Guest Post from Jon Benson: 5 Surprising Things That Make You Leaner

Today I have a guest post from one of the great trainers out there, Jon Benson. I've used a bunch of Jon's programs including his 7 Minute Muscle.

Since the goal of this blog is to help get me below ten percent body fat so I can finally see my 6 pack abs, I've asked Jon to talk about what you should and should not be eating. After all, what you eat is attributable to at least 80% of your success in getting ripped, lean and finally finding that six pack!!

[ Editor's Note: Fitness author Jon Benson shared this letter with me and gave me permission to share it with you. ]

5 Surprising Things That Make You Leaner

Want to be leaner?

Good deal... here's 5 tips that will help you along...

TIP 1 - Ditch The Starch

Starches, such as rice, potatoes, some veggies, oats, etc. are often considered "health foods."
While they can be healthy, they can also pack on stomach bodyfat like crazy if you overdo them.
As you may know, my "Every Other Day Diet" System (EODD) actually encourages you to eat starches and even sweets several days a week to get rid of excess weight:

Every Other Day Diet <-- click.

( Some of you may see a survey here on how best to help with your bodyweight goals. )

Well... how does EODD work?

Simple: Timing is everything.

And we take a "weekly" approach to foods rather than a daily approach. This keeps your metabolism guessing. As Mike has stated before, your body adapts rather quickly. So if your body cannot figure out what you're up to, fatburning is that much more powerful. And you can get by with eating starches... at least a specific times on specific days.

But if you're not going to do EODD, then you'll have to wing it. And the best way to wing it is to simply cut starches out entirely for 4-8 weeks. Then slowly add them back a few days per week.
This is no where near as effective (or as fun) as the EODD method, but it will get you pointed in the right direction.

TIP 2 - Can The Sodas

This one is really hard for me. I've been hooked on diet-soda on and off for years. When I go to get into top shape (like I am now) I have to get rid of the diet-sodas... yes, DIET-sodas. Need I say "real" sodas too? They are loaded with sugar.

Why diet-sodas? A recent study revealed that people who drank diet-sodas actually increased bodyfat when compared to those who drank sugar-sodas. What the... ??

Yep. Your body cannot be fooled by aspartame and chemicals. Sorry, but that's the truth. Which is why Mike always preaches the importance of eating all natural foods whenever possible!!

Here's a personal story: When I cut out the diet-sodas my bodyfat drops like a rock in a pond of clear water.

And that's what you need to be drinking: A quart of pure water per 50 lbs of bodyweight a day.
I mix it with lemon and a bit of Stevia (an herbal sweetener) and make lemonade. It's wonderful!

TIP 3 - Stay Hungry

Arnold's first movie was "Stay Hungry" (well, after "Pumping Iron" that is). You cannot rest on your butt and stay hungry. You cannot think you've "arrived" and stay hungry.

It takes a special person to be hungry... and an even greater one to stay that way.

I want you to stay hungry in two ways: In how you workout and literally... stay a bit hungry before you go to bed. Not "starving"... just a bit hungry.

For your workouts, I have a great solution. If you pick up EODD you'll get a limited shot at "7 Minute Body"... my combination of "7 Minute Muscle" and "The 7 Minute In-Home Workout" in one book... and for more than half off... but that's a very limited deal. Gotta have EODD... you'll need them both...Why? Because as Mike stated above, 80% of your success is tied to your diet, but you still need to be successful with the other 20% so that is why I am offer you this deal.

Every Other Day Diet <-- click. ( Some of you may see a survey here on how best to help with your bodyweight goals. )

You see, progression -- "forced" progression -- is the best way to stay hungry. 7 Minute Body forces you to progress without thinking about it. Progression is built into the System.
As far as staying hungry at night? Check with your doctor and if he/she okays it take 500mg of potassium and 1000mg of magnesium/calcium a few hours prior to bed. This helps with the hunger pangs. Also, keep hard-boiled eggs in the fridge. If you get really hungry, eat one with half the yolk (toss the other half.) It keeps me full for an hour at least.

TIP 4 - Cardio Clarity

Hours and hours of cardio a day is not the answer. However, you can do "light" cardio (i.e. brisk walking, or riding the bike at 60% of your max) just to burn off calories. That's okay... and personally I don't find it that boring if I'm watching a TV show. Mike gets his "light" cardio in by taking long walks with his wife, son and dog! It does not interfere with my main fatloss exercise (weight training... YES!) and it burns off about 400 calories an hour.

What does work is early morning fasting cardio... but you only need 9-15 minutes. I explain the GXP Protocol (Modified) in the 7 Minute Body book, available only if you pick up EODD, and you can get it at more than half off:

Every Other Day Diet <-- click. ( Some of you may see a survey here on how best to help with your bodyweight goals. )

TIP 5 - Get Raw At Night

Raw veggies with your last meal and as a snack will really help your fatburning along. I started with red peppers because they're sweet. Now I eat virtually every veggie raw at night without thinking about it. Give this a shot. The fatloss is well worth it.

----> Note From Mike:

Jon is still giving away "Radical Fatloss Blueprint" along with EODD for a few more days. I used the Radical Fatloss Blueprint along with Turbulence Training during TC5 and saw my body fat really drop to all time lows! He is giving a lucky few the chance to pick up the Supplement-Kit that comes with Radical Fatloss for almost 100 bucks off... the video and details are here:

Every Other Day Diet <-- click.

TC6 Entry!

I'm a little bit behind with this post! I started the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest 6 last Wed.

My goal to gain some lean mass paid off during the off time, but I also gained some unwanted fat too! Actually I gained a lot of unwanted fat, but I think it was a good lesson learned. Even though I wanted to gain lean mass, it does not mean that you can eat anything.

I think I took my muscle gain mindset and tricked myself into thinking that I could eat whatever I wanted. I was wrong.

Anyway, here are my picutures and starting stats for Turbulence Training TC6.


Date Started: Wed Sept 16, 2009

Weight: 199lbs
Waist (Belly Button): 34''
Neck: 15.25''
Bi: 13.25''
Bi Flexed: 15.25
Thigh: 22''

I Made the Turbulence Training Tranformation Contest Finals!!

My hard work has really paid off this year. First, I'm seeing great results in the mirror in my quest to get ripped and see my six pack abs! Second, Craig Ballantyne from Turbulence Training has picked me for a finalist for the Transformation Contest 5!!

So now I'm asking you to vote for me (okay, I'm begging you!!).

Just click this link:

Transformation Contest 5

Then click the 'Vote for Men' link to see the male contestants. I'm the second good looking guy down. Please vote for me!!

Here's what I looked like when I started Turbulence Training on December 28, 2008:

And here's how far I've come!! 31lbs lost this year with Turbulence Training!! My before and after for the Transformation Contest 5:

Pretty nice results huh?? I'm still planning to keep going so I can get my body fat down below 10%, which will get me ripped 6 pack abs!! My wife, Allison, is so impressed with my results that she will be joining the next contest with me. She believes that she will be able to get her pre-pregnancy body back! I personally believe her body will look better than it did before baby if she sticks with Turbulence Training. (Yes, I will have pictures and blog updates following her progress.)

So if you want to see some dramatic results and have a chance to win $1,000, I suggest you join the next Transformation Contest. Click her to sign up for Turbulence Trainings Transformation Contest 6! Believe me, its the best $40 that you can invest in yourself!!

Get the body of a NFL receiver without the Meat!!

I don't know about you, but I love this time of year!! Its the end of summer and NFL football starts in a couple of weeks. I'm really excited for my fantasy football drafts next week.

Have you ever seen the body of a NFL wide receiver of corner back?? These guys represent what a body should look like! They are cut and muscular. Check out Terrell Owens.

The reason they look so good is because their workouts are perfect for burning fat and building lean muscle. They are constantly doing some form of HIIT from all of the sprinting and are in the weight room multiple times per week. Turbulence Training is a great example of this type of workout for the everyday Joe!

But what about their diets?!? They must eat plenty of lean meats and protein powders, right? I'm sure some of these great athletes do, but there is one future Hall of Famer who does not eat any meat at all. In fact he's a vegan!! Meet the Atlanta Falcon's tight end Tony Gonzalez.

After a bout with Bell's Palsy, a temporary facial paralysis, Tony decided to become a vegan because he believed meat led to more chronic illnesses than a plant based diet. After losing 10lbs and some strength, Tony sought out help for his new diet.

Tony learned how to incorporate fish oils, protein, nuts and whole wheat into his diet. He eventually went on to regain his weight and strength. Having been traded to the Atlanta Falcons this year, Tony is taking his vegan diet to his new team and expecting big things to come this year!

Although I do not follow a veggie lifestyle, I do enjoy 5-6 vegetarian meals a week. I use Kardena Pauza's Veggie Meal Plan's. These meal plans not only have great meals, but smoothies that will help you get your vegetable requirements in for a day. I usually have a smoothie with strawberries and throw in some spinach. The great thing is you can't taste the spinach, but are still getting the nutrients from it!!

Here's the link to the original NY Times article detailing Tony's experience:

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB120122116182915297-lMyQjAxMDI5MDExNzIxMjcxWj.html

Reaction to Time's "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin"

If you have not read Time's article "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin," the link is at the bottom of this post.

First, let me say I'm not a scientist nor do I have a degree in exercise physiology or nutrition. BUT I do think I have learned a lot this year in my quest for six pack abs (31lbs lost and kept off so far this year!!)

But I doubt the author, John Cloud, has a lot of experience in nutrition or exercise (I tried to Google his background and was unable to confirm this). This article seems like he he found a bunch of studies that supported his argument and he threw them in his story.

Eat Junk and Exercise and You Will Get Fat!

John states that when he exercises he tends to get more hungry than on days when he does not exercise. Thank you Captain Obvious!! Of course you will be more hungry after you exercise because you have just expended more calories than normal.

I could actually agrue against that statement too. I would say a majority of the time after my workouts I am not hungry at all.

The key to not gaining weight is what you decide to put in your body, whether you work out or not. Mr. Cloud talks of consuming fast food and Starbucks after workouts. Well of course you will gain weight by eating that crap (pardon my French) after your workouts.

The key to losing weight is your diet. You need to eat healthy wholesome foods. The one rule that I learned from Craig at Turbulence Training is that you should try to avoid eating "anything out of a box or a bag." Chances are if you are eating out of a box or a bag then it is all processed and not very healthy.

So how do you eat healthy? Start with small changes and remember this should be a lifestyle not a crash diet.

You CAN'T out train a bad diet!!

Willpower

As for Mr. Cloud's study on willpower from Psychological Bulletin. I say BullSh!t!!! Before I started my weight lost crusade earlier this year I would eat every couple of hours (not even close to healthy meals). Heck, they knew me by name at the Wendy's drive through. Sure willpower does not just happen right away, but it can be learned. I manage to fight my cravings all of the time. The key is to have healthy substitutes when you do get a craving.

My 'willpower' is so strong now that I follow Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat and fast up to 2 days a week. Its really not that hard and you'd be amazed how clear your head is and how much better you sleep when you fast!

What Type of Exercise?

I would like to know what type of exercise Mr. Cloud is talking about. From reading the article I think he is talking about cardio. I did not see him mention resistance training or high intensity intervals (HIIT).

The problem with Mr. Cloud's exercise is that it seems to me is he doing long boring cardio. While he is doing this type of exercise he is just burning calories while exercising.

When someone performs a resistance training workout with HIIT (Turbulence Training is a perfect example), not only do they burn calories during their workout, but they continue to burn calories after their workout!! (Get your free report on the dark side of cardio.)

Conclusion

I may not have any studies on hand to back up my counter-argument to this article, but I do have my mirror. Since I have lost 31lbs this year, my exercise activity has gone up! That is all of the facts I need. In fact, when I reach my goal of ripped six pack abs later this year, I may send Mr. Cloud a picture and ask him how he feels!

Exercising more will not make you fat, eating more will!! Its simple math, if calories consumed is less than calories expended, then you will lose weight!!

Eat Less and exercise with resistance training and HIIT!!

Here's the link to the full Time article. After reading please leave me your comments:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857-1,00.html

6 Pack Abs Call with Vince and Scott!!

After the Transformation Contest #5, I decided to take a week and a half off from the gym and working out, just to rest my body (you should always take 1 week off for 12 straight weeks of work). Since today is my last day off before I go back to my workouts, I decided to join a conference call that discussed how to get ripped six pack abs.



The call was hosted by Vince Delmonte and Scott Colby, both experts in the fitness industry. Vince has 2 great programs: "No Nonsense Muscle Building" and "Your Six Pack Quest." Scott has a new product called "My First Six Pack."


I have been receiving Vince's emails for a while now, so when he said they were offering a free conference about how to lose fat and get six pack abs, I was in!! I am actually planning on buying Vince's products after I am done with Turbulence Training this year.


I have never heard of Scott before, but since Vince was recommending him, I was sure he'd be very knowledgeable.


The call was great, I reaffirmed some things I already knew and also learned a lot. Its great to see how Scott's advice is very similar to Turbulence Training.


Since the call was about getting 6 pack abs, the call was based on fat loss.


Scott said that he never does ab specific exercises like crunches, but instead does high intensity full body workouts (Sound similar to Turbulence Training??). Scott also believes in doing compound exercises to make sure he hits his abs. One of Scott's favorite compound exercises that really hits the abs hard is an overhead squat. This is a basic squat with either a barbell or DB's held straight over your head. It's a lot harder than it sounds, try it!!


Scott's workout sessions are very high in intensity and thus pretty short. 3 days a week he will workout almost in a boot camp like method. He keeps on moving to keep the intensity high so there is no need for long boring cardio.


On the other 3 days of the week (Scott takes one day off during the week), he does HIIT. Scott says he primarily does sprints but like to also use swimming, jumping rope and burpees.


Like Craig from Turbulence Training, Scott also believes in eating an all natural diet. He suggests that instead of relying on the front of a package, to instead read all of the ingredients. If there are a bunch of ingredients, and you can not pronounce most of them, then you do not want to eat it!!


Scott also suggested that in order to get enough fruits and veggies, to have fruit smoothies with some spinach thrown in (Veggie Meal plan anyone? lol)


During the call I managed to get a question in that I think a lot of people wonder about:


"How do you lose the last 10-15lbs of fat to get down below 10% body fat so you can see your 6 pack?"


Scott said it usually comes down to tweaking something small with your diet. He suggested to stop using or cut down on processed carbs. For whole wheat bread, he suggested to check the ingredients because it could be processed. Instead, he suggested Ezekiel Bread, which is all natural. He also suggested instead of whole wheat bread to substitute sweet potatoes and oatmeal for your carbs.


Scott says when he is trying to cut fat, he only has those types of carbs 2 days out of the week.


Vince reminded me that fat is stored energy and just like the fat that I have lost, it will take time to burn. He said patience is key when trying to lose the last 10lbs.


Vince also suggested that you cut all protein shakes and eat normal whole foods because the thermogenics is higher. He also emphasized not to under estimate the little things, especially in your diet!

PS. Scott also is offering his new product My First Six Pack, which is a 16 week coaching product. Scott will coach you week by week to make sure that you are getting the proper info about your diet and exercise in order to see your six pack abs.

Transformation Contest #5 Results!!

I officially finished the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest #5 last Monday. I managed to drop another 12lbs during these 12 weeks and really am showing a lot of definition now! So far this year I have lost 31lbs using Turbulence Training!!

I am also a lot closer to my long term goal of 10% body fat and ripped 6 pack abs!!

Check out my pictures, stats and final essay:

------------------------194lbs --------------------------182lbs!!






Stats:

Day 1 – May 11, 2009

• Height: 5’10’’
• Weight 194
• Waist 34''
• Neck 15.75''
• Biceps 14''
• Bi's Flexed 15.5''
• Thighs 22''

Day 84 - August 2, 2009

• Weight 182lbs
• Waist 32.5''
• Neck 15.25''
• Biceps 13''
• Bi's Flexed 15''
• Thighs 22''

Change

• Weight minus 12lbs!!
• Waist minus .5''
• Neck minus .75''
• Biceps minus 1''
• Bi's Flexed minus .5''
• Thighs minus 1.5''

Essay:

Essay Just in case my pictures do not do enough justice, let me put it into words how much Turbulence Training has changed my life.

I enlisted myself in TC4 and saw great results. I liked the competition because it kept me accountable. After all, I don’t want to submit before and after pictures with no results. Plus Turbulence Training has become more of a lifestyle for me that I plan to use to get to my ultimate goal of body fat below 10%.

I must admit that TC5 was a lot tougher than the last contest. In TC4 the fat just fell off of me, but now that I was down to my last 10-20 pounds of fat, I knew it would not come off as easy. I was religious with my Turbulence Training workouts and even threw in some fun off day workouts which consisted of hitting the heavy bag, swimming and soccer. The best off day workouts were the long walks with my wife, newborn son and our dog.

My workout programs consisted of the Turbulence Training for Reformed Meatheads, Turbulence Training Hardcore Fat Loss and Turbulence Training for Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks. I followed Craig’s instructions for the workouts very strictly and used my watch to make sure I adhered to the 60 seconds of rest in-between sets. The great part about these workouts is that I was in and out of the gym in 45 minutes or less, or I could even do some of them from home! No long cardio is another great factor of TT. 20 minutes max on the bike or treadmill while doing HIIT cardio was great and effective!!

Now for the hard part, the diet! Actually it wasn’t hard and I wouldn’t consider it a diet either! I plan to follow this for the rest of my life. Basically, I stuck to natural, whole foods and tried to avoid anything out of a box or bag and processed sugars. My diet consists of plenty of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. I also used Brad Pilon’s Eat-Stop-Eat for the contest and fasted 1-2 days per week.

I lost 12 pounds during this contest and now weigh 182lbs. At first I was not very happy with my results, but when I went and looked back at my starting pictures I was amazed! Wow what a difference! I plan to keep on going until I can see my 6 pack abs. (Please see my other measurements above).

If I had to sum up my success during this transformation, it would be accountability and patience. To see any success you need to be accountable to yourself, especially with your diet. Patience is key because everyone expects to see a 6 pack after a couple of weeks, if not sooner. What you must remember is that it took you years to get fat, so you’re not going to get lean a couple of weeks. Remember this should be a lifestyle change, not some crash diet/exercise program.

Craig thanks again. So far in 2009, I’ve lost 32lbs using Turbulence Training!

Healthy Grilling!!

I know I've been telling you about some great vegetarian meals lately, but today I have a great burger recipe for you. This weekend my brother-in-law visited to see the baby. We had a cookout that included the usually hot dogs and hamburgers. Since I am always interested in eating healthy and only have until Monday to finish the Transformation Contest 5, I made myself some very healthy and tasty Bison burgers (I offered to make them for everyone but nobody was interested, lol).

You can use free range Bison for this recipe or 99% Fat Free ground Turkey Breast.

Bison/Turkey Burger

1lb Bison or Ground Turkey Breast
3/4 cup of finely chopped almonds
1/8 Teaspoon of Sea Salt
1/4 teaspoon of Pepper
2 chopped green onions, including tops
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley
1 tablespoon of fresh basil
Optional - 1/4 cup of whole grain bread crumbs

Mix together meat, salt, pepper, onions, egg whites, herbs and breadcrumbs. Form into patties (I usually get 4-5 patties for 1lb of meat). Coat patties with with almonds. Grill.

You can also just mix in the almonds in with the meat and herbs.

This is a great healthy recipe for summer grilling!

I promise you ONE thing...

Around the world millions of men and women just like you are wakingup to the harsh reality of factory farmed food and unsafe meat"processing plants".

(Eww, "meat processing plant" is a term that never should have beeninvented!)

And that means the food we eat - no matter what country we live in -seems to get more dangerous every year.

"But", you say, "all the nutrition books say I need to eat meat toget 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. How can I do that ifI don't have beef, chicken, and protein shakes at every meal?"

Well, the answer is easy.

In fact, Kardena Pauza, America's #1 Vegetarian and Vegan NutritionExpert put together a Done-For-Your Meal Plan System that proves you don't need all that protein...
...or all that meat.

And you can still transform your body. After all, just look at herradiant physique and complexion. And you know she's healthy on the inside, too.

Excessive protein intake is over-rated, but nutrition remains themost powerful part of any transformation program.

So if you want to transform your body while eating less factoryfarmed meat - or even while completely eliminating it - then here'swhat you must do...

First, visit Kardena's website to find out how she struggled, just like you, with the SAD Diet...
...and how she accidentally stumbled upon the Easy Veggie Lifestyleone day at a seminar.

And then compare for yourself the SAD diet vs the high protein dietvs the Easy Veggie Meal Plans:

=> Veggie Meal Plans

Once you've done that, then I want you to take advantage of Kardena'shalf-priced sale.
And I promise you ONE thing about the Easy Veggie Meal Plans:

There is NO risk for you to try out this product.

In fact, on Craig and Kardena's site you'll find a big BLUE certificate giving you a 60-day no-questions-asked, money-backguarantee.

That certificate insures you and you KNOW you are PROTECTED whenyou grab your meal plans.

=> Veggie Meal Plans

And if at any time during that 60 day period you feel that the MealPlans have not exceeded your expectations, then simply return theprogram with a single simple email. It's safe and easy.
But this is your LAST chance to get these guaranteed Meal Plansbefore the price doubles at midnight tonight.

You can't go wrong and you have my promise you'll love these meal plans.
Go here and take advantage of this incredible one-time-only offer:

=> Veggie Meal Plans

Let me know how the Veggie Meal Plans work for you,

PS - By the way, I just enjoyed another amazing vegan smoothie fromKardena's meal plans. It was heavenly.

You're going to feel amazing on these Meal Plans. Looking forward to your success.

3 Healthy Recipes for Ripped 6 Pack Abs

Shhh don't tell anyone, but I'm going to give you 3 great recipes from the Veggie Meal Plan that I have been writing about lately. I'm not about to become a full time vegetarian, but having a veggie meal is a nice change from time to time.


Here are 3 awesome recipes from Kardena Pauza's EasyVeggie Meal Plans.
Let me know what you think of them!


1) Strawberry-Mango Smoothie - 385 calories
1 cup strawberries stemmed
1/2 mango peeled
3/4 cup/6 oz Almond milk or Raw almond yogurt
4 Brazilian Nuts (Raw & Soaked)
2 tsp agave or brown rice syrup or Really Raw Honey, or 2-3 Dates
1 medium sized Cucumber
1 tsp NutriBiotic Vanilla Brown Rice Protein Powder
Add ˝ Cup Water and blend together
Optional: Dash Stevia, water, ice to taste only


Place all ingredients in a high powered blender. Add several cubes of ice if desired and blend until smooth. Continue adding ice untildesired consistency is reached. Pour into glass and garnish with mint leaf as option.

2) Breakfast Quinoa - Calories 369, Carbs 46g, Protein 15g, Fat 13g
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
2 Tbsp hemp seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or fresh made almond milk
1 Tbsp raisins
1 med fresh peachź teaspoon vanilla extract
Stevia or agave nectar to sweeten

Rinse Quinoa and combine with almond milk and water. Bring to aslow simmer, then cover and cook for about 15 minutes until the quinoa is tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients and place in food processor or blender and puree slightly. Ready to eat.


3) Portobello Mushroom Burger - 365 Calories (Craig Ballantyne'sFavorite Veggie Recipe!)
1 Portobello mushroom cap
.5 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
dash dried basil
dash dried oregano
dash minced garlic
1 oz (2 tbsp) sharp cheese or vegan cheese
1 tablespoons bottled teriyaki sauce
1 slices of Ezekiel bread
1 cup of tomato (slices)
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Place the mushroom caps, smooth side up, in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, basil, oregano, garlic,salt, and pepper. Pour over the mushrooms. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or so, turning twice. Preheat grill formedium-high heat. Brush grate with oil. Place mushrooms on the grill, reservingmarinade for basting. Grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, oruntil tender. Brush with marinade frequently. Top with cheese during the last 2 minutes of grilling.


And remember, if you don't want to, you don't have to go vegetarianeveryday, but in this day of "agri-business", "factory farming","E.coli outbreaks", and "industrial agriculture pollution", there'sa lot to be said about building a better body without meat.

Just a few of Kardena's recipes will help you transform your bodywhen added to any meal plan.

Click here for all of the meal plans and recipes at HALF-OFF:

=> Veggie Meal Plan

My Gym is keeping people FAT!! (Veggie meal plan update)

I'm about to let you in on a secret as to why I have gotten so lean (over 30lbs lost this year!) and will soon see my ripped 6 pack abs!

The secret is that I have never taken my gym up on this sign:

Okay so its not the best secret in the world, but I do not take my gym up on their offer. America has a serious obesity problem and my gym is not helping the problem!! If you want to offer free food, offer egg white omlettes in the morning and some veggies and chicken at night!

Actually, I really don't have any secrets, I have used Turbulence Training religously since January and I have really eaten a lot healthier in the time from too! I will have my Transformation Contest 5 photos up early next week!

I have an update on the new Veggie meal plans below, but I wanted to let you know I am researching meal plans that include meat. Its a lot easier to lose weight when you can follow a program. One of the hardest parts of weight loss is the correct way to eat healthy so I want to find a meal plan (with meat) that will help us do this!

Veggie Meal Plans

First let me start by saying that I purchased this meal plan and have tried a bunch of the recipes and have not had a disappointing meal yet! Some of the shakes are awesome and I would have never believed that you could have a tastey shake that included spinach in it!!

Yes, the meal plans are late and Craig sends his apologies!

But based on your feedback, Kardena has created a full, ADVANCED 90-day fat loss Veggie Meal Plan program for men AND women.

Plus, Craig begged her to go through her vegan recipe files and puttogether a "101 Vegan Recipes" cookbook as well.

You can get all of these Veggie Meal Plan resources and MORE here:

=> Veggie Meal Plans

Here's what you'll get...

Fast Action Bonus #1) The Awesome "Defend Your Diet" Coaching Call
This call between Kardena Pauza and Craig Ballantyne will help youanswer all your Veggie Meal Plan critics and avoid confrontationand peer pressure.
(I've never seen anyone do anything like this to help their readersovercome rude & insensitive people.)

Fast Action Bonus #2) The Raw Foods Smoothies Bonus
Raw Food expert, Kevin Gianni gives you 8 of his best smoothies. Ifyou're like me and love blender drinks, this bonus is going to keepyou energized and getting results with convenient, nutrient richsmoothies.

#3) The Complete Easy Vegetarian Lifestyle Book
You'll discover everything you need - from beginner to advanced -about living the Vegetarian Lifestyle and eliminating animalproducts from your meals so you can live healthier and transformyour body.

#4) The Easy Veggie Meal Plans
You'll get a 90-day meal plan (for men or women) full of vegan mealsthat will save you time and money. You'll have more energy and abetter body without tainted meat or factory farmed Frankenfoods.

These meal plans will also include alternatives for men and womenwho want to include dairy and/or eggs in their meal plans.

#5) The Quick Start Veggie Meal Plans Coaching Call
Here's everything you need to know to get started on the VeggieLifestyle, and you'll avoid "rookie mistakes" or worse, avoidfalling back into your old bad eating habits.

All that and MORE is available here:
=> Veggie Meal Plans

But hurry, the Fast Action Bonuses will only be available fromMonday to Thursday, and then they'll be removed!

Plus, Craig and Kardena have released the Easy Veggie Meal Plans ata 50% discount until Thursday, July 30th, at midnight.

But as soon as Friday morning hits, the price goes up!
So don't miss out on changing your nutrition program so that youhave more energy, better health, and the ability to transform yourbody in just weeks.

PS - That is NOT a typo.
The Veggie Meal Plans are on SALE for 3 days only AND you get the extra Fast Action Bonuses when you get started today.

Don't miss out on your last chance to change your body before theend of summer.
Let me know when you get started. Click here for your new meal plans:
=> Veggie Meal Plans

Drinking your way fat? 2 Zero Cal Alternatives to Water

During the last month of the Transformation Contest 5 (12 days left) I have really been strict with my diet. I have also been very strict with the liquids I have been drinking. I am only drinking water and 2 cups of black coffee in the morning with Stevia (a zero calorie all natural sweetener).

I have nothing against fruit juice (all natural, of course) or fat free milk, but when you are on a calorie restrictive diet, you really don't want to waste calories on liquids.

For example, 8oz of both orange and apple juice are around 110 calories. If you are on a 2,000 calorie diet, you just wasted almost 6% of your calorie allocation for the day! And that is if you only drink 8oz, which I'm sure many people drink a lot more than 8oz. Personally I would rather have those calories back and consume a lean source of protein so I feel fuller.

I was discussing my concept of wasting calories by consuming calorie filled liquids with a co-worker and she said she couldn't just drink water all day, that it is just too plain. She said she could drink diet soda though.

"NO!!" I shouted at her. Just because diet soda does not have any calories does not make it healthy. You can actually gain weight from the sodium in diet soda! It's called water retention. Sure its not fat, but most people measure their success by of the scale. If your weight goes up, you will surely be discouraged and you may be inclined to binge.

Instead of diet soda, I suggested these 2 alternatives to water:

1. Add Lemons and Limes: Cutting up a lemon or a lime and putting it into your water is a great way to give some taste to plain water. Plus there are studies that show that lemon juice helps with weight loss!

2. Green Tea: When I need a break from water I turn to Green Tea! It is one of the best zero calorie drinks out there and its antioxidants also can assist with weight loss. If you're thinking that you can't drink a hot cup of tea in the afternoon, I agree. That is why I brew a pot at a time and keep a pitcher in my fridge. Nothing is better on a hot summer afternoon than a glass of Iced Green Tea.

I hope this helps show you some ways to add a little variety and still not consume extra calories or sodium from liquids.

PS. I heard from Craig Ballantyne about the Veggie Meal Plans. He sends his apologies, but wanted me to let you know that a more advanced meal plan will be available next Monday at 12pm EST. I will provide more info once I get it!

Vegetarian Breakfast for Ripped 6 Pack Abs

Yesterday was a partial 'refeed' for me so I was allowed to have breakfast on Jon Benson's Radical Fat Loss Blueprint (Get your F-R-E-E copy by clicking on the link on the right side of the blog). I decided to give Kardena Pauza's meal plan a whirl for breakfast.

I tried her Day 2 breakfast and cooked the scrabled egg wrap with pineapple. It was delicous and really simple to cook! Not to mention without having anymeat I also got 54g of protein!

Ingredients:

Wrap/scrambled eggs
2 cups Egg whites
2 low carb tortilla
1/8 oz. low fat Monterey jack cheese
Vegetables- onion, cilantro, bell peppers,
tomatoes/salsa

3/4 cup pineapple - I ate these on the side

Directions:

Scramble eggs with or without vegetables. Place
in tortilla and add cheese & veggies (if added
fresh). Add seasonings or salsa.

Remember you can get your free vegetarian meal plan for free here:

http://tinyurl.com/ljmsvg

Even if you need meat in your diet, a vegetarain meal here and there can really help ensure you get enough veggies, which will help get you lean and get you ripped.

And remember, they are gone at midnight tonight!

I guarantee you'll feel so much better on her vegetarian diet thanon any diet you could design for yourself.

After all, do you really think you can eat better than this?

=> http://tinyurl.com/ljmsvg

So if you are struggling to change your body or have more energy or even to stop being hungry all the time, then isn't it time you got meal planning advice from a professional?

Don't try and design a diet yourself...get professional help now!

http://tinyurl.com/ljmsvg

PS - When you get your copy of the Meal Plans...
...you'll also be added to the VIP List where you'll get access to an extra 25% off the full Easy Veggie Meal Plans System when it is released on Monday, July 27th.

Kardena is practically giving away her full Meal Plans System for72 hours, and as a VIP you'll get the lowest introductory price possible.

So don't wait any longer, get your 7-day sample veggie meal planshere and become a VIP on the Vegetarian Lifestyle:

http://tinyurl.com/ljmsvg

"It is the position of the American Dietetic Association andDietitians that appropriately planned VEGETARIAN DIETS arehealthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits inthe prevention and treatment of certain diseases."American Dietetic Association

Today's Lunch, A Lean and Healthy Menu

I know I keep saying how important your diet is to get ripped 6 pack abs, so I've decided to share mine (in picture form) with everyone.

For lunch today I had some spinach with a chopped up green bell pepper and onion and a chicken breast. The chicken breast is topped with a black bean salsa. I do not know how many calories are on this plate and I do not care. If you look at my plate over 50% of it is covered with veggies with the remaining piece filled with a source of lean protein.

The only item I am missing from this meal is a piece of fruit. Since I'm doing Jon Benson's Radical Fatloss Blueprint (link to your f-r-e-e copy on the right) and it requires me to limit my carb intake. I'm withholding from fruit during most of my meals and obtaining my carbs from fiber filled veggies. BUT normally I would also have some sort of fruit to go along with this meal.

Reminder

Craig and Kardena's vegetarian F-R-E-E meal plan are only available until Friday so get it today!

http://tinyurl.com/ljmsvg

Guys, I know what your thinking vegetarian meal plans are for girls. BUT they're not!! Check out these athletes:

Bill Pearl - the legendary bodybuilder. He became a vegetarian several decades ago (1969) and still managed to win the Mr. Universe title in 1971 without drugs or meat in his diet.

Carl Lewis - Lewis was once the world's fastest man (winning the Gold Medal in the 100m sprints at the 1988 Olympics) and Lewis once said...

“Can a world-class athlete get enough protein from a vegetarian diet to compete? I’ve found that a person does not need protein from meat to be a successful athlete. In fact, my best year of track competition was the first year I ate a vegan diet.”

So you can be fast, lean, muscular, and athletic on a vegetarian diet. This last example is one of the coolest arguments for a vegetarian diet.

Mac Danzig - the UFC fighter who is ripped to shreds and who won season 6 of the Ultimate Fighter show on Spike.

I mean, if you can kick someone's butt on a veggie diet while having single digit body fat and ripped six pack abs, then you've got my attention.

http://tinyurl.com/ljmsvg

Free Vegetarian Meal Plans!!!

I know the economy really stinks, so I want to offer you something for free that can help us get to our goal of getting ripped 6 pack abs.

Craig Ballantyne from Turbulence Training has worked with Vegetarian Nutrition Expert Kardena Pauza to put together a great vegetarian meal plan program. And for the next 72 hours they are offering one of the meal plans to all of us for FREE!!

Go here and grab these meal plans at no cost to you:

http://tinyurl.com/ljmsvg

It's their gift to you because they want to share the VegetarianLifestyle with everyone who is struggling with their diet and who wants more energy.

After all, we get emails EVERY DAY from folks who have questionsabout Vegetarian Diets, but no one was offering them a solution.

Kardena shows you how easy, simple, and convenient it is to live theVegetarian Lifestyle.


You'll have the best vegetarian diet coach in the world, KardenaPauza, telling you EXACTLY what to eat!


I guarantee you will have more energy and you'll even startdramatically transforming your body in just 7 days.


Just go here and grab those meal plans today:
=> http://tinyurl.com/ljmsvg


I already have mine and I suggest you get yours too! I'm not even a vegetarian and I'm going to give some of these meals a try! There's no other obligation, just put in your name and email and you will receive your free meal plan.

A 6 Pack Abs Lunch and Musings from the Gym.

I had a very healthy an quick lunch today (thanks to some prep work yesterday). Although I am not a huge fan, I had a pouch of tuna (Isn't as fishy tasting as a can) today. When it come to fish I'd really prefer salmon, tilapia, shrimp or lobster, but my wife has plenty of tuna in the pantry and Jon Benson's Radical Fat Loss Blueprint (see link at the right for your free copy) says I should eat it.

So how did I make it so I liked it? I added veggies!! Last night I cut up a bunch of bell peppers and some green onions so that I could use them while cooking this week. I threw the bell peppers and green onions in with the tuna and mixed all of that with 1 tbsp of mayo (made with olive oil). I then added some balsamic vinegar to totally make sure I got rid of the fishy taste.

Overall it was a meal that was very low in cals but had a decent amount of protein. This is a very quick meal that will really help me get ripped and get to see my 6 pack.

For the vegetarians/vegans out there, I will have a free vegetarian/vegan meal plan for you on Wed. Craig for Turbulence Training has put a new meal plan system together with no meat products and is offering me 1 of the meal plans from his system for free on Wed. Good thing I will be able to share it with you!

Gym Musings

I'm going to add a section to my blog about what I see and hear in the gym, whether it is good or bad or just really odd!

Today I was in the gym and saw this overweight guy go to the Smith machine to do squats. There is no squat rack in my gym so we are forced to use the Smith machine for heavy squats (My gym is kinda like Average Joes from 'Dodgeball', but that story is for another day). This guy proceeds to load up the Smith machine to around 245lbs and I was impressed. Well I was impressed until I saw him perform the squat. He could barely make it halfway down and his thighs were no where near parallel to the ground!

After seeing this, I reminded myself that in order to see the results I wanted that I would have to check my ego at the door. If that means I have to lower a weight so I can do an exercise with proper form, then I will lower the weight. Doing an exercise 'halfway' or without proper form will not get you any results, or not the results you are looking for.

The importance of your Lower Back for getting Ripped

This posting is going to be one that is more 'Do as I say, and not as I did.' Obviously in order to get six pack abs and to get ripped you need to eat correctly and exercise. BUT when you are exercising you have to make sure that you use the correct form and use a weight that will allow you to perform the exercise with correct form. Otherwise you can strain your lower back or other body parts.

I realize this is a woman's lower back. But would you rather look at this or a man's bottom??

So what did I do? I strained my lower back and most likely put myself out of commission for a week. I broke both of my rules above and while performing Good Mornings in a barbell circuit used too heavy of a weight and must have used horrible form.

I did this Wednesday and my lower back just felt a little tight that night. I than went to try and do my normal workout on Friday and felt a pain after finishing my squats.

My Plan Going Forward:

1. Rest. Since I was entering my last week of TT Hardcore Fat Loss I will take this week off to recover. However, I do not plan to just sit on the couch, so I still plan to keep on working even if it is very moderate. To start, I will be taking my son and dog on long walks each day since walking does not bother my back.

2. Body-Weight Exercises. Once my back starts feeling better (I'm hoping next Wed) than I hope to start doing light body weight exercises. I plan to progressively do more BW exercises until the week of July 6, as I strengthen the back again.

3. The Elliptical. Yes, I know this machine really sucks, but guess what? Its very low impact which will be perfect for my back. Although the intensity will not be the same, I can still do my HIIT on the Elliptical after my BW workouts.

4. Eat Right. I know I've been eating pretty well lately, but my goal for the next week will to have an almost perfect diet since I will not be working out as hard. I know a lot of people would see this as a huge setback and give up and head to Wendy's. Not me. I'm looking at this as a week of rest before heading into the last month of TT Transformation Contest 5. I will most likely do Eat-Stop-Eat twice this week.

Although I know I will most likely not make any progress towards my goal of getting ripped 6 pack abs, I do not want to go backwards either. I think this plan will allow me to accomplish this and start TT Buff Dudes - Hot Chicks workout for the week of July 6th.

Sit-Ups are NOT Needed for 6 Pack Abs!! Part II

I wanted to keep on discussing exercises that I do to isolate my abs that DO NOT include sit-ups or crunches. Yesterday I discussed the Plank and Side Plank. Honestly, I think that if you did multi-compound exercises (ie. squats and dead lifts) and did these to exercises that you would be set. Of course you also need to have the right diet in order to get ripped and see your abs. Both of these exercises will require a stability ball.

Stability Ball Roll-Out

Kneeling (preferably on an exercise mat) in an upright position you want to place both hands on the equator of the stability ball. Keeping your abs braced you are going to roll out so that your abs are stretched (at the end of the stretch you should have moved most of your upper body weight onto the ball). Then you will slowly roll the ball back towards you and end up in the starting position. Once you get the hang of this exercise with a ball, then you could do the same exercise with an ab wheel, which will make this exercise a bit harder.

Stability Ball Jack-Knife

This exercise requires a stability ball and a bench. Put your elbows on the bench and your feet on the ball, almost like the position for a Plank. You want to brace your abs and roll the ball so that your knees come up to your chest. You would roll the ball back to the starting position to complete the repetition.

Video

Below is a video of Craig Ballantyne, who is the creator of Turbulence Training. Craig shows how to do each of the exercises above properly. As an added bonus at the end of the video Craig shows an advanced version of the Plank. Enjoy!!

Sit-Ups are NOT Needed for 6 Pack Abs!!

I was at the gym during lunch today and I noticed one of the trainers going through his 'ab day' exercises. He was doing hundreds of sit-ups! I had to laugh because even I know that sit-ups/crunches are not the best way to work your abs. Considering this guy is a certified trainer who probably charges $40-50 an hour, I would think that he would know that too!

The best way to work your abs is through doing multi-compound exercises in which you need to stabilize your core. The 2 best are squats and deadlifts, but there are plenty others too. BUT if you are looking to isolate your abs try these exercises first:

The Plank

The plank is a great way to work your abs and is one of my favorites! Please see the video below to see how to properly do this exercise:



Once you can work your way to holding the Plank (using proper form) for 2 minutes than you can add a stability ball to make it harder. The only difference between the standard plank and the plank with the stabilty ball is that you have your elbows on the ball and not on the floor.

The Side Plank

The Side Plank is an alternate version of the plank that works the abs and obliques. Please see the video below to see how to correctly perform the exercise.

Once you can do a Side Plank for 60-90 seconds you can make this exercise a little more advanced too. First you can try to do leg raises with your top leg while you are in the plank. You can also take a dumb-bell (use a very light weight) and do lateral shoulder raises.

There are many other ab exercises you can do that are not sit-ups/crunches that I will go into in later posts. Please let me know if you have any questions on the Planks. Enjoy!!

1 Month into TC#5, 1 Month Closer to 6 Pack Abs

This Monday marked 1 month into Turbulence Training's Transformation Contest #5 for me. I am proud to say that my weight is down 6lbs from the start of the contest and I now weigh 188lbs.

With the arrival of our new baby, I have not had time to do any measurements (I have barely had time to sleep, lol!), but I can see the results in the mirror so I know a majority, if not all, of my weight loss is a reduction in fat and not muscle.

The beginning of this week also marked a new Turbulence Training program for me. I started the TT Hardcore Fatloss program and think I am really going to like it! I change workouts every 4 weeks to keep my body guessing. I think this workout will have my body asking mercy after the 4 weeks!

Don't get me wrong TT for Reformed Meatheads was an awesome workout program. The super-sets really melted the fat away but I was also able to use heavy weights too! But it's always nice to change it up and surprise the body with a new workout!


TT Hardcore Fatloss is very different from any other TT program that I have done before. The program calls for 5 or 6 days of working out (1 day of HIIT is optional), where a normal Turbulence Training program has 3 workouts and leaves the other days of the week as optional 30 minutes of fun activity.

TT Hardcore Fatloss also varies the HIIT which is always nice. Craig has me doing intervals on the bike, treadmill and body weight circuits. I love the variety and the resistance part of the workout should allow me to still use heavy weights.

I am really motivated to try and become a finalist for this contest. I think that will allow me to prove that you can get your 'dream body' even if you have a busy lifestyle. I believe that if I can lose 8 more pounds of fat that I will have body fat at or below 10% which should allow everyone to see my 6 pack!!