Every Tuesday and Friday morning, I have a small workout group come in for a 6:00 am group training session. I love working out with this group. They are all so eager to learn, always show up on time, and bring a great attitude to every session.
But that’s not what I like most about them. What I like most is their willingness to forget everything they’ve been doing wrong for so many years and their enthusiasm to learn something new. The group is made up of two men and two women. These four individuals have been training together for several years now, doing the same boring one hour workouts, then getting on the same piece of cardio equipment and getting the same lackluster results.
I have been friends with all of them for several years and have occasionally offered up some advice, but I have never been in a geographical position to actually work with them until about four months ago.
It took some persuasion, but after a few weeks of easing them into the idea of higher intensity, shorter duration exercise and actually eating more food in order to lose weight, I got them to at least give it a try.
Here we are 3 ½ months later and they are all seeing great results and loving every minute of it. Our workouts are short (20 – 45 mins per session), intense, and very effective.
Here is a quick taste of what one of our typical workouts looks like:
Push-ups
Body Weight Squats
Body Planks
Side Planks
Perform as many sets as possible in 12 minutes
Then take a two minute break do a bodyweight cardio circuit:
Jump Rope
Power step-ups
Butt kickers
Split Squat jumps
Rest 45 seconds and repeat three times
If your stuck in a weight loss rut, give up what you may have heard or read regarding long endurance cardio training for fat loss. Try something new and consistently change things up. Try performing workouts like this two or three times per week along with some cardio intervals and supportive eating habits and you will be on your way to a leaner you in no time at all.
Burn it Up,
Marc Nespolihttp://www.fitnessforlifenetwork.com/
Friday, February 27, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Working through a Plateau
My friend Mike called me yesterday to talk about his consistent struggles with weight loss and the recent plateau he has hit. Mike is 32 years old, was a great athlete in high school and college and was always in fantastic shape. However since his days on the Gridiron have come to an end he has struggled to stay in shape and has gained weight. He has become a yo-yo dieter and a “seasonal” workout kind of guy - consistently inconsistent is what I would call him. He usually starts working out in January, drops a few pounds, hits a plateau, gets discouraged and quits around May. Then he gains all the weight he lost back, plus a few extra pounds.
This year Mike was determined to try something new. He started working out every day taking only Sundays off way back in November. He has also made better choices with his food consumption, smaller portion sizes, and fewer “cheats”. I give him credit, he’s been working his tail off and he’s dropped about 20lbs to go along with a few notches in the belt loop. However, Mike has not seen any changes over the last four weeks and he hasn’t done anything differently. Why has he hit this plateau?
The problem is that Mike has fallen prey to two obstacles that so many others have also succumbed to:
Obstacle #1: The myth that is cardio training in your “Fat Burning Zone”; the common belief is that you must train within this zone in order to burn more calories for fat loss. Look, almost any kind of exercise is beneficial for your health, but if you’re looking to lose body fat, training within your “Fat Burning Zone” isn’t going to get you very fast or very good results. Fat loss is all about total caloric expenditure during exercise and perhaps more importantly, at rest. It doesn’t matter what kind of calories you are burning; fat loss is predicated on total calories burned. Craig Ballantyne is the founder of a cutting edge fat loss program called Turbulence Training. He hits the nail on the head with his explanation of why training in the fat burning zone is a bust. You can find his explanation here http://www.fitnessforlifenetwork.com/heartrate.html.
Obstacle #2: Falling into the repetitive trap of performing the same boring workout routine over and over again… Our bodies are similar to that of a chameleon; they will adapt to a repetitive stimulus over time. In this case the repetitive stimulus is low intensity cardio training in the “Fat Burning Zone”. Change up your workout routine and add some strength training exercises to your plan. When I am working with my clients, I take four factors into consideration when updating a routine for both cardio and strength. They are as follows: Frequency – how many days per week we are exercising; Intensity – the speed, tempo, or resistance of the exercise; Type – the activity you are performing; and Time – the duration of the exercise. This is commonly known as the F.I.T.T. Principle.
If you are going to take anything away from this post today, take this. Exercise should be fun and challenging. Working at a low intensity over and over again in your “Fat Burning Zone” is neither fun nor challenging. Change things up and have fun doing it.
Burn it Up!
Marc Nespoli
http://www.fitnessforlifenetwork.com/
This year Mike was determined to try something new. He started working out every day taking only Sundays off way back in November. He has also made better choices with his food consumption, smaller portion sizes, and fewer “cheats”. I give him credit, he’s been working his tail off and he’s dropped about 20lbs to go along with a few notches in the belt loop. However, Mike has not seen any changes over the last four weeks and he hasn’t done anything differently. Why has he hit this plateau?
The problem is that Mike has fallen prey to two obstacles that so many others have also succumbed to:
Obstacle #1: The myth that is cardio training in your “Fat Burning Zone”; the common belief is that you must train within this zone in order to burn more calories for fat loss. Look, almost any kind of exercise is beneficial for your health, but if you’re looking to lose body fat, training within your “Fat Burning Zone” isn’t going to get you very fast or very good results. Fat loss is all about total caloric expenditure during exercise and perhaps more importantly, at rest. It doesn’t matter what kind of calories you are burning; fat loss is predicated on total calories burned. Craig Ballantyne is the founder of a cutting edge fat loss program called Turbulence Training. He hits the nail on the head with his explanation of why training in the fat burning zone is a bust. You can find his explanation here http://www.fitnessforlifenetwork.com/heartrate.html.
Obstacle #2: Falling into the repetitive trap of performing the same boring workout routine over and over again… Our bodies are similar to that of a chameleon; they will adapt to a repetitive stimulus over time. In this case the repetitive stimulus is low intensity cardio training in the “Fat Burning Zone”. Change up your workout routine and add some strength training exercises to your plan. When I am working with my clients, I take four factors into consideration when updating a routine for both cardio and strength. They are as follows: Frequency – how many days per week we are exercising; Intensity – the speed, tempo, or resistance of the exercise; Type – the activity you are performing; and Time – the duration of the exercise. This is commonly known as the F.I.T.T. Principle.
If you are going to take anything away from this post today, take this. Exercise should be fun and challenging. Working at a low intensity over and over again in your “Fat Burning Zone” is neither fun nor challenging. Change things up and have fun doing it.
Burn it Up!
Marc Nespoli
http://www.fitnessforlifenetwork.com/
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Burning Fat and Blowing up the Myths!
I love exercise and the responsibility that comes with educating others on it. I got into the fitness industry in the hopes of helping others learn what I love. That is why I get FIRED UP when I see things on television or in a magazine promoting something that not only doesn’t work, but is straight up harmful for you. These people are pimps, self promoters that don’t give a damn about you or your results. They want your dollar and take advantage of your emotional trigger points to get it. In today’s economy, we can’t afford to waste money on gadgets that don’t work.
There are tons of these people out there; giving you misleading, agenda driven, and flat out lies regarding fad diets and exercise. With an overabundance of infomercials and products telling you the opposite of what you heard there or read here, who do you believe? Who do you turn too? Who do you trust?
The truth is, exercise is a science. There is a right and a wrong way to approach and to do it. I want to help you with that science, help you understand what works for YOUR body. No gimmicks, no lies, just results.
This is why I created the Fitness for Life Network and this blog; it's a way to reach out to as many people as possible and re-educate them on the basics of healthy living. Follow me for tips on the newest trends in exercise, tips on fat loss, the hottest workouts for burning body fat, nutritional tips, and links to some of the best Health and Fitness minds in the game.
Please come with me on this educational journey and in the process allow me to help create a new and leaner you.
Burn it Up!
Marc Nespoli
http://www.fitnessforlifenetwork.com/
There are tons of these people out there; giving you misleading, agenda driven, and flat out lies regarding fad diets and exercise. With an overabundance of infomercials and products telling you the opposite of what you heard there or read here, who do you believe? Who do you turn too? Who do you trust?
The truth is, exercise is a science. There is a right and a wrong way to approach and to do it. I want to help you with that science, help you understand what works for YOUR body. No gimmicks, no lies, just results.
This is why I created the Fitness for Life Network and this blog; it's a way to reach out to as many people as possible and re-educate them on the basics of healthy living. Follow me for tips on the newest trends in exercise, tips on fat loss, the hottest workouts for burning body fat, nutritional tips, and links to some of the best Health and Fitness minds in the game.
Please come with me on this educational journey and in the process allow me to help create a new and leaner you.
Burn it Up!
Marc Nespoli
http://www.fitnessforlifenetwork.com/
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