All it takes is a good 6 weeks of dedicated effort to see a body you can be proud of staring at you back in the mirror

And you are not alone either…I gotta get my body right because I’ll be spending a lot of time at the beach this season. Just joined Not So Pro beach volleyball leagues…so that means shirt off beach volleyball action…I better be prepared or I’ll be one embarrassed boy.

Changing your body can be as hard or as easy as you want it to be.  The only thing I know is…if I was able to do it, then you can DEFINITELY do it.

There is a conspiracy going on in the fitness industry. I’m serious. Gyms, personal trainers and fitness instructors don’t want you to know about this because if you did…they wouldn’t have jobs anymore.

I even read a “fitness expert’s” blog telling his readers to do this same ineffective form of exercise to sell a couple of his products…not cool.

They would rather let you be blinded from the truth, let you stay fat (and get fatter) and keep doing it until they take all your money or you end up losing hope…or both.

I gotta let you know the truth even though a ton of people will end up getting pissed off at me.

I hate the fact that you are being lied to over and over and over again.  You gotta know the truth.

So what is this secret that’s being held back from you?

Here is the secret….

Hold your breath….

This is probably going to get a lot of people pissed off at me but oh well…

Aerobics and Cardio absolutely suck at helping you burn fat. And if you do more aerobics and cardio…it could lead you to becoming fatter.

Lemme explain further…doing Aerobics and Cardo to burn fat is like using a shot glass to empty the ocean. It simply doesn’t work.

When I first started working out I thought the only way to burn fat was to do more cardio. I hated cardio but I did it because I was so desperate to lose fat.

I would ask personal trainers and my friends on tips on how to lose fat. Do more cardio was the only thing the personal trainers were telling me. That’s what my friends were telling me. So I did it. And nothing happened.

I was extremely frustrated. How could I be working so hard and still not seeing results? So I had to research it out further and when I found out the truth it couldn’t be more different than what everyone else was telling me.

But first, what is aerobic exercise? Any steady state locomotion elevating the heart rate into the zone for twenty minutes or more. The zone is determined by formulas based on age and resting heart rate.

This includes: Running long distances (doing cardio for 20 minutes or more at a steady pace), step classes, dance classes, any class that has you following an instructor while he/she exercises, endless running on the treadmill, exercise tapes with the women wearing spandex (guys too)…and yes that includes Zumba…ugh

Don’t believe me?  Here is some research that proves my point:

• In a 3 month study, women exercised at 78% of their max heart rate for 45 minutes, 5 days a week and lost no more weight than those who dieted alone

Utter AC, Nieman DC, Shannonhouse EM, Butterworth DE, Nieman CN, Influence of diet and/or exercise on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in obese women. Int J Sport Nutr. 1998 Sep;8(3):213-22.

• In a 12 month study, subjects did aerobic exercise for 60 minutes a day, 6 days a week, and only lost an average of 3.5 pounds for the whole year!

McTiernan et al. Exercise Effect on Weight and Body Fat in Men and Women. Obesity 2007 June – 15:1496-1512.

Just think back to the last time (or times) you have taken a fitness class or did long distance running….did you even see results. Truth is you probably thought you worked hard, did it for a couple of weeks and then your body plateaued or you got bored with the program. This is the main reason why fitness classes can’t even guarantee results.

This is also the reason why you can have fitness instructors who are clinically obese training 2 classes a day, working out with their subjects and….not seeing a change in their bodies at all.

I worked at a big gym chain that rhymes with “Hood Life” for 2 years and saw this one fitness instructor teach 2 classes a day, she was not only overweight and obese…she was fat and bigger than most of her class members. She did this for 2 years….2 years! And I still didn’t see a change in her body.

You would think that doing all that “cardio” would make her leaner and help her lose weight?

The biggest reasons why cardio and aerobics don’t work is because:

- Cardio and aerobics focuses on the calories burned in the workout but does nothing to burn calories outside of the workout in terms of elevating your metabolism. To burn calories outside of the workout you need to do something “metabolically disturbing” in the form of different types of interval training and/or circuit training.

-  Aerobics and cardio burn muscle…which is the foundation for your metabolism…which is the foundation for you to burn more calories…especially while you sleep.

- Your body adapts to the exercises and the programs you do after every 4 weeks. This is why you may see results initially but plateau after because your body becomes too efficient at doing the exercise program.

So the only way to burn more calories using that cardio or aerobics is to do it longer, faster and to eat less.  In the real world this is not possible.  That is unless you want to give up your current lifestyle, eat celery all day and do hours of cardio 6 days a week.

I mean that’s cool and all…if you want to end up looking like this guy ——>

So why are fitness trainers, fitness instructors and gyms still recommending it??

I could think of a number of reasons but I won’t get into that.

I also researched further into this “Aerobic and Cardio” myth and found out 10 other reasons why it is actually bad for you and your body.

10 reasons why you shouldn’t do Aerobics or Cardio

10 Reasons you shouldn’t do Aerobics and Cardio…I might get all scientifical on you here…no worries…I’ll explain.

1. Your metabolism slows down to a crawl – Aerobics causes you to lose muscle and the lost muscle means your metabolism slows down…this means that you end up burning less fat throughout the day and retaining all the calories you take in through food.

2. Elevated cortisol (stress hormone) production – Which causes a breakdown of muscle tissue (slower metabolism) and increases fat storage or deposit fat. People do aerobics to alleviate stress yet end up creating more stress.

3.Lowered testosterone and HGH levels – For men, aerobics kills the hormone that…well makes them men. Low T-levels are associated with lowered libido, depression, anxiety, increased body fat and decreased muscle tissue. This contributes to muscle-wasting and lowers the basal metabolic rate.

This means men get fatter doing it because they lose muscle and lower the hormones that allow them to burn fat.

4. Increased appetite and a tendency toward binge eating patterns – Aerobic exercise makes people hungry! They burn 400 calories in a workout then consume the 400 in the meal afterwards because cardio makes them hungrier.

5. Oxidative Stress – Which causes a breakdown of tissues. It also predisposes one to cancer and heart attack. You actually make yourself more susceptible to two of the biggest killer diseases in the world. Not cool.

6. Conversion of fast-twitch muscle fibers to slow-twitch – The loss of fast-twitch muscle fibers contributes to aging and the loss of explosive power and speed. People become slower and slower and end up looking older and older.

7. Burns a very small amount of calories vs. the time spent – One large meal completely offsets the pitiful amount of calories burned in an hour aerobics session. And if you workout the correct way for fat loss you will be burning calories inside the workout and outside of it as well…at least 24 to 36 hours of fat burning from one real fat loss workout.

8. Overuse injuries to the feet, ankles, and knees from excessive, continual pounding transmitted throughout the body – This is made worse by over-engineered running shoes which cushion the feet in such a way to create a neural amnesia.

9. Shortening i.e., deformation, of the muscle tissue from repetitive movements – This creates inflexibility, immobility, and muscle imbalances. Besides being tight, the bodies postural alignment becomes compromised. Aerobics create tight, inflexible bodies that are in chronic pain.

This is the reason why long distance runners have so many constant injuries.

10. Burnout – A consequence of the “feel good” neurotransmitters which also stimulate the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline is the fight or flight hormone. Too much adrenaline creates an addictive response and people going routinely for the so called “high” of running end up with adrenal burnout, e.g., chronic fatigue and depression.

With all of these reasons to NOT DO aerobics I would be cheating you if I didn’t tell you what you should be doing.  I will get more into this in the next blog post coming out in a couple days.  Keep your eyes peeled to your email box when it comes out.

It took awhile but I finally convinced Boot camp client Amanda Bishop to let me in on her secrets to successfully losing 65 POUNDS of fat.

She holds nothing back and let’s you in on what she did to totally transform her body.  Check it out:

Amanda 26 year old Dental Hygienist from Markham, ON

Before                                                                                   After

My New Body Transformation Interrogation with Amanda:

DG – Amanda what was your life like before losing all of this weight?  What were you doing?  What were you eating?  What was your life like physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually?

AB- My life pretty much sucked. I had been battling with a lot of emotional crap, I hated the way I looked and felt. I was eating out of pure emotion, I didn’t care what it was doing to my body. I had very low self esteem and found day to day activities very difficult. I really hated myself but I don’t think I knew why.

DG – So how did you make this sudden decision to lose the weight (65 pounds)?

AB- About 4.5 Years ago I met my boyfriend David and my life was turned upside down. I had become comfortable with myself, but I didn’t realize just how bad it had become.

David was the first person in my entire life (battling with fat my whole life) that finally told me “look I think its time you did something about your weight/health.” We decided together to get me fit. That was my turning point and he was willing to walk the journey with me.

DG – Has Markham Bootcamps had an impact on your lifestyle.  How so?

AB- Boot camp has been such an amazing experience. I had been looking for a hard core work out. I wanted to be pushed and yelled at. I crave every class even if it takes me a while to get there, once your there its like a drug you want more! I have lost 5 pounds of scale weight and 15 inches all over the body! Just a few steps closer to my goal!

DG – What are the things you did that worked in helping you lose the weight (workout and nutrition wise)?  What are some of the thingsthat didn’t work?

AB- I definitely went through a lot of trial and error. My main changes at first was nutrition. I really cut down on my portion size, and changed from drinking around 6-7 soda’s a day to water and the occasional juice for something sweet.

I also to this day have not had McDonald’s and that’s going on 3 years. David and I started out running together and bought mountain bikes. Having someone there who will not sabotage your workout is very important so choose wisely!

Things that didn’t work is hard question since you need to change certain things within your nutrition or your work outs because of the dreaded plateau.  One thing I could say is that definitely you don’t need to eat more to compensate for intense workouts. I made that mistake.

DG – Do you have any social support? If so, how has this helped you?

AB- David has been a huge rock in my journey let alone my life. He has been there every step of the way bad or good. Pushed me hard at times but I needed it. His family has been supportive.

My co-workers as well have been very inspired by me and I have actually helped a few of them change as well. My family is definitely a rock in my life too, but unfortunately we just see different things and have slightly different views on diet and exercise, you have to remember different generations think differently.

DG - What are your daily obstacles and temptations that you have to avoid with respect to nutrition and training? And what strategies do you use?

AB- Well I call my house the sabotage house. Meaning that there are many temptations in the way to my goals. I really need to remind myself that these foods are just no good in my body and that if I want to stay fit and healthy I need to always stay true to keeping my body as clean as possible.

I also have to remove myself completely from the kitchen area and that usually means going upstairs and or as bad as it sounds I would go shopping.

In respects to training, yea its harder some day’s then others, but I know as long as I get myself out to the gym/boot-camp or outside, there’s no turning back and I love it after and I am so proud of myself afterward for going, and feel so much better.

DG – How do you plan and organize your nutrition?

AB- My day consists of getting up, going to work and coming home. So my nutrition goes just the same.I know I need something filling like oatmeal to keep me going till lunch, then something nutritious with variety and dinner is always my smallest meal.

I have my favorite sippy cup as David calls it which is a 1L water bottle with a straw so I am able to drink it fast and get around 2-3 in a day. I try to limit my carbs in the morning and not touch it again. I always try to have a banana or apple on me if I am ever hungry.

DG – If you could say one thing to a woman trying to make a change in their bodies what would it be?

AB- I never could have thought that I could go from fat to fab, but YOU CAN! No matter what size or shape you are, you just need to stay focused, surround yourself with tones of the RIGHT support. And be true to yourself! You are only human there will be failure but in the end there is only true success.

DG – Thanks Amanda.  And keep up the great work!

AB- Thank you Dan you have been such a huge inspiration in my life!

Amanda’s Key’s to success:

• Get positive people surrounding you that help you towards your goals
• Keep your nutrition organized and substitute your soda’s and other caloric liquids for water
• Recognize emotional eating when you are doing it
• Persevere and develop a strong skin.  Do what you can to avoid the temptations…especially when it comes to the kitchen
• Have a long term mindset towards getting fit and creating the body of your dreams.
• Find things you find enjoyable that are active so you have fun while burning calories.

There could be a million excuses as to why you think you can’t achieve successful weight loss like Amanda.  But the reality is…if she can do it you can do it too.

I like to think of our boot camp as one large support group of women who are dedicated to transforming their bodies.

If you want to surround yourself with like minded women and are serious about changing your body then sign up for a free trial of boot camp. You will drop pounds of fat, make some new friends and come way with more confidence in your body then ever before.

Go Girl Boot Camps <—Click here to sign up

Dedicated to helping you create a fantastic body,

Dan

I also got to see Mother Nature at her finest..check it out:

In the background you can hear myself, Lenny, Chicken and Tracy…watching IN AWE…

A big THANK YOU goes out to Chicken, Lenny and all the Calgary friends I made along the way.  You really know how to make a guy feel at home.

Today’s blog post comes from Toronto’s Super Personal Trainer Craig Ballantyne as he reveals his own 7 day Motivational Weight Loss Guide.

7-Day Motivational Weight Loss Guide

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Fat loss is hard. And once in a while, everyone loses their motivation for diet and exercise. So that’s why I’m bringing you 7 tips to help you lose more fat in less time over this upcoming week.

(If you are a complete beginner, please refer to the 21-day quickstart guide in the Turbulence Training manual for more details on how to develop key healthy habits during the essential start-up phase of your fat loss program.)

If you’re a M-F, 9-5 employee, you know that Saturday or Sunday has to be your day to hit the grocery store and get fresh meat and produce to prepare your meals for the next week.

I’m a big fan of picking up some fresh salmon fillets and asparagus for Sunday dinner. Chicken breasts can be cooked in bunches for freezing and then used over the week as easy lunchtime protein sources. Fruits and vegetables are washed and prepared for cooking or snacking, and almonds, pecans, walnuts, and organic beef jerky are packed into travel bags for when I’m on the go.

Prepare and succeed. It’s that easy.

So print this out, put it on your fridge, and let it guide you to your fat loss goals, while keeping your workouts fun and motivating.

Now here we go with our day-by-day guide…

MONDAY

On Monday, your motivation will be high to have a great Rapid Fat Loss Workout

Plan to set a personal record in your workout today. If you are a beginner, that might mean using a higher level on the cardio machine for 1-2 minutes, or doing 2-3 extra pushups per set. For the advanced fat loss program, it might mean using 2.5 more pounds per dumbbell in your split squats, or extending your intervals by 5 seconds per sprint.

By continuously aiming to achieve a personal best in your workouts, you will ensure that you are pushing your body to adapt – to change for the better.

Now you don’t have to set a record on every set for every exercise. Just pick one record that you want to break each workout. Aim for constant improvement.

TUESDAY

This will be an off-day from your workout schedule, but you should still get 30 minutes of activity. Make it as fun as possible. Take the dog for a walk, play your favorite sport, or chase your kids.

Even walking for 30 minutes is great. It will help you recover from Monday’s workout and simply improves your overall health. If you’re looking for an advanced fat loss option, use a bodyweight circuit to boost your metabolism.

Also, I want you to make a big nutrition change on this day and eliminate all sources of trans-fatty acids from your diet.

Read your food labels, and don’t eat anything that contains hydrogenated oils. Also, be sure to look at the breakdown of fats – if the total fat content is greater than the sum of the saturated and unsaturated fat contents, then the product contains trans-fats.

Remember that labels are sneaky!

A label can boast “0g Trans Fat” if there is less than 0.5g of Trans-fats per serving. But if there are several servings in a bag, and you eat the whole bag…guess what? You could have eaten 2-3 grams of trans-fats!

And trans-fats will kill ya. As Dr. Bruce Holub from the University of Guelph says, “there is no safe level of the fats and food producers should cease and desist the industrial production of trans fats in the country.”

WEDNESDAY

Perform your regularly schedule strength and interval training workout. And if you need to, purchase a new cooking
appliance, such as a grill or steamer to help you prepare healthy, nutritious, low-fat protein sources or high-fiber, nutrient rich vegetables in a convenient manner.

Healthy food preparation is a SMALL effort for a LARGE reward.

THURSDAY

30 minutes of activity, anyway that you can get it. And then at dinner, try a new source of lean protein, such as salmon, bison, or ostrich (or switch back to lean, red meat if you’re bored of chowing down on chicken).

FRIDAY

Have another great strength and interval workout. Since this is your Turbulence Training workout of the week…have fun and reward yourself with a superset of your 2 favorite exercises. It’s a perfect time to add some extra work for your arms and abs, if you love training those muscle groups. Just do something you really like. You’ve earned it. Training should be fun AND effective.

SATURDAY

30 minutes of activity. It’s the weekend, find something fun to do with a friend. On weekends, I try and get into the gym with an old friend and amaze them with several bodyweight exercises that they have never seen before – such as Spiderman Pushups, Inverted Rows, and single-leg squats.

Then check-in with your social support group (in-person or on the Internet) to talk about the ups and downs you went through this week. Share recipes, tips and tricks to turning aside temptations, and motivate each other to stay strong for another 7-days of fat-burning with the TT lifestyle.

SUNDAY

Get in another 30 minutes of exercise nice and early to start your day. Then plan your shopping list, head on to the grocery store or even better a fresh, open market and get your weekly produce and lean protein sources.

Make sure to include 1 new vegetable and 1 new source of leanprotein in your purchases.

One big step everyday towards a better body!

Another week and another pound or two of fat should be hitting the road. Keep up the great work!

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com