AtoZfitness Article Blog » Featured

this weird “superfood” boosts testosterone….

lewis — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:04:53 +0000

Have you noticed all of the commercials on TV about helping men

with "low t"?

There's a good reason for this...

You see, there's an epidemic of Low Testosterone in our society

that your father and grandfather never battled.

In fact, did you know that men as young as in their mid-30's are

experiencing symptoms of "andropause"?

For the shocking details, check out this report:

http://budurl.com/increasetestosterone   <= How to increase testosterone!

Fortunately, there's a lot you can do to FIGHT BACK!

For example, did you know that there are some powerful

"superfoods" that can help you boost your "T" levels?

It's true!

In fact, they're not even ones you'd normally think of.

For example, did you know that CELERY boosts testosterone!

Yeah, weird, huh?

When you chew celery, testosterone-triggering hormones

androstenone and androstenol are released.

As you munch a stalk of celery - these chemicals send signals

from your mouth to your nose and directly stimulate the release

of testosterone in your body.

Want maximum effectiveness?

Shove 4-6 stalks of celery into a juicer... take a good strong

whiff... and then slam the whole glass for a Superfood

Testosterone-Boosting "Shot".

(Note: Due to toxins in food that's riddled with pesticides - be

sure to use organic celery)

You'll find another one of these powerful "t-boosting super

foods" listed at this site:

http://budurl.com/increasetestosterone <= How to increase testosterone!

There you'll find your one-stop access to a ton of incredible,

easy, and NATURAL tips to increase testosterone.

Highly recommended!

Lewis

P.S. - Valentine's Day is just a few days away!!

If you sign up for the Testosterone Solution Program this week

you'll also find a FREE BONUS program that hands you a "no

thinking required" guide to make your woman SWOON on this

upcoming romantic holiday.

Remember - Go Here Now:

http://budurl.com/increasetestosterone

...and take advantage of this offer while it
lasts!

WARNING: Check your shampoo for this ingredient…

lewis — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:00:36 +0000

You're going to want to take this seriously…

Did you know that nearly ALL commercial shampoos contain the

female hormone "estrogen" in them?

It's true!

Even worse, since these are chemical forms of estrogen that your

body has a hard time getting rid of.

If you're a man, you may have already started seeing the signs,

such as:

* Decreased libido

* Unexplained bodyfat (especially in the belly and chest area)

* Lack of "performance" in the bedroom

* Less energy and mental focus

So here's what I want you to do right now…

Go to your shower and grab your shampoo (yes, if you're at home,

do it right now so you don't forget)

Look on the ingredients label for anything that ends with

"-paraben" (such as methylparabens, butylparabens, etc.)

If you see any parabens in your shampoo, then you must know that

it's wreaking havoc with your hormones!

Throw it out!

There are other toxic estrogenic ingredients to look out for as

well and you can find them here:

http://budurl.com/increasetestosterone

This is the #1 resource for Men who are looking to naturally

increase testosterone while combating the "estrogen assault"

that's literally turning men into women.

(**Not only will you get your thank you in the bedroom? – but

you'll also decrease the risk of breast cancer in your woman and

prevent 'hormone' issues in your children.)

So go NOW and check out the testosterone solution HERE?

http://budurl.com/increasetestosterone

…and take back the master controls on your mojo!

Sincerely,
Lewis

P.S. – THIS WEEK ONLY, if you sign up for the complete Testosterone Solution Program, you'll also get a free copy of The Real Man's No-Thinking-Required Guide to Being Captain Romance.

(Just in time for Valentines Day!)

Don't kill the mood- make the day (and night) extra-special this year with this FREE guide to Valentine's Day Romance when you sign up for the Testosterone Solution HERE.

http://budurl.com/increasetestosterone

If you have any questions, you can contact us by clicking here.

How to ELIMINATE PAIN… without medication!

lewis — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:30:07 +0000

If you're anything like me, PAIN is no stranger to you.

Now that I've grown old-er (emphasis on the "-er"!), it seems like it's a constant battle between neck pain… back pain… joint pain… muscle pain… etc.

There's a very good reason for this…

Most pain in your body is caused by "inflammation".

Inflammation, although it causes pain and swelling, is your body's way of actually promoting healing by calling upon your body's own natural healing mechanisms.

However, as we age, your body doesn't manage inflammation very well.

Why?

Your body's main defense against inflammation is through the production of what are called "Proteolytic Enzymes".

These little "pain fighters" directly control inflammation and when the inflammation is gone, the pain also goes away.

Unfortunately, after the age of 25, our own natural production of these enzymes begins to decline.

That's why as we age, we "feel" more pain. Inflammation runs rampant and we have less of our own natural enzymes to deal with it.

So if you're like most people, what do you do?

You start popping pills, right?

Prescription meds from your doctor… over-the-counter NSAID's (like Advil)… anything to stop the pain and make life manageable!

It's INSANE!

I mean remember… your body is DESIGNED TO HEAL ITSELF!

Yet we try to compensate for our body's own natural pain defenses by simply MASKING the pain with dangerous medications.

(Case in point: NSAID's – like Advil – put over 100,000
people in the hospital each year…and KILL over 16,000 a year!)

So what CAN you do to get rid of the pain without destroying your health in the process?

The answer is so SIMPLE that you'll almost laugh…

All you have to do is REPLACE your body's own natural inflammation fighters and you eliminate the pain!

You see, the proteolytic enzymes your body is deficient in can actually be replenished very easily.

It's 100% safe and natural, and here's the kicker…

Not only do these enzymes take away the pain and inflammation…

…enzymes actually HEAL the source of your pain!

That means long term relief from pain and not just the short-term "band-aid meds" most doctors will prescribe!

Look, you want to get rid of the pain, right?

You don't want to destroy your liver and body with dangerous
prescription meds and over-the-counter NSAID's, right?

You want to nurture your body's own NATURAL healing process,
right?

Of course you do.

Then what if I told you you could actually "test" this
all-natural "enzyme therapy" yourself and start getting rid of
the pain right away…

Got your attention?

Click here to learn more about Enzyme Therapy and, the man who discovered it in 1972 and why you probably have never heard of his name.

There are over 76 MEDICAL RESEARCH STUDIES that have proven this
method works and you can test it yourself right now.

I highly recommend you check this out. I’ve been using this therapy for a few weeks now and I feel an amazing improvement in mobility.

Enjoy the pain-free life you deserve!

Look great…feel great…BE GREAT!

Lewis

P.S. – The benefits of this enzyme formula go even FURTHER beyond
getting rid of your pain.

* You'll also feel increased joint mobility so bending over
won't be so difficult.

* You'll get sick less often as your entire immune system
get's a boost.

* There are even studies that show that enzyme therapy can
improve heart health and prevent Alzheimer's!

With NO SIDE EFFECTS, there's literally no reason not to give
this a try.

Go here NOW and see how you can try this therapy risk free for 30 days!

Sincerely,
Lewis – Owner
www.atozfitness.com
www.articles.atozfitness.com - Fitness Article Blog
www.atoztoptrainers.com – 8 Top trainers reveal all.

If you have any questions, you can contact us by clicking here.

5 most harmful pain medicines… (do you still take these?)

lewis — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:20:43 +0000

Here's an article you must read as soon as possible if
you or a loved one are using any type of pain medication,
whether over the counter or prescription:

The 5 most dangerous pain medicines… <— Click Here

Advil, Aleve, Bayer, Celebrex, Demerol, Motrin, Naproxen,
Oxycontin, Percocet, Tylenol, Ultram, Vicodin…

… which ones are safe and which can be not only harmful,
but deadly?

The 5 most dangerous pain medicines… <— Click Here

Constipation… Dizziness… Drowsiness… Headache…
Heart Attack… Internal bleeding… Liver Failure… Nausea…
Stroke… Vomiting…

One study estimated over 16,500 people die each year
from medicines like these, while another found one popular
drug people are 3.4 times more likely to have a heart attack
while taking the recommended dose!

So how are you supposed to deal with pain effectively
without putting your health, or life, at risk?

Find out now, and tell your friends:

The 5 most dangerous pain medicines… <— Click Here

I know you value your health and the health of your loved
ones more anything, so please read this as soon as you can.

Stay safe,

Lewis

P.S. Once you're done reading this article, you're going to
want to send it to everyone you care about, it is that important…

…so just click the 'forward' email button in your email
program and help protect those you care about… it's easy,
you will look like a hero and they'll thank you for it!

The 5 most dangerous pain medicines… <— Click Here

Sincerely,
Lewis – Owner
www.atozfitness.com
www.articles.atozfitness.com - Fitness Article Blog
www.atoztoptrainers.com – 8 Top trainers reveal all.
www.besmokefreesoon.com – Quit smoking help site.

If you have any questions, you can contact us by clicking here.

7 Simple Rules For What You Should Be Eating Right Now

lewis — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:29:27 +0000

What you eat on a daily basis determines just about everything you can possibly imagine that goes with your body…your health, mental energy, body composition, athletic performance…you name it and what you eat has an impact on it.

These 7 simple rules are here to give you a little nudge in the right direction and make things a little easier for you in your own daily choices.

Rule #1 – If your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize it, don't eat very much of it

Many of the highly-processed pseudo-foods weren't around 50 years ago. Food was more "real" back then and it's an ideal you should strive for now. This basically means choose foods that are less processed and closer to their natural state. Notice I didn't say "don't eat it"…which leads me to Rule #2…

Rule #2 – No food ultimatums

The moment you say "I will never have pizza again," you will immediately start thinking about how much you miss having pizza, even if you hardly eat pizza to begin with. It's like telling somebody not to think about elephants…you just did it, didn't you . Same idea with food. That's why I never tell myself I can never have something…if I've got a specific goal and that food won't help me achieve it, I just say it's not on my list right now and I can have it later. No big deal.

Rule #3 – Don't keep junk in the house

And don't tell me you need to have junk food and sweets in the house "for the kids." If it's really for the kids, lock it up in a closet and give your kids the keys so you can't get at any of it then tell me if it's for the kids. Here's the other thing…your kids don't need that junk either!

Anyway, off on a tangent there – that's one excuse that gets me really whipped up. Bottom line is this…if you don't have it in the house, it takes a lot more effort to eat it. If it's in the house, it'll get eaten. If it's not, it won't. Simple.

Rule #4 – Multi-course meals will wipe out your digestion

The more different foods you eat in one meal, the harder it will be for your body to digest it all. Different foods and nutrients require different enzymes to digest…by combining too many foods in one meal, you will overload your digestive system and make it less efficient. If you frequently have digestive issues when you eat, try something radical and eat just one food per meal and see what happens. This is especially true of fruit and dairy. Fruit is best eaten separately and by itself.

Rule #5 – You don't have to eat 6 meals a day

That "small, frequent meals" rule you may be familiar with is actually based on a study that showed a very small increase in metabolic rate when a person eats a meal. This evolved into the idea that eating a bunch of small meals helps increase fat loss and nutrient utilization.

Naturally, this was immediately seized upon my supplement manufacturers who promoted the idea that you can't possibly eat FOOD that many times a day, so you should take our meal replacement supplement for those extra 3 meals.

Here's the thing…no study has ever confirmed that it's more efficient to eat 6 small meals as opposed to 3 big meals (or even 2!) in terms of body composition results. ZERO. Think about this…if you're constantly supplying your body with food, why would it need to burn bodyfat for energy then?

Rule #6 – Try to eat organic whenever possible

It's true…eating healthy can actually be pretty expensive. Unhealthy foods are generally cheaper because they can be manufactured in large quantities. Healthy foods are more expensive because they are more labor-intensive.

The payoff is that you won't die as soon when you eat healthy foods as opposed to unhealthy foods. I know that's putting it bluntly, but it's true. And you won't suffer from all the food-related diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes and MANY others (honestly, the vast majority of diseases and conditions being treated by doctors today are entirely avoidable with a good diet).

So when it comes to eating organic, just do the best you can. Get it when you can and realize this…when a food is of higher quality, it's more digestible and you're going to get more nutrition out of it and you can eat smaller servings (at least that's what I keep telling myself when I eat grass-fed beef…DANG is that tasty…it's hard not to eat twice as much of it).

Rule #7 – Take supplements intelligently

I judge supplements primarily on their nutritional value, not for how many bolts of lightning appear in their magazine ads. The majority of the supplements I take are there to help support my nutritional state, not to muck with my physiology.

I take a multivitamin, protein, vitamin C, vitamin D3 (for immune system function – VERY important in the winter!), magnesium, krill oil, fish oil, BCAA's, K2, calcium, and a few other things, depending on my current goals. All that exotic garbage you see ads for in the magazines is mainly just that…exotic garbage. You don't need it.

Conclusion:

These 7 rules are just a starting point…the key thing to remember is that good nutrition doesn't have to be complicated. If you know and follow some simple rules, you can eat healthy and nutritious food without worry and get the results you're looking for!

——————

Nick Nilsson has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been innovating new training techniques for more than 20 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding books including "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass", "Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus – Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of", all designed to maximize the results you get for the hard work you put into your training.

Be sure to grab your FREE copy of Nick's 30-day "Dirty Little Secret Program for Building Muscle and Burning Fat FAST," available at http://budurl.com/betteru

Here are some other great reads from my partners at Prograde ….

Sincerely,
Lewis – Owner
www.atozfitness.com
www.articles.atozfitness.com - Fitness Article Blog
www.atoztoptrainers.com – 8 Top trainers reveal all.

If you have any questions, you can contact us by clicking here.

The Truth About Exercise And Metabolism (Hard Science)

lewis — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:50:09 +0000

Strength training, strength training, strength training…

You hear about it all the time these days.

You hear how it's great for your Metabolism.

Well, what's the real science behind it?

Does it really help?

The easy answer is right here from my partners at Prograde:

http://budurl.com/metbolism

Yours in health,

PS – Yes, in case you were wondering, their awesome new Prograde Metabolism IS in stock right now.

http://budurl.com/metbolism

Here are some other great reads from my partners at Prograde ….

Sincerely,
Lewis – Owner
www.atozfitness.com
www.articles.atozfitness.com - Fitness Article Blog
www.atoztoptrainers.com – 8 Top trainers reveal all.

If you have any questions, you can contact us by clicking here.

1 Weird Nutrient Beats Belly Fat

lewis — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:28:08 +0000

My partners over at Prograde always deliver killer nutrition content. But this bad boy is the best article I've seen from them in awhile.

And seriously, they always have aweome stuff.

But this article about this weird sounding belly fat fighting nutrient… it takes the cake.

http://budurl.com/astaxanthin

It has some serious science behind it and if you were to only read ONE thing this week about how to strip off the stubborn belly fat THIS is the one.

http://budurl.com/astaxanthin

Here are some other great reads from my partners at Prograde ….

1) What They NEVER Want You To Find Out About Diet Pills

2) What To NEVER Eat After You Workout

3) What Your Doctor NEVER Told You About Fish Oil

4. 51 Quick and Delicious Recipes Using Protein Powder

And even more that have been posted on my blog …

Sincerely,
Lewis – Owner
www.atozfitness.com
www.articles.atozfitness.com – Fitness Article Blog
www.besmokefreesoon.com – New stop smoking website
www.atoztoptrainers.com – 8 Top trainers reveal all.

If you have any questions, you can contact us by clicking here.

The Energy and Weight Loss Connection Nobody Talks About

lewis — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:03:09 +0000

http://www.atoztoptrainers.com

Your level of energy every day is determined by how much ATP your mitochondria create so that the proper enzymes can be activated to make our bodies move and function properly. This can effect your healthy weight loss since you may not have the energy to commit 100% to your exercise for calorie burning workouts.

The amount of ATP your mitochondria create is determined by genetics, exercise level, your nutritional status and thyroid activity. Of course you can’t change your genetics, but as we always talk about you can dictate and control your exercise and nutritional status.

I bet you didn’t know that as you age the number of mitochondria in your cells decreases in efficiency by about 5-8 percent every ten years. This is one of the main reasons why you have less energy the older you get. One easy way to reverse this is by exercising. Those who exercise have more mitochondria, which means more potential for energy and the ability to burn more calories for healthy weight loss.

Your thyroid also plays a role in mitochondria activity and for those that have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism knows what I am talking about. Those with hypothyroidism can suffer a 60 percent reduction in ATP production and suffer from low energy and fatigue. Iodine deficiency has a correlation with low thyroid function and some believe up to 50 percent of the population is iodine deficient. The reason for this is because changes in our food intake, eating patterns, and food production methods. Iodine levels have been decreasing since the 1970’s. Since iodine is required to produce thyroid hormones and we are consuming less iodine in our food the result is hypothyroidism or low thyroid activity. This doesn’t bode well for healthy weight loss. In fact weight loss may stop all together and weight gain starts to occur. So take a good whole food multivitamin that contains iodine preferably from sea vegetables such as kelp to make sure you are not causing low thyroid activity because of your nutritional habits.

Another factor that contributes to low ATP production is oxidative damage to the mitochondria. A deficiency of antioxidants increases this rate of oxidative damage to the mitochondria. Several antioxidant nutrients can be used to protect the mitochondria from oxidative damage. Some common powerful antioxidants are green tea and coffeeberry forte.

I already talked about how our food intake, eating patterns and food production methods are influencing our thyroid production and deficiency in iodine. Well other deficiencies that are common include niacin, biotin, pyridoxine (B6), riboflavin (B2), manganese and zinc. These are commonly deficient due to our poor diets and nutrient depleted foods. Even more reason why a quality whole food based multivitamin is essential for your mitochondria to function properly and produce plenty of ATP for energy.

One last nutrient I want to touch on that isn’t required for essential health, but has been proven effective in promoting healthy mitochondrial function is Alpha lipoic acid. Alpha lipoic acid is a cofactor in the Krebs cycle, which is part of your body’s ATP system. This nutrient also stimulates the production of glutathione, which is a mitochondrial antioxidant. Research has shown that supplementation of alpha lipoic acid in humans may increase mitochondrial function and reduce mitochondrial damage.

As you can see many factors play a role for you to succeed in healthy weight loss. It is also hard to consistently know that you are eating enough nutrient rich foods to consume all these nutrients each and every day. That is why a whole food based multivitamin that contains many of these nutrients is essential for your healthy weight loss. A quality whole based multivitamin isn’t going to directly burn more calories for you like a weight loss supplement may do, but what it does is allow your body to function optimally so that you can exercise harder, create more ATP and burn more calories, which then can lead to healthy weight loss.

Make a resolution right now to make sure you are providing the best opportunity for your body to produce ATP and optimize your body to assist with healthy weight loss.

You don’t have to take a quality whole food based multivitamin, but maybe you’ll want to maximize your body’s ATP production so you can have more energy and lose more weight.

Are You Eating Enough Fruits and Vegetables Each And Every Day. You May Be Shocked By Just How Little We Actually Eat.

NEXT: Find Out Just How Little We Eat Every Day By Clicking Here >>

Jayson Hunter is R&D Director for Prograde Nutrition and a Registered Dietitian with over 11 years of experience teaching and educating individuals on how to live a healthier life through nutritional modifications and proper supplementation.

References:

Short KR, Bigelow ML, Kahl J, et al. Decline in skeletal muscle mitochondrial function with aging in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2005; 102: 5618-5623

Mesnhikova EF, Ritov VB, Fairfull L, et al. Effects of exercise on mitochondrial content and function in aging human skeletal muscle. J Gerontol: Bio Sci 2006; 61:534-540

Wei YH, Lee HC. Oxidative stress, mitochondrial DNA mutation, and impairment of antioxidant enzymes in aging. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2002; 227:671-82

Liu J. The effects and mechanisms of mitochondrial nutrient alpha-lipoic acid on improving age associated mitochondrial and cognitive dysfunction; an overview. Neurochem Res. 2008 Jan; 33(1): 194-203

PPS – I am a Prograde Nutrition partner

Sincerely,
Lewis – Owner
www.atoztoptrainers.com
www.articles.atozfitness.com – Fitness Article Blog
www.besmokefreesoon.com/blog – Stop smoking website

If you have any questions, you can contact us by clicking here.

#1 Female Fitness Mistake

lewis — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:35:45 +0000

The weight loss industry has gone so far astray that it's so crazy and ridiculous that I'm afraid you might be committing the #1 female fitness mistake exposed in this video:

==> #1 Female Fitness Mistake

I'm on a MISSION to help ladies who want to learn the TRUTH about female fitness and if this is something you're interested in, please watch this video, by Fitness Diva and Registered Nurse Flavia Del Monte, so you can find out if you're making the #1 female fitness mistake…

==> #1 Female Fitness Mistake

Sincerely,
Lewis – Owner
www.atozfitness.com
www.articles.atozfitness.com - Fitness Article Blog
www.besmokefreesoon.com – New stop smoking website
www.atoztoptrainers.com – 8 Top trainers reveal all.

If you have any questions, you can contact us by clicking here.

Is it possible to gain 7-12 lbs of lean mass in 21 days ?

lewis — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:08:08 +0000

Just a quick email here for you today about a new muscle-building
program that just came across my desk and it's created by muscle
authorities Vince Del Monte and Lee Hayward, called 21 Day Fast
Mass Building here:

==> http://budurl.com/fastmass

This program is based on CYCLICAL BULKING – a more effective to
gaining muscle mass WITHOUT via shorter bouts of bulking and cutting.

You start the 21 day cycle with a 1 week "diet" phase, followed by a
2 week "mass" phase utilizing hypertrophy-oriented training, which
manipulates your

From ANY point of view, increasing LEAN MUSCLE without gaining fat is the most desirable outcome in terms of body composition.

Increasing muscle will almost always result in improved performance, and quality of life. And with no accompanying increase in fat mass, you will also see significant visual improvement to your physique.

Vince and Lee have done a nice job putting together the structure of the program and the additional resources they include in the
package will definitely add to the usefulness of the program…meal
plans, exercise pictures and descriptions, and the highlight of the system, over SIX HOURS of personalized instruction on HD video.

The promise of the program may sound like a lot of hype, but you CAN certainly achieve extremely FASTER results in body comp when you break bulking and cycling into mini-cycles instead of bulking for 4-6
months (while getting fat) and then cutting for 2-3 months (while
dieting down so hard you lose the muscle you gained!). That's
like 2 steps forward and 2 steps back.

Bottom line: if you're looking for a cleaner and more realistic approach
to gaining QUALITY MUSCLE without the fat, this is definitely a program
worth checking out:

==> http://budurl.com/fastmass

BONUS! And when you order today, you'll also get FIVE (5) exclusive
21-day specialization programs to rotate through the year:

1) Epic Shoulders & Great Guns
2) Freaky Forearms
3) Killer Calves
4) Brick-House Back & Chiseled Chest
5) Progressive Pull Up Program

To buy these programs individually, you're looking at $99 after today
but they are ALL free when you pick up a copy of 21 Day FMB.

PLUS, the program is 1/2 price until Sunday at midnight and then the
New Year Sale comes to an end.

Grab it now:

==> http://budurl.com/fastmass

If you have any questions, you can contact us by clicking here.

Excess Abdominal Fat is Not Only Ugly, but Extremely Dangerous to Your Health – This is More Than a Vanity Issue!

lewis — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:58:38 +0000

The difference between subcutaneous fat and the more deadly "visceral fat"

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
author of best-selling program: The Truth about Six-Pack Abs

Although this picture depicts an extremely overweight man, this article applies to dangerous types of fat inside the bodies of both men and women… and this discussion also applies even if you only have a slight amount of excess stomach fat.

Did you know that the vast majority of people in this day and age have excess abdominal fat? It's true – as much as 70% of the population in some "westernized" countries such as the US and Australia are now considered either overweight or obese. The first thing that most people think of is that their extra abdominal fat is simply ugly, is covering up their abs from being visible, and makes them self conscious about showing off their body

However, what most people don't realize is that excess abdominal fat in particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your health. Scientific research has clearly determined that although it is unhealthy in general to have excess body fat throughout your body, it is also particularly dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.

There are two types of fat that you have in your abdominal area. The first type that covers up your abs from being visible is called subcutaneous fat and lies directly beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles.

The second type of fat that you have in your abdominal area is called visceral fat, and that lies deeper in the abdomen beneath your muscle and surrounding your organs. Visceral fat also plays a role in giving certain men that "beer belly" appearance where their abdomen protrudes excessively but at the same time, also feels sort of hard if you push on it.

Both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat in the abdominal area are serious health risk factors, but science has shown thathaving excessive visceral fat is even more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Both types of fat greatly increase your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, various forms of cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

Excess stomach fat has also been associated in studies with higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), an indicator of inflammation within the body that can lead to heart disease and other health issues.

Part of the reason visceral fat is particularly dangerous is that studies show that it releases more inflammatory molecules into your system on a consistent basis.

One of the major reasons that some people accumulate more visceral fat than others can be from a high carbohydrate diet that leads to insulin resistance over time (years of bombarding your system with too much sugars and starches for your body to properly handle the constant excess blood sugar) … and studies show that high fructose intake particularly from high-fructose corn syrup can be a major contributor to excess visceral fat.

If you care about the quality of your life and your loved ones, reducing your abdominal fat (including reducing visceral fat) should be one of your TOP priorities! There's just no way around it. Besides, a side effect of finally getting rid of all of that excessive abdominal fat is that your stomach will flatten out, and if you lose enough stomach fat, you will be able to visibly see those attractive six pack abs that everyone wants.

So what gets rid of extra abdominal fat, including visceral fat?

Is there actually a REAL solution beyond all of the gimmicks and hype that you see in ads and on commercials for "miracle" fat loss products?

The first thing you must understand is that there is absolutely NO quick fix solution. There are no pills or supplements of any sort that will help you lose your abdominal fat faster. Also, none of the gimmicky ab rockers, rollers, or ab belts will help get rid of abdominal fat either. You can't spot reduce your stomach fat by using any of these worthless contraptions. It simply doesn't work that way.

The only solution to consistently lose your abdominal fat and keep it off for good is to combine a sound nutritious diet full of unprocessed natural foods with a properly designed strategic exercise program that stimulates the necessary hormonal and metabolic response within your body. Both your food intake as well as your training program are important if you are to get this right.

I've actually even seen a particular study that divided thousands of participants into a diet-only group and an exercise & diet combined group. While both groups in this study made good progress, the diet-only group lost significantly LESS abdominal fat than the diet & exercise combined group.

Now the important thing to realize is that just any old exercise program will not necessarily do the trick. The majority of people that attempt getting into a good exercise routine are NOT working out effectively enough to really stimulate the loss of stubborn abdominal fat. I see this every day at the gym.

Most people will do your typical boring ineffective cardio routines, throw in a little outdated body-part style weight training, and pump away with some crunches and side bends, and think that they are doing something useful for reducing their abdominal fat. Then they become frustrated after weeks or months of no results and wonder where they went wrong.

Well, the good news is that I've spent over a decade researching this topic, analyzing the science, and applying it "in the trenches" with myself as well as thousands of my clients from all over the world to see what works to really stimulate abdominal fat loss.

From my research, two of the most important aspects to getting rid of visceral fat are:

1. The use of high intensity forms of exercise and full-body resistance training. Low intensity cardio exercise simply isn't as effective for removing visceral fat in particular. High intensity exercise such as interval training or full-body weight training are very effective at helping to improve your body's ability to manage glucose and increases insulin sensitivity, a crucial step in removing visceral fat. These types of high intensity exercise routines are also very effective at increasing your fat-burning hormones and creating a hormonal environment conducive to burning off abdominal fat, including visceral fat.

2. In addition, it's vitally important to get blood sugar under control to help restore insulin sensitivity through the right nutrition. This means greatly reducing sugars and refined starches in your diet (including fully eliminating any use of harmful high fructose corn syrup!), and focusing more of your diet on healthy fats (such as avocados, nuts, seeds, coconut fat, olive oil, free-range eggs, fatty fish and fish oils, etc), as well as increasing protein and fiber intake. The standard diet recommended by the government, which contains an unnaturally high grain intake is NOT conducive to controlling blood sugar and reducing visceral fat!

Reducing grain-based foods in your diet and getting more of your carbs from veggies and high fiber fruits such as berries can go a long way to helping to solve this problem.

Learn the Truth about Losing Your Stomach Fat Permanently

You may not realize this, but the entire basis of my Truth about Six Pack Abs program is NOT about abs exercises… instead, it's actually about detailed strategies for both nutrition and exercise that maximize your ability to lose abdominal fat. The entire solution… all of the nutritional strategies, as well as training sequences, exercise combinations, and more have all been compiled in my Truth About Six Pack Abs Program in order to help you to burn stomach fat faster.

Keep in mind that the whole point of this program is NOT abdominal exercises (that is only a very small portion of it). The main point of this program is showing you the absolute most effective nutritional strategies for losing your stubborn abdominal fat, and maximizing a fat-burning hormonal environment in your body so you can get rid of that dangerous health risk, as well as get a flatter more defined midsection.

If you follow the guidelines, you WILL lose your belly fat that has been plaguing you for years. This is not guesswork… it is a proven system that works time and time again for all of my clients on every corner of the globe that actually apply these strategies. If you apply it, the results will come. It's really that simple.

One of the main reasons that most people fail in their fitness goals is that they have good intentions at first to adopt a new lifestyle, yet after a few weeks or months, they abandon their good intentions and slip right back into their old bad habits that gave them the excess body fat in the first place.

I want to help you succeed in finally getting rid of that extra abdominal fat that is not only UGLY, but also DANGEROUS. A lot of people have emailed my support team with questions about whether they need any special equipment for these workouts, if they're too old or too young for this program, if the diet tips will apply to them, etc. I've made a page that should answer all of your questions…

FAQ - Questions about the Truth about Six Pack Abs abdominal fat loss program

If you have any questions, you can contact us by clicking here.

Dr.Frank Ryan Abdominal Reducer

lewis — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:13:28 +0000

http://www.atoztoptrainers.com

Dr. Frank Ryan’s Abdominal Fat Reducer

Important Information

Safety Information
As with all dietary supplements, consult
with a doctor before using this product. Do
not use while pregnant or nursing. Not
intended for use by anyone under the age of
18. This product contains caffeine.
Individuals with caffeine sensitivity,
diabetes, or hypertension should consult
their physician prior to using this
products. Recommended serving contains about
as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.

Ingredients
Vitamin C: 175 mg Zinc 7.5 mg Chromium (as
ChromeMate) 200 mcg Proprietery Blend 1335
mg: CLA, Green Tea Extract, L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine,
L-Valine, Phosphatidylserine. Dandelion
Extract 4:1 (root & leaf – equiv. potency to
200 mg of raw dandelioin root and leaf
powder) 50 mg Caffeine (anhydrous) 99 mg.
Other ingredients: Soybean oil, Beeswax,
Lecithin, Gelatin, Clycerin, Titanium
Dioxide, Water, FD&C Red, Blue, Yello.
Contains: Soy

Directions
Directions: For adult use only – Take two
softgels two times daily with meals. Drink
at least 10-12 ounces of water with each
dose. Do not exceed serving size per 24 hour
period.

Product Description

Dr. Frank Ryan’s Abdominal Fat Reducer, by
Endless Youth & Life This thermogenic
formula is designed to help boost metabolism
and support healthy fat loss. Dr. Ryan’s
Abdominal Fat Reducer can be used to help
manage body weight with a good nutrition and
exercise program* As you may have seen
advertised in various outlets. An all
natural product manufactured under good
manufacturing practices. This is not an
imitation product. Order here and receive
delivery in 2-3 business days! An
experienced plastic surgeon like Dr. Frank
Ryan knew a healthy diet and good nutrition
are critical for inner and outer beauty. Dr.
Ryan worked with top nutritionists and
personal trainers to formulate his Abdominal
Fat Reducer. This clinically tested dietary
supplement is guaranteed to help you lose
excess fat in your abdominal area. And
thanks to the special formula, this is one
dietary supplement that starts working
almost immediately.

Dr. Frank Ryan’s Abdominal Fat Reducer

Sincerely,
Lewis – Owner
www.atoztoptrainers.com
www.articles.atozfitness.com – Fitness Article Blog

www.besmokefreesoon.com/blog – Stop smoking website

If you have any questions, you can contact us by clicking
here.

How to Eat Great and Lose Weight

lewis — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:31:23 +0000

http://www.atoztoptrainers.com – Subscribers Special

View new daily fitness post's published on the blog here

www.AtoZfitness.com Your Internet Fitness Resource Site

By Isabel De Los Rios for AtoZfitness.com
http://www.yourdietsolution.com

Snacking on dried out rice cakes and wilted lettuce leaves is no way to spend your mealtimes. You don’t have to eat bland, boring foods just to trim up. It is possible to eat great and lose weight all at the same time. If you choose quality foods and have a willingness to try new things, you can get down on delicious meals and shed pounds too.

Choose the Right Foods

You can’t possibly lose weight if the foods you use to prepare you meals are unhealthy and loaded with calories. When you avoid processed nonsense and stick with fresh ingredients, you can’t go wrong. Anything boxed, frozen, jugged or canned is considered processed and has no place in a healthy diet.

Foods that should be staples in your healthy meal plans include fresh fish, naturally raised meats, organic poultry, organic whole eggs, raw nuts, fresh herbs, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Natural foods are better for you because they are low in calories and filled with plenty of nutrients your body can use.

Also, natural foods aren’t loaded with a laundry list of additives that contribute to weight gain, diabetes, cancer, hypertension and other health problems.

Experiment with Recipes, Flavors and Cooking Methods

I love grilled chicken, but if I had to eat if every day, I’d go bananas—I imagine you would too. Free yourself from the bondage of humdrum, tasteless meals by experimenting with recipes. Thumb through cookbooks, surf the Internet and use your imagination to whip up meals you can’t wait to sink your teeth into.

When you come across recipes that have unhealthy ingredients, simply swap the bad ingredients out for healthier ones. For instance, if a recipe calls for milk, you can replace this ingredient with coconut or almond milk. Also, don’t be afraid to switch out spices and seasonings to add a new flavor to a dish.

Vary your cooking methods to keep things fresh and give food a different taste. For instance, if you always broil your steak, try sautéing it, or covering it with olive oil and dropping it on the grill. All of these cooking methods are healthy and easy to master.

Sample Recipes to Help You Eat Great and Lose Weight

Healthy French Toast:

2 slices of Sprouted Grain, Spelt or Rice bread
1 tablespoon of real butter
2 whole organic eggs
maple syrup
cinnamon
Directions: Mix the eggs in a bowl. Dip the bread in the egg mixture until it is completely coated on both sides. Heat a pan on low to medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the egg coated bread and cook each side for 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle the toast with cinnamon and serve it with 2 teaspoons of maple syrup.

Baked Chicken a la Isabel (one of my creations)

1 whole baking chicken
extra virgin coconut oil
your favorite Italian spices (I use thyme, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper)
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a small pan and melt it over low heat. Mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of each of your spices in a small bowl and pour in the melted coconut oil. Mix all the ingredients together. Let the spice and coconut oil mixture cool.

Rub the spice and oil mixture under the skin of the chicken with your hands. Once the chicken is completely coated, place it breast side down in a glass baking pan and pop it in the oven. Let the chicken cook for 1 to 2 hours until it’s done.

There’s nothing boring or tasteless about the above recipes. If you’re creative and are willing to experiment with new recipes, you can chow down like this everyday and look fantastic doing it.

Your dream of permanent weight loss is just a reach away. Watch this video to find out how The Diet Solution Program can help you eat great and lose weight.

Sincerely,
Lewis – Owner
www.atozfitness.com
www.articles.atozfitness.com – Fitness Article Blog

If you have any questions, you can contact us by clicking here.

How much longer will you wait?

lewis — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:42:28 +0000

Audrey Eickwort said, "I spent 15 years waiting for a 'good time' to lose weight."

When she finally threw away all her excuses and decided that the good time was NOW, she achieved a body transformation so remarkable, it won her the overall title of the Burn the Fat summer challenge champion…

And it won her an all-expenses paid vacation to Maui Hawaii, the grand prize in the Challenge competition.

Today Audrey joins us with a special guest article:

http://www.atozfitness.com/dt/burn_the_fat_inner_circle.php

Read this and you'll discover:

* The 3 biggest excuses for not getting fitter and healthier over the holidays… and why you should toss them all in the fireplace

* Why the challenge is such an amazing opportunity for improving your body, your health and even your social life

* How you can enjoy yourself over the holidays and get leaner and fitter without depriving yourself

* Why you CAN do this, even if you're busy

* And of course, you'll learn what it really feels like posting "the dreaded" BEFORE pictures… from the viewpoint of someone looking back AFTER

http://www.atozfitness.com/dt/burn_the_fat_inner_circle.php

And remember, the Burn the Fat Challenge Contest – Season 5:

Holidays 2011 – is open for registration, but there are only 3 1/2 days left to get in!

It's possible this may be the last holiday challenge ever – we won't know for sure until the final registration stats are in.

But if you wait … you may never have this chance again.

Get information about the Burn the Fat contest, how you can transform your body in only 49 days (even with the holidays) and how you can win a trip for two to Maui, on this page:

http://www.atozfitness.com/dt/burn_the_fat_inner_circle.php

Enjoy the challenge!!!!

– Lewis

PS. Enter the transformation contest just to challenge yourself to get fitter this holiday season, and drop 5-10 pounds of fat… OR, go in it to win it and you could win a trip to Maui – Audrey won… and I've sent 16 other people to tropical paradise so far. You could be next. learn more:

http://www.atozfitness.com/dt/burn_the_fat_inner_circle.php

Your friend,
Lewis

Till next time,,
Lewis
Publisher
www.atozfitness.com

How to Lose Belly Fat in 4 Simple Steps

lewis — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:10:24 +0000

By Isabel De Los Rios for AtoZfitness.com

Embarrassment is not the worst part of having a flabby midsection. That spare tire around you tummy can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes (yikes!). Thankfully, you don’t need a complicated diet plan to learn how to lose belly fat. Stomach flab may be stubborn, but it’s no match for proper nutrition, hydration, exercise, and a can-do attitude.

Believe in Yourself

The way you feel about your ability to lose weight will play a major role in your success. If you’re plagued with self-doubt and negativity, you won’t see the point of sticking it out when things get tough. In order to achieve your weight loss goal, you must truly believe you have what it takes.

Losing weight is not just about vanity; it’s also about living healthy and feeling your best everyday. One thing that will help keep you in the right frame of mind is to think of your fat burning journey as a lifestyle change rather than a diet. If you focus on healthy living instead of dieting, you’ll maintain momentum and it will be easier to shut down those negative feelings.

Eat Nutritiously

Eating a healthy diet will keep your metabolism operating properly so you burn stomach fat more effectively. If your eating plan lacks essential carbohydrates, protein, healthy fat, vitamins and minerals, it’s not nutritious. To ensure you get adequate amounts of all of these nutrients, incorporate a variety of healthy, whole foods like vegetables, fruits, poultry, lean meats, raw nuts, legumes, beans, seeds and whole eggs into your diet.

As for counting calories to lose weight, I don’t do it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very conscious about what I put into my body. However, I refuse to spend my life keeping tabs on every crumb I swallow. When I get hungry, I’m going to eat—and trust me, I won’t be thinking about calories while I’m doing it.

I’m living proof that if you eat the right foods, and stick to reasonable portion sizes, you can lose belly fat without counting a single calorie.

Drink Plenty of Water

Water is often overlooked in nutrition plans. But this element is crucial for burning fat and maintaining proper health. Water helps metabolize stored fat and rids the body of excess fat and toxins. Water also prevent bloating and constipation, and helps curb your appetite.

Most people underestimate how much water they need, so they don’t stay properly hydrated. For optimum health, drink half of your body weight in ounces of water daily. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, you should drink at least 100 ounces of water per day.

Get Up and Exercise

When you start your healthy eating plan, you’ll automatically reduce your caloric intake and start to shed some weight. However, unless you add exercise into the mix, your metabolism will eventually slow down and ultimately reduce your ability to burn stomach fat.

There’s no way to target specific areas for fat loss. Crunches, sit-ups and other ab-specific exercises only work to tone the muscles. The only way to get the svelte tummy of your dreams is to burn the fat off. If you don’t, any muscle tone you achieve via abdominal exercises will be buried under the flab.

If you combine 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to intense cardiovascular activity with proper nutrition, the fat around your belly will melt like butter. If you’re out of shape, doing a 30 to 60 minute workout may be too much at first. It’s okay if you start off exercising for 5 or 10 minutes. Simply work your way up as your fitness level improves.

Don’t try to change your lifestyle overnight; Start by making small tweaks. In the beginning, you might try drinking more water, increasing your fresh vegetable intake and exercising three days a week. Once you get used to these adjustments, gradually build on them. Remember, small steps can lead to big results.

Sitting and wishing won’t help you get the trim tummy you’ve always wanted. Let the Diet Solution Program teach you how to lose belly fat and improve your overall health.

P.S. if your interested in trying the Diet Solution Program with their no risk trial offer click here. If you would like to see my in depth review of The Diet Solution program click here.

Your friend,
Lewis

Till next time,
Lewis
Publisher
www.atozfitness.com

#1 Tip To Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

lewis — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:37:45 +0000

Every year I read articles about how to avoid holiday weight gain. Some of them are written on mainstream news or gossip websites and they’re usually rather lame…

Let’s see, they include gems like these: Skip the party snacks, never go to a party hungry, mind your portions and don’t just decorate your tree, decorate your plate (with colorful veggies). Maybe useful, but not so Earth shattering.

Today I wanted to share the #1 tip to avoid Holiday Weight Gain – here it is…

The best way EVER invented to avoid holiday weight gain is not only to set a real goal – to set goals “scientifically” – but to set up an accountability, social support and reward system to make sure you follow through and achieve that goal.

After years of hard work and trial and error, my buddy Tom Venuto has created and perfected such a system.

He's already done the set up work for you, and not only that, his system has now been proven two years in a row (this is our third year), so we KNOW this works.

If you're curious, want to transform your body, and win a all-expenses paid trip to Maui then check out this link:

http://www.atozfitness.com/dt/burn_the_fat_inner_circle.php

You'll be happy that you did!
To your most successful Holiday Season yet.

Your friend,
Lewis

Till next time,
Lewis
Publisher
www.atozfitness.com

5 tricks to DOUBLE your gains IMMEDIATELY

lewis — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:00:29 +0000

Are you interested in doubling and even tripling your gains IMMEDIATELY? If so, make sure you download this free report here:

==> 5 tricks to DOUBLE your gains IMMEDIATELY

Perhaps, THE brightest pro bodybuilder in the world – Benjamin Pakulski –
just put the final touch ups on his content-loaded report, and instead
of it being $24.99, it’s FREE today!

==> 5 tricks to DOUBLE your gains IMMEDIATELY

In it, Ben reveals 5 overlooked mistakes REVERSING your gains and
if you want to get big & lean in less time you’re going to be shocked by
these 5 undiscovered tricks no one has told you…. until now!

Grab it while it’s free:

==> 5 tricks to DOUBLE your gains IMMEDIATELY

Enjoy it!

Till next time,
Lewis
Publisher
www.atozfitness.com

Are You Addicted to Overly-Aggressive Food Tastes? This Could Be Making You Fatter

lewis — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:21:48 +0000

This article explores changing your taste buds over time to prefer eating healthy natural unprocessed foods

by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author: The Truth about Six Pack Abs

If you've been a newsletter subscriber of mine for some time, you've probably noticed that I like to talk about food… and healthy eating in particular. I've always said that healthy eating does NOT have to be boring and bland, and if you know a few preparation tricks, can actually be exciting and delicious.

Many people seem to falsely believe that they'll never be able to get lean if they don't eat what is thought to be typical bodybuilder fare — dry plain chicken breasts, plain broccoli, tuna fish, oatmeal, etc. If you've read my newsletters for some time, you know that I'm against this type of boring menu, and like to give healthy meal ideas that have a little more appeal.

However, here is one of the most important things you can do for yourself if you want to eat healthier for life and make it a HECK OF A LOT easier to get lean and stay that way permanently…

Learn to adjust your taste buds to enjoy the natural unadulterated taste of real food — unprocessed foods!

This is one of the main problems that I see so many people face with being able to control their eating… they have grown up with processed foods and additives that are excessively AGGRESSIVE TASTES.

So many foods have excessive added sugars, corn syrups, artificial sweeteners, etc
So many foods have excessive added trans fats, refined vegetable oils, and other processed fats
So many foods are laden with excessive (and potentially dangerous) flavor enhancers such as MSG and processed commercial salt

All of this massive onslaught of overly aggressive tastes have rendered most people's taste buds senseless when it comes to the natural taste of real unprocessed foods.

I was having brunch with a couple friends recently and I noticed one of them dumped this huge heaping spoonful of sugar into their coffee. I can't even imagine being able to gag down a coffee that was so heavily loaded with sugar.

Even diet drinks (which I'd never drink because of the harmful artificial sweeteners) are so excessively sweet these days, they're not even refreshing. I can't understand how people can drink something that tastes like pure syrup.

It's funny but one of my recommendations when people ask for my advice with their eating habits is to give up drinking a sweetened drink with their meals (this means no diet drinks either)… they look at me like I'm crazy and say "How can I possibly eat a meal without a soda or a diet soda?"

If you're addicted to drinking a sweet drink with every meal, it would be a wise decision to start to wean yourself off of them and drink water or unsweetened iced tea instead.

Here's a quick quiz to see if you're officially addicted to overly aggressive tastes:

1. If given the choice, would you choose:

a. sausage or hot dog
b. steak, burger, or chicken breast

2. Do you prefer:

a. sweetened hot tea, iced tea, or coffee (with added sugar or artificial sweeteners)
b. unsweetened tea or black coffee

3. If given a choice for dessert, do you prefer:

a. cake, pie, or ice cream
b. a piece of fruit

4. If you like chocolate, do you prefer:

a. milk chocolate
b. extra dark chocolate

I could think of more, but that'll do for now… If you answered a's more than you answered b's, then you may be addicted to overly aggressive food tastes, and that could be making you pack on more pounds indirectly.

One of the main problems is that needing to eat aggressive tasting foods means that all of that extra salt, MSG, added processed fats, sugars, and artificial sweeteners are playing havok with your hormones, and making you crave extra calories that your body doesn't need.

Don't worry though, it CAN be easy to wean yourself off of these aggressive tastes. I've successfully done it.

About 5 years ago, I'd have called you crazy if you said I'd ever be drinking unsweetened tea or black coffee… I always needed to add a sweetener back then… but now, I actually PREFER to drink them both unsweetened.

What I did was just slightly reduce the amount of sweetener I added over time, and eventually I got used to using none, and actually started to prefer the natural taste of coffee or tea instead of just tasting the sweetness.

Now you can start to see how this all ties back into enjoying the REAL taste of food instead of the ADDITIVES in food!

My healthy eating recommendations for your leaner healthier body:

Enjoy the taste of real meats, such as grass-fed steaks, fish, chicken breasts, pork tenderloin… instead of needing the aggressive tastes of the additives in sausages, hot dogs, deli meats, and other processed meats.
Start to enjoy the taste of the actual coffee or tea instead of the taste of the sugar or artificial sweetener.
Start drinking water or unsweetened tea with meals (instead of soda or sweetened drinks) at least every other day, and try to increase that to every day eventually.
Use herbs and spices in your cooking instead of heavy use of salt.
Try to wean yourself off of cakes, pies, candies, and other sweets… Eat mostly fruit or small amounts of super-dark chocolate instead.
Avoid eating any and all deep fried foods and processed starch-based side dishes – mac & cheese, scalloped potatoes, etc.

Even doing just some of these simple tips can help you to change your tastes over time and help to overcome your addiction to the overly aggressive tastes that food marketers have pushed on us our entire lives.

Till next time,
Lewis
Publisher
www.atozfitness.com

5 Things You Must Know About Treat Days

lewis — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:48:58 +0000

5 Things You Must Know About Treat Days

By Vince Del Monte, Author – No Nonsense Muscle Building & Your Six Pack Quest

In continuation with the Holiday Themed articles, I want to introduce my personal insights about cheat days or treat days as I prefer to call them. Not only is it Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter coming up but it’s also my 31st Birthday on November 26th and I know that will include a few nights out. Incorporating treat days over the holidays can be your secret weapon to burning fat and staying jacked up!

1. Have Treat Days, Not Cheat Days.

What’s the difference? None, except the way each word influences your brain and actions. If I tell you to not thing about the big purple elephant in the room, what do you do? Think about the big purple elephant in the room, even though I told you not to! In my logic, thinking about cheat days will lead you to cheat more than scheduled. I prefer the word treat days because your brain appreciates the award system and understands thetreat meals or treat day must be earned and awarded.

2. Rely On Treat Meals, Not Treat Days

I use treat meals all year round and they serve me well. I don’t use treat days unless I’m doing Joel Marion’s Extreme Fat Loss Diet or some sort of 3-4 day severe depletion diet, which is very rare. If you were to use treat days all year round (you’re probably already doing that if you’re body does not look the way you want), I would be very surprised if you were ripped and muscular.

3. Don’t Worry About The Quality Of Your Treat Meal. Seriously.

The goal of your nutrition plan should be to eat five or six times a day (basic knowledge), which is 35 meals per week. If at least 30 of them (90% compliancy) are perfect, then one (or even two) treat meals aren’t going to hurt. In fact they will reignite your metabolism, will power, motivation and leptin levels to continue burn fat and build muscle.

4. Don’t Feel Guilty About Your Treat Meal

That’s another reason I use the word, treat meal instead of cheat meal. It removes the guilt. As long as you’re eating “clean,” healthy foods the majority of the time, it will probably do you more good than harm. Feel guilty about messing up the 90%, not the 10%. If you’re saving your treat meals for special occasions, for a “job well done” or strategically like my good friend Joel Marion teaches in his Cheat Your Way Thing program, enjoy them to your maximum pleasure.

5. Plan a Huge Muscle Building Workout Before Your Treat Meals

I love the anticipation of a rewarding myself to a huge treat meal after a huge muscle building workout. It makes the day pass faster and motivates me to push the life out of my muscles. I can fantasize about the pizza I’m going to have for an appetizer; the 24 oz steak, sauces and french fries for a main course and chocolate brownie and ice cream I’ll have for dessert. Remember, I’m eating like that only 1 or 2 times out of 35 times a week so don’t freak out.

By training extremely hard before my treat meal, I’m priming my muscles for maximum muscle growth and flipping on the anabolic switch, in turn shutting off the catabolic switch that results in muscle loss.

When you increase your calories and add foods that you’ve been cutting out for an extended period of time (fats and carbs specifically), your metabolism will get a kick start, your muscles will look fuller by replenishing your glycogen levels and your mind will get the single, “Awesome, we’re not starving anymore so I’m going to burn some more fat.” I always look my biggest and firmest after a big treat meal, I love it!

Till next time,
Lewis
Publisher
www.atozfitness.com

The #1 MOST Important Diet Lesson You Will Ever Learn

lewis — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:54:26 +0000

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author of best-seller: The Truth About Six Pack Abs

* * *FREE PDF DOWNLOAD * * *

Authored by Certified Nutrition Specialist & Personal Trainer Mike Geary, this FREE eBook details over 27 specific metabolism-boosting secrets that you can use to strip off your stubborn body fat faster and easier. It also includes unique workout methods and nutritional strategies to slash body fat and take your body to a whole new level of leanness. Download it today

Download it Here

This article might surpise some people… because most people don't view nutrition in this way that I'm about to explain. Instead most people get thoroughly confused about nutrition and calories, protein, carbs, fat, diet foods, low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-carb, healthy label claims, vegetarian, raw foods, etc, etc.

However, if you view nutrition in this way that I'll explain below, it solves every single confusion about nutrition that you could ever have. I will warn you though, this is very BIG PICTURERE thinking, and it helps explain a lot about the human body when you think about things this way.

Ok, the #1 MOST important aspect about nutrition involves the study of ARCHAEOLOGY (and anthropology)!

What the heck am I talking about? Well, let's dig in…

We know from archaeological records that our current human species (homo sapiens) originated approximately 200,000 years ago… however, our close cousins (ancestors prior to homo sapiens), such as homo erectus, date as far back as several million years.s.

If you study evidence about what our ancestors ate, it gives obvious clues about how the human digestive system evolved and what are the healthiest foods for us to eat in today's world.

Now this discussion could get pretty involved and encompass an entire book, so let me give some important statements to best summarize this:s:

1. Despite what you'll hear from extreme vegans, extreme raw foodists, and other believers in "extreme" types of diets that eliminate entire portions of the historical human diet, the human digestive system evolved to eat a mixture of plants and animal foods (yes, we evolved as omnivores), as well as a mixture of raw food AND cooked food.

I know, I know… You'll get heated debate about both of these topics…meat eating vs veganism, and raw foodism… however, it's historical FACT that our current species (and historical ancestors back over a million years ago) in almost every culture around the world, ate at least some % of plant-animal food combination and raw food / cooked food combination (even if it was at different times of the day, or even different times of the year).

Some cultures, such as the Inuit of the arctic and several tribes in Africa, thrived in stellar health on almost an entirely animal-based diet, and other cultures around the world thrived on almost an entirely plant-based diet… But all cultures generally had some mixture of plant and animal foods, even if the amount of animal food was small in some cultures, or the amount of plant food was small in other cultures.

Similarly, virtually every culture around the world has also historically consumed BOTH raw foods and cooked foods in differing amounts of each… but there's no real evidence of societies thriving on 100% raw food diets.

But what about the argument that raw foodists make claiming that all animals in nature eat 100% raw foods, but humans are the only species that eats cooked food…

Well, there's a simple explanation for that… humans were the ONLY species with a well developed enough brain to understand how to control fire and therefore cook our food… And since we've been cooking a portion of our foods for the entire existence of our species (200,000 years) as well as our ancestors back several million years, our digestive systems have adapted to eating a portion of our food cooked.

This also explains why acrylamides are more harmful to animals that eat cooked food compared to humans… since humans have adapted some level of tolerance to acrylamides from eating a partial cooked diet for 100's of thousands of years, but animals have never historically adapted to a cooked food diet, and therefore, are more sensitive to acrylamides.

If you've never heard of acrylamides, they are formed when the outside of foods are burned during cooking (such as the browning on breads or other baked goods, browning on deep fried foods, or the charring of vegetables cooked over a flame, etc) and these compounds are potentially carcinogenic to both humans and animals. Cooking foods with water, and also using high antioxidant herbs and spices in cooking helps reduce acrylamides and protect you against them.

The bottom line… we were designed through evolution to eat a mixture of both plants and animals as well as cooked and raw foods… But let's clarify an important point in #2 below…

2. Although I say that we were meant through evolution to eat an omnivorous diet of both plants and animals, one thing that we were NEVER meant to eat is factory-farm raised animals, or eggs or milk from factory-farm raised animals.

Factory farming is an entirely new phenomenon that's still only decades old, so essentially, these types of meat products were never meant to be part of the human diet.

Chemically (nutritionally), factory-farm animal products are VASTLY different from animal products that were raised the way they were meant to live and eat. Examples of these differences can be seen glaringly in the nutrition profiles of grass-fed meats vs grain-fed factory farm meat, free range eggs vs factory eggs, wild fish vs farmed fish, and so on.

We're talking about major differences in omega-3's vs omega-6's, differences in vitamins and minerals, differences in other healthy fats such as CLA, and lots more.

So although I don't fully agree with veganism at least from a nutritional standpoint (moral arguments aside), I also don't agree with our current state of affairs of the majority of our food supply of factory farm raised animal products (at least here in the US, where the condition of the factory farm animals and nutritional quality of the food is horrendous).

That's why I try to not support the factory farm industry as much as possible (which is most meats and dairy in your supermarket) and instead, I try to eat almost solely grass-fed meats from free ranging animals, wild game, wild fish, eggs from local farmers from free roaming hens, and dairy only from grass-fed cows that are allowed to graze almost entirely on forage.

3. Although I point out that many historical cultures around the world thrived on vastly different percentages of animal products vs plant products in their diet, here is another type of food that we were NEVER meant to eat:

PROCESSED FOOD

Yes, I know it hurts to hear it, but cakes, cookies, crackers, microwaved meals, chips, sodas, granola bars, sugary sports drinks or energy drinks, and 1000's of other products that line our supermarket shelves were never meant to be part of the human diet, so it's obvious why it causes so many health problems for us.

This gets back to what I always say about trying to include as many "1-ingredient" foods as you can in your diet if you want to eat like we were meant to eat.

"1-ingredient" foods means healthy meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans, tubers, fruits, and veggies. It's really that simple.

4. Ok, this one starts to get a little controversial… but, remember that agriculture is also a relatively new phenomenon in the big picture of the human diet when you expand far back in history a couple of million years. And when I'm talking about agriculture, I'm mostly talking about the massive influx of grain-based foods into the human diet that occurred with the invention of agriculture.

The mass production of grains through agriculture is only a few thousand years old… Compare that to our ancestors historical existence as hunter-gatherers as far back as a couple of million years, and our current species (homo sapiens) 200,000-year history as hunter-gatherers.

If you think about it, as hunter-gatherers, we would have had very limited access to grains, and they would have encompassed a very small % of our historical calorie intake, since they weren't mass produced and processed. Instead, we thrived on mostly game meats (including the organ meats, where most of the micro-nutrients are found), wild fish and seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans, tubers, fruits, and veggies.

From this perspective, grains probably never accounted for more than 1-3% of our historical calorie intake… and as you know from one of my recent articles, currently our modern processed diet that the average person eats consists of 67% of total calories from grains such as corn, soy, and wheat and their derivatives… now THAT'S a shocking revelation in why our entire food supply is backwards, and how that affects your waistline!

It also makes you think about how ridiculously wrong our "food pyramid" really is, which promotes the bulk of our food to be eaten from grains.

I could go on with more examples, but I think you're seeing the major points here… the most important aspect to eating a healthy diet that promotes a lean, healthy body is to acknowledge what our ancestors ate throughout the millions of years of evolution.

And that certainly wasn't processed "diet foods" with fancy label claims deceiving you into thinking they're healthy… instead, it was the 1-ingredient foods I listed above, eaten in a combination of raw food and cooked food.

A couple final thoughts on how to fit these suggestions into your healthy eating plan:

1. Try to become a "locavore" as much as possible… if you can get local farm-fresh produce, that is the most environmentally and socially responsible, as well as healthy way to get your produce. Research if you have farmers markets and farm stands that might be in your area, or deliver to your area.

2. Try to choose organic foods as much as possible… but local food will many times trump organic food that had to travel thousands of miles to make it to you.

3. When choosing meat and eggs, try to choose grass-fed meats as much as possible, free range chicken, turkey, and pork raised in a humane manner, and eggs from hens that truly roam free outside instead of being confined to "chicken factories". Many times, this means making the effort to seek out local farms or co-ops that deliver to urban areas.

Remember that eating healthy and responsibly doesn't mean eating bland boring food… there are tons of ways to eat in a healthy and socially/environmentally responsible manner, and we describe in depth how to do this in our Fat Burning Kitchen Program.

Till next time,
Lewis
Publisher
www.atozfitness.com

The Ultimate Hard-Body Exercise

lewis — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:07:48 +0000

By Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
author of best-selling program – The Truth about Six Pack Abs

A Look at the "Front Squat" (a surprising exercise not only for legs, but also rock hard abs!)

As you may have already discovered, the squat is at the top of the heap (along with other greats like deadlifts and clean and presses) as one of the most effective overall exercises for stimulating body composition changes (muscle gain and fat loss).

This is because exercises like squats and deadlifts use more muscle groups under a heavy load than almost any other weight bearing exercises known to man. Squats and deadlifts use hundreds of muscles throughout your entire body to move the load and also to stabilize your body while doing the drill.

Hence, these exercises stimulate the greatest hormonal responses (increasing fat-burning & muscle building growth hormone, testosterone, etc.) of all exercises.

Another weird fact: University research studies have even proven that inclusion of weighted squats into a training program increases upper body development, in addition to lower body development, even though upper body specific joint movements are not performed during the squat. Whether your goal is gaining lean muscle mass, losing body fat, building a strong and functional body, or improving athletic performance, the basic squat and deadlift (and their variations) are a couple of the ultimate exercises to accomplish this.

If you don’t believe me that squats and deadlifts are THE basis for a lean and powerful body, then go ahead and join all of the other overweight people pumping away mindlessly for hours on boring cardio equipment and getting zero results!

Squats can be done with barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, or even just body weight. Squats should only be done with free weights – NEVER with a Smith machine!

Side note: My program, The Truth About Six Pack Abs contains the full story on why machines are so inferior and even potentially DANGEROUS compared to free weights.

The type of squat that people are most familiar with is the barbell back squat where the bar is resting on the trapezius muscles of the upper back. Many professional strength coaches believe that front squats (where the bar rests on the shoulders in front of the head) and overhead squats (where the bar is locked out in a snatch grip overhead throughout the squat) are more functional to athletic performance than back squats with less risk of lower back injury.

I feel that a combination of all three (not necessarily during the same phase of your workouts) will yield the best results for overall muscular development, body fat loss, and athletic performance. Front squats are moderately more difficult than back squats, while overhead squats are considerably more difficult than either back squats or front squats. I'll cover overhead squats in a future newsletter issue.

If you are only accustomed to performing back squats, it will take you a few sessions to become comfortable with front squats, so start out light. After a couple sessions of practice, you will start to feel the groove and be able to increase the poundage.

To perform front squatss

The front squat recruits the abdominals to a MUCH higher degree for stability due to the more upright position compared with back squats. It is mostly a lower body exercise, but is great for functionally incorporating core strength and stability into the squatting movement. If you're doing front squats right, you'll feel a hard contraction in your abs during these.

It can also be slightly difficult to learn how to properly rest the bar on your shoulders. There are two ways to rest the bar on the front of the shoulders.

In the first method, you step under the bar and cross your forearms into an “X” position while resting the bar on the dimple that is created by the shoulder muscle near the bone, keeping your elbows up high so that your arms are parallel to the ground. You then hold the bar in place by pressing the thumb side of your fists against the bar for support. This technique is a bit tricky and you want to make sure to have the weight resting on muscle and not bone!

Alternatively, you can hold the bar by placing your palms face up and the bar resting on your fingers against your shoulders. For both methods, your elbows must stay up high to prevent the weight from falling. Your upper arms should stay parallel to the ground throughout the squat. Find out which bar support method is more comfortable for you.

Then, initiate the squat from your hips by sitting back and down keeping the weight on your heels as opposed to the balls of your feet. Squat down to a position where your thighs are approximately parallel to the ground, then press back up to the starting position. Keeping your weight more towards your heels is the key factor in squatting to protect your knees from injury and develop strong injury resistant knee joints.

Keep in mind – squats done correctly actually strengthen the knees; squats done incorrectly can damage the knees. Practice first with an un-weighted bar or a relatively light weight to learn the movement. Most people are surprised how hard this exercise works your abs once you learn the correct form.

You also need to use a good bit lighter weight on front squats compared to back squats. For example, personally, I use about 250 lbs for 8 reps on the back squat, but on the front squat, I need to be around 175 lbs for 8 reps, so a good bit lighter.

START/FINISHH

MIDPOINT

So there you have it… one the best exercises for both rock hard abs, and a rock hard body from head to toe! I could list a LOT more, but wanted to focus on front squats today as they are one of the most under-utilized.

The Single BEST Type of Interval Training You Can Do For Rapid and Efficient Fat Loss…Near-Maximal Intervals

lewis — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:17:46 +0000

If you want to lose fat, you do cardio…and if you do cardio, you want to use the more efficient type of cardio training to get the fastest results possible. THIS is that type of cardio.

Click here to read this brand new article from Nick Nilsson that just came across my desk.

Till next time,
Lewis
Publisher
www.atozfitness.com

The 3 Best Abdominal Exercises that Are NOT Your “Normal” Ab Exercises

lewis — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:33:35 +0000

The 3 Best Abdominal Exercises that Are NOT Your “Normal” Ab Exercises

A unique ab workout that doesn’t contain your typical boring stomach exercises – no crunches or situps here!

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author of best-seller: The Truth about Six Pack Abs

Instead of the typical ab routines that we see so often with crunches, situps, leg lifts, etc… I like to give my readers better options for metabolism-boosting high intensity workouts that work their entire body while also working their abs… thus building rock hard abs & core, but also creating a much better fat-burning workout than a typical ab workout.

I’m going to show you an example today of one of my favorite “ab workouts” that doesn’t include any direct “ab exercises” at all. This is actually a full body workout that works your abs pretty hard indirectly, and stimulates a good metabolism boost! It’s in a tri-set format (similar to a super-set but alternating between 3 exercises).

Here goes:

1a. Renegade Dumbbell Rows
1b. Front Squats with Barbell
1c. Mountain Climbers on Floor

A good rep scheme to use with this could be 3-4 sets of 8 reps for each exercise, or more sets for less reps, such as 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise. Mountain climbers can be done for a time interval (such as 30 seconds) instead of “reps”.

Exercise Pics & Descriptions:

Renegade dumbbell rows are done starting in a pushup position with the hands on 2 dumbbells. You then row one dumbbell up while stabilizing your body with the other arm. Bring the dumbbell back to the ground and alternate the rowing arm while stabilizing with the opposite arm. This stabilizing effect during the rows creates incredible work for your entire midsection core area. Trust me… you’ll feel it in the abs!

Renegade Rows shown above

Front squats are done similar to back squats, however with the barbell in front of your body on the front of your shoulders instead of resting on the upper back as in back squats. You stabilize the barbell on your shoulders by crossing your arms and pushing your fists into the bar against your shoulders while keeping your elbows out in front of the body.

This takes a little practice at first, so you will want to seek a professional trainer at your gym to help you with the form. Front squats require extreme stabilization strength from the abs due to the barbell weight being shifted to the front of the body instead of the back. Even though this is mostly a leg exercise, you’ll feel this one in the abs big time!

Front squats shown above

Mountain climbers are done by starting in a pushup position and then shuffling your feet in and out so that your knees are moving in under your chest and then back out to starting position. It sort of resembles climbing a mountain but flat on the floor. If you want an advanced version, you can also shuffle your hands 8-10 inches forward and backward in addition to the leg movements. This really makes it a full body exercise and MUCH more difficult than standard mountain climbers.

Mountain Climbers shown above

After finishing each exercise, rest about 30 seconds before starting the next exercise. Rest about 1-2 minutes after completing each “tri-set” before repeating.

This will give you one of the best ab workouts you’ve ever had without even doing any direct ab exercises…. and with a LOT more fat-burning metabolic effect compared to standard ab exercises… You’ll see what I mean after you try it!

HOW TO DROP UP TO 11lbs THIS WEEK? [LAST CHANCE]

lewis — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 12:31:47 +0000

If you haven't reviewed Josh's 7-day blueprint that has folks cutting
up to 11lbs of bellyflab, excess water, and toxic waste in just 7 days, today
is your LAST CHANCE to do so at 50% off…

…because the price is doubling TONIGHT just before midnight EST:

7-day plan to drop up to 11lbs of flab, water & sludge… <<

Now, this isn't a replacement for FBF or a healthy lifestyle plan you might
already have or be following…

…but not only is this a great way to jumpstart your progress if you've been
standing still or even regressing, but Josh shows you some pretty cool
techniques that most folks will NEVER learn.

Oh, and to make this a "no brainer", Josh just added a LAST CHANCE bonus where
he will personally walk you through the entire program, step-by-step, over a
LIVE 60-minute conference call… cool!

The question you have to ask yourself is simple:

Do you want to drop up to 11lbs over the next 7 days, and kickstart your fatloss
progress?

With the holidays just around the corner, I think you'll agree there's probably
not a better time to get some momentum going…

7-day plan to drop up to 11lbs of flab, water & sludge… <<

And if for whatever reason you're not satisifed with your results, just tell
Josh within 60 days and he'll issue you a prompt refund.

If you have any trouble at all, just email me and I'll make sure you are taken
care of .

It's that simple, and it starts by clicking the link below:

7-day plan to drop up to 11lbs of flab, water & sludge… <<

Alright, I hope you enjoy the program, and the next 7 days!

Till next time,
Lewis
Publisher
www.atozfitness.com

5 Rookie Muscle Mistakes + 5 Belly Fat Foods to Avoid

lewis — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:56:20 +0000

This super cool video reveals 5 really "rookie" muscle
mistakes and if you want to add mass and get ripped
in record time, the following video is a great first
step in the right direction…

==> http://budurl.com/nononsenseatoz

Get the inside story on the bodybuilding and supplement
industry robbing you of your gains too.

5 Foods You Must AVOID

Buying local, fresh foods from Farmers' markets, organic farms, or from your local grocer can go a long way for your budget and your health. However, not everyone can benefit or wants to shop healthy. Here are the top five foods to avoid or minimize in your diet for a longer, healthier life and a leaner waistline, followed by the top five foods that will give you amazing health benefits.

If you're looking to shed those unwanted pounds then be sure to follow this advice:

>>> 5 Foods You Must AVOID

They also included 5 foods you should eat instead.