Fitness author Jon Benson sent this to me today. I found his frank approach refreshing.
Hope you enjoy it as well!
James
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A Rant:
Why We REALLY Overeat...
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Fair warning ... this one is a rant. It's probably a bit long, but take the time to read it.
I have some things to get off my chest ... and a lot of people reading this will find it refreshing.
We have a problem in this country... hell, this world... with people overeating.
Obviously overeating is one of the primary reasons people are struggling with bellyfat and excess bodyweight in general. The solution to this problem is not "don't eat so much", although that is the end goal.
The solution is to really, REALLY understand how your body uses fuel and how to create a dietplan that allows you to take advantage of it.
First, my rant.
You want to know why 99% of the people who fail to see results from my dietplans... or any dietplan for that matter... REALLY fail?
They do not understand how smart and powerful their bodies really are.
Look... no dietplan on earth will allow you to eat whatever you want every day. That's fatloss suicide.
No pills will cure this. No surgery.
Only this will cure it:
Use your body's own internal appetite mechanisms to your advantage.
I receive hundreds of emails every day from people who see results from my Every Other Day Dietplan.
But I won't lie to you: I also get emails from people who do not.
Welcome to the real world, right? Some people succeed, others do not. It's the same story no matter what your goals may be.
But in fatloss, the difference between success and failure, at least in the case of my readers, is NOT the dietplan... it's the need to fully appreciate how and why it works.
Let me explain...
Here is a picture of me (excuse the quality; this was snapped with a mirror and a cellphone...)
http://www.jonbenson.com/img/jbtowel.jpg
Obviously I have abs... and I'm lean... and because I love to lift weights I also carry a lot of muscle... but the real power behind this picture is what you do NOT see:
--> You do not see what I ate the night before; half a pizza.
--> You do not see how obese I was ten years ago... yes, 70lbs over-fat with a belly that looked like I swallowed a basketball.
--> You do not see how I set my body up to receive this pizza and actually get leaner after eating it.
In case you think I'm on some magical dietplan or taking some fatburning-stimulants... wrong.
I just woke up 5 years ago after studying nutrition for 15 years and finally put 2 and 2 together.
So, here's the facts.
My EODD Plan is build around a simple concept: Eat your favorite foods "frequently" and still drop the bodyweight you want.
And it works... not because it's a gimmick, but because it uses the science of metabolism, natural hormonal manipulation, and psychology to prepare your body to eat more calories.
Now those calories could easily come from, say, three yams... but I prefer pizza. ; )
If you've tried EODD with success, you know what I'm talking about. If not... then read on.
First, EODD never promises you that you can eat however MUCH you want every other day (or in my case, since I'm athlete, every three days)... no, no, NO!
It's whatever you want... not however MUCH you want. That is the sole reason a small fraction of my readers are not seeing the results they want.
Now, here's the beauty of it all:
After about 3 weeks following my System of eating, you simply cannot overeat... well, you can, but you'd have to force-feed yourself in order to pull it off.
You've been feeding yourself frequently for the day or two before your favorite food meals. The higher protein and very low starch content of the nutrition plan (with plenty of veggies) ensures that your body's metabolism stays elevated. BUT... and this is crucial... the amount of food consumed on these days before is not that much.
I'm never starving... I eat too frequently for that, plus the foods on my Plan curb your appetite. But I am not eating anywhere near my maintenance level of calories. I do not count calories (nor should you)... I just follow the System, which does the calorie-counting for me. Plus I know my body really well after all these years.
So, after days of eating enough to keep my metabolism relatively high, and right BEFORE it starts to slow down (your metabolism slows when you do not eat enough, bringing fatloss to a rapid halt) I hit the body with a lot of calories.
BUT... at the right time, and never at certain times.
And, please read this: I do not eat "however much" I want on my feed meals... I eat WHATEVER I want in reasonable portions. I don't have to fight to not overeat, even when it's pizza or burgers (my two favorite cheat meals.) Why? Because my body is set up to want more food, but also trained not to eat too much food at one sitting.
This is because I've been "grazing" -- eating small, frequent meals the days before my feed day. And the body learns to adapt... quickly.
The brain is actually re-trained to signal the stomach that you've had enough food... yes, even when it's dessert, or pizza, or whatever your favorite food may be.
So here's the deal: Yes, you can lose all the bellyfat and bodyfat you want eating like this... but like anything else that works, you have to follow a few simple rules.
The result is a dietplan where you never feel trapped. You always know that tomorrow, or possibly the day after, you can have whatever food you want. Just in reasonable amounts.
If you ask me, this is the perfect trade-off. No starvation, super-healthy eating at least 4 days a week, and you get to eat your cake as well (literally if you want.)
It's not magic -- it's science, and a bit of work on your part. Yes, work.
Nothing happens with effort. But put some effort into this System and boy... there's not a better dietplan on the face of the earth.
Click the link below and watch my full presentation on how and why this works...
http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com
Now, one more thing: I do take a few supplements to help the process along. I have a video on the Member's Only page that explains what I take and why.
The good news: Not one of these supplements are stimulants or dangerous. In fact they're all very healthy nutrients the body needs.
In conclusion, I like to think of The Every Other Day Dietplan as "The Thinking Person's Dietplan." Anyone who considers every angle of what it takes to shed bodyfat: Food you enjoy, freedom, a plan that's easy to follow, and flexibility will recognize this right away as the ideal approach.
But, like all ideal approaches, it requires you to re-think the way you eat.
You eat for fuel... period. But you CAN (and should) eat for pleasure too. As long as you keep FUEL as the main reason you are eating in the forefront of your mind, your body (and mind) will follow. Your body will adapt and begin to use both healthy and "not-so-healthy" foods as fuel.
Fuel to power your workouts, help you burnoff that bellyfat and bodyweight you don't want, and empower your sense of control.
Especially now, with the holidays upon us, "food as fuel first; food as pleasure second" should be carved into your dinner table. Because, let's face it: When all that holiday overeating is over with, you will be left with a bigger belly, feeling sluggish, and just one more step away from the body you desire.
My alternative offers the best of both worlds. You just have to be willing to re-think some things and give your body a few weeks to re-learn what it already knows --
When to signal you that you're full, and way before you overeat. And, believe it or not, you can (and should) do this by eating your favorite foods each and every week.
That's the only way to keep your MIND satisfied and happy. And your mind is the key to your body's success.
Thanks for reading.
Saturday 28 August 2010
Monday 23 August 2010
Common But Useless Fattburning Exercises
You may be wasting your time in the gym or at home if you are trying to shape your body or get rid of bodyfat.
Most people are. That is when it comes to exercise for getting rid of bellyfat and getting into better shape.
I was in the gym today (nothing new... ; ) and I saw all 4 of these exercises being performed by various gym members (again... nothing new.)
And they are useless for 99% of the people on the planet.
Here they are...
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
USELESS EXERCISE 1: Walking Dumbbell Lunges
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Okay ladies, this one is for you... although I see guys do this exercise as well.
This is where you take a pair of dumbbells and kneel with one leg, then the other, and so-on, walking around the gym as you go.
The idea behind this exercise is to work the butt, and to some extent the thighs... but it's a joke. It's something invented by trainers who should know better.
If you want to build and tone your butt, exercise one leg at a time. Lunges are a great exercise for this, but save your energy. Do them on a Smith Machine or with a barbell. Work one leg at a time, too. Do not alternate legs. This just wears you out aerobically before it has a chance to get to your glutes.
Here's how I perform lunges: On a Smith Machine, with pretty heavy weights... one leg at a time. I will do 2-3 sets, or do them in my 7 Minute Body-style workout fashion. I will finish one leg (and one butt cheek) before moving to the other leg.
Why? Again, to focus on the muscle more intensely and to avoid turning a leg/butt workout into a cardio session.
Jon Benson covers exactly how to work the butt area for the best results in 7 Minute Body and 7 Minute Muscle, found right here:
click.here ----- > http://www.7minutemuscle.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
USELESS EXERCISE 2: The Sit-up
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
I'm shocked that people still think sit-ups done the old-fashioned way actually work the abs. Even worse, most people have been fooled into believing this actually helps get rid of bellyfat.
Nonsense. Bellyfat is burned off when you have a good nutrition plan and through general exercise, not using exercises for the abs. Ab exercises are fine, but guess what?
I never train my abs more than 3-5 minutes. Today my ab workout took 3 minutes and 12 seconds to complete. And my abs are sore!
But without the nutrition plan, forget it... I'd never SEE my abs at all. I'd just have a nice wall of muscle with a bunch of flab covering it up.
The best nutrition plan for abs is The Every Other Day Dietplan, found here:
click.here ----- > http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com
The best exercises to do for the actual ab muscles are hanging leg raises, done slowly, crunches (if you do them right)... and that's really all you need.
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
USELESS EXERCISE 3: The Bench Press
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
I'm going to get a lot of flack from the guys out there who love to bench, but I'm here to tell you that this exercise for bodyshaping is all but worthless.
Why? Because most people are not built right body-wise to bench press on a flat bench with a barbell. I am not, that's for sure.
Bench presses work if you have short arms, a relatively short torso, and your shoulders are genetically strong.
Protect your shoulders and really work your chest by doing incline dumbbell presses with your palms facing OUT, not in toward your head. This protects the rotator cuff, a part of the shoulder that is often injured using barbell bench presses.
Combine this with a good cable fly or press movement and you're set. Again, you only need about 7-14 minutes of chest work tops to get the job done.
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
USELESS EXERCISE 4: Most Cardio Exercises
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Yep... saved the best for last.
Here's a fact: Most cardio (bike, treadmill, glider, whatever) is a waste to time... UNLESS you do it at the right time with the right nutrition plan.
The calories you burn from cardio will be easily negated simply by eating a bagel! Hardly effective for getting rid of bodyfat. Weight training and/or resistance training at home or with your body weight, as covered in 7 Minute Muscle, is your best bet for exercise that burns-off mega-calories and keeps on burning long after the exercise session is over.
Here's how to use traditional cardio wisely:
1. Do it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach;
2. Keep your heart rate down to 75% of your max (220 minus your age x .75 will give you this number, at least approximately);
3. "Burst" for 2-3 minutes in your session up to 85-90% of your max heart rate.
4. OR, do cardio right after weight or resistance training when your heart rate is already elevated and your blood sugar is lower. Your body burns blood sugar first during exercise.
Cardio for most people only needs to be performed 3-4 times a week for 20 minutes. The only time I break this rule is when I want to get my bodyfat below 10%. Then I will do more, but only using the rules above.
Hope this saves you a ton of time with your workouts.
Enjoy your holidays!
James
P.S. You can get both books, The Every Other Day Dietplan and 7 Minute Body, for a big-time discount by going here and watching this presentation:
click.here ----- > http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com
Most people are. That is when it comes to exercise for getting rid of bellyfat and getting into better shape.
I was in the gym today (nothing new... ; ) and I saw all 4 of these exercises being performed by various gym members (again... nothing new.)
And they are useless for 99% of the people on the planet.
Here they are...
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
USELESS EXERCISE 1: Walking Dumbbell Lunges
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Okay ladies, this one is for you... although I see guys do this exercise as well.
This is where you take a pair of dumbbells and kneel with one leg, then the other, and so-on, walking around the gym as you go.
The idea behind this exercise is to work the butt, and to some extent the thighs... but it's a joke. It's something invented by trainers who should know better.
If you want to build and tone your butt, exercise one leg at a time. Lunges are a great exercise for this, but save your energy. Do them on a Smith Machine or with a barbell. Work one leg at a time, too. Do not alternate legs. This just wears you out aerobically before it has a chance to get to your glutes.
Here's how I perform lunges: On a Smith Machine, with pretty heavy weights... one leg at a time. I will do 2-3 sets, or do them in my 7 Minute Body-style workout fashion. I will finish one leg (and one butt cheek) before moving to the other leg.
Why? Again, to focus on the muscle more intensely and to avoid turning a leg/butt workout into a cardio session.
Jon Benson covers exactly how to work the butt area for the best results in 7 Minute Body and 7 Minute Muscle, found right here:
click.here ----- > http://www.7minutemuscle.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
USELESS EXERCISE 2: The Sit-up
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
I'm shocked that people still think sit-ups done the old-fashioned way actually work the abs. Even worse, most people have been fooled into believing this actually helps get rid of bellyfat.
Nonsense. Bellyfat is burned off when you have a good nutrition plan and through general exercise, not using exercises for the abs. Ab exercises are fine, but guess what?
I never train my abs more than 3-5 minutes. Today my ab workout took 3 minutes and 12 seconds to complete. And my abs are sore!
But without the nutrition plan, forget it... I'd never SEE my abs at all. I'd just have a nice wall of muscle with a bunch of flab covering it up.
The best nutrition plan for abs is The Every Other Day Dietplan, found here:
click.here ----- > http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com
The best exercises to do for the actual ab muscles are hanging leg raises, done slowly, crunches (if you do them right)... and that's really all you need.
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
USELESS EXERCISE 3: The Bench Press
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
I'm going to get a lot of flack from the guys out there who love to bench, but I'm here to tell you that this exercise for bodyshaping is all but worthless.
Why? Because most people are not built right body-wise to bench press on a flat bench with a barbell. I am not, that's for sure.
Bench presses work if you have short arms, a relatively short torso, and your shoulders are genetically strong.
Protect your shoulders and really work your chest by doing incline dumbbell presses with your palms facing OUT, not in toward your head. This protects the rotator cuff, a part of the shoulder that is often injured using barbell bench presses.
Combine this with a good cable fly or press movement and you're set. Again, you only need about 7-14 minutes of chest work tops to get the job done.
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
USELESS EXERCISE 4: Most Cardio Exercises
----------------------------------------------------------------------|
Yep... saved the best for last.
Here's a fact: Most cardio (bike, treadmill, glider, whatever) is a waste to time... UNLESS you do it at the right time with the right nutrition plan.
The calories you burn from cardio will be easily negated simply by eating a bagel! Hardly effective for getting rid of bodyfat. Weight training and/or resistance training at home or with your body weight, as covered in 7 Minute Muscle, is your best bet for exercise that burns-off mega-calories and keeps on burning long after the exercise session is over.
Here's how to use traditional cardio wisely:
1. Do it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach;
2. Keep your heart rate down to 75% of your max (220 minus your age x .75 will give you this number, at least approximately);
3. "Burst" for 2-3 minutes in your session up to 85-90% of your max heart rate.
4. OR, do cardio right after weight or resistance training when your heart rate is already elevated and your blood sugar is lower. Your body burns blood sugar first during exercise.
Cardio for most people only needs to be performed 3-4 times a week for 20 minutes. The only time I break this rule is when I want to get my bodyfat below 10%. Then I will do more, but only using the rules above.
Hope this saves you a ton of time with your workouts.
Enjoy your holidays!
James
P.S. You can get both books, The Every Other Day Dietplan and 7 Minute Body, for a big-time discount by going here and watching this presentation:
click.here ----- > http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com
Sunday 22 August 2010
5 Surprising Things That Make You Leaner
Want to be leaner?
Good deal... here's 5 tips that will help you along...
TIP 1
Ditch The Starch
Starches, such as rice, potatoes, some veggies, oats, etc. are
often considered "health foods."
While they can be healthy, they can also pack on stomach bodyfat
like crazy if you overdo them.
As you may know, my "Every Other Day Diet" System (EODD) actually
encourages you to eat starches and even sweets several days a week
to get rid of excess bodyweight:
http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com
Well... how does THAT work?
Simple: Timing is everything.
And it takes a "weekly" approach to foods rather than a daily
approach. This keeps your metabolism guessing. If your body cannot
figure out what you're up to, fatburning is that much more
powerful. And you can get by with eating starches... at least a
specific times on specific days.
But if you're not going to do EODD, then you'll have to wing it.
And the best way to wing it is to simply cut starches out entirely
for 4-8 weeks. Then slowly add them back a few days per week.
This is no where near as effective (or as fun) as the EODD method,
but it will get you pointed in the right direction.
TIP 2
Can The Sodas
Why diet-sodas? A recent study revealed that people who drank
diet-sodas actually increased bodyfat when compared to those who
drank sugar-sodas.
What the... ??
Yep. Your body cannot be fooled by aspartame and chemicals. Sorry,
but that's the truth.
Here's a personal story: When I cut out the diet-sodas my bodyfat
drops like a rock in a pond of clear water.
And that's what you need to be drinking: A quart of pure water per
50 lbs of bodyweight a day.
Try mixing water with lemon and a bit of Stevia (an herbal
sweetener) and make lemonade. It's wonderful!
TIP 3
Stay Hungry
It takes a special person to be hungry... and an even greater one
to stay that way.
I want you to stay hungry in two ways: In how you workout and
literally... stay a bit hungry before you go to bed. Not
"starving"... just a bit hungry.
For your workouts, I have a great solution. If you pick up EODD
you'll get a limited shot at "7 Minute Body"... Jon Benson's
combination of "7 Minute Muscle" and "The 7 Minute In-Home Workout"
in one book... and for more than half off... but that's a very
limited deal. Gotta have EODD... you'll need them both...
http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com
You see, progression -- "forced" progression -- is the best way to
stay hungry. 7 Minute Body forces you to progress without thinking
about it. Progression is built into the System.
As far as staying hungry at night? Check with your doctor and if
he/she okays it take 500mg of potassium and 1000mg of
magnesium/calcium a few hours prior to bed. This helps with the
hunger pangs. Also, keep hard-boiled eggs in the fridge. If you get
really hungry, eat one with half the yolk (toss the other half.) It
keeps you full for an hour at least.
TIP 4
Cardio Clarity
Hours and hours of cardio a day is not the answer. However, you can
do "light" cardio (i.e. brisk walking, or riding the bike at 60% of
your max) just to burn off calories. That's okay... and personally
I don't find it that boring if I'm watching a TV show. It does not
interfere with my main fatloss exercise (weight training... YES!)
and it burns off about 400 calories an hour.
What does work is early morning fasting cardio... but you only need
9-15 minutes. Jon Benson explains GXP (Modified) in the 7 Minute
Body book, available only if you pick up EODD, and you can get it
at more than half off:
http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com
TIP 5
Get Raw At Night
Raw veggies with your last meal and as a snack will really help
your fatburning along. Try starting with red peppers because
they're sweet. You you'll eat virtually every veggie raw at night
without thinking about it. Give this a shot. The fatloss is well
worth it.
P.S. Jon is still giving away "Radical Fatloss Blueprint" along
with EODD for a few more days. And I'm giving a lucky few the
chance to pick up the Supplement-Kit that comes with Radical
Fatloss for almost 100 bucks off... the video and details are here:
http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com
Sorry... EODD Readers Only.... so pick it up today.
Good deal... here's 5 tips that will help you along...
TIP 1
Ditch The Starch
Starches, such as rice, potatoes, some veggies, oats, etc. are
often considered "health foods."
While they can be healthy, they can also pack on stomach bodyfat
like crazy if you overdo them.
As you may know, my "Every Other Day Diet" System (EODD) actually
encourages you to eat starches and even sweets several days a week
to get rid of excess bodyweight:
http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com
Well... how does THAT work?
Simple: Timing is everything.
And it takes a "weekly" approach to foods rather than a daily
approach. This keeps your metabolism guessing. If your body cannot
figure out what you're up to, fatburning is that much more
powerful. And you can get by with eating starches... at least a
specific times on specific days.
But if you're not going to do EODD, then you'll have to wing it.
And the best way to wing it is to simply cut starches out entirely
for 4-8 weeks. Then slowly add them back a few days per week.
This is no where near as effective (or as fun) as the EODD method,
but it will get you pointed in the right direction.
TIP 2
Can The Sodas
Why diet-sodas? A recent study revealed that people who drank
diet-sodas actually increased bodyfat when compared to those who
drank sugar-sodas.
What the... ??
Yep. Your body cannot be fooled by aspartame and chemicals. Sorry,
but that's the truth.
Here's a personal story: When I cut out the diet-sodas my bodyfat
drops like a rock in a pond of clear water.
And that's what you need to be drinking: A quart of pure water per
50 lbs of bodyweight a day.
Try mixing water with lemon and a bit of Stevia (an herbal
sweetener) and make lemonade. It's wonderful!
TIP 3
Stay Hungry
It takes a special person to be hungry... and an even greater one
to stay that way.
I want you to stay hungry in two ways: In how you workout and
literally... stay a bit hungry before you go to bed. Not
"starving"... just a bit hungry.
For your workouts, I have a great solution. If you pick up EODD
you'll get a limited shot at "7 Minute Body"... Jon Benson's
combination of "7 Minute Muscle" and "The 7 Minute In-Home Workout"
in one book... and for more than half off... but that's a very
limited deal. Gotta have EODD... you'll need them both...
http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com
You see, progression -- "forced" progression -- is the best way to
stay hungry. 7 Minute Body forces you to progress without thinking
about it. Progression is built into the System.
As far as staying hungry at night? Check with your doctor and if
he/she okays it take 500mg of potassium and 1000mg of
magnesium/calcium a few hours prior to bed. This helps with the
hunger pangs. Also, keep hard-boiled eggs in the fridge. If you get
really hungry, eat one with half the yolk (toss the other half.) It
keeps you full for an hour at least.
TIP 4
Cardio Clarity
Hours and hours of cardio a day is not the answer. However, you can
do "light" cardio (i.e. brisk walking, or riding the bike at 60% of
your max) just to burn off calories. That's okay... and personally
I don't find it that boring if I'm watching a TV show. It does not
interfere with my main fatloss exercise (weight training... YES!)
and it burns off about 400 calories an hour.
What does work is early morning fasting cardio... but you only need
9-15 minutes. Jon Benson explains GXP (Modified) in the 7 Minute
Body book, available only if you pick up EODD, and you can get it
at more than half off:
http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com
TIP 5
Get Raw At Night
Raw veggies with your last meal and as a snack will really help
your fatburning along. Try starting with red peppers because
they're sweet. You you'll eat virtually every veggie raw at night
without thinking about it. Give this a shot. The fatloss is well
worth it.
P.S. Jon is still giving away "Radical Fatloss Blueprint" along
with EODD for a few more days. And I'm giving a lucky few the
chance to pick up the Supplement-Kit that comes with Radical
Fatloss for almost 100 bucks off... the video and details are here:
http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com
Sorry... EODD Readers Only.... so pick it up today.
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