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Muscle Building Mania – A Beginners Guide To Bodybuilding

October 5th, 2007 by Brian Dickey



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“Muscle Building Mania – A Blueprint To Building A Body You Can Be Proud Of”

Our story begins in your living room. You’ve just arrived home after another grueling day on the job, competing with your co-workers and battling the behemoths on the freeway.

All you want is something cool to drink and a little R & R in front of the boob tube.

You grab your favorite beverage, flop down into your LazyBoy, flip on the remote and. . .THERE IT IS. . .right in front of your face. Another body that looks like it was carved from a solid piece of granite.

And, here goes that self-defeating prophesy playing the familiar tape in your brain, “some day I’m goona show everybody that I’m not the 160 pound weakling they all think I am.” Someday, some day, some day…

Dear Bodybuilding Wannabe,

Don’t take offense, but does this sound like you? Maybe you’re one of those guys who played sports in school but the years and inactivity have taken their toll.

Or are you someone who has always wanted to look like you just stepped off the runway of a bodybuilding show?

Could it be that you had an experience like the legendary “97 pound weakling, Angelo Charles Siciliano?” He was publicly humiliated when a bully embarrassed him in front of his favorite girl by kicking sand in his face on Coney Island that life-changing day back in the 1920’s. If you have heard the story, the girl walked off right away.

Charles made a decision that day. Run a search, you can find out everything you need to know about him on the internet. From a 97 pound weakling to winning “Most Perfectly Developed Man” contest in
1922, Charles Atlas became an icon whose principles are still in use today by thousands of people around the world.

How did he do it? Simple. He made a decision.

It is the same decision that you are in a position to make today. Take your wishes and wants and finally put them to action. Build a body you can be proud of.

Making the decision is the first step. The second step is to gather information about the options available to help you begin your journey.

Options abound for the beginning bodybuilder and they can all appear quite daunting when you are just getting started. In fact, it’s easy to become extremely confused and discover more questions than answers. Questions like:

How do I build muscle?
How do I strengthen muscle?
Am I healthy enough to begin a muscle building routine?
What should I eat?
How often should I eat?
Should I eat at different intervals throughout the day?
Is there a specific diet for building muscle?
How many calories should I eat?
Should I take supplements?
Should I join a gym?
Can I create my own gym at home?
How can I avoid being ripped off?

While these may seem like very simple answers to a bodybuilding veteran, for the novice faced with decisions that may affect health and lifestyle they are extremely important.

“Muscle Building Mania” is written just for you, the novice who is considering his/her options when approaching such a change in your lifestyle.

You will find answers to the questions above, as well as an exploration of the pros and cons to joining a gym or creating one at home.

Review the different types of equipment that are available to you as a bodybuilder and what purpose they serve.

What changes do you need to make in your dietary habits and what impact they will have on your bodybuilding efforts are revealed.

Learn how to protect yourself against outrageous claims by over zealous marketers.

All this and much more is at your fingertips. “Muscle Building Mania” is an absolute must have for anyone who is considering becoming a bodybuilder.

Before you take that second step, arm yourself with the most powerful tool any budding bodybuilder should have. What is that tool? Knowledge!

Before you even think about your exercise routine
Before you begin researching a nutritional program
Before you shop for supplements
Before you join a gym

Get Your Free Copy of “Muscle Building Mania” right now and put yourself on the road to building a body you can be proud of.

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  • Muscle Building Mania All About Supplements

      • You ordered your super duper muscle-building machine weeks ago. You have used it faithfully every day. So why don’t you see any improvement when you look in the mirror? Nothing! Nada! Zilch! The story is the same whether you bought fitness equipment or joined a gym. Some people metabolize differently and begin to see results almost immediately. Others of us (usually the majority) don’t see any measurable difference for longer periods of time. If you are new to muscle building you need to understand that it took many years for you to reach the condition you are in when you start your muscle-building program. Don’t expect results overnight. In fact, long-term results are far more favorable, and healthier, than a quick fix. What most successful body builders realize is the importance of change from the cellular level outward. Yep, here come those ugly words diet and nutrition. But, there’s another aspect that is equally as important. What is it? Supplements. All to often newcomers to muscle building think that adding a multi-vitamin is all they need in addition to a healthy diet and nutritional plan. That is a huge mistake! Ask around and you’ll find that every serious body builder will tell you that half the battle is not just what you eat but what you use to supplement your diet. It is virtually impossible to get all the vitamins and minerals in the food we eat nowadays. There is no multi-vitamin known to modern science that contains everything you need to supplement your diet. If you are a body builder the additional nutritional strains demand more nourishment. What Supplements Do I Need? That depends on who you are and what you have decided on for your long-range goals. For example, did

  • Nutrition Or Training

      • Nutrition Or Training - Which Is More Important? By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.burnthefat.com Legendary bodybuilding trainer Vince, "The Iron Guru" Gironda was famous for saying, "Bodybuilding is 80% nutrition!" But is this really true or is it just another fitness and bodybuilding myth passed down like gospel without ever being questioned? Which is really more important, nutrition or training? This IS an interesting question and I believe there is a definite answer: The first thing I would say is that you cannot separate nutrition and training. The two work together synergistically. Regardless of your goals - gaining muscle, losing fat, athletic conditioning, whatever -you will get less than-optimal or even non-existent results without paying attention paid to both. In fact, I like to look at gaining muscle or losing fat in three parts - weight training, cardio training and nutrition - with each part like a leg of a three legged stool. pull ANY one of the legs off the stool, and guess what happens? In reality, it's impossible to put a specific percentage on which is more important - how could we possibly know such a number to the digit? Nutrition and training are both important, but at certain stages of your training progress, I do believe placing more attention on one component over the other can create larger improvements. Let me explain: If you're a beginner and you don't posses nutritional knowledge, then mastering nutrition is far more important than training and should become your number one priority. I say this because improving a poor diet can create rapid, quantum leaps in fat loss and muscle building progress. For example, if you've been skipping meals and only eating 2 times per day, jumping your meal frequency up to 5 or 6 smaller meals a day will transform your physique very rapidly. If you're still eating lots of

  • How To Lose Ab Flab

      • How To Lose The Last Few Pounds Of Ab Flab By Tom Venuto www.burnthefat.com "Stubborn Fat." You know what I'm talking about - the kind of flab that sticks to you in those hard-to-lose places: The lower abs, the lower back, the "love handles," the back of the arms, the upper-thigh/butt area - yeah, THAT fat! How do the bodybuilders and fitness models do it? I mean, how do they get that hyper-ripped, thin-skinned look that reveals every ripple and sinew and mound of chiseled muscle definition? I can tell you this- the answer is NOT drugs. I've never taken a steroid or physique-enhancing drug in my life, and I routinely hit 3-4% body fat for bodybuilding contests without difficulty. Some drugs work, but they are NEVER more than a temporary solution, and the nasty side effects just aren't worth it. The answer is NOT fad diets. It's a FACT - 95% of all diets fail. If you diet the way most people are doing it, you might even be slowing down your metabolism and making yourself FATTER! The answer is definitely NOT supplements, either. Some of my protégés were spending $300.00 or even $400.00 a month on worthless supplements and they now get BETTER results, FASTER with my new system - with absolutely no supplements whatsoever (or just the bare basics like multi vitamins, protein powder, etc). After 14 years of trial, error and experimentation, I finally discovered the answer and developed a fool-proof system to reach outrageously low body fat levels the natural way - no drugs, no crash diets and no supplements necessary. And now I'm finally revealing my secrets in this new "Bible of fat loss" called, BURN THE FAT, FEED THE MUSCLE (BFFM) These advanced, mega-powerful fat burning secrets do not appear to you magically just because you started working out. These insider

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  • Muscle Building Mania

      •   Table of Contents Introduction to Body Building History of Body Building Basics of Building Muscle Body Building Facilities Building A Home Gym Body Building Routine Diet and Body Building + Recipes Dietary Supplements What About Steroids? Body Builder Beware Charting Your BMI Body Building Tips Resources INTRODUCTION TO BODY BUILDING This book is an exploration. We will explore the fascinating history of body building, which can be traced as far back as the 11th Century, up to the 19th Century when it arrived on the North American scene. We will explore how to build your body and muscles, body building and weight lifting equipment, the “right” and the “dark” side of dietary supplements as well as the importance of proper nutrition for the serious body builder. No discussion of body and muscle building would be complete without covering consumer health fraud. Bogus claims and promises of unrealistic results have been around for decades. The explosion of marketing on the internet has, unfortunately, created an exponential increase in unsavory providers ready and willing to bilk unsuspecting consumers. Muscle Mania will explore package labeling and what you should know about before you buy. The content we cover presents a broad outline rather than substantive personal recommendations. Nothing within should be construed as anything more than educational and should never replace medical advice from a professional physician. We will take a look at the different types of exercise equipment that is available to bodybuilders and what considerations you need to keep in mind when shopping for your own equipment or using the services of a gym. What could be more important than your diet and nutrition? It’s critical to your success when bodybuilding. We’ll give you several recipes that are not only prepared specifically for bodybuilders, but that provide you with a breakdown of calories, grams of protein, grams of carbohydrates, grams of fat

  • Building A Better Body

      • Building A Better Body One Brick At A Time By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.burnthefat.com The quest to develop a stunningly fit, lean and attractive body is a long, slow journey. It's not something you achieve overnight by popping a few pills or strapping an electric gizmo to your belly. Which reminds me, did you know that by the time the FTC finally blew the whistle on the electronic ab belt scam, the makers of those "ab zappers" had swindled over $100 million dollars from unsuspecting consumers? Fortunately, some of those companies had to pay it back, and then some! The FTC charged three companies - Fast Abs, Ab Tronic and Ab Energizer - with false advertising and deceptive warranty practices for these "ABSurd" products. But I digress… back to what I was saying about the journey to a better body... Last week I looked out my window, and where there was once nothing but a dirt-filled empty lot, there stood a sprawling six story brick condo complex. If someone looked at this massive completed structure for the first time, they might not be impressed. However, since I observed the entire construction process unfold from my living room window, I was impressed - amazed even - at what goes into erecting this kind of structure. I remember watching the crew humming around diligently every day like busy bees, laying one brick after another. From one day to the next, it didn't seem like much changed. But slowly, over a period of a year and a half, I watched the building gradually morph into the finished product. When you look at someone with an incredible body as a finished product, you often tend to dismiss the long, arduous journey and hard work it took to build that body. Unless you were side by side with that person in the

  • Health And Fitness Is Not

      • Health And Fitness Is Not A 12-Week Program By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.burnthefat.com Not long ago, one of the members of my health club poked her head in my office for some advice. Linda was a 46 year old mother of two, and she had been a member for over a year. She had been working out sporadically, with (not surprisingly), sporadic results. On that particular day, she seemed to have enthusiasm and a twinkle in her eye that I hadn’t seen before. "I want to enter a before and after fitness contest called the “12 week body transformation challenge." I could win money and prizes and even get my picture in a magazine." “I want to lose THIS”, she continued, as she grabbed the body fat on her stomach. “Do you think it’s a good idea?” Linda was not “obese,” she just had the typical “moderate roll” of abdominal body fat and a little bit of thigh/hip fat that many forty-something females struggle with. “I think it’s a great idea,” I reassured her. “Competitions are great for motivation. When you have a deadline and you dangle a “carrot” like that prize money in front of you, it can keep you focused and more motivated than ever.” Linda was eager and rarin’ to go. “Will you help me? I have this enrollment kit and I need my body fat measured.” “No problem,” I said as I pulled out my Skyndex fat caliper, which is used to measure body fat percentage with a “pinch an inch” test. When I finished, I read the results to her from the caliper display: “Twenty-seven percent. Room for improvement, but not bad; it’s about average for your age group.” She wasn’t overjoyed at being ‘average’. “Yeah, but it's not good either. Look at THIS,” she complained as again she grabbed a handful of stomach fat.

  • INTERVIEW WITH A WEIGHT LOSS EXPERT & MORE!

      • Introduction We will approach this interview as if we have someone who wants to lose weight. Our guest expert has a diverse background. His credentials include personal trainer certification, 26 years of fitness experience as well as several awards as a body builder and owner of his own gym. Using the experience and expertise of our guest, we are going to explore the different things that our client needs to do to get started. We will use a Q (Question) and A (Answer) format.   Goal Setting Q - What is the average weight that people want to lose in your health club? A -For most people it’s anywhere from 10 to 50 pounds.   Q - How important is the reason or motivation when someone decides to lose weight? A - The reason or motivation could be their health or their health situation or just the way they feel.   Q - I guess what I am asking is that the reason that will get them to start with a weight loss plan and stick to it? A - I would say so.   Q - What do you think our client should do to set realistic goals? A - Well the first thing, you have to do is what I say. That is really the bottom line they have to stick to good nutritional guidelines.   Q - Do you find that clients set unrealistic goals based on a certain time frame? A - Not really, they are pretty realistic weight loss because that is one of the questions that I have on the data acquisition form that I use to evaluate my client.   Q - Would you share some of those questions? A – Well, one of them would be how much weight do you want to lose and in a certain amount of time and I have

  • The Basic Nutrients and Nutrition

      • There are certain basic nutrients which are necessary for the body to achieve maximum growth and energy production. It is important to know which foods to eat and in what quantity in order to ensure that you get the necessary supply of each of these nutrients. Beyond this, you also have to be concerned with the relative balance of each of the nutrients - how much of one you need in relation to how much of the others. No matter what kind of metabolism or body type you possess, the biochemistry of the body requires specific combinations if you want to maximize the processes of building muscle, burning fat and creating energy. Beyond Basic Nutrition I will later include in this section special reports on the supplementation of nutrients, herbs and teas. As research is completed and as articles are submitted I will update this site. Future projects include information on Chinese herbal medicines and tonics, Tibetan Medicine and Ayurvedic Healers and Medicines.      

  • Abdominal Training Secrets - The Interview David Grisaffi’s BIG 5 For Abs And Core

      • Abdominal Training Secrets - The Interview David Grisaffi's BIG 5 For Abs And Core Click Here To Go To The Interview Prone Ball Roll Place your breast bone or sternum on the apex of the Swiss ball and wrap your arms around the ball. Slowly roll side to side, holding your end position. As you gain more strength and stability you will be able to roll farther out and hold the position longer. Supine Lateral Ball Roll This exercise improves many things in your body at one time. Lie on your back on a Swiss ball. Position your body so that your head is comfortably supported on the ball, as well as the area between your shoulder blades. Extend you hip upward until your knees , hips and shoulders are all in the same horizontal plane. Place your tongue on the roof of you mouth just behind your front teeth, a position that can be found by swallowing. Extend your arms outward and turn the hands so the palms are facing upwards. Place a dowel rod in your hands Begin to roll laterally. Throughout the exercise, hold the alignment of you body exactly as it was before moving, with the exception that you may move you feet in a small shuffle keep them in alignment with the body as you shift laterally. Go only to the point that you can hold the alignment for the count of "one thousand and One", then return to the opposite side, repeating the sequence. Swiss Ball Side Flexion The Side Sit requires simultaneous contraction of the internal and external Obliques, as well as the quadratus lumborum. This exercise is used to improve core strength and your back. Place a Swiss ball under your hip and anchor one or

  • Post Workout Drinks And fat Loss

      • QUESTION: Dear Tom: I came across a piece of muscle-building advice written on a white board at a Bally's fitness club, posted outside the "advanced" personal training station. I took a picture and attached it to this email. As you can see, it said to ingest whey protein and 60-70 grams of *simple sugars* 30-45 minutes after your workout. Is there any truth at all to this advice? I take particular exception to point #1... I can't believe eating 60-70 grams of simple sugar at any time can be good for you! If this is indeed bad advice, I will write Bally's corporate and tell them to stop hurting the public with bad advice from their personal trainers. What do you think? thanks, Doug ANSWER: It does seem counter intuitive, but believe it or not, that is standard, and science-based advice for post workout nutrition. Post workout nutrition has been well researched and there is evidence that taking in simple carbs - usually glucose or dextrose with maltodextrin (plus whey protein) in the form of a post workout drink - is an ideal post workout recovery "meal." The part about "waiting" 30-45 minutes is the part that is questionable, but that may have been a simple oversight... I think what they meant was to ingest it "within" 30-45 minutes. Most of the research says that the sooner after the workout you take post workout nutrition, the better (which is why you see so many people these days chugging down workout drinks while still at the gym... in the locker room, etc.) That said, here is where I will get controversial, because almost everything you read and everyone you talk to these days tries to convince you that if you're not drinking a post workout

  • Your Home Fitness Program!

      • Table of Contents First Things First How Much Exercise Do You Need? Basics of Fitness Resistance Training How to Combat Fatigue Walking Costs Nothing Beginner Fitness Program Intermediate Fitness Program Advanced Fitness Program Workout Gear Exercise Guide Fitness and Nutrition Exercise and Your Health Sport Training Inexpensive Equipment First Things First First things first: Motivation for a home fitness program The modern lifestyle each person has to contend with has resulted in quite a number of problems affecting both mental and physical health. People live their lives with only one goal in mind and that is to produce more, earn more and consume more. This has resulted in serious problems with the way people live their lives including the way they choose the food that they eat as well as their daily physical activities. People are so busy that they find it more practical to eat frozen food or fast food instead of cooking sumptuous and healthy meals. People are so caught up with their jobs that they no longer have much time for walking or for simple physical activities like a game of tennis or riding a bike. A person who has weight problems should consider incorporating his physical activities with his work or schedule. It is not easy to maintain a good fitness program but he has to prioritize first things first. And talking about first things first means knowing his priorities in life and what he has to do to address and achieve those priorities. Once the priorities have been listed or known then it would be easy to look for time to do those things despite a hectic schedule. A person can start a feasible home fitness program if he has the proper motivation for doing so. Knowing the target and how important the target is makes a good start for any person. A person should consider the negative and positive consequences

  • Foods That Burn Fat: The Top 10 Lists

      • By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.BurnTheFat.com Anytime the topic of discussion in my blogs, articles or newsletters has turned to my own personal grocery shopping list, there has always been a spike in interest. It seems that many people are not only curious about what foods a natural bodybuilder eats to maintain single digit body fat, but they also want to be taken by the hand and told exactly what foods to eat themselves while on fat-burning or muscle building programs. That’s why I decided to put together four separate “top 10” lists of healthy foods that burn fat and build muscle. Exact quantities and menus are not listed, just the individual foods, and of course my food intake does vary. I aim to get as many different varieties of fruits and vegetables as possible over the course of every week and there are a lot of substitutions made, so you are not seeing the full list of everything I eat, only what foods I eat most of the time. I also want to point out that while I don’t believe that extreme low carbs are necessary or most effective when you look at the long term, research has shown that there are some definite advantages to a low to moderate carb and higher protein diet for fat loss purposes. These include reduced appetite, higher thermic effect of food and “automatic” calorie control. Personally, I reduce my carb intake moderately and temporarily prior to bodybuilding competitions. Specifically, it’s the foods that are on the starchy carbs and grains list that go down during the brief pre-competition period when I’m working on that really “ripped” look. I keep the green and fibrous veggie intake very high however, along with large amounts of lean protein, small amounts of fruit, and adequate amounts of essential fats. This list reflects

  • Organic Food

      • What A "Muscle Head" Says About Organic Food By Tom Venuto, Natural Bodybuilder www.burnthefat.com Last week I was talking about nutrition with one of my workout buddies and when I mentioned grass fed beef and "organic food” he asked, "Do you mean like what you get at Whole Foods Market?" I said, "Yes, exactly... that's a natural food and organic supermarket." He said, "Yeah well, that place costs so much, I call it Whole Paycheck!" I was rolling on the floor laughing, but the truth is, organic food really is expensive and so is grass fed beef and free range chicken, so it's a valid question to ask, “Is it worth it?” After researching the subject and doing some personal experiments with my own diet, let me offer you my take on it from a bodybuilder’s viewpoint. This is a perspective on organics you may not have heard before. First, look at it this way - if you put the cheapest fuel in your luxury car, how well is it going to run and how many miles are you going to get out of it? While I'm on car analogies, health and fitness author and educator Paul Chek once wrote about how ridiculous it is to watch how many $75,000 + cars pull up to the Mcdonald's or Burger King drive through window to buy $1.99 hamburgers. I would say that's a serious case of screwed up priorities, wouldn't you? The driver has no problem shelling out the $1,100 monthly car payment, but it's too much to ask him to put premium fuel into his own "bodily vehicle." How can you put ANY price tag on your body and your health? You can buy another car, but you've only got one body. Now, as for the grass fed beef and organic foods question…. For best results in body composition improvement, which I

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  • How An Entire Year Could Go By With No Fat Loss

      • QUESTION: Dear Tom: I’ve been going to the gym for the past year now, but I have only lost 2 pounds. I eat about 1800 calories a day and I do 3 cardio and 3 weight training sessions a week. I am 5 feet 5 inches and 128 lbs. I would like to be at 120 lbs. To lose 8 more lbs isn’t a lot to ask, but I’m really frustrated. I’ve been VERY persistent, and I rarely cheat except once each weekend, but at this rate, it will take me another 4 years for me to reach my goal! Please help! ANSWER: Don't worry, it won't take another 4 years! In fact, you can reach your target wt. within the next month if you start getting feedback, charting results and making some strategic changes to your program. First, it's important that you understand how a year could go by with almost no progress. Have you been doing the same nutrition, same calories, same cardio and same workout for the entire past year with no changes? If so, then you shouldn't be suprised if you've continued to get the SAME results (very little). If you do more of the same, you usually get more of the same. Caloric intake, for example is not something you calculate once and then never pay attention to again. Calories have to be calculated and customized for each individual in the beginning and then adjusted continuously in “real time” during the course of a fat loss program, based on actual results. Just because you start at 1800 doesn’t mean your caloric intake should stay there. Calories may need to be increased or decreased depending on whether your goals, your body weight and your activity levels change and based on your

  • How To Lose 20 Pounds Really, Really Fast

      • How To Lose 20 Pounds Really, Really Fast By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.burnthefat.com Back “in the day” when I was a full time personal trainer and I met with weight loss clients in person at my New Jersey Health Club, the first thing I would always ask during the initial consultation was: "Tell me what you want... and I'll show you how to get it." Typical reply from client: "I want to lose 20 pounds fast." My reply: "Are you SURE that's what you want? ...If I can show you how to lose 20 pounds REALLY fast, will that make you happy?" They nodded their head affirmatively as their eyes lit up in anticipation of the rapid weight loss secrets I was about to reveal... Their face went white when - with a totally straight face – I pulled out a hacksaw and started walking towards them.... menacingly. Not sure whether to laugh or run in sheer terror, they said, "What the heck are you doing?" "You said you wanted to lose 20 pounds fast. This is the easiest, surest, most effective way I know to take 20 pounds off you FAST! In fact, I figure that right leg of yours might even weigh 25 pounds!" I kept walking closer and started to get into sawing position, wielding my fast, effective and guaranteed weight loss tool... "Bear with me because this IS quick, but sometimes it takes a few minutes for me to cut through the bone." By this time, my client (and I) are either completely cracking up, I have seriously scared the living you know what out of them, or they just think I'm a complete lunatic... (depends on whether I was able to keep a straight face or not) Finally, the light bulb goes on, and my client would see where I was going with this: "Okay, smart alec," I get it... I don't

  • Induction Destruction

      • Induction Destruction: The Perils Of Diving Into Strict Diets Headfirst By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.burnthefat.com Every so often you read a sad story in the newspaper about someone who dove headfirst into a river or lake, without checking to see how deep the water was beforehand. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a shallow 18 inches and the consequence of this miscalculated plunge was a broken neck and a wheelchair. This reminds me of the way most people impatiently dive into strict, extreme, or unbalanced crash diets, without thinking about the long term consequences, invariably crippling any chance they had for keeping the fat off in the long run. One thing that almost all mainstream popular diets have in common is an “induction phase” (or the equivalent). This is often done under the scientific-sounding auspices of “making the metabolic switch” from “carb burner” to “fat burner.” Another common way that popular diets begin is with a “liquid fast” or “internal cleansing” phase. This is often suggested as necessary for clearing out all the gunk that has accumulated on your insides which (says them), is the reason you feel like “blah” and can’t lose any weight. Larrian Gillespie, the About.com guide to low carb diets, made a keen observation in a recent article. Writing about the Induction plan on programs such as the Atkins diet, she noted: "Frankly, the only thing I object to is the induction plan concept...for ANY diet. It's a cheap trick approach to weight management, since we as Americans are fixated on quick fixes or we toss a plan and go onto the next marketing promise." Not only do I agree – I would take it a step further. I believe that this radical beginning phase actually increases the chances of failure in the long term. Gillespie continues with advice about what to do if you

  • What Color Is Your Diet

      • QUESTION: Dear Tom: I’ve seen quite a few diet books lately that are based on the color of the foods you eat, including the rainbow diet, the color diet and the “color code” (sounds like the Da Vinci code, LOL!) Anyway, I’ve been reading your newsletters for a long time and I know how you feel about diet pills, books and gimmicks and I was wondering what you thought about these programs. Is it just another gimmick? ANSWER: Based on the clever titles, it might be tempting to dismiss these programs as gimmicks, and in fact when your weekly menus are literally “color coded,” it might seem that the diet book authors are just scrambling for a new hook or premise on which to base an entire eating program. I have not read any of those books you mentioned yet, so I can’t comment on any of them specifically. However, as “gimmicky” as eating from every color in the rainbow may sound at first, there is some very legitimate and scientific evidence that this is a great idea. We are often given the advice to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables (which have a variety of different colors). Good advice of course; even common sense would tell us that. However, “eat a lot of fruits and vegetables”is vague advice because it could mean eating only apples and broccoli (red and green), and nothing else, but eating “a lot” of them. To take that advice to the next level, a better recommendation would be to eat a WIDE VARIETY of fruits and vegetables (not just “a lot”). Even “wide variety” is not really defined. What is a wide variety? Did you know that

  • 7 Super Supplements

      • 7 Super Supplements a Free Pdf Click Here its free. This Special Report is 31 pages long and contains only direct links to the supplements I recommend. For example, I love Shawn Phillip's Full Strength® and a supplement called Tributsol. Both are recommended in my Top 7 List. And, both have direct links to the two product sites. I sell NONE of these supplements personally. You will also find this Special Report is thoroughly researched with studies cited. About The Author AS A COACH AND FITNESS PROFESSIONAL, JON BENSON’S unique skill set has been called “the ultimate blend of Anthony Robbins and Bill Phillips.” He is living proof of his methods, as a mere eight years ago he was clinically obese and near death.  Jon is now an internationally recognized sports nutritionist and transformation life-coach, specializing in mental strategies for the excellence lifestyle, fat-burning nutrition and superior physical fitness. He is the creator and co-author of Fit Over 40 (one of the most popular fitness e-books in history) and two new bestsellers: The Every Other Day Diet and 7 Minute Muscle. He is also the creator of M-Power Fitness, which combines life-coaching skills with the best in total body transformation strategies. Jon is a graduate from MIT in Los Angeles, California and Abilene Christian University, degreed in Human Communications and Philosophical Studies along with an extensive nutrition background. He is currently completing his Certified Sports Nutritionist certification through the prestigious ISSN. Books and Programs By Jon Benson 7 Minute Muscle by Jon Benson The fastest muscle-building and fat-burning workout ever! http://www.7minutemuscle.com <-- Click Here The Every Other Day Diet by Jon Benson with Holly Rigsby A diet anyone can stick to while enjoying the foods you love! http://www.EveryOtherDayDiet.com <-- Click Here Fit Over 40 by Jon Benson and Tom Venuto, CSCS 52 role models age 40-80 prove you can be fit and healthy at

  • Increase Your Metabolism

      • Increase Your Metabolism And Decrease Your Appetite With This Fat-Burning Food Group By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.burnthefat.com There have been countless studies performed on the role of protein in the muscle growth process to try and determine exactly how much protein you should consume to build muscle mass. Recently, several studies have looked at the role that dietary protein plays in helping you lose fat, and more importantly, helping you keep it off! One thing scientists have discovered is that eating lean protein foods is important for regulating body composition because it decreases your appetite. In a 2003 study reported in the journal, Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition And Metabolic Care (2003; 6(6): 635-638), protein was shown to be more satiating (made you feel fuller) than both carbohydrate and fat both in the short term and the long term. Eating more lean protein foods has also been proven as an effective strategy to help you burn fat and keep it off because of something called, “dietary thermogenesis” (also known as the thermic effect of food). In a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2005 (93(2): 281-289), researchers followed a group of 113 overweight subjects after 4 weeks of a very low calorie diet, through a 6 month period of weight maintenance. The subjects were divided into a protein group or a control group. The protein group was simply given an extra 30 grams of protein per day on top of their usual diet. The researchers found that during weight maintenance, the group with the higher protein intake was less likely to regain the lost weight, and any weight gain in the protein group was lean tissue and not fat. The results were attributed to higher thermic effect and a decrease in appetite. Although calories will always be the bottom line when it comes to fat

  • 10 Bonehead Workout Mistakes

      • The Top 10 Bonehead Workout Mistakes By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.burnthefat.com “Common workout mistakes” has always been a very popular topic in fitness publications. But no matter how many times this subject is re-hashed, you almost always hear about the same half a dozen or so mistakes, including poor form, overtraining, going too heavy, not stretching, not warming up, yadda, yadda yadda. Ironically, you seldom hear about the biggest mistakes of all. I call these humongous bloopers “bonehead mistakes” because once you start to analyze and think about them, they’re really just common sense and they all seem so obvious… except of course to the person doing it… who is often quite oblivious until someone else points it out to them... then the light goes on and it's like... "Doh!" Before I begin the countdown, (in no particular order), there’s one more gripe I have about the treatment this subject has been given in the past: Most of the attention has been put on the mistakes, but very little on the solutions. It’s all too easy to point fingers and say, “Don’t do that” and “Shame on you, dummy” but only 1% of your time should be spent on problems. 99% should be spent on solutions. So in that spirit, after I bring each mistake to your attention, I’ll give you a solution-oriented training tip to help you avoid boneheadedness and join the elite group who “kick butt” in the gym at every workout… Bonehead workout mistake #1: "Winging it" “Winging it” means having no written goals or plans, no training journal and no way of “keeping score.” It’s when you just show up at the gym day after day and do whatever strikes your fancy, whatever machine happens to be available, or whatever you’ve become habitually accustomed to doing. Winging it is when you

  • Count Down To Fitness Success And Keep Your Motivation Drive Alive

      • By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.BurnTheFat.com There are many fantastic ways to get focused and motivated to begin a diet or exercise program, but often the most difficult thing to do is keep that drive and ambition alive for more than a few weeks and see your goal through to completion. Within just weeks of starting, many people have already hit their first snag or setback, and as a result, have slipped backwards in the mental focus and motivation department. Setting goals in writing is an essential step to success, but how do you stay focused on them? One technique I have used ever since my very first bodybuilding competition 18 years ago, is... The "contest countdown calendar." I have used it ever since, through 28 competitions and it will work for you too, for any fitness goal. I purchase a desk or wall calendar - the type that shows each week stretching horizontally across the page with an open block of space for each day. After I set my goal and place a deadline on it, I do NOT stop there. I take out my calendar and start counting backwards from my target goal deadline to the present day. T-minus 117 days.... T-minus 116 days... T-minus 115 days.... I also fill in my workouts for the entire 3-4 month period, which is the typical length I allow for my mid-range goals like contest prep. you would be shocked - pleasantly so - just how focused this keeps you. Even better still, you get MORE and MORE motivated with each passing day you countdown because the deadline is getting closer Deadlines are absolutely critical to your success. Little gets done without deadlines. There is a saying in management and psychology that "work will always expand to fill the time allowed for it's completion." Remember term papers in school?

  • Tuna And Mercury - Are You Being Poisoned By The “Healthy” Fish You’re Eating?

      • QUESTION: Hi Tom: I love albacore tuna or salmon. Do you have any concern about the levels of mercury now being found in tuna and in larger fish? I still eat them. I'd have to quit eating to avoid all the things wrong with food. I’ve never been too environmentally minded, but I found myself perturbed that the fish are becoming toxic, little by little. My vegetarian daughter is our family environmentalist, and I'm on her side on this one. Recently there was an article in our paper suggesting that the breast milk of a nursing mother, could now be considered toxic in a high percentage of cases. If true, a sad indictment of our society. www.burnthefat.com ANSWER: According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the fish most likely to be contaminated with unsafe levels of mercury are those highest up on the food chain, including shark, king mackerel, tilefish and swordfish. These larger, longer-lived predatory fish feed on the smaller fish and retain in their bodies the contaminants that were in the small fish. The FDA released a mercury advisory warning in 1994, which advised the public that these fish were safe as part of a balanced diet if eaten no more than once per week. In 2001, the FDA upgraded their advisory, recommending that pregnant women, nursing women or women of childbearing age who may become pregnant, avoid the high-risk fish completely because mercury can harm the nervous system of a developing unborn baby. According to the FDA, the fish with the least mercury are salmon, trout, catfish, haddock, flounder, crab or shrimp. And what about tuna fish – that classic bodybuilding and fitness staple food? The FDA says that certain species of large tuna, usually sold as fresh tuna, tuna steaks or sushi, can

  • Alcohol And Body Fat

      • QUESTION: Tom, what about alcohol? How does that fit into your burning fat program? I am not talking binge drinking, just one or two a day. John ANSWER: Hi John. A couple drinks on the weekend and or on special ocassions probably won't have any major impact on your fat loss results (although I would encourage you to consider the mindset that EVERYTHING you do either helps or hurts). A drink or two on ocassion is a part of enjoying life for many people, and it's important to find lifestyle balance for the sake of your long term happiness and success. However, I do not recommend drinking every day. "A couple every day" adds a LOT of extra calories to your daily diet. If you're talking about two 150-calorie beers, thats 300 calories extra a day or 2100 extra calories a week. Multiply that out for a year and you have 109,200 extra calories! WOW! That's potentially 31.2 pounds of fat in a year. If you DO account for the calories in those drinks, then you have another conundrum - the alcohol calories displace good valuable food calories... Drinking gives you empty alcohol calories with virtually no nutritional value (and some negative value in more way than one), while pushing out important vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, fiber and other good stuff. Alcohol also inhibits fat burning. While your liver is busy metabolizing alcohol, it puts your fat metabolism on hold. That's why I do NOT recommend any drinking when you are on a fat loss program (at least if you are serious about it). When you are on a regular, year-round lifestyle/maintenance program I recommend that if you drink, you do so in moderation, keep it to special occasions or weekends and remember to factor in those calories

  • How To Repair A Damaged Metabolism

      • By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.burnthefat.com If you've caused metabolic damage as a result of following starvation diets or losing weight too rapidly in the past, it can be extremely difficult to achieve any further fat loss at all. The good news is, metabolic damage can be repaired. All it takes is the right combination of metabolism stimulating exercise and metabolism stimulating nutrition (NOT just a diet), all done consistently over time. The big irony is that most of the diet programs that claim to help you get rid of excess weight, only end up making it harder for you in the long run because they use harsh metabolism-decreasing diets and not enough exercise (almost never any weight training). It may take a little longer if you have really messed things up with severe starvation dieting in the past, especially if you've lost a lot of lean body mass, but it is never hopeless. Anyone can increase their metabolism. Most people get an almost immediate boost in metabolic rate when they start the Burn The Fat program. However, the results are not going to be "overnight." Give it a little time... Within 3 weeks your metabolism will already be more efficient. Within 6-8 weeks, it's burning hot. Give me 12 weeks of consistent diligent effort, sticking with all the metabolism boosting strategies I teach, and your metabolism really will become like a turbo charged engine, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that. What’s most important for upping your metabolism is CONSISTENCY in applying the Burn The Fat nutrition and training principles every single day. That includes: Meal frequency: eat 5-6 small meals per day Meal timing: eat approximately every 3 hours, with a substantial breakfast and a substantial post workout meal. Sufficient Caloric Intake: maintain a small calorie deficit and avoid starvation-level diets (suggested safe levels for fat

  • Muscle Building Supplements

      • Table of Contents Why Use Body Building Supplements Body Building and Ephedra Using Nitric Oxide for Body Building All About Creatine Body Building Energy Drinks Protein Supplements Meal Replacement Supplements Maltodextrin Supplement to Degrade Enzymatic Process Glutamine Vanadyl for Nitrogen Retention Leucine to Promote Anticatabolic Metabolism Essential Fatty Acids Glucosamine Special Supplements for Women The Dangers of Steroids Why Use Body Building Supplements Why Use Bodybuilding Supplements? Bodybuilding supplements have risen in prominence in the past few decades. They offer the advantages of both convenience and affordability. Since bodybuilders need to get more nutrition than the average individual, it will be much easier for them to achieve their goals through supplements. Keep in mind that these are not magic bullets that you can take and expect to become big overnight. Everything needs to be included in a sound and systematic strategy. A Brief Description of Bodybuilding Supplements Bodybuilding supplements are used by many gym enthusiasts with the hope of gaining more lean muscle while losing extra fat. At present, there are so many choices to choose from compared to many years ago. During the 1970s, protein supplements were the only staple that helped bodybuilders reach their target protein intake per day without having to devour huge amounts of food. 20 years later, manufacturers and laboratories started creating more products that promise to create anabolic responses to boost the body’s recovery for tissue repair as well as improve metabolism to keep unwanted fat off. Now, there are protein supplements of different kinds like creatine, branch chain amino acids, nitric oxide, fat burners and energy enhancers which will support the aspiring bodybuilder in a variety of ways. Sometimes two or more of these products can be taken for better results since some products are known to compliment the effects of others. People however, should know that bodybuilding supplements only comprise a small portion of the entire picture. People think that the products have

  • Protein - Amino Acids

      • Protein is used by the body to build, repair, and maintain muscle and organ tissues by repairing and building cells, aid in the formation of antibodies, they work in conjunction with enzymes and the hormonal system, help transport oxygen and participate in muscle activities. When Protein is digested it is broken down into a number of amino acids (Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine, Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Cysteine, Glutamic Acid, Glutamine, Glycine, Histidine, Lyrosine, Proline, Serine, Taurine and Tyrosine), These amino acids are divided by definition into two main groups. The first group is termed essential amino acids and are required by the body to make the second group called non-essential amino acids. Don't be fooled by the term non-essential these proteins are very important to sustaining a healthy and vital life. A deficiency of any one essential amino acid can cause a corresponding deficiency in some or all of the non essential amino acids. Essential Amino Acids Non Essential Amino Acids Isoleucine Alanine Leucine Arginine Lysine Aspartic Acid Methionine Cysteine Phenylalanine Glutamic Acid Threonine Glutamine Tryptophan Glycine Valine Histidine   Lyrosine   Proline   Serine   Taurine   Tyrosine Some foods contain what is called complete protein, that is, they provide all the amino acids necessary to produce usable protein. Examples of these foods would be milk, eggs, meat, fish, and various vegetable products, such as soybeans. But even these foods contain differing amounts of usable protein per weight. The suggested RDA for Proteins and Amino Acids varies from 0.8 to 1.5 grams per Kilogram body weight per day. I would like to point out to the reader that the RDA of any Nutrient is based on the absolute minimum to sustain life. I have not been introduced to any research documents that proves conclusively that over consuming proteins can adversely effect a persons health (with the exception of weight gain). I have read and heard from many so called professionals that the over consumption of protein can

  • The Paleolithic Diet - Should We Eat Like Our “Cave Man” Ancestors?

      • QUESTION: Hi Tom: Your Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle ebook was an eye-opener for me. I am following your advice closely with very good results. I'm a semi professional windsurfer and a mountain biker, and especially for the latter I need to be as lean as possible. Thanks in large part to your program, I'm well into single digit body fat and dropping. Just recently I came across a book called the paleolithic diet and I was wondering if you ever heard about it? What's your opinion on this book? Is it worth reading if I already have your book? Is the program any good? Mariusz Poland ANSWER: The "paleolithic," "stone age," "cave man," or "neanderthal" eating plans have been around for a while and there are quite a few books that have been written on the subject. In general, with a only few minor constructive criticisms, I think they are right on point, and will benefit your health and definitely your fat loss efforts. A "Paleo Diet" is actually quite similar to my Burn The Fat program, only with the starches and grains (and dairy products) removed completely. In fact, a "paleo" or "cave man" diet is very, very similar to the "contest" (bodybuilding or physique) diets I recommend in Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle and this is most definitely a great way get very lean, very fast. On physique competition diets (bodybuilding, fitness, figure, etc), you leave the lean proteins, lean meats, nuts and seeds, the green veggies (fibrous carbs), and some fruit in the diet, while reducing or removing ALL processed foods and SOME of the grains and starches. (usually the dairy products go too). When it comes to MAXIMUM FAT LOSS, the removal or reduction of grains and calorie dense starchy carbs in

  • Why Some People Quit And Some People NEVER Give Up

      • By Tom Venuto, CSCS, NSCA-CPT www.BurnTheFat.com Throughout my 18 years in the fitness industry as a trainer, nutrition consultant and motivational coach, I have noticed that some people who start a nutrition and exercise program give up very easily after hitting the first obstacle they encounter. If they feel the slightest bit of discouragement or frustration, they will abandon even their biggest goals and dreams. On the other hand, I noticed that some people simply NEVER give up. They have ferocious persistence and they never let go of their goals. These people are like the bulldog that refuses to release its teeth-hold on a bone. The harder you try to pull the bone out of his mouth, the harder the dog chomps down with a vice-like grip. What's the difference between these two types of people? Psychologists say there is an answer. An extremely important guideline for achieving fitness success is the concept that, "There is no failure; only feedback. You don't "fail", you only get results." This is a foundational principle from the field of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), and the first time I ever heard it was from peak performance expert Anthony Robbins back in the late 1980's. It's a principle that stuck with me ever since, because it's a very, very powerful shift in mindset. A lot of people will second-guess themselves and they'll bail out and quit, just because what they try at first doesn't work. They consider it a permanent failure, but all they need is a little attitude change, a mindset change, or what we call a "reframe." Instead of saying, "This is failure" they can say to themselves, "I produced a result" and "This is only temporary." This change in perspective is going to change the way that they feel and how they mentally process and explain the experience. It

  • Why Some People Can Drink Alcohol Without Getting Fat

      • By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.BurnTheFat.com Alcohol has been implicated as a factor that may hurt your efforts to lose body fat. Whether alcohol is "fattening" has been a very controversial subject because technically speaking, alcohol is NOT stored as fat; it is oxidized ahead of other fuels. Whether moderate drinking is healthy has also been a subject of controversy. Many studies show that cardiovascular health benefits are associated with moderate beer or wine drinking (which has been of particular interest lately with reservatrol in the news so much), while other studies show improved insulin sensitivity. Some experts however, say that alcohol has no place in a fitness lifestyle. A recent study published in the journal Obesity adds new findings to our knowledge about alcohol, insulin resistance and abdominal obesity. Analysis of the results as compared to other studies also gives us some insights into why some people seem to drink and get fat while others seem to drink and get thin! The truth about the beer belly phenomenon This new study, by Ulf Riserus and Erik Inglesson, was based on the Swedish Uppsala Longitudinal cohort. The researchers found that alcohol intake in older men did not improve insulin sensitivity, which contradicted their own hypothesis and numerous previous studies. They also said there was a very "robust" association between alcohol intake, waist circumference and waist to hip ratio. They pointed out that a high alcohol intake, especially hard liquor, was closely associated with abdominal body fat, not just overall body mass. Abdominal fat accumulation is not just a cosmetic problem, it can be a serious health risk. Abdominal fat, also known as "android" or "central" obesity, increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, glucose intolerance and elevated insulin levels. Many other studies have also found a link between alcohol intake and abdominal fat, but

  • Banking Calories

      • Banking Calories - Eat Less Now To Pig Out Later? By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.burnthefat.com Suppose you’re on a diet and you have a banquet or a holiday party coming up. You’re expecting a big meal to be served for dinner, and there will be open bar with lots and lots of “party snacks.” You’re not sure if there will be any healthy food there, but you are sure that you’re going to be in a festive, partying mood! What should you do? Should you cut back on your food earlier in the day to make room for the big feast? What I’ve just described is commonly known as "banking calories," which is analogous to saving calories like money because you're going to consume more later, and it’s a very common practice among dieters. If you’re really serious about your diet and fitness goals however, then the answer is no, you should NOT “bank calories! Here's why and here's what you should do instead: First of all, if you're being really honest with yourself, you have to agree that there's almost always something healthy to eat at any gathering. You know those tables you see at holiday parties that are covered with yards of chips, dips, pretzels, cookies, salami, candies, cheese, punch, liquor, and a seemingly endless assortment of other goodies? Well, did you also notice that there's usually a tray full of carrot sticks, cauliflower, celery, fruit, turkey breast and other healthy snacks too? No matter where you are, you always have options, so make the best choice you can based on whatever your options are. If nothing else, you can choose to eat a small portion of "party foods" rather than a huge portion, thereby obeying the law of calorie balance. If you skip meals or eat less earlier in the day to bank

  • How I Got “Ripped” Abs For The Very First Time

      • By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.BurnTheFat.com I’ll never forget the very first time I got ripped, how I did it and how it felt. I’ve never told this entire story before or widely published my early photos either. Winning first place and seeing my abs the first time was sweet redemption. But before that, it was a story of desperation… I started lifting weights for bodybuilding when I was 14 years old, but I never had ripped abs until I was 20. I endured six years of frustration and embarrassment. Being a teenager is hard enough, but imagine how I felt being a self-proclaimed bodybuilder, with no abs or muscle definition to show for it. Imagine what it was like in swimming class or when we played basketball in gym class and I prayed to be called out for “shirts” and not ‘”skins” because I didn’t want any one seeing my “man-boobs” and ab flab jiggling all over the court. Oh, I had muscle. I started gaining muscle from the moment I picked up a barbell. I got strong too. I was benching 315 at age 18. But even after four years of successful strength training, I still hadn’t figured out this getting ripped thing. Muscle isn’t very attractive if it’s covered up with a layer of fat. That’s where the phrase “bulky” really comes from – fat on top of muscle. It can look worse than just fat. I read every book. I read every magazine. I tried every exercise. I took every supplement in vogue back in the 80’s (remember bee pollen, octacosanol, lipotropics and dessicated liver?) I tried not eating for entire days at a time. I went on a rope skipping kick. I did hundreds of crunches and ab exercises. I rode the Lifecycle. I wore rubber waist belts. The results

  • Protein Supplements Vs. Protein Foods?

      • By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.burnthefat.com Are protein supplements really better than protein foods? Before attempting to answer this question, I should first preface it by mentioning that I do not sell supplements, nor am I associated with any supplement company, so you’re getting an honest and unbiased opinion. Don't get me wrong; I am not anti-supplement by any means. It would simply be more accurate to say that I am "pro-food." There are a lot of good supplements on the market, and I've used many of them, including a multi vitamin, creatine and essential fatty acid (EFA) supplements such as Flaxseed oil. Protein powders and meal replacements can also be indispensable if you don't have time to eat every three hours. However, protein supplements are not the master key to your success, real food is! Did you ever notice how articles about protein in certain bodybuilding magazines are seldom objective? Instead, they all seem to be slanted towards hyping some "revolutionary" new product. Did you ever wonder why? In my opinion, most articles on protein supplements are nothing more than thinly disguised advertisements (some very thinly). Sometimes they give you a very persuasive-sounding argument, replete with dozens of references from scientific studies (mostly done on rodents, of course). They even give you an 800 number at the end of the article to order. (How convenient!) When protein manufacturers throw around fancy words like cross flow microfiltration, oligopeptides, ion-exchange, protein efficiency ratio, biological value, nitrogen retention and glycomacropeptides, it sure sounds convincing, especially when scores of scientific references are cited. But don't forget that the supplement industry is big business and most magazines are the supplement industry. Lyle McDonald, author of "The Ketogenic Diet," hit the nail on the head when he wrote "Unfortunately, the obsession that bodybuilders have with protein has

  • Lowering Your Cholestrol

      • TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION WHAT IS CHOLESTROL, LDL & HDL? DIAGNOSING CHOLESTEROL CAUSES CHOLESTEROL MEDICATIONS NATURAL TREATMENTS HERBAL REMEDIES LIVING HEALTHY INTRODUCTION Cholesterol has been around for thousands of years. It’s a natural function of the human body. The modern story of cholesterol and how it affects us today, actually began during a government study in 1951. The Pentagon sent pathologists to Korea to examine the bodies of servicemen who lost their lives during the war. Autopsies were conducted on 2,000 soldiers. The results were astounding to the medical community of that time. Normally, no one under 35 dies of coronary heart disease. Remember, this was 1951! More than 75 percent of the soldier had yellow deposits of atherosclerotic plaque on their artery walls. The average age of these soldiers was 21 contradicting the assumption that such artery clogging deposits were only prevalent in older men. The results of the Army pathologists rocked the medical community. Prior to these autopsies, doctors had no idea how early the process of heart disease began. Not long after this discovery, a name was given to the major contributor to the buildup of plaque and to heart disease risk – cholesterol. More recent studies have shown that for every 1 percent drop in cholesterol levels, there is a 2 percent decrease in the risk of a heart attack. Since those original studies, the risk of heart disease stemming from cholesterol has exploded. In 2002 it was estimated that 107 million American adults now have a blood cholesterol level high enough to require medical advice. Unfortunately, the numbers keep rising. Despite this epidemic problem, there is good news. You can do something about the problem and that’s what this guide is all about. In plain English, we will take a laymen’s look at cholesterol, the causes, effects

  • Don’t Catch These Two Diseases

      • By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.BurnTheFat.com www.BurnTheFatInnerCircle.com One of my favorite motivational speakers is a guy by the name of Brian Tracy, who is one of the world’s top experts on success psychology and personal achievement. In case you haven’t heard of Brian, he is sort of like a calmer, more “laid back” version of infomercial guru, Tony Robbins. Not long ago, I had the chance to attend a seminar Brian held at the Jacob Javitz center here in New York City. One part of his talk really grabbed my attention, and I’d like to share it with you... Brian said that that there are two diseases running rampant across America and much of the industrialized world today. If you had to hazard a guess, which two do you think they are? Cancer? Diabetes? Heart Disease? Osteoporosis? Obesity? Guess what? They’re NONE of the above. In fact, they’re not even physical diseases – they are mental diseases. The first mental disease, according to Tracy, is called something-for nothing disease. Something for nothing disease is contracted by people who believe they can take more out than what they put in. These are the people who want all the rewards without paying full price, or as Brian put it, “They want to go through the revolving door of life on someone else’s push.” Quick fix disease is the second of the mental diseases. According to Brian, this disease is contracted by people who always want a quick way to reach their goals. They search for instant cures to solve problems that may have taken months or even years to develop. They seek short cuts to acquire key skills that actually take many months and years of hard work to master. These diseases are not to be confused with the desire to constantly get better and search for more efficient ways

  • 1,000 Sit Ups And Crunches A Day And Still No Abs

      • QUESTION: Dear Tom: I have been working out for around a year now and I cannot get my lower abs into any type of shape. Despite doing 900 various crunches, ab roller, and 100 sit-ups four days a week, along with running and my regular workout on the weights, I still have a tire around my waist. What else can I do? ANSWER: "What should I do to get abs?" is still one of the most frequently asked questions I receive out of the 7,000+ emails that come into my office every week. Although the question is often phrased differently, my answer is always the same: Seeing your abs, or any other muscle group, for that matter - is almost entirely the result of having low body fat levels. You get low body fat from proper diet (as well as cardio and strength training), not from doing hundreds of ab exercises every day. You didn't mention whether you knew your body fat level or not. My guess is that it may seem like your lower ab muscles are "hard to develop," but it's not really an issue of "muscle development" at all, you simply have too much body fat and are storing it in your lower abdominal region more readily than other parts of your body and you can't see the muscles through the fat. Most people don't have their fat distributed evenly throughout their bodies. Each of us inherits a genetically determined and hormonally-influenced pattern of fat storage just as we inherit our eye or hair color. In other words, the fat seems to "stick" to certain areas more than others. Men often tend to store fat more readily in the lower abdominal region (the "pot belly", "spare tire", "beer

  • Top 10 Travel Fitness Tips

      • Tom Venuto's Top 10 Travel Fitness Tips By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.burnthefat.com I recently read two articles about travel fitness. One said that while you're traveling, you should keep up with 50% of your normal training and the other said you should keep up with only one-third. Both were written by well known fitness professionals and both said that you should NOT expect to keep up your regular exercise program while you are traveling. That struck me as kind of "lame" and I said to myself, “Why the heck not? Why do people have such low standards and demand so little of themselves? Why do they let themselves off the hook and scale back?” Sometimes, of course, traveling is purely for a vacation – including a vacation from training. Occasional time off from intense training is beneficial and necessary to let your body recover and rejuvenate completely from chronic training stress, just as time off from the office is needed to disengage your mind for a while. It’s also true that it really doesn’t take much to maintain fitness once it is developed, and an abbreviated, but still effective, workout routine could certainly be used, if you choose, when you’re on the road. However, you still have healthy eating to think about and just because you’re traveling doesn’t mean you can’t follow your regular exercise regimen. Why settle? If you want to continue to improve your physique while on the road, you can! Here are 10 ways that I did it on my last extended business trip that you may find helpful as well. It begins with a simple decision. 1. Decide to improve while you’re traveling and to come home in better shape than when you left Nearly every time I travel (the exception being if it’s a complete rest and relaxation vacation), I set a

  • THE GREAT ABS MISTAKE “He Was Doing One Thousand Crunches And Sit Ups A Day… But Still NO Abs!!!

      • By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.BurnTheFat.com After 18 years in the fitness business, “How do I get great abs” is still BY FAR the most frequently asked question I receive out of the 30,000+ emails that come into my office every month. No doubt, it's because abs are the one body part that most people are the most frustrated with. Although their questions are often phrased differently and each person’s situation seems unique, my answer to “how do I get great abs” is almost always the same… and you’re about to hear it... "1,000 Sit-Ups And Crunches A Day and Still No Abs!" One question I received recently REALLY got my attention because a young guy told me he was doing 1,000 crunches and sit ups a day and said he still couldn’t see his abdominals. He wrote: “Tom: I have been working out for around a year now and I cannot get my lower abs into any type of shape. I'm starting to see my upper abs a little bit, which is great, but despite doing 900 various crunches, ab roller, and 100 sit-ups four days a week, along with my regular workout on the weights, I still have a tire around my waist. What else can I do?” What did I tell him? Well, I gave him the same answer I’ve given thousands of people over the years, which is the only true “Secret” to great abs... It takes training to increase strength, build endurance and DEVELOP the abdominals, but to SEE the definition in your abdominals - or any other muscle group for that matter - is almost entirely the result of low body fat levels. This may sound counter-intuitive, but if you can't see your abs, it's not an issue

  • The Abdominal Training Secrets Interview

      • With Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.BurnTheFat.com And David Grisaffi, CHEK, CFT, PN www.FlattenYourAbs.net TV: Hi David, thanks for taking the time for this interview because I know how busy you are and that, among other projects, you run a training studio in Tacoma, you’re a wrestling coach and you keep a full client load. I’ve known you for a couple years now through the Internet and the emails we’ve sent to each other and you’re very well known within the fitness industry - especially in the sports training field. But on the off chance that some of the people listening to this interview don’t know who you are, would you give us a quick introduction and tell us little bit about your background, how you got started in this field and how you spend your time now? DG: Well I was always a sports enthusiast my entire life. I can remember I was the only 9-year-old watching Monday night football and taking stats. I did all the usual sports - football, soccer, wrestling, swimming, baseball and tennis. Never did much with basketball. Being a genetically "blessed" Italian, I didn't think the height requirement was going to be on my side. I excelled at wrestling. That sport alone taught me about nutrition, supplements, work ethic etc. I really have to thank wrestling for getting me into this field. I now coach high school wrestling, baseball and youth football. I keep really busy with my 3 children, Addision (13) Garrison (10) and my little man Carson (7). I taught school for a couple of years and then decided to go into personal training. TV: You have quite a few certifications, one of them is certified personal trainer, one is certified golf trainer – or “golf “biomechanic” to be exact - but what is a “Corrective High Performance Exercise

  • The Abdominal Training Secrets Interview

      • With Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.BurnTheFat.com And David Grisaffi, CHEK, CFT, PN www.FlattenYourAbs.net TV: Hi David, thanks for taking the time for this interview because I know how busy you are and that, among other projects, you run a training studio in Tacoma, you’re a wrestling coach and you keep a full client load. I’ve known you for a couple years now through the Internet and the emails we’ve sent to each other and you’re very well known within the fitness industry - especially in the sports training field. But on the off chance that some of the people listening to this interview don’t know who you are, would you give us a quick introduction and tell us little bit about your background, how you got started in this field and how you spend your time now? DG: Well I was always a sports enthusiast my entire life. I can remember I was the only 9-year-old watching Monday night football and taking stats. I did all the usual sports - football, soccer, wrestling, swimming, baseball and tennis. Never did much with basketball. Being a genetically "blessed" Italian, I didn't think the height requirement was going to be on my side. I excelled at wrestling. That sport alone taught me about nutrition, supplements, work ethic etc. I really have to thank wrestling for getting me into this field. I now coach high school wrestling, baseball and youth football. I keep really busy with my 3 children, Addision (13) Garrison (10) and my little man Carson (7). I taught school for a couple of years and then decided to go into personal training. TV: You have quite a few certifications, one of them is certified personal trainer, one is certified golf trainer – or “golf “biomechanic” to be exact - but what is a “Corrective High Performance Exercise

  • Cortisol, Stress And Body Fat

      • Cortisol, Stress And Body Fat: Straight Answers To The Top 20 Questions About The Stress Hormone By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.burnthefat.com It seems that every time science uncovers some type of association between body fat and anything, opportunistic entrepreneurs are waiting in the shadows to create a product and a marketing campaign around it. They ride the wave into the multi millions, until the buzz dies down or until the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sues and slaps a padlock on their warehouse doors. Then, it’s on to the “next big thing in weight loss,” because they know there will always be a gullible crowd eagerly waiting for the next quick fix. The most recent example is when researchers discovered a correlation between cortisol and abdominal body fat. Cortisol was then blamed as the latest culprit in the obesity problem, and cortisol-suppressing pills were touted as the “miracle solution.” Big Claims, Little Proof After a web search on the subject of cortisol, here are some of the claims you may find: Stress makes you fat Cortisol is what makes you fat Cortisol reducing supplements control stress Cortisol reducing supplements reduce belly fat Cortisol reducing supplements get rid of “stress fat” Cortisol reducing supplements balance hormone levels that cause stress Cortisol reducing supplements increase muscle growth Cortisol supplements suppress appetite Cortisol supplements speed up metabolism The advertising claims include just enough scientific fact to make even the savviest consumers say, “That makes sense, I think I’ll try that.” They also hit home emotionally by focusing on common hot buttons such as stress (who isn’t at least a little stressed in this day and age?) Brilliant marketing. Convincing. Unfortunately, most of the claims being made are completely false, with only a tiny thread of truth woven in. Cortisol is a very important hormone that you must understand if you want to get maximum results from

  • Body Wraps and Waist Wraps

      • By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.BurnTheFat.com www.BurnTheFatInnerCircle.com "Body wraps" have been around for ages in the weight loss and spa industry. Claims include loss of body weight, loss of body fat, and loss of inches. Infomercials for rubber “waist belts" are also back on TV and similar claims are made for these types of wraps as well. What few people realize is that there is a huge difference between losing fat and losing inches. When your body fat decreases, your circumference measurements will usually also decrease, but “fat” loss and “inch” loss are not one in the same. If you don’t know how to tell the difference, you could be falling for one of the oldest, most notorious fitness and weight loss scams in the book. The truth is, body wraps and waist belts do not shrink fat cells or burn body fat - no matter what type of wrap is used: bandages, plastic, foil, vinyl, or rubber and regardless of what you are wrapped in: herbs, minerals, enzymes, seaweed, clay, or mud - it doesn't matter. Fat can only be lost with a caloric deficit from a reduction in food intake, an increase in activity or ideally, a combination of both. Whenever you see fat loss claims for wraps or any other product which doesn't involve a caloric deficit created though nutrition or exercise, the “scam alarm” should go off in your head, and you should always stay away, no matter how compelling the sales pitch. Furthermore, the companies making fat loss claims would be in hot water with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) if they were investigated and caught because claims for body fat reduction from wraps cannot be supported with scientific evidence. The FTC as well as numerous state attorney general's offices have already taken action against body wrap companies in the

  • Don’t Be A Big Loser

      • Don't Be A Big Loser - Why You Should Say No To Quick Weight Loss By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.burnthefat.com Patience. It’s the one thing you never seem to have when you’ve got a body fat problem. You want the fat gone and you want it gone now! And why not? It seems so do-able. Everywhere you look, you read and hear promises of quick weight loss and you even see people losing weight quickly. We have reality TV shows that actually encourage people to attempt “extreme” body makeovers or see who can lose weight the fastest, and the winners (or shall we say, the losers), are rewarded generously with fortune, fame and congratulations. Let’s face it. Everyone wants to get the fat off as quickly as possible - and having that desire is not wrong – it’s simply human nature. However, you must become aware of some serious problems that can occur if you try to force it and lose weight too quickly. The faster you lose weight, the more muscle you will lose with the fat, and that can really mess up your metabolism. An even bigger problem with fast weight loss is that the loss just won’t last. The faster you lose, the more likely you are to gain it back. Think about it: We don’t have a weight loss problem today, we have a “keeping the weight off” problem. Weight loss will be the healthiest, safest and most likely to be permanent if you set your goal for about two pounds per week (and even if you lose only a single pound each week, that is healthy progress). This is the recommendation of almost every legitimate and respected dietician, nutritionist, exercise physiologist and personal trainer, as well as exercise organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine and the

  • Fat Burners: The Unadulterated Truth

      • By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.BurnTheFat.com Fat burner supplements are advertised everywhere these days - on the internet, in magazines and even on TV. The ads almost always feature a very lean fitness model or bodybuilder and claim that these products, usually pills, were the secret to their six pack abs and very low body fat levels. Some of these ads suggest that the only way to get as lean as the "hot bodies" you see in the ads is by taking their "miracle pills" and that proper nutrition and exercise alone is not enough. While I won't dismiss the fact that there are ingredients in some fat "burner" products that might help a little bit, I take great displeasure in seeing misleading advertising claims as well as the misleading use of models who are often paid to endorse the product even though they may never have even used it (they're just models!) Many “fat burner” companies have been sued by the Federal Trade Commission for false advertising, false claims and falsifying before and after photos. The best you get is a slight thermogenic effect and possibly some slight appetite suppression. A few products might work through other mechanisms like improving thyroid, but if you forgive me the generalization, I consider the effects of all these “fat burner” products to be minutia. In one of my previous newsletters, I said that in my opinion, 97% of your results come from nutrition and training and maybe you get an extra 3% advantage from supplements. Just so you know those numbers arent something I just pulled out of thin air, lets take an example: I have reviewed scientific data that EGCG, the active ingredient in green tea extract, if consumed in enough quantity, could increase thermogenesis / metabolic

  • Biology And Body Fat

      • Did You Inherit Fat Genes? The Truth About Biology And Body Fat By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.burnthefat.com "Battle Your Biology? Fat Chance," proclaimed a headline recently in the health section of the New York Post newspaper. Quoting new research and citing psychologists, dietitians and physicians, the article says that more and more evidence proves that your weight is genetically determined, and if you're fat, "it's not your fault." "We've known for a while that genes - more than environment and behavior - explain obesity" argues Dr. James Rosen, an eating disorder specialist and professor at the University of Vermont. While genetics are definitely a factor, believing you are destined to be overweight for life because you've inherited "fat genes" is the most disempowering and self-defeating attitude you could ever adopt. The only way you’ll lose weight permanently is to accept total responsibility for yourself and acknowledge the fact that you have the power to change, regardless what mother nature has given you to work with. There's no denying that heredity plays a major role in how difficult it will be for you to lose fat. You inherited a body type, a predetermined number of fat cells, a metabolic rate and body chemistry just as you inherited your eye color and hair color. In the 1930's, Harvard psychologist Dr. William H. Sheldon developed a classification system for these different body types called "somatotyping." While there are no absolutes, Sheldon identified three basic somatotypes: ectomorphs, mesomorphs and endomorphs. Ectomorphs are the lean, lanky types. They are usually very thin and bony, with fast metabolisms and extremely low body fat. An ectomorph can eat like a horse without gaining an ounce. Mesomorphs are the "genetically gifted." They are lean, muscular and naturally athletic. Mesomorphs lose fat and gain muscle with ease. Endomorphs are the "fat retainers." Characterized by

  • Mental Training Tactics For Health And Fitness Success

      • By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS www.BurnTheFat.com Understanding the mind's role in motivation and behavior is one of the most critical elements in fitness success. If you struggle with changing habits and behaviors or if you can’t get motivated, then even the best training and nutrition program is not much help. A fascinating fact about your subconscious mind is that it's completely deductive in nature. In other words, it’s fully capable of working backwards from the end to the means. You don't need to know how to reach a goal at the time you set the goal. If you "program" only the desired outcome successfully into your "mental computer," then your subconscious will take over and help you find the information and means and carry out the actions necessary to reach it. Many people are familiar with affirmations and goal-setting as ways to give instructions to your subconscious mind. But perhaps the ultimate mental training” technique is visualization. In one respect, affirmation and visualization are the same, because when you speak or think an affirmation first, that triggers a mental image, being as the human brain "thinks" in pictures. You can use visualization to plant goals into your subconscious mind. You simply close your eyes, use your imagination and mentally create pictures and run movies of your desired results. For example, in your mind's eye, you can see the "body of your dreams". If repeated consistently with emotion, mental images are accepted by your subconscious as commands and this helps with changing habits, behavior and performance. Although there are some new and creative ways to use visualization, (which you are about to learn), this is not a new technique. Visualization has been used formally in the fields of sports psychology and personal development for decades and philosophers have discussed it for centuries: “If you want to reach your

  • SECRETS TO LOOKING AND FEELING YOUNGER

      • INTRODUCTION   The truth is we begin the aging process just as soon as we pop out of the womb. Every day of our lives our bodies slough off and regenerate new cells. The speed at which that process takes place when we are children is vastly different as we get older. For years explorers searched for the illusive “fountain of youth.” Unfortunately, it does not exist or you wouldn’t be reading this. Every day you are bombarded daily with commercial messages that attempt to lure you into believing that the most recent miracle drug is just what you need to fight off the ravages of Mother Nature. At times it seems as though there are more miracle methods than ever being flashed in front of your eyes each day. . .and there are. Ask any advertising executive and they will admit that there are more advertisements than ever touting everything designed to cash in on a huge market. What is that market? It’s the aging Baby Boomers. We are living longer as a whole. Singularly, that can be a curse or a blessing depending on your perspective. In this book we will explore low and no cost methods you can use to help in the anti-aging process. Some of our material may be new and some serve as reminders of things we may have forgotten. We may not have had much say in how we arrived on this earth, but we can certainly determine how and when we will depart. Just remember, YOU are in control.   LIFESTYLE We have to discuss it. You’ve heard it before but it must be repeated. You ARE what you eat. There are over 13.5 million Americans alive today who have a history of heart


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