Your Health and Wellness

5 Weird Flat Abdominal Fitness Tips

2010-04-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

By Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
FIGHT FAT HERE!

If you've been struggling to get flat, sexy abs and burn belly fat
with traditional workouts, then you are going to love these 5 weird
abdominal exercise and diet tips.

Over the last 13 years as a trainer and athlete, I've been studying
every expert and research study I can find about the best way to get
flat abs.

Today, you'll discover 5 weird tips you might not know when it comes
to getting a flat stomach and firm abs.

#1 - The best interval training work-to-rest ratio for losing belly
fat might be 1-to-1.5.

In an Australian study, researchers found that doing intervals for
8 seconds followed by 12 seconds of rest resulted in significantly
more belly fat burning than long slow cardio.

Now I know that 8 seconds on and 12 seconds off sounds a little
annoying (just try doing that on a machine), but the good news is
that these researchers found that going for 24 seconds followed by a
36 second rest works just as well for boosting fat burning hormones.

#2 - Dr. Chris Mohr's #1 weird diet tip is...

I just finished up a fat loss nutrition interview with Dr.
Mohr and he told me that his simple, yet slightly weird #1 diet tip
for fat loss is...

"Get almost all of your carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables."

I really liked that tip because I've been telling people this for
years, and it's part of the Fat Loss Foundation you'll discover in
my Simple Nutrition manual & DVD.

#3 - You need to be able to do a Plank exercise for 2 minutes.

Dr. Stuart McGill, the world's leading expert on low back health,
says in his book that a person with fit abs should be able to do a
plank exercise for 2 minutes straight.

If you can't do the plank for 2 minutes, then you need to lose belly
fat and you need to get an abdominal workout DVD program that works
your abs properly.

Here are the best abdominal exercises DVDs you can get:

GET YOUR DVD HERE!

#4 - New research shows that supersets training burns more calories
than traditional straight set resistance training.

And that's exactly what you'll get in every short, burst exercise
workout.

The short, burst superset programs save you time (getting you done
in half the time of a traditional resistance workout) while helping
you burn more fat.

#5 - To see your abs, a man will need to be close to 10% fat and a
woman will need to be at about 16% fat.

Of course, the more muscle you have, the easier it will be too see
your abs, so you'll still be able to see a 4-pack on muscular guys
when they have 12-13% fat.

But the bottom line is that you need to use the Simple Nutrition
plan combined with the short, burst exercise workouts to burn
belly fat to see your sexy abs.

BONUS Tip - A great way to work your abs harder than normal planks
is the Stability Ball Plank.

Research reported in Men's Health magazine reported this exercise to
be 30% harder on your abs than a regular plank.

And last Friday I used an interesting technique with this exercise
that caused my abs to be sore for days. But that's another story for
another weird abdominal exercise article - coming soon!

Remember, for the best flat abdominal exercises and belly fat burning
circuits, you need the TT for Abs Home Exercise DVDs & Simple
Nutrition plan from this website:

FIGHT FAT HERE!

The TT Abs Bootcamp Workout (and Big 7 Fat Burning Circuit)

2010-03-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is just 1 of the new 31 TT Bootcamps workouts, and specifically,
this is Part 2 of 3 for the TT Abs Bootcamps series by Craig Ballantyne.

It's called "Abs Endurance" because of the endurance nature of the
abs circuit at the end of the program, but like all TT workouts, it
is a total body fat blasting program.

REMEMBER - Train at your fitness level...take extra breaks if you
need them. Do only one round of each circuit if you are have not
been exercising recently.

Train safe, train smart, and have fun.

Enjoy!

TT Bootcamps Workout #8 - Abs Endurance: Part 2 of the Abs Bootcamps

Warm-up (20 seconds per exercise) - 10 minutes
- Bodyweight Squat
- Stick-up
- Kneeling Pushup or Pushup Plus
- 1-Leg Hip Extension (20 seconds per side)
- Plank (40 seconds)
- Side Plank (20 seconds per side)
- Run in Place
- Rest 1 minute and repeat 1 more time.

TT Strength Circuit (30 seconds per exercise) - 5 minutes
- Bulgarian Split Squat or Forward Lunge or 1-Leg Deadlift (30 seconds per side)
- 1-Arm KB or DB Press OR Elevated Push-ups (30 seconds per side)
- Optional if you have equipment: DB Row or Bodyweight Row
- Rest 2 minutes before repeating 1 more time.

Water Break - 2 minutes

TT Big 7 Circuit (20 seconds per exercise) - 10 minutes
- Jumping Jacks
- Prisoner Squat
- Spiderman Climb Pushup or Close-grip Pushup
- Band Row or KB Row or Cross Crawl
- Diagonal Lunge (20 seconds per side)
- Inchworm
- Rest 2 minutes before repeating 1 more time.

Water Break - 2 minutes

TT Depletion Circuit (30 seconds per exercise) - 10 minutes
- Total Body Extension or Jump Rope
- Cross-Body Mountain Climber
- Reaching Lunge (30 seconds per side)
- Squat Thrusts
- Shuttle Run or Run in Place
- Rest 2 minutes before repeating 1 more time.

Water Break - 2 minutes

TT Total Body Abs Endurance Circuit (30 seconds per exercise) - 5 minutes
- Pushup Plank
- Get-up (30 seconds per side)
- Optional: Stability Ball Plank
- Rest 1 minute before repeating 1 more time.

Cool-down, Stretching & Water Break - 10 minutes

Hope you enjoy that workout.

And if you want Parts 1 & 3 of the TT Abs Bootcamp series plus all
31 new TT Bootcamps workouts, Just click here to visit this website

You'll get 31 total body workouts - including the 3-part TT Booty
Bootcamps program - that you can do with minimal equipment (and even
use in your own bootcamps if you are a trainer).

How Many Calories Do You Need to Burn for Fat Loss?

2010-03-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

By Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training In a Hurry? Click Here

If you depend on classic aerobic cardio for fat loss, you
probably spend 30 minutes on a machine trying to burn a set number
of calories.

But does that work?

Does burning 500 calories per day cause you to lose 1 pound of fat
per week?

Well, according to science, it should. But if it did, you probably
wouldn't still be reading this article.

Back in the day, I used to write a column on fat loss myths for
Men's Fitness magazine. Here's a classic weight loss topic I covered.

Myth: I need to burn 500 calories each workout to lose fat.

Truth:
Possibly one of the worst inventions for fat loss was the
calorie-counting monitor on treadmills, elliptical machines, and
stairmasters.

Because of these, millions of men and women now obsess about the
number of calories burned per session. You've probably even been
one of those people, watching it creep up ever so slowly during a
slow-cardio session. All the while knowing that you can wipe out a
30-minute, 300-calorie treadmill session with one fell swoop of the
Krispy Kreme hand.

Too many people are brainwashed into thinking that if they don't
burn 300-500 calories per session, then they won't lose fat. After
all, that is what you've been told time and time again in those
fluffy fitness/fashion magazines.

The problems with this approach to fat loss are numerous. First
off, it's difficult to say if the calorie counters are even
accurate. A story on CBS news showed that cardio machines
overestimate calorie burning by up to 20%.

Next, depending on slow cardio for advanced fat loss is relatively
useless and at the very least, inefficient. It takes a long time
for you to burn a lot of calories and one study showed that men who
only used cardio training for weight loss ended up with a reduced
resting metabolism. You are basically undoing the calorie burning
by depending only on cardio. On the other hand, guys in the same
study that used strength training didn't suffer a reduced metabolic
rate.

So what is the solution to burning fat in a faster, more efficient
method? The answer is to use strength and interval training to burn
fewer calories in less exercise time, but with a more intense form
of exercise.

Your body will burn more calories after exercise (when you use
intervals) than it does after you do slow cardio and your
metabolism will stay high. Some experts refer to this as the
afterburn effect. How do you do intervals? Well, you could sprint
for 30 seconds and rest for 90 seconds and repeat that for 6 sets -
using the bike preferably or treadmill if you are experienced with
it.

Within that short time frame the intervals will cause your muscles
to go crazy with activity (I call it a metabolic turbulence). This
crazy metabolism boost causes lots of calorie burning after
exercise to get your body back to normal. The result is you would
end up burning more fat and more calories in the post-exercise
period as your body tries to get things under control.

Now there is one time where you'd want to count calories, but that
is when you are counting up and determining how many calories you
eat per day. Again, you can wipe out an entire workout's work in
less than a minute simply by eating garbage. Without some structure
and discipline to your nutrition, there is nothing that even my
programs can do to help you lose fat.

So exercise nutrition control and interval training. These are the
two anti-calorie counting methods that will help you lose fat and
get lean.

For Further Information and an exciting opportunity, Click Here

7 Step Detox Diet

2010-02-14T12:48:00.000-08:00

Hi,
It's about that time of year.
This is when folks slowly start dropping off from their workout
program, or cheating on their diet.
And for a lot of folks, weekend eating - particularly SuperBowl
weekend eating - is to blame.
When some folks binge eat, they go looking for a "detox diet",
thinking that will reverse all their mistakes.
But I'm not here to recommend that...no way.
Instead, I have an amazing article - perhaps his best article ever -
from fitness expert Craig Ballantyne about a simple 7-Step Detox
Diet that you can easily follow everyday...
...so that you never need to do an extreme 7-day or 2-week cleanse.

Here's Craig to tell it like it is:

I just got back from the SuperBowl and got a chance to sit in the
front row right in the endzone. It was really cool, and I also got
a chance to see "The Who" live in concert at half-time.
But, while I was there, I had a few extra "non-compliance" meals
than normal, so it got me thinking about detox diets.
I have a pretty strong opinion about detoxing, and I put together a
simple 7-step detox diet plan that you can easily follow so that you
never have to do a 16-day detox ever.
You see, my biggest "beef" with the entire theory of "detoxing" is this...
It is simply NOT possible to EVER detox your body.
Why?
Because it's such a vague statement.
What does "detox" mean?
How do you measure "detoxification"?
What do you even define as toxins?
And when do you officially become "detoxed"?
The answer is, "You don't."
It's impossible.
After all, every single second of every day your body produces
carbon dioxide, which is a toxin.
And if you have deep belly fat, research shows that this "visceral
fat" is constantly releasing inflammatory toxins into your blood.
Every second. The more fat you have, the more toxic you are.
Plus, every breath you take includes pollutants.
And even the water that you drink may contain "toxins".
So....what's the real deal on detoxing?
Listen, while every "expert" is out there arguing about tiny little
details and "gurus" are trying to sell you on detoxing so they can
sell supplements, the TRUTH is that you really just need to know a
few steps to avoid getting toxic in the first place.

In my opinion, the #1 factor in living a "low toxin life" is simply
to keep as much garbage out of your body in the first place, rather
than depending on a 3-day, 7-day or even 16-day detox to be healthy.

So what do I do to prevent "toxin build-up" in the first place?
Well, I live the Turbulence Training Lifestyle of course, including
my "7 Step Detox Nutrition Plan":
1) Start each day with a blender drink of berries, spinach or other
greens, raw nuts (such as walnuts - rich in healthy fats), and other
ingredients packed with antioxidants and healthy fats.

2) For lunch, have a large green salad with spinach, beans, broccoli,
peppers, avocado, onions, etc.

3) Eat an organic apple a day. Certain fruits (i.e. apples, peaches,
cherries, and strawberries) and vegetables have a higher exposure to
pesticides, and you should choose organic when possible.

4) Eat RAW snacks only - of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Try using
this one simple rule and limit all of your between meal snacks to
raw fruit, raw vegetables, and/or raw nuts and I promise you'll drop
the pounds because you'll be full on a smaller number of calories.

5) Drink Green Tea (2-3 cups) and filtered water (3 liters) instead
of beverages that contain calories or chemicals.

6) Limit animal protein intake to only 2 servings per day. On most
days, I'll one of the following: an "after workout" chocolate milk,
organic eggs in the morning, or occasionally I'll have high quality
meat at dinner.
You don't need to be a full vegetarian to live a longer life, but
you should probably avoid eating meat 5 times per day, like people
in Chicago.
(Hey Chicago, don't get mad at me for that...it was a born-and-raised
Chicago native who told me 5 servings of meat per day was the
average Chicago meat consumption.)

7) Minimize or completely eliminate alcohol intake.

While research does show that for men, up to 2 drinks per day may
help cardiovascular health (and for women, up to one drink per day),
I'm not about to recommend you start drinking.

After all, if you go above those limits, you start to destroy your
health...and you risk addiction. Alcohol killed my father, and I
don't want to see the same thing happen to you. Tread cautiously
with the booze.

So that's it. A simple 7-Step Detox Diet Plan.
By the way, it goes without saying that you should avoid:
- cigarettes
- trans-fats
- excessive amounts of sugar
- refined grains
- and 7-11 nacho cheese
Right?
Of course.
And you should be exercising to lose the belly fat...using proven
methods, such as interval training - which is proven to beat long,
slow cardio when it comes to burning dangerous belly fat.
Plus, you should be using Turbulence Training resistance supersets
to burn more calories and sculpt your body.
If you've never used Turbulence Training, you can try it out today
for less than the cost of a Superbowl hot dog.

Click here to get Turbulence Training for less than 5 bucks

Simply follow those 7 nutrition guidelines and use the short TT
workouts to cut out as many toxins from your body - without detoxing.

Stay strong,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS - I also believe you should avoid toxic relationships...

...so you need to take a hard look at the people you surround
yourself with in life.

Do you have the right work friends?
Are you in the right relationships?
Do you spend enough time with the right family members?

Or are they toxic too?

Remember - you need social support for success in life and in fat
loss...so surround yourself with positive people, like the good
folks on the TT Member's forum.

If you need to dump the toxic folks and get positive social support,
we'd love to see you on the forum and help you out.

You will get a free 3-month TT membership access to the forum when
you try out Turbulence Training for only $4.95 today:

Click here!

Please click that link to get started losing fat & getting rid of
the toxic baggage in your life.

Top 5 Holiday Fat Burning Gifts

2009-12-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

With Christmas gifts and New Year's Resolutions only a few weeks
away, fitness and fat loss expert Craig Ballantyne sent me his top
5 gift suggestions to share with you.

It doesn't matter if you're buying for someone or if you want to
know the best fitness gifts to ask for, Craig has the 5 best fitness
present suggestions.

#5 - A kettlebell

With a kettlebell, you can burn calories, do intervals, work your
abs, build strength, and completely sculpt your body. Beginner women
should start with a 12-18 pound kettlebell while beginner men can
start with an 18 or 35 pound bell.

GET YOUR KETTLEBELL WORKOUT PROGRAM HERE!

#4 - A blender to create delicious blender drinks and meals

For about $60-$100 you can get a machine to blend up fruits, veggies,
nuts, protein powder, and seeds to create a nutrient dense complete
meal to overcome busy mornings or to create the perfect snack or
dessert. Once you get started "blending your nutrition", you'll be
amazed at what you can create.

#3 - A Gymboss Timer

This little timer allows you to set two different intervals and will
alert you when each interval is up. It's a cheap - $20 - tool that
will help you organize your workouts and maximize your results.

#2 - A Stability Ball

The stability ball is one of the most versatile fitness tools, and
it allows you to exercise your abs and back of your legs better than
any bodyweight only exercises.

#1 - The Turbulence Training Fat Loss System

With Turbulence Training for Fat Loss you can lose fat and sculpt
your body in the comfort of your own home, without doing long, slow,
boring cardio. It is a proven, guaranteed program that will help you
lose belly fat and get a lean, hard, flat stomach.

This is the #1 home workout and perfect for your New Year's fat loss
program, especially if you hate going to busy gyms.

Plus, you can even try out Turbulence Training for less than the
price of a giant, fancy coffee at Starbucks.

Click here to give Turbulence Training a 21-day try-out for less
than 5 bucks

And remember: This program is guaranteed to work for you. You have
nothing to lose - and it is the perfect program for anyone in your
family or group of friends who loves to workout.

So those are the 5 best fitness presents you can give - or receive -
this year.

Don't miss out on your chance to use Turbulence Training to win
up to $1000 cash in the 7th Turbulence Training Transformation
Contest that starts on Sunday, December 27th.

Click here to get ready to get started with Turbulence Training

More details on the 7th Transformation Contest coming soon!

Top 5 Fat Loss Tips

2009-11-11T15:15:00.000-08:00

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Learn About Craig Here

Men's Fitness magazine recently asked me for 3 of my best fat loss
secrets. Since most times the magazines just don't have enough space
to run my full tips, I thought I'd give you a more detailed
explanation of my secrets here (plus a few extra bonus tips that I
didn't send to the magazine).

Secret #1 - Focus on burning carbohydrate, not fat, during your
fat-loss workouts.

Sounds backwards, right? But not when you look at how I structure
my workouts.

Remember that Turbulence Training focuses on resistance training
and interval training. Both of these use carbohydrate as the main
source of energy. So it's obvious the workout is designed to burn
carbohydrates during the training session.

I have no interest in you trying to train in your "target heart
rate zone" for fat burning (aka - the fat burning zone). The whole
idea of a fat-burning zone is an over-simplified idea of how the
body works during exercise.

Leave the inefficient fat burning zone to the mis-educated trainers
in the commercial gyms (that not surprisingly, also want to sell you
a heart rate monitor so you can stay in your "fat burning heart
rate zone").

If you want to get the most results in the least amount of time,
focus on burning carbohydrates, not fat.

Why do my fat loss workouts focus on burning carbohydrate rather
than fat?

In order to burn more calories after the workout, that's why. When
you exercise with intervals and heavy resistance training, your body
uses more calories in the hours after exercise than it would if you
did traditional cardio and lifted lighter weights.

I call this 'Turbulence'. By any name it gives you the same results
- maximum improvements in your body composition (helping you lose
fat while gaining muscle).

Secret #2 - Use a range of repetitions in your strength training
workouts.

In order to train more muscle fibers and burn more carbohydrates, I
have clients use a range of repetitions within the same workout.

The Turbulence Training workouts now use 6, 8, and 12 reps per set
in order to work the muscle the most effectively.

This will burn more carbohydrates and promote as much muscle growth
as possible when you are keeping the calories low.

Secret #3 - Use the stationary cycle for interval training.

I choose the stationary bike for intervals whenever possible
because cycling against a resistance can help maintain muscle mass.

Cycling against a resistance also allows you to perform a large
amount of mechanical work, and that is a key determinant of the
Turbulence in my training.

But please note: I don't use low-intensity, fast pedaling 'spinning'
intervals as I'm convinced that the hard, resistance based
intervals are more effective for fat loss. My clients only cycle
against a strong resistance in their intervals.

And while I really like the bike, but there are many other ways to
do intervals. Use what works for you, but if you are at a plateau,
try the bike.

Secret #4 - Increase meal frequency

Okay, so this isn't really a secret to anyone that has read about
fat loss.

But a 2005 study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
showed that eating 6 times per day was associated with eating fewer
calories per day, lowering cholesterol levels, and lowering
post-meal insulin levels.

Combine an increased meal frequency with an increased protein and
fiber intake, and you'll see your body composition improve rapidly.

If you need more nutrition help, then you'll love the new
Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women - written by
Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D.

See below for more details...

Secret #5 - My Synergistic Turbulence Training Workouts

My Turbulence Training Fat Loss workouts are fast becoming the most
effective way to burn fat, build muscle, and get lean. The
synergistic strength training-interval training workouts are
efficient and effective - getting you in and out of the gym in
under an hour.

Here are some tips that you can use for an advanced training phase.
Use these advanced secrets for 2 weeks then return to your normal
training schedule:

a) Add 10 seconds to each interval but maintain the intensity

b) Add in some bodyweight circuits (10-20 minutes per day) done in
the morning or evening (if you do your regular workout in the AM, do
your bodyweight circuits after dinner; otherwise, do the bw circuits
first thing in the AM, and then do your regular workout at lunch or
later in the afternoon or evening)

If you are advanced, you can use squats, pushups, and bodyweight
rows for your circuit.

If you are a beginner, you could use lying hip extensions, modified
pushups, and stick-ups.

c) Add an extra set to each exercise in the first superset you do
in each workout.

Again, use these three tips for an advanced fat loss period of two
weeks, then return to a normal training schedule.

But always stick to the best fat loss nutrition plan possible.

If you have any other questions, just let me know.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne
Author, Turbulence Training

P.S. Big Nutrition Announcement!

The Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women - written
by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., is ready for you.

Here are just some of the things you'll learn from Dr. Mohr...

1) How to calculate your calorie needs (p. 6)

2) Calorie recommendations for obese individuals (p.7)

3) The 23 types of sugar (many hidden!) to avoid (p. 9)

4) The 20 whole-grain sources to fuel your fat loss program (p9)

5) Over 60 fruits and vegetables that should be added to your diet
(p. 10)

6) The 16 protein sources you should select most often (p. 13)

7) Shocking trans-fat content of 18 common foods - find out which
food is the deadliest in terms of fat content (p. 16)

8] The 9 Fat Sources you should select most often (p. 17)

9) Dr. Mohr's 12 Rules for Fat Loss (p. 18)

10) The TT Nutrition Plan for Men (p. 19)

11) The TT Nutrition Plan for Women (p. 23)

12) Bonus Supplement Report: The Truth About Fat Loss Pills (p. 27)

Try Turbulence Training today

The Big Awakening

2009-10-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

I went for my usual blood donation at the local blood bank. My blood pressure was unusually high,(160/100) but not too high to give blood. The nurse said I should have it checked with my doctor. I've never had blood pressure that high. I made an appointment with my doctor for a physical. This was in Feb. 2009. Before my physical, I looked into lowering my blood pressure with diet, rather than pills. I found the D.A.S.H. diet (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension). It is based on 1600 calories per day and 1500 mg of sodium per day. I was also overweight, too. I started the D.A.S.H. diet before seeing my doctor. When I saw my doctor, she said that the DASH diet was okay, but I also need to do 45 minutes of exercise every day. Well, I belong to a gym and was going a few times a week. But the doctor wanted me to diet and exercise often. This would bring my blood pressure down, I would lose weight, and be more healthy overall. She wanted me to do this rather than go on medication for the rest of my life. She also wanted to see my blood pressure in 3 weeks.

So I made a commitment to myself to get to the gym every day. I didn't have enough time to do 45 minutes every day, but can do 30 minutes. Sometimes I do get 45 minutes in. I enjoy cardio workouts on the treadmill, so I stick to that for most of my workouts. In 3 weeks, I lost 8 pounds and my blood pressure came down to 141/90. I'm trying to bring my blood pressure down more. It's been hovering around 140/90 for the last several months.

Since February, I've lost 32 pounds, and at last check, my blood pressure is still around 140/85-90. I still need to lose around 80 more pounds to be what I consider ideal. A long way to go, but I'm motivated. My diet allows me to eat the foods I like, and now since I've been dieting, I can't eat as much. I also drink more water than I did before.

This wake up call was for the better. I'm eating better, feeling better and feel in control of my eating and exercise habits. I will keep this up as long as I can. I'll check back here now and then to record my progress. If you have any tips or things that worked for you, please leave your comments.

The Best Weight Loss Plan

2008-11-23T21:03:00.000-08:00

The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to go slowly. Excess weight didn’t come on overnight, so you can’t expect it to come off overnight. A 2-pound maximum weight loss per week is probably the best tactic. That’s 8-10 pounds per month. If you keep that up, it’s around 100 pounds for a year. Not bad when you look at the long term. What combination of factors contributes to the best strategy for steady weight loss? It’s a blend of your diet and an exercise plan. There are many diets on the market. Many are complicated, but this one is simple. Click Here Along with a good eating plan, you need a consistent exercise plan. If you can do vigorous exercise for 30-45 minutes 4 times a week that would really help. Combining these two plans should help maximize weight loss and help you feeling healthier. If you’re not losing as much weight at you want, try to increase your exercise longer or more times per week. A good exercise plan consists of cardio and resistance training with weights or bands. At least 15-20 minutes 2-3 times a week of resistance training mixed with 20- 30 minutes of cardio should make a good workout. These methods have worked for me, and I’m continuing to work with this combination to continue my weight loss.

If you have suggestions or success stories, please comment below.

The Best Exercises to Lose Belly Fat

2008-09-29T23:05:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of us that are interested in losing a little bit of weight around the middle. Unfortunately, that tends to be where many of us carry the weight around, particularly if we are men. Far too many of us try to burn this weight off of our body by doing unusually difficult abdominal exercises, and lots of them. The simple fact of the matter is, you are not going to be able to burn belly fat off of your body by doing abdominal exercises alone. As a matter of fact, it is an exercise in futility for you to do so because it is impossible to target specific areas of fat on your body by doing specific exercises, even if the muscles are right below the fat.

That doesn't mean, however, that it is impossible to use an exercise in order to burn belly fat off of your body. As a matter of fact, the best exercises to lose belly fat don't have anything to do with your abdominal region at all. If you truly want to have a flat stomach and perhaps even some sixpack abs, it is necessary for you to get at the core of the problem and to fire your metabolism so that the fat will melt off of your body from the inside out. Here are the best exercises to lose belly fat, some of which are sure to surprise you.

The first thing that you need to learn whenever it comes to losing belly fat is that it is necessary to do multi-joint exercises. These are exercises which work more than one muscle of the body. For example, a squat is a multi-joint exercise because it works a variety of muscles in the legs. A curl, on the other hand, is not a multi-joint exercise because it only works the biceps. You can spend all of your time in the gym if you want to, doing single joint exercises but most of us don't have the time to take in order to get this kind of a workout. By doing multi-joint exercises for the largest muscles of your body, your legs, chest and back, you will be getting the most amount of work done in the shortest time possible.

Not only will your workouts be over faster, you will also begin to notice the fat burning off of your body very quickly. This is an amazing thing for many people who have been taught throughout the years that the only way for them to get a flat stomach is through a series of abdominal exercises. The simple fact of the matter is, the larger muscles of our body is what fires our metabolism and this is what will take the fat off of our body. Make sure that you are doing these on a regular basis but also giving your body adequate amounts of rest so that the muscles will have an opportunity to grow. You will end up lean and fit, something that many of us are very interested in obtaining.

Check out LoseBellyFatFaster.com for more of the latest tips, techniques and exercises on how to burn belly fat.

Stress, You and Your Body

2008-09-28T16:48:00.000-07:00

All or nothing- this is the feeling that if you fail in one way, you see yourself as a total failure. You then generalize in excess and see the single failure as a proof of your life's whole failure.

Mental filter- this is when people pick out negative events and dwell on them to the exclusion of everything else. Eventually the positive aspects of life become rejected and ignored.

Areas of the body most vulnerable to stress

When under stress, the entire body becomes tense and posture changes. Being in a permanent state of alert can be uncomfortable and has the ability to throw the body out of balance. Tension uses up energy but the energy is unproductive.

The Shoulders

Most people hold a considerable amount of tension in this area "carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders" is a familiar expression. The shoulders are lifted towards the ears and often remain this way causing the muscles to go into spasm. This restricts the blood flow to the head, neck and shoulders and therefore the neck and shoulders become stiff and inflexible.

The Neck

When the body is out of balance the head tends to come forward and the chin juts out. This then throws the body out of alignment as the neck muscles tense and carry the weight of the head. The neck muscles are then in a permanent state of contraction and the neck then becomes stiff and tight. The mobility of the neck and shoulders is greatly reduced.

The Head

The face is an area of the body that cannot help but show tension! The jaw clamps tight, teeth grind together and the lips tighten. The scalp muscles and the temporal muscles tighten restricting blood flow, leading to headaches, eyestrain and tension in the upper body.

Factors affecting a person's ability to deal with stress

There are several factors that may affect the body's ability to deal with stress which include:

Age - with age the ability to adapt is diminished and while a young, healthy person may respond to stress easily, an elderly person may find the same situation much more stressful.

Sleep - sleep is important for restoring energy and if sleep is inefficient, it can impair the body's ability to deal with stress. Irregular sleep patterns and wakefulness can reduce immunity as well.

Health status - people who are mentally and physically fit are able to adapt to stress placed on them more easily than others who are not.

Nutrition- a bad diet can affect the body's ability to deal with stress.

Stress Tip from Counselling Spain: Psychological factors--anxiety and depression can make a person more susceptible to stress.

Do Snacks Help a Healthy Diet?

2008-08-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

A common belief amongst dieters is that eating snacks will destroy your diet. Research is supporting the understanding instead that snacks may actually help you stick to your diet as long as you make healthy choices and don't overeat. Snacking can be beneficial to any weight-loss diet. It will help to prevent binging. By having a small nutritious snack you will prevent overeating at your next meal. You can get much-needed extra energy and nutrients by a nutritious snack during the day. In addition, if you can add any bit of protein to your snack, you will benefit as muscles "feed" off of protein.

In order to have healthy and easy snacks available, plan ahead. Do your grocery shopping with healthy snacks in mind and don't shop while you're hungry. If you make a list and stick to it and spend the least possible amount of time in the store, you are more likely to come home with good choices. Once you get the foods home, prepare or at least package them in handy serving size bags so they are readily available to you instead of grabbing something harmful to your diet. Nuts are very easy to store and are full of nutritious protein.

Whole grain snacks are easy and healthy snacking options. They are rich in fiber and carbohydrates so they give you energy that lasts. Try low fat whole grain crackers, whole grain crisp breads, and whole grain pretzels.

Fruits and vegetables are simple snacking alternatives. They will provide you with a feeling of fullness that will help you make it until the next meal. They are fat free and have very few calories. In addition, they are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients. Try raw carrots, celery sticks, apples or bananas.

As mentioned earlier, nuts and seeds are clever snacks that are easy to incorporate into any weight loss diet plan. They provide protein, which helps you feel fuller longer. In addition, they possess mostly monounsaturated fat, which is the healthy kind. Nuts do however contain a lot of calories so do not eat them in large quantities. Soy nuts are a great choice.

Low fat dairy products are another healthy snacking solution. Cheese, yogurt and other dairy products are rich in protein and calcium. They are also vital sources of other minerals and vitamins. It is important to choose low fat or light dairy products to limit your caloric intake. Try fat free pudding or light yogurt.

Remember, the key things to remember are that the snacks should be low calorie, you should not allow yourself to over eat them, and nutrition is vital. If you bring them to work, limit yourself to one bag in the mid morning and one at mid afternoon. Source: Ravishing Global Community.

Green Tea is a Very Healthy Choice of Drink

2008-07-18T22:13:00.000-07:00

Not your ordinary green tea, HerbaGreen Teas contain a balanced antioxidant formula with standardized extracts of carefully selected, wild crafted herbs from the mountains of China for optimum therapeutic benefits for you and your entire family! Like good, healthy teas, HerbaGreen Teas contain NO calories or caffeine.

HerbaGren Teas are sweetened with lo han fruit extract--which promotes fat burning and soothes the digestion process--HerbaGreen Teas also contain lotus leaf (rich in isoflavones), kudzu (for promoting circulation), and 100mg of polyphenols, equivalent to at least 15 cups of the strongest brewed green tea. PLUS - HerbaGreen Teas contain NO calories or caffeine.

Drinking green tea has many benefits:

It maintains healthy cell growth and development;
It promotes healthy weight control by blocking carbohydrate absorption;
It supports the immune system;
It supports dental and optimal gum health

A serving of green tea has many therapeutic benefits. Using drops instead of tea bags allows you to keep many of the extracts found in tea. Using tea bag loses the extracts that stay in the bag rather than your cup. One bottle of HerbaGreen tea makes 60 servings. That's only $.50 a cup. You can't get that anywhere, especially with all the benefits in the bottle.

Get your first bottle now. Click Here Now!

How Good Are Antioxidants?

2008-06-16T22:55:00.000-07:00

Vitamin C and red wine extracts are great sources of antioxidants. The potential benefits of these ingredients has been well documented through years of scientific research. According to medical studies cited in the New England Journal of Medicine, for example, Vitamin E, has been shown to reduce risks of coronary heart disease in men and middle-aged women. What's more, scientific evidence continues to mount over the benefits of Vitamin C antioxidants for combating risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic illnesses. Red-wine extract has been shown in several studies to reduce the risks of stroke and contains polyphenols, a potent antioxidant for even more healthy benefits. Red wine extract helps safeguard your immune system, retard the aging process, and protect your health. Research has shown antioxidants also support heart health and eye health. Sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, red peppers, papayas, green peppers, broccoli, cantaloupe and mangos to name a few. Certain starches such as potatoes contain some vitamin C as well. Antioxidants received by eating these foods can ward off certain cancers and other potentially dangerous diseases.

Both red wine extract and vitamin C can be found in Veriuni's Advanced Antioxidant with Red Wine Extract. Two of these vitamins taken daily with meals provide 500 mg of Vitamin C, 400 IU of Vitamin E, and 30 mg of red wine extract. Click below to get more information on this great source of antioxidants.

Stay Healthy, Stay Well

2008-04-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

These days it’s difficult to stay on a healthy wellness program. If you’re in college, the “freshman 15” can creep up on you without your even knowing it. When you go home to visit your family, they may notice a slightly heavier son or daughter and kindly say things like “looks like you’re getting enough to eat” or “too busy to exercise?” You may not think you’re doing anything differently, but when you’re stressed with papers and mid-terms, you may not pay attention to what you’re eating. A good health and wellness plan includes 30 minutes of aerobics or cardio-vascular exercises like brisk walking, jogging, swimming, etc. along with 3 days of resistance exercises with weights or resistance bands and a sensible diet. You CAN get a sensible diet in the school cafeteria…you just need to look for healthy foods. 5 servings of fruit and vegetables are required each day. Sure a burrito sounds better, and once in a while is fine. Healthy foods keep your mind moving and help keep your metabolism up.

How do you maintain your health? Do you belong to a gym? Are you on a diet? Leave your comments below.

For Fast Weight Loss!

2008-04-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

Spring Your Health into Summer!

2008-04-04T14:12:00.000-07:00

Now that spring is here and winter is over, it's time to take inventory of your health and wellness. Have you started the weight loss plan you resolved to start in January? Or how is your exercise plan going? Now is the time to kick it into high gear if you want to look good for summer. The plan is simple. Eat less and exercise more! This is easier said than done. How many diets have you tried that failed? How many times have you gone to the gym this year? Go out for a walk? Use one half of your lunch hour walking around your work at a brisk pace. Do this every day and you'll see results.

There are some very good health and wellness products available here. Drinking green tea has many health benefits. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.

If losing weight is your goal this year, especially for summer, try this great option. Although somewhat like SlimFast, it's much more powerful and natural. In addition, there's a formula that helps burn fat off while you are dieting and exercising. This product is non-ephedra and provides energy and appetite suppressant effects for maximum benefits.

Now is the time to jump start your health goals. Get ready for summer! I'm looking forward to a fun and healthy one.

Healthy Weight Loss

2008-03-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

Lose those unwanted pounds and look and feel great. Advanced Weight Loss is specially formulated for those with busy lifestyles. Only the very best ingredients are used. Three delicious instantly mixable flavors are available. Designed for successful healthy weight loss, Advanced Weight Loss is the perfect “full meal replacement” drink. Ten grams of protein, vitamins, minerals, and calcium insures you are getting all the nutrients for an easy to follow weight loss program.

Be Well and Healthy With Vitamins

2008-02-25T10:35:00.000-08:00

There is much research going on every day regarding the benifits of healthy supplements. The best way to get all your vitamins and minerals is through the foods you eat. But many people don't have the time or knowledge to feed their bodies correctly. That is why we take supplements. Feeling good and living a healthy life can be as simple as just making sure you're getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs to operate at maximum efficiency. The best vitamin supplements are those that are naturally made, without harmful chemicals or additives made in the laboratory. You can find many such supplements just by typing them into a search engine. You can also check out VERIUNI’s™ brand of natural vitamins by clicking here. Using VERIUNI’s™ brand of liquid nutrition will get you started on your day of robust living. One bottle will last a month. So not only are they nutritional, but also economical. Many people have tried this type of vitamins and have marveled at how quickly the vitamins take effect. Being liquid they absorb instantly and get you off to a vibrant day.

What kind of supplements do you take? Leave me a comment below. We can all benefit from each other's recommendations.