This is my article as it appeared in Great Lakes Fitness Extreme Magazine; enjoy.

Muscle Burns Fat

Hit the weights to ignite your body's fat burning furnace.

Have you ever noticed that fat people tend to stay fat, while thin people tend to stay thin? Do you assume that this is simply because overweight people do not exercise or eat as healthful as their thin counterparts? While this may be true to an extent, there is much more to it than that.

In fact, it is your fat cell-to-muscle cell ratio that helps to determine some of these outcomes. Overweight people have proportionately more fat cells than thin people do, with receptor sites to soak up energy (calories from food) for storage.

I like to think of muscles as individual fat burning furnaces. The more fat burning furnaces you have, the more fat you will burn 24/7 - - even while you are asleep. Here's why.

Basal metabolic rate (BMR)  is the amount of energy (in calories) your body expends while at rest, and it decreases with age and the loss of lean body mass. The result is a slower metabolism and an increase in body fat. The lower your body fat percentage, the higher your basal metabolic rate (BMR).

Approximately, 70% of your total calories consumed are burned solely by your BMR while 18% are burned by your muscles. Since muscle tissue is highly active (even while at rest), it makes sense that muscle mass is a key factor in wight loss.

According to a University of Michigan Health System website, "A pound of muscle burns 30 - 50 calories per day just to maintain itself. Add three pounds of muscle and you may burn 630 to 1,050 extra calories per week."

Typically, men have a greater muscle mass and a lower body fat percentage, resulting in a higher basal metabolic rate (higher metabolism). Ladies may see this as an unfair advantage, yet several studies have proven there to be no difference in metabolic rate between the sexes when adjusting for lean body weight vs. fat mass.

Frankly, muscle is muscle and fat is fat...ladies, hit the weights.

Weight training can have a more lasting impact on metabolism than aerobic training. During an intense strength training workout you will see an increase in energy expenditure (calories burned) during both muscular contractions and rest periods, when anabolism (muscle building) is occurring. Such increases in energy expenditure may stay with you up to 24 hours after your workout.

Proper weight training techniques and sound nutritional practice will build up muscle and allow the natural processes of your body to burn fat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In addition, the health benefits of increased muscle mass are improved blood lipids, body composition, glucose metabolism, and functional ability for daily activities. You will also experience and increase in energy, stronger bones, protection against low back pain, reduced stress, better sleep, and an overall improved quality of life.

So what are you waiting for? Beckon the iron your way, stoke the furnaces, and start making some great things happen.

I recently heard some frightening news. 

Now, pediatrician's are recommending that 2 year olds get tested for high cholesterol and children as young as 8 be given cholesterol-lowering drugs. Seriously folks, I can't help but wonder, "where is mom?"


Cholesterol is not the problem, it's the highly processed, nutrient deficient carbohydrates that are destroying your health. Cholesterol itself is an inflammatory process that acts to buffer and protect vessels from damage.

Check out this post and you'll begin to see where to start in order to correct the problem of elevated cholesterol.

Unfortunately, drugs are not the best option because they effect other organ systems, causing side effects and more diseases within the body. 

Parents are best suited to educate themselves on nutrition, lead by example, and  develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime. Now, isn't your family worth it?

Thanks, Arthur De Vany.

For the love of riding, Couture.

    

                        

Sound too good to be true? Indeed it does, but there may be some truth to it after all.  

A new and extensive study reported this week in The New England Journal of Medicine provides evidence that a low-carb (Atkins style) diet is best for weight loss and improving health.

The study followed 300 people over a period of 2 years in which participants followed either a low-fat diet (as recommended by the American Heart Association), a Mediterranean diet, or a low-carb (Atkin's style) diet. What's interesting is that both the low-fat and Mediterranean diets were restricted to 1500 calories for women and 1800 calories for men, while the low-carb diet had no restrictions on calories or the amount of food eaten. 

The super-cool news is that the folks on a low-carb diet lost the most weight and produced the best blood lipid profiles at the end of the study, while the calorie restricted low fat diet produced the worst results. 

Mediterranean and low-carbohydrate diets may be effective alternatives to low-fat diets. The more favorable effects on lipids (with the low-carbohydrate diet) and on glycemic control (with the Mediterranean diet) suggest that personal preferences and metabolic considerations might inform individualized tailoring of dietary interventions...

 ...The similar caloric deficit achieved in all diet groups suggests that a low-carbohydrate, non–restricted-calorie diet may be optimal for those who will not follow a restricted-calorie dietary regimen.

So, ditch the low-fat (also known as high carb) diet and get on board today. Now's the time to think outside the box, explore your options, and make a change.

Science provides the evidence, you need to act on it.

I've been training with Russian kettlebells for over six months and notice a stronger core, more balance and power, and a better overall conditioning.

Kettlebells are known to accelerate fat loss, boost your physical resilience and functional capacity, increase your flexibility and range of motion, and improve your mind/body connection. 

Best of all, it doesn't matter what your age or fitness level is, kettlebells are for everyone. Here is a great tutorial of the basic kettlebell swing; your first move.



Of course I don't train exclusively with "bells" but I incorporate them periodically when I workout at home in addition to my bodybuilding routine and cardio.

My clients respond to kettlebell routines with great enthusiasm because kettlebells are unique, challenging, and super-fun. 

Thanks, Anthony DiLuglio.

Here's more of his fascinating work:



Don't have kettlebells yet? Get them from "MuscleDriver USA" on my website home page.

Excerpt from "FAT: What No One Is Telling You"

This is very real.



You are what you eat and you are in control of what you eat. Make the right choices and you will be happy with yourself, your looks, and your bountiful energy. Always look to the future; keep your goal in mind and be strong, energetic, and proud.

Now, what she really needs is a good strength training program to go with that cardio because "Muscle Burns Fat."

This one is nice, not too corny.

                        

Interval training produces a greater response from the body than steady state cardiovascular exercise. The more intense the exercise is for your body, the greater response your body will have to it. In other words, you will get better results -faster with intervals than with boring traditional steady state exercise.

 Here is more evidence, as reported by the NY Times, that sprinting should be part of your muscle arsenal.

“More and more, professional organizations are recommending interval training during rehabilitation from diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, peripheral artery disease and cardiovascular disease,'’ said Maureen MacDonald, academic adviser and an associate professor in the department of kinesiology. “Our research certainly provides evidence that this type of exercise training is as effective as traditional moderate-intensity training. We wouldn’t be surprised to see more rehabilitation programs adopt this method of training since it is often better tolerated in diseased populations”.

What's interesting is how interval sprinting is often "better tolerated" in diseased populations. I totally agree that it's better tolerated because it is a shorter workout, it is more interesting, challenging, and engaging. This stimulating way to workout is exciting and elicits a greater response from your body and mind.

Here is Conditioning Research on the same topic, it's nice to see we are on the same page.

Because different is always good.



I just got this super set of rings to bring back youthfulness and inspire fun workouts for me and all of my clients. Here's what we'll be doing with them:



Wanna join us?

First, this sweet Rude Goldberg machine entertains us as it mixes up a Falling Water ( 30mls (1Oz) 42BELOW Feijoa Vodka, lemonade, long slice of seedless cucumber, ice), created by Joseph Hercher.



Check out this wicked cornstarch paste + subwoofer dance.

Thank you Jimmy Moore. 

I've explained it all in my article, "If You Don't Change the Way You Eat Today, Where Will You Be Tomorrow?,"  so check it out.

Another excellent source is Gary Taubes' lecture, if you haven't seen it, now is definitely the time!

I've never seen anything quite this amazing.
 
Here is how it all began for Barbara Guerra:



Thanks, Ross Training.

                    
                            
Summer is here and it's time to stock up on sunscreen. But, before you go out and grab any old sunscreen or simply go with the major brands (thinking they will be safe and effective), you should first check the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep website for a heads-up on the best sunscreens for your family.

An investigation of nearly 1,000 brand-name sunscreen products finds that 4 out of 5 contain chemicals that may pose health hazards or don't adequately protect skin from the sun's damaging rays. Some of the worst offenders are leading brands like Coppertone, Banana Boat, and Neutrogena.

While you're there, check out the safety of your makeup, your fragrances, and other products for your skin, hair, eyes, nails, and your mouth. Because what's on your skin will also be found in your blood.

It just goes to show you that age and having children is no excuse.

Fitness and health is all about you! It is about what you do with your body, what you put into your body, and how well you recover.

Thanks Randy!

Cut your carbohydrate intake and replace those calories with high quality whole food sources of protein and fats to melt your fat away.

Over at Mark's Daily Apple is a great little article to help you better understand the mechanisms involved.

Ketones, to put it briefly, are compounds created by the body when it burns fat stores for energy. When you consume a diet very low in carbohydrates, the body responds to the significantly lowered levels of blood sugar by flipping the switch to another power source. The body converts fatty acids in the liver to ketones. Ketones, then, become the main energy source as long as blood sugar levels remain low...

...Ketosis was crucial to our evolution. Given the relatively minor role of carbohydrate-rich foods (even the consumption of many tubers is thought to have come later with the advent of cooking practices), our bodies were fairly frequently operating in the arena of ketosis. Add to this the fasts and famines of primal living, and it’s clear that ketones served as an essential energy source.

Give the low carb. nutrition plan a whirl for a few weeks. Simply cycle your carbs low (100 - 150 g. a day or less) for 2 - 3 days and then add them back in on days 4 and 5; repeat this rotational schedule for a few weeks and let me know how awesome you feel.

Just be sure to replace those calories you would've consumed as carbs. with healthy whole food sources of protein and fat.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

"Matt is a 31-year-old deadbeat from Connecticut who used to think that all he ever wanted to do in life was make and play videogames. Matt achieved this goal pretty early and enjoyed it for a while, but eventually realized there might be other stuff he was missing out on. In February of 2003, he quit his job in Brisbane, Australia and used the money he'd saved to wander around Asia until it ran out. He made this site so he could keep his family and friends updated about where he is.

A few months into his trip, a travel buddy gave Matt an idea. They were standing around taking pictures in Hanoi, and his friend said "Hey, why don't you stand over there and do that dance. I'll record it." He was referring to a particular dance Matt does. It's actually the only dance Matt does. He does it badly. Anyway, this turned out to be a very good idea.

A couple years later, someone found the video online and passed it to someone else, who passed it to someone else, and so on. Now Matt is quasi-famous as "That guy who dances on the internet. No, not that guy. The other one. No, not him either. I'll send you the link. It's funny."

The response to the first video brought Matt to the attention of the nice people at Stride gum. They asked Matt if he'd be interested in taking another trip around the world to make a new video. Matt asked if they'd be paying for it. They said yes. Matt thought this sounded like another very good idea."

This is one of the most inspiring speeches I've heard in some time. It is Steve Jobs' commencement speech at Stanford and it reminds me of why we must always follow our hearts, do right by others, and give, give, give. For, in the end, the more you give, the more you shall receive.

The sunshine vitamin does it again! Now we have exciting evidence that vitamin D is so powerful that it diminishes chronic back pain. The report was quick to point out a few other tips:

-- Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and bone health. Inadequate vitamin D intake can result in a softening of bone surfaces, or osteomalacia, that causes pain. The lower back seems to be particularly vulnerable to this effect.

-- In one study of 360 patients with back pain, all of them were found to have inadequate levels of vitamin D. After taking vitamin D supplements for 3 months, symptoms were improved in 95% of the patients. All of them with the most severe vitamin D deficiencies experienced back-pain relief.

-- The currently recommended adequate intake of vitamin D up to 600 IU per day is outdated and too low. According to the research, most children and adults need at least 1000 IU per day, and persons with chronic back pain would benefit from 2000 IU or more per day of supplemental vitamin D3 (also called cholecalciferol).

-- Vitamin D supplements have a highly favorable safety profile. They interact with very few drugs or other agents, and are usually not harmful unless extremely high doses such as 50,000 IU or more are taken daily for an extended period of time.

-- Vitamin D supplements are easy for patients to self-administer, are well tolerated, and typically cost as little as 7 to 10 cents per day.

Go ahead and catch a few rays. It's summer and evidence shows that melanoma is not caused by the sun, but it is actually caused by immune system dysfunction.

                                                

Anyone can lift weights like a bodybuilder; lift heavy, rest for 1 - 2 min. between sets, and perform three exercises for each body part. Split your workouts into 3 - 4 workouts  a week to focus on 2 (or just 1) body part per session. Exercise with weights three times a week and perform cardio five days a week.

But beware, after about 4 - 6 weeks you might reach boredom a plateau. This is when you'll need to change things up a bit...

Hugh?

Fortunately, there's my better way. Change things up consistently to keep your body guessing and progressing toward your goal. With my approach, you'll get better results faster as you keep your sessions fun and exciting; thus challenging your body and taking it to it's limits every step of the way.

Here is more evidence supporting my training style of intermittent plyometrics to increase your body's strength and power, build slabs of muscle, and burn unsightly body fat for fuel.

"In this study, we examined the acute effects of manipulating exercise order when combining countermovement jumps and loaded parallel squats in a complex training session, and the acute effects of countermovement jumps and loaded parallel squats on sprinting performance. Eight rugby players participated in five trials, including two that involved performing loaded parallel squats followed by countermovement jumps or vice versa in a randomized cross-over design. Peak rate of force development and peak force were measured during countermovement jumps and loaded parallel squats. Peak power, jump height, and duration of amortization phase were also determined during the countermovement jumps. Peak force during squatting was significantly greater in both cross-over treatments (loaded parallel squats-countermovement jumps and countermovement jumps-loaded parallel squats) compared with the control..."

Not only does the intermittent plyometric work make the weights seem lighter, but it also boosts your body's production of DHEA and heart healthy hormones such as testosterone.

This, the one who engages in high intensity workouts, is the trainee who will get the greatest results. So from now on; always make every rep., of every set, of every exercise, count toward your goal - every time!

Boredom stems from laziness and laziness results in a plateau.

Running to the doctor for every little ache and pain may not be the best thing for you.

In this special Consumer Report we see that too many Americans are being over diagnosed, misdiagnosed, succumb to unneeded testing and over rely on specialists.

Patients treated most aggressively are at increased risk of infections and medical errors that come from uncoordinated care, such as doctors prescribing drugs that duplicate or interact with other drugs. They also tend to receive poorer care, spend a lot more money for co-payments, and are the least satisfied with their health care, the Dartmouth researchers found.

Here's a shining example; "Consider the case of a middle-aged IBM executive from the New York City area who experienced chest pain. He went to a cardiologist, who ordered a full workup, including a CT scan of his chest. The scan found no heart problem, but at the edge of the film the radiologist noticed "something funny" in the neck area. A neck surgeon performed a biopsy and found nothing wrong. The cardiologist then performed an angiogram to look for abnormalities in the blood vessels. Complications from that procedure landed the executive in the hospital for a brief period. By the time it was over, his bills were more than $150,000 and he still had no diagnosis. Eventually the pain disappeared on its own.

Months later, when the executive's chest pain returned, he told his medical history to Paul Grundy, M.D., an internist and director of health-care technology and strategic initiatives at IBM's headquarters in Armonk, N.Y. Grundy asked him what he was doing at the time. "Oh, we started gardening again," the man told him. It turned out that overzealous use of his string trimmer had strained a chest muscle, a condition that required no treatment other than an over-the-counter pain reliever. None of the high-priced specialists (some call them the "partialists") had considered muscle strain, a common condition often mistaken for heart pain."

This is nothing new, here is more evidence of how common this problem is. Take control of your health;eat healthy and exercise everyday.