What is the best activity for fat loss?

Hello everyone, all of my posting is now being done on kettlebell planet. Over 500 posts and counting so I hope to see you there! http://kettlebellplanet.com/ If you are looking for a personal trainer in Calgary, contact me at nathan@kettlebellplanet.com

I am in Bangalore, India on a work assignment. It is an amazing place I tell you, friend me, Nathan Donahue, on Facebook or flickr to see the pics. Be sure to mention the blog or I will think you are a creep and not friend you! Anyways, it is an amazing place but not the easiest city to find a proper gym. Especially one with barbells and dumbbells instead of just cardio machines and some mulit-gyms. Needless to say I let this challenge get in my way and failed to train my first few days here. In other words, I bitched out. Luckily I have friends with strong posterior chains who are always looking to motivate me! This video was sent to me by Paul Vaillancourt, professional strongman and owner of Ultimate Fitness. He is doing the massive trap bar deadlift at 20 seconds in. After watching this video I realized I was being a soft little girly man and letting this obstacle prevent me from reaching my goals. As the saying goes, "the weak see obstacles as an inconvenience, warriors see them as challenges!". So, since checking myself I have been hitting the "gym" in the hotel hard. My first workout was pretty simple and not overly challenging as the heat kicked my ass pretty quick. Here it is: mobility work, 30 mins in my hotel room10 pound dumbbell circuit in the "gym", these are the heaviest dumbbells there!Series of high pulls, clean and presses, presses, rows, lunges, squat thrusters, one leg deadlifts, jumping jacks, push-ups, and overhead twits to failure, 30 minutesJump rope to failurePretty basic and honestly not very well thought out. Oh well, the important thing here is I broke the cycle of missing workouts due to a lack of kettlebells or barbells and got back in the game. Tomorrow is another day and a chance for a better training session.India is famous for yoga, which doesn't really interest me, but it also has these traditional wrestling schools called Akara's where locals lift stones and wrestle in the sand. If I can find one of those places it would be awesome!

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by: Jayson Hunter Registered Dietitian, CSCSWe are going to be talking a little bit about the confusion there was on the show The Biggest Loser, a lot of people watch that show. In the first week all these people, extremely heavy people lost a ton of weight and then the second week really nobody lost any weight. In fact, to my knowledge, one person gained one pound. So, I want to explain what the confusion is and what exactly happens when you have that rapid weight loss. So, why did people see such amazing results the first week and see none the second week?If we just use this show as an example. They saw so much weight loss in the first week because they obviously tell you that they are on a special type of diet, they don’t really go into the details of what it is, but I can assume that it’s a higher protein, low carb diet. These people are obviously 300/400 lbs because they were eating too much, they were over eating, ingesting thousands and thousands of calories. So, when they got to The Biggest Loser, of course they restricted those calories and put them on a special type of diet. Glycogen is created from the carbohydrates and starches that you eat. So, for every gram that you store in your body, you also store 3-4 grams of water. If you look at it from the stand point of maybe someone was eating 500 – 700 grams of carbs and they were storing all this glycogen and they cut it to 200 grams of carbs, well you can also cut out about 3-4 grams of water for every one of those carbs you just cut out. And obviously that’s weight on the scale. The metabolism kind of goes into shock when this happens so you lose all that glycogen and the extra grams of water which is weight in the end, and then not to mention they were exercising like crazy which none of them had really done before, so they’re going to lose water weight anyway from the amount of perspiration and body changes that are taking place and all the stuff that your body has to do to adapt to that exercise now. Your body generally fluctuates about 3-4% on a daily basis anyway. If you look at it from the stand point of some of those men are 300-400 pounds, a 3 %- 4 % change could be, 12 pounds in either direction. And obviously women that are 200 lbs or 250 lbs, you’re looking at maybe 10 lbs in either direction, 8 lbs in either direction, somewhere in there. Women tend to fluctuate even more then men in regards to water weight on a daily basis just because of the hormone levels. When you saw the weight loss they were getting, such as 15 lbs, 18lbs, I think someone lost 29lbs. Most of that is the initial shift because of eating less carbs, eating less calories as well as just general water weight loss because of the increased activity that they were now doing. It’s very important for people to understand that when you start, you can see these dramatic results but it’s permanent lifestyle changes that allow you to have fast, safe permanent weight loss but its permanent in the sense that you can start by taking off 15 – up to 15lbs in 30 days, but things are going to level off, and you have to make behavioral changes, you have to change your life. There are no quick fixes for anything.If you go to the extreme and say, and again we don’t know exactly what diet The Biggest Loser people are on, but a lot of people go on what they call, a true low carb diet, and a true low carb diet is, maybe 30 grams of carbs for the entire day. It’s low. It’s essentially nothing. When you go on that type of diet it really wreaks havoc on your metabolism, Your goal is to be cycling your carb intake which is going to get you that fast weight loss, but not sacrifice your metabolism because you want that metabolism to be fast all the time. That’s the number one goal.Your body works a certain way and that’s true for all of us, so you need to know the science behind it and while you can lose weight fast, safely and keep that metabolism up, you’re going to need to make those permanent lifestyle changes to keep it off. Don’t get caught up in these changes, these extreme changes of “Man how did they lose 30lbs and I can’t lose a pound.” You got to compare apples to apples here and see what positions their in and see what you’ve been in because as you noticed as you watched the second week of the biggest loser, those guys lost 2lbs, 3lbs, someone gained a pound and that’s their body going through that transition and almost going into a survival mode. I think you’ll find that as you keep watching the show; their weight will start to be more consistent where they’ll consistently lose 2lbs of fat a week or 3lbs of fat a week. You won’t see this wild swing of losing 30 lbs then losing 0 lbs even though they worked just as hard and ate just the same, because your body’s going to adjust, and your body – your metabolism will slowly speed back up and the goal is to try not to get that metabolism to slow down to begin with, try to keep it up at an elevated rate so that it is a consistent, permanent weight loss.Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS is the author of the Carb Rotation Diet. To discover the 5 absolute truths Every Serial Dieter Who Seeks Rapid-Weight loss MUST come to grips with visit The Carb Rotation Diet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjuNmNu4RQg

by: Jayson Hunter Registered Dietitian, CSCS The reason why you need to incorporate these superfoods into your diet is because they provide excellent nutrients that fuel your body for optimum efficiency as well as help reduce inflammation which allows you to recover better between workouts. All this means you make greater progress in your weight loss. Make sure you incorporate as many of these foods as you can on a daily basis to stoke your metabolism fat burning furnace. Fruit: These fruits are high in antioxidants, which help with disease prevention and contain flavonoids. Flavonoids help with eyesight and coordination. These dark colored fruits are also a good source of fiber and boost your immune system. RaspberriesBlueberriesBlackberriesGuava (great source of lycopene)Goji BerriesDried Plums Nuts: Great source of fiber, phytoestrogens, vitamin B6, niacin, magnesium, healthy monounsaturated fats, and protein. Nuts help to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and seem to help maintain healthy blood vessels. AlmondsWalnutsCashewsBrazil NutsHazelnuts Bean/Lentils: Beans are a great source of protein and fiber as well as low in calories. They help to stabilize blood sugars and provide isoflavones that help to prevent certain forms of cancers and heart disease. Legumes (chickpeas, lima beans, lentils, dry beans)Black BeansRed BeansOils: Particulary Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It is a heart healthy fat that helps to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. It contains anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It also helps to control cravingsFish: Fish contains the potent Omega 3 fatty acid. It is potent in a very good way. It helps your body store less fat and helps your body convert fat to energy. It is a great anti-inflammatory as well as wonderful brain food. The ADA recommends that you consume 1.5-3gms of Omega 3 fats a day. One serving of the choices below will provide almost 4 gms of Omega 3 fats. SalmonTunaMackeralVegetables: A variety of colors is the key here. For example carrots are a great source of beta carotene , which can reduce the risk of cancer, tomato contains lycopene another powerful anti-oxidant that reduces the risk of cancer. Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach contain carotenoids that improve your immune system and is full of vitamins and minerals. We also can’t forget about broccoli, cauliflower, kale and other cruciferous vegetables that contain cancer fighting properties. CarrotsTomatoBroccoliKaleSpinachCauliflowerBeetsCabbageSwiss ChardPurslaneGreen Tea: Not only is non-caffeinated fluid good for you, but research has shown that green tea may be one of the best disease fighting fluids you can consume. It is very high in antioxidants and scientists have shown that is has reduced cancer in individuals by as much 60%. It actually inhibits the growth of cancer cells. Research has also shown that it reduces over cholesterol levels as well as increasing the ratio of HDL (good) cholesterol to LDL (bad) cholesterol. Here are just some of the ailments that drinking green tea helps: * cancer * rheumatoid arthritis * high cholesterol levels * cariovascular disease * infection * impaired immune function.There is also some research that drinking green tea shows benefits to those wanting to lose weight. Researchers showed that those that consumed caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those that consumed caffeine or a placebo. More studies are being conducted to determine if this is valid evidence, but so far it looks encouraging. If you can eat as many of these superfoods as you can on a daily basis you will be running at peak efficiency and burning maximum calories to stoke the fat burning furnace called your metabolism. Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS is the author of the Carb Rotation Diet. To discover the 5 absolute truths Every Serial Dieter Who Seeks Rapid-Weight loss MUST come to grips with visit The Carb Rotation Diet.

By Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter There's been a LOT of talk on the Internet lately about the latest diet guru on the scene. He's a Registered Dietitian and fitness expert named Jayson Hunter.Chances are you've recently heard about his Carb Rotation DietAnd lately I've been getting questions from readers whether or not his program truly does an effective job of getting rid of unwanted body fat or if it's just another Internet scam.So first I did a little research on Mr. Hunter to find out exactly who this guy really is. I'll tell ya, I came away VERY impressed.Next, I put together a little Q and A to make sure I answer all your questions about Jayson's rapid fat loss plan.Q. Will the Carb Rotation Diet really help remove stubborn fat? I mean seriously, can it really help me lose up to 15 pounds in just 30 days, or is this just a bunch of hype?A. Yes, it will. In fact, I've heard from many personal fitness trainers all over the world - thanks to the Internet - his program has helped their clients lose the stubborn body fat that just wouldn't seem to come off.The secret is in the Carb Rotation cycle that he has perfected. In other words, eating the right amount of carbs on the right days creates an incredible fat blasting response by your body.Q. Are those testimonials on his site real?A. Absolutely. It's 100% against the law to make testimonials up out of thin air. He wouldn't think of doing it. And when you realize he has a wife and baby girl to support I think that will put your mind at ease even more. He's not going to do anything to get into trouble when I have so much going for him ;-)Again, they are real. Men and women just like you are seeing extraordinary results and loving every minute of it because his program is so easy-to-follow.Q. Do I really need to follow the exercise program that comes with his Carb Rotation Diet plan?A. Well, if you want to see optimal results, yes. If you're serious about zapping unwanted fat from your hips, butt, thighs or belly you sure do. When you add the fitness component to his Carb Rotation principals you truly can shed up to 15 pounds of fat in just 30 days!But here's the thing:The exercise program isn't a slow, boring cardio routine you're probably used to. It's high-energy resistance training that gets you in and out FAST. Plus, they really sculpt and shape your body to give you that lean, sexy look most people are after.Q. What makes his program different from all the other diets out there?A. As I mentioned earlier, Jayson has perfected a method for tweaking your carbohydrate intake which stimulates your body to melt fat almost instantly.And even more important is the fact you will FEEL full and satisfied. You will NOT be hungry all the time. And you'll have BOUNDLESS energy!Lastly, his diet plan teaches you how to KEEP the weight off. And isn't what you really want PERMANENT results?Remember, Jayson is a Registered Dietitian. Not some muscle-bound personal trainer with a weekend certification. He went to a real school and got a real degree so he could teach people how to make lifestyle changes which would result in a lifetime of weight loss and health.Q. Is the money back guarantee for real?A. Sure is. But I promise you, if you follow his program and put your heart and soul into getting results you wouldn't think of asking for a refund. You are going to be astonished by the results you see.Q. What if I purchase his program and after reading it still have more questions?Look at it this way: Your success is his success. He wants nothing more than to know his program has worked for you just like it has for countless others who have struggled to lose weight permanently. He let me know if you have questions you can email them to him at any time.Q. I'm really excited to get started, but I'm not sure how. What's the first thing I need to do?A. Jayson has laid out every step you need to take in the Carb Rotation Diet.Seriously, the entire blueprint is laid out for you in his program. Simply follow it to the letter and watch the fat melt off your body!Q. Am I going to be miserable and feeling hungry all the time?A. NO, you will not. In fact, just the opposite is true. You're going to always feel full AND you're going to be stunned by how great you feel and how much energy you have.Q. Why should I trust him?A. As I wrote earlier, I've discovered he's real guy with a real family. This program is how he supports them. I know all too well there are a lot of scam artists on the Internet. It's a shame because it makes it harder for guys like Jayson who truly want to see you succeed.He's a real Registered Dietitian and fitness expert with over ten years of experience. He's helped hundreds and hundreds of men and women just like you remove stubborn fat from their body.I'd love to see you added to the list of his success stories.Yours in health,NathanPS - The Carb Rotation Diet is the real deal. I can't wait to hear how much weight it has helped YOU lose!Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS is the author of the Carb Rotation Diet. To discover the 5 absolute truths Every Serial Dieter Who Seeks Rapid-Weight loss MUST come to grips with visit The Carb Rotation Diet.

Quick Weight Loss Tips to Lose Weight Fast By Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter Weight loss tips for six pack abs are in high demand these days. It seems everywhere you turn dieters everywhere are searching for the secret to the ever elusive flat belly. Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter, who has helped hundreds and hundreds of people lose weight successfully, has releases the following easy-to-follow weight loss tips for six pack abs. “Losing belly flab is not easy, but the formula is pretty simple,” Hunter explained. “There are simple things people need to focus on to lose weight fast.” Hunter recommends these proven weight loss tips for six pack abs: 1) Review food labels Avoid foods that contain excess sugar and calories. Especially avoid foods that contain any trans-fats. Look for foods that are low in energy density. This means you get a good size portion, but low calorie. This will generally be non-processed foods. Meaning fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins are your best choices. 2) Follow the 90% rule If you can follow your diet plan 90% of the time then that is enough to have success with weight loss. If you find yourself breaking the rules more than 90% of the time then the chance of being successful with weight loss is not as likely. Your chances of failing increase significantly. Lose the all or nothing attitude and just take one day at a time. Reflect on your day before you go to bed at night and instead of getting down on yourself because you were not perfect just set goals to accomplish next day that would eliminate those errors. 3) Keep total fat intake under 30% for the day This can be accomplished by not adding too many extra fats such as butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, etc. It does not mean you have to completely eliminate these items, but do not eat them as a regular food item every day. For even more great weight loss tips for six pack abs download Hunter’s FREE report “36 Rapid Fat Loss Foods” by visiting his website: Carb Rotation Diet. Jayson Hunter, RD, CSCS is a registered dietitian and personal trainer with over ten years of experience. He specializes in helping people lose weight quickly and safely so they look great for any special event they want to look their best for. He is available for story ideas and interviews.

Eating Healthy During the Economic Crisis Registered Dietitian Offers Nutritional "Bailout" Plan St. Charles, MO 10/16/2008 07:21 PM GMT (TransWorldNews) Eating healthy is often determined to be too expensive for the average American. Fast food and foods loaded with fat and sugar tend to be inexpensive and always at hand. Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter has created some tips for healthy and affordable eating. He is calling it his Nutritional Bailout Plan."Too many people think they can't afford to eat healthy, especially during this Economic Crisis", according to Hunter. "That's why I want as many people as possible to know about these tips for eating healthy. "The following healthy eating tips will help any American lose weight fast during this Economic Crisis: 1 - Choose seasonal fruits to save on grocery bill costs with your grocery bill. Out of season fruits can add a good chunk to any food bill. 2 - Buy in bulk and freeze what isn't needed. This is easy to do with meats. When buying ten chicken breasts it lowers the cost perp ound of chicken. Freeze the rest of the chicken that isn't going to be eaten in the next few days and then thaw what is needed for the next meal when necessary. Same idea works for beef and hamburger. 3 - Pay attention to sales. Many times, eating healthy can be easily accomplished just by focusing on special offers and coupons. For more information on how to eat healthy during the Economic Crisis can download a FREE copy of Hunter's Rapid Fat Loss Starter Kit. It will help any person who wants to lose weight fast. It is available free of charge at: Carb Rotation Diet Jayson Hunter, RD, CSCS is a registered dietitian and personal trainer with over ten years of experience. He specializes in helping women overcome the damage done by dangerous fad diets, so they can lose weight fast in a safe and healthy fashion. He is always available for story ideas and interviews.Yours in health Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS

Month three of Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 Program is well under way and I am still having a great time. I love knowing exactly what I have to do and not stressing about how heavy I should go or if I really went "all out". One point I think is worth noting about Wendler's program, and he makes it repeatedly in his book, is to start with a light weight and take your time cycling up to big weights. So in your first month use weights that are not very challenging, then add only 5 or maybe 10 pounds per lift per month max. I thought I started light but quickly realized how tough it is to max out on reps with 420lbs loaded for the deadlift. It sucks. Another point is to do lots of pulling drills. I like to do pull-ups between every set of the main lift. This way you are not sitting on your ass too much and your back and rear delts get a lot of much needed volume. Plus, pull-ups work the abs and arms nicely as well. Lastly. and this is a new one for me, Fat Bar High Pulls rock! I mean it. They give you many of the benefits of Olympic lifts without having to worry too much about form. Just keep upright and explode through the hips. High Pulls, and I mean explosive high pulls from the ground all the way to elbows level with your face, will give your metabolism a kick start as well as improve explosiveness and build some muscle in the calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes, back and rear delts. Bottom line, high pulls are underrated. Here are the training sessions I did for the week, following Wendler's 5/3/1, month 3, week 1: Squat Session Mobility work, bar hang, deep squat and hold, foam rollerA1 Squats135 x 5, 185 x 5, 225 x 5, 275 x 5, 330 x 5,5,6A2 Pull-ups7 x 8-10 with various gripsYoke Walkworked up to 600lbsProwler Pushing3 long hard pushesKettlebell ConditioningArm Bar x 2 one minute holds per armlots of swings, cleans, high pulls and snatches Bench Press Sessions Mobility work, bar hang, deep squat and hold, foam roller A1 Narrow Grip Bench Press with Fat Bar95 x 5, 135 x 5, 185 x 5, 225 x 5, 285 x 5,5,8A2 Pull-ups7 x 8-10 with various gripsB1 Strongman Log Clean and Press4 x 5B2 Rows4 x 10-12C1 E-Z Bar Curls4 x 5C2 Skull Crushers4 x 8 Kettlebell ConditioningArm Bar x 2 one minute holds per armlots of swings, cleans, high pulls and snatches Deadlift Session Mobility work, bar hang, deep squat and hold, foam roller A1 Deadlift135 x 5, 225 x 5, 315 x 5, 420 x 5,5,10A2 Pull-ups6 x 8-10 with various gripsAtlas Stoneslifted a bunch of big stones for about 30 minutesKeg Carriesdid a bunch of carries until I was tired (pretty scientific eh?) Military Press Session (I really have to put my ego aside on this lift and suck it up) Mobility work, bar hang, deep squat and hold, foam roller A1 Fat Bar Strict Military Press45 x 10, 95 x 5, 135 x 5, 150 x 5,5,6A2 Pull-ups6 x 8-10 with various gripsB1 1 Arm Dumbbell Military Pressworked up to a max triple with each armB2 Fat Bar High Pull (I am discovering something magical about this drill)5 x 5C1 Cable Curls3 x 15C2 Overhead Cable Triceps Extensions3 x 15 www.kettlebellplanet.com

Let's face it, your shoulder take a beating. From slouching at your computer, to slouching in your car, to spending more time working the front of your body than the back, you are setting yourself up for shoulder pain. I have been experiencing chronic shoulder pain for almost six months now. I have tried a few different things with moderate success such as ice, mobility drills, clubbell drills, and traction with a flex band. Luckily I re-discovered this gem of a drill. The kettlebell arm bar will make your shoulders feel like new again. I have yet to find any drill that comes close. That being said, expect your shoulders to hurt during the drill. But afterwards, you won't believe how great your shoulders feel. Here is a video to demonstrate the drill. www.kettlebellplanet.com

Today was a week 4, month 2 of Wendler's 5/3/1 program. If you haven't checked out Wendler's book yet, I highly recommend it. 5/3/1 is simple, fun and so far seem to be quite effective. Today's workout focused on the deadlift, which is lift I don't see nearly enough trainees working in the gym. If you want to be strong, have thick back, powerful glutes and really bring up your hamstring strength, then deadlifts are a must. All athletes could benefit from stronger hamstrings because it will make you faster and help prevent pulling a hamstring when sprinting. Also, not that I spend a lot of time checking out other men's asses, but frankly a lot more dudes could stand to gain a bit of muscle mass around their ass. A powerful ass is a sign of athleticism, plus chicks dig it. Here is the workout I did today, really simple but damn tiring: Foam RollingMobility WorkA1 Deadlift135 x 5, 225 x 5, 315 x 5, 405 x 5, 465 x 3, 500 x 1, 565 x 1A2 Pull-ups7 x 8, various gripsAtlas Stone Liftingplayed around with 285, 300, 315 stones for about 30 minutesKeep deadlifting and you just might put some muscle on. But only use straps if you are bodybuilder pulling 800lbs for reps. http://www.kettlebellplanet.com/

It is minus 30 degrees Celsius, or minus 22 Fahrenheit for you Americans, here in Calgary, Alberta today. On days like these I prefer to head straight home after work rather than risk death driving to the gym on icy roads. Enter the kettlebell, still my favourite "home gym in a can" after all these years. And what better kettlebell drill to focus on than the snatch. It will build muscle, improve your explosiveness, and burn fat all at the same time. One of the challenges with snatch's is to get enough volume in to stimulate your metabolism before you gas out. This is where ladders come in handy. The ladder is a rep scheme that flows upwards or downwards. For example, you do a set of 1 rep, then a set of 2 reps, then 3 and so on until you cannot complete a set. Then you might go back to 1 rep and start climbing the ladder again. Conversely, you might start at a high number and count down the reps. It would like reps I did for the snatch in the workout below. Here is the kettlebell workout I did today, using a descending ladder method to sneak in extra volume on the snatch. Two Hand Swing x 20One Hand Swing x 10 each armClean x 10 each armHigh Pull x 10 each armSnatch x 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 each armHere is an example of the ladder being used for a series of drills. www.kettlebellplanet.com

Here is an upper body workout I did today focusing on the military press, following Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 template. I really suck at over-head pressing so the focus 5/3/1 puts on this lift is much needed. It is easy to avoid the drills you suck at, but usually those are the ones you need to work on the most. Here is the workout I did today: A1 Fat Bar Strict Military Press145 x 5,5,7A2 Pull-Ups6 x 8B1 Log Clean and Press (no leg drive)4 x 5B2 TRX Row4 x 5C1 Pull-Over Skull Crusher4 x 8-10C2 Barbell Curl4 x 8-10 http://www.kettlebellplanet.com/

I've got a confession to make: I'm your prototypical skinny-fat ectomorph. Tall. Narrow shoulders. Wide waist. It's the recipe needed to look thin while simultaneously sporting a muffin top. It's also the combination that gets called "lanky," a word I've grown to hate. The truth is that I'm tired of seeing the skinny fats (as I like to call them) falling victim to advice given by the, "I've-been-lean-since-I-was-a-fetus" guys. The same guys that told me that I needed to shovel sustenance into my mouth without regard for body composition. That might have worked for you, Mr. Lean, but it sure as hell didn't work for me. Skinny fats can't play by the rules of the rest. With that in mind, here are 11 tips for the skinny fat ectomorph that wants to look good naked. Keep in mind that these are my personal reflections that worked for me, given my lackluster genetic makeup. 1. Stop Cutting and Bulking Yes, traditional bulking allows you to gain more muscle when compared to the infamous "clean" bulk. But we skinny fats are terrible nutrient partitioners, so more of our excess calories are stored as fat, not used for muscle. This means that without performance enhancing substances, our cuts will be so long and intense that most of the muscular gains wither away. We don't prosper in malnourished environments very well. Hell, we don't even prosper in nourished environments. Going through the whole bulking thing isn't worth the roller coaster of weight fluctuation and the filling (or perhaps creation) of fat cells. Editor's note: You could also try Indigo-3G™ and take your nutrient partitioning capabilities to the next level. 2. Carb Cycle There's nothing wrong with taking your time to add muscle – especially when trying to stave off fat accumulation – but the problem most have is that they eat like an emaciated Ethiopian. Maximizing muscular gain, while limiting fat gain, is about optimizing the body's hormonal profile at the right times. For the natural trainee, this means cycling carbs according to training. I'm not going to go into detail as there are tons of articles devoted to this. Let's just say: more carbs, less fats, and enough protein on training days; less carbs, more fats, and more protein on rest days. 3. Get Lean, But Forget About Abs One of the biggest rules I have for skinny fats is to lean out first and never go on a traditional cut ever again. This, of course, requires never getting so fat that you need to cut. Most skinny fats will operate best (as far as gaining muscle is concerned) just outside of the six-pack zone in 11-12% bodyfat (assuming 10% is six-pack level). This is lean enough to be considered lean and "fat" enough to gain muscle. 4. Don't Underestimate Bodyweight Training It's common for trainees that want to build muscle to revolve around the barbell, as it's the most fabled piece of equipment. Squats, bench presses, deadlifts – ahh, smell the manliness. But don't neglect bodyweight training like push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, dips, muscle-ups, and perhaps even some handstands, planche training, and front levers. Not only do these lifts keep your bodyweight in check (performance decreases if you're overly puffy), but they can build muscle and stave off body fat accumulation. 5. Don't Neglect Isolation, and Use Thick Bars Compound lifts work better for just about everything. But without isolation movements, a skinny fat's arms will have about as much definition as a PVC pipe. Don't neglect direct arm work. You need it. Our breed is known for having tiny wrists, which is why I also recommend using thick bars (or Fat Gripz) for all pressing and all biceps work. You can also throw in some thick bar pulling exercises for good measure. This will be the bane of your workout, but you'll see growth in your forearms, upper arms, and shoulders like never before. 6. Sprint, Carry Don't worry about "conditioning" work to "burn calories." Become a short-term power machine. Run sprints, be it on a hill or a track, from 40-100 meters, but don't turn it into a high intensity interval feast. Sprint, walk back to the starting line, catch your wind, and then go again. Also, do farmer's walks, waiter walks, and carries. You'll know why soon. 7. Be Cautious of Max Effort Work Skinny fats have terrible recovery capacity. Shorter, brick house powerlifters, with their shortened range of motions and supreme levers, can lift maximally with less trouble. Our lanky stature is inferior in this regard. Be mindful of the recovery process. 8. Be a Bodybuilder, Not a Powerlifter Similar to above, skinny-fats won't thrive on minimalistic powerlifting routines. That's not to say you can't train in the lower (3-5) repetition ranges, or that all powerlifting routines are bad, but we're much more suited to higher repetition ranges, training at a lower percentage of our maximum, and using a little more volume. 9. Shoulders, Upper Chest, Lats, Upper Back Skinny fats are pyramids: their waists are bigger than their shoulders. This needs to change. Focus on everything above the deltoid tuberosity – shoulders, upper chest, upper back, and neck. Also include lats in there, as wide wings make the waist look smaller. A steady diet of chin-ups, incline pressing, dumbbell floor pressing, heavy lateral raises (with body English), overhead work, and rows with the elbows flared will do the trick. Oh yeah, remember when I told you to carry stuff? Farmer's walks are your new BFF. 10. Wave Your Repetitions Skinny fats tend to need variation to kick start progress. This doesn't have to be complicated. One of the oldest methods of progression was to increase reps and not weight. Let's say you're benching 225 and you can get four sets of six reps. All future workouts stay at 225 until you work up to four sets of twelve. Once you hit that, add 10-20 pounds to the bar and repeat the process. This forces you to train with heavier weights and lower repetition ranges for a while, followed by a period of lighter weights and higher repetition ranges. Most everyone benefits from altering intensity and volume, so don't convince yourself that the end all of strength and size development is five reps. 11. Every. Damn. Day I'm going to end on a crapshoot. Some skinny fats are soft because they're babied. From a biological standpoint, having muscle is an artifact of living a lifestyle that demands its creation. So it may be worthwhile to try training every day to provide a signal to the body that being a skinny fat just isn't going to cut it. Something tells me that running a combination of Waterbury's PLP and Dan John's 40 Day Program could do wonders for anyone. Conclusion Skinny fat sucks. There's no denying it, sugar coating it, or trying to pretend it has any redeeming qualities. But it doesn't have to be a life sentence of avoiding public beaches and swimming with your shirt on. If you're tired of hiding love handles and having the hormonal profile of an ovulating woman, give these tips a try. Original Source http://www.kettlebellplanet.com/

I am into month two of Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program and so far have nothing but good things to say about this system. It is fun, simple and appears to be effective. I also like the slow and steady approach to increasing the weight. It is a nice change from always putting as much weight as possible on the bar but then missing attempts regularly. Today was a deadlift day and at first the weights felt pretty heavy, but once my nervous system woke up I was surprised at how many reps I was able to get. If you don't do deadlifts you best check yourself. Deadlifts are awesome, just ask Bill Kazmaier. Here is the workout, A1 Deadlifts135 x 5, 225 x 5, 315 x 5, 415 x 5,5,10A2 Pull-Ups6 x 8Tire Flip850lbs x 6GHR3 x 10 http://www.kettlebellplanet.com/

Here is a simple kettlebell conditioning workout to help you burn fat and increase your explosiveness. If your focus is conditioning, keep the rest periods as short as possible. Otherwise, take your time between sets and try to explode the kettlebell up as violently as you can control. Do a mobility drill between each set: 2 Hand Swing x 20, 201 Hand Swing x 2 x 10 left and 10 right1 Hand Clean x 2 x 10/101 Hand High Pull x 2 x 10/101 Hand Snatch x 5 x 10/10Flex Band Curls x 3 x 10Flex Band Pull Aparts/Face Pulls x 3 x 15The kettlebell snatch is the best all-around drill for conditioning and athleticism so if you are feeling fresh include more sets or reps of this drill. http://www.kettlebellplanet.com/