 In this day and age who has time for long drawn out workouts we need to get in and out ain't nobody got time to be spending hours and hours in side of a smelly... dirty gym if you've ever thought that before then i got a quick workout here that is guaranteed to get your heart rate up in as little as 10 minutes #1... walking lunges
the lunge is by far one of the best full body exercises that targets the front and backs of your thighs make sure on this move you keep your back upright chest tall and core tight on the down part of the lunge avoid touching your knee to the ground so that you keep tension on your thighs through out the entire movement #2... modified bosu burpee
now i know that not everyone has a bosu ball just laying around but if you do this is another great full body toning and strengthening move and even if you don't you can still do this exercise without the bosu and get a great burn with this move the key is control your gonna start in a standing position with the bosu at chest level next, place the bosu on the floor and either step or hop your feet back into a push up position immediately bring your feet back in and stand back up you have just completed your first bosu burpee if you don't have a bosu don't worry just do the move without it it's still pretty intense #3... kettlebell swing
and last but not least... the kettlebell swing now if you've never done this one before you are in for something special start by holding the kettlebell in between your thighs with your chest held high and a slight bend in your knees drive your hips forward as you straighten out your knees lock your knees and squeeze your glutes at the top of the movements allowing the momentum of the hip drive to push the kettlebell up the thing to remember about the kettlebell swing is that it's not an arm movement don't attempt to muscle the kettlebell up with your arms drive it up through your core and hips so there you have it another great simple workout to get toned and tight click the video below to watch one of my clients go through the workout
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 can you believe we are already almost half way done with 2017? oh, how time flies i hope that this post finds you with much fitness success this year so far if so these 8 moves will help you turn up the intensity and make the rest of the year that much better if you havent been moving towards your goals like you intended on at the end of 2016 these 8 moves will be a great start to your second half of the year here are the the top 8 fat burning exercises of 2017 #1... side to side skaters
this move is one of my favorite high / moderate intensity exercises to add into my workouts the reason why i like it so much is it requires no equipment and can be done anywhere to perform this exercise you want to start in a slight squat most people that i teach this move to have a hard time starting the move off but i tell them that it's like a dance once you get your rhythm your good to go from that slight squat position you just want to hope to one side and put the opposite leg behind and power off of your front leg to the other side perform 2-3 sets of 40 seconds per set / per side #2... side plank w/hip raise
this is a great exercise to tone those love handles you know what... lets call them the hate handles cause, no one loves them! so, to work those "hate handles" get into a side plank position from here all your gonna do is raise your hip up as high as you can and then lower yourself back to the floor perform 2-3 sets of 20 reps per set / per side #3... reverse leg curl
this is the official hamstring / calf killer (killer of fat that is) lie on your back with your feet resting on a stability ball pull you knees into your chest as far as you can and bring you legs back to the starting position perform 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps #4... step up/squat jump/push up
 this one is going to definitely get your heart rate going if you dont have access to an aerobic step and you have steps in your house you can use those steps if you dont have access to any kind of step just march in place during the step up part of the move start by stepping up and down on the step when you feet hit the floor immediately go into a squat jump when your feet hit the floor from the squat jump place your hands on the step and perform a push up perform 2-3 sets of 10-20 reps #5... reverse walking lunge
the thing that makes this one such a great fat burning move is your lunging backwards this will challenge your balance a lot more then the traditional lunge causing your body to burn more fat start by taking a big step backwards bend both of your knees bringing the knee of your rear leg as close to the floor as you can without touching the floor bring your front foot to meet the rear foot making sure to keep you chest tall through out the movement pause and repeat perform 2-3 sets of 5-8 reps #6... mountain sliders
this is one of those exercises that most of my clients love to hate if you dont have the sliding discs that i have on my feet you can use towels (they only work on hard surfaces not rugs) or you can use paper plates start in a push up position and slide you legs in and out driving your knees into your chest and squeezing your core perform 2-3 sets of 40-60 seconds each #7... corkscrew
 the corkscrew is one of those either forgotten ab moves or less known ones either way its a great ab burner now you dont need to be on a bench like i am you can perform this exercise on the floor start by squeezing your ab muscles and roll you knees into your chest at the half way point push your feet towards the ceiling and rotate your torso slightly to one direction come back to the starting position and repeat on the other side perform 2-3 sets of 10 reps on each side #8... half squat
this is the ultimate upper thigh fat burner in this move you want to start in as deep of a squat as you can perform and only come half way up nice and simple perform 2-3 sets of 15-25 reps easy... peasy!so there you have it your "top 8 fat burning exercise of 2017 to follow along or to watch the moves live check out my youtube video below and don't forget if you haven't done so already sign up for my email list to get FREE access to my top 3 full body workouts  you've recently had this crazy thought to get into better shape you've been seeing all of the ads on TV for all of you workout options but... what about this option... getting into great shape in the comfort of your own home? break through thought... i know! and, i'm kind of an expert on this one because for the past 27 years I've been going into homes of clients just like yourself and helping them get into tip top shape. now from speaking to people over the years about training in their homes i know that there are some common misconceptions you might have about training at home
and the truth is you don't need a lot of space or any fancy equipment I've been able to get my clients great results and into tip top shape with little space and very little equipment all you need is the corner of you living room a few inexpensive pieces of equipment (that wont take up a lot of space) and be willing to put forth 100%+ effort each and every workout to get into great shape here are my top pieces of equipment i would recommend you add to your home gym #1... sliding discsprice: $9-$17 i absolutely LOVE these! but my clients HATE them! you can do so many great things with these discs i use them with my clients for a variation of different exercises from mountain climbers to push ups to ab roll outs to sooooo many other great things if your looking to change up your cardio or add some interval training to your workout you got to give these a try out! #2 tRX alternativeprice: $25 - $50 if i was trapped on a deserted island and i could only take one piece of equipment with me it would definitely be my TRX TRX stands for Total body Resistance eXercise the great thing about the TRX is its versatility if you've watched any of my youtube videos then you've definitely see the TRX in action i love how you can attach it to any sturdy object with the TRX you are the resistance and you can change the resistance in a moments notice by changing the angle of your body now the reason why i say "alternative" is because the basic TRX unit cost $150 or more dollars and although it's completely worth it the title of this blog is "how to build a home gym for less then $100" so by default the official TRX has to be eliminated but dont worry your little heads cause there are a few cost effective alternative these can be attached to any sturdy door in your home and you can go to town getting your fitness on i can think of 50+ great TRX exercises to get you started right now check out this trx in the park workout for a few ideas#3... resistance bandsprice: $8 - $12 if your looking for space savers look no further then the resistance bands most of them now a days come with carry cases but if you purchase the ones with the interchangeable handles they save you even more room the longer bands are great for all types of different upper body and lower body exercises from squats, bicep curls, torso rotations the list is endless of what you can do with these bands the smaller bands are better suited for lower body exercises and my favorite is side lateral walk (a complete outer thigh burner) check out this video to see the resistance bands in action!believe it or not when i go into a clients home these three things are the back bone of our workouts they've been in my tool kit helping clients get into great shape for the past 27 years can you believe that we have just completed your home gym for less then $100 $42 - $78 to be exact so all you need to do now is head down to your local sporting goods store take your shopping list with you and get ready to get into great shape! if your in need of a little more guidance i'd love to help click the link below to find out how you can get your free week to my online fitness and nutritional coaching program this free week includes:
click the link now so we can get started getting you into great shape! 7 day free trial  What is a training plateau anyway?
A training plateau is equivalent to the temporary death of your fitness results Which equals something that you want to avoid, more then your ex! If you have never hit a plateau then consider yourself one lucky son of a you know what! And... The worse part about hitting a plateau is that it could be due to so many different reasons that it tends to leave most people more confused then ever It could be the fact that your training too much... It could be that your not changing up your workouts enough... but you don't really care how it happens right? what you really care about is how to get out of it if your in it or... how to avoid it if you've never encountered it so here are my top 3 PROVEN WAYS TO AVOID PLATEAUS #1... TAKE A PLANNED WEEK (OR A FEW DAYS) OFF! now this rule applies more for those people that are in the gym going hard day in and day out your stalemate is most likely your body telling you that it's time for a much needed rest most people believe that you build muscle when your working out but it's actually the exact opposite when your working out your body actually breaks down muscle tissue it's only when your resting and refueling that your body builds up new muscle tissue what I actually do is a 12 week split I workout for 11 weeks straight and then take a week off to rest and I always come back stronger after the week off so... I give you permission to rest! #2... CHANGE UP THAT BORING TRAINING ROUTINE as i like to say... "if you wanna to see a change you have to change something! the human body is a very smart creation! and it will quickly get used to what your doing so maybe after a few weeks you change the order of your exercises maybe you change the amount of reps you do per exercise or change the amount of weight you lift per set without really working with you I cant really tell you which change is going to be best for you but what i can tell you is this "if you keep doing the same things you'll keep getting the same results"! and now for #3... ... REVAMP YOUR DIET! for a lot of people that I've worked with that have battled the training plateau I've had great success by just modifying there caloric intake sometime your just not providing you body with enough nutrients for your body to do what you want it to do So the moral of the story is A)... Take some time off... Over training is never a good thing B)... Change up that routine... If you wanna see a change you have to change something And C)... Change up that diet... Don't skimp on your nutrients, YOUR BODY NEEDS FUEL!  "A pound is a pound is a pound"... that saying has gotten to your neck of the woods right? When was the last time you "pinched an inch"? Were you pinching FAT or WEIGHT (or just skin)? For most people reading this post you could probably care less as long as the number on the scale is going down and your pants size is decreasing Which is fine but for those that are obsessed with the question "what's the difference between weight loss and fat loss" guess what... I have the answer. Muscle weighs more then fat... huh?...Now i know you've heard this one before but is it true? How could two people that each weigh 220 pounds look completely different. That's because either A) the shape of their bodies is completely different (height, apple, hourglass shape etc) Or B) The person that looks smaller has a lower body fat percentage then the person that looks heavier. So does muscle weigh more then fat? The answer is no, A pound of muscle is more dense then a pound of fat but it's also smaller (similar to how iron is denser then water). The muscle you have on your body makes up anywhere from 30-55% of your body weight and can be about 4 times smaller then a pound of fat. Hey... what about water weight?Your body is made of about 65% water, so water certainly does account for a large portion of your weight. What about the water / carb connection? Carbs are like a sponge and every gram of carbs cause your body to retain 3 grams of water That's why diets such as the atkins diet cause people to lose significant amounts of weight in the first 2 or so weeks... Cut carbs = water loss. How can I make sure I'm losing fat and not weight?There is no way that you can burn just fat but there are some ways that you can get your body to use primarily fat as an energy source.
*Get strong... strength training helps you building muscle and prevent muscle loss. Fat is also the main source of energy for your muscles so by building more muscle you'll automatically burn more fat. *Eating healthier... by providing your body with better quality nutrients you'll put your body in a better position to rebuild muscle tissue after your high intensity strenth training which will allow you to build new muscle tissue and burn greater amounts of fat. So focus on fat loss first, pay attention to the way your clothes fit as well as the numbers on the scale because those two factors will give you a much more complete picture!  This one question is probably the one nutrition question that I've had the pleasure of answering the most over the past 26 years of my career and today I plan on answering it for the final time (NOT!). I can understand why some may think that fat would make you fat, I mean... it is fat right and you should gain more of what you eat right? well if that were the case then why don't we gain more muscle just by eating more protein (Isn't protein the building block of muscle)? although common sense would argue in it's defense the subject goes a little deeper... lets dive right in and investigate the question: "DOES FAT MAKE YOU FAT?"
The idea that fat causes weight gain seems to come from that fact that fat has nine calories per gram while carbohydrates and protein have only four calories per gram. If you look at it that way then its easy to conclude that fat would be the main cause of weight gain. We've also been told since the early 70s that eating fat causes heart disease, In fact, this idea has been the cornerstone of mainstream nutrition recommendations. However, studies published in the past few decades prove that saturated fat is not as harmful as once thought. There was a huge study published in 2010 and it looked at data from 347,747 individuals. They found absolutely no association between saturated fat consumption and the risk of heart disease. So now we have a new question... if fat isnt making us fat what is? In general there is one thing (that we have control over) that makes us fat and that one thing is... EATING TO MANY CALORIES. This one should be common knowledge by now. you eat more then your body requires at any one given time and your body stores the excess as fat. That goes for any thing that you eat... to many carbs = fat, to much protein = fat and to much fat = fat. So it's not just fat that we need to be concerned with. So fat... you are officially off the hook for americas obesity problem but i got my eye on you!  This winter is going to be the winter where you get as lean as possible who said that having those 6 pack abs is impossible during the holiday season... not me here are my top 2 ways to burn belly fat and lose weight fast this holiday season #1...eat more PROTEINI know all of you meat lovers are going to love this one!... "EAT MORE PROTEIN" Your body burns about 30% more calories digesting protein compared to carbs So just by getting your fill of your animal products can make your body a fat burning machine Now your probably asking yourself "how much protein should i really be eating" and the answer to that question depends on your goals. Here is a short list of some of the factors you'll want to take into consideration:
So after you've taken those few things into consideration the next step is to figure out "how much" protein is the right amount and my general rule of thumb for the majority of my clients is 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Your most likely going to have to play with this number to get the right amount that works for you, and guess what... what works today won't work tomorrow (sorry i had to be the one to break the news to you) because protein plays such a big role in building muscle and building muscle plays such an important role in weight / fat loss as you build more muscle your requirements for protein may just increase a little bit. In the beginning you may experience more trial and error until you get it right and it may be frustrating but its well worth it in the end! But... what if "i dont eat meat" great question. here are my top 5 non meat protein sources #1...QUINOA(8 grams per cup): Although typically confused with a grain, quinoa is technically a seed—which is why it’s naturally gluten-free and high in fiber. What’s more, this all-star super-food is a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids the body needs for growth and repair. #2...CHIA(4 grams per 2 tablespoons): Small but mighty, chia seeds are a powerhouse of protein, omega-3s, fiber and minerals. By weight, they are about 14% protein, which is very high by plant food standards. High in water content, chia seeds are also widely touted for suppressing appetite and losing weight. #3...SPINACH(5 grams per cup): So Popeye was on to something after all! A cup of cooked spinach contains almost 5 grams of muscle-building protein, not to mention loads of vitamin A, calcium and iron. #4...NUTS(5-7 grams per 1/4 cup serving): Peanuts, almonds, cashews and other nuts are all fantastic sources of meat-free protein. Because they’re rich in healthy fats and omega-3s, nuts are great for suppressing hunger. #5...GREEK YOGURT(15-20 grams per serving): With more than double the protein of regular yogurt strains, Greek yogurt is a tasty way to amp up your protein content. It’s also rich in bone-building calcium. For a nutrition-packed snack, steer clear of sugary Greek yogurt varieties and stir in some fresh berries #2...eat less carbohydratesYou knew it was coming right you've all heard this one before I'm sure. "Carbs make you fat" and guess what... IT'S TRUE! Now that I've confirmed what you've already known let me break it down a little bit further. Your looking to burn fat right? Have you met fat burnings enemy yet? Well if you havent let me introduce you to INSULIN. Insulin is what we call a storage hormone and unfortunately theres two things your body can't do at the same time and those two things are store fat and burn fat. So now that we got that out of the way let's talk about what insulin does. Insulin is produced by the pancreas to keep our blood sugar in check. Insulin is the door man to your cells. Insulin allows sugar to get into the cells and do one of sugars main jobs which is to provide energy. Sugar is stored mainly in your muscles and your liver. Now your muscles and your liver can only hold a limited amount to sugar. Guess what happens when the muscles and the liver can't hold anymore sugar... all the remaining sugar is stored as fat and this is where the problem begins. The significance of eating less carbohydrates to burn fat is... in order for your body to use stored fat as an energy source there needs to be as little insulin present as possible and the way you accomplish the goal of minimal insulin requirements is to eat as few carbohydrates as possible. here is my list of the top 4 carbohydrates to stay away from #1...REFINED GRAINSRefined grains that have been highly processed provide calories and carbs but few other nutrients. Examples include white bread, white rice, plain bagels, regular pasta and sugary cereals. Replacing refined grains with whole grains, such as whole-grain breads and cereals, brown rice and whole-wheat pasta can help you feel full while consuming fewer calories. #2...PROCESSED FRUITAlthough fresh fruits are a good source of fiber and vitamins, processed fruits often contain added sugars. Examples include some dried fruits, canned fruits packed in syrup and applesauce with sugar added. Many fruit juice drinks also contain added sugar. Look for unpeeled, fresh fruits and drinks that combine fruit and vegetable juices. #3...SUGARY DRINKSSugary drinks are often high in calories and carbs, but contain few beneficial nutrients. One can of regular soda contains about 136 calories and 35 grams of total carbohydrates, including 33 grams of sugar. Since sugar is a carbohydrate and provides four calories per gram, 132 of the calories in regular soda are from sugar. #4...STARCHY VEGETABLESStarchy vegetables contain a lot more calories and carbohydrates per serving than do watery, green varieties. For example, a cup of sweet potato contains 180 calories and 41 grams of carbs, a cup of cut corn contains 143 calories, and 31 grams of carbs whereas two cups of raw spinach contains only 14 calories and 2.2 grams of carbs. Tis the season to get into great shape... you can do it... make it happen!
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