4 Weight Loss
 
Turbulence Training
You may be wasting your time doing fat burning exercises in the gym or at home if you are trying to shape your body or get rid of body fat.

Most people are. That is when it comes to exercise for getting rid of belly fat and getting into better shape.

I was in the gym today (nothing new . . . ; ) and I saw all 4 of these exercises being performed by various gym members (again . . . nothing new.)

And they are useless for 99% of the people on the planet.

Here they are . . .

+++++++++++++++

USELESS EXERCISE 1: Walking Dumbbell Lunges

+++++++++++++++

Okay ladies, this one is for you . . . although I see guys do this exercise as well.

This is where you take a pair of dumbbells and kneel with one leg, then the other, and so-on, walking around the gym as you go.

The idea behind this exercise is to work the butt, and to some extent the thighs . . . but it's a joke. It's something invented by trainers who should know better.

If you want to build and tone your butt, exercise one leg at a time. Lunges are a great exercise for this, but save your energy. Do them on a Smith Machine or with a barbell. Work one leg at a time, too. Do not alternate legs. This just wears you out aerobically before it has a chance to get to your glutes.

Here's how I perform lunges:  On a Smith Machine, with pretty heavy weights . . . one leg at a time. I will do 2-3 sets, or do them in my 7 Minute Body-style workout fashion. I will finish one leg (and one butt cheek) before moving to the other leg.

Why? Again, to focus on the muscle more intensely and to avoid turning a leg/butt workout into a cardio session.

Jon Benson covers exactly how to work the butt area for the best results in 7 Minute Body and 7 Minute Muscle, found right here:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 USELESS EXERCISE 2:  The Sit-up

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I'm shocked that people still think sit-ups done the old-fashioned way actually work the abs. Even worse, most people have been fooled into believing this actually helps get rid of belly fat.

Nonsense. Belly fat is burned off when you have a good nutrition plan and through general exercise, not using exercises for the abs. Fat burning exercises are fine, but guess what?

I never train my abs more than 3-5 minutes. Today my ab workout took 3 minutes and 12 seconds to complete. And my abs are sore!

But without the nutrition plan, forget it . . . I'd never SEE my abs at all. I'd just have a nice wall of muscle with a bunch of flab covering it up.

The best nutrition plan for abs is The Every Other Day Diet plan, found here

The best exercises to do for the actual ab muscles are hanging leg raises, done slowly, crunches (if you do them right) . . . and that's really all you need.

+++++++++++++++++++++

USELESS EXERCISE 3:  The Bench Press

+++++++++++++++++++++

I'm going to get a lot of flack from the guys out there who love to bench, but I'm here to tell you that this exercise for body shaping is all but worthless.

Why? Because most people are not built right body-wise to bench press on a flat bench with a barbell. I am not, that's for sure.

Bench presses work if you have short arms, a relatively short torso, and your shoulders are genetically strong.

Protect your shoulders and really work your chest by doing incline dumbbell presses with your palms facing OUT, not in toward your head. This protects the rotator cuff, a part of the shoulder that is often injured using barbell bench presses.

Combine this with a good cable fly or press movement and you're set. Again, you only need about 7-14 minutes of chest work tops to get the job done.

++++++++++++++++++++

USELESS EXERCISE 4:  Most Cardio Exercises

++++++++++++++++++++

Yep . . . saved the best for last.

Here's a fact:  Most cardio (bike, treadmill, glider, whatever) is a waste to time . . . UNLESS you do it at the right time with the right nutrition plan.

The calories you burn from cardio will be easily negated simply by eating a bagel! Hardly effective for getting rid of body fat. Weight training and/or resistance training at home or with your body weight, as covered in 7 Minute Muscle, is your best bet for exercise that burns-off mega-calories and keeps on burning long after the exercise session is over.

Here's how to use traditional cardio wisely:

Do it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach;
Keep your heart rate down to 75% of your max (220 minus your age x .75 will give you this number, at least approximately);
"Burst" for 2-3 minutes in your session up to 85-90% of your max heart rate.
OR, do cardio right after weight or resistance training when your heart rate is already elevated and your blood sugar is lower. Your body burns blood sugar first during exercise.

Cardio for most people only needs to be performed 3-4 times a week for 20 minutes. The only time I break this rule is when I want to get my body fat below 10%. Then I will do more, but only using the rules above.

Hope this saves you a ton of time with your fat burning exercises.


padre

P.S.  You can get both books, The Every Other Day Diet plan and 7 Minute Body, for a big-time discount by going here and watching this presentation:


padre


Picture
Add Comment
 
 
We can thank fitness author Jon Benson for these 3 tricks to Lose Body Fat.  He gave me permission to share this method of thinking outside the box to help with your fat loss.

Cheers,
padre art

+++++++++++++++++

You know what?

I like "weird."

I've always been a bit on the fringe side of the fence if you know what I mean.

A bit of a rebel.

So were guys like Einstein, Mozart, and Picasso. Not that I'm putting myself into their category of genius by any stretch . . . but I love their approach to life.

BE BOLD . . . OR GO HOME.

Makes sense to me. This life it too darn short for anything less than being bold.

That means taking some risks here and there. That means taking action while the others are content to sit on the couch being the same person they were yesterday.

And the day before . . .

And the month before . . .

And the year before.

Do you want to live your years like that? Or do you want to dive into life? Be the greatest "you" possible?

Then be a bit of a rebel.

Here's some "rebel tips" for fat loss I think you'll enjoy . . .

REBEL TIP 1     
Flip The Food Pyramid Upside-down

The USDA's Food Pyramid is an utter joke. It's origins stink up the joint, let me tell you.

First, the grain industry was in a pinch when the Food Pyramid was created. And wouldn't you know it . . . the grain industry increased their "contributions" (read: bribes) to certain politicians to get placement atop the pyramid . . . or in this case at the very bottom. The "foundation" if you will.

Just think about this for a moment:

The USDA wants you to eat (gasp) MORE starch than vegetables? More bread than fruits, lean meats, and hormone-producing fats?

Are they NUTS??

Yes . . . they are nuts. (Which, by the way, are no where near the foundation . . . nuts, that is.)

You'd be better off flipping the sucker upside-down.

That would look like this:

40% of your calories from healthy fats 30% of your calories from protein 30% of your calories from carbs

Roughly, that is.

Sounds . . . rebellious, right?  Well it is.

Too bad I have the science (and the abs) to back it up.

If you want a system laid out for you, then go here:

REBEL TIP 2     
Cardio Is Not Smart-ee-o

At least the way the so-called "experts" want you to do it.

Look: This isn't rocket science. Just walk into any gym . . . take a look at the folks who only do cardio work for 45-60 minutes every day.

Do they look any different from year to year?

Let me save you some time:  NO. They do not.

Cardio (unless you are into endurance sports) is a waste of energy done this way. First, it increases your carbohydrate cravings. For most people that's not a good thing. Why? Because cardio at this pace burns mostly SUGAR, not body fat.

What do you want to burn?

Exactly. Body fat.

Finally, cardio is no where near as efficient as resistance training at dissolving body fat . . . and certainly not even CLOSE to resistance training when it comes to shaping lean muscle and getting the look all these cardio bunnies are after.

Now, I 'do' have a rebel cardio trick . . . and it takes 9-15 minutes 2-3 times a week to perform.

That's it. And you get ALL the benefits heart-wise of long-session cardio.

Combine that with some brisk walking and my overall fitness plan and presto: No more body fat.

Here's what is cool:

I put my new in-home version of this resistance-based workout online for a few days at a major discount . . . but it's only for people who pick up this:

This is completely illustrated with photos too . . . and you do not need anything but resistance bands and perhaps some cheap dumbbells to do this in-home. Or you can use the gym-based workouts (included with videos.)

Train like this just 3-5 days a week and you can kiss long, boring cardio goodbye.

REBEL TIP 3     
Do Not Overwork Your Abs

Here's a mistake I see most people make in the gym: They do endless sets of crunches, leg raises, and (gasp again) sit-ups . . . all geared toward seeing those toned abs they want.

Guess what?

Waste of time.

In fact, it's worse than that . . . it can literally shut down your recovery ability. You'll slow your progress in the gym (or at home) . . . and your fat-burning too.

And you may give up your plan entirely because of it.

Here's the brutal truth:  Ab 'muscles' are easy to build. It only takes about 3 minutes 2-3 times a week . . . that's it.

( Note: I included my "3 Minute Abs" in the fitness book I just told you about . . . it's only for those who get EODD though . . . )

The muscles are not what make your stomach flatter . . . it's the nutrition plan folks.

You're just building muscle underneath layers of body fat . . . not good.

I do very little direct ab training. When I do it's usually 3-5 minutes tops 2 days a week. And my abs are . . . Well . . . good. : )

More about how I rely on resistance training and my special "favorite foods diet plan" to get and stay lean.

So be a rebel.

Thumb your nose at the establishment and step out on your own.

Trust me: You'll be a leader in every sense of the word if you do.


Add Comment