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A woman asked me last week why she wasn’t making any progress on her fat loss and weight loss…..after asking her a few questions, I found two main problems with her fitness program…..

1) she wasn’t eating right and 2) she was working out TOO LONG (2 hours per workout) and TOO SLOW (workout included 1 hour of machine cardio)!

I don’t know who has time to workout for 2 hours….alot of you have this mindset: longer workouts are better…..this couldn’t be further from the truth….

The truth is that no weight training workout (including bodyweight training) needs to exceed 50 minutes….and interval cardio workouts should be about 20 minutes….shorter, more intense workouts will give you more calorie-burn, more fat-burn, more weight loss and fewer repetitive stress injuries! And, you will have more time to do the things you want to do in life.

One more tip: You don’t need to workout everyday……5-6 days of working out is enough! Some weeks, you might need 2 days off…..listen to your body!

Workout smarter and harder, not longer!

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Remember those “bookend workouts” you were going to do on Saturday and Monday? I know you did your Saturday workout, so here’s a good fat-burning workout for today…

1. Bodyweight Y Squats, 15 repetitions, moderate pace
2. Pullups, 8-10 repetitions, moderate pace
3. Pushups, 15 repetitions, moderate pace
4. Dumbbell Step Ups, 10 each leg, moderate pace
5. Medicine Ball Diagonal Chops, 10 each side, Fast
6. Plank, 15 second hold, 12 repetitions
7. Bodyweight Side Lunges, 10 each leg, moderate pace
8. Rest 2-3 minutes and repeat circuit

Do this circuit 3 times. Try not to rest between exercises. I did this workout on Saturday and I will do a variation of it today.

Happy fat-burning!

“Get the permanent fat loss and weight loss results you want with My Fitness Hut’s Fat Blaster Athletic Training System!”

Need more exercise and nutrition tips? Subscribe to my weekly Fat Blaster eNewsletter and get the FREE Special Report: “10 ‘Must Know’ Fat Loss Tips,” and FREE 4-week Fat Blaster Workout Book!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health field! Afterall, health is number one for everybody—including athletes!

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

We’re about 3 weeks into the New Year and I have seen the following fitness trends in the gyms so far:

1. Some of you are still doing the same poorly designed workouts and getting the same “little or no success results” from your workouts. You’re still throwing your money away at these gyms.

2. Then, there are those who have decided to follow a workout program they found in a fitness magazine…..this is better than you trying to figure it all out on your own but a program found in a magazine is not individualized for your specific fat loss needs and goals.

3. There’s a group of you who have already given up the fight to get fit because you are overwhelmed…..you don’t believe you can really get a “leaned out” body.

4. Some still think they can eat like they always have and just workout longer and harder. The only problem with this tactic is that it does no good to burn 500 calories during a workout and later eat 900 calories of bad food.

5. Some are still wasting money on pills, patches, creams and fat-burner supplements……its the workouts and good nutrition that will get you fit!

6. There’s still a group of you who haven’t figured out that it takes hard, smart workouts to get fit……you need to learn how to workout hard.

7. And, some have gym memberships they still aren’t using.

Whatever the case, it doesn’t have to be that way……don’t underestimate the value of well-designed fitness program put together by a certified personal trainer. It makes all the difference because you get direction, feedback and encouragement from a trainer who is fit and knows what it takes to get fit and stay fit.

Need more exercise and nutrition tips? Subscribe to my weekly Fat Blaster eNewsletter and get the FREE Special Report: “10 ‘Must Know’ Fat Loss Tips,” and FREE 4-week Fat Blaster Workout Book!

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I have talked about the added benefit of doing as many exercises in a standing position as you can….

A “stand up” exercise will give you more strength benefits. Example: work your hip abductors standing up instead of sitting on that machine. Your core will also get more work when you do an exercise standing up…..and, you will burn more fat and calories.

Well, research proves that when you sit, your fat-burning enzymes basically shut down….when you stand during the day, those fat-burning enzymes go to work for you! If you have a sit-down job, try to stand as much as you can during the day and take walking breaks and lunches to activate those fat-burning enzymes! Any activity is good to go along with your regular workouts…..those burned calories add up!

So, walk or bike when you have that option instead of always hopping in the car to go places….before you know it, most of your day will be active!

Bonus Tip: Brace your torso during the day as you sit, stand and walk and your abs will get extra work also! Bracing would be like “getting ready to take a punch in the gut!”

Need more exercise and nutrition tips? Subscribe to my weekly Fat Blaster eNewsletter and get the FREE Special Report: “10 ‘Must Know’ Fat Loss Tips,” and FREE 4-week Fat Blaster Workout Book!

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I was reading this article today about a fad diet “Lose 18 Pounds In 4 Days”…..that’s just nuts and if you fall for that you will be sick and maybe hospitalized!

I have said this before so here it is again…..losing weight and burning fat is not the most important thing in your life (it improves the quality of your life)……television commercials try to make you feel that way because they are trying to sell you their quick weight loss program! Don’t buy in! These programs almost always lead you to yo-yo dieting and even more weight gain and frustration…

I have been writing all week about doing fitness the right way…..this method takes more time but the results will always be you have a “lean and toned” body—–PERMANENTLY IF YOU KEEP EXERCISING! So, slow down and do fitness right!

It is safe to lose about 2 pounds per week (on average) as a part of your exercise program. At the beginning of your program, you might lose more weight and then level off in later weeks. So, if you want to lose 30 pounds the right way, then expect it to take about 15 weeks. Your genetic makeup and adherence to your nutrition plan are two factors that could increase/decrease this time frame.

What is the right way to exercise? A combination of interval cardio exercise (3-4 days a week) and resistance training (at least 3 days a week) is a proven effective permanent fat loss/weight loss duo. Resistance training will cause the majority of your weight loss to be fat-mass loss (increasing lean mass at the same time) and it will also speed up your metabolism.

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Keeping track of things helps you see where you have been and what you need to change……doing things haphazardly will give you haphazard results…..this definitely applies to what we eat, how much we eat, why we eat and when we eat. SO, START THE NEW YEAR OUT RIGHT BY WRITING DOWN WHAT YOU EAT IN A FOOD JOURNAL……some of you already journal what you do on a daily basis so just add food to your journaling!

Research has proven that you will have a better chance of succeeding with your meal plan and fat loss if you keep a food journal! By logging your actual food choices, you are holding yourself accountable throughout the day. You will also be forced to plan your meals better. It will also help protect you from binge eating and emotional eating if you write down why you eat what you eat!

Don’t underestimate this important step!

Need more exercise and nutrition tips? Subscribe to my weekly Fat Blaster eNewsletter and get the FREE Special Report: “10 ‘Must Know’ Fat Loss Tips,” and FREE 4-week Fat Blaster Workout Book!

Check out my other great blogs:

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Many of you are pretty much on vacation after today so here’s a few tips to navigate through the “food minefield” until January! I always say, “don’t skip your workouts!” If you skip too many workouts, your “downslide” starts to happen fast and the weight can pile on in a hurry! Don’t let a good year of workouts “go to pot” during this 2 week holiday stretch! You can easily put on 20 pounds if you’re not careful…..or, you could maintain the weight loss and fat loss you’ve worked so hard to attain. Good workouts can cover alot of eating mishaps!

You might need to be creative but there are many things you can do to keep yourself fit during the next 2 weeks:

1. First, keep your normal workout schedule as much as possible. There’s no substitute for doing your workouts.

2. Take advantage of every opportunity to walk instead of ride. This one tip should be used all the time. It makes a huge difference in your fitness. When I used to work on The University of Texas campus, it was not unusual for me to walk up to 2 hours in a day going to different departments….and, there are alot of hills here, so that made the exercise that much better. I didn’t think of it as exercise until I stopped working on campus. I soon realized that I had to take more time for “exercise”…..walk, walk, walk every chance you get.

3. Walk for 30 minutes after meals….another great tip to practice year-round.

4. Bike instead of driving your car. See numbers #2 and #3.

5. Exergaming works just fine. Wii fit games are fun and you can go on for hours without realizing how much time you can spend on these games. I’m sure you know someone with a Wii console!

6. Stick to your normal nutrition plan as much as possible during this 2 week Christmas-New Year’s stretch.

7. You have heard this before: alcohol has calories too—7 calories per gram to be exact. Don’t tank it too much!

8. Don’t spend all of your time eating! Walk around the mall for a couple of hours, walk the pets everyday, play flag football, rake all those leaves in your yard, etc.

9. Drink lots of water and unsweetened tea. No sugary drinks! Sample desserts instead of eating first and second helpings.

Do you need help with meal planning? Don’t wait until January to do something about your eating habits! Start taking steps now!

Take advantage of a FREE Nutrition Assessment and FREE 7-Day Meal Plan to help you reach your fitness goals!

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If you’re frustrated with having “no progress” lately in your weight loss or fat loss, then you’re not alone! Usually, its easier to lose weight at the beginning of your exercise program. This is especially true if you are, let’s say, 100 pounds overweight. At this point, your metabolism is “running high” because of the excess weight. And, if you have not been active, your body will respond quickly to any new exercise activity.

As time moves on you have to make frequent changes to your exercise routine or your body will adapt. That’s when your progress begins to stall. There are alot of things you can do to change up your routine such as choosing different exercises. You can change up exercises every workout if you want (but not necessary).

One of the best ways to break through your weight loss/fat loss plateau is to “ramp up” the intensity of your workouts. My observations of people working out is that many just simply don’t “go hard enough” during their workouts! Changing your body composition (more muscle, less fat) take hard, smart work! Some people are flat out lazy but many just don’t know what they should be doing.

What to do? Here is one pointer (I’ll cover others in the article series):

Get off the cardio machines. They do too much of the work for you. When you have a choice, do your cardio “on land”—either outside or on the floor. My number one preference for cardio is sprint intervals on grass or uphill. Because of my athletic background, I enjoy this type of cardio (enjoyment is very important). I also prefer to exercise outside mainly because I grew up in New Mexico where the sun usually shines 95% of the time.

There are many other choices for doing cardio “on land” such as bodyweight cardio (examples: mountain climbers, burpees, leg circuits, etc.), jump rope, butt kickers (running in place). The key here is to speed up and shorten your cardio work to about 20 minutes. Research and my experience has proven that this type of cardio work is one of the best ways to tone up your body.

Note: Do this type of cardio no more than 3 days a week to prevent breakdown and injury.

Train hard and smarter to reach your fitness goals!

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If this ingredient is one of the first 2 or 3 items listed on the food packaging then don’t eat that food! What ingredient you ask? High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). This ingredient is found in alot of sweet foods and sugary drinks.

Whoever came up with high-fructose corn syrup in the ’80s pretty much made a “deal with the devil.” Its cheaper for food manufacturers than regular sugar (sucrose) so that’s why you see it so much on food labels. Sugary drinks, baked goods, frozen foods and even foods like ketchup are laced with this stuff. Nutritionists point to high-fructose corn syrup consumption as a major player in the nation’s obesity crisis (the fact that we eat it is the real problem).

Why is high-fructose corn syrup so deadly? Here it is: the body processes the fructose in high-fructose corn syrup differently than it does regular sugar. It also lowers the hormone leptin in your body. Leptin signals to your brain that you’re full. It also forces the liver to kick more fat out into the bloodstream (especially true with sugary drinks because they are processed so fast)! So, your body wants more and stores more fat at the same time.

A 12-ounce can of soda has as much as 13 teaspoons of sugar in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. That’s deadly poison!

Okay gang, there it is! You know the answer to the problem….stop eating foods and drinking drinks with sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, etc. Eat foods that are naturally sweet like fruit and drink mainly water, unsweetened tea, etc. Food manufacturers are not going to stop using this stuff because its cheaper than regular sugar. But, you don’t have to eat it and drink it! High-fructose corn syrup consumption will destroy your meal plan fast and put fat on your gut!

Train hard and eat smarter to reach your fitness goals!

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Okay, let’s look at some strength exercises…I’m not going to cover body types here…again, if you want that information, just subscribe to my Fat Blaster eNewsletter and you will get a free copy of “Her Fitness Hut’s Fat Blaster Guide For Women.” Your body type does matter when it comes to sculpting your body, especially your lower body. Two people following the same program can get different results.

As with any strength training, you need to train your lower body in all 3 planes of motion to insure balance and maximum toning. You definitely want your butt, hips, thighs and overall legs to look good in 3-D space!

As for strength training? You can’t leave out squats! Do your squats—bodyweight squats, dumbbell squats, barbell squats, split squats, lateral squats, one-legged squats, etc. Mix it up but do them. The benefits of the squat exercise extend beyond your legs. The same can be said for deadlifts (traditional, stiff-legged or other variations). Other top glute/hip/leg exercises are:

1) Step ups (front, side, transverse)
2) Lunges (front, side, transverse)
3) Standing cable or ankle weight hip abductors/leg adductors
4) Standing cable or ankle weight leg kickbacks
5) Various jump training exercises, such as box jumps and squat jumps
6) Good mornings
7) Glute/Hamstring Drops
Standing, prone or floor hip extensions
9) Floor lateral thigh raises
10) Glute bridges and marching glute bridges

If these exercises become easy for you, then increase resistance or intensity (such as full speed power versions of some of these exercises).

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