All Training Is NOT Created Equal

By Leave a Comment

Let’s be honest here for a second: A workout is not just a workout.

Just like “calories in, calories out” is completely false, the workouts you do can make or break what you are trying to achieve. They are NOT created equal. 

Daily, you will see people doing workouts and exercises that are absolutely killing their results, and actually making them weaker…

Far too many people think that just because they went to the gym and did something, this constitutes a good workout.

However, I hope you would agree that just because you showed up at the gym and sweated a bit, this doesn’t mean you got in a good workout.

Don’t think that all workouts will produce the results you want because they certainly won’t.

I cannot stress enough the importance of doing the proper workouts and exercises.

I mean, what is the point of losing 10 pounds if it all comes from muscle?

In an article posted on BodyBuilding.com the other day, the author wrote:

“You can run on the treadmill or swoosh away on the elliptical all day. Sure, you might get thinner, but without some meat on your delts, triceps, and biceps, you will never see those awesome shoulder caps.”

In other words, if you don’t have muscle, you will not appear to be toned, lean, and fit.

Our bodies were meant to have muscle. Muscle is needed in everyday life.

The stronger you can get, the better.

Now don’t think that I want you to look like the Hulk. That is not at all what I am saying.

What I mean is that if you train to strengthen your body and muscles, you will naturally lean out and have a defined muscular physique.

what women think happens from lifitng

Don’t fall into the trap of “oh I am going to get bulky from lifting.” Not one bit true.

If you want to get lean, fit, toned, and healthy, your workouts must cater to those goals, which brings me to the point of the article:

All training is NOT created equal!

Below I will cover a variety of workouts and techniques people use and explain why one is far superior to the other. Take a look:

1. Sprinting over jogging!

all training is not created equal

One of the most common workouts you see at the gym, people spending hours on cardio equipment. This is a recipe for disaster as it not only puts a lot of stress on your body but it also eats away at your hard earned muscle.

So although you may lose a few pounds, all that weight is coming from muscle, not fat!

Sprints on the other hand are the most powerful physique shaping workout on the planet. Not only do they directly target fat burning, but they promote lean muscle growth. Truly and win-win situation.

For some great sprinting workout options (even ones that can be done on a treadmill), check out this article HERE!

If you want to start cutting the flab and replacing it with lean muscle, start sprinting 2-3 times per week and cut out the 60-minute long cardio sessions!

2. Free weights over machines!

We took on this debate the other day, but free weights are far superior to machines. They activate more muscles which in turn means you will burn more fat and build more lean muscle.

If you want your results to double, step off the machines and pick up the free weights.

To see our full debate, check out Free Weights Vs Machines!

3. Using weight that is far too light.

“If you want to get lean, you must train mean.” Do not be afraid to pick up a weight that is challenging (of course putting safety first!). Too many times you see people in the gym doing 12 reps of an exercise with a weight that they can do 25 reps with.

This is not doing anything for you.

If you want to build strength, you have got to challenge your muscles and body each time you go to the gym.

Focus on using a weight that you will only have 1-2 reps left in the tank. For example, if you are going to do 10 reps of an exercise, you should choose a weight that you could not do 12 times. If you can do 15 reps on a 10 rep exercise, the weight is too light.

>> Don’t Be Afraid To Get Strong!

4. Doing too many reps.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you have to do thousands of reps to get lean and toned.

Instead, focus on challenging yourself and doing anywhere from 5-15 reps and 3-5 sets on each lifting exercise. For bodyweight workouts, do a rep amount that will challenge you. For example, doing 3 sets of 50 push-ups will challenge some while for others 3 sets of 10 will do the trick.

The key here is to be constantly pushing to add more weight to your lifts and more reps to your bodyweight exercises.

5. High intensity over low intensity.

We have discussed this multiple times in the past, but when it comes to getting fit, high intensity is king.

The higher the intensity your workouts, the better results you will see.

Whether this be from sprinting, lifting heavy, doing a high intensity interval circuit, etc.

Focus on bumping up the intensity on every workout you do!

Key take aways:

Above are just five examples to show you that all training is not created equal. Now let’s quickly go over some key take away points:

  • For cardio purposes, do sprints at least 2-3 times per week and walk daily (preferably outside). Cut out the long slow cardio!
  • Do free weight and bodyweight exercises. Stay off the machines.
  • Challenge yourself in your workouts by using a challenging weight with the proper repetition number.
  • Keep the intensity high!

If you start incorporating those four bullets into your workouts, not only will you start burning fat faster than ever, but you will get the lean, toned body you have always wanted!

All workouts and training are not created equal, and now you know why…

Filed Under: Fat Loss, Health and Fitness Tagged With: , , , ,

How To Get Toned

By 2 Comments

How To Get Toned

High reps, low weight. Do a bunch of cardio. Eat less…

What do all three of these have in common?

They are the dreaded mistakes that so many gym-goers make when trying to get “toned.”

Please remember what I stated in a previous article (HERE): “There is really no such thing as a muscle being “toned” or “untoned”. Muscle is simply muscle. Sure there are some people with bigger muscles than others, but if you are not toned, all that means is you have a layer of fat covering up your muscles. So in order to get toned, you need to work on building muscle and losing fat.” When I reference “toned” in this article, keep that in mind!

These individuals spend hours doing long cardio, do thousands of reps with very light weight, then to make matters worse they drastically cut the calories their bodies are needing.

This kind of training and lifestyle does not lead to getting toned muscle but will lead to no muscle.

Let’s see why:

When you do hours of long cardio each week, your body will eventually start eating away at your muscle. When you are trying to get your muscles toned, the last thing you want is for your workouts to burn your hard earned muscle, right?

Sprinter Vs Marathon RunnerHave you ever wondered why marathon runners look the way they do? They spend hours running each week, and as a result have very little muscle. A sprinter on the other hand is a different story.

Their workouts consist of short bursts of energy, followed by rest and repeating. Instead of using muscle as fuel for their workouts, they are using fat. Plus, they are boosting Growth Hormone and Testosterone which both contribute to putting on lean muscle mass.

Next, let’s take a look at the high rep with low weight dilemma. In the past, we discussed the difference between high reps vs. low reps so if you need to go back and reread that, please do so.

When you look around the gym at those trying to get “toned,” one main problem you see is that they are not challenging themselves during their lifts. They simply think that if they do 30 reps of an exercise and “feel the burn”, that they are getting “toned”.

Completely false.

If you want to get toned muscles, you must challenge your body by lifting hard. Challenging your muscles allows them to grow and burn off the fat around them. As I have stated in other articles, the more lean muscle you have the less fat you will have. That can also translate into:

The more lean muscle you have, the less fat you will have, leading to an incredibly toned body.

If you think that doing 25 dumbbell raises is going to get your arms toned, you have been misled.

Instead, focus on doing big compound movements that work multiple muscle groups at once. A few examples would be:

  • Squats
  • Deadlifts
  • Jumping Exercises
  • Presses (Overhead Press, Bench Press, Dumbbell Press, Push-Ups, …)
  • Pulls (Pull-Ups, Bent Over Row, Lat Pull-Down, …)

Stick to doing 6-12 repetitions and 3-5 sets per exercise. Push your body each time you lift to ensure you get stronger. The stronger you are, the more lean and toned you will be.

The one time you should do higher reps on exercises is when doing body weight workouts. Because it is just your body weight, the best way to challenge yourself is by doing more and more reps each time you go to the gym.

Finally, we often hear people talk about how little they are eating in order to get “toned”. This one absolutely kills me!

When you are not giving yourself enough fuel (calories), your body will start eating away muscle and start storing fat. Simple as that.

When you are eating the right foods, there is no reason why you should be drastically cutting calories. Food is there to allow your body and brain to function properly. When we workout, we need food to refuel our muscles so they can recover, grow, and get stronger.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you need to cut out all these calories in order to get “toned”.

Eating the right foods (and eating when you are hungry and until you are satisfied) and engaging in the right workouts will get you toned faster than you thought possible.

So what can we take away from this?

Sprinter Vs Marathon RunnerFirst, the long slow cardio has got to stop. Would you rather look like a marathon runner or a sprinter? I choose the latter…

Therefore, start training like a sprinter. Get strong, powerful, fast, explosive, … We all have it in us. It is simply about doing things the right way!

Next, we can see that getting toned is about getting strong. The stronger you are, the more lean muscle you will have and the less fat you will have. This all leads to you being more toned!

Finally, don’t go on some fad low calorie diet. Eat the right foods and lots of them. Allow your food to work for you by eating properly.

When you follow a solid nutrition plan, you will naturally burn fat off. Combine that with proper workouts and you will be well on your way to the results you have always dreamed of.

Getting toned is simple when you have the right information in front of you. It will take hard work and dedication, but it will be worth the effort when you start seeing results within weeks!

I would love to hear your thoughts feedback on this topic. Please leave your comments below:

P.S. Like this article? If you could, take 1.7 seconds and hit the ‘Like’ and Tweet button for me before you go!

Filed Under: Exercises, Fat Loss, Six-Pack Abs

“Unhealthy” Food That Burns Fat!

By Leave a Comment

Grass FedFor so long we have been taught that fat is what is causing our nation to gain weight at such a
rapid pace. However, multiple studies and tons of research has shown that this is not the case. The truth is, fat is not making us fat; SUGAR is making us fat. 

Now sure there are some fats that we should stay away from but you can actually have a diet high in protein and high in good fats and LOSE weight, and burn tons of FAT!

Yes, fat burns fat!

And the best part? Not only will eating good fats help you get fit, but it will also make you
feel amazing.

Eating good fats has little affect on insulin and blood sugar levels so we are able to stay at an even keel all day long. This means no spikes in blood sugar or crazy insulin response. Plus, fats will also help keep you satisfied for longer periods of time.

When I first started incorporating more good fats into my diet (I will go over some good fats in
a second), I was amazed at how good I felt and how long I could go without that feeling of
being super hungry.

When you eat a conventional diet (high in carbohydrates), haven’t you noticed how often you get hungry? It probably seems like every hour!

Carbohydrates rush through your body at rapid speeds, and within hours our bodies are
craving more! Good fats however, help satisfy us for far longer hence we don’t get that feeling
of being hungry very often.

I still find myself eating every 2-3 hours but it is rarely because I feel hungry. I do it because at
the current moment that is what I have to do for my current fitness goals. If I had to skip a
meal however, it would be no big deal because the foods I am putting in my body will hold me over until the next time I eat.

With that said, what are some good fats you should be eating on a daily basis?

I will start with my favorite: Eggs!

I eat eggs nearly every single morning of the week and at minimum 6 times a week. Eggs are an incredible fat burning food containing good fats and are high in protein.

Studies have shown that by just switching your daily breakfast to eggs instead of a bagel or
cereal, weight loss and body fat percent decreased immensely.

Nuts and Seeds:

Not only are nuts and seeds very tasty, they also have a very high fat content. These are
good fats for us to indulge in as a snack or with a meal.

Now one thing to take note on, fats are much more calorically dense so be careful on how
much you consume. I wouldn’t recommend eating a full pound bag of almonds, but one or two
handfuls in a day would be beneficial.

Avocado and Guacamole:

Another that I just cannot get enough of. For me this goes with just about any meal so if you
have access to them, this is another source of fat to add to your diet.

Coconut Oil:

Although this has received a bad rap because of its high saturated fat content, studies have
shown some pretty amazing health benefits to using coconut oil.

It is very high in anti-oxidants, and has shown some incredible results when trying to
lose weight and belly fat. It also helps with digestion, making it easier to absorb the nutrients
in the foods we eat.

*When looking for coconut oil, stick with extra virgin unrefined coconut oil!

Animals:

There are plenty of animal meats that are high in fat content that we have always been told to
avoid. However, animals and fish are some of the most nutritious foods we can eat.

I mean who doesn’t want to eat some delicious bacon or a grass-fed steak? We have
been told forever to avoid fatty meats, but if you choose wisely and stick with free range and
100% grass fed meats; you will enjoy the benefits they bring.

100% Grass Fed Butter

I cook nearly all my food in this. Grass fed butter comes with many health benefits including:

  • Good sources of vitamin A, D, E, K, and K2
  • Promotes healthy cholesterol
  • Provides a balanced source of Omega 3 and 6 fats

And more…

These are just of the few of many great fats that you can eat on a daily basis that will help you
burn MORE fat than you thought possible. Now I am not saying fats should be the staple of
your diet, but I am saying that you do not have to be afraid of them or avoid them (good
fat that is. Stay away from processed fats like vegetables oils and trans fats).

Protein should be your main source of fuel, but fat should be incorporated in to meet your
daily caloric needs and goals! Remember, fat burns fat. Sugar is what makes us fat…

For ideas on nutrition plans, visit some of the resources below:

BodyFit 7X7: Simplified nutrition plan included!

Six-Pack Series

One Change To Change Your Health!

My Book On Amazon!

P.S. Like this post? Hit the ‘Like’ Button before you go!

Photo Credit: USDAgov

Filed Under: Fat Loss, Nutrition Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
«Older Posts