Working in a gym, I see it time and time again; people coming in and slogging their guts out in the hope that one day they will shed the fat and have that muscular, defined beach body that they desire.  I see these people putting in the hours, the hard work, the sweat and the dedication; yet they aren’t achieving results.

What’s the problem, you want to know?  Their training method and it’s not their fault.  There are so many different types of training methods out there.  Anyone could jump on google and think that something looked great, but you need to ask yourself – is it effective?  Am I going to burn fat?

If you are seriously going to change your body composition you need to work harder and smarter.  You need to turn up the heat and work on a level that most people aren’t.

The workouts that I’ve put together in this ebook, I’ve tried and tested on all sorts of clients over the years; from the seasoned and regular gym goer to someone that has never exercised before and the one thing they have in common, is that these exercises work.  Yes, they are challenging, but if you want to melt the fat then you need to turn it up a notch.

Have you ever heard of fat loss resistance?  It’s often referred to as metabolic syndrome and is caused by poor diet and lack of exercise.  Once you’re suffering from fat loss resistance it makes it even harder for you to shed the fat.  These workouts are not a cure for fat loss resistance, however they are going to help prevent it!

With all that said, I’ve chosen 5 different styles of training that are not only guaranteed to take you to MELTING POINT, but through variation and dedication will add a whole new dimension to your training regime.  Welcome to strength training the Fitness4ever way.  Over the next few chapters you will learn why strength training has its advantage over aerobic training as well as more about the 5 training methods; tabata intervals, German volume training, escalated density training, 6-12-25 and German body composition training.

Grab your copy of Melting Point by clicking here.

Ok, the anti-grain movement is slowly settling in and in my opinion, I’m glad! Compelling research is surely enough to convince us that grains are one of the most damaging foods on the planet? Of course, there will always be controversy; in fact over the last 10 years or so, grains were said to feed and nourish the body and even help with weight loss.

So, with me being me, being armed with the tools for a good argument when it comes to nutrition and health; I have decided to write an article that explains the low-down on grains and why they are a food that should not be in your kitchen and should most definitely not be in your belly!

What is gluten?

Gluten is found in foods such as grains of wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, and triticale. Gluten is made up of several sub fractions or families of proteins. The scientific name for the most studied of these sub fractions of proteins is gliadin. Gliadin is found in all grains and cereal grains; a silent predator hidden in these foods ready to cause damage.

How does gluten damage the body? 

Imagine a particular food that when eaten, your immune system reacts to this food as if it was an invading enemy, thus causing an “immune reaction”. Now, lets say a person frequently ate this food, in fact, let’s say a person ate this food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and he had done so  since he was brought into this world. Now imagine the kind of beating the immune system would have to take from consistently being bombarded with this invading enemy. This invading terrorist is grains, or more specifically, gluten.

Over time the immune system is constantly firing; from here, a dangerous downward spiral of health issues start to come about.

There are countless scientific studies that grains and gluten are responsible for, including over 200 chronic illnesses and conditions such as:

• cancer
• autoimmune disease
• osteoporosis
• brain disorders
• intestinal decease
• chronic pain
• digestive disorders
• infertility and problematic pregnancies

And more!

Grains and fat storage

Besides reeking havoc on the immune and digestive system, grains can dramatically contribute to unwanted fat storage. For the most part, there are two main reasons why.

First off, grains are rich in carbohydrates. Unless you are a person who is insulin sensitive and can handle their carbohydrates very well (and you are not gluten sensitive) then I guess there is no real reason you can’t have grain foods every now and again. Sorry to be harsh, but most of the people I deal with, and most of the general Western population are neither of the two. Grains, like simple and refined sugars, will affect insulin, which is your key hormone that will dictate fat storage and how well you dispose of glucose in the blood. Excess grain consumption=fat storage.

The second reason is that grains, or particularly gluten, causes inflammation in the digestive tract. Inflammation in the body is a particular type of stress, and when the body experiences stress, a specific hormone called cortisol is released. Cortisol, like insulin, is another chief fat storing hormone and it’s especially responsible for excess fat on the waist and hips.

How do I find out if grains are really bad for me?

The first step would definitely be to identify symptoms. After you eat grains do you get headaches, bloating, digestive troubles, foggy brain, loose stools, and stomach pain? These are just some of the symptoms to keep an eye out for. Another great way to identify grain sensitivity is clinical testing. Blood testing is a great way to see if your immune system is creating anti bodies to the particular food, and it’s also more accurate. Me personally, I just go gluten free diet!

Alright! Its 2012; we all know that most of us, if not all of us, are partly guilty of eating like crap over the holidays. For some, eating like crap left them with the consequence of elevated body fat levels. It could be the belly, for others its the thighs and bum and for some it’s the upper back.

Wherever you store most of your fat, it’s a situation that can be dealt with. And hey! It’s a new year, so why not kick start your health and fitness goals with these ten tips to get you results immediately with your physique and health:

1. Drink green, white and black tea

Wine, beer, soft drinks and sugary drinks were probably the dominant liquids consumed during the Christmas break. Now you must think of a bang for your buck liquid alternative to drink so your body can start repairing and burning fat. Drinking various herbal teas on a regular basis is a great way to kick start your metabolism, lower inflammation, aid in detoxification of harmful toxins and prevent cancer.

Green tea is my favourite. It increases insulin sensitivity so you can burn more fat, raises basal metabolic rate, blocks up to 30 grams of starch during meals, and kills intestinal pathogens. These are just a few things green tea does in the body. A word of warning, make sure your brewing tea leaves in a tea net, as drinking excess tea from chlorinated tea bags will increase the risk of breast cancer. Aim for at least 2 cups of tea a day with out fail.

2.  Alkalise the blood with raw juices

Alkalizing the blood is one of the best methods to increase energy and vitality. Too many people overlook the importance of alkalizing the blood. If you have a raw juicer, I recommend trying green juices first thing in the morning when you wake up to alkalize the blood. A good green juice combo is a mix of, celery, cucumber, spinach, lime, ginger, pineapple and green apple. Feel free to try different vegetable and fruit combos. Remember, don’t use to much fruit as over consumption of fructose can lead to fat storage. If you don’t have a raw juicer, try green vegetable powders such as primal greens from Poliquin or Vital Greens.

3.  Give cancer risk a knockout with unlimited consumption of cruciferous vegetables

Ok, we all know that we should eat our vegetables, but how many of you out there actually eat 5-7 servings of vegetables a day. Is that to much? Ok, how about 3 servings, I think that’s easy enough? Cruciferous vegetables such broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and brussel sprouts all contain a unique antioxidant called sulpheraphane. This potent phytochemical is primal for decreasing cancer and decease risk. But to maximize absorption of this phytonutrient and other antioxidants, eat these vegetables organic, and steam them for about 3-5 minutes.

4.  Don’t overlook the leg press

Over use of machines in the gym is definitely a big no no if you want a healthy, strong and lean body; but using machines such as the leg press smartly can bring about fast and effective results with body composition.

At the end of your workout try these 2 finishers:

2 minutes on the leg press non stop (BRUTAL!!)

3 drop sets of 6 reps (heavy) to 12 reps (medium weight) to 25 reps (light)

This is also brutal. These finishers will not only leave in a wheel chair, but it will trigger the release of a potent fat burning hormone called growth hormone.

5.  Forget six pack training and focus on interval training

The truth is, if you really want diamond cut abs, six pack training such as crunches and leg raises are not the most effective way to get you there. Instead, focus on all out interval and sprint training. For some people, running as fast as they can on a treadmill can be foreign and quite a challenging experience; but through clinical practice and numerous study’s, it has been proven that interval training is far more superior for ripping up than sit ups are.

Try interval training either on the treadmill or rower, and focus on either 30 seconds off maximal activity with 30 seconds rest, or 1 minute off continues activity with 1 minute rest. For an even greater challenge, try 20 seconds of maximal activity with 10 seconds rest.

6.  Eliminate pro inflammatory foods such as gluten, soy, dairy and wheat

Food induced inflammation is one of the biggest reasons for phantom fat storage. I refer to phantom fat storage as to when im dealing with a client that stores fat for no reason, even when there off carbohydrates and sugar, eating a high protein diet and training there hearts out till they fall to the floor. When you have inflammation, your body releases stress hormones such as cortisol, which is a fat storing hormone, especially for the abdominal area. The usual suspects? Well you can certainly point the finger at gluten, wheat, soy, dairy and some times even eggs. Eliminate these foods out of your diet and I guarantee you will see fast results with how you feel mentally, physically and how great your physique is.

7.  Take fish oils and carnitine for rapid fat loss

I have written numerous articles on the outstanding benefits of regular supplementation of fish oil. For an even better bang for your buck supplement protocol, try paring fish oils and carnitine together.

L-carnitine is an amino acid. Its main reason for being potent for fat loss is that it drives stored fat into a place called the mitochondria. The mitochondria is located in every cell in our body, it is the powerhouse of our cells, the fire, the flame, the engine, when fat is shuttled into the mitochondria, its burned and metabolized for energy. Omega-3 fish oils also aid in this process by increasing cellular activity, making these two supplements the bread and butter for rapid fat loss.

8. Go on a 14 day protein boot camp

Any time I want to lose body fat quickly and get my health back on track, I engage in a 14 day protein bootcamp. During this period you follow one simple rule, if it doesn’t walk, run, swim, or fly, or is not a nut or a vegetable, then don’t eat it!! Even fruit! During the 14 days you want to give your body a rest from consuming sugars and carb rich foods. Instead focus on getting your carbohydrates only from vegetables. The animal protein and smart fats will increase thermogenisis (heat) in the body and raise basal metabolic rate. This 14 day initiation period is crucial if you’re serious about losing the holiday pounds. For some people it can be a struggle; for others, it’s easy. The results speak for themselves. And remember during the 14 days you are aloud unlimited consumption of vegetables, reasonable amounts of smart fats such as nuts, oils and butter, and hit for 5-7 servings of animal protein a day.

9. Don’t eat more than 2 hours before bed time.

Pre-bedtime meals can be a major roadblock for long-term fat loss success. I always believe to eat if you’re feeling hungry, as long as it’s the right food; eating too close to bed time can alter your quality of sleep. If you eat too close to bed time and your food is still digesting when you sleep, your body’s ability to reach stage 5 sleep, which is the deepest sleep you can reach, is impaired. When you reach a deep sleep, your body is flooded with anabolic hormones such as growth hormone and melatonin. These two hormones are primary for recovery from stress, building the immune system, and burning fat.

Try not to eat 2 hours before bed time, this will ensure your dinner is fully digested, and your body can reach a deep sleep. If you feel a bit peckish, take 15 grams of a fiber supplement before you sleep, which should ease of the hunger.

10.  Shop smart in the supermarket; avoid tuna, non-organic strawberries and canned tomatoes

Toxic load in the body is one of the worst things to promote. If there’re 3 foods I would say to avoid in the supermarket, it would be tuna due to the high mercury levels, non-organic strawberries due to the high pesticide content and canned tomatoes due to the high heavy metal content. There are a lot of other foods I recommend to avoid, but start with these 3. Consuming too many toxins can really destroy the body from the inside out, be smart when you shop, by organic food when you can, especially fruits, vegetables, and meat should be free range, grass fed, and organic when possible.

Still to this day, people find it hard to believe the idea that butter should be eaten on a regular basis. They find it even harder to believe that butter is a potent weapon for fat loss. For the none believers out there, I’m fresh from Charles Poliquin’s BioSignature course, where we covered some very interesting things about butter and the nutrients and functions it serves within the body.

1) Butter and Iodine

According to Charles Poliquin, people who consume butter as oppose to people who don’t, attract a longer life expectancy. Why is this? Butter actually contains a very high bio-available source of iodine. Now if you don’t know, iodine is the nutrient that stimulates proper thyroid function; and for those of you who don’t know the function of the thyroid gland, the thyroid is the gland that regulates your metabolism. Still don’t understand? Its simple, follow this formula…

Butter consumption = easy absorbable source of iodine = better thyroid function = faster metabolism = faster and more successful fat loss!

Still not convinced? Let’s do the math….. 

First let’s look at the impact a 1% increase in thyroid function will have on metabolism. A 1 % increase in thyroid is a 6 % increase in metabolism. So, let’s say you include organic butter in to your diet on a regular basis, coupled with a proper fitness program. In 8 to 12 weeks you would have increased thyroid function by 3 %, that would pack a whopping 18% increase in metabolism! Butter is definitely a must have in your kitchen fridge.

2) Butter and short chain fatty acids

The main fat in butter is called butyric acid. Butyric acid is a short chain fatty acid. This is due to it only having 4 carbon atoms on the fatty acid chain, compared to other fatty acids that have up to 24 carbon atoms on the fatty acid chain. Short chain fatty acids are easy to digest and the body mainly uses these fatty acids for energy. Butyric acid also helps feed the good bacteria in the gut, which will keep the colon healthy long term. So if you’re a newbie to fat loss programming, butter is a great food to include in the diet when someone is limiting carbohydrate intake as the body will use short chain fatty acids for energy.

3) Buy butter organic!!!

One thing I learnt from Mr. Charles Poliqiuin is that if there are 2 foods you should by organic, it’s coffee and butter. Why is this? Well believe it or not coffee and butter are some of the healthiest things you can include in your lifestyle! However, when purchased non-organic, they are loaded with harmful pesticides that will negatively impact your health. So when you can, by your butter organic. It even tastes better (in my opinion).

4) Melt butter over vegetables to maximize nutrient uptake

Melting butter over your vegetables is a great way to maximize nutrient absorption. Plant based foods contain vitamins & minerals. The catch is that some of these vitamins and minerals have different absorption pathways in the body. For example vitamins A D E & K are what you call fat soluble vitamins, meaning they only absorb in the presence of fat, unlike vitamin C which is water soluble, meaning it will absorb in the presence of water. So if you’re not including fats such as butter in your meal (or maybe some fresh olive oil) you are not maximizing nutrient uptake!

5) Include butter or other smart fats in your meal to lower glycemic index

Eating a high carbohydrate meal? Well make sure to include butter or other healthy fats in your meal such as fresh olive oil, omega 3’s, avocado, and some nuts (not all at once!) Including smart fats with your food will slow down the G.I (how fast a food converts into glucose in the blood) as well as the insulin index (how much insulin is released by the pancreas) which in return will minimize blood sugar crash and prevent unwanted fat storage.

So by now I think we should all know that butter is not the enemy, butter is a nourishing food that will aid in fat loss and provide some much needed nutrition. If you don’t have organic butter, go out and bye some now!  

“Saturated fats are bad and excess consumption will lead to heart disease.” This label has been super glued to almost every type of saturated fat out there. As a teenager I can clearly remember the growing epidemic in heart and cardiovascular disease, not to mention there were several people close to my family and I that suffered from heart problems. So who was to blame? Or should I say, what food was to blame? The media and so called health authorities immediately pointed the finger at saturated fats, labeling them as being the culprit; limiting saturated fats and increasing consumption of vegetable oils was a common nutritional goal that was recommended, but little did people know that increasing consumption of hydrogenated vegetable oils was one of the worst things to do!

This article is not about distilling down saturated fats and explaining why they are good, I know saturated fats are good! In fact without saturated fats we would pretty much degenerate and die. Why? Because saturated fats have many different pathways and functions in the body, but one of the main things they do is provide protection for our cell membranes (in English) they are a basic structure for our cells. Without them, where in big trouble. But what am I’m going to (in brief) reveal, is a super saturated fat, one that provides protection, nourishment, energy, and fat loss all in one super food, coconut oil.

The book The Coconut Oil Miracle is written by Bruce Fife C.N, N.D. Its short and a fantastic read that exposes the many truths about saturated fat, and the secret healing powers coconut oil provides for the body. For anyone who enjoys a good read and wants to update their knowledge on healing foods, The Coconut Oil Miracle is one for the bookshelf. Bruce Fife also explains well the history of how saturated fats became labeled as a terrorist food and the dark secrets of the American soy bean association and their carefully orchestrated plan to flood the western markets with hydrogenated soy bean & vegetable oils. To me, this book just cemented even more the corruption of Western society and how the food and medical industry is driven by money not nourishment.

Here is a bundle of superpowers coconut oil provides for the body that I learnt from this book:

• reduces risk of atherosclerosis & heart decease

• reduces risk of cancer

• helps prevent bacterial, viral, and fungal (including yeast) infections

• supports immune system function

• helps control blood sugar and diabetes

• provides and immediate source of energy

• improves digestion

• supplies important nutrients necessary for good health

• stimulates metabolism

• helps prevent premature aging and wrinkling of the skin

• functions as a protective antioxidant

• helps prevent osteoporosis

And much more……..

I highly recommend The Coconut Oil Miracle, read it today!  Grab a copy by clicking here.

Today we have a guest post by Malisa Celeste from Tonic Superfoods, where she shares with us some information about her favourite supplement, L-Glutamine.  Malisa is a nutritional medicine student and health blogger.  Over the past three years, Malisa’s focus has been on healthy living, whilst immersing her self with nutritional supplementation and superfoods.  You can read more about Malisa’s views on nutrition over at Tonic Superfoods.

These days, it’s a normal occurrence for me to pull a pill box out of my bag when I sit down for lunch or dinner with friends.  Friends that haven’t seen this phenomenon before are often quite surprised, questioning what on earth I am doing?  These are my supplements, I take various things throughout the course of the day to assist in a whole host of things including, general health, muscle growth, recovery and hormonal balance.

Is supplementation necessary if you eat a clean, healthy, organic diet?

Yes, the reason behind this is the modern world.  In a perfect situation, or a perfect world, if I were to eat a clean diet consisting of good quality organic fruit and vegetables, grass-fed meat and a good source of fats; I wouldn’t need supplementation.  However, in this modern, manufactured world that we live in, the food isn’t as nutrient dense as nature initially intended it to be.

The focus in the food industry has shifted to ensure that supply and demand is met with profit; as such the farmers and manufacturers have turned to mass production, including genetic modification and growth accelerants to produce large quantities of ‘good looking’ fruit, vegetables and cattle.  With these unnatural changes the nutrient value of our foods have been compromised.  Even if we choose organic, the soils in our modern world is not as nutrient dense, and although organic products are free from nasty toxins and pesticides, they still do not offer the same nutritional benefit as products grown in years gone by.

Smart supplementation allows the body to receive the missing nutrients that we were once able to get from our foods; not only that, it also assists in correcting the balance & normalize hormonal function that has been disrupted due to the nutrient deficiency.  What is even more exciting, by assisting your body to get the nutrients it is missing, it also helps the body to be able to more readily absorb the nutrients offered from food.

What is my favourite supplement?

Without a doubt, I would answer L-Glutamine. There are so many benefits to taking this super supplement, so today I’m going to explain a little bit about this super supplement and share some of its benefits with you!

L-Glutamine is an amino acid, in fact it’s the most abundant amino acid in your blood and muscle tissue.  It is used by the body as a source of energy and is essential for intestinal, immune and muscle function.

The body manufactures it’s own, however glutamine rich foods include; beef, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, raw parsley and raw spinach.

Immune Repair

When the body is challenged or compromised with infection or injury, your immune cells start to divide in an attempt to concur what is challenging your body.  Often fighting off a virus, infection or injury will add stress to the body, increasing cortisol levels.  Supplementation with glutamine, will support the division of immune cells, assisting in managing stress and keeping your immune defense strong.

Further to this, glutamine provides support to the lining of the intestinal tract.  In fact, glutamine is critical for the maintenance of proper gut metabolism.  Poor gut health can cause fatigue, IBS and inflammation within the body.  By supplementing with glutamine, you can ensure gut health is optimal and assist in repair of the cells lining the intestinal tract.

Brain Food

Glutamine, Glutamate and GABA are all neurotransmitters, which means they are chemical messengers in the brain.  GABA is the neurotransmitter that calms, Glutamate stimulates, whilst Glutamine regulates the two ensuring balance.  Glutamine provides energy to the nervous system and if the brain is not receiving enough glucose to function, it will compensate by increasing glutamine metabolism for energy.  Regular supplementation with glutamine will assist in focus, concentration, memory, mood, alertness and performance!

Muscle Growth and Weight Loss

For anyone that is serious about their training, L-Glutamine is a must.  Weight training produces a catabolic effect on the body, whilst supplementing with Glutamine ensures that growth hormone levels remain high, which combats the catabolic effect allowing muscles to grow and develop.

Muscle growth is important for metabolism & weight loss, I’ve written previously about how increased muscle mass assists in increasing your metabolic rate (ability to burn calories). Muscle growth also plays an important factor in immune health, with lean muscle mass being important for a healthy immune system.

Blood Sugar

Glutamine assists in stabilizing blood sugar (yep… I told you it was a super supplement!).  When blood sugar is low, glutamine suppresses insulin, stopping the further decline of sugar levels within the body.  It also stimulates glycogen to be released, helping to increase blood sugar to a more normal level.  Furthermore, as glutamine is a ‘glycogenic’ amino acid, it has the ability to convert to sugar for energy production.

Regular consumption of glutamine assists in decreasing cravings of sugar and alcohol, which can assist in weight management.

I consume glutamine daily; upon rising on an empty stomach, directly after a workout and in the evening just before bed.