Speed up your metabolism and start burning fat 24/7

When the topic of obesity in America comes up the typical issues are fast food and lack of exercise but a dangerous habit often times fall under the radar: drink soda, and lots of it. In fact according to a recent study by the Beverage Marketing Corporation the average American drinks roughly 45 gallons of soda every year! With all that soda comes high levels of sugar, carbs and chemicals that not only add inches to your waistline but can cause other major health problems, some still not quite known.

The first red flag is the hidden fat that lies on vital organs like your livers and your bones. It is that visceral fat that is not only hidden but at the same time a lot harder to get rid of than visceral fat, the layer we are all too familiar with that sits between the muscles and the skin. A recent Danish study revealed that those who drank primarily regular soda as opposed to milk, water, and diet soda gained a significantly higher amounts of that dangerous fat I mentioned earlier compared to the other three beverages. Think diet soda is any better? Well all those dyes and artificial sweeteners they use to make it taste like the real thing minus the sugar have been linked to blindness, hyperactivity and brain cell damage.

Another big concern is the more sketchy ingredients they add to sodas such as brominated vegetable oil—a toxic flame retardant—to keep the artificial flavoring from separating from the rest of the liquid. Now there is something they fail to mention in those catchy Mountain Dew commercials. No they typically sneak it in there on the back of the can as BVO that can cause bromide poisoning symptoms like skin lesions and memory loss, as well as nerve disorders. (For more scary ingredients found in every day foods and beverages check out this article here)

Despite how scary the top two were what scares me more that anything is not knowing and that is exactly the case with soda. A main ingredient used in all sodas are high-fructose-corn syrup, which not only harms your heart but is synthetic and has only been used in foods since the 1990′s. This means that the long term effects on us is still relatively unknown and more bad news is almost sure to come as more research is done over time. The outlook is especially bleak due to the fact that genetically engineered crops are now being shown to cause damage to your organs and even cause infertility.

Bottom line sodas is bad for you, even diet, and it is only going to be worse as research will show more long term side effects to the human body. One thing we know for sure is that water is your best bet and organic foods are the way to go. You think soda is the only thing with harmful ingredients and chemicals? Even healthy foods like fruits and vegetables are ridden with pesticides. Be careful what you eat and check out this cleansing meal plan for a diet that does not involve all of those nasty chemicals and can flush them out of your system for good.

Check out the original article, in its entirety here

how to build lean muscle

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A quick guide for how to lose stomach fat fast for teenagers

Alright I know that it’s only December and for most of us beach season is a good 5-6 months away. However, the earlier you decide to start getting into shape the easier it will be to get to that goal figure you daydream about. Not to mention winter break is a big time for vacationing and cruises. So it is with all of you in mind I decided to layout the foundations that I followed to get beach ready and shed some unwanted fat put on though the holidays.

First off it is important to note that as the title suggests stomach fat can be a trouble area for a lot of people when it comes to losing weight. It is kind of a double edge sword as it always seems that it is the first place to store fat and is the last place our body takes from. The reason? Well there are several main factors at play here… The first and most uncontrollable factor is genetics. Yes, somewhere down the line of your family tree the genes for storing belly fat and making it a top priority for staying there came along and unfortunately there is nothing you can do about it. Secondly, there are two types of fat that accumulate in your midsection: subcutaneous and visceral. The first is what most people are all too familiar with when trying to lose weight.

Its that layer of fat located between the skin and muscles or in this case the abdomen wall. The visceral fat is the fat that is stored deep in the abdomen and the reason why it can be so difficult to shed is due to the fact that the body uses this fat to protect organs and a vital vein that transports fats to the liver.

Now this fat may be stubborn and hard to get rid of but definitely not impossible to deal with. There are tons of people with flat stomachs and good genetics or not it can still be done just the same. As a lot of people are already aware childhood obesity is at its highest point ever and it is not totally their fault. Fatty fast and processed foods are becoming a bigger part of our diets and with our increasingly sedentary lifestyles it is no wonder more people are looking to get into better shape. Like many of you I was once looking up how to lose stomach fat fast for teenagers and luckily I followed the advice I found to reach some of my own fitness goals. Regardless how much weight you are looking to lose; whether its just a few pounds for vacation or a total body transformation everyone can benefit from following these steps to a healthy lifestyle and start burning fat today.

Diet

The most important part of any lifestyle change whether its weight loss, muscle development or a little bit of both is diet. Unless you are blessed with freak genetics you are not going to get very far with out the proper diet. You need the proper nutrition to build up muscle, lose fat and stay healthy. Sure you can still get stronger and build muscle but it will take you a lot longer to get there and the end result you achieve will not be as impressive. Everyone is different with different fitness goals so I will give out a general plan for a healthy diet, if you want a specific plan tailored to your needs check out this custom diet.

First thing in the Morning: Protein shake (1 scoop)

Morning: 2 whole eggs
2 egg whites
1 cup of oatmeal

Late afternoon snack: 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup chopped pineapple

Lunch: 1 piece of fruit
3 slices lean turkey
1 piece of lettuce
2 slices whole-wheat bread

Preworkout Snack: Protein shake (1 scoop)
1 apple

Postworkout Snack: Protein Shake (1 scoop)
Handful of gummi bears

Dinner: 8oz. boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup brown rice

Here is a basic meal plan for a day and honestly it stays pretty much the same day to day. A few changes you should take note of is the pre and post workout snack. On off days (days you do not workout) skip those, they are made to prime your body for the workout. Also if you are interested in using creatine go ahead and mix that with your protein shake and if the creatine does not come with sugar and carbs then add the fruit and gummi bears. If it does then no need to add those you’ll be getting plenty from the creatine. As for the main courses like the eggs, chicken and turkey sandwich you can easily sub them out for some lean steak, salmon or tuna mixed with a salad. I also love spicy foods and they help boost your metabolism too so if you are a fan of the heat too incorporate some jalapenos or spicy marinades to add flavor. It is really up to you just make sure that you switch it up to keep it from getting too dull. This is something that I used when I was dieting down, but there are tons of other diet plans you can try that have proven to help you lose belly fat like this one here

Exercise

Often times if you are looking to just slim down dieting will suffice but when that belly fat refuses to go away and you want to add some lean mass a good workout will help. For those of you who have read other articles I have posted know I am a firm believer in HIIT for cardio and weight loss. That post can be found here. Interval training is a really good way to boost your metabolism and can get you burning off that belly fat even while you sleep. Try incorporating this workout into your routine to revv up you metabolism!

Start by placing a loaded barbell on the ground. Then squat down with and overhand grip on the bar a bit wider than shoulder width. Make sure to keep you back straight and head up. Drive your body up through your legs, swing your elbows under the weights so it rests on your shoulders. Then press up your arms raising the weight up over your head. Repeat for reps then lower the bar back to the floor. For beginners or those who cannot lift a lot of weight over their head for whatever the reason you can try a front squat with no weight on the bar.

Start by picking up the bar and lowering the bar behiend your neck so it rests on your shoulders. Using a slightly wider than shoulder width grip squat down parallel to the floor and push up through your heels and jump up while raising the bar above your head. Once you have landed secure your balance then repeat for reps. Both exercises will serve as a good workout to help lose that belly fat and more importantly keep your body burning fat 24/7! If you are looking for a complete workout plan to help you build that lean Hollywood star look check out this awesome set of workouts.

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Anyone who has ever spent time in the gym knows adding muscle is tough enough let alone getting that “shredded” look to go along with it. Conventional wisdom and body building magazines everywhere say you should first put on muscle in a “mass” phase, which typically runs a few months, followed by a “cutting” phase where you crank up the cardio and take in fewer calories. The trouble with that is not all the mass you will put on is muscle and not all the weight you shed is fat. No matter what ridiculous claims you hear or how perfect your diet/workouts are the body works that way and there is no way around it. So unless you are blessed with genetics like Adrian Peterson to get that ripped body we all want you are going to have to do cardio and lots of it.

Now again conventional wisdom will tell you that steady state cardio, or a form of cardio at a consistent pace over a period of time, will lead to fat loss. While that may be true it is neither the most efficient or effective way to lose weight. More recent studies show that combining that steady state cardio with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) will not only result in burning more
fat, but will also require shorter cardio sessions and build muscle at the same time!

What is HIIT?

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a form of interval cardio that is so intense and requires so much oxygen that your body will actually end up burning energy trying to recover for the rest of the day. As a result you can be burning fat just by sitting around at home or even sleeping! This effect is often refereed to as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or EPOC and when you are gasping for breath after an interval you are raising your EPOC levels and as a result can have you burning up to nine times more fat that regular steady state cardio. The name High intensity interval training is not just a cool name made up to market this technique it really is intense and so you will have to push yourself. However, with this added intensity the time required goes down and you end up having to spend much less time on cardio.

Benefits of HIIT

As I mentioned earlier doing HIIT burns much more fat for a much longer period of time compared to steady state cardio. The benefits do not stop there though; preforming HIIT will also increase the maximum amount of oxygen you can uptake which will translate into better stamina in everyday activities and backyard football. Probably the biggest benefit to interval training is the muscle preservation that comes from doing intervals. Compared to HIIT steady state cardio can actually take away that hard earned muscle mass you put on. The reasoning for this is that steady state cardio is typically preformed for around 45-60 minutes and during that time the body will acutally try to preserve the fat and become catabolic and break down muscle. A word of caution though; this exercise is INTENSE on your body so doing it 5+ times per week will end up taking a negative toll on your body. I would recommend doing it once every other day with some steady state mixed in to keep you in shape on the resting days for about 4-5 days a week. This is not an exact science and go based on feel. If you are really tired when you first try it (and if you do it right you should be) give it two days in between HIIT days. Just be sure on the days in between that are not off days to do some sort of cardio so you will keep up that stamina.

Incorporating HIIT

Just like anything worth while in life you have to earn it and the same goes for a chiseled physique. It will be difficult and consistency is the key for seeing those results pay off, but staying motivated, especially when it is hard to do. The best way to avoid the monotony and keep things fresh is to mix up the type of cardio you do. I am not talking about HIIT compared to other forms of cardio, rather different forms of HIIT. Keep in mind your body does not know the difference between running around playing football and running on a $4000 treadmill so do exactly that. It does not have to be an exact science here, as long as you are doing some hard cardio with a recovery period you will reap the benefits of HIIT. The best part of all you do not need a gym membership to do this. It can be done at home in a number of different ways depending on your preference. You can mix it up any way you like but some of my personal favorites are jumping rope, dumbell or kettle swings, stair master intervals, and my number one choice: sports. Playing backyard sports is my favorite because it is fun and time goes by fast. I am positive that all of you at one point or another spent some time on a treadmill watching the clock tick down and time seeming to almost stand still. It sucks and trust me I know it just as much as the next guy so if you can, even if it is just once a week try to play some sort of sport you enjoy playing. Get some buddies for a game or play some pick up at your local park or gym. Someone somewhere in your area is playing some type of sport and most are looking for more players…. Check out some examples of a good HIIT workout and specific interval times below.

Machine HIIT Workout

1.For those of you who like the conventional approach and prefer to see exactly how many calories you burn here is a machine approach….

2.Start up with a 5 minute warm up with a low to moderate speed

3.Ramp up the speed to as fast as you can go for a time period of 30 seconds

4.After the 30 second sprint go into a minute “recovery” period where your pace is low but still moving enough to keep your hear going (these times are average, if you are more advanced you can increase your running time or decrease your recovery time. The same goes for beginners; you can go for a shorter run time and more rest but make sure you push yourself or you won’t get the full benefits and will never get better)

5. you wanna shoot for about 10 running sets where you go as hard as you can (again increase or decrease this number depending on the level of fitness you are at)

6. After your last work set go into another 5 minute cool down period. You may be tempted to just jump off and hit the shower but the cool down will ease your muscles and keep the blood flowing to help speed your recovery (not to mention keep burning more calories)

All in all you will be going for about 30 minutes of cardio time. I would not recommend going much longer than that. Remember it is suppose to be an intense workout and if you can go easily past the 30 minute mark you need to ramp up the intensity. If you need to push yourself increase your run time and decrease your recovery time. The really fit can flip it and do a minute plus running and only about 30 seconds of rest.

Dumbell/Kettlebell HIIT

1. Grab a dumbell or kettle bell with the weight of your choice (I do about 35-40 pounds)

2. Facing forward grab the dumbell/kettlebell with both hands and squat down with the weight between your legs.

3. For one minute push up with your legs and raise your arms with the weight as high up as you can before lowering the weight back down to the ground (keep your feet on the ground and your back flat)

4. That is one rep, do as many as you can for one minute then rest for 2 minutes. (like any HIIT workouts you can vary the rest time and the workout time)

5. Do this until you have done a total of 12 minutes of total work time

This workout not only gets your heart pumping but also is a great workout for your legs and arms. This is a little harder but you can easily burn 500+ in just the exercise time not counting all the extra calories and fat burned afterwards. The best part is it can be done at home and with not a whole lot of workout space making it really flexible.

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