Last weekend I had the opportunity to learn from one of the most intelligent fitness minds in the industry.  Aside from learning an abundant amount of information on advanced training techniques, the instructor, Peter Chiasson, made this statement that brings a tremendous amount of truth explaining why people attempt to exercise and diet: “People exercise because of FEAR!”

Think about it for a second.  Why do you exercise? Regardless of what your goals are, or past experiences, there is a driving force within you causing some type of action to take place.  As human beings we are hard-wired to ALWAYS move away from pain and head in the direction of pleasure.  Fear and pain can be thought of as the same thing, and after hearing Peter Chiasson make that statement last weekend, I began to analyze all the fear-based emotions people have that are tied into exercise and diet.  Analyze the reasons why you workout and I can assure you that either fear, or moving away from pain, is what drives you.

·      Fear of not being able to fit into a pair of jeans.

·      Fear of not looking your best on your wedding day.

·      Fear of not being able to run around and play with your kids.

·      Fear of never finding someone to share your life with.

·      Fear of feeling insignificant.

These are just a few of the driving forces that influence people to engage in some type of exercise on a regular basis.  Sadly,  just as many people fail at exercise and diets because of this same emotion.  FEAR OF FAILURE is what kills progress every time.  Many people are so terrified of failing, they never even commit 100% to a program in the first place, or they self-sabotage by doubting what they’re actually capable of accomplishing.

A client and good friend, Anthony Canon was 75 pounds overweight. You can see in these pictures he wasn’t what we would typically classify as living a healthy lifestyle.  Anthony could have continued on this path for the next 40 years (which is common in society today) and continue to tell himself these common excuses;

·      ”It’s my genetics.”

·      ”I have a slow metabolism.”

·      ”I’ve just accepted this is how I’m going to be.”

·     “Being 40 pounds overweight is okay because 75% of the population is overweight.”

Anthony chose the opposite and ended up being driven by fear.  Anthony had a goal of completing an adventure race with his 65-year-old father, and was FEARFUL that his old-man was going to beat him in the race.  Five months (20 weeks) later Anthony lost 70 pounds of fat and decreased his body fat by 20%.  I’m not going to bullshit you and tell you that it was accomplished in 1-2 months but I am going to give you the secret to his success.  HARD WORK & DEDICATION! He didn’t take a fat burner or appetite suppressant pill, there was no magic cream we rubbed on his gut each training session to drop inches from his waist, and he didn’t starve himself on a 1,200-calorie diet each day.  He ate healthy 90% of the time and literally worked his ass off!

Think about it for a second.  Have you ever accomplished anything GREAT in your own life without hard work and dedication?  I sure haven’t experienced that and of all the extremely successful people I know haven’t either.  It takes hard work and dedication to break detrimental behavioral patterns, ensure ongoing progress and most importantly keep the changes made permanent.  Nobody is impressed if you’ve lost weight only to put all of it back on within 1-2 years of your weight loss.

If you’re relying on diet pills, exercise gimmicks, and the current fad diet to achieve long-term weight loss success, I can assure you that you’re only setting yourself up for failure.  Develop a mindset of hard work and dedication and you’ll be amazed at the permanent changes you can create in your own life.  In the right context, fear can be an amazing motivator that will get you to places you never thought possible.

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” -Mark Twain

So I’ll ask you one last time……”What are you afraid of?”

We’ve all heard of cheat meals and many of us incorporate them into our weekly eating plans.  But is there really a benefit to having 1,2, or even 3 cheat meals per week?  I’ll tell you the theory  behind cheat meals and how you can make them much more effective in helping you achieve your ultimate physique.

Ask any health conscious person why they incorporate cheat meals into their eating plan and you’re going to usually get 1 of 2 answers:

1) “Because it offsets my metabolism by having a cheat meal.”

2) “I would go insane if I couldn’t eat ice-cream and pizza one night a week.”

Let’s address the first response of cheat meals offsetting your metabolism.  The human body is the most complex “machine” on earth, and is smarter than even the highest advances in technology and medicine.  This is why after billions of dollars spent on research, we still can’t find a cure for cancer or other incurable diseases.  On the flip side, the human body also possesses the ability to heal itself of fatal diseases not understood by conventional medicine.  With that being said, the human body will adapt to ANYTHING you do consistently over time.  This refers to weight training, cardio conditioning, and nutrition.  If you originally consumed 2,000 cal/day and decreased down to 1,200 cal/day, you would notice a significant change initially and then experience a plateau.  Over time your body will adapt to the new caloric intake unless some type of adjustment has been made.

This is where the cheat meal comes into play.  People have the idea that if they throw a cheat meal into their routine (1-3 times per week), they’ll constantly be offsetting their metabolism and won’t allow their body to adapt to the restricted caloric levels.  Although this is true to a certain extent, don’t be fooled that this is going to happen in as short of a period as 4-7 days.  Creator of P90X, Tony Horton, uses the term “muscle confusion” as a genius way to market the P90X system:  “The success comes from keeping the body guessing with every workout.” Bullshit!!!!  Although the body is incredibly amazing and very adaptable, it’s not so advanced that it’s going to adapt to a program in 1 or 2 days.   So if you haven’t caught on yet, “muscle confusion” is B.S. (you do have to systematically adjust your programs over time, but not as frequent as P90X states).

It’s important to realize that the benefit from the cheat meal comes from the higher calorie intake on that day, not the usual shitty food that most people consume. Below is a list of what doesn’t qualify as a cheat meal:

• It’s not a meal & dessert: it’s ONE meal.
• It’s not an “ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT” buffet
• It’s not an entire day: many people turn a cheat meal into a cheat day, and wonder why their ass is still fat.
• It’s not more than one plate: no second helpings!
• It shouldn’t be more than 800-1,000 calories: you’ll be surprised how many restaurant meals are over this range.

If you’re still struggling with losing any amount of fat, I highly suggest you take a look at what you’re consuming as your cheat meals.  There is absolutely no reason why your cheat meal can’t consist of healthy and nutrient-dense food.  To increase your caloric intake on those cheat meal days, simply eat more nutritious food.  This will not only offset your metabolism, but will also keep your digestion and metabolism working optimally, ensuring a greater amount of fat-loss.

My suggestion is that if you have 20 pounds of fat or more to lose, your cheat meals shouldn’t be unhealthy choices.  Stick to healthy, higher-calorie meals to offset your metabolism.  If you want to check out a great explanation of how to cycle your nutrition this way, click here. Celebrity trainer Billy Beck III, breaks down nutrition cycling to get optimal results.

Now, on to the discussion of cheat meals acting as a prevention from insanity.  People fall into this category because their idea of healthy food is bland and tasteless.  This couldn’t be any further from the truth.  Healthy food should be extremely enjoyable and have an abundance of taste.  If you eat plain chicken and steamed broccoli (not micro-waved broccoli) for dinner four nights a week, you’re probably going to get some major cravings.

Eating a cheat meal is NOT going to keep you sane.  The only thing cheat meals are going to keep you from is your final goal.  People crave junk food and high fat meals the same way a drug addict craves drugs.  I’ve never heard of a therapist tell a cocaine addict to snort a few lines every 7 days so they don’t go insane.  Of course I’m being a little overdramatic, but there are certain foods that can be just as addicting for some individuals as drugs.

Researchers at Princeton University discovered that when large amounts of sugar are ingested, the brain experiences changes similar to the changes experienced by people who abuse cocaine and heroin.  Bingeing releases a surge of the brain neurotransmitter dopamine, giving people a sense of well-being and satisfaction.

It takes 21 days to break a bad habit.  If you eat bad foods every 4-7 days, you’ll continue to reintroduce yourself to every bad habit you’re trying to break.  Whether it’s over-eating or any type of food addiction/craving, it’s nothing more than a mental barrier that’s preventing you from optimal health.

Planning and mental conditioning can help break through this obstacle.  If you’re the type of person who falls off the wagon after one cheat meal, I suggest you only eat healthy meals.  There are always healthy choices at EVERY restaurant you eat at….pick one!  Stop thinking of food as enjoyment, and you will begin to break through the pleasure experienced by consuming certain foods.  Food is energy, health, and life.  It’s not a celebration, reward, or a drug!  Cheat meals will either keep your progress rolling, or stop you dead in your tracks (sometimes literally)!

Who wants Ice-Cream?

An often-overlooked component to many individual’s nutrition plans, is their pre and post-workout nutrition.  Pre and post-workout nutrition is essential if you want to maximize the results of your training.  Both pre and post-workout nutrition are going to vary depending on what your goals are, but we’ll just assume you fall into one of these two categories: 1) Fat-loss or 2) Muscle Gain.  It’s fair to say that the majority of you out there can relate to either one of these two goals.

Pre-Workout Nutrition for Fat-Loss:

• The ONLY time you can work out on an empty stomach is if you’re planning on doing a cardio/interval session first thing in the morning.  Doing cardio on an empty stomach in the morning will tap into more of your fat stores as energy, because you’ve been in a fasted state overnight (this doesn’t apply to all of you because some of you are night walkers raiding the fridge and cabinets for whatever you can get your paws on in the middle of the night).  Additionally, taking in 150-250mg of caffeine will boost your metabolism and create an additional fat burning effect while doing cardio on an empty stomach.
• If you’re going to engage in any form of resistance training, NEVER exercise on an empty stomach.  If you continue to train with weights on an empty stomach, you’ll end up burning right through that precious muscle tissue that you’ve worked so hard for, and soon have the appearance of a soggy noodle.  As your muscle mass decreases, so does your fat-burning metabolism.  A slow metabolism = a fat ass, because you’re most likely eating more calories than your metabolism is burning.  Here are some perfect options for that pre-workout meal (approx. 30-45 minutes before exercise).

o   Whey protein shake that’s high in protein (15-20 grams) and moderate in carbohydrates. One French study supported that consuming whey protein pre-workout, actually accelerated fat burning. This really is your BEST option and can be consumed up to 30 minutes before exercise.

o   Low glycemic index (GI) foods, that promote a slow and steady release of carbs and proteins to fuel your workout;

• An apple with a serving of raw nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.) Click here for an awesome blog post about different healthy nuts that are excellent for you.

o   Ground Turkey with a ¼ or ½ of an avocado. Great source of protein and healthy fat.  Just make sure that if you eat solid food, you give yourself at least 60-90 minutes before you jump into an intense training session.  Never eat cereal before a morning training session or drink milk! Milk is slow-digesting and it’ll sit in your stomach like a rock while you train, until it comes out one of two ends, or both at the same time.  We actually had a guy shit and throw up simultaneously on the toilet because he ate a good sized bowl of cereal before his training session. I didn’t even think that was physically possible.  I’m pretty sure that’s one step away from spontaneous combustion!

Post-Workout Nutrition for Fat-Loss:

• Since your goal is fat-loss, you typically don’t need all the excess carbohydrates you’ll often see with many of these different post-workout shakes. Your post-workout shake should consist of the following:

o   1 scoop of Whey Protein (around 20-35 grams). You aren’t going to absorb much more than this in one shot, so don’t waste your money on the 40-60 gram protein drinks.

o   15-25 grams of Glutamine. Additional glutamine post-workout will replenish glycogen (carbohydrate) stores depleted through training.

o   1 scoop of Greens (Greens-X, Greens +, Greens Vibrance, etc.). Greens ingested post-workout will decrease cortisol levels elevated during training.

*Your shake should be consumed immediately after your training session.  Don’t wait until you get home. Within 10-15 minutes of your last set, you should be drinking your shake.  A liquid shake is far superior to solid food because it’s already in a pre-digested form, which leads to faster rates of protein synthesis (good thing).  Also be sure to choose Whey protein versus Casein protein, because it has a much faster absorption rate.

Pre-Workout Nutrition for Muscle Gain:

o   If your goal is to increase size, strength, muscle, or power, NEVER do anything (in regards to exercise) on an empty stomach.  The main goal is to preserve and build upon every ounce of muscle you have, so NEVER leave your body in a depleted state when you train.

o   Pre-workout shake should consist of the following:

• 1 scoop of whey protein (20-25 grams) that contains BCAA’s (branched-chain amino acids)

• 1-2 scoops of a sugar-free carbohydrate such as Carb Slam, Glyco-Maize, or Vitargo S2 (Vitargo is far superior).

• Any solid meal that contains a combination of proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats would be sufficient as well. Just make sure you give yourself a minimum of 90 minutes to digest your food.  I’m a big fan of whey protein shakes because you know the exact nutrient breakdown of what you’re putting in your body and it can be consumed almost right up to the start of your workout (around 30 minutes).

Post-Workout Nutrition for Muscle Gain:

• Post-workout shake should consist of the following:

o   1 scoop of whey protein (20-35 grams)

o   1-2 scoops of a sugar-free carbohydrate such as Carb Slam, Glyco-Maize, or Vitargo S2

o   5-15 grams of Glutamine

o   1 scoop of Greens (Greens-X, Greens +, Greens Vibrance, etc.)

o   3-5 grams of Creatine Monohydrate

Pre and post-workout nutrition is essential for everyone, regardless of what their goals are.  Don’t be that person that rolls out of bed in the morning and starts working out within 30 minutes of the alarm clock going off.  Plan for success, not failure!  If that means you need to set that alarm for 30 minutes earlier, get your lazy ass to bed sooner the night before.  If you put just as much planning into your pre and post-workout nutrition, as you do your training program, you’ll achieve twice the results.  And just because you did a 60-minute spin class in a room with the lights turned off (somebody please tell me why every spin class is in the dark), doesn’t mean you can eat that skinny-cow ice-cream sandwich later. Now that’s Stupid Gym Shit!

This past weekend I took my 2 year-old Chocolate Lab, Phoenix, to the dog park and couldn’t help but notice two things. First, there was shit everywhere, and second, 20 out of 25 people were at least 30 pounds overweight or more.  As I walked around dodging shit piles with every other step, I began thinking about the billions of dollars Americans spend on weight-loss supplements.  We are the fattest country on earth, and I don’t care how you look at it, being overweight DOES NOT represent a sign of wealth, and there are NO health benefits to being classified as obese!

Supplement companies thrive on every individual looking to drop anywhere from 10-100 pounds.  With all the “weight-loss” supplements out there, how do you know which ones actually work?  There are literally hundreds of weight-loss supplements to choose from, and the frightening realization is that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) places minimal regulations on the supplement industry.  Anything can be classified as a supplement, and if you’re going to place your full trust in the FDA, I highly recommend you rethink your views of the FDA. Published studies have documented that FDA-approved drugs kill over 106,000 Americans every year. The FDA charges $250 million to approve a new drug. Additionally, drug manufacturers must spend another $150 million to cover their own expenses for the approval process. This means that the drug companies are spending almost half a billion dollars to get ONE drug approved.[i] [ii] My point is that these are the requirements and regulations for “FDA Approved” products.  Supplements are a whole different story.  It doesn’t take much to approve a supplement and once these products hit the shelves, we are participating in some of largest human studies taking place, to see if they’re even true to their claims.

Hopefully you can understand at this point that ANYTHING can be labeled as a supplement.  I can basically collect all the shit from the Markham Park Dog Park in Weston, Florida (Markham park literally needs to get their shit together), dehydrate it, crush it down into a powder, add some neuro-toxic Splenda to it, put it in a pill, give it a catchy name like Fat-Meltdown, pay Carmen Electra and David Beckham to endorse it, and profit millions of dollars on the general public’s ignorance. If you still don’t get it, stick to the treadmill and salads, and you won’t go wrong.

Below are the common ingredients in most weight-loss products and whether they have scientifically been proven to work or not.

• Citrus aurantium (bitter orange or Seville orange): This has replaced ephedrine since its ban and can be found in most fat-loss supplements. There is very little research to support its claims as an effective fat-loss ingredient. NOT PROVEN[iii]
• Green Tea: Green tea contains the extract EGCG, which in combination with caffeine, has been shown to increase metabolic rate (calories burned). PROVEN[iv]
• Caffeine: Caffeine is the main ingredient in most fat-loss supplements and has been proven to increase metabolic rate and fat oxidation. PROVEN
• Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA): CLA is found primarily in dairy and meat products, and has been used heavily in the United States and Europe by obese individuals. Although CLA has shown great promise in mice, no change in body composition has been shown in humans.  Most researchers report NO change in body composition with CLA supplementation. NOT PROVEN[v]
• Chitosan: Chitosan is a positively charged fiber that is supposed to bind to fat in your digestive tract and excrete it out of your system. This would be awesome if the claims were actually true. Not only has this ingredient shown no benefit in regards to fat-loss, but you can also expect the common side effect of diarrhea to come along with it. Think of the popular product “Alli” that you see in all the stores now. Alli’s big marketing campaign is that they’re the only FDA-approved weight-loss program.  If you want to run around in a diaper shitting your pants to lose weight because the FDA approved something, be my guest! NOT PROVEN[vi]

• Chromium picolinate: Chromium is an essential trace mineral, and has shown no significant effects on fat-loss, resting metabolic rate, or strength. Enough said! NOT PROVEN[vii]
• Ephedra: In 2004 the FDA banned the sale of ephedra because of numerous reports of adverse side effects. Sadly, ephedrine works! The effectiveness of ephedrine is enhanced even greater when combined with caffeine and aspirin.[viii] Ephedrine is still readily available through the Internet, and one year after its ban, a U.S. District Court determined that “the FDA did not prove by a preponderance of evidence that ephedrine presents a significant or unreasonable risk of injury.” Over the course of 8-12 years, ephedra was believed to be responsible for 5 deaths, 5 heart attacks, 11 cerebrovascular accidents, 4 seizures, and 8 psychiatric episodes. This is what led to ephedra’s ban.  Keep in mind 400,000 Americans die each year from smoking, 100,000 Americans annually from OTC or prescription medications. [ix][x] You can see how screwed up our system is, right?  I was that guy 10 years ago that had the bottle of ephedrine sitting on my night stand, and as soon as my alarm clock went off in the morning, the first thing I did was grab my bottle of water and pop my first of 2 ephedrine pills for the day (the second came before my training or practice).  When ephedra is used properly and not abused, it is NOT dangerous.  PROVEN

One last note to all you potential or current fat-loss supplement users, until your nutrition is clean and your exercise is consistent, skip on taking any fat-loss supplements. There are no legal supplements out there that are going to compensate for a shitty diet or lack of exercise. I challenge you to do some research before even thinking about taking one of the hundreds of fat-loss supplements that are out there.  And talking to the guy behind the counter at GNC doesn’t count as research.  Please don’t fall into the trap of Stupid Gym Shit! Just in case you were keeping track, I used the word shit 8 times in this blog post, and I can do that because the site is called Stupid Gym Shit

For this “Ask The Expert” blog post, I decided to jump into the head of Billy Beck III and get his take on what Stupid Gym Shit means to him.  As President and CEO of BB3 Personal Training and Performance Center located in Sunrise, Florida, Billy delivers unprecedented results to his clients. These individuals include high-level executives, successful entrepreneurs, professional athletes and Hollywood celebrities. He has appeared on numerous television and radio shows and has been featured in many magazines including Men’s Health, Muscle and Fitness and Men’s Journal.  He has been awarded many honors including the MET-Rx World’s Best Personal Trainer contest (2 times) and was named the PEAK and Personal Fitness Professional Magazine Personal Trainer of the Year.  You have to watch this short 60 second video before reading the rest of this blog or you might end up on Stupid Gym Shit!

Disclaimer: Since I am contributing to Bryan Francis’s Stupid Gym Shit Blog I am going to speak StupidGymShit-ese. If you are overly sensitive and need a hug after you read this then go to a Weight Watchers meeting.  I am going to give it to you straight.  Prepare yourself.

So it’s Tuesday evening around 7pm and I am at Whole Foods Market stocking up on high quality fuel.  I am in the freezer section searching for frozen organic blueberries when suddenly I smell the familiar scent of perfume and sweat.  For a moment I thought I was back at the gym. Realizing it was strange for that odor to exist here I looked back and saw it.

What was it?

A woman ever so snuggly packed into a tight gray Lululemon workout outfit.  Other than the scent of sweat and way too much perfume, the first thing I noticed was the sweat soaked gray outfit! It looked like she did 1000 burpees in the sauna.

Now this was not the first time I have spotted this creature.  I have seen her here and many like her both male and female in this very aisle of Whole Foods.

What was she looking for in the freezer section you ask?

Low Fat Ice Cream.

Newsflash!!! Low-Fat Ice Cream is still ice cream.

If your fat burning plan of attack is making “better choices” like eating low-fat, light, fat-free, reduced fat, 50% less sugar, less sodium processed garbage like ice cream, potato chips, cookies, cereal, diet soda or pizza with low fat cheese you are going to be greatly disappointed.  In fact, you will fail.  Here’s why:

Processed foods that are packed with artificial chemicals and preservatives are stripped of vital nutrients which tell the brain when you have eaten enough.  In other words, processed foods have no shut off valve.  They create a hormonal environment within the body that triggers overeating.

Here’s the deal. If you want to burn fat, speed metabolism and create relentless energy, then choose foods closest to their natural source.  Be sure to challenge your body with weights and cardio and drink plenty of clean water.  Above all, take 100% responsibility for your health and appearance and don’t let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do.  No one.  Research has shown that anyone regardless of age can build muscle and burn fat. Abandon all excuses. They only exist in your mind.  Instead realize you are greater than any obstacle that comes before you.

Step up, get focused and as Bryan Francis says, don’t fall for the “Stupid Gym Shit.”

And if you’re going eat ice cream, get the real stuff.  It’s so much better.

Who needs a Wii Fit?  Hint: The fat kid in the picture.

Live Greatly,

Billy Beck III

www.billybeck.com

This Stupid Gym Shit blog post is geared specifically to women.  Not all women will fall into this Stupid Gym Shit category, but I’m sure many will. My goal is to give you a self-evaluation checklist so you don’t remain in this group of underachieving females.  By your next workout you should be on your way to achieving your true potential.

I’m referring to all those women out there that are scared of weight training.  Meaning that you have the misconception that by lifting weights you might get too bulky or lose some of your feminine characteristics.  I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve heard a woman tell me; “I put on muscle very easily and I don’t want to get too muscular.” Or, “My husband or boyfriend doesn’t want me to put on too much muscle.”  My favorite one is, “My last trainer had me on a program that made me way too bulky.”  Every female is looking for that tight, firm, and toned body, right?  Arnold Schwarzenegger said it best; “If it jiggles, then it’s fat!”

Sylvia Ferrero

You will never achieve that firm and toned appearance without developing muscle.  The most important concept that you must realize is that it’s physiologically impossible for you to have to worry about getting “too big.”  Put your mind at rest because the majority of you ladies don’t have enough testosterone pumping through your body to elicit those types of responses to weight training.  If putting on muscle was that easy, every single male that you see working out on a regular basis would look like the Incredible Hulk.  And trust me, I’ve seen plenty of guys (who have lots of testosterone) lift weights very heavily for years and can’t put on even close to the amount of muscle that I hear some females claim they can achieve.

Julie Durda

Without testosterone, significant increases in muscle mass just aren’t possible.  So where is all that extra “weight” coming from that all these women claim to be putting on?  A few pounds (1-3 lbs.) may be muscle in the first few months of training, but most of the additional weight they are gaining is either fat or water weight.  You can obviously put on more than 3 pounds of muscle over time, but your training is going to have to be very intense and I promise that you will have plenty of notice if you feel like you’re getting too muscular (it doesn’t happen overnight).  Just because you are working out more than you did last week, doesn’t mean that you can eat those extra cookies or have an extra glass of wine.  As long as you are eating a balanced diet that is high in protein, fibrous vegetables, fruits, and low in processed carbohydrates, it’s almost impossible for you to gain fat unless you’re over eating.

So please, stop lifting those 5-8 pound dumbbells and challenge yourself so that you can actually stimulate what little muscle mass you can hormonally achieve.  Some women genetically have much higher levels of testosterone than your average female, and these women would obviously be more susceptible to generating muscle.  So here is a self-checklist you can do to see if  you are one of those women.

• Do you have a mustache or a beard (do you have to shave your face)?
• If I call your house, is there a chance I may mistake you for your brother (do you have a deepened voice)?
• When you go get your legs waxed, do they recommend they wax your chest during that same visit (do you get hair on your chest or other unusual body parts)?
• Do you find yourself dialing the number to the “Proactive” infomercial (are you getting increased acne on your face or body)?
• Have you secretly joined the “Hair Club for Men” (male pattern baldness)?

Between 4% and 7% of women produce too much testosterone in their ovaries and may experience one or more of the symptoms above.  If you’re ever in doubt, I definitely recommend going to get a hormonal profile done and you’ll know for certain if this is a concern for you.

Michelle Diaz

If you ever want to get out of that skinny-fat category and put an end to those “turkey arms” (the fat on the back of your arm that flaps when you wave goodbye to your kids at school) once and for all, you MUST lift weights that are challenging.  Billy Beck states it best; “Challenge creates change!” Chose a weight that is challenging for 10-12 repetitions.  If you can do 15-20 repetitions, then it’s too light.  Extra lightweight is better than nothing, but it’s not enough of an overload to create noticeable change.

As proof, I’ve added pictures of 3 women who train harder than most men.  As you can see, no bulky appearance or muscle bulging biceps on these ladies.  These women curl 70 pound barbells, climb 40 foot ropes, push trucks, pull in cars, and flip 350 pound tires.  I’m not saying that you have to train this way, but if they can train to that intensity and still maintain their feminine characteristics, you can lift more than a 10 pound dumbbell and not have to worry about putting on too much muscle.  Challenge yourself next time you lift weights and you’ll be amazed at how you respond both physically and mentally.

Over the past few weeks I’ve received numerous emails about my opinion of P90X.  P90X has revolutionized “in-home” training videos and if you haven’t jumped on this bandwagon yet, just watch the infomercial long enough, and you’ll most likely be pulling out your credit card before it’s over.

For $120 you can completely transform your body and mind in 90 days! Who wouldn’t want that? It’s 12 complete training programs, a nutrition plan, and you even get free online support to fitness experts and the P90X community.  Not only will you get to join the P90X community, but I’ll personally throw in a free membership for your enrollment into the Stupid Gym Shit community (only if you purchase P90X and don’t follow through with the entire 90 days)!

P90X is a very complete program and is by the far the best in-home training program available to the public.  But I have yet to meet a single individual who has been able to adhere to the program for the full 90 days.  1 hour a day 6 days a week is the recommendation by P90X, and if you put anybody on a fitness program where they’re training 1 hour a day 6 days a week, they’re going to get some pretty phenomenal results.  Most people are buying into the hype of this technical-sounding “muscle confusion” concept and thinking this is the magic answer to the fat hanging over their waistline.  Imagine all the people right now sitting in front of their televisions eating a bowl of ice cream, seeing Tony Horton (creator of P90X) come on the screen talking about muscle confusion, and a light bulb goes off;  “That’s it. My ass must be fat because my body has adapted to the training program I’m currently on. Better buy this P90X and start confusing my muscles right away.”

Of course you need to vary your exercise program, just as you do your nutrition, and anything else you do consistently.  Our bodies are the most intelligent machines on this planet and will adapt to anything we do over an extended period of time (exercise plan, nutrition plan, etc.).  What does all this mean? Eventually you’re going to hit a plateau and your results are going to stop.  This time-frame is different for everyone and the more conditioned you are, the more frequently you need to change up your routine.  Muscle confusion is just a BS term that P90X is throwing out there to make consumers think it’s the next best answer to getting the body of their dreams.  Programs do need to be varied, buy I’ve personally had clients on the same program for almost 3 months while consistently achieving measureable results each and every week.

Here are my views of the flaws that exist in the P90X program:

• One program for everybody.
• No feedback on form or technique of complex movements being performed (there is more to a pull-up than just pulling yourself up and over a bar).
• Progressions from different phases of training are too fast for people to adapt to (adaptation is a good thing and allows our bodies to progress to the next phase of training without risking injury).
• Plyometrics are an extremely intense mode of training, which most people participating in this program cannot handle (very high level risk of injury doing plyometrics incorrectly and Tony Horton isn’t in your living room correcting that ACL knee-tearing squat jump).
• Additional equipment is needed besides the $120 spent on the program (check out the website and you’ll see all the “cool” additional stuff they suggest for the program).
• Exercising 6 days a week for 1 hour is unrealistic for most people.  Programs can be much more efficient and effective than having to workout 6 days a week.
• P90X is an intense program and only for fit people that are ready to put in the effort (this comes straight from the P90X book), and the majority of people investing in this program do not fit this criteria.

So who is P90X for?  P90X is for experienced exercisers that have no other choice than to exercise in the living room of their own home.  It’s for self-sufficient individuals who know with 100% certainty that they will adhere to the program for the full 90days.  It’s not for the weak-minded or the weak hearted because this program gets intense.  The truth is that P90X doesn’t fall into the category of Stupid Gym Shit. If all components of the program (training, nutrition, etc.) are followed exactly how they are mapped out, you will most likely achieve measurable results.

If you have absolutely no time or money to invest in a training facility, and have no idea how to structure together an exercise program, then I would recommend P90X for you (considering you’re pretty fit to begin with).  Remember, this is not for your beginning exerciser.  My advice is that if you do purchase the program and venture out to be the next P90X success story, start from the beginning and work your way through the entire program.  Never skip phases and think you’re more advanced than where you’re currently at, because I’ve known numerous individuals who have injured themselves because they tried to immediately jump into the advanced movements of the training program.  Now that is Stupid Gym Shit!

P90X has marketed and advertised this program in such a genius way, I was almost tempted to buy it myself.  But then I saw the infomercial for the Shake Weight and purchased that instead (completely joking)!  Don’t fall victim to outstanding marketing and advertising.  Be realistic before purchasing this program and if you can’t commit 100% for 90 days, save your $120. If you decide to make the commitment, I encourage you to follow every component of the program or you will receive a free membership into the Stupid Gym Shit community.  Hey, if P90X doesn’t work out the way you intended, you can always go purchase a Shake Weight!  Best of luck and don’t ever hesitate to call these companies out on their “100% satisfaction money back guarantee.”

Check out the short P90X infomercial, but don’t watch too long or you might have just purchased the program subconsciously (those tricky bastards)!

The Shake Weight doesn’t even need an introduction into Stupid Gym Shit because any person with the slightest amount of common sense could tell that this is some stupid shit.  That was my assumption until this past weekend while shopping at Target, I passed not one, but two different people with Shake Weights in their shopping carts.  ARE YOU SERIOUS PEOPLE? They must be gag gifts for coworkers or Christmas presents for their in-laws.

As sad as it is, there have been a lot more than just those two weekend shoppers that I passed by who have invested their money in a Shake Weight.  As of August 2010, more than 2 million units have been sold.  At $19.95 for the female version and $29.95 for the male version, an incredible amount of money has been made for such a ridiculous product.

For women, the product claims that in just 6 minutes a day you can achieve  “strong, sexy, and sculpted arms that you’ll be proud to show off.”  For men, they guarantee to “Get strong, toned, and ripped arms and chest.”  Wow, I want that!  So let me understand this correctly.  All I have to do is shake this 5-pound dumbbell (2.5 pounds for females) for 6 minutes a day and I’ll look like this guy?

Awesome!  Where do I send my $19.95?  Those are some pretty ridiculous statements and what makes things even worse, is that over 2 million of them have been sold.  Too many people are falling victim to great marketing and advertising.  If something sounds too good to be true (only 6 minutes a day and you’ll achieve toned and sexy arms), most likely it is.  Please don’t spend $20-$30 on a gag-gift for a friend, and if you really believe enough in this product to purchase one expecting results, you’ll ensure that I never stop running out of Stupid Gym Shit topics to talk about.

Most of us already know that “spot-reducing” body fat is impossible, and that simply shaking around a 2.5-pound dumbbell for 6 minutes a day, will not drop the fat in those arms one bit.  Healthy eating, a tailored and targeted strength training program, will tone up your arms twice as fast than this silly little gimmick.  Squats and lunges also burn a ton of calories and elicit many fat burning and muscle building hormones.  As a result your entire body will get leaner and firmer.  So donate your $20-$30 to a much needed charitable cause, rather than contributing to the Stupid Gym Shit community.

Below is a must see clip of the Shake Weight in action.  It’s completely outrageous and sums the Shake Weight up perfectly…..hilarious and non-productive!  Enjoy and don’t be afraid to laugh your ass off!

We’ve all seen them and many of us have actually been one at some point in our journey to reach our true physical potential. I’m referring to what I like to call Scale Whores. Scale Whores are those individuals who visit a scale every single day, or weigh themselves every time they come into the gym. Some people are so extreme that they’ll weigh themselves before they workout and then again on their way out (no fat has been burned away in one workout….sorry). I’m here to tell you that this will only be detrimental to you not only physically, but more importantly, mentally as well.

The term Scale Whore sounds kind of offensive and nobody wants to be titled that, but the truth is that way too many people get caught up in scale readings. Truthfully, I’ve been at that point a few times in my fitness career, and those have always been the times when I’ve noticed the least progress. Of course I was still making progress towards what my goals were, but the results came at a much slower rate. So my confession to all of you is YES, I used to be a Scale Whore. If you just so happen to fall into this category then I assure you that if you can break this detrimental pattern, your health & mindset will be so much more enjoyable.

Here is some real basic exercise science to educate you on why you MUST leave the community of Scale Whores. Most people who visit the scale daily have the goal of losing weight or body fat. In one pound of fat there is 3,500 calories. In order for you to lose just one pound of fat, you must be in a caloric deficit (burning more calories than you’re taking in) of 3,500 calories. Hopefully you’re still following me because this is where the light bulb should go off in your head. How can you lose or be in a deficit of 3,500 calories from one day to the next? The answer is you can’t in a healthy and safe way. If you just so happen to be in that much a deficit from day to day, and the scale is dropping, it’s very likely that you’re losing lean body mass (muscle mass) and not fat mass. I’m going to state it one more time just so this sticks with you; “the only way that’s physiologically possible for you to lose one pound of fat, is to be in a deficit of 3, 500 calories.”

Calories are energy and without them we couldn’t survive. The problem is that as humans we’ve evolved to be extremely efficient at storing extra energy (calories). We all know where that extra energy gets stored way too well, our asses, guts, and thighs! To get rid of that excess energy (stored fat) we must burn it off as exercise and daily movement. 3,500 is a magic number that you should never forget by the end of this blog if your goal is to even drop one pound of fat. Lucky for you I’m going to give you the easiest, safest, & most effective way to drop body fat. Its almost impossible to shoot for a daily goal of burning 3,500 calories with exercise and daily activities, so want I want you to do is have a goal to burn 500 calories with each and every workout that you do during the week. Theoretically, if you exercised 7 days a week and burned 500 calories each workout, that would equate to the 3,500 calories needed to lose one pound of fat. Now 7 days a week of exercise is a bit excessive for most of us, so try to shoot for a consistent 4-5 days a week of whatever it is you enjoy doing and will commit to on a regular basis. Secondly, cut back your calorie (food) intake by 500 calories each day to ensure you’re in a caloric deficit each and every day. Again, if you’re taking in 500 less calories a day for 7 days, that will equate to 3,500 calories needed to drop another pound of fat. The basic formula is……MOVE MORE & EAT LESS!

Healthy fat loss for most individuals is going to average around 1-2 pounds of fat per week. Any other fluctuations in weight is primarily do to fluid fluctuations or even a loss of muscle mass. Never drop your calories below 1,200/daily if you’re active, and space your meals out proportionately.

The scale is a very misleading tool at times, and for many Scale Whores, the scale really acts like their pimp! I watch people step onto scales all day and it’s astonishing to see their mental state of mind change just based on what the scale reads. Their whole mood for the day is determined by what that scale/pimp tells them. Its either going to be good news or bad news, and the reality of it is that you don’t even know if its fat mass, muscle mass, or water. Scales only tell you how much all three of those masses weigh together, and will never be able to differentiate between the three.

Your Thoughts = Your Feelings = Your Actions = Your Results

If your thoughts are negative, a chain reaction is going to be set forth that will eventually negate any results you’re headed towards. Physical training is a major component to results, but mental conditioning is what sets apart the good from the great. Please do me a favor and put away those scales. If your scale is out on the floor and visible, its inevitable that you’re going to step on it. Hide it somewhere that is out of sight and force yourself to a once-a-week weigh-in. I promise you that it’s so much more rewarding and enjoyable when the scale doesn’t dictate your mood and thoughts.

I’ll get straight to the point and answer the question of how often should somebody weigh himself or herself? My advice is to weight NO MORE than once a week. Choose a day during the week and weigh yourself at the same time and under the same conditions (light clothes, no shoes, go to the bathroom, etc.). This will lead to consistency with your measurements and won’t leave you with any misleading data.

There are definitely circumstances when people need to monitor their weight on a more regular schedule (more than once a week) and that should always come from the supervision of a medical professional. Eating disorders and other diseases that many people suffer from do not fall into this category of Scale Whores and should be taken very seriously. Don’t just measure on a scale, but rather get your body fat assessed regularly as well to determine exactly what type of weight you losing (fat, muscle, fluid).

Frequent, weekly weigh-ins definitely falls into the category of “Stupid Gym Shit” (even though it could be going on in the privacy of ones home), and I highly recommend that you leave the community of Scale Whores to join a more respectable and positive lifestyle.

As athletes and exercisers become more educated on the benefits of intervals versus steady-state cardio, the number of people using interval programs continues to increase.  Just as with anything being done by large amounts of people, some will understand how to do it correctly, while others will convince themselves that what they’re doing would be considered interval training.

Let me make clarify something right from the beginning.  I’m referring only to cardio-intervals to help enhance fat loss & cardiovascular fitness.  These programs can be done on cardio machines, outdoors, or using weights.

Intervals can be described using one word…….INTENSITY!!! The intensity is what’s going to determine if you’re actually completing an interval or not.  So many times I see people claiming that they’re doing intervals and they’re training at the intensity of a 10 year old.  To put it quite simply, intervals are probably one of the most challenging & exhausting movements you can complete in a gym or outside.  Each interval requires 100% focus and determination to get through that one single interval.  There is no way you can hold a conversation or “people watch” while your in a working set of an interval, and if you can, then the INTENSITY is nowhere close to where it needs to be to gain any type of benefit.

So here’s the million-dollar question.  How do you know where your intensity should be at each working set?   TRIAL & ERROR.  It doesn’t get any simpler and effective than that.  The first time you set out on an interval program your going to 1 of 2 things. 1) Your going to go at an intensity that is way to high for you to maintain through the desired length of time, or 2) your going to pace yourself and not push yourself to the level that’s going to create benefits from the program.  Always expect the first time through to be a learning experience of what you can do, and what you can’t do.  Then the next time you come back to that interval-program you’ll have a plan of attack that will benefit you tremendously in decreasing fat and increasing your cardiovascular fitness.

Focus on each interval as being a maximum effort from start to finish.  For example, if you are suppose to run on a treadmill for 60 seconds, your intensity needs to be so high that you can run at that speed for 60 seconds but there is no way in hell you would be able to go another 10-15 seconds.  If your not near maximum effort at the end of each interval then YOUR NOT DOING INTERVALS!  You also have to make sure that you don’t start at so high of an intensity that you can’t complete the full 60 second interval.  As you progress into more and more advanced interval programs, you’ll learn what your intensity levels are for each working set.  Record your programs and track your progress.  Intervals are a very challenging and uncomfortable task to perform, but if you can learn to be “comfortable with being uncomfortable” then you’ll take your results & fitness to a whole new level.  A great quote from celebrity trainer Billy Beck III is, “Challenge Creates Change”!  Apply that and you’ll never go wrong.