CategoriesFat Loss Strength Training

The Tenets of Fat Loss

UPDATE:  The original title of the post was The Tenents of Fat Loss.  As in “tenents,” a word that doesn’t even exist.  I meant to say tenets. My bad (and thanks to the 17 or so people who pointed out my mistake.).  There I go again making up new words!

I don’t claim to be an “expert” in anything.  Actually, that’s false.  I am an expert in somehow forgetting to clean all the dirty dishes in the sink before I leave for work every morning, much to my girlfriend’s annoyance.

Oh, and I can crush 90’s movie trivia.

But other than those two things, I don’t claim to be an expert in anything.

Which is why I’m amazed as to how often that claim – being an expert –  is tossed around. Especially in the fitness industry. I once had a 20 year old – Like, still an undergraduate 20 year old –  email me and claim he was an “expert” in lumbo-pelvic-hip anatomy and rehab.

Okay dude, calm down. How bout you pass Kinesiology first, and then we can talk.

And of course the internet is rife with Paleo experts, low-carb diet experts, kipping experts, heart rate variability experts, strength experts, body recomposition experts, experts, experts, experts.

Maybe it’s just me, but unless you’re a NASA rocket scientist, or a medical researcher, you’re not an expert, mmm kay?

Thanks to Dean Somerset for the hilarious pic!

Alas, we can talk all we want on what it actually means to be an expert – they do exist – whether it’s education, years of experience, real-world application of said education, but it’s not going to prevent people from putting the term into their bylines.

With that teeny tiny rant out of the way, I’m going to take a little time this morning and discuss fat loss.  More specifically what I feel are the main tenets, criteria, or components of effective, efficient, and long-term fat loss.

Note: I am not an expert (but I play one on the internet)

In my defense: while I don’t claim to be an expert, this isn’t my first rodeo, and I do train people – in person – on a daily basis, so I do feel that gives me some degree of credibility.

I guess the first point to tackle is to make the differentiation between fat loss and weight loss.

Weight loss is easy.

Don’t eat or drink for a day, go take a dump, cut off a limb……..SHA-zam, you just lost some weight.

Fat loss on the other hand, is a different ball game and takes a little more attention to detail.

Granted I’m playing with words, but it’s technically true.  I won’t belabor the point here, but if you’re interested I wrote on the topic of Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss HERE.

Some people do need to lose weight.  If we’re referring to a morbidly obese person, then I’m not going to be overly concerned with the ratio of muscle loss to fat loss. This discussion changes for someone who’s 50 lbs overweight – who runs the risk of developing a plethora of markers which can affect their health and well-being – as compared to someone who’s 8% body fat and four weeks away from a photo shoot or from stepping on stage.

For the sake of this blog post, lets assume we’re not referring to the morbidly obese person.

If that’s the case……

Make no mistake, regardless of the end game (photo shoot, content, or you’re just looking to bring sexy back), MAINTAINING AS MUCH MUSCLE MASS AS POSSIBLE – especially when dieting  – IS THE KEY TO FAT LOSS.

You do not want to sacrifice muscle mass.  Or, at the very least, you want to minimize its loss as much as possible.  More on that in the link I provided above.

Stealing a funny anecdote from my buddy, Mark Young, coach at Lean Body Consulting, the keys to physique improvement (in order of importance):

Makes a ton of sense to me, and I doubt there are many reputable fitness professionals who would disagree.  Although, admittedly, we LOVE to argue about the minutia.

Take nutrition for example.  Everyone knows – or, they should know – that in order to promote fat loss you need to elicit some sort of caloric deficit (calories in vs calories out).  It’s science, there’s a law to back it up (Law of Thermodynamics.  And yes, I realize there are 4, and one is called the Zeroth Law, which is snarky. For simplicity I’m referring to the 1st Law and maybe elements of the 2nd Law, and even then I understand that even those can be interpreted into a million and one different things. Why don’t you just get off your high horse, huh???), and I find it comical that people debate it as if they’re the one example unique flower in all of recorded human history to defy it.

Calories count

^^^^ I understand that the above article doesn’t make the distinction of fat loss vs. weight loss, and I also understand there are other variables that come into play, but I do feel that the first talking point comes down to how many calories someone is eating on a given day.

If someone isn’t losing weight/fat, the obvious starting point is a discussion on their nutrition and whether or not (s)he is ingesting too many calories.

If you have 20 or so minutes to spare you can check out the EPIC thread that started on my Facebook page with people arguing over the article HERE (just scroll down a bit).

As the saying goes:  you can’t out train a poor diet.

Dieting for fat loss can bite the big one at times. It sucks.  Some days you’re going to want to stab someone in the throat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B80r9rE-DXg

But it’s a moot point, I feel, to argue that a caloric deficit isn’t what’s needed or that calories somehow don’t matter so long as it fits your macros, yo!  Yes, other factors come into play once someone is already pretty lean, and looking to get leaner – meal timing, meal frequency, the interplay of hormones, even macros!

But for 90% of the people out there reading, 90% of the time, calories in vs. calories out matter.

And it should be said:  just telling someone to eat less and move more defeats the purpose and is borderline counterproductive. As fitness professionals it’s our job to educate our clients and to arm them with the skills necessary to succeed. It’s imperative that we teach them habits that will stick and help them not only get from Point A to Point B, but to stay there.

People aren’t dumb. They understand that crushing Taco Bell every night isn’t the best choice, and it certainly won’t help them attain their goal(s). It’s our job to figure out WHY they’re going to Taco Bell and to set up preventative strategies to help them avoid it.

It could be something as simple as outlining an alternate route home from work.  Or maybe it’s coaching them on better food choices. I don’t know, it could be dozens of things.  The point is: WE NEED TO DEVELOP HABITS.

And lets briefly discuss lifting heavy things.

As I noted above, the key to fat loss it to limit the amount of muscle loss.  What makes muscle, keeps muscle.

Lifting heavy things provides the stimulus the body needs to keep muscle.  One of the biggest mistakes I think many people make when following a fat loss plan is ramping up their training volume to ungodly levels.

The mentality that more is better takes over, and it’s just not true. I’m actually more of an advocate for dedicated strength training when dieting for fat loss.  Sure, other things like finishers, circuits, medleys and what not can help expedite the process….but for all intents and purposes, training should be geared towards MAINTAINING MUSCLE MASS. And low(er) rep, non-sadistic volume strength training is often the right course of action.

Not always, but kinda always.

In Closing

I’m in no way insinuating that my way is the only way, and I realize that this is a far-stemming topic that entire books, DVDs, and television infomercials have been dedicated towards.

I just wanted to hit on a handful of “big rock” talking points – namely, that calories do in fact matter and strength training is an often overlooked component – I feel are important to the discussion.

There are many, MANY other things tethered to fat loss – not to mention subcomponents that can (and should) be tweaked depending on one’s needs/goals/experience level/progress.

Have your own points to sound off on?  Share them below.

CategoriesExercise Technique Fat Loss

Nailed It: Ass-Kicking With Nothing But a Kettlebell

Note from TG:  Still on vacation.  Lisa dragged me zip-lining yesterday.  I almost destroyed the back of my pants.  But it ended up being so much fun!

That is all.  

Enjoy this awesome guest post by current Cressey Performance intern, James Cerbie (who happened to write THIS very popular article on push-ups a few weeks ago).

Enjoy!

Conditioning can be boring.  Like really boring.

Just think back to high school sports, or really any level for that matter, and reflect on how many times people had you run for the sake of running.

Ugghhh….

Unless you’re a long distance runner (I currently live with two and don’t know how they do it) this was probably about as much fun as repetitively banging your head against a wall.

This isn’t to say that running doesn’t have its place (because it does), but more to bring light to the fact that there are many ways to burn fat, get in shape and all that jazz.

Furthermore, we know from experience that high intensity work (think sprints, circuits, finishers etc) is more effective than slow, steady state cardio when it comes to burning fat, building muscle, increasing VO2 max, and improving GPP.

Enter the kettlebell:  one of the greatest and most versatile pieces of equipment of all time.  It, by itself, has the ability to take your conditioning and fitness to the next level, so let’s get started.

The Movements

For the sake of today’s discussion, these are the movements you will need to be familiar with:

1.  Russian Kettlebell Swing

There are primarily two types of kettlebell swings:  Russian and American.  In the Russian swing the bell will only reach eye level, while in the American swing the bell will go all the way overhead.

We will be concerning ourselves with the former because I think it’s more user friendly, teaches the hip hinge better, and gets more out of your glutes and hamstrings:

2.  Kettlebell Goblet Squat

3.  Kettlebell Squat Jump

4.  KB Goblet Walking Lunge

5.  1-Arm Kettlebell Push Press

6.  KB Snatch

Note from TG:  as simple cue I like to use on these is to pretend as if you’re performing a KB high-pull and then the bottom of the KB should face straight a head once it hits about nipple height.  From there just think about “punching” the ceiling with a quick, explosive jab.

Look at you!  It’s like you’r Thor!

7.  1-Arm KB Reverse Lunge

The Workouts

As I mentioned above, all you need for a kickass “cardio” session is a kettlebell and your imagination.  With both of those things you can burn fat, build lean mass and take over the world.

Here are 4 variations to get you started:

1.  100-300 swings

This is about as straight forward as you could ever ask for:  pick how many swings you want to do, grab a kettlebell, and start swinging until you finish all the reps.

Side note: I’d recommend checking out THIS piece by Dan John on the 10,000-swing challenge.  It just goes to show how effective high volume swings can be.

2.  Swing and Squat/Jump Ladder

Perform the following in descending order until you hit 1.

10  kettlebell swings

10  kettlebell goblet squats or kettlebell squat jumps

9  kettlebell swings

9  kettlebell goblet squats or kettlebell squat jumps

8  kettlebell swings

8  kettlebell goblet squats or kettlebell squat jumps

.

.

.

.

1 kettlebell swing

1 kettlebell goblet squat or kettlebell squat jump

I’d recommend sticking to the swing and squat combo if you only have access to one kettlebell because you’re realistically not going to be able to jump with a heavy kettlebell (unless you wanted to do bodyweight squat jumps).

If you have access to a lighter kettlebell, and enjoy having jello legs, then give the swing and jump combo a try.  You’ll swing a heavy bell and jump with a lighter one.

3.  Squat, Press, Lunge Circuit

Complete as many rounds as you can in 8-10 minutes of the following:

15 kettlebell goblet squats

10 1-arm kettlebell push press with right arm

10 1-arm kettlebell push press with left arm

16 (8/side) kettlebell goblet walking lunge

4.  Overhead Nightmare

This variation is only for more advanced personnel that can go overhead safely.  Give THIS article by Tony a read over if you have questions concerning whether or not you should go overhead.

Perform as many rounds as possible in 6 minutes of the following:

10 kettlebell snatch on right

10 1-arm kettlebell reverse lunge on right

10 kettlebell snatch on left

10 1-arm kettlebell reverse lunge on left

Rest 1.5 min

And then go for another 3 minutes.

Closing Thoughts

Hopefully this has given you some new exercises to play with and ideas on how to put together a conditioning session with nothing but a kettlebell.  There’s honestly an infinite number of possibilities you could throw together just using the 7 exercises I gave you.

In addition, I hope it helps those of you who have really tight schedules.

Just because you can’t go to the gym for an hour, or just because you have access to limited equipment doesn’t mean you can’t get in an awesome workout.

Anyways, thanks for your time and post any questions or comments you have below.

Note from TG:  On an aside, my good friend Jen Sinkler just released an awesome new product – Lift Weights Faster – that mirrors many of the same thoughts in this article.  Ie:  Traditional cardio is about as exciting as watching NASCAR.

In it you’ll find 130+ grab-n-go workouts that will not only improve your conditioning, but also help you burn fat, possibly build a little muscle,  move better, and possibly help you look better naked…….with the lights on…..;o)

Go HERE to check it out.

About the Author

James Cerbie, CSCS, Pn1, USAW, Crossfit Level 1

James Cerbie is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, Precision Nutrition level 1 certified, USA weighlifting sports performance coach, and Crossfit Level 1 certified.  He has been blessed to work with athletes from the middle school to professional level, powerlifters, olympic lifters, and Crossfit athletes alike.  At the end of the day, James gets no greater enjoyment than seeing people improve, succeed, and achieve their goals.  He’s the owner of Rebel Performance and currently works as a strength and conditioning intern at Cressey Performance.

Come hang out with James on Facebook, Twitter, or drop him a line at Rebel Performance.

CategoriesFat Loss Female Training

The Conditioning Conundrum: 4 Common Mistakes

Setting the scene:  Jen Sinkler, former USA Rugby player, former fitness editor of Experience Life Magazine, current “free-agent/entrepreneur” fitness junkie, and 100% fashionista was asked a follow-up question when being interviewed by a reporter. When explaining how she prefers to train and not ONCE uttering the words treadmill, elliptical, or Thigh Master, the reporter incredulously asked……“but what do you do for cardio???”

Jen’s now viral answer:  “I lift weights faster!”

I’ve known Jen for coming up on six years now, and outside of being one helluva editor and awesome human being, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who’s more immersed in “fitness” than her.  You name it, she’s done it.

Powerlifting, Strongman, CrossFit, kettlebells, Tough Mudders, taming Dragons…..she’s done it all.  While never being more than five feet away from some lip gloss.

Told ya:  100% fashionista.

Knowing I was going to be away on vacation this week (it’s 75 degrees at 7:30 AM as I type this. What, what!), and knowing that Jen’s first solo product – Lift Weights Faster – was launching while I was going t be away,  Jen was gracious enough to write a superb guest post for me on common conditioning mistakes that people make.

For those who like short and to the point here are the Cliff Notes:

Forgetting time is money – quick run down on intensity, volume and density…and how people neglect taking into the importance of density and their conditioning.

Not taking a systems approach – the importance of a $2 notebook for training, people throw it to the side during the conditioning, and leave progress on the table.

Workouts Can Be Like Having a Birthday Near Christmas – putting too much stress on an already stressed out body, whether it be from work, relationship, and other chronic stressors.

Variety the Smart Way – last but not lest, forgetting to add variety in different structures, time versus rep-based, and letting mental creep set in and loath the workout.

The Conditioning Conundrum:  4 Common Mistakes

Thanks to a rash of new research, the viral spread of info over the internet (“lift weights faster,” anyone?) and your own common sense stemming from the fact that you can get just as winded doing sets of heavy kettlebell swings as going for a run, the idea that cardio and strength work can be blended is generally more accepted than it used to be.

Thank god, because that elliptical shit is for the birds. (Unless you like it, then yadda yadda yadda, carry on.)

If you are here on this particular website, however, chances are you’ve already bought into the idea that resistance-training circuits are a viable alternative to traditional cardio pursuits (and that when it comes to both performance and body composition changes, they’re superior).

But as the pendulum inevitably swings toward favoritism of metabolic resistance training and everything that falls under that umbrella, some people will naturally either redline the extremes, or simply misinterpret what smart circuit training really is.

Here are four ways you may not be doing it quite right.

Mistake 1: Not Being Dense Enough

Regardless of the type of conditioning you’re doing, there are three variables always at play:

Intensity: This is the how many pounds you’re lifting, or how much resistance you’re using. In the context of exercise, for the sake of precision, it is not how hard you try. It’s just cold, hard weight on the bar (or otherwise in your hands).

Volume: This is the total number of repetitions you complete of a particular movement. Whether you’re talking about one set or your entire workout, volume is the number of repetitions you complete. (To calculate total volume, multiply reps by resistance used, or intensity.)

Density: This is the time it takes to complete a bout of work — essentially, how quickly you get the job done, whether “the job” refers to a set or your entire workout.  (You can calculate it by dividing volume by time.)

If you’ve been strength training for a while, you’re probably inherently familiar with the three and how they play out in your strength program and progress, whether you’re conscious of it or not. You know that if you do much of X (high-volume deadlifts?), you’re wiped out when you try to do Y (Yvette), for example, and by the same token, what leads you to better performance. If you can lift heavier than you did a few weeks ago, you have a working knowledge of these concepts.

As a fitness community, we share a lot of notes about volume and intensity, but the variable that doesn’t get enough love is density.

Outside of CrossFit, people don’t really talk about how quickly they finished their workouts or work sets, but I think, perhaps, that we should — especially when your goal is better conditioning.

Teach your body to crush a circuit, recover quickly and ask for more, and you’ll crack open a new metric by which to measure your progress, both in how you feel and also how you look, if you want to lean out.

Mistake 2: Not Tracking Your Workouts

McDonald’s is one of the most profitable businesses on the planet, not so much because their food is delicious and high quality, but because they’ve taken a systems approach to make everything easier. Easier to produce, easier to measure, easier to manage.

Every piece of that business has a process and system in place, and if you approach your strength and conditioning from the same angle, you, too will be able to more easily measure and produce progress.

Bar none the best piece of strength training equipment in the weight room is the two-dollar training journal you bring in with you. The amount of feedback you can provide yourself, along with the ability to troubleshoot stalled progress, is big. Big. Huge. (Why yes, I am quoting Pretty Woman!)

But time and again, I see people toss their journals by the wayside when it’s time to finish up with a quick circuit. And yet, there is much valuable info to be gleaned, even here.

Track your volume, density and intensity, here, too, and you can figure out new ways to PR. In fact, even in your circuits, try setting your mind to moving the needle on one of those factors every time you train.

Mistake 3: Going Overboard

My rule of thumb: Regardless of your fitness level, if it feels like too much, it probably is.

What may not look difficult on paper will play out very differently while you’re in the gym. A whole lot of plyometric exercise, heavy lifting and hard circuit training can take a toll after some time.

Stress hormones such as cortisol are by no means always the bad guy — in fact, they’re quite useful for saving the day, in whatever form that takes for you. Chronically elevated cortisol levels, however, are a different story, and we would do well to note that our bodies don’t differentiate between types of stress. Piling training stress on top of work stress, relationship stress and money stress on a long-term basis can lead to a pretty major crash and burn.

Research points to lifting weights at maximal velocity spiking cortisol levels when compared to lifting at a lower rep speed, so if you’re piling on elsewhere, it’s probably better to cool it on conditioning. One to two sessions a week is plenty, for many people.

Mistake 4: Joining the Circus

Humans are hardwired to seek novelty — we have a deep-seated tendency to constantly seek out new, different, shiny. It can be good thing, this neophilia, in that it helps us assess risks, to learn new skills, to become more capable.

But new is everywhere now, including the gym. In her book New: Understanding Our Need for Novelty and Change, Winifred Gallagher writes: “We already crunch four times more data — e-mail, tweets, searches, music, video, and traditional media — than we did just thirty years ago, and this deluge shows no signs of slackening. To thrive amid unprecedented amounts of novelty, we must shift from being mere seekers of the new to being connoisseurs of it.”

You know what that means? It means being selective about what is worth your time and what is not, not embracing variety simply for variety’s sake.

If your training time is limited, seek productivity in your conditioning sessions, exploring variations of skills you’re proficient in and finding ways to manipulate volume and work-to-rest ratios.

Changing a circuit of “three sets of 10 repetitions” to “three rounds of 30 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest” will evoke a different psychological response. New structure, new progress. Win-win.

The Total Package and Then Some A Lot

I get it — it’s easy to feel stagnant or overwhelmed by the prospect of putting together productive conditioning circuits. With that in mind, I compiled 130 grab-and-go workouts in my Lift Weights Faster product (including two guest workouts from Tony G.!).

Complete with a full exercise glossary that includes written descriptions and photographic demonstrations of approximately 225 exercises, from classic moves to more creative ones, I leveraged my background in magazine publishing to create a clear-cut, easy-to-use resource.

Every workout is organized by the equipment you have available and how much time you’ve got, including plenty of effective, hot-n-heavy options that last less than 10 minutes and also over 35 different workouts that require minimal equipment for when you’re traveling or outside the gym.

—–> Lift Weights Faster <—–

About the Author

Jen Sinkler (www.jensinkler.com), RKC, PCC, PM, USAW, is a longtime fitness journalist who writes for national magazines such as Women’s Health and Men’s Health. A former member of the U.S. national women’s rugby team, she currently trains clients at The Movement Minneapolis.

CategoriesFat Loss Motivational Nutrition

Smarter Science of Slim: Silly Strong LOLCats

First off:  I just want to take a few moments to say THANK YOU to all the brave men and women (past a present) who, in what’s arguably the most un-selfish act possible, have put their lives on the line to serve this great country.

In the words of a friend of mine, Greg, who stated it about as eloquently as possible:  Regardless of the situations our leaders put you in, you handle it so that others don’t have to and I respect the hell out of that. Often thankless, often overlooked, often taken for granted, you persevere to do the duty you pledged, voluntarily, to do and I respect the hell out of that too.

Thank you. Not just today, but every day.

Happy Veteran’s Day.

Secondly: Some of you may recall a video I linked to earlier this year by author Jonathan Bailor titled Slim is Simple.  In it, Jonathan discusses why it is we’re fatter and more unhealthy than ever before despite exercising and dieting in record numbers.

It was a message that I enjoyed and felt many people could relate with.  Simple, to the point, with no fluff and BS.

In an age where some grown adults are under the delusion that eating baby food is a viable dietary option, and even more nitpick over whether or not a bowl of oatmeal is considered “Paleo,”  it’s a breath of fresh air to hear people like Jonathan speak on why it doesn’t always (if ever) have to so complicated.

Not long after I posted my blog Jonathan invited me to hang out on is podcast, The Smarter Science of Slim, where we talked about a handful of things ranging from CrossFit to training athletes to goal setting to LOLCats.

Hence the title of the episode.

It just went live today, and if you have 30 minutes to spare I think it would be well worth the time.

Enjoy!

CategoriesFat Loss Nutrition

3 (Unorthodoxed) Reasons You Aren’t Getting Better at Lifting Heavy Things

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of the one and only Leigh Peele.  Leigh and I have known each other for about six years and in between co-hosting The FitCast together and exchanging numerous emails on Lord of the Rings philosophy we’ve grown to be good friends.

About two years ago Leigh kinda fell off the radar, and inexplicably went into stealth mode.  She and I lost touch, and in that time I moved in with my girlfriend, learned that wearing white past Labor Day is a big no-no, and became a cat owner while Leigh wrote a book.

A really good book.

Little did I know that the reason she “disappeared” was because she was knee deep in research and writing her butt off.

The end result?

Starve Mode: Explaining & Resetting Metabolic Problems That Can Come From Dieting.

Giving full disclosure:  The book was released a few weeks ago and I was a little late in the game and have only just begun reading it, but from what I have read thus far it’s a game changer.

Leigh truly outdid herself, and all the praise she has received from various fitness peeps – Tom Venuto, Jonathan Fass, Jen Sinkler, Nia Shanks, etc – is well deserved.

That said when Leigh extended the offer to write a little something for the site I happily agreed.  Not that she ever really left, but it’s great to have her back.

Enjoy.

3 (Unorthodoxed) Reasons You Aren’t Getting Better At Lifting Heavy Things

Tony is known for many things. Mostly it’s wearing small t-shirts and lifting heavy s**t. [Note from TG:  Excuse me, I wear smedium sized shirts thank you very much.] When he asked me if I had any knowledge I wanted to relay I thought first about those small shirts, but then I thought about you guys – the readers.

From what I understand you are a hodge podge of age and gender who also like to lift heavy s**t. What I am going to talk to you about is a major roadblock I see for people who have this as a goal. I am going to help some of you get better at picking up and putting down heavy things.

The best way for me to help you? Pointing out your flaws of course! Below you will see three problems on your journey to getting stronger. I tried to bypass the standard advice or calling you a wimp.

Problem #1 – Your Aren’t Making The Act Of Picking Up Heavy Things Your #1 Priority

Funny isn’t it? You say it’s your goal. You talk about the importance of your goal, but it is the furthest thing from priority when you look at their actions. Trying to lose fat while lifting heavy things? Not such a good idea. Trying to achieve the record title of endurance in push-ups or performing a couch to 5K trial run?

Yep, this is not action towards your goals.

Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t as if you shouldn’t lift those weights while losing fat, but how long do you want to drag this fat loss thing out for? Pacing your fat loss with intelligent deficits and refeeds – yes. Dragging it out and training in a constant state of barely fed, binge lifts, and weight regain fear – no.

Can you have other training goals while lifting heavy things? Yeah, but maximum strength takes focused energy and effort. So give it some.

Problem #2 – You’re Trying To Get Strong Lifting in a Stunted or Decreased Metabolic State

I am not saying you can’t get strong when you aren’t feeding yourself. I’ve actually been amazed with what I have seen people do who were robbed of solid nutrition. But less surprised when they end up crashing, binging for months, collecting injuries and bone fractures – you know the fun side effects of lifting heavy things and not feeding for it.

You might think, “Isn’t this the same as number one?” No. It isn’t and I will tell you why.

A certain subset of the fitness population will avoid weight regain from fat loss or increase of weight in general at all cost. This happens even with men, but more in “not losing definition” than scale weight alone.

At any point and time we fall on a certain line of being underfed, fed (roughly for our needs) and overfed. Technically we never achieve a perfect balance but you see what I am getting at. When an individual becomes nervous of any weight rebound or truly fueling their metabolic potential, they eat more towards the “underfed” state on a constant basis.

It might not be an intended deficit, but it can lead to a downgraded metabolic activity. Recovery gets robbed, nutrients get robbed and the next thing you know you are praying to find a PR or any sign of progress.

Take home point: If you hadn’t tested your metabolic potential or understood the difference between weight gain and fat gain – get on it.

See what you can do when fed and rested.

Note from TG: For those looking to dig a little deeper, Starve Mode is a fantastic resource for that.

Problem #3 – Not Resting or Going With The Flow

You can only drive yourself so hard before you reap the “benefits” of doing so. Are you the inspiration for the memes on Facebook telling people their legs giving out is “just an excuse to use your arms?” Let me appeal to you on a corkier level on why you should work smarter, not harder.

Apollo Robbins is a master of pickpocketing and misdirection. He gave a fantastic TedTalk recently explaining how we can manipulate attention. I highly encourage you watch it.

What does this have to do with anything? You can steal someone’s wallet by beating them up, ripping their pocket and running for your life (and the cops) or you can misdirect their attention and with minimal physical effort.

And just as fast as you can say abracadabra – the wallet is yours.

Clearly both are illegal and morally corrupt, but both expend two different energies and stress levels to achieve the same goal.

Sure you might reach your goals doing four lifting sessions a week, lots “metabolic work,” restricting carbs, and eating “clean.” But what if you can achieve the same physical and strength goals using strategy, feed timing, and pacing yourself?

The true misdirection in a large part of the fitness community is thinking you have to grind yourself into the ground to get what you want.

Be it concepts like biofeedback or simply enjoying yourself in the gym again, get back to working smarter.

CategoriesFat Loss

The Tabata Delusion

Anyone in the strength and conditioning realm, or general fitness for that matter, has at one time or another come across the name ‘Tabata’ during their various fitness related rendezvous.

Most common would be those interested in interval training for fat loss.  Back in 1996 Dr. Izumi Tabata and his colleagues submitted what is now a well renowned (and often misinterpreted) study that revolutionized the fitness industry.

In fact, as my good friend, Mark Young, noted a while ago, “this study created such a rage that now hundreds of thousands of trainees around the world now include “Tabatas” as part of their fat loss programming.”

You name it, people have Tabata the shit out of it.  You have your garden variety bike and sprint intervals, which most people equate Tabatas with and are most familiar with. And now it’s not uncommon to see people performing Tabatas with the Olympic lifts (borderline asinine), deadlifts, squats, kettlebell swings, push-ups, pick your poison and it’s been done.

Hell I wouldn’t be surprised if Tabata cow tipping has entered the foray somewhere.  Anything to feel the burn, right?

Well now it seems it’s gaining steam elsewhere, and I suppose it was only a matter of time before it happened.

My other good friend, Emily Socolinsky (which many who read this blog consistently should recognize), posted the following picture on Facebook wall yesterday:

After ungluing my face from my keyboard, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “poor Mr. Tabata.”

You see what many out there think is Tabata training is anything but, and jives AGAINST what the actual study demonstrated.

Rather than try to explain it myself, I’m just going to defer to Mark Young again who wrote THIS post a while ago on some common Tabata Myths:

Despite the widespread use of this system, most people have absolutely no idea what the actual Tabata protocol is.  In the often cited (but rarely actually read) study, one group performed moderate intensity (70% VO2 Max) steady state cardiovascular exercise for one hour on 5 days per week.  This would be along the lines of what most people would be accustomed to doing in the gym.

The other group used the Tabata protocol which consisted of a 10 minute steady state warm up followed by 7-8 sets of 20 seconds at 170% VO2 Max on a mechanically braked cycle ergometer.  Subjects were given 10 seconds of rest between each set.

One more interesting part?  On 4 days of the week the Tabata group performed this exact protocol.  On the fifth day they actually did 30 minutes of steady state exercise at 70% VO2 Max followed by 4 Tabata style intervals.

So over the course of a week the Tabata group also did a total of 70 minutes of steady state exercise as well!

But here is where most people mess up.  VO2 Max is determined (in this case) by having the person ride the ergometer while measuring their oxygen uptake and gradually increasing the wattage until the person’s oxygen uptake no longer continues to rise.  This is considered 100% of their VO2 Max and it is often associated with complete exhaustion and/or vomiting.

Now imagine increasing the resistance on the bicycle to increase the wattage to 170% of that value.  That is the intensity required for a true Tabata interval.  Each interval is completed with maximal effort.

Despite what you’ve been told, front squats, resistance bands, or any other bodyweight routine you might be doing may replicate the time sequence of the Tabata protocol, but it is NOT a Tabata interval.  If your first set is performed at a submaximal weight that becomes maximal by the final set this does not even come close.  It might be hard, but it isn’t a Tabata.

Now I know what some of you may be thinking:  “what the hay Tony…..why are you chastising people for wanting to work hard, and what’s more, why are you playing semantics?”

Listen I’ll never downplay anyone who wants to work hard and take steps to improve their health. Moreover, I don’t necessarily care how they go about doing it.  Sure I have my own biases as to what I feel are the most ideal, time efficient, and most important of all, SAFE, ways to go about things given one’s goals and ability level; but in all, if someone is taking steps to improve their health, I’m all for it.

Who am I to judge?

I just think it’s funny (and by funny, I mean the exact opposite of funny) that the word Tabata has grown to encapsulate what mounts to, well, everything.

Tabata burpees; Tabata apple picking; Tabata recycling; Tabata Dating………..I’ll keep going!  I’ll do it!

And I’ll just add as an afterthought my fingers are crossed that there’s some semblance of assessment (and regression/progression system) to ascertain one’s ability level before starting one of these classes.

The last thing Dick from accounting, who’s 40 lbs overweight and hasn’t exercised since Patrick Swayze made stone-washed jeans cool, needs is to jump into a 30 minute class of mountain-climbers and lunges on day one.

I’d argue that if most people placed a premium on getting stronger, were CONSISTENT, didn’t automatically feel that they have to resort to 30 minutes of “HIIT” training to the point where they can’t feel the left side of their face, stopped crushing Frappuccinos, and actually went to bed at a decent hour (and drank more water), they’d be surprised with their results.

But I digress…

CategoriesFat Loss

Help My Pal, Elsbeth Vaino, Get Her Fat Loss Documentary to the Masses

I’ve never held back my disdain towards certain trends in this industry – especially as it pertains to the mainstream media. Shows like The Biggest Loser, with its overarching theme that obesity is the individually controlled consequence of gluttony and laziness and its incessant highlighting of unsustainable (and I’d argue dangerous) weight loss tactics, as well as celebrity trainers like Tracy Anderson, who, coincidentally enough, has no educational background in exercise science or physiology (and has been quoted as saying she’d prefer not to “interfere” with her methods) seemingly catch our attention like a moth to a flame.

Why?

It’s been well documented that most of the contestants from The Biggest Loser almost always gain their weight back and then some.

But it sure is fun to watch them suffer and humiliate themselves on national television by golly!

And don’t even get me started on Tracy Anderson.  This is a woman whose past knowledge bombs include telling people that baby food (yes, of the pureed carrots and celery variety) is a viable nutritional supplement, that certain exercises can help pull the skin tighter to the muscle, no woman should life a weight above three lbs,  no woman should ever use kettlebells, and bloop bleep blop eeeeeeeeeeeeee op boing WAAAAHHHHHHHHH.

I’m sorry……it’s all just incoherent jibber jabber after awhile.

And it’s on that note I’m STOKED to inform all of you of an important initiative that my pal and fellow colleague, Elsbeth Vaino, is passionately involved with.

In collaboration with Dave Baker – a former personal trainer himself – the two are hoping to reach the masses with their own documentary about a REAL trainer helping people follow a REAL plan to help them attain their fitness goals.

In their own words:

“The fitness industry is having an identity crisis, fueled largely by the rise of reality weight loss shows and celebrity trainers, who continuously promote extreme and often dangerous methods for weight loss. 

Despite advancements in the industry towards evidence-based approaches, tailored towards sustainability, the public perception is still largely influenced by the constant image of drill sergeant trainers with an in your face, sprint ‘til you puke type attitude.”

This needs to stop.

And They Need OUR Help!

As you might expect it’s kind of expensive to fund a full-length feature documentary, and as such Elsbeth and Dave have initiated a campaign to help raise funds to bring their message to the masses.  A message that needs to be heard.

Their goal is to raise $8000.

Your generous and considerate donation will help in the following ways:

  • Offset the costs of production equipment such as lenses and filters.
  • Aide with the purchase of microphones for improved audio quality.
  • Provide us with the opportunity to collaborate with other professionals for editing and post production.
  • Move us from the ultra low budget to micro budget category of productions.

For more information on the project itself and for ways you can help, please visit their site below.

====> CLICK ME <====

CategoriesFat Loss

Exercises You Should Be Doing: 1-Arm (Perpendicular) Landmine Row

I don’t know about you, but if I looked down at my program and saw that one of the exercises listed was called a 1-arm perpendicular landmine row I’d probably take said program, ball it up, dip it in cement, let it dry, and then find whoever wrote the program, wind-up and unleash a fastball square into the middle of their grill

While it’s the name of the exercise in the literal sense – it’s just not a cool name for an exercise. It’s lame in fact.  So it’s only appropriate that I give today’s exercise its due diligence and call it by its real name. In meathead circles it’s also known as the Meadows Row – named appropriately after professional bodybuilder, fellow T-Nation contributor, and absolute BEAST, John Meadows.

^^^^^^^That Guy.

By the way:  you know you’re kind of a big deal when an exercise is named after you. I remember reading about this row variation a while ago HERE. but for some reason never really gave it a go because, well, I forgot about it. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago when I was training with my buddy, strength coach Dave Rak, at Boston University that I gave it my first test-drive. Needless to day:  me likey.

1-Arm Perpendicular Landmine Row Meadows Row

Who Did I Steal It From:  Technically John Meadows, but I’ll also give credit to Dave Rak and Ben Bruno (who, coincidentally, wrote about it here, along with some other cool landmine variations).

What Does It Do:  This is an awesome alternative for those who train at lame gyms that don’t carry heavy dumbbells, or for those who have “out-grown” their gyms and need to up the ante a bit. You can load these fairly heavy, and you’d be hard pressed to find another rowing exercise that will add significant meat to your backside like this one. What’s more, because the end of the barbell is much thicker than a standard dumbbell, you’ll also get a grip-training effect.

Key Coaching Cues:  Even if you don’t have a standard “landmine,” you can just as easily set-up a barbell in the corner and do just fine.  I’d advise that you load up the barbell with 25 lb plates (or lower) – as anything larger tends to get in the way and make the exercise a bit cumbersome. I like to use a staggered stance on these, but you could use a squared stance as well.

A word of caution however:  these will also fry your lower back, so if you have a history of lower back shenanigans going on, I’d probably lean more towards using a bench to prop yourself on (which Ben demonstrates in the link above).

While I’m fine with using a bit more “body english” on these, try your best to maintain as much of an arch in your back as you can and to prevent too much forward head posture.

In addition, since these are designed to go heavy on, I like to use a 6-10 rep scheme, but if you’re feeling a bit more like He-Man or She-Ra (don’t want to dis any ladies who may be reading), feel free to go higher. While I can’t promise your back will end up looking like John’s, I can say that these will give your upper back an unparalleled pump.  Try them today and let me know what you think!

CategoriesFat Loss Female Training Nutrition

7 Ways to Lose Weight Without Counting Calories, Tracking Points, or Going Crazy

I made an executive decision yesterday that with Christmas Eve and Christmas right around the corner (NINTENDO 64!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I’d treat myself to a little blog-cation.

Now, don’t get me wrong:  I love writing this blog. But sometimes I just need to take a break, smell the fudge roses, take a dee breath, and chillax.

So with that said, you won’t be hearing back from me until the day after Christmas (Wednesday).  Thankfully my good friend, Sirena Bernal, reached out and wrote this spectacular guest post for the site.

Sirena and I have been chummy for a little over a year now, and we actually live in the same neighborhood, sometimes bumping into one another at the local Panera on a Friday night when we’re both trying to catch up on some writing or reading.

Yeah, we’re cool like that.

Anyways enjoy!  And Happy (and safe) Holidays to everyone!

Before we even knew what a calorie was, we survived by relying on instinct, on feeling, and on the wisdom that was passed down to us from our elders – from people like grandma. Meaning, before we started to read labels, we just ate food.

We didn’t rely on measuring, tracking points, or distributing macronutrients, and we certainly didn’t rely on counting calories.

In fact, the idea of the calorie that we are now familiar with, was originally a term derived to describe the combustion energy produced from a steam engine (1), not the metabolism of a homosapien.

Steam engine and human being? Not exactly in the same genus, and thus, in my opinion, one reason why it’s a flawed model to follow in regards to nutrition – for the long term health and well-being. Again, IMHO.

I am not saying that creating a calorie-deficit (expending more energy than you consume) will not lead to weight loss, as it most certainly will. However, I am saying it is not the only way to approach weight loss.  And as you will see in a minute, I’m going to share with you 7 others.

Why Calories Don’t Work for Humans

As beautiful and unique individuals as we are, so are our metabolisms and our body’s ability to digest, breakdown and utilize foods.

No two people are the same, and thus no two metabolisms are the same. However, most diet and nutrition literature will lead you to believe that a standard formula can be used to accurately gauge the amount of food we need to consume.

It’s easy to find an online calculator in which you input your weight, height, and activity level and in return get an arbitrary number that doesn’t take some of the most influential factors that affect our metabolism into play.

Factors such as the weather, temperature, stress levels, amount of sleep, hormonal fluctuations, prescription medications, supplements, thought-patterns and travel patterns can all affect our body’s ability to metabolize food, and thus affect the amount of “calories” we need to function at our best.

Thus, focusing on tracking calories without considering the dynamic flux of our metabolism can further create a hypometabolic state (low metabolism), which the majority of our culture suffers with.

You Are Not a Cyborg

Before you whip out the calculator and start crunching numbers, understand that it’s never a clear cut answer.

And for some, that may be frustrating to hear because we all just want to know exactly how much, at what time, and when.

But here’s the thing: life is not exact.

And neither is your schedule, or the weather, or your biology…unless of course you’re a cyborg, which I’m assuming you are not. (But if you are, I need to meet you).

If we allow it, our body will tell us exactly how much food we need, what we need, and when we need it, if we only listen.

Developing this skill does take time and patience but once we learn to listen to our body, we will begin to find the process of losing weight, much much easier than trying to calculate how many calories 30 grams of carbs, 20 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat equal.

There are much easier ways to approach weight loss that does not require counting calories, and here are 7 of them:

1. Eat with smaller plates, bowls and spoons.

Research has shown that the bigger your plate or bowl, the more you end up eating – choose a smaller bowl and you end up eating less.  Participants in a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, served themselves 31 percent more ice cream when they were given a 34-ounce bowl instead of a 17-ounce bowl.

2. When filling your plate fill about 75% of what you would normally fill.

Our eyes are generally bigger than our stomachs, so prevent over eating before you actually eat.  The next time you plate your food, take a “normal” scoop, and then put 25% of it back (before you actually put it on your plate, because putting food back once it’s on your plate is just bad manners.)

After you fill your plate, follow the rest of the steps below, and then decide if you’re still hungry before going back for seconds.

3. When eating, stop when you are 2/3 full.

You know that point when you’re so full that your belly is pushing against your belt buckle? Yeah, don’t get to that point.

Before you feel the need to unbuckle your belt, stop yourself when you feel like your 2/3 of the way there, and take a few moments to ask yourself if you are really hungry or if you are just eating to eat.

4. Always eat a protein, a carb and a fat source together.

By combining a protein, fat and carb you optimize your hormonal response to your meal thus keeping your blood sugar levels balanced, which will keep you satiated longer, thus preventing you from snacking after a meal.

5. Eat in peace and not on the run and without the distraction of computers, t.v. or reading which will help slow you down and level up your digestive powers.

Eating on the run is as effective for your digestion as being in 2nd gear on the highway is for your car.  Not very.

When your brain and/or body is stimulated while you are eating, like if you are watching t.v. or eating in a rush, you end up activate your sympathetic nervous system which stimulates stress hormones.

However, being relaxed and calm while you eat, activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which, is responsible for digestion and breaking down your food to be absorbed.  When you break down food better, you absorb your meal better, and thus get fuller faster.

6. Chew your food thoroughly before swallowing and take your time with eating, putting your fork down between bites.

It doesn’t matter if you count your chews, count seconds, or meditate when you eat.  What does matter is that you take your time and actually chew.

Here’s a little challenge: Next time you eat, try to chew long enough until your food is liquefied. $5 if you can eat a whole meal this way.

7. SLOW down (or take your meal on a date.)

This is what I mean by this: when you are on a date, let’s say, a first date, or with someone you’re really into, you’re not gonna be checking your phone, or other people in the area. You’re in the moment, you don’t want to rush.

Now, with that same fervor that you would show your date, show that same attention to your food.  Remove distractions, take your time, appreciate the food, and take your time with the food.

The same attention you’d give to a date, give to your food. This will not only allow you to slow down and thus eat less, but you’ll actually enjoy what you’re eating, appreciate your food and the eating process.

Final Pearls of Wisdom

The idea of losing weight without counting calories is clearly not as tangible or concrete, and may take some time to adjust to.  However, if you can begin to practice these tips, it’s one of the most liberating and stress-free ways to approach weight loss.

The idea behind this process is to get you to a point where you can begin to listen to your body and just know, like Grandma did, when enough was enough.

This process does take more time and commitment on your part, but is very rewarding when you begin to tune in and know exactly what you need, when you need it, and how much you need.

References:

  1. http://jn.nutrition.org/content/136/12/2957.full
  2. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060803082602.htm

 Author’s Bio

Sirena is a nutrition and lifestyle expert in Boston, MA, and she holds her B.S. in Kinesiology from UNH.  She has been training clients in the fitness industry for over 8 years and runs the Lean Body Challenge, a 28-day nutrition program designed to help women lose weight without dieting and over-exercising.

Her clients consistently lose 8-15 lbs. during the challenge and maintain the weight loss without the need to count calories or rely on cardio. Her work has been featured in PTonTheNET.com, Greatist.com, and she is a regular blogger for BostonMagazine.com

 

CategoriesFat Loss

The Forgotten Keys to Fat Loss

I don’t consider myself a “fat loss” guy per se.  I spend the majority of my days working with athletes ranging from high school all the way to the professional ranks helping them move better, run faster, lift more weight, throw harder, or whatever their respective sport may be, I just try to help them become a little bit more awesome compared to when they first walk through our doors at Cressey Performance.

This isn’t to say that some of the athletes that show up don’t need to get rid of that spare tire around their waist. But in the grand scheme of things, when it comes to fat loss, the only time I really place an emphasis on it – or at least go out of my way to make it a priority – is when I work with general population clients who come to the facility to get their ass kicked to get their sexy on.

It’s with that in mind that I recently wrote an article for Livestrong.com which sheds light on two forgotten components of fat loss – directed specifically to those people who are frustrated that, despite being inundated with a literal avalanche of information on the topic, are still fighting the battle of the bulge.

Two favors, if I may:

1.  Read the article HERE.

Or

HERE (<— In case you needed bigger letters).

2.  Once you read it, and if you thought it was pretty baller, please “Like” it  on Livestrong’s page. Or Tweet it.  Or better yet, do both!  I want to send a message to them that the TonyG.com empire are a loyal bunch.

If you don’t like it, that’s cool. I’ll just remember that the next time you need help moving into your new apartment.

Or the next time you need to borrow some money because you happened to “forget your wallet.”

Or the next time you need affirmation that the girl you’re currently dating isn’t some uppity skank who thinks she’s better than everyone else.

I DIDN’T WANT YOU TO READ IT ANYWAYS!!!!  YOU’RE RUINING MY LIFE!!!!!! AHHHHHHH.

*slams bedroom door*

3. In all seriousness, though, I’d appreciate any feedback or insight or opinions on the article.  Thanks everyone!