout to best stimulate fat loss.

Finally, the negative work-to-rest ratios (e.g. 30 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest) inherent to the vast majority of metabolic workouts create a cumulative fatigue that also stimulates aerobic metabolism and thus provides incredible cardiovascular benefits.

That being said, metabolic training is not for the weak of mind or heart and it's all about working as hard as you possibly can at your current fitness level. Outlined below is a general criteria to follow to ensure you do just that:

Four Signs You're NOT Working Hard Enough

1.) Lack of Muscular Burn: Anaerobic exercise with short, incomplete rest periods creates a great deal of lactic acid accumulation causing intense muscular fatigue and burning. Simply put, if your muscles aren't burning, you're not working hard enough. However, this does not mean that you need train to muscular failure on every set. However, for the optimal training effect you should come close to but stop just before technical failure, the point at which going any further would comprise proper exercise form and technique.

Don't do this!

2.) Lack of Personal Confrontation: Studies show that training intensity, not volume, determines the degree of metabolic boost from a given workout. That being said, if you don't have at least a couple moments during your workout when you feel like you want to quit and go home, you're not working hard enough. Progressive overload remains the hallmark of any solid fitness routine and if you are not pushing past your comfort zone your body will stop adapting to ANY routine.

Do you feel like this?

3.) No Sounds of Exertion: If you're not grunting, groaning, huffing, or puffing you're simply not working hard enough. Your heart rate should be up the whole workout with your lungs working overtime. In other words, these total body workouts create a systemic effect that activates your body's fight or flight response to help you go the distance. I'm not saying you have to scream like a rabid animal, but I am saying that I wouldn't be surprised if you did...just try to keep it to a dull roar ;)

4.) Not Sweating: A good metabolic workout will have you glistening during the first couple minutes of the workout and your shirt should be soaked halfway in. If you're not dripping in a pool of your own sweat at the end of each workout, you simply did not use use heavy enough loads or advanced enough exercise variations to create a metabolic disturbance. Either that or you were resting too long between sets. In general, you should never take more than 60 seconds of rest between sets with metabolic training and 10-30 seconds seems to be the sweet spot.

A good workout :)

Four Signs You're Working Too Hard

1.) Diminished Training Intensity: In general, if you need to reduce your training loads from set to set, then you're probably working too hard. Your goal is to be able to use the sames loads at the end of the workout that you used in the beginning without excessively resting before increasing the loads in the subsequent workout. The only exception here is if the workout actually calls for you to reduce your loads throughout the training session. In addition, it's better to go into a given work period with a general rep range to work within. For example, if you were using 30-second work periods, a typical rep range within that time frame is 8-12 reps if you're moving at the typical 3-4 second per rep tempo. If you're getting more than 15 reps, the loads are too light. If you're getting less than 6 reps, the loads are too heavy.

Maybe the loads too heavy?

2.) Excessive Resting: If you are being forced to rest/pause a couple times during a work period, or you're resting longer than your rest periods allow for, you're probably working too hard. If you choose the appropriate exercise intensity, you should be able to train with minimal if any stopping during the work periods within your workout. As the workout progresses, a brief 3-5 second pause here and there to reset and reload is fine, but if you're taking any longer than that and stopping constantly, then you need to reduce your loads or regress the exercise appropriately.

3.) Excessive Breathing: A good workout will have you breathing hard as your body's demand for oxygen increases, but you should never be completely out of breath or gasping for air. If you start wheezing or coughing, that's a clear sign to stop exercising immediately. If symptoms persist, it could be related to exercise-induced asthma or another serious condition and you should seek immediate medical attention. It's important to note that larger individuals with more muscle mass will have greater overall oxygen demands and will thus be more prone to being out of breath than their smaller, less muscled counterparts.

4.) Dizziness or Blurred Vision: If you get dizzy or have vision trouble during any portion of exercise, then you're probably working too hard. Either that or you could be experiencing a migraine or vertigo or have symptoms of low blood pressure, dehydration, or lack of nutrition. If this condition persists, you must immediately discontinue your fitness program and seek medical attention.


Maybe I'm working out too hard

Your friend,
Tyron

PS. Important: Noon boot camp WILL still be meeting at Andre Piolat School this Friday September 2 and not moving to Flicka until Monday September 5. I reconfirmed with them today that we'll be starting there Friday but they forgot that their competitive teams are still training this week so we won't be moving there until Monday. Sorry for the confusion.

PPS. Quick note re: perfumes and fragrances at boot camp. Since some people react and are sensative to certain scents and fragrances, please refrain from wearing them when coming to class. Don't worry if you already have it on from work, just don't spray it on before coming. Thanks.

If you live in North or West Vancouver, BC and want to experience the boot camp in North Vancouver that GUARANTEES you'll lose at least a clothing size in 30 days or your money back AND will help you get fast results like this girl in the video below who lost 20 pounds, 6.5 inches off her waist and 4 inches off her hips, then click the link below:

===>North Vancouver Boot Camp

===>Here's the video:

North Vancouver Boot Camp Declares War On Fat!

2011-08-20T22:17:00.001-07:00

I was talking with a client the other day and that phrase came up, "Declare war on fat" and I truly believe that that's what we need to do if we want to see serious results with our own bodies and generally stop the obesity epidemic that hurting our society.

I watched an interesting video on sugar and fructose by Dr. Robert Lustig, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology. He explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fibre (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin. I've provided the video below and I recommend watching it. It's really long so watch it in parts if you can't watch it all at once. The seminar's called "Sugar: The Bitter Truth"

I've summarize a few points below.

The Good
First off, he makes a valid point that the public health movement against dietary fat that started in the early 1980′s was a grandiose failure. The climb in obesity to epidemic proportions over the last 30 years is plenty of evidence for this. It was also accurate of him to cite the significant increase in overall caloric consumption over this same time period. Furthermore, he shows an interesting progression of Coca-Cola’s 6.5 oz bottle in 1915 to the 20 oz bottle of the modern day [3].

Lustig acknowledges the First Law of Thermodynamics as it applies to changes in bodyweight. He attacks the vague expression that “a calorie is a calorie” by pointing out that different nutrients impart different physiological effects and have different roles within the body. His concluding recommendations included kicking out liquid calories except milk, which is generally a good strategy for children. I am however not a huge fan of milk due to the amount of processing done to it [3].

The Not-So-Good
While Lustig correctly points out that the nation’s overall caloric consumption has increased, he proceeds to blame carbohydrates as being the primary constituent. The thing is, he uses data spanning from 1989-1995 on children aged 2-17. Survey data is far from the gold standard of evidence, but if you’re gonna cite it, you might as well go with something more recent that includes adults [3].

Here’s the latest from the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), which tracked the percent of total daily calories of the range of food groups from 1970-2007. The actual spreadsheet of the following figures can be downloaded here, click on the “Percents” tab at the bottom (note that these figures are updated regularly by the ERS, so the version you download may be different from what’s reported here) [1]:

Meats, eggs, and nut kcals decreased 4%.
Dairy kcals decreased 3%.
Percentage of fruit kcals stayed the same.
Percentage of vegetable kcals stayed the same.
Flour and cereal product kcals increased 3%.
Added fat kcals are up 7%,
Added sugars kcals decreased 1%
Total energy intake in 1970 averaged 2172 kcal. By 2007 this hiked up to 2775 kcal, a 603 kcal increase.

Taking a hard look at the data above, it appears that the rise in obesity is due in large part to an increase in caloric intake in general, rather than an increase in added sugars in particular. So is too sugar a problem? Absolutely but I think the primarily cause is increased calorie intake and decreased amount of physical activity - people are generally more sedentary [3].

King and colleagues recently compared the physical activity data in the National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1988-1994 with the NHANES data from 2001-2006, and found a 10% decrease [2]. That figure seems conservative to me. It’s safe to say that all 603 extra daily calories have been landing on the hips, thighs and backsides of the general public [3].

Is fructose (or sugar) really the poison it’s painted to be? The answer is not an absolute yes or no; the evilness of fructose depends completely on dosage and context. Lustig fails to specify the dosage and context of his claims [3].

Ultimately, I believe it comes down to what I mentioned above: too many calories and too little exercise. Now it's true that eating too much sugar (and high fructose corn syrup as it's in a ton of processed food) are a serious issue that needs to be dealt with but solely putting the blame on fructose as the main culprit, I think is a stretch.

On a Side Note
The Canadian National Exhibition is running right now in Toronto and you won't believe what food items are being offered.

Making headlines this year are two amazing (although, ‘amazing’ is a subjective term) new food items – the Krispy Kreme donut burger and deep fried cola.

You ask - are people actually trying this stuff? And, is it even possible to deep-fry a beverage?

The answer - yes, and yes.

I wondering if the PNE here in Vancouver will offer the same. I hope not. Check out the video below to see the Krispy Kreme donut burger and deep fried cola. You'll be shocked.

Dr. Robert Lustig's seminar called Sugar: The Bitter Truth

PS. Quick note re: perfumes and fragrances at boot camp. Since some people react and are sensative to certain scents and fragrances, please refrain from wearing them when coming to class. Don't worry if you already have it on from work, just don't spray it on before coming. Thanks.

PPS. If you live in North or West Vancouver, BC and want to experience the boot camp in North Vancouver that GUARANTEES you'll lose at least a clothing size in 30 days or your money back AND will help you get fast results like this girl in the video below who lost 20 pounds, 6.5 inches off her waist and 4 inches off her hips, then click the link below:

===>North Vancouver Boot Camp

===>Here's the video:

References

Economic Research Service, USDA. Loss-Adjusted Food Availability Data. Updated Feb 27, 2009. [ERS/USDA]
King DE, et al. Adherence to healthy lifestyle habits in US adults, 1988-2006. Am J Med. 2009 Ju; 122(6):528-34. [Medline]
Aragon, A., http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/. Jan 29, 2010.

North Vancouver Boot Camp Shows a Quick Workout to Blast Your Abs and Boost Your Metabolism - Part 2

2011-08-09T17:41:00.013-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I shared about one of the simplest workouts you can do to work your whole body, get your abs tight and strong, boost your metabolism, and get your cardio in and that is hill sprints.

One of the reasons why its so effective is that you don’t need any equipment to do it, its short, and you don’t have to travel too far as most people have a hill near their home.

As mentioned in that previous post, after most of my own workouts I head outside and perform these hill sprints. They are so effective at boosting your metabolism and working your core that you will most definitely fill your abs for a day or two afterwards.

Normally what I do is about 7-10 sprints each for 10 seconds and then resting and walking back down for 50 seconds.

Here’s what you do. Find a hill with a fairly good incline (nothing less than you see in the video below) and sprint up it as fast as you can for 10 seconds and then make your way back down by walking and rest for 50 seconds and repeat until you have completed 5-20 total sprints. Perform this 3 times per week in between your boot camp, personal training or your training sessions.

Depending on how long the hill is you can either sprint to the very top and then walk your way down for the rest or do as I do as mentioned above and sprint for 10 seconds (use a stop watch) and walk down/rest for 50 seconds. This will be one of the most taxing 20 minutes of your life, ha ha! I know you liked hearing that :) Check out the video below to see one of our North Vancouver boot camp classess in action.

As you can see from the video everyone's going at their own pace. So if you aren't ready for sprints or think your body can't handle it right now then go up the hill at a pace that works for you where it’s a challenge but not too hard that you hurt yourself. Each person in the video is going at their own pace so don’t think you have to sprint at a certain speed, that’s not the case at all.

So maybe in your case it’ll be either a fast walk or light jog to start out with and then as you get stronger and your body adapts and gets more used to it, progressively make it a little harder. There's no need to hurt yourself as you can get good results by making it a fast walk/jog if that is where you are at. But remember not to stay there as you’re results and progress will slow in time due to the body adapting to it.

I enjoy hills because running up them is much easier on the joints as you don't need to decelerate as much as on flat or downhill surface. It's really an amazing total body workout and if you do it with the right intensity and really pump your arms, you're abs will be sore for a day or two afterwards as mentioned above.

As mentioned in the previous post, you can take it to the next level by grabbing a partner and a pair of resistance bands and do some resisted uphill running, switching roles every round (check out these bands at http://resistancebandtraining.com .)

No excuses now ;) Go give this workout a shot on a day in between your workouts and once you do, let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. Also, if you have any questions don't hesitate to let me know below.

Your friend,
Tyron

PS. If you live in North or West Vancouver, BC and want to experience the boot camp in North Vancouver that GUARANTEES you'll lose at least a clothing size in 30 days or your money back AND will help you get fast results like this girl in the video below who lost 20 pounds, 6.5 inches off her waist and 4 inches off her hips, then click the link below:

===>North Vancouver Boot Camp

===>Here's the video:

To Lose Fat and Get a Lean, Sculpted Physique: Do This!

2011-08-04T17:23:00.003-07:00

There is a lot of misinformation out there regarding training, particularly for females. I just read an awesome article about females and strength training by JC Deen of JCDFitness.com and I wanted to share it with you below.

What you'll see in the magazines, on TV, and on fitness products, are not necessarily in line with what it takes to get great results – especially when it comes to the female physique.

There are a few problems that I hope to shed some light on today with this article.

Resistance/Strength training should be a must in any female’s fitness routine who wishes to alter her body composition for the better. If the goal is to maintain a lean(er), “toned’ physique, some type of resistance training is a MUST. We’ll discuss what is best and what is not later on.
Most traditional forms of media are either rehashing old, outdated information OR are pushing your emotional triggers to BUY, instead of making a rational decision. In these cases, making the sale is of far greater importance than what the product can actually do for you.

Females and Strength Training

Maybe I’m making a bold statement here, but one of the biggest misconceptions, to this day, are how women shouldn’t be lifting heavy weights. It’s not uncommon to see females in the gym lifting tiny dumbbells and doing lots of cardio.

Why is this? It’s simple – they’ve all been told that lifting heavy weights is reserved for the boys and if they do as we do, they’ll look like us.

So, if they don’t want to look like us, they should clearly do the opposite, right?

Wrong.

While heavy weights, combined with a hearty diet is often the recipe for males to pack on size and muscle mass, it’s not a similar situation for females. And the reason is because of our hormonal profiles.

A concern I’ve come across in casual conversation with women about training is this fear of getting big and bulky. In case you’re unfamiliar with how the male and female bodies differ hormonally, the primary difference is the levels of testosterone between the sexes.

Men are naturally leaner, stronger and can carry more muscle mass than their counterparts. The reason why is due to the levels of testosterone within their system.

A female produces a tiny fraction of the testosterone that a male does. Since testosterone is the main determinant of the ability to grow in size and strength, it only makes sense that someone with much lower levels (women) will never achieve the same size as someone with much more of it (men).

The only way this is remotely possible is through exogenous use of testosterone and other anabolic compounds (steroids, shhh! I am assuming none of you will use so you have no worries.)

Of course, there are outliers – the occasional female who has slightly more testosterone than the average woman, but they’re few and far between. These are usually girls who are typically drawn more so to athletics and training, and thus have more muscular bodies as a result.

But even then, I don’t find those bodies to be unattractive or even “bulky” as one might describe a male’s body.

I've trained various females on strength training routines, some of them actually lift more than many men, and none of them possess a physique anywhere near the resemblance of a “bulky” man. So for all the females reading today, have no fear – I can assure you with all certainty that you’ll never, ever look like a male as a result of training for strength with heavy weights.

Despite the evidence pointing against a female’s ability to get big and bulky, false information is always being spread.

Problem is, it’s this type of misinformation that forever keeps ladies from their physique goals. It’s this exact thinking that will keep women on the treadmills and lifting the silly, pink dumbbells forever with no results to show for it.

So who’s to blame? I blame trainers and fitness folk who don’t stay up to date with current information, but I mostly blame the world of fitness marketing. Why? Just check some of these images below.

Great Marketing. Mediocre Results.

So what do you notice about each image? There is a fit female, with an attractive physique, and they’re all using weights you could lift before you could speak.

Now ladies, do you really think those baby weights will produce the stimulus responsible for the firm, hard body you long for? If you’re answer is no, then you’re clearly “in-the-know.”

From here, I think we can agree there’s obviously a disconnect between what actually works, and what is being promoted.

As you will notice in one of the images, Jillian Michaels is holding a few small dumbbells. What we have here is the celebrity factor. Jillian is known around the world as a super trainer. She’s trained stars. She’s been on the TV show, The Biggest Loser. So in most people’s eyes, for having such stardom, she must know her stuff, right?

Well maybe, maybe not. I’m not here to judge her on what she’s doing or how she’s getting results with others as I'm sure she knows her stuff and gets awesome results, but I bet she doesn’t have her clients using baby weights. And I imagine she is likely not using these weights in her own training, either.

The problem here is not affecting the informed fitness pro or even the avid fitness enthusiast. It’s hurting the ladies who simply want to lose some weight, improve their appearance and get fit again.

They’ll continue doing pump sets with 5lb dumbbells and will never achieve the figure they want – they’ll never get close to Jillian’s physique because that shape requires resistance training of some sort, period.

And Then We Have Plain Bad Advice

You often here the phrase ‘long and lean’ muscles as opposed to ‘bulky’ when describing the look a female often aspires to. And here’s the problem. We cannot physically change the length of our muscles too much.

Sure, some stretching will make you more limber and restricting movement for long periods will cause muscles to shorten, but never to the point of making a drastic visual difference.

So the idea of creating ‘long and lean’ muscles is just bad terminology BUT it sounds great to women because that is, after all, what most want – that hard, lean physique.

Traditional Media and Marketing

As you will see on this cover, there are plenty of headlines that will get many women to buy. I mean, who doesn’t want a “toned tummy, arms and thighs in 20 minutes”? Who doesn’t want to “kiss cellulite goodbye?”

What I love about traditional media in the women’s fitness genre is the stellar formula. Great headlines + a picture of a lady in a bikini + great ad copy = $$$$.

While we don’t have a ton of research on metabolism, nutrient requirements for athletes, etc, we have enough to help us draw some conclusions and most importantly, get positive results.

In fact, in an article titled How To Get Jennifer Aniston’s Bikini Bod (published 2/8/2010), under the diet section, it reads:

To replicate a lean body — especially in your 40s — you’d have to eat an “extremely clean diet” that is high in protein and consists of many small meals to keep the metabolism going, Di Palma says.

And this is where I wish we could get some recent research to explain how skipping breakfast (or any other meal) is not as detrimental as we once thought. There's a ton of research showing this is not the case (if you want some just let me know). The research shows no negative effects on metabolism from fasting. It's clearly stated in research that resting energy expenditure (metabolism) can even increase with short-term fasting.

So What Now?

This is what I hope to leave you with. Marketing plays a huge role in your decisions on a daily basis. Most of the models gracing the covers of women’s fitness publications are doing much more than the occasional 20-minute workout to achieve the physique they have.

You may be thinking, “What if I'm just a beginner? Are the 5 pound dumbbells okay to get started with?”

Yes. It’s okay if you’re beginning weight training to start with the lightest weight available. You just don’t want to continue with these weights forever. If you do, you’ll never make the adaptations responsible for producing a lean, sculpted physique.

So while the light dumbbells are fine for a short period, the goal is progressive overload (lifting more weight) over time. If you aren’t getting stronger over the long-term, you are spinning your wheels, and whistling Dixie as my mom likes to say.

I know ladies who are busting their tails in the gym 4-5 days per week to achieve the same look you see on the covers. I have written programs for them so I know exactly what they’re training entails. If I haven’t worked with them, I know who their trainers are and what they have them doing.

There is no secret – the physiques gracing the covers are a product of progressive strength training routines, not 10 minutes of 5lb dumbbell curls followed by an hour of the elliptical. Some of these girls are very strong and will never be as bulky as a male.

So the next time you pick up that magazine or get ready to buy a product with a pretty figure promoting it, step back and ask yourself – “Is this really what I need or am I giving into awesome copywriting and a dashing physique?”

If you want to ask any questions, don't hesitate to, contact me anytime.

Your friend,

Tyron

PS. If you live in North or West Vancouver, BC and want to experience one of the best boot camps in North Vancouver that also GUARANTEES you'll lose at least a clothing size in 30 days or your money back AND will help you get fast results like Patty in the video below who lost 22.5 pounds and 21.5 total inches, then click the link below:

===>North Vancouver Boot Camp

===>Here's the video:

A Quick Workout to Blast Your Abs and Boost Your Metabolism

2011-07-12T14:49:00.005-07:00

One of the simpliest workouts you can do to work your whole body, get your abs tight and strong, boost your metabolism, and get your cardio done in between either your boot camp or personal training sessions is hill sprints.

Doesn't necessarily need to be this steep but it sure burns!

After most of my own workouts, I head outside and perform hill sprints. They are so effective at boosting your metabolism and working your core that you will most definitely fill your abs for a day or two afterwards.

Normally what I do is about 7-10 sprints each for 10 seconds and then resting and walking back down for 50 seconds.

What you can do is find a hill and sprint up it as fast as you can and then walk backwards down the hill and repeat until you get 5-20 total sprints. Depending on how long the hill is you can either sprint to the very top and then walking your way down for the rest or do as I do and sprint for 10 seconds (use a stop watch) and walk down/rest for 50 seconds. This will be one of the most taxing 20 minutes of your life, ha ha!

If you are not ready for sprints or think your body can't handle it right now then go up the hill at your own pace either a fast walk or light jog and then as you get stronger and your body adapts and gets more used to it, progressively make it a little harder. There's no need to hurt yourself as you can get good results with making it a fast walk/jog if that is where you are at.

I enjoy hills because running up them is much easier on the joints as you don't need to decelerate as much as flat or downhill running. It's really an incredible whole body workout and if you do it with the right intensity and really pump your arms, you're abs will be sore for a couple days afterwards as mentioned above.

Plus, walking backwards is a great way to actively recovery, mobilize your ankles, and stretch your calves and hamstrings.

If you want to take it to the next level, grab a partner and a pair of resistance bands and do some resisted uphill running, switching roles every round (shout out to the band man and RBT.com).

Give that workout a shot and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Your friend,
Tyron

PS. Don't forget to download Michelle's Oatmeal Cookie Recipe. You and your family will be happy you did :) If you have too many of them, use the workout above :)

PPS. My friends Tina and Darren from High Maintenance Salon are offering all my clients 15% off any hair service, this includes hair cuts, colours, highlights, lowlights & deep conditioners (cannot be combined with any other coupon or promotion). The salon is located at 3069 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver. To find out more info visit http://www.highmaintenancesalon.ca or call 604.904.9598.

PPPS. If you live in North or West Vancouver, BC and want to experience one of the best boot camps in North Vancouver that also GUARANTEES you'll lose at least a clothing size in 30 days or your money back AND will help you get fast results like the lady in the video below who lost 22.5 pounds and 21.5 total inches, then click the link below:

===>North Vancouver Boot Camp

===>Here's the video:

How to Get a Strong Abs Without Hurting Yourself

2011-06-30T15:19:00.002-07:00

Core development is essential to any sport, activity or movement for that matter. When the deep core muscles that support the spine are weak, your nervous system puts the brakes on your explosive potential as a protective mechanism. Not only that, but insufficient core stability strength will set you up for injury and limit your mobility.

Years ago, I felt that compound exercises such as the deadlift, squat, pull-up, and standing military press were sufficient to strengthen the core to the level it needed to be but my position on core training has changed substantially since then.

With the new core training techniques outlined here, you'll boost explosive power (for those in sport), strength and help flatten your midsection, reduce the chance of a back injury, and most surprisingly, you'll improve mobility.

To Flex or Not Flex

The first issue that needs to be addressed is spinal flexion. Research by Dr. McGill (an expert in the spine and core development) shows that repeated spinal flexion is detrimental to the intervertebral discs. (1) The strategy of rolling out of bed and then bending over to touch the toes with a rounded spine to stretch your back is enough to make McGill have a coronary.

For McGill, the ability to maintain lumbar lordosis (an inward curvature of the low back) while lifting and moving reigns king. When you're working out and your trainer tells you to keep an arch in your low back while pulling a deadlift, squat, etc. he's telling you to maintain lordosis.

McGill has tested many NFL players who have blown-out discs, and as long as they maintain lordosis on the field, they can continue to play. That's how important lordosis is.

A Punch in the Gut

Let's switch gears for a minute.

Imagine you're standing in line at the movies and your friend pulls his arm back and throws a punch toward your gut (hopefully you don't have friends like this).

What happens as you see the punch coming toward your midsection? The nervous system induces a reflex response to pull your ribcage down and in. This allows your abdominals to quickly induce high levels of tension.

Yep, your nervous system is forcing you to lose lordosis in order to develop maximum tension in your abdominals to protect your organs from the vicious blow. This is a necessary protective mechanism, and you should never argue with your nervous system...or your mother but that's for another blog post ;)

Therefore, even though the good doc has shown us that spinal flexion can be detrimental, I believe that some flexing of the spine is ok when training the core (i.e. Knees to Chin, Stabilty Ball Crunch, etc. that we do in our boot camp and personal training programs) however we want to focus primarily on stabilization exercises as we do and as are shown below. But how much spinal flexion is acceptable?

The Test

Try this simple exercise. First, sit up tall in your chair with your chest as high as possible. Feel the bottom of your ribcage push forward as you lift your chest.

Now, place your fingertips on your lower ribs. From here, pull your ribcage down and in until it stops. Make a note of how little your spine flexed when you did that. This is the limit of spinal flexion you should ever train. Any further flexion is detrimental to your spine and discs.

So the good news is that it only takes minimal spinal flexion to develop maximum abdominal tension.

Dying Bug with Wall Push

A core exercise you may want to try is the Dying Bug with Wall Push from Dr. Liebenson. It's very similar to one we use called Leg Raises.

The "dying bug with a wall push" is an excellent way to teach someone to develop maximum abdominal tension without imposing unnecessary risk to the discs. Maybe you've seen a regular dying-bug exercise, but the addition of the wall push activates the lats, which are essential for core strength.

Perform two sets of 10 reps with each leg (20 reps total).

Leg Curl with Single-Leg Balance

Next up is the leg curl with a single-leg balance performed with a Swiss ball.

This exercise is terrific for building stability strength in the core and hips while activating the hamstrings. It's easy to think that the core is just a collection of muscles around your midsection. In reality, the core functions in a complex manner with the muscles above and below it.

With the dying bug exercise you activated the lats with the core. With this exercise you'll activate the outer hip muscles, glutes, and hamstrings since they help provide stability to the core.

Perform two sets of 10 reps.

Note: The entire sequence from the leg curl through the single-leg balance with each leg is one rep. Be sure to hold the single-leg balance for 4-5 seconds with each side.

The Link Between Core Stability and Mobility

A colleague of mine, Chad Waterbury down in California, tested this hypothesis on a world-champion point karate fighter who had a problematic low back and hamstrings that were tighter than guitar strings. He'd spent years stretching and getting massage and chiropractic adjustments to correct his back and hamstrings problem. Nothing worked.

First, Chad had him perform a standing toe touch test. He could barely reach past his knees. Then he had him perform just one set of the dying bug with wall push and one set of the leg curl with single-leg balance.

Chad retested his standing toe touch and he increased his range of motion by five inches! Keep in mind, this was after just one set of those two exercises. There was no additional stretching involved.

This same benefit can happen with those who have a notoriously tight rectus femoris or tensor fascia latae (TFL). If you have been impaired with overly-stiff hamstrings or quads, work on strengthening the deep core muscles. You'll be surprised how quickly they'll release once you activate the core.

Try it for yourself. Do a standing toe touch test. Then perform one set of the previous two core exercises and retest your toe touch attempt. Expect 4-5 additional inches.

Even better, this type of core training results in a permanent increase in mobility after just a few weeks of daily training. Stretching is rarely the answer to lower body stiffness. It's just a temporary Band-Aid. Usually there's a lack of stability strength at the spinal level that's causing the nervous system to lock up the muscles as a protective mechanism.

Now, let's move on to the last two exercises to complete the core training.

Stir the Pot

Start in a plank position with your elbows resting on a Swiss ball. Make circles with your elbows to activate the lats while the core has to stabilize your position. If you've never performed this exercise before, you'll be shocked by how deep you feel the muscles firing within your core.

Start with small circles for the first workout. Then focus on increasing the range of motion, or size of the circle, as you become accustomed to the exercise.

The goal with this exercise, or any core exercise, is to make it as difficult as possible. The lats and core are so closely linked that you can't really separate the two. But for the purpose of this discussion I'm mentioning them separately.

Perform two sets of 10 reps (five reps in each direction). Go slow at first.

Pallof Press

The Pallof Press is a terrific exercise to train the core muscles that resist rotation.

Perform two sets of each 10 reps per side or a 20-second hold per side.

The Program

Do the following circuit every other day.

The circuit looks like this:
Exercise                                       Sets       Reps
1A    Dying bug with wall push         2            10*
1B    Leg curl with single-leg balance        2            10
1C    Stir the pot                                              2    10**
1D    Pallof press hold                                    2             ***

Rest 30 seconds between exercises
* each leg
** 5 in each direction
*** 20 seconds each side

If you don't need this much core training and want to focus on increasing your lower body mobility, do the dying bug with a wall push and the leg curl with a single-leg balance every day until a normal range of motion has been restored.

Beyond Compound Exercises

Compound free-weight exercises do provide a strong stimulus for core development. However, if you're someone who needs to improve your strength and mobility, you need a more targeted approach.

Give this program a try for one month and you'll look and perform better than ever! (2)

Reference

1. McGill, S. Low Back Disorders. Human Kinetics, 2002.

2. Article thanks to Chad Waterbury, a neurophysiologist who specializes in body transformation and performance development. He trains everyone from elite athletes to weekend warriors. His knowledge of how the nervous system regulates power and muscle development is what sets him apart from the crowd. To find out more, check his website www.chadwaterbury.com.

Want to Lose Fat? Start Building Lean Muscle

2011-06-21T18:12:00.010-07:00

It's really that simple (at least when it comes to the exercise aspect).

Your metabolism (how many calories you burn) depends highly on how much lean muscle tissue you have, i.e. the more you have, the higher your metabolism and the more calories you burn everyday even while sitting on the couch...I know you liked that ;)

Nutrition of course plays a huge part in losing fat but from the exercise standpoint, building muscle is paramount.

In our exercise programs we focus primarily on helping clients do just that and when combined with one of our nutrition programs, fat loss is the result.

What you want to focus on in your exercise program is using weights that challenge you for each particular exercise. For example when doing an exercise such as Dumbbell Split Squats (as my clients have grown to really enjoy, right? :) and are doing them for 30 seconds each leg, you want to select a weight that challenges you where near the end of the 30 seconds you are fatiguing and aren't able to perform the exercise at the speed or intensity as at the beginning of the 30 seconds.

Dumbbell Split Squat...a favourite in our program :)

Three things to watch for: speed of movement, form, and range of motion. When either one of these deteriorate, i.e. speed slows down, form breaks down or the range of motion lessens then the set should stop. Now if you selected a weight that is too light you probably won't notice any of this happening as you will be able to perform the exercise the same way throughout the 30 seconds.

Everyone is different. For one individual bodyweight on that exercise (not holding any dumbbells) might be hard enough and be the challenge they need to build muscle where as someone else might need to hold a 40 lbs dumbbell in each hand to get that same challenge. Don't worry about what the weight is, if you can lift more, use more. [Side note: If you are a female and are worrying about getting big and bulky, don't be. Its actually quite hard for females to get like that since you have 10 times less testosterone than a male does and if you are on a sound nutrition program that's creating a calorie deficit this will negate this from happening as well.]

So essentially exercising this way is the key to boosting your metabolism and losing fat consistently. For if you do things the same way week after week your body will adapt to it and will NOT continue to change, i.e. you won't build more muscle and thus you won't burn as many calories during the workout nor as many afterwards (and this is where most fat loss takes place - after the workout) and therefore you won't continue to change the way you look and feel.

So apply this to your workouts and see a radical change in how those skinny jeans finally fit :)

I hope this tip helps.

Tyron

PS. My friends Tina and Darren from High Maintenance Salon are offering all my clients 15% off any hair service, this includes hair cuts, colours, highlights, lowlights & deep conditioners (cannot be combined with any other coupon or promotion). The salon is located at 3069 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver. To find out more info visit http://www.highmaintenancesalon.ca or call 604.904.9598.

PPS. If you live in North or West Vancouver, BC and want to experience one of the best boot camps in North Vancouver that also GUARANTEES you'll lose at least a clothing size in 30 days or your money back AND will help you get fast results like the lady in the video below who lost 22.5 pounds and 21.5 total inches, then click the link below:

===>North Vancouver Boot Camp

===>Here's the video:

Want to strengthen your core, loosen your hamstrings and get rid of back pain? If so, try this!

2011-05-10T15:15:00.003-07:00

One of my clients Patty just asked me yesterday about a good way to loosen up her hamstrings and I just learned a neat trick from one of my colleague Chad Waterbury, a neurophysiologist who specializes in body transformation and performance development, on how to do that. Give this a try (you too Patty :)

This can lead to...

This!

Core training is what fitness is all about these days. Ten years ago, “core training” was basically crunch variations along with an assortment of leg raises. Then Dr. Stuart McGill came along and changed the game. Thanks to his terrific research, Dr. McGill taught us that the ability to brace the core, and maintain that position for time, improves back health and performance. When I say “brace,” I’m referring to that core tension you instinctively create when someone is about to punch you in the stomach. (I hope that never have to do that for real, but if you do you'll be ready :) You don’t need to bend your spine around like a twig to get the most bang for your core training buck.

McGill’s research also shows how detrimental spinal flexion can be. Each time you do a normal crunch, your spine flexes. It’s the repeated flexion of the spine that can lead to all sorts of nasty problems such as disc herniation. And when you bend over to pick up a weight while your spine is rounded the story gets even worse. In order to protect your discs and nerves from undue stress it’s essential to learn how to properly brace your core.

Now, teaching someone to brace their core isn’t as easy as it sounds. Sure, we can all tense our abs, but most of us can’t maintain that tension while moving our body, especially when an external load is added to the mix. A simple way to train someone to maintain core tension is with the plank (my clients know all about this exercise and look forward to it everytime we do it, right? :). Most people should be able to hold the regular plank for 90 seconds. This core endurance is essential to keeping your back healthy and strong.

However, we’ve been inundated with pics, articles, and videos about the plank, so doing that exercise probably doesn’t sound new or exciting to you. That’s why I want to show you two of my favorite core exercises once people are ready to move past the regular plank.

The first exercise is called “Stir the pot,” and I learned it from Dr. McGill. It’s an outstanding exercise to build core stability strength. Here’s how you do it.

First, rest your elbows on a large swiss ball with your body in the plank position – body straight from neck to ankles and core braced tight. Second, make circles with your forearms/elbows so the ball rolls around without moving your body. This exercise is tougher than it looks when you do it right. You’ll feel muscles working all the way down to your spine. As you get accustomed to the exercise focus on making larger circles. The goal of this exercise, or any core exercise, is to make it as difficult as possible.

The second exercise, the “leg curl with single leg balance,” I learned from Dr. Craig Liebenson, owner of LA Sports and Spine and a terrific doctor who specializes in everything related to the spine.

To perform this exercise, lie on your back with your legs straight and heels resting on a Swiss ball. Then, lift your hips as high as possible and perform one leg curl. Next, brace your core/hips super tight and lift the right leg in the air and hold it for 4-5 seconds. Do the same with the left leg. From start to finish it’s one rep. Perform 5 reps.

Not only does this exercise improve core stability strength and performance, but it also induces a surprising side-effect that I hadn’t measured before: it loosens your hamstrings.

Try it for yourself. First, perform a standing toe touch and make a note of how far your fingertips reach. Then, perform five reps of the leg curl w/single leg balance and test it again. It’s common to increase your range of motion 3-4 inches. Pretty impressive considering you didn’t do any stretching.

How does the leg curl exercise increase hamstring mobility? Before I answer that, let me explain why your muscles get stiff in the first place.

You see, when a muscle is stiff most trainers will stretch it. Immediately, the muscle will increase its range of motion. But here’s the important part that I’m sure you’ve experienced: the added range of motion from static stretching doesn’t hold. A few hours later, or the next day, the muscle is stiff again. One key principle is that a lack of mobility (stiffness) is rarely solved by stretching or foam rolling. The majority of the time, the problem is at the spinal level.

More advanced methods involve doing deep tissue work such as the Active Release Technique (ART) to restore range of motion. This hands-on style of improving mobility and tissue health can be effective. But again, the added range of motion doesn’t hold for long.

The problem with typical stretching or soft tissue techniques is that they don’t address the root of the problem as mentioned above. I’d say that 99% of the time the problem is actually in the spine. In order for a muscle to be flexible, the nervous system must get the memo that it’s safe to increase the range of motion. In other words, if you have super stiff hamstrings it’s likely the deep muscles that support and surround your spine aren’t firing correctly, or they’re just plain weak. So the nervous system puts the brakes on your hamstrings mobility.

The leg curl with single leg balance activates deep core and hip muscles that provide a strong foundation of support for your muscles to work against. This immediate neural enhancement (potentiation) allows the nervous system to release the brake that’s currently holding your hamstrings tighter than guitar strings.

And when you perform the “stir the pot” exercise right before the leg curl exercise it works even better. So, test your hamstring mobility by attempting to touch your toes, then perform one set of each exercise I posted above. Retest your hamstring mobility and prepare to be impressed. Continue doing these two exercises for one week and the increased range of motion will hold. No stretching, no foam rolling, just core activation that will loosen your hamstrings.

Get ready for a more effective approach to mobility training. It all starts at the spine.

Your friend,

Tyron

Chad Waterbury is a neurophysiologist who specializes in body transformation and performance development. He trains everyone from elite athletes to weekend warriors. His knowledge of how the nervous system regulates power and muscle development is what sets him apart from the crowd. To find out more, check his website www.chadwaterbury.com.

PS. If you live in North Vancouver, BC and want to experience some of the best personal training in North Vancouver that GUARANTEES you'll lose at least a clothing size in 30 days or your money back, then click the link below:

===>North Vancouver Personal Training

Or if you live in North or West Vancouver, BC and want more of a group setting at a cheaper price than 1-on-1 personal training but still want to experience one of the best boot camp in North Vancouver that also GUARANTEES you'll lose at least a clothing size in 30 days or your money back AND will help you get fast results like the lady in the video below who lost 22.5 pounds and 21.5 total inches, then click the link below:

===>North Vancouver Boot Camp

===>Here's the video:

When Buying Protein Powder; Look For This

2011-03-29T22:04:00.030-07:00

th===> To download the map for Flicka gym parking, please visit this link: http://MakersBody.com/Flicka.html

---

Without further ado here's today's blog post...I hope you enjoy :)

Whey is the watery part of milk left over once the curd is separated in the process of making cheese.

Separation of whey from curds

As a fluid product, whey accounts for 80-90% of the total amount of milk and contains important nutritional components, most notably protein, but also vitamins, minerals, lipids and some lactose. When it’s separated from the curd in connection with cheese production, it contains small cheese “fines” which are strained out in a whey strainer.

The whey is then spun in a centrifuge to remove even more cheese fines and some of the fat. To clean it up even further and make it even more concentrated in protein, it must be filtered with a very fine sieve known as an ultra-filter.

An industrial ultra- and micro-filter machine

During ultra-filtration, substances with a low molecular weight pass throw the membrane in the filter and a concentrate is obtained. On one side you have a permeate that is free of protein and is used to make lactose (often used in food and pharmaceutical industries), and the other is all protein (your beloved whey protein mostly free of lactose).

Now, in order to make whey into a valuable end product that we all can enjoy, it must be carefully micro-filtered to remove any harmful bacteria. The whey will pass through a special micro-filter whereupon bacteria and spores are separated. A micro-filter with a very, very small pore size of 0.7 microns or less is used which can remove virtually all bacteria and spores. This process also separates any denatured (altered/cooked) whey proteins from undenatured proteins such that the result is a high quality whey protein rich in alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin (two special proteins found in whey that have immunological benefits) and low in fat. Undenatured whey proteins obtained in this manner also have better solubility, which means it dissolves easily in any fluid added to it.

With Prograde Protein, this micro-filtration is also done at a low temperature to prevent any damage to the protein (denaturation) and/or oxidation to any of the fat contained within. The final product is one you can enjoy that’s safe, tasty, easily mixable and healthy for everyone in your family.

CONSUMER ALERT: Not All Protein Powders Are Created With Safe Ingredients. Do Not Consume Any Whey Protein Until You Read This Completely

===>http://progradenutritionals.com/protein-powder.html

PS. To download the map for Flicka gym parking, please visit this link:

http://MakersBody.com/Flicka.html

PPS. If you live in North Vancouver, BC and want to experience some of the best personal training in North Vancouver that GUARANTEES you'll lose at least a clothing size in 30 days or your money back, then click the link below:

===>North Vancouver Personal Training

===>North Vancouver Boot Camp

===>Here's the video:

4 Wild Substances That Fight Belly Fat

2011-03-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

Most of us don’t just want to lose “weight”. We want to lose body fat. This is what really concerns us, cosmetically speaking, at least.

Body fat, referred to by scientists as adipose tissue, is the stuff that can hide shapely, defined muscles from view, make your bikini fit awkwardly (or not at all), put rolls on your belly, and so on. To lose body fat and prevent it from finding you again, you must burn more of it than you store. When you achieve this scientists say you are in negative fat balance, and it can be a very positive thing. Indeed, if you stay in negative fat balance long enough, then you will unquestionably lose body fat.

The supermarket is a great place to go for things that can increase body fat. But it’s also home to some of nature’s most powerful tools for helping you lose it. In this exclusive report we reveal 4 natural “slimming secrets” that can immediately increase your calorie-burning rate, the first and most critical step toward achieving a negative fat balance and fitting into your swimsuit properly again.

1. Coffee (caffeine)
While the proportions may shift from moment to moment, your body always burns a mixture of three fuels: carbohydrate, fat and protein. Thus, if you increase your overall calorie-burning rate (a.k.a. metabolic rate), it’s pretty much guaranteed that your fat-burning rate will go up, bringing you that much closer to the negative fat balance territory where real slimming occurs.

About 75% of the caffeine consumed in the United States comes from coffee, a product that no supermarket can be considered complete without. Caffeine is recognized worldwide for its ability to enhance alertness and performance. However, it also displays fast-acting calorie-burning properties. For instance, a study involving lean and overweight (obese) subjects reported that a single 100-mg dose of caffeine (equivalent to a little over 1 cup of coffee) was enough to raise their calorie-burning rate by up to 4% for 2.5 hours.

While a 4% increase may not seem like a big deal, it can turn into one. The scientists who conducted the study explain, “…if it is assumed that there is no compensatory increase in food intake, the increase [in calorie-burning rate] after caffeine would represent an energy deficit of 75-110 kcal/day. These changes may be small but over several months could accumulate and lead to substantial changes in body weight.”

But wait. Regular coffee drinkers know all too well that you can become tolerant to its energizing effects over time. Won’t the same thing happen here? Fortunately, evidence suggests that caffeine’s calorie-burning effects persist with repeated exposure. Case in point: The subjects in the above study were all mild to moderate consumers of caffeine, consuming anywhere from 250-500 mg per day, equivalent to ~3-6 cups of coffee. Yet they all enjoyed a calorie-burning boost from the relatively small dose given to them.

2. Hot Pepper (capsaicin)
The waiter places a delicious meal in front of you that includes a spicy curry sauce. You devour it. For the next 30 minutes your calorie-burning rate is cruises at 10% above baseline, equivalent to burning an additional 129 Calories per day, or 27% of the caloric value of the entire meal. Sounds too good to be true? This fictitious scenario became a reality at Kyoto University in Japan when scientists gave young women a 481-Calorie meal consisting of a yellow curry sauce containing 3 mg of capsaicin.

Capsaicin is the compound responsible for the sharp, and for some of us, intolerably painful, sensation produced by eating hot red peppers. It’s also to blame for the beads of sweat that appear on your forehead as you do so. Thus, it may come as no surprise to learn that deep inside the body capsaicin can increase your calorie-burning rate by stimulating a process known as thermogenesis. Thermogenesis essentially involves the release of calories in the form of heat. Once released, they can no longer be stored as body fat. In addition to increasing thermogenesis, capsaicin has been found to improve meal satiety (i.e. how full you feel after eating), thereby reducing your risk of overeating. In animal studies it has been reported to increase calorie-burning rate and reduce body fat.

Of course, the single most powerful way to increase your calorie-burning rate and get into negative fat balance is to exercise. Here, too, capsaicin may boost your slimming efforts. When scientists gave healthy subjects capsaicin an hour before performing low-intensity exercise (stationary cycling), they burned more fat. The increase was impressive enough that the scientists suggested capsaicin be used as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of elevated blood lipid levels and/or obesity.

3. Cinnamon
Cinnamon often serves as a flavorful addition to carbohydrate-rich meals. How great is it, then, to learn that it may help “push” more of those carbohydrates into lean muscle and away from fat cells (adipose tissue)?

Most of the carbohydrate calories you eat are eventually converted into glucose (a.k.a. blood sugar). The hormone insulin helps direct glucose into your body’s cells, including muscle cells. The more sensitive your muscle cells are to insulin, the more efficiently they can scoop up glucose and store it for later use, such as providing your muscles with energy during exercise. All other things held constant, this leaves less glucose available for your fat cells, which might otherwise use it to make body fat.

Of the many plants studied to date, cinnamon has been reported to be among the most powerful in terms of its ability to enhance insulin sensitivity and keep blood glucose levels in check. When added to a carbohydrate-rich meal, it reduces the rise in blood glucose normally experienced afterwards. While the effects on insulin sensitivity may take a couple of weeks to manifest, the improvements in blood glucose control appear virtually immediately.

So cinnamon increases insulin sensitivity and improves blood glucose regulation. Great. However, does this mean it can help you lose body fat more quickly? In fact, this ancient spice might help you do more than that. Dr Richard Anderson (Ph.D.) at the US Department of Agriculture has conducted numerous studies on cinnamon. He says that if cinnamon is consumed long-term, it can enhance lean body mass (this includes muscle) and reduce body fat, something he and his scientific colleagues demonstrated in a study performed in 2006.

4. Green Tea
White, green and black varieties of tea all contain caffeine (anywhere from ~14-61 mg per 6-8 oz serving). But it’s green tea that seems to get the most attention from scientists when it comes to burning fat. And its fat-burning effects are due to more than its caffeine content.

In one frequently cited study, healthy young men were given a green tea extract three times per day. Their 24-hour calorie-burning rate was 3.5% higher than that of subjects taking a placebo. This was equivalent to burning an additional 200 Calories per day -more than enough to eventually produce substantial weight loss and reductions in body fat.

Not only did green tea cause the subjects to burn more calories, but a larger proportion of the calories burned were determined by the scientists to have come from fat. That is, green tea was pushing them closer towards negative fat balance territory, if not pushing them right into it. Based on the scientists’ comments (they used the term “remarkable” to describe green tea’s effects), they seemed to be quite impressed. Indeed, green tea’s thermogenic effects in this study were as powerful as much larger doses of caffeine.

Your friend,

Tyron

New Clinical Trial Reveals Nutrient Which Helped Participants Lose 3X More Weight Than Average. The Average Weight Loss Of People Who Took This Nutrient Was 30 Pounds In Just Three Months. Check it out by clicking the link below.

===> http://progradenutritionals.com/prograde-metabolism.html

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE

Dulloo et al. (1989). Am J Clin Nutr 49:44.

Matsumoto et al. (2000). J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 46(6): 309.

Shin and Moritani (2007). J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 53(2): 124.

Hlebowicz et al. (2007). Am J Clin Nutr 85: 1552.

Solomon and Blannin (2009). Eur J Appl Physiol 105(6): 969.

Ziegenfuss et al. (2006). J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 3:45. Dr. Anderson’s comments were provided during personal communications conducted in March 2010.

Chim et al. (2008). J Anal Toxicol, 32(8): 702.

Dulloo et al. (1999). Am J Clin Nutr 70: 1040.

Antioxidants Like Green Tea May Slow Down Aging

2011-03-24T23:32:00.000-07:00

Green tea and antioxidants are wildly popular right now, and for good reason. The health benefits of green tea seem to keep growing every day. It is a highly researched nutrient at the moment; and, one of the things being researched is how it slows down the aging process.

Green tea has been used for hundreds of years as a medicinal agent and of course as a beverage. A question that is asked quite often is, "Is black tea the same as green tea?" The general answer is "no" and the reason why is that generally black tea is produced by oxidizing young tea leaves, where green tea is produced from steaming the leaves at very high temperatures. This inactivates the oxidizing enzymes which keeps the beneficial polyphenol intact.

Now this doesn’t mean black tea is bad for you, but generally green tea has a higher polyphenol level because of the way it is processed and produced. Now that we have this question out of the way, let’s get to how green tea slows down our aging process.

Some of the benefits of green tea and its antioxidant properties are to improve cardiovascular health, prevent and reduce the risk of various diseases, as well as anti-inflammatory properties.

We, of course, can’t ignore all the research on how green tea and green tea extracts help with boosting your metabolism and weight loss.

A recent study indicates that green tea may protect DNA from damage associated with the aging process. This placebo-controlled study included 18 healthy individuals that were randomly assigned to receive two cups of green tea or water every day for 4 weeks.

The results of the study found a 20% reduction in various levels of DNA damage. DNA damage is our primary cause of accelerated aging and disease, so it is important that we keep our DNA as healthy as possible.

What this study indicates is that regular consumption of green tea or green tea extracts that contain these powerful polyphenols may protect against damage to your DNA and slow down your aging process.

If you don’t like the taste of green tea, you can also consume this powerful nutrient in the form of supplementation which can be found in Prograde Metabolism and Prograde Longevity.

Yes green tea ice cream has benefits too :)
(I know there were some of you that wanted to hear that, you're welcome)

Your friend,

Tyron

New Clinical Trial Reveals Nutrient Which Helped Participants Lose 3X More Weight Than Average. The Average Weight Loss Of People Who Took This Nutrient Was 30 Pounds In Just Three Months

Two Healthy Fat Loss Recipes For You

2011-03-08T21:11:00.001-08:00

When it comes to eating right and knowing what to cook, I understand it can be a struggle. Let the following two healthy fat loss recipes help you make that job just a little bit easier :)

Recipe #1

Asparagus, Grape Tomatoes, Portobello Mushrooms and Sliced Almond with Whole Wheat Rotini
Provided by Michelle Kirk

Ingredients:

    * 1 box (375g or 5 cups) whole wheat uncooked Rotini pasta
    * 2 cups (500 mL) grape tomatoes cut into halves
    * 1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh basil, chopped
    * 6 tablespoons (75 mL) extra virgin olive oil
    * 1 medium onion, diced
    * 2 cups (500 mL/3 large) Portobello mushrooms, chopped
    * 3 to 3 1/2 cups (750-875 mL/1 bunch) asparagus, chopped
    * 1 cup (250 mL) sliced almonds
    * 4 cloves garlic, crushed
    * 1 tablespoon (15 mL) ginger, minced
    * 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) pepper
    * 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) crushed red pepper
    * 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt (optional)
    * Parmesan cheese to sprinkle

Directions:

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil for cooking the pasta.

2. While waiting for the water to boil, halve grape tomatoes and chop
basil. Mix together in a small bowl, adding two tablespoons (25 mL)
of extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.

3. Dice onion and chop mushrooms. Chop asparagus into 1 inch pieces
(2.5 cm). Discard the coarse woody ends of asparagus stalks. Crush
garlic and mince ginger.

4. Add Rotini to boiling water. Follow package directions for
doneness. Most whole wheat Rotini requires about 12 to 13 minutes
of cooking time.

5. While the pasta is cooking, in another saucepan sauté onions in 1/4
cup (50 mL) of extra virgin olive oil for one to two minutes at
medium heat.

6. Add the mushrooms, asparagus, almonds, pepper and crushed red
pepper to the saucepan. Sauté for about six minutes or until the
asparagus is tender yet crisp.

7. Add garlic and ginger to saucepan and sauté for another one to two
minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.

8. When the pasta is cooked, drain the water and add pasta back into
the large pot. Add bowl containing grape tomatoes mixture along
with the sautéed vegetables and almonds. Mix all ingredients
together gently.

9. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6 people

Recipe #2

Egg White "Fried" Rice
Provided by Leigh Peele

A lot of people never thought about adding egg whites to rice, but the
combination is amazing. You can add all types of veggie combos to
this spice palette too. This can work with snap peas, peppers,
edemame, broccoli, etc. Try this, you will not be disappointed.

Recipe Notes And Tips

1. You can use any type of rice you want for this recipe. White and
"sushi" rice create a great sticky and starchy texture that I
enjoy. More wild rices will provide a tougher texture.

2. If you want to kick up the flavor and caloric burn, use fresh
veggies. I personally only use fresh with this meal and it does
make a difference. Of course, I realize not everyone has time for
that. This meal was made in mind for ease and simplicity, but that
doesn't mean it can't be upgraded in sophistication and flavor. You
could easy change it to wild rice, swap the peas for edemame, and
have a completely different meal.

3. I am not carbphobic or think "white" anything is evil. White
rice is generally easier to digest and hinders less nutrient uptake
than brown rice. Glycemic changes are minimal with mixed meals (i.e. protein, fat and carbs). Take home point, choose your rice for taste and how it works with your digestive system best.

4. If you are vegetarian, this is great for getting a lot of
protein and variety in one meal.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white rice
3 tbsp light "butter"
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup carrots (small dice, frozen)
1 cup green peas (frozen)
3 large egg whites
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare rice as directed on package, omitting any salt or
butter. Set aside and keep warm. Works best if rice is a tad on the
soft/sticky side.

2. In a large skillet, heat up 1/2 of the butter with minced garlic
on medium-low. After two minutes, add in carrots. Cover and let
cook/simmer for 5-6 minutes.

3. Remove cover and add the remaining butter, peas, onion powder,
salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes.

4. Add rice and the egg whites. Keep moving and mixing the food
around until all the egg is cooked. Serve warm.

Yields 2 servings

Serving: Calories- 358.54, Protein- 13.99 g, Fat- 9.36 g, Carbs-
54.58 g, Fiber- 7.11 g, Sodium- 1417.18 mg

Entire Recipe: Calories- 717.08, Protein- 27.98 g, Fat- 18.72 g,
Carbs- 109.17 g, Fiber- 14.21 g, Sodium- 2834.37 mg

To get other recipes like these visit http://www.bodybyeats.com/. The Body By Eats cookbook collection is unique and designed specifically to help make your dieting and training life easier. There is literally something for everyone! Best of all, you can get one cookbook or you can get them all. The choice is yours and the recipes speak for themselves.

All Of The Cookbooks Contain The Following:
o-Measurement in grams and cups.
o-Caloric amounts for servings and entire recipe.
o-Macronutrient measurement for Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrates.
o-Clear and easy to follow instructions.
o-Extra focus on whole foods.
o-Beautiful pictures.
o-Recipes that focus on making the best decisions for body composition.
o-Recipes which put protein intake at the forefront of people's minds.

Also every book also has vegetarian and gluten-free options.

The Science of Scale Fluctuations: Why Your Weight Does What It Does

2011-02-12T22:16:00.004-08:00

I got a great article for you today from a colleague of mine, Leigh Peele, who's a fat loss expert and creator of The Fat Loss Troubleshoot, on scale fluctuations and why weight loss plateaus occur.

Note: Our new 6:00 am North Vancouver Boot Camp class has started as of last week at the 2104 Front Street location in North Vancouver. Classes run every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6:00 am to 6:45 am. Our other classes, 11:45 am and 7:15 pm, are also running those days as well. If you want to join us for a free one week trial, please call us at 604.626.2342 or email us at MakersBody@gmail.com to let us know you would like to come.

Back to the article, Leigh wrote about scale fluctuations and why weight goes up and down like it does. If you are one to panic when that happens, this article will help ease that.

So without further adieu here's Leigh...

Hi, it's Leigh Peele here. I hope you are well. I have had the pleasure of training and consulting some of the strongest people in the world. Actors, doctors, coaches, athletes, government leaders, models, etc. These are people who can train for hours at a time. They spent years in school studying to better themselves and some run our lives with the decisions they make.

Put these leaders, these champions on a scale, and if that scale doesn’t say what they want it to, they will weep before your eyes. I have held a 6’2 and 230lb pure muscled man in my arms as he wept. All because of the scale.

The Weight of Measure

There are a few types of scales used to measure weight. The main ones used today are balance, spring, and strain gauge.

Balance scales are used very little by everyday society as a means of measurement. A balance scale works off a lever comparing a known weight placed against the tester. A classic example of this would be Justice Scales.

A widely used method for weight, and was the standard for many years, are spring scales. These scales work on either a stretch or compress system. A stretch system is what you will find at a grocery store when weighing produce. Place an object on the scale and the distance the spring stretches, based upon its set expansion, will determine the weight.

The reverse is what is used in bathroom weight scales with springs. The amount compressed in distance is the determining factor here.

The last method is a strain gauge scale, it measures the strain of an object. A wire or many wires send out a current when weight bends the plate that it is attached to. That amount of stress is calculated and the read out that you get on a digital scale is the collection of those calculations.

There are pros and cons to every weight system. Usually different scales produce different read outs. You will find most quality scales are within a few pounds of one another for the average persons daily weigh needs. No system is without flaws and if needing to make weight for a particular event make sure you test on their scale if possible. The important thing to note is that is the only time your weight should ever matter.

Let me repeat that.

The only time your weight number is important is when you are in a competition that involves weight class. I am going to teach you how to conquer the rest of the time with the art of logic, science, and nutrition.

Essential Body Mass

The human body is made up of various bones, skin, organs, tissue, muscle, fat, water, etc. At a point there is only so much of that weight you can get rid of. For the sake of this article let’s call this Essential Body Mass (EBM). This is a little different than Lean Body Mass (LBM) because you can lose or gain a certain degree of LBM. At the end of the day there is a certain amount of EBM that you must maintain. Sorry, but you can’t make weight by removing your liver or extracting your femur.

If we set aside organs, bones, and body hair it leaves us a few places where we can store fat, muscle, and water as these are you main additions to body weight.

Fat-You have a certain amount of essential fat in the body. This fat is needed for a multitude of reasons and functions in the body. The rest of the fat you store when you eat in an excess of calories for your energy needs. You can store this fat subcutaneously (right underneath the skin) or viscerally (in between organs, mainly abdominal).

Muscle-You have a certain amount of essential muscle in the body. Without it movement would not be possible. The rest of the muscle you have is gained through various living of life or by breaking down and rebuilding that tissue via training. Muscle is more dense than fat. This means that 5 pounds of muscle takes up less space than 5 pounds of fat. It doesn’t weigh more than fat, 5 pounds is 5 pounds.

Riddle: What weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of rocks?

Water- A huge amount of your body is made up of water. Lean muscle tissue and blood contain about 80% water, where as a fat cell contains about 20 to 25% water. Water helps transport nutrients, oxygen, and waste products in and out of cells. It is necessary for all digestive, absorption, and circulatory functions.

Water is needed to regulate the body’s temperature and to provide energy. It also helps moisten skin and regulate hormones, emotions, and maintains normal electrical properties of cells. If your body drops even 2% of its water storage, you start to function worse, feel fatigued, and are more prone to health problems the further it drops. Simply put, no water in the body equals a whole lot of a mess.

Daily Changes

We talked about what you can’t change. Here are the things that can change. On a day in and day out basis, dieting down or not, eating in a surplus or not, these things are going to change and are affected by your activity.

Food Weight

The weight of an item you eat is going to change the weight you are. This may seem like a “duh” but I can name many moments where I had someone weight themselves after they ate, and were heavier, and freaked out.

The food you eat, has weight. The fluid you drink, has weight.

Exercise: Grab a full gallon of water and go stand on the scale with it and then without it. I rest my case.

Water Retention

Retention: To hold on to, to hold back within.

Retention comes in all forms and reasons. From hormonal to glycogen storage, you can retain water in various places on the body, in large amounts, and for extended periods of time. I am going to cover the main causes of retention and how they occur.

1. Edema

There are many causes and sublevels of edema. Edema is classified mainly as swelling from an accumulation of watery fluid in cells, tissues, or serous cavities. This can range from mild to severe and the reasoning behind it varies. Anything from electrolyte imbalances, kidney problems, allergies, injury, and exercise can contribute on mild to severe levels.

If you have sock rings, swollen calves, or a puffy face, technically these are forms of edema on small levels. If you live with this constantly then you are likely dealing with issues of electrolyte balance in the body and need to focus on maintaining a better state of that, as much as you can as it is impossible to control, but possible to manage.

What to do?

Make sure to stay properly hydrated.
Make sure you are getting enough of your sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and zinc.
Make sure you are getting proper rest and time off from training.
Make sure you are focusing on taking care of your joints and muscles.

2. Glycogen Retention

Muscle holds a massive amount of water. A lot of times people accuse diets of being “muscle eaters” but this isn’t usually the case. Usually they are muscle drinkers because one of the first things to go when you begin dieting down is the water stored in your muscles, especially if taking part in an extreme diet or one that is very low in carbs (even if higher in calories).

The reason that carbs are so important is because glycogen storage is pulled mainly from carbohydrate intake. Though a small amount can be taken from protein, it is never on a large enough level to maintain adequate or noticeable glycogen retention. That “plump” look you are going after with your muscles, to have them be filled and defined, is from storage of glycogen in the muscles. However, if you are not lean enough to see this definition pronounced, all you are going to really notice is that you fat looks fuller on the days you eat carbs.

This is a big reason why carbs get the short end of the stick. It isn’t the glycogen’s fault, it’s your fatness. Lose the fat and learn to love what the carbs can do for you.

What to do? Put the carbs to work by pulling them into the muscles by lifting and training the body. Go for “plump” not “bloated.” Keeping a lower body fat level also helps with partitioning in general.

3. Hormonal/Stress

This applies to men or women, but I will say that women are going to be affected more by this on larger levels. Stress and hormonal imbalances or just general readjustments in the cycle system lead towards heavy (I do mean heavy) fluctuation in your water balance.

Stress is included in this as the triggers are very close and affect hormonal behavior. For example, if you are stressed out, crying, and can’t sleep, you are going to look and feel very much the same as you do on your period no? This is not to be confused with the crying and puffiness that actually happens around your period time either. Women are notorious for carrying their emotions on their sleeve and in most cases it’s underneath it as well.

What to do? Don't stress, calm down. There are some hormones and issues you can’t control. For the ones you can, take care of yourself and your body will take care of you.

Weight Loss isn’t Linear

Like I stated before there are so many ways you can change the course of your weigh-ins. Unless you eat the exact same thing every day and do the exact same things, in the same city, and moving at the same pace, you are going to land at a different point from day to day.

If looking for change then you have to watch the overall pattern to understand where you are really falling. That is of course, if you think the scale should matter in the first place. That is a different story though isn’t it?

The problem is that weight loss isn’t linear. Fat loss has shown to be more linear, but weight loss isn’t at all. What this means is that weight loss hardly ever has constant downward progression. There are usually two main determining factors for this.

1-Body Fat Percentage

2-Severity of Deficit

If you provide the same percentage of deficit for a male at 29% body fat and a male at 12% body fat you are going to see a much faster rate of weight loss for the male with larger body fat. Larger bodies store more water along with their fat mass and muscle mass. As you increase in fat and muscle you will also increase at a steady rate with water. This is why we can see someone just increase so fast in the scales as the weight comes on.

You don’t normally gain 6 pounds of fat when you go up 6 pounds on the scale. Depending on your body’s setup you can gain 2 pounds of fat and 4 pounds of water. Therefore the reverse is also true.

With deficit severity if you provided 2 females at 30% body fat with the exact same deficit they will, on average, lose at roughly the same rate. If you put one at a more extreme deficit, at least initially, the one with the large deficit is going to lose more excess water and more linear on the scale, at least in the beginning.

Larger deficits can bring stalls or plateaus at a quicker pace and since re-feeds and breaks are needed to help aid that, you will gain back the water you lost. Still, depending on how severe the diet and the situation, majority of the time a more severe deficit (>800) is going to provide more linear results.

The “Whoosh” Factor

The “whoosh” is when you are watching your weight day in and out and there is little to small changes even with big deficits. One day, out of nowhere, the scale will drop dramatically lower than it had been registering. This is known as a whoosh.

The “whoosh” could be any number of factors and no one knows for sure. One idea, and the one that makes the most sense, is that as fat cells empty, they refill with water. After a certain point and time, under unknown conditions, these cells alleviate the water and the “whoosh” is born.

The exact trigger that brings about this is unknown. Some hypothesize that it is much like water and carb loading. The body had loaded that area with stored fat, the fat leaves but the body isn’t sure yet that these areas don’t need to stay big and open for storage. So to protect itself it fills with water and doesn’t extract until it is sure that all systems are a go.

There has been a lot of correlations with re-feeds and whooshes, there has also been a lot of experiments with trying to time whooshes. I myself have found them to be hit and miss. The best method thus far is in the Water Manual in the section of “Method: Water-Only Manipulation.” It appears thus far using this method is best at triggering the whoosh and that even with the weight regain that is sure to follow after depletion, the overall trend is down.

If you desire to have the manual you get it with the Fat Loss Troubleshoot package.

I will say that in order to see constant steady drops maintaining an adequate intake of minerals is key. With the right vitamins and electrolyte drinks I have found that you run into less stalls, therefore running into less whooshes.

The missing pounds

In this last section I want you to pull together all the information you have to understand how you can lose pounds of fat, but never see them on the scale.

Below I am going to write out 3 different scenarios. I will tell you my conclusion at the end. Suggest what you think the problems are. Feel free to write what you think in the comments section below.

Case# 1 – Bob

Bob is 5’8, 270, and 39% body fat. He has an average daily deficit of 20%. On weekdays he hits lower numbers than on weekends, putting him in a bounce situation with his numbers. In the beginning he saw more linear loss but has been stuck at the same weight for 4 weeks now. What could be a logical reason for Bob weighing the same?

Case#2 – Jane

Jane is 5’4, 131, body fat unknown. Jane teaches an aerobics class every night at her gym. She has been struggling for years to lose her final few pounds of body fat. Over the past 8 week Jane started to a lifting program and is really progressing in her weights. Jane basically eats the same thing everyday so she knows it isn’t her food intake causing the stall. She barely sees any movement on the scale and it has stayed basically the same for 7 weeks now. 7 weeks is way too long, what is wrong here?

Case#3 – Carol

Carol has been dieting for 12 weeks. She is 5’7 and 244 pounds. She has been eating 5-6 meals a day, training 4 times a week, and following a food point systems. She start at week 1 at 240 pounds. She is up 4 pounds. What is wrong?

The answers:

Case#1 – Bob

Bob just isn’t in that large of a deficit. 20% overall can mean little visual scale loss, especially if on the weekends he is eating higher sodium filled foods, which is very common.

Case#2 – Jane

The average woman with effort and newbie gains can gain approximately ½ pound of muscle a week. That rate can be faster in a beginner especially. Also remember with increased training that means increase in glycogen storage. So it would seem that Jane is actually doing very well to be staying the same weight instead of increasing. It is likely or at least very possible that Jane put on a few pounds of muscle and water, and dropped some body fat. We also have to take into account her already lean level which will increase her chance for muscle gains and body fat loss at the same time.

Case#3 – Carol

Carol is likely eating too much. She is also not tracking her food intake diligently. On top of that, the more aggressive the training on obese individuals the worse they are going to retain water. If she is new to training she could have added a little muscle as well. If Carol targeted her intake better and hit a more aggressive deficit she would likely start to see the scale move.

Leave your comments and questions below.