by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)

1. Many so-called "health foods" are actually cleverly disguised junk foods that can actually stimulate you to gain more belly fat... yet the diet food marketing industry continues to lie to you so they can maximize their profits.

2. Ab exercises such as crunches, sit-ups, and ab machines are actually the LEAST effective method of getting flat six pack abs. We'll explore what types of exercises REALLY work in a minute.

3. Boring repetitive cardio exercise routines are NOT the best way to lose body fat and uncover those six pack abs. I'll tell you the exact types of unique workouts that produce 10x better results below.

4. You DON'T need to waste your money on expensive "extreme fat burner" pills or other bogus supplements. I'll show you how to use the power of natural foods in more detail below.

5. Ab belts, ab-rockers, ab-loungers, and other infomercial ab-gimmicks... they're all a complete waste of your time and money. Despite the misleading infomercials, the perfectly chiseled fitness models in the commercials did NOT get their perfect body by using that "ab contraption"... they got their perfect body through REAL workouts and REAL nutrition strategies. Again, you'll learn some of their secrets and what really works below.  

So, Click-Here and let's set the
record straight once and for all...

If you would like to submit an article to our readers please contact submissions@atozfitness.com 

Cardio Training For Fat Loss - Should I Do It BEFORE or AFTER My Weight Training For Best Results?

By Nick Nilsson

Training for fat loss is not easy and proper cardio training is an important part of the
process. But if you're doing your cardio at the WRONG time, you could be
shooting yourself in the foot! Find out the best time to do it and why.

When it comes to fat loss, one of THE most frequently-asked questions I get is "to maximize fat loss, should I do my cardio before or after my weight training?"

I know there are times when I like to be kept in suspense…

But I'm not going to do that to you here…

Physiologically speaking, if maximum fat loss is your goal and you want to incorporate cardio into your training schedule, you're better off doing your cardio training immediately AFTER your weight training.

Here's why:

1. When you do weight training first, you have more energy and strength for that weight training.

I know cardio junkies won't want to hear this, but intense, QUALITY weight training is actually MORE effective for fat loss than cardio training. Why the emphasis on quality? Well, if you go to the gym and just flail around with light weights for 30 minutes, it's not really going to be very effective for fat loss.

However, if you really put some effort into it and train hard, the metabolic boost you get from weight training (in terms of not only calories burned while doing it but the increase in metabolism after AND the increase in muscle mass you get from weight training) is greater than the boost you get from cardio training. And, when compared to slow, long-duration cardio training, that boost is MUCH greater.

So by performing your weight training FIRST, while you're fresh, you're going to have more energy to put into it and you're going to be stronger. This will increase metabolic and muscle mass stimulation and therefore overall fat loss. It's a win-win situation!

That's not to say you can't do a couple of minutes of cardio as a general warm-up before starting into the weights...just don't do an entire cardio session before weight training. Always keep in mind that the weight training is the REAL engine behind your fat loss efforts.

And if THAT isn't enough to convince you to do cardio after weights, I've got another reason for you…

2. Performing weight training first decreases available blood sugar and puts the body in "fat burning" mode.

When you train with weights, you're performing short, intense muscle contractions. Glucose (blood sugar) is the preferred fuel for driving these intense contractions. As you go through your workout, your body gradually uses up its readily-available supply of sugars and starts mobilizing fat for energy.

Here's the key…mobilizing bodyfat for energy is a process that takes time. If you do your cardio first, your body will be initially working on that blood sugar before getting started on the bodyfat. By the time you're done with cardio and move to weights, THAT is when you're in the optimal fat-burning mode.

But the problem is, fat is NOT an efficient fuel for weight training. By doing cardio first, you use up all the "good" stuff for weight training and force your body to make do with a less powerful fuel source. Your weight training workouts will decrease in quality and your cardio efforts won't be as effective for achieving fat-burning, which is your primary goal!

So basically, you're shooting yourself in the foot TWICE!

Think of your body as a hybrid gas-electric car. This car uses gas to provide more power for acceleration and electricity to provide long-term power for maintaining speed.

Now think of blood sugar as gas and weight training as powerful acceleration. When you press the pedal (performing weight training), you're going to get much better acceleration when you're using the proper fuel (i.e. gas).

If you try and power the acceleration with electricity, you'll go forward but not nearly as quickly as if you were using gas.

The bottom line is this…perform your weight training first so you use up the "fast" energy first. Then, by the time you hit the cardio, you're ALREADY in fat-burning mode and every single second you're doing that cardio is going to be burning more fat than if you did it first.

---

These two reasons apply no matter if you're doing slower, long-duration cardio or high-intensity interval training (which I recommend). The key thing to keep in mind is that WEIGHT TRAINING is what's going to help you change your body FAST…cardio is a useful tool for improving your results but it's NOT what drives your fat-loss results.

And that being said, if you absolutely feel you MUST do your cardio first, I'm NOT going to tell you it's the worst thing in the world…the fact that you're doing SOMETHING trumps doing nothing ANY day of the week!

But if you're looking for maximum impact for the time and effort you're putting your training, DEFINITELY hit the weights first and cardio after.

If you're interested in more articles and information on fat-loss, interval training and programs, check out the following links:

How To Lose Fat NOW - A Basic Fat-Loss Program That You Can Put To Work Today!

BASIC Nutrition - A Quick, Common-Sense Guide To What You Should Be Eating to Stay Healthy and Get Results Right Now

What Do You Mean Low-Intensity Training Isn't The Best For Fat Burning?

The Insider Secrets of Interval Training - Learn How Now!

8 Week Cardio Interval Training Blast! Get Increased Fat Loss AND Take Your Cardio Fitness To A Whole New Level

Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss

------------------

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," “Muscle Explosion,”"The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all available by here 

He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

This Really Ticks Me Off!
By Marc David
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

I got an email recently from a big shot that claimed that he could help me build muscle, tone my body, and all of the other body building related practices. This is not the bad part…Read on.

Here is what really gets to me about people like this.

The thing is, I happen to know that the person claiming the above has no experience in the subject at hand. He has never successfully created or developed the body of his dreams. There is a rumor floating around that the book he is selling was ghostwritten, in other words he did not even write it himself. Which would explain why you could never find any pictures of him on his website or anywhere else.

It really makes me sick Unfortunately we live in a world where people like the one mentioned above could make millions of dollars on selling a product that may not even work. It may be true that there are some “REAL” people out there selling real products, that is not hard to do. They may even be selling the real products online that are not hard to do either. Then again, how much do they really practice what they teach? How much muscle have their gained or how much fat have they lost? Are they working extremely hard and have truly created a great life for themselves?

Now it may be hard to know who to trust sometimes, some may have excellent strategies for selling their products, but are they really worth the money that is asked? How can you tell what is real and who is just trying to make a quick buck. To start, you can ask these five simple questions that you can read below.

1. Have the even ever practiced what they are teaching?

There are many people out there who are great reporters. In other words, they collect information and then share it. This is ok for those of you who just want to do a little research on the subject at hand. However, if you are the kind of person who really wants to make changes in your life or business, these people are not good for you. You want and need to learn something from someone who knows what they are talking about.

2. Do they continue to practice what they are trying to teach you?

It is obvious that anyone can make a quick buck teaching what he or she knows rather than doing what he or she knows. There are many big shots that have had success and have been enjoying the benefits of that success by teaching how they achieved that success over and over again. However, just because one person had success doing something in the gym at one point in time does not mean that that same program will work for someone today. It is best to learn from someone who is still practicing what they are preaching.

3. If they are still doing what they teach, are they doing it successfully?

This may seem like a “Duh” question but it would truly amaze you to know that many people make tons of money teaching something they do but are not very good at. You should be sure to snoop around to be positive that this person not only does what they are trying to teach by does it successfully.

4. Do they have proof that what they are teaching really works?

If the person you are looking at to be your next mentor will not share things with you then they probably are not the real deal. If they can not be open and honest then their product is probably nothing but talk. I have shared things openly because I want people to know that I AM the real deal.

For example, I have shown step by step progress pictures on the information page of my NoBull Bodybuilding Program web page. I do this because anyone who is willing to spend money on learning what I have to teach deserves to know for sure that my program works.

5. Are they practicing it in a way that would suit your and your goals?

This may not be talked about all too often but you should want to learn from someone who practices in a manner that suits you and your goals. Here is an example for you: one of my clients says that you choose me over someone else she was considering mainly because I have a relaxed and fun feel to my program.

When you find a mentor that is right for you, stick with them.

Once you have decided upon your mentor you should ignore all the others for a while.

Why?

Because the number one enemy of any bodybuilder is distraction. It can be quite easy for one to jump around from program to program depending on what is new and “in” at the current time. You need to choose one mentor and stick to them for at least 6 months. This should be plenty of time for you to see if their program is working for you or not. I can personally guarantee that you will move ahead easier and faster if you follow this advice.

If you want it, you’ll have to do what it takes,

Marc David
“The NoBull Muscle Guy”

P.S. - 6 months is a rough estimate.  Anything you try, you’ll need to be committed and give it a fair shot.  That way you’ll know if it works for you or not.  I’ve seen too many people try a new twist to their nutrition or a new training program for 7 days only to give up.  Folks, that isn’t enough time.  Give it a fair shot.  If it doesn’t work, you’ll know and never have to wait another second.

About Marc

Marc David is an innovative fitness enthusiast and the creator of the “The NoBull Bodybuilding Program.”on www.NoBullBodyBuilding.comm

“I started my fitness business to help educate people about proper nutrition and training. I distinguish myself from all the other ‘fitness gurus’ by being the Beginner’s Expert. Somebody you can come to without any prior knowledge of fitness or bodybuilding and get a simple education without a lot of hype and the need for a science degree. Somebody who would help guide [you] depending on [your] goals.”

Cardio exercise is such a strange thing. In theory, it should work
so perfectly well for all men and women, but as anyone who has
tried it knows, the practicality of it just doesn't add up.

After all, some men and women do cardio 6 hours, 9 hours, or more per week, and still have belly fat to burn. On the other hand, it works just fine for others.

British researchers wanted to get more insight into this paradox, and studied 35 overweight men and women, who weren't previously exercising.

(Reference: International Journal of Obesity 32: 177-184, 2008).

Subjects exercised 5 times per week for 12 weeks. That's a lot of
exercise, but it helped the subjects lose an average of 8.2 pounds, which is great - I was positively surprised by the results.

So cardio will work for some people, however, in my experience, it works best in young men, who need the help the least!

Back to the study, the variance in fat loss between individuals was huge. Check this out...

The best subject lost a staggering 32.3 pounds in 12 weeks, while the worst subject actually GAINED 3.74 pounds.

The scientists think they know where things went sour. They
classified the subjects into 2 groups, called the "Compensators"
and the "Non-compensators".

The Compensators were hungrier, and as a result consumed an extra 268 calories per day, all but wiping out their cardio efforts.

Therefore, the Compensators lost the least amount of weight, and scientists believe that was due to the huge "compensatory" increase in appetite experienced by this group.

Does your appetite increase when you do slow cardio? If it does,
research shows it will ruin your cardio efforts.

So if your cardio program is not working for you, check your
appetite and calorie intake to see if you are "compensating" for
your efforts. If you are, you might be better off using a program
of high-intensity resistance and interval training (i.e. Turbulence Training) for your weight loss efforts.

As Australian Professor Steve Boucher has shown in research,
interval training increases hormones called catecholamines. And
increased catecholamines can reduce appetite, among other fat-
burning benefits.

In the real world, few people lose 33 pounds after 12 weeks of
cardio. Heck, few even achieve an average weight loss of 8 pounds with aerobic exercise.

So again, check your appetite, and consider giving high-intensity
exercise a go for your next workout program.

Beat the curse of cardio with high-intensity Turbulence Training.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

About the Author

Learn about the "Dark Side of Cardio" in the free report from Craig Ballantyne at www.TurbulenceTraining.com . Craig is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com

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Lose Weight Faster With Cross-Training!!

Do you sometimes get bored with exercising? Do you sometimes feel like you're not getting the results you should from it?  If so, then cross-training is for you. Cross-training is basically incorporating loads of different types of activities into your fitness regime.  

Using the same machines, or going on the same three-mile walk will eventually lead to a dead end. Using your muscles in the same way, day in and day out, often leads to injury, plateau - and boredom! Here are the fantastic benefits of cross-training: 

·         It provides variety. Variety prevents boredom, which is vital for weight loss.If your exercise sessions are less monotonous and more enjoyable, you are much more likely to exercise on a regular basis and for longer periods of time, and this will increase your weight loss and fitness efforts.  

·         Cross-training turns more of your muscles into 24-hour fat-burning machines since training them in so many different ways, blasts your metabolism and breaks your fat barrier. 

·         You are less prone to overuse injuries that sometimes occur from doing the same exercise movements repeatedly.  

Here are some of the exercises you can use in your cross-training program:

When you are in the gym, move frequently from different exercise machines, as well as swimming and working your way around different exercise classes such as aerobics, step-aerobics, spinning, body pump, Tae-Bo, circuit-training, working with weights, etc. Outside, mix up long-distance walks with runs and cycling and also vary intensity, sometimes going hard and short, and other times mild and long. You can start with something as simple as a 10-minute walk followed by 10 minutes with an exercise video. This is cross-training too. You can gradually build from there.

 This new approach is a step beyond normal fitness training and will dramatically improve your workout results.

Marina Bradford is from Newtownards in Northern Ireland and has been in the fitness industry for 13 years as a personal fitness trainer and weight loss/fitness consultant. She also teaches various styles of fitness class, such as aerobics, step, circuits, weight training and Tae-bo. Once a week she writes a fitness column called PEAK FORM for "The Newsletter" which is one of Northern Ireland's biggest newspaper publications.