Incinerate Fat With This Intense Full-Body Workout Plan

Burning fat is all about pumping up the intensity...TURBO intensity. Well guess what? That's exactly what you're getting from this high-powered, metabolism-boosting, full-body workout. Do this workout 3x per week, plus a day of cardio in between each workout, and you'll transform your body into a full-fledged fat-burning furnace (not to mention you'll pack on solid new muscle too). That's right--you'll eviscerate stubborn body fat around the clock to the point where it begins to melt off, revealing your gorgeous, cut-up musculature below. Commence ripped-ness.

The Workout
** Rest 30 seconds between each set. Shorter rest = higher intensity.
** It's intense--make sure your body and heart is able to handle each exercise. If you feel lightheaded stop.
** Do this workout 3x per week and take at least 1 day in between each fat-blasting workout. Do traditional cardio 2x per week. (E.g. Sample schedule: Workout, Cardio, Workout, Cardio, Workout, OFF, OFF)
** This is for girls and guys. I don't discriminate =p


1. Barbell/Dumbbell Deadlifts - 2 sets, 12 reps. Make sure not to arch your back. You can get my full guide to perfect deadlift form here. Feel free to choose either dumbbell or barbell deadlifts.

Barbell deadlift

2. Goblet Squats - 2 sets, 12 reps. A variation of the traditional squat that puts more emphasis on the shoulders, chest, arms, and abs. It's also easier to perform and safer for beginners. Get LOW!

3. Bicycle Crunches - 1 set, 30 seconds. Touch your elbow to your knee during each rep.

Superset it (do it immediately afterwards with no rest) with...
3a. Plank - 1 set, 30 seconds. Get that butt down.

4. Dumbbell/Kettlebell Snatches - 2 sets, 12 reps per arm. Start low and explode upwards, thrusting the dumbbell overhead. Lock out your arm overhead for one second and repeat. Some people prefer using kettlebells instead of dumbbells, either works well--your persornal choice.

5. One-Arm Dumbbell Rows - 2 sets, 12 reps per arm. Row the dumbbell until the top of your arm is parallel with your back, hold it for 1 second at the top.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/DBBentOverRow.html

6. Box Marches - 1 set, 45 seconds. Go hard, go fast, go intensely. Faster than the guy below if possible.

http://www.exrx.net/Plyometrics/BoxMarchHigh.html

7. Dips - 2 sets, 12 reps. Use the assisted dip machine if you're unable to do 12 reps with your body weight..

Body weight dip

Assisted dip

8. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Cardio - 14 minutes on the treadmill, or outdoors on a track. Finishing up with REALLY INTENSE interval cardio allows the body to access the really deep, stubborn fat stores that are really difficult to burn off. You know...the kind that's plastering the crevices of your abs. This is full-blown fat incineration put into high gear.

• 2 minutes walking warm-up (~3MPH)
• Interval 1: 30 seconds all out sprint. Judge what MPH is a sprint for you based on your own level of cardiovascular fitness. I sprint at 12 MPH--choose a level that's intense and makes you work hard, but make sure it's safe.
• 1 minute walking (~3MPH)
• Interval 2: 30 seconds all out sprint
• 1 minute walking (~3MPH)
• Repeat 4 more intervals
• 3 minute walking cool-down (~2.5 MPH)

A Billion Ways to Bust Through a Muscle Growth Plateau

Think long and hard about your training and the progress you've been making--has your body stopped packing on new chunks of muscle? If so, you're stuck smack-dab in the middle of a big, black fitness abyss known as a plateau. You might be thinking, "man, I've been working my ass off in the gym day-in and day-out, but for some strange reason I'm not getting any results! What the hell!" Plateaus are uber discouraging and frustrating, and for a lot of people they ultimately cause a complete drop off from weight-lifting. #Fail

Lucky for you, a doctor's in the house. I have about a billion possible solutions for the problem. Reinvigorated muscle growth awaits on the other side.

What exactly is a plateau? It's the body adapting to a certain stimulus, in this case a workout routine, and becoming proficient at it. As a result, the body is no longer challenged and resists growth. Muscle growth is all about challenging your muscles and pushing them past what they're used to. 

How to fix it:

1. Vary Training Schedule. Most people follow a set workout schedule, for example:

• Monday - Chest/Triceps
• Tuesday - Back/Biceps
• Wednesday - Legs
• Thursday - Shoulders/Abs
• Friday - Cardio
• Saturday - Off
• Sunday- Off

Switch up your routine once every two months. Change the order of workouts in your routine, what body parts are grouped together, and even the days that you work a given body part. Believe it or not, the body will adapt if you work chest & triceps every single Monday until the end of time. A new schedule could look like (there are about a million different possible variations):

• Monday - Quads/Hamstrings
• Tuesday - Abs/Cardio
• Wednesday - Shoulders/Calves
• Thursday - Back/Biceps
• Friday - Off
• Saturday - Chest/Triceps/Abs
• Sunday - Off

2. Vary exercises. Changing exercises is the single easiest way to prevent a plateau. It's smart to choose a few compound exercises for each body part to serve as staples (i.e. Squats, Deadlifts), and then switch up the other supporting exercises you do every workout. Instead of doing lat pulldowns, try pull ups. Instead of Bent-Over Barbell Rows, try One-Arm Dumbbell Rows. Do the same for each body part.

Different triceps exercises

3. Change the order of exercises. If your chest routine typically looks something like this: Flat Barbell Bench Press > Incline Dumbbell Bench Press > Dumbbell Flies, turn it into: Incline Dumbbell Bench Press > Flat Barbell Bench Press > Dumbbell Flies. The exercises at the beginning of your workout are always the strongest because you have the most energy.

4. Use different equipment. Look around the gym, there are a TON of different types of equipment...use it all! Different types include:

• Dumbbells
• Barbells
• Cables
• Kettlebells
• Machines
• Medicine Balls, Exercise Balls
• Steps

Switch up the equipment you use to do certain exercises. If you typically bench press with a barbell, try using dumbbells. If you do dumbbell chest flies, do cable crossovers or use the chest fly machine instead.

5. Work in different rep ranges. Different rep ranges achieve different goals. 

• 1-6 reps is best for building strength
• 8-12 reps per set is optimal for building muscle size (hypertrophy)
• 12+ reps is best for developing muscular endurance

Regardless of your goal, it's smart to vary rep ranges on major lifts once every month. I personally alternate one month in the 8-12 rep range, and then one month in the 3-6 rep range. Besides preventing adaptation, it allows the muscles to develop a nice balance of size and strength. Additionally, the 8-12 rep range tends to give muscles a larger, puffier look, while the 3-6 rep range gives muscles a denser, saran-wrapped look (it's also referred to as density training). Build up some size by doing 8-12 reps, and then saran-wrap it up with 3-6 reps. Ripppppppppppppped!

**Important - Low rep ranges means using heavier weights. 

6. Change the number of sets. If you typically do 3 sets of 12 reps per exercise, try doing 5 sets of 5 reps at a heavier weight, or do 2 sets per exercise and add in a few extra exercises. 

7. Alter rest periods. For a beastly, fast-paced workout keep rest periods down to 30 seconds between sets. If you're focusing on larger, compound lifts, rest periods should be anywhere from 1 min - 5 mins. This is primarily dictated by the types of exercises you choose to do.

8. Vary tempo. Tempo refers to the speed at which you 1) lift the weight/contract your muscles (the concentric phase) and 2) lower the weight (the eccentric phase). Vary the the concentric phase by switching between explosive contractions and slow, controlled lifts. Vary the eccentric phase by lowering the weight at different rates--the longer the eccentric phase the harder your muscles have to work (it's also known as eccentric training). Try doing a pull up and lowering yourself down over a 30-second span...it's a killer workout.

9. Spice up your routine with different types of sets. Don't constrain yourself to the typical 3 sets of 12 reps, 1 minute between sets for all of eternity. Turn up the intensity by adding in the following techniques:

• Supersets - Perform two different exercises one after another with no rest. For instance, do 1 set of Lateral Raises and immediately after do 1 set of Dumbbell Shoulder Presses. Not only is this much more intense, but it strategically isolates a smaller muscle group during the first exercise (the medial head of the deltoid during Lateral Raises) and pushes it past failure by working the entire muscle group during the second exercise (Dumbbell Shoulder Presses work all three heads of the shoulder, and pushes the medial head past failure). This allows you to specifically target smaller muscle groups and accentuate their development. 
• Drop sets - Do 1 full set at a heavy weight and immediately after grab a weight that's about 75% of the first and bang out a second set. Crazy pumps...
• Strip sets - This works best on machines that have a weight stack. Start with a light weight that's easy to handle and do a set of 10. Without any rest, continuously do sets of 10--increasing the weight by one plate every set--until your muscles are completely fatigued. I love strip sets when blasting calves on a calf raise machine.

10. Change the type of training. Don't confine your training to only lifting weights...there are a ton of other ways to build muscle and strength, it's best to utilize different methods. If you've squatted yourself down to hell, try doing plyometrics. Use resistance bands, body weight exercises, exercise balls, and kettlebells to stimulate new growth. Do pilates and yoga instead of traditional ab exercises. Box or become a Brazilian Jujitsu expert instead of running on the treadmill. Be creative!

11. Up your protein & BCAA intake. Consuming more protein and BCAAs constantly throughout the day is critical to building and maintaining muscle mass. If you're slacking on the protein/BCAAs you're slacking on the muscle.

17 Essential Rules of Nutrition That'll Add 10+ Years to Your Life

What if I told you that a few simple changes to your diet and eating habits could extend your youth, rip up your physique, get your body fat percentage down to the single digits (or teens for women), and ultimately add 5, 10, or even 20 years to your life? Intrigued? It's for real. These 17 rules are absolutely integral to any healthy lifestyle, plus they'll help you look your best -- more muscle, less fat, better skin, and more resilient immunity. Many of them are really simple changes, but their impact is exponentially beneficial.

1. No trans fats, limit saturated fats. No other rule is as important as #1. Follow it and live by it, it’ll save your life. Literally. Trans fats are created when food producers hydrogenate oils to preserve food and increase their shelf life. The problem with these nasty fats is that they raise artery-clogging LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) significantly, while simultaneously lowering artery-cleaning HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). Saturated fats still raise LDL cholesterol, but have no effect on HDL levels. Over time consumption of these fats leads to atherosclerosis (fatty build up in the arteries which restricts blood flow), coronary heart disease (CHD), heart attack, and stroke. Trans fats have no health benefits at all and are directly related to an increased risk of CHD.

• Check this out. A 1976 Nurses’ Health Study found that for every 2% increase in trans fat consumption, the risk of CHD more than doubled (53% increase in risk). Compare that to a 15% increase in saturated fat intake to produce a similar result. That’s harmful stuff. Trans fat consumption has also been linked to Alzheimer’s, Type-II Diabetes, obesity, and possibly even cancer.
• Where are they found? A major issue with trans fats is that food producers are legally allowed to list that a food has 0g of trans fat if it contains .5g or less. Some foods have .49g, but they can technically be marketed as having no trans fat. Any level, even .25g can have a major negative health impact. It all adds up. Get in the habit of reading ingredients--if you see vegetable shortening or partially hydrogenated that means the food has trans fat. Common foods that have trans fats include: pastries, doughnuts, croissants, French fries and any other fried foods, cookies, crackers and biscuits, margarine and shortening, potato chips, granola bars, and chocolate. BK French Fries have 7g, a Cinnabon Cinnabon has 6g, and every 3 Oreos have 2g!

2. Fight fat with fat. Contrary to what most people believe, fat does not make your fat. Eating too much fat makes you fat. In fact, eating healthy fats can help suppress appetite and is probably one of most beneficial things you can feed your heart. Look for mono/polyunsaturated fats such as Omega-3s. Poly/monounsaturated fats do the opposite of trans fats--raise HDL while simultaneously lowering LDL--which unclogs arteries and improves cardiovascular health. In addition, fat is vital for healthy skin and hair, facilitates muscle growth, and helps transport vitamins A, D, E, and K through the bloodstream. 

• Fats are higher in calories than carbohydrates or proteins (7 calories per gram in fat, 4 calories per gram in carbs/protein) so be conscious of the amount that you're eating. 
• Foods such as salmon and other fish, nuts and natural nut butters, seeds, olive oil, flaxseeds, and avocados are great sources of healthy fats.

3. Wheat over white. When it comes to bread or anything else made with flour make it a habit to choose wheat bread over white bread. When companies process white bread they strip all of the nutrients, fiber, vitamins and everything else from the grain and add a bunch of sugar, preservatives, and chemicals to make it taste better and stay fresh longer. White bread has no nutritional value at all and it digests extremely quickly, leaving the body hungry shortly after. Whenever you eat white bread it sends blood sugar levels on a roller coaster ride and signals the body to release insulin (which functions to bring blood sugar levels down), which ultimately causes body fat gain. Repeatedly spiking blood sugar levels causes insulin resistance, or the inability to control blood sugar levels naturally, which leads to the development of Type 2 Diabetes. If you chop a tree repeatedly eventually it’s going to fall over. Wheat products are slow digesting, help you stay fuller longer, keep blood sugar levels under control, and contain healthy fiber and other important nutrients. Stick to wheat bread, you’ll stay diabetes-free and maintain a lean physique.

• Tip: When you buy bread make sure it says “100% whole wheat.” Companies sometimes market their bread as "whole wheat" or "whole grain," but in reality they just bleach the white flour to make it look like wheat bread. Look for the 100%.

4. Limit alcohol, especially sugary drinks. For most people it's impractical to cut alcohol out altogether, in fact 1-2 drinks a day can lower LDL cholesterol and keep the body relaxed. Plus it's social. Don't overdo it though, once you go over two drinks the fat and health detriments start stacking up. Alcohol is empty calories and promotes overeating. When you eat and drink a lot at the same time the body is flooded with excess calories and it has no choice but to store the excess as fat. The body always digests alcohol first no matter what; whatever else you eat sits in the stomach...waiting...and eventually turns into body fat. Eating pizza or ice cream drunk might taste great, but it's going straight to your ass, thighs, stomach, and wherever else you don’t want it. The same goes for Long Island Ice Teas, Margaritas, Pina Coladas, etc. All of those are loaded with a ton of sugar and calories, which will just spike blood sugar and turn into fat.

• Drinking too much is also linked to cirrhosis of the liver, obesity, decreased muscle function and strength, decreased testosterone levels, and CHD.

5. Eat as little sugar as possible. Plain and simple, sugar makes you fat. In any amount. Sugar has no nutritional value and has a worse effect on blood sugar levels than white bread, plus it rots your teeth. In my opinion too much sugar in the diet is the #1 reason for body fat gain and obesity. Read nutrition labels and choose foods with low sugar levels. Skip the gushers, sugary cereals (lucky charms, cocoa puffs, fruity pebbles, etc.), and other sugary foods and choose whole grain, natural foods. You’ll stay fuller longer and stay leaner.

6. Avoid Aspartame, Splenda (Sucralose), High Fructose Corn Syrup, and other artificial sweeteners. Many people believe that weight maintenance is as simple as calories in vs. calories out, and replacing sugar with calorie free artificial sweeteners is a quick fix. It’s not. Artificial sweeteners are bad for the body and may actually be more unhealthy than regular sugar. The body wasn't meant to ingest chemicals on a regular basis. Even though these products don’t have physical “energy units” or calories, they still have a significant psychological effect on the brain. The brain associates sweetness with calories--the sweetness-calorie link--but in the absence of calories the body goes into shock. As a result, the body overcompensates by stimulating appetite to account for the missing calories and you actually end up eating more as a result. Interestingly, aspartame has also been shown to break down into its poisonous components when it reaches high temperatures. Army soldiers have actually gotten Methanol (a component of Aspartame) poisoning from drinking Diet Coke that was exposed to extreme temperatures. That can't be good for you...

• HFCS works a little differently. As the name suggests, HFCS has extremely high levels of fructose--a type of sugar found in fruit. Unlike sucrose and glucose, which can be metabolized by all cells in the body, fructose must be metabolized in the liver. Because HFCS has extremely high levels of fructose, much higher than in fruit and whole foods, it dumps the excessive amounts of fructose on the liver all at once, which has no choice but to convert the HFCS into fat. This eventually causes excessive fat build-up in the liver, cirrhosis, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. 
• Additionally, because HFCS is able to skip the normal digestion process and go directly the liver, the body never gets any fuller, fat is constantly deposited, and the body gets stuck in an endless cycle of eating. HFCS is responsible for increasing obesity and is one of the main reasons why America has become so fat.
• Recently, crystalline fructose has been emerged as a sweetener in a lot of so-called "health drinks" such as VitaminWater Zero. Crystalline fructose actually has higher levels of fructose than HFCS, making it even more horrible for the body. Avoid it. 
• There is still a lot of research that has to be done about the health implications of each of these sweeteners, but my personal advice is to avoid them whenever possible. It's impractical to avoid all artificial sweeteners all the time, but moderation is key.
• If you need to sweeten use Stevia, it's a healthier and more natural alternative.

7. Drink water all day. Water is essential for life and is responsible for carrying out almost all of the body's functions. It prevents dehydration, maintains body temperature, and serves as a way to clean out various toxins from the body. Drinking cold water can also boost metabolism and keep it going throughout the day, burning a bunch of extra calories. Water also helps suppress appetite.

8. No soda or sugary drinks. Avoid all soda, including diet kinds (loaded with aspartame and splenda), and other sugary drinks such as Gatorade, Yoohoo, non-natural fruit juices, Hawaiian Punch, etc. Most of these drinks are nothing more than sugar water loaded with chemicals, HFCS, and other artificial sweeteners. Drinks are a terrible way to spend calories because they don’t suppress appetite and have no nutritional value, plus all the sugar gets converted into fat. Always choose water, green tea, milk or other natural drinks to quench your thirst. Did you know that if you replace one 120 calories can of soda every day with a glass of water you would save 43,800 calories, or 12.5 pounds.

• From personal experience, back in the day when I weighed a lot more than I do now I used to drink a ton of diet soda. I stopped all together and lost 10 pounds without making any other changes. I'm a firm believer that diet soda, as well as regular soda, is a big contributor to obesity.

9. No soy! Soy is not a health food, it’s a product that’s falsely marketed as a health food. Soy is genetically modified, pumped with chemicals and preservatives, and loaded with toxins. Soy has been shown to negatively affect thyroid function, which is responsible for regulating metabolism, inhibits the body's uptake of vitamins and minerals from food, and increases phytoestrogen levels. Increased estrogen lowers testosterone, a hormone responsible for muscle growth, alters the areas where fat is deposited, and is extremely detrimental to muscle gain.

10. Protein is king. Protein is the ultimate nutrient for building a lean physique. It’s the building block of new tissue in the body, creates antibodies and hemoglobin, and is essential for maintaining muscle mass. Protein has a high thermogenic effect, which means that it raises body's core temperature and burns off extra calories through digestion. It also helps keep the body fuller longer. If you’re serious about building muscle or burning fat, high protein levels are essential. Eggs, fish, chicken, beef, milk, protein powder, and cottage cheese are great sources. Eat protein constantly throughout the day, ideally at every meal.

11. Eat the yolk. There's a ton of debate about whether to eat egg whites alone or the whole egg. Eat the yolk. Yep, the yolk has more calories and a little cholesterol, but it also has almost all of the nutrients. Many studies have also begun to show that egg yolks raise HDL and LDL levels simultaneously, offsetting any of the negative health effects. Egg whites are essentially only protein, which is great, but otherwise they have very little nutritional value. Some farms are now adding Omega-3s to the diets of their chickens, which increases the Omega-3 content in the eggs. Check out the chart for a breakdown between the egg white and yolk. I’ll roll with the yolk any day, it's jam-packed with pretty much everything...

12. Get your antioxidants! Antioxidants are so vital. They protect the body against free radicals, harmful free-roaming oxygen molecules that cause cellular damage, cancer, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s Disease, rheumatoid arthritis, premature aging, and about 50 other diseases. Antioxidants help keep skin clear, delay aging, and also prevent inflammation. The “antioxidant vitamins” are E, C, and beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A).  Antioxidant levels in foods are measured by their Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity or ORAC score. The higher the score the higher the level of antioxidants. The chart below a few foods with high ORAC scores, http://oracvalues.com is also a great source of info. Many berries, spices such as turmeric, cinnamon, chili powder, cloves, and garlic, as well as green tea are phenomenal antioxidant sources.

13.  Eat breakfast. Never, ever skip breakfast. Imagine how hungry you'd be if you ate at noon and not again until 8PM? That’s how the body feels after it goes through an 8 hour sleeping fast. It's absolutely critical to replenish your body, provide it with energy, and eat to get it out of the catabolic state, or the state in which your body uses its own muscle, fat, and tissue for fuel. Skipping breakfast will make you feel sluggish, tired, and mentally slow. Eat some eggs and oatmeal, or even a quick granola bar or bowl of cereal if you don't have the time to make something serious. Eat something. Eating breakfast also jump starts your metabolism.

14. No eating at least 2 hours before bed unless it’s protein. When you go to bed your body’s metabolism slows down and whatever is left in your stomach will be stored as fat. The one exception is protein. Drinking a protein shake, eating cottage cheese, or consuming some other source of protein is ideal because it stimulates your body’s metabolism for a few hours after consumption and provides a constant stream of amino acids to your muscles during rest. This aids the muscle building/preservation process and essentially reduces how much your metabolism slows down when you go to bed, which allows you to continuously burn calories. Carbs and fat will just sit in your stomach and convert to fat, and therefore should be avoided altogether around bed time. 

15. Eat 5-6 smaller meals. Eating small meals every 2-3 hours keeps your body’s metabolism revved up, keeps blood sugar levels under control, and allows for easier digestion. Your body has a much easier time digesting a small 500 calorie meal than it does digesting a huge 1000+ calorie binge. When you consume that many calories it takes your body a long time to finish digesting everything, and in the process many of those calories that are waiting to be burned get stored as fat. Additionally, large meals produce huge blood sugar and insulin spikes--smaller meals can help keep blood sugar levels suppressed. Small, frequent meals also helps ensure that you're eating healthy foods as opposed to snacking on junk.

16.  Center your diet around natural foods. Whenever possible eat natural, unprocessed foods. That means lots of fruits, vegetables, fish, chicken, and beef, nuts, etc. Eating natural foods ensures that you’re not eating a lot of chemicals and preservatives. These foods generally have the highest nutritional content and allow the body to get all of the essential vitamins and minerals. As a rule of thumb, avoid foods in a can, boxes or other packaging as often as possible.

17. Be a label reader. If you’re buying foods in a package ALWAYS check the nutrition label and ingredients first. Here are a few rules and guidelines:

a.      Ingredients are listed in order of how much of that ingredient is in the food. The first ingredient is the most abundant and the last ingredient is generally insignificant. This all depends on how many ingredients there are. As a rule of thumb the less ingredients the better. More ingredients means more artificial crap.

b.      Anything with HFCS, vegetable shortening, and partially hydrogenated oils should never be eaten.

c.       Avoid foods with aspartame, crystalline fructose, sucralose, saccharin, maltodextrin, and erythritol.

d.      Sugar should not be the 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd ingredient. If it is put it back on the shelf.

e.      Anything with over 7g of sugar is very high in sugar and should be avoided.

f.       Check wheat bread to make sure that white flour is not listed.

Jonah Hill Loses a TON of Weight for '21 Jump Street' (Pics)

WOW, Jonah Hill lost a ton of weight...he looks totally different, almost scary.

Jonah Hill recently lost 30 pounds prepping for his role in '21 Jump Street,' a comedy/action film remake of the TV series--a drastic change from his plump, roundness in Superbad/Get Him to the Greek. Looks like he took a little advice from Seth Rogen...

Before: 

After:

A Picture of HFCS & Obesity...or Two

This stuff is nasty...cut it out. 

Although I don't think that obesity can be directly attributed to only increased high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumption, there's no doubt that HFCS has been one of the major factors.

I've posted on HFCS and insulin before (here), but here's a quick recap of what HFCS does to the body.

The High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) Story:

• There are many different types of sugar, a few include: lactose, which is found in dairy products, fructose, which is found in fruits, and glucose which is a product of carbohydrate breakdown. These sugars are not chemically identical and have much different effects on our blood sugar levels. Most fruits have a relatively low glycemic index value (low glycemic index foods raise blood sugar levels at a slower rate). Even though they're high in sugar, they're slower digesting because they're primarily composed of fructose (which digests slower than other types of sugar).
• Sugar is made up of 50% fructose and 50% glucose. HFCS is a chemical meant to imitate sugar that's made up of a higher % of fructose depending on the type (hence the name "high fructose"). Typical HFCS is 55% fructose, 45% glucose, but some variations can go as high as 92% fructose. 
• The issue with HFCS is that our body, in particularly the liver, isn't used to such a high % of fructose in normal sugar.
• The high fructose component of HFCS is sent directly to the liver and completely bypasses the bloodstream. In the 1000 years of existence our liver has never had to deal with such a high amount of fructose in sugar. It doesn't know what to do with it--so it converts it into fat immediately and sends it out to the fat tissue to be stored. 
• What's even worst is that because HFCS skips the bloodstream it has no effect on our hunger levels and we keep eating more and more. Because we never get any hungrier this creates an endless cycle of HFCS consumption, fat gain, and ultimately obesity. 

The rest of the story in pictures...

http://www.oneclickdiet.com/high_fructose_corn_syrup_consumption.html

Gary Taubes Takes on Dr. Oz , What's the Best Diet?

A really controversial debate between Dr. Oz and Gary Taubes just aired that discussed the fundamentals of dieting and weight loss. Taube's somehow thought he was convincing Dr. Oz that his methods were legit...I mean it's not that big of a deal that Dr. Oz is only a heart surgeon and joint MD/MBA from the UPenn med school/Wharton.

Taubes' school of dieting is based on a few principles, most notably the ideas that:

• energy expenditure, exercise, and the amount of calories you take in don't mean anything
• fat gain/loss is entirely predicated on keeping insulin levels as low as possible
• there shouldn't be any carbs in the diet other than green leafy vegetables, and the majority of the diet should be comprised of foods high in saturated fat (e.g. bacon, lard, fatty steak)

I agree with Taubes that controlling insulin is a HUGE factor for fat manipulation, but his whole approach is so fundamentally wrong on a number of levels. First, although I do whole-heartedly agree that the notion of calories in vs. calories out (we'll call it CICO) is relied on way too heavily by dieters--and realistically is only one of the many factors that control fat gain/loss--the fact that he totally disregards CICO/energy expenditure is ridiculous. I don't care how low your insulin is, if you're overeating based on your body's caloric needs and low levels of activity, you will get fat. You couldn't possibly try to convince me that if I ate 10,000 calories per day, albeit all low insulinogenic foods, I wouldn't get fat...I'd say you're clinically insane.

Next, cutting out carbs altogether isn't sustainable and it isn't healthy...look at Atkins. The body and mind need energy to function and perform well on a day-to-day basis--that energy comes primarily from carbs. Cut out refined/simple carbs altogether, but complex carbs and fruit are essential to a healthy lifestyle. It's just not practical or smart to stop eating carbs--your diet would be devoid of so many vital vitamins and minerals, not to mention fiber. I eat plenty of complex, slow digesting carbs and I seem to be doing just fine for myself.

Also, his theory that saturated fat doesn't impact health is completely wrong and has about a google's worth of scientific studies/published research to refute his claim. Everything he says about cholesterol in Part 3 is so idiotic and ludacris...it's complete BS. I agree that total cholesterol levels don't mean much, but the notion that LDL cholesterol doesn't mean anything is absurd. There's also something to be said for the fact that he has no clue at all about what his cholesterol levels are and doesn't want them checked...seriously!? How can you claim something works when you have no proof yourself. Just my 2 cents.

Check out the interviews, they're really interesting and worth watching:
Part 1: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/man-who-thinks-everything-dr-oz-says-wrong-pt-1
Part 2: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/man-who-thinks-everything-dr-oz-says-wrong-pt-2
Part 3: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/man-who-thinks-everything-dr-oz-says-wrong-pt-3

What's your view? Do you agree with me or Taubes, or somewhere else on the dietary spectrum?

Lack the Motivation or Commitment to Get in Shape? Try This Technique...

BY FAR, the #1 thing I've noticed that people struggle with when trying to shred body fat, eat healthier, or just straight up get in shape is the lack of motivation and commitment to do so on consistent, long-term basis.

Most people don't have the ability to push themselves at a high intensity, or the discipline to make smart food choices when they're not being yelled at by their trainer (or me!). It's really, really difficult.

If that's you, don't sweat--you're in the same boat as the majority of Brad Pitt in Fight Club or Jessica Biel in just-about-anything wannabes (I can't even tell you how many times I've heard people say they want abs like Brad Pitt in Fight Club). Lets be serious...if everyone was psyched to exercise and eat right all the time, 35% of America wouldn't be obese. That's just not the reality of the world we live in.

The key to motivation is visualization. It's the tactic I use to lead my obsessive, psychotic, fitness and nutrition driven lifestyle. Visualization has two aspects.

Part 1 - Visualize your goals. Simply saying or thinking that you want to lose 20 pounds of body fat isn't motivating. Visualizing and knowing what your body WILL look like post-transformation is another story. Paint the ideal picture of yourself in your head, shit...find a picture of someones sexy body online and Photoshop your face in. And then print it out and stick it on your wall.

Apply the idea to architecture. Architects don't truly get excited about a new idea or take action on a new idea for a massive skyscraper while it's swirling around in their head...they get pumped up and start building when there's a tangible, visual model of the skyscraper smacking them in the face. Once you have an idea of what you WILL look like after a few months of hard work, it's hard to put it off without feeling guilty for what could have been.

Gerard Butler transformed fat into Leonidas...

Part 2 - Visualize the impact of your choices. The harsh reality of fitness and nutrition is that every single choice you make will have a major impact on your fitness goals, both positive and negative. I mean every choice, it doesn't matter how small or how infrequently you indulge...it all adds up. The key is to visualize the effect of your fitness/nutrition choices and carefully consider if they're really worth making. Also consider this...the closer you get to your goal, the more discipline it takes to sustain progress.

The next time you eat a handful of Fruit Loops, toast a piece of white bread, or drink a can of Coke consider that your blood sugar will spike extremely quickly and your body will start storing glucose as body fat (except directly post-workout). Simply put, any refined carbs or foods high in sugar turn into body fat almost immediately...covering up your abs and packing on the pounds you're trying to lose. Visualize the nasty fat piling up underneath your skin, plastering the crevices between your abs...

Every soda makes you fatter...

Do you eat meals more than 4 hours apart, skip breakfast, or forget to include protein at every meal? Every single additional minute that goes by without protein in your system, your body increasingly taps into your hard-earned muscle for fuel, rapidly eating up muscle tissue and decreasing it in size. When you lose muscle your body fat % automatically increases, you burn fewer calories at rest, and you look a lot mushier. Visualize your muscles deteriorating by the minute...

The next time you're lying in bed or on the couch and can't find the energy or drive to hit the gym, consider that your metabolism is in slow-motion and you're not burning any calories. Visualize yourself getting fatter and developing heart disease. Visualize your progress stopping. Every day you skip, with the exception of a well-deserved rest day once a week or so, you're taking a step backwards into the fatness abyss. It's not fun down there.

If you're in the gym on your cell-phone, zoning out to TV, or using weights that are way to light to have an impact, consider that you're wasting your time. Visualize that you're not being productive and not getting results. Results come when you push yourself and exercise with intensity, not when you move on cruise control.

These are just a few examples, but visualization should be applied to all aspects of fitness and nutrition. I want you to feel guilty when you make a bad choice...if you do than you're on board the visualization bandwagon and you're feeling its effects.

Happy visualizing!

How do you motivate yourself? Let me know in the comments section!

BCAA's: The Ultimate Muscle Building, Soreness Reducing Supplement

What if I told you there was a supplement that could help YOU pack on huge new slabs of muscle, maintain that muscle mass while dieting and doing cardio, and also reduce post-exercise muscular soreness...all without any side-effects or negative health impact. Interested?

Take BCAA's. They'll change fitness and weight-lifting as you know it.

The branched chain amino acids (BCAA's) are a group of three essential amino acids: l-leucine, l-valine, and l-isoleucine. An essential amino acid (there are 9 of them in the body) is any amino acid that can't be made by the body naturally, which means that they have to come from dietary protein. BCAA's are the only amino acids that are metabolized in the muscle itself (all of the others are metabolized in the liver), and make up about 35% of muscle tissue.

During intense training the BCAA's serve as a major source of fuel for the body--when you're BCAA stores are depleted your body starts breaking down precious muscle tissue...no bueno. BCAA's also signal the release of insulin, which allows the body to absorb any circulating amino acids and glucose for energy. They're absolutely critical for the development and maintenance of muscle tissue. I can't stress that enough.

You've probably been ingesting BCAA's longer than you ever would've thought...they're a component of most foods that have protein. Although the protein you eat throughout the day provides a decent amount of BCAA's, that's not nearly enough to get a significant benefit.

I'm talking about supplemental amounts flooding through the blood stream, filling up all of the thirsty muscles that are craving some BCAA love...I want a BCAA TSUNAMI!!

The Benefits:

• Better Recovery, Less Soreness - No one likes being sore after a crazy intense workout...it sucks. One of the most powerful effects of BCAA's is their ability to drastically decrease muscle soreness and increase recovery time. A recent study from the University of Birmingham tested the impact of BCAA's on muscle soreness and found that "ratings of muscle soreness in the quadriceps muscle were significantly lower 48 to 72 hours after exercise in the BCAA group." (1) I take BCAA's religiously...It's insane how much more sore I get when I run out.
• Enhanced Protein Synthesis, Bigger Muscle Gains - Protein's pretty much useless if the body isn't able to effectively digest, absorb, and synthesize it into muscle/other tissue. When the body's under immense stress (i.e. during a workout) it calls on BCAA's to be released for fuel, which stops protein synthesis. By supplementing with BCAA's, especially during a workout, you can eliminate the need to release BCAA's from muscle tissue, therefore keeping protein synthesis revved up at a high gear. 
• More Muscle Gain... - BCAA's increase levels of testosterone, HGH, and insulin -- all of which are extremely anabolic (they promote the development of new tissue). That means new muscle. HGH and testosterone are also responsible for reducing levels of body fat.
• Prevent Muscle Breakdown (Catabolism) - Plain and simple, when you supplement with BCAA's your body doesn't have to break down muscle tissue for energy. The BCAA's are a major source of fuel during intense exercise, especially after glycogen stores (stored carbohydrates in the muscles) have been completely emptied. Drinking BCAA's before/during exercise is a great way to ensure that your hard-earned, beefy muscle isn't being broken down for fuel.
• A lot of people who "cut" (diet and do a lot of cardio to reduce body fat %) typically have tremendous difficulty maintaining their muscle mass while losing fat. Supplementing with BCAA's is a phenomenally effective way to preserve muscle while burning fat, especially if you do long cardio sessions.
• Boosts Endurance - Once glycogen stores (stored carbohydrates) are depleted the body starts to get really weak and it fatigues. Fortunately, BCAA's can be quickly converted into glucose, stored as glycogen, and then used as energy to bang out the last few sets.
• Another cool benefit. In the body, BCAA's and tryptophan fight for the same receptors in the brain. If levels of BCAA's in the body are low, more tryptophan is able to enter the brain as a result. This is really important because tryptophan is a precursor to seratonin -- a neurotransmitter that causes people to feel relaxed, sleepy, and weak. Supplementing with BCAA's = more BCAA's = less tryptophan & serotonin = awake, alert, and strong. 
• Increased Immunity - Noone likes being sick. BCAA's can help preserve stored glutamine, an amino acid that's critical to immune function.

In short...BCAA's are the key to entering BEAST-MODE. Unleash the beast!!!!

How Much and When Should I Take BCAA's?

BCAA's are optimal directly pre-workout, during a workout, and anytime later in the day post-workout. I highly recommended drinking BCAA's during any workout session that lasts longer than 1 hour, as you'll start breaking down muscle tissue to be used as fuel.

Take 3-10g of BCAA's split-up throughout the course of the day, in addition to your daily protein requirement. BCAA formulas should always be in the ratio of 2:1:1 (leucine:isoleucine:valine).

I'm currently using Scivation Xtend...it's a phenomenal product and by far the best BCAA brand I've ever used. It tastes awesome (watermelon's the best), it's inexpensive for a BCAA product @ ~ $50 for 90 servings, and it works stupidly well. It also has l-glutamine, another amino acid that's really strong at decreasing soreness/enhancing recovery...the BCAA/Glutamine 1-2 punch is potent. It's also nice that they don't add in any unnecessary filler ingredients or stimulants.

Optimum Nutrition's BCAA powder is another solid option that's unflavored, if you're looking to go the super natural route. Just mix it with water or add it to a protein shake.

1. Med Science Sports Exercise; 2010, Vol. 42, No. 5, 962-70  7KYKDPZ2ETMM