The type of bean to AVOID eating

The type of bean to AVOID eating

While beans are actually one of the healthiest carbs sources out there, loaded with fiber and protein, there's actually one variety of beans you should be AVOIDING at all costs:

Baked Beans.

Fact is, manufacturers of commercial "baked beans" are completely RUINING this health food by piling in sugars galore along with a slew of artificial ingredients.

Many brands are now even including high fructose corn syrup and numerous other corn ingredients, such as corn starch, in their products...bad news!

For example, a 1-cup serving of canned "baked beans" contains more than 20 grams of ADDED sugar on average while the same 1-cup serving of regular kidney beans, pinto beans, red beans, etc, contains only a gram or two of naturally occurring sugar. BIG difference!

That said, when buying beans and adding them to your diet (which is actually a great choice), make sure to avoid commercial "baked beans" products and instead go with bean products that don't add all the extra junk.

Some great varieties of beans and legumes are:

Pinto Beans
Red Beans
Navy Beans
Lima Beans
Black Beans
Black-eyed Peas
Marrowfat Peas
Chickpeas
Butter Beans
Lentils

And there are even some natural packaged versions of the above listed beans and legumes that add a number of healthy and natural seasonings to spice them up a bit. The lesson here is to avoid "baked beans" in favor of the plain stuff (which you can then spice up at home) and when buying anything packaged, take a good, hard look at the ingredients and nutrition facts.

If it's got added sugar and artificial ingredients, skip it!

The 5 best foods to eat before bed (for a flat belly)

The 5 best foods to eat before bed (for a flat belly)

You may have heard some trainers or gurus telling you that eating before bed is a big-time "no no" if you're looking to lose weight. In fact, you've probably even heard that eating late at night will undoubtedly cause you to GAIN weight...even worse!

Well, there's good news... not every food that you eat past 7PM will be automatically deposited to your belly fat, thighs, and love handles.

In fact, there are certain foods that you can eat as a late-night snack that can actually INCREASE your fat loss results through hormonal improvements! The key is knowing which foods to eat, and which to avoid, as the evening progresses.

Here's a good rule of thumb: Avoid carbs before bed in favor of slow-digesting high-quality protein and healthy fats. Fiber is ok too as long as it's low in starch or sugars.

Carbohydrate consumption causes significant rise in the storage hormone insulin, which also puts the breaks on fat-burning. That's a recipe for disaster in the late evening hours as your metabolism is winding down, but fortunately, slow-digesting protein isn't.

Instead, slow digesting proteins provide your body with a steady flow of amino acids throughout the night to help you recover from exercise and maintain your calorie-burning lean muscle as you lose fat.

Here are some of my top pre-bedtime food choices:

1. White Meat Protein  - White meat animal protein sources such as chicken and turkey are great pre-bed meal choices because they digest slowly and have a very low insulin release. These sources also promote the release of another hormone, glucagon, that assists the body with breaking down stored carbs and fat within your body to be burned for energy...a double win! 

Having some cooked ground turkey or chicken handy in tupperware in your fridge makes for a quick late night snack whenever you need it... my favorite way is to warm it up and add to a quick lettuce wrap with a little avocado and hot sauce whenever I need a night time snack.  A delicious way to aid your metabolism and fat loss efforts!

2. Cottage Cheese - Cottage cheese is very slow digesting and coats the stomach to be assimilated by the body over many hours. As a protein, it also stimulates glucagon release, which as I just mentioned is great for fat loss, making this a good pre-bedtime choice. Just make sure you're using plain cottage cheese, not the flavored varieties with added sugars.  Add some stevia and cinnamon if you need to flavor it up a little!

3. Green Vegetables - While these aren't considered a protein, they contain virtually no calories (insignificant), are high in fiber, and they're very filling. Often times when I get a late night craving I eat a big bowl of green veggies and it completely kills my craving...a diet savior to prevent you from giving in to junk foods late night!

4. Almonds, pecans, walnuts, or pistachios - These nuts are not only great sources of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, but provide the fiber and healthy fats necessary to control your cravings late at night and make sure you don't give in to junk.

5. A Slow-digesting, Low-carb Protein Shake - I use a slow-digesting protein shake before bed a lot of times. It's a great dessert alternative that's much lower in sugar and better for your body. The vast majority of my clients have grown to love the habit as well...who doesn't love dessert before bed? :) I normally blend the shake with almond butter to get some healthy fats in there, and oh man, it tastes good with the right protein powder.

WARNING: Avoid taking a simple whey protein powder before bed...research has shown that it causes more of an insulin release than white bread! Instead, try this time-released blend that includes a blend of slow-digesting, high-quality proteins.

Is "paleo" the healthiest human diet? (controversial)

Is "paleo" the healthiest human diet? (controversial)

The hottest thing in nutrition over the last few years is the "Paleo" style of eating (aka, Paleolithic nutrition).  In some ways, it's a simple concept, and it's common sense... eat a similar hunter-gatherer diet like our ancestors did for over 1.9 Million years, and since this is the diet that the human digestive system is most adapted to during 99% of our existence, good health will follow, and getting a lean body becomes easier.

Some paleo authors though forbid even tiny amounts of grains and dairy in their recommendations, while other mainstream health authors and experts just aren't convinced yet (or haven't been explained the science yet) that whole grains can possibly be bad for you in any way. 

My thought on this is that not all grains are necessarily bad for you, but some are a LOT worse than others... this is where I see "paleo" nutrition in a slightly different light than some very strict Paleo authors that advise to 100% eliminate ALL grains.  I don't quite see it that way.

A couple things that I keep in mind in terms of deciding on the healthiest paleolithic nutrition plan:

1.  For people that are extremely active such as long distance bikers, runners, and athletes that do intense activity for several hours per day, the extra calories from starch that grains give can be useful. The extra calories and carbs from grains can also be useful to those looking to build muscle mass. 

However, there's no reason at all that these types of people can't fuel their carb needs with potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruit, squash, quinoa, and other non-grain carb sources, and still get the calories and carbs they need without getting all of the gluten and other problematic anti-nutrients that are in many popular grains.

2.  Some grains are worse than others.  For example, rice and oats still have anti-nutrients, but have a lot less anti-nutrients than wheat does.  Rice and oats also don't contain gluten (unless they contain traces from processing machines that also processed wheat or barley), and as you know, chronic gluten intake can irritate the gut and cause internal inflammation in a large majority of us, even if we're not Celiac.

This means that rice and oats are more "neutral" than wheat is, and if you're extremely active and burn boatloads of calories with hours of exercise each day, then rice and oats can be a reasonable source of calories, although still not necessarily the "best" carb source per se.

However, if you're an average person that exercises a couple days a week, and not daily for hours each day, there's really no need for the extra calories and carbs that even "neutral" grains provide. 

3.  It's important to know that grains are NOT "essential" to the human diet in any way.  After all, before agriculture started approx 10,000 years ago, grains were just a very tiny % of the human diet, dating back almost 2 Million years. 

Currently, it's estimated that the average modern day person obtains 67% of their total calories come from only 3 foods -- wheat, corn, and soy and their derivatives. 

However, ancient paleolithic humans most likely only consumed about 1 or 2% of their total calories from wild grains that they could have gathered.  Mass produced grains to make bread, baked goods, and pasta that are modern day staples simply didn't exist back then.

This means that for 99% of human existence, humans only ate grains in a very tiny fraction of their total calories, and for the last 1% of human existence, we now eat 67% of our total calories from wheat, corn, and soy alone (although technically, soy is not a grain...it's a legume, but soy has it's own health issues as well).

Ancient paleolithic humans were very active hunting and gathering each day (and probably fighting off predators too in most locations!), yet somehow us humans managed to "fuel our bodies" for almost 2 Million years without the need for large amounts of grains like modern day athletes resort to as the go-to carb source.

Although I'm not personally a competing athlete in anything, I'm a very active skier, mountain biker, hiker, and weight lifter.  But I don't fuel my body on grains, and I don't necessarily fuel my body on primarily carbohydrates either.  And I feel amazing every single day!

I tend to prefer to fuel my body primarily from healthy fats like avocados, nuts, egg yolks, seeds, olive oil, coconut oil, and grass-fed butter and cream.  But I still also fuel my body with small to moderate amounts of carbs each day from eating loads of veggies, raw honey in my morning or afternoon tea, maybe a few potatoes or sweet potatoes each week, squash, and one or two pieces of fruit a day.  This type of plan replicates the ancient paleolithic hunter-gatherer diet much more closely than these modern plans loaded with grains at every meal.

I'm sure we'll talk more about this topic in upcoming newsletters, but let's look at the big picture here...

The way I see it is that you can probably find a lot of examples of people you know that eat a lot of grains and yet remain lean, and seemingly healthy.  This doesn't mean that gluten and other anti-nutrients they are consuming daily aren't causing at least some form of moderate internal inflammation, blood sugar problems, or minor digestive problems though in many of these grain-eaters.

I personally don't avoid grains altogether, but I would say that I only eat grains about 1 day per week, and I try to get variety when I do instead of only one type of grain, so that I'm not always consuming the same types of anti-nutrients which might affect specific minerals from being absorbed in the body.  This can lead to some mineral deficiency with over-consumption of certain grains too often.

2 Pre-Meal Tricks to Control Your Blood Sugar Response and Stay in Fat-Burning Mode

In several other articles, I've told you about some of the really cool experiments that Tim Ferriss has done in his new book that I read recently, The 4-Hour Body, and I wanted to show you this one today, because it's pretty cool, and also a simple thing to do...
You may have heard different websites or anecdotes in the past about these 3 substances and their possible effects on reducing the blood sugar response of a meal (taken either before or during a meal), which can, essentially help to keep insulin levels lower post-meal and keep the body from depositing extra body fat.  Maintaining lower and more stable blood sugar levels also helps to prevent cravings and slow the aging process by reducing formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in your body.
These 3 substances that he tested pre-meal are:

• vinegar
• lemon juice
• cinnamon

But do they actually work in controlling blood sugar response from a meal?
Well, that's what Tim decided to test out on himself as one of his experiments that he did in The 4-Hour Body.  Tim actually used a blood sugar meter (normally for diabetics) that attached probes into his abdomen to get constant measurements and graphs of his blood sugar and response to different foods and meals.
In his tests, he tested ingesting all 3 of these "substances" before meals in separate tests.
The results?
The pre-meal vinegar
The vinegar failed!
Tim tested both white vinegar and balsamic vinegar and neither showed any lowering effect on his blood sugar in his tests.  He even drank 3 Tbsp+ of vinegar before meals as a last attempt to see if vinegar could have any blood sugar controlling effects.  But he found no effect.
Tim includes some theories in his book on why the vinegar didn't have any effect.
The pre-meal lemon juice
Better news with the lemon juice! 
In Tim's personal tests, he used 3 Tbsp of fresh-squeezed lemon juice (not store-bought stuff with preservatives and artificial additives) prior to his meals and this lowered his blood sugar response to meals (compared to his controls) by approximately 10%.
Remember that lowering the blood sugar response to a meal can help to control insulin levels and therefore keep your body in fat-burning mode for longer...and prevent cravings too!
The pre-meal cinnamon
Yet another score!
If you've read my articles in the past, it's no secret that cinnamon can be powerful in terms of helping to blunt blood sugar response to a meal.  In fact, I regularly take 2 cinnamon capsules (approx 1 gram) if I know I'm going to eat a meal that contains moderate or high levels of carbohydrates.  Some studies show that cinnamon can reduce the glycemic response of a meal up to 29%!
But there are different types of cinnamon...so which is best?
Tim actually tested 3 types of cinnamon in how they affected his blood sugar response to meals.
Saigon cinnamon (aka Vietnamese cinnamon) was found in Tim's tests to be the most effective at controlling blood sugar.
Cassia cinnamon came in 2nd place in effectiveness
Ceylon cinnamon came in 3rd place in Tim's tests in effectiveness in controlling blood sugar response to a meal.
Tim did note however that all 3 types of cinnamon helped control blood sugar to some extent.  I personally like to use cinnamon in smoothies, in yogurt or oatmeal, with apples and almond butter, or in capsule form before any meals that are going to have more than 35 grams of carbohydrates.
Keep in mind that if you take medications, you need to consult with your doctor to make sure that cinnamon use does not interfere with the medications (especially with blood thinners).  Tim also warns that 4 grams per day (about 1.5 teaspoons) is probably the max amount of cinnamon that anyone should take.

So there you go!  Lemon juice and cinnamon are the 2 tricks that Tim revealed through his own blood sugar testing that helped to control blood sugar response, fight cravings, and therefore can help you to maintain lower blood sugar and insulin levels and stay in fat-burning mode longer!
And remember that yet another benefit of maintaining lower blood sugar levels is that you help to SLOW the aging process, since high blood sugar levels over time increase glycation in your body, which ages you faster.

Do cereal and bread cause heart disease?

Do cereal and bread cause heart disease?

We talked a little bit the other day about the truth about cholesterol and why most people have been misinformed about "reducing their cholesterol" when in fact, total cholesterol has almost nothing to with heart disease risk.

But we also need to talk about another related topic that is equally important...

Most people over the years have been misinformed by the media that dietary fats are the cause of heart disease. In recent years, scientists have become quite clear that this is not the case.  Sure, artificial trans fats are a big cause of heart disease, but not necessarily healthy natural fats from unprocessed foods (except in the case of excess omega-6 fats compared to omega-3 fats).

But here's another cause of heart disease that most people aren't aware of...

First, remember that LDLs can be broken down into big puffy LDLs (type A, which don't contribute to plaque in the arteries) and small dense LDLs (type B) which do contribute to plaque in the arteries.

Now this is where it gets interesting... High insulin levels from a high carbohydrate intake over time cause your body to produce higher levels of nasty small/dense LDL particles in your blood (type B LDL particles), which are known to be atherogenic (causes plaque in your arteries).

Yes, that's right... a chronically high carb intake can actually be one of the causes of heart disease.

What does the government recommend... a high carbohydrate diet.  Doesn't make much sense does it?  Is their recommendation biased to support big business?  I'll let you decide on that.

Now another thing to keep in mind are your triglyceride levels.  Higher triglyceride levels in your blood are another risk factor for heart disease.  According to well-known nutrition author Rob Wolf , "Triglycerides are a measure of circulating blood fats, so you would think a high-fat diet would mean high triglycerides, right? Interestingly, this is not the case.  Triglycerides are in fact an indicator of high dietary carbohydrate and insulin sensitivity. High carbs and poor insulin sensitivity = high triglycerides."

Once again, everything you've been told over the years about eating a high-carb diet being healthy, is not quite accurate.  Eating moderately higher protein and healthy fats along with loads of fibrous vegetables, nuts, and small amounts of fruits (while minimizing grains and sugars) can all be exactly what we need to prevent heart disease and also diabetes.

The TRUTH about Potatoes, Glycemic Index, and "White Foods" - Friend or Foe for Fat Loss?
by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author - The Truth about Six-Pack Abs

I'd like to start a little discussion today about carbohydrates... and in particular, "white foods" as well as potatoes. One reason I wanted to mention this is because so many health and fitness professionals trash talk potatoes about being a bad carbohydrate choice because of the high glycemic index. Some even say such ridiculous things as "avoid any and all white carbohydrates".
Ok, now while I certainly agree that white bread and refined white sugar are two of the worst things we can be feeding our bodies, I definately don't agree with avoiding any and all "white carbohydrates". Now I know all of the buzz lately has been about colorful foods and the protective antioxidants that they contain. They tell you to focus on colors and stay away from white.
"White Foods" aren't necessarily always the enemy
It's true that colorful foods are great, but it is a big mistake to specifically avoid white foods! There are plenty of white foods that have specific nutrients that are hard to find elsewhere. Let's look at a few examples...
Onions & Garlic
What about onions and garlic? They are both white and they are chock full of protective phytonutrients, vitamins, and trace minerals that aren't easy to find elsewhere in a normal diet... such nutrients as allicin, quercetin (an important flavonoid), chromium, and other unique anti-inflammatory nutrients.
In fact, onions are so powerful for our health, that one study of centenarians (people that live to over 100 years old) identified that a common thread of these amazingly healthy individuals was that they ate a lot of onions throughout their lives.   And we also know that garlic is one of the most powerful substances for a strong immune system, among other qualities.  
Cauliflower
Another example of something white that is great for you is cauliflower. Cauliflower is loaded with vitamin C, fiber, minerals, and special compounds such as glucosinolates and thiocyanates, which are specifically abundant in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.  And a little-known fact is that some of the compounds in cruciferous vegetables help to combat other estrogenic compounds in our food supply and environment and can help prevent excess belly fat.  So eat up on that cauliflower!
Mushrooms
Not many people realize this, but surprisingly, even white mushrooms have high levels of unique nutrients and antioxidants. White mushrooms are high in a couple types of antioxidants called polyphenols and ergothioneine.  And some types of mushrooms, such as portobella mushrooms, are surprisingly good sources of Vitamin D.
Potatoes
Now that also leads us to another example - white potatoes (which by the way, can also be found in red, yellow, purple varieties, etc). Many health professionals claim that potatoes are a bad carbohydrate because they are thought to have a high glycemic index. First of all, if you've read my Truth about Six Pack Abs ebook, then you understand that glycemic index is not necessarily the most important factor in choosing your carbohydrates.
While a generalization can be made that most low glycemic index carbohydrate choices will help you lose body fat easier than high glycemic index choices, it is not all that it's cracked up to be. There are many other factors that determine how your body will react-to and process the carbohydrates you ingest, such as glycemic load and also how you combine the high GI food with other foods.
For example, using glycemic load as an example... it is known that watermelon has a high glycemic index. However, the glycemic load of a normal serving of watermelon is just way too low for your body to start packing on body fat just because you ate a high glycemic index fruit. You would have to eat such an enormous quantity of watermelon just to get enough grams of carbohydrates to have any negative glycemic effect, that it is just non-sensical.
Not to mention that watermelon is also a great source of vitamins, minerals, and lycopene. There's just no reason to avoid it simply because it has a high GI. My point is... candy bars, cupcakes, and donuts make you fat... NOT watermelons, carrots or potatoes... French fries excluded of course.
Also, as i mentioned, food combinations are important in how your body processes the carbohydrates and the associated blood sugar and insulin response you receive. For example, if you mix a high glycemic index carbohydrate with an extra source of fiber, healthy fats, or even certain proteins, many times the blood sugar and glycemic response will be slowed down considerably by the way you combined the food. Again, I talk in detail about this entire topic in my Truth about Six Pack Abs book
Alright, so back to my point that white potatoes are actually a healthy carbohydrate as long as you eat them in the right form... with the entire skin, and please don't ruin them by deep frying them into french fries either! French fries are one of the most evil things ever invented for your health, but only because we ruin them by soaking them in a scorching bath of trans fats in the deep fryer from the hydrogenated oils that are typically used.
Keep in mind that potatoes contain so many vitamins and minerals that the list is way too long to even try. Also, as long as you eat the skins, you get a decent shot of fiber too.
Will 7-9 potatoes per day make you fatter?
On the topic of potatoes not being so bad after all, I don't remember where I saw this referenced, but I recently saw a particular study that had participants eat something like 7-9 whole potatoes per day for several weeks.
At the conclusion of the study, the potato eaters had actually consistently lost weight! I'd venture a guess that the reason the people lost weight is that they were probably so full from eating all of those damn potatoes, that they actually consumed less calories than normal! An average sized potato only has about 100-120 calories, and I can surely imagine you'd be full constantly from eating 7-9 potatoes each day. 
Of course, this does NOT mean that french fries are ok to eat!  Those will only make you fat, and the trans fat will lead to an early death.  Seriously... fries are one of the most deadly foods in our food supply.  Plus, deep fried potatoes build up dangerous acrylamides from the frying oil reacting with the starch, and these compounds are carcinogenic. 
Anyway, back to the 7-9 whole potatoes per day... Now I would never recommend going to those extremes, but my point is that an occasional potato is not going to hurt your efforts to get lean, especially if you combine it with some other fibrous vegetables and maybe a healthy fat and some protein. On that note, I have one of my favorite recipes for you, using potatoes.
Geary's Lean-Body Potato Side Dish

• Desired quantity of baby potatoes (I like to use this mixture I found recently at a health food store... it is a mixture of white, red, yellow, and purple baby potatoes)
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 or 2 onions
• a couple cloves of garlic, finely chopped (or mashed garlic from a jar, organic preferably)
• 1 or 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and/or virgin coconut oil
• a little salt and pepper to taste (I like using a sea salt instead of normal commercial salt)

Cut the baby potatoes into slightly smaller pieces and place in a steamer until soft all the way through. Slice up the peppers and onions into strips and add with the chopped garlic into a pan with the olive oil. Cook the peppers, onions, and garlic until tender, and then add the steamed baby potatoes. Stir it all together and serve. This is a delicious and healthy side dish that goes great with chicken or red meat.
I hope you've enjoyed this little topic today about potatoes, healthy carbohydrates, glycemic index, and my killer healthy potato recipe idea!

5 Reasons that I Think Treadmill and Elliptical Machine Workouts are a Waste of Time
Plus 10 workout ideas that I believe are more effective and fun!
by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author of best-selling program:  The Truth about Six-Pack Abs


Now that I pissed off all of the treadmill and elliptical machine worshipers... let me say that if you truly enjoy mindlessly pumping away on a treadmill or elliptical (or exercise bike for that matter too), then by all means, keep doing what you enjoy, because enjoying your exercise is one of the most important aspects to sticking with any exercise program...
However, don't say that I didn't warn you that you were wasting your time with all that mindless cardio machine boredom.
If I haven't mentioned it before, I don't believe in cardio machines, and to be quite honest, I don't think I've personally used a treadmill, elliptical, or exercise bike for at least the last 7-8 years or so.
As a matter of fact, I don't even use cardio machines anymore for warmups before a workout (I did before occasionally)... Nowadays, I prefer to do dumbbell or kettlebell snatches and swings mixed with bodyweight exercises as the perfect full body warmup at the beginning of my workouts.
So why do I have such hatred for cardio machines?  Well, here are 5 reasons:
1) Treadmills, ellipticals, and exercise bikes are mind-blowingly BOOOORING!  Personally, I can think of a million things I'd rather be doing than pedaling my way to nowhere!
2) Mindless steady state cardio exercise while watching TV or reading creates a mind / body disconnect resulting in poor results from your exercise routine.  Instead of reading a gossip magazine or watching a cheesy reality TV show on the TV screen in front of the cardio machine, a REAL workout consists of actually having your mind engaged strongly in what your body is doing!
3) I've seen studies that indicated that treadmill running may be less effective than outdoor running for various reasons such as stride abnormalities on treadmills vs natural running, slightly less caloric burn compared to outdoor running, etc.
...although I never recommend just "jogging" anyway (or as Ron Burgundy would say, "yogging") ... Instead, variable intensity walks / runs or sprints are so much more effective, training your heart rate in a much wider range instead of just the same pace during the entire workout.  I choose to do a lot of hiking up mountains and also wind sprints, but never steady state jogging.
4) Treadmills and ellipticals are ridiculously expensive and a waste of money for people that workout at home... there's so many better options for home workouts you could have spent your money on rather than wasting it on a treadmill, bike, or elliptical.
The perfect home gym setup is MUCH cheaper... there's no reason you need anything other than a jump rope, bodyweight exercises, a few dumbbells, stability ball, maybe a few kettlebells (if you want to get fancy), and perhaps high tension bands for some more variety.  And of course... the great outdoors has some of the best workout options of all... hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, skiing, sports, and more! 
5) Treadmills and elliptical machines are just a very ineffective way to workout compared to other options.  The metabolic response is much lower compared to the types of workouts ideas that I describe below.  Why should you do treadmill or elliptical workouts when you can get better results by doing more interesting forms of training that actually stimulate a fat-burning hormonal response and stimulate your metabolism to a greater extent...
So what are the alternatives to treadmills, exercise bikes, and elliptical trainers? Here are TEN of my favorite types of alternative workouts:

1. jumping rope - great mind-body connection - try speed jumping, crossovers, and double jumps once you get skilled at it.  An amazing metabolic exercise with one of the cheapest pieces of equipment available.  There's a reason that every world class boxer uses this exercise!
2. kettlebell training - nothing will get your heart pounding like high repetition KB swings and snatches or clean & presses (can be done with dumbbells too, but I prefer KBs).  Personally, I think one of the most intense body changing exercises ever invented are double kettlebell snatches (snatching both kettlebells at the same time overhead from the floor). 
3. outdoor wind sprinting (the ultimate exercise for a rock hard ripped body... just look at the chiseled powerful bodies of world class sprinters, and compare that to the weakling withered physique of a typical marathoner... nuff said!  I generally do wind sprints 2-3 days a week during the warm times of the year, and I'll do something such as 50 yards, 60 yards, 70 yards, 80 yards, 90 yards, 100 yards, and then repeat (with about 40-60 second rests between sprints).  By the way, for the international folks, a "yard" is just slightly shorter than a meter. 
4. hill sprinting - yet another classic exercise for a rock hard lean and powerful body!  I like to do 30 yard sprints up a steep hill and then walk down and repeat a bunch of times for maybe 20-30 minutes.  Amazing workout.
5. The rowing machine - ok, I don't really lump this in as a "cardio" machine like treadmills and ellipticals... I think the rowing machine is actually a great full body workout that actually uses resistance... The best results come from using variable speeds and really pulling hard to challenge your body.
6. Sprint style swimming workouts - a more muscular workout than steady state distance swimming... I actually love the upper body pump I get from sprint style swimming -- this is the same concept as sprinting vs jogging but in a pool instead.  It's all about intensity! 
7. heavy bag punching / kicking workout, speed bag, rebound bag - all are great forms of training and much more interesting than boring cardio machines.  These exercises are also great examples of exercises that require an intense mind-body connection, which is missing in boring cardio equipment like treadmills and elliptical machines.
8. shadow boxing - This is an awesome workout, but if you're shy, this is best saved for your home workouts since you'll get some crazy stares doing this at a typical gym from people who think they're "too cool" for stuff like this.
9. dumbbell circuits -- This is a super metabolic type of workout that involves alternating between various full-body multi-joint exercises to get a crazy fat-burning workout in minimal time.  A good example would be alternating between dumbbell lunges, overhead presses, bent over rows, step ups, and squat presses all with minimal rest between.
10. bodyweight training - bodyweight squats, pushups, lunges, jumps, bear crawls, mountain climbers and jumpers, planks, and the list goes on and on.  Another example of great mind-body connection and much more metabolic type of training than treadmills and ellipticals. 

Well, I hope this article helps give you ideas on how you can get away from all of these mindless and ineffective treadmill and elliptical trainer machines (and exercise bike) workouts that are just wasting your time and energy that could be better spent on more effective workouts.
If you want maximum results, it's all about your intensity levels and also your mind-body connection... and that all important mind-body connection is usually missing when it comes to elliptical and treadmill workouts, that most people do while watching TV or reading.

3 Random Fitness and Nutrition Tips

by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author - The Truth About Six Pack Abs

I just had a few sort of "random" workout and nutrition tips for you on my mind today, so here they are:
Tip #1. Onions = Amazing Superfood... Eat onions daily if possible.
Not only do I love onions, but I recently read a longevity study that surveyed a large amount of people who had lived over 100 years of age. One of the common threads they noticed from the survey of these amazing people that lived to ages exceeding 100 was that they ate a lot of onions.
Kind of weird huh... but not a surprise to me. In fact, onions are definitely an important super-food as they contain unique organosulphur compounds and potent antioxidants that are rare in other foods.
I've also read dozens of studies that correlated onions (and garlic too) with pretty impressive reductions in cancer risk.
I like to add onions to almost any meals I can think of... added to salads, in my morning eggs, in veggie mixtures with lunch or dinner, and more.

Tip #2. Mix up your workouts with "5-minute bodyweight exercise challenges"
This is a unique way to add some variety to your workouts and maybe even get a friend in a little competition with you.
You can throw one of these in at the end of a workout as a high intensity finish, or even just do at home on non-gym days.
Basically, all you do is choose 1 specific bodyweight exercise such as bodyweight squats, pushups, lunges, etc and try to do as many reps of that exercise as you can in exactly 5 minutes (timed).  I've also used dumbbell swings or kettlebell swings for these 5-minute drills and they work great.
This works best by trying to do 20 or 25 reps at a time and then taking short breathers of about 10 seconds before continuing on your next round of reps.
We've even made this a little competition between a couple people at my gym in the past where we all line up and get timed for 5 minutes and see who can do the most bodyweight squats or pushups or whatever it may be in that 5 minute time period.
From what I've seen, if you can do 100 or more pushups in 5 minutes, or 200 or more bodyweight squats in 5 minutes, those are pretty impressive numbers. I think my record was somewhere around 225 bodyweight squats in 5 minutes (which was an improvement on the 160 bw squats I got the first time I tried this 5-min challenge)
If you try dumbbell or kettlebell swings for 5-minutes, I've found that anything over about 130 swings is pretty good for 5-minutes.
Whatever exercise you choose, keep track of your numbers that you get, and try to improve on them each week. 

Tip #3. Example of the Glycemic Index (GI) being fairly useless
In several of my newsletters in the past, I've given examples of how choosing your foods based on the glycemic index can be misleading and even useless in many cases.
Case in point...
Watermelon has one of the highest measured GI's of all foods (much higher than even cake and ice cream).  However, a normal serving of cake and ice cream may give you a whopping 600 to 800 calories, whereas a typical serving of watermelon may give you 50 to 70 calories max!  You'd have to eat a massive quantity of watermelon to rack up any significant grams of carbs.
Trust me... watermelon isn't making anyone fat... But cake and ice cream are!
The lesson... GI is almost useless when you're not considering "Glycemic Load", which also factors in the quantity of carbohydrates ingested in a typical serving.

5 Steps To Looking 10 Years Younger

By Steve & Becky Holman

Did you know that once you hit 40 years of age, whether you're a man or a women, your body starts aging FASTER than normal? Studies have shown that without the proper nutrients and exercise, your body will age about 6 months EXTRA for every year that passes. Think about that! If you are 40, that means by the time you hit 44 you will LOOK and FEEL 48. And by the time you reach 60, you will LOOK and FEEL 70 YEARS OLD! We see this every day... just look around you.
Did you know that 90% of people over the age of 35 lose enough muscle every year to burn off an additional 4 pounds of body fat? That means you not only lose the only thing on your body that creates shape, tone, and strength—you also gain more fat every year, even if your calories stay the same.
Did you know that all of this is reversible at any age? That there are specific ways to move, eat, and think that tell your brain to STOP this rapid aging process... and even SLOW IT DOWN to the point where you're aging less than a year for every year? That means you can look younger at 40 than you do at 35... or if you're like Becky and I, younger at 50+ than we did at 40!
This is not fantasy talk. This does not require a boatload of anti-aging drugs, supplements, or gimmicks. And, this works for anyone, male or female, and works at any age. 35, 45, 55, 65, 75... you name it. The biology is exactly the same.
My years as editor-in-chief at Iron Man Magazine have allowed me to peer into the secret routines of the anti-aging experts. Over the years, both Becky and I have picked up SO many tips, tricks, and strategies that have allowed us to literally reverse the aging process, at least from a cellular level. That means our body's look, feel, and MOVE younger than our chronological age.
We've taught this System to countless men and women over the years, and it always begins with these 5 key principles you must apply in order to STOP the rapid onset of aging that's going on right now, reverse it, and begin "aging backwards" by restoring your body's natural youth hormones.
That said, we have to warn you: What you are about to hear may go against all the conventional diet and exercise advice you've been hearing. That's because the world has, to be utterly frank, gone soft! "Core training", hot yoga, spin classes, tai chí all of these are just fine, but they won't slow your aging, and they certainly will never shape your muscles or burn off stubborn body fat. No way!

These 5 steps reveal the things you absolutey MUST AVOID if you want to slow the aging process, reclaim your health, and achieve your ideal body.

What you need is a splash of cold water, a touch of Old School, and the honest truth. Sound good? Let's dive in!

Step 1: Forget Low-Fat Diets

Low fat everything has been the craze now for decades and look around. What has that wonderful bit of advice done for the bodies you see? We're fatter, sicker, and more addicted to sugar and carbs than any other time in history. And, we're passing these habits to our kids.
Fats are not to be feared – they're to be embraced. They do not make you fat; rather, they help your body regenerate your power hormones. Testosterone, the 'strength' hormone, for example, is the direct result of cholesterol and dietary fat intake. That's right: "Cholesterol" isn't a dirty word! Your body needs dietary fat and cholesterol in order to produce ANY AND ALL vital hormones.
People on low fat diets look drawn, gaunt, and weak. They are often sick, sometimes to the point of literally breaking down. And, they can never just enjoy eating out. Every meal and every gram must be accounted for. Do you really think this will make you younger? Of course not... it will worry you to death if it doesn't kill you first!

Step 2: Stop Spinning: You're Just Spinning Your Wheels

Spinning classes can be fun, if you like sitting in one place and torturing yourself. But have you noticed how little people change their bodies in these classes? Sure, it's good "cardio", but cardiovascular conditioning can be gained with far less time and effort.
Spinning, and any form of endurance training (especially running) does very little to help the age reversal process. Many times, these long-duration exercise bouts accelerate the aging process by increasing free radicals. These free radicals are scavengers that prey on your body's essential nutrients and tissues.
There's a smart way to exercise... we'll cover that in a minute. And, what's wonderful is that it takes you about ¼ the time of traditional workouts. We'll cover more details on the next page.

Step 3: Stop Blaming Everything On How Old You Are

The guys to the left are not fat because they are old—they're fat because they eat, think, and move like a fat, old, dying person! Becky and I are both in our 50s—older than the guys in this photo—and I still sport a nice six-pack, and Becky transformed her body from the typical "middle age mom" to a slim, toned, and super-sexy woman who looks 10 years younger. (See the next page for photos!)
Listen: Your body doesn't own a clock. Studies have shown that men and women in their 90s were able to gain muscle tone in just a matter of weeks of simple weight training. I've personally seen men and women transform their physiques at literally all ages—25 to 95!
If you're around those naysayers who are constantly talking about growing old, all their aches and pains, and how life is just down hill after 40—LEAVE! Surround yourself with positive thinkers who absolutely crave a challenge. A challenge is what keeps you YOUNG, and the best challenge there is happens to be taking control of your health and body.
We'll show you HOW we do that on the next page.

Step 4: Avoid Chronic Dehydration

Water isn't just "good for you" — water burns fat. Water suppresses hunger. Water renews your skin. Just drinking 12 ounces of pure water every day can take a few years off your face in a matter of weeks. You'll also drop fat, have more energy, and save your kidneys and liver from chronic overwork.
When your kidneys are taxed from too little water, your liver has to take over. Now, get this: Your liver is your number one fat-burning organ. Do you REALLY want it processing liquids and toxins rather than BURNING FAT? No way, right? Well, grab a glass of water, and watch the mirror. Within a few weeks, the change to your face and body will be noticeable.

Step 5: Work Out LESS (Yes, Less)

If you don't work out at all, you're going to lose muscle tissue every year. That means you'll get fatter and flabbier each and every year with less shape and more sag. Is this what you desire? No way, right?
Well, the answer is old school resistance training. Here's the secret: hardly anyone is doing it right!
Becky and I have seen literally thousand of pro fitness athletes train over the years. The ones who looked the best — and that means looked the youngest, most toned, and had the least amount of unwanted fat — were the ones who left the gym while others were still warming up!

5 Steps To Looking 10 Years Younger

By Steve & Becky Holman

Did you know that once you hit 40 years of age, whether you're a man or a women, your body starts aging FASTER than normal? Studies have shown that without the proper nutrients and exercise, your body will age about 6 months EXTRA for every year that passes. Think about that! If you are 40, that means by the time you hit 44 you will LOOK and FEEL 48. And by the time you reach 60, you will LOOK and FEEL 70 YEARS OLD! We see this every day... just look around you.
Did you know that 90% of people over the age of 35 lose enough muscle every year to burn off an additional 4 pounds of body fat? That means you not only lose the only thing on your body that creates shape, tone, and strength—you also gain more fat every year, even if your calories stay the same.
Did you know that all of this is reversible at any age? That there are specific ways to move, eat, and think that tell your brain to STOP this rapid aging process... and even SLOW IT DOWN to the point where you're aging less than a year for every year? That means you can look younger at 40 than you do at 35... or if you're like Becky and I, younger at 50+ than we did at 40!
This is not fantasy talk. This does not require a boatload of anti-aging drugs, supplements, or gimmicks. And, this works for anyone, male or female, and works at any age. 35, 45, 55, 65, 75... you name it. The biology is exactly the same.
My years as editor-in-chief at Iron Man Magazine have allowed me to peer into the secret routines of the anti-aging experts. Over the years, both Becky and I have picked up SO many tips, tricks, and strategies that have allowed us to literally reverse the aging process, at least from a cellular level. That means our body's look, feel, and MOVE younger than our chronological age.
We've taught this System to countless men and women over the years, and it always begins with these 5 key principles you must apply in order to STOP the rapid onset of aging that's going on right now, reverse it, and begin "aging backwards" by restoring your body's natural youth hormones.
That said, we have to warn you: What you are about to hear may go against all the conventional diet and exercise advice you've been hearing. That's because the world has, to be utterly frank, gone soft! "Core training", hot yoga, spin classes, tai chí all of these are just fine, but they won't slow your aging, and they certainly will never shape your muscles or burn off stubborn body fat. No way!

These 5 steps reveal the things you absolutey MUST AVOID if you want to slow the aging process, reclaim your health, and achieve your ideal body.

What you need is a splash of cold water, a touch of Old School, and the honest truth. Sound good? Let's dive in!

Step 1: Forget Low-Fat Diets

Low fat everything has been the craze now for decades and look around. What has that wonderful bit of advice done for the bodies you see? We're fatter, sicker, and more addicted to sugar and carbs than any other time in history. And, we're passing these habits to our kids.
Fats are not to be feared – they're to be embraced. They do not make you fat; rather, they help your body regenerate your power hormones. Testosterone, the 'strength' hormone, for example, is the direct result of cholesterol and dietary fat intake. That's right: "Cholesterol" isn't a dirty word! Your body needs dietary fat and cholesterol in order to produce ANY AND ALL vital hormones.
People on low fat diets look drawn, gaunt, and weak. They are often sick, sometimes to the point of literally breaking down. And, they can never just enjoy eating out. Every meal and every gram must be accounted for. Do you really think this will make you younger? Of course not... it will worry you to death if it doesn't kill you first!

Step 2: Stop Spinning: You're Just Spinning Your Wheels

Spinning classes can be fun, if you like sitting in one place and torturing yourself. But have you noticed how little people change their bodies in these classes? Sure, it's good "cardio", but cardiovascular conditioning can be gained with far less time and effort.
Spinning, and any form of endurance training (especially running) does very little to help the age reversal process. Many times, these long-duration exercise bouts accelerate the aging process by increasing free radicals. These free radicals are scavengers that prey on your body's essential nutrients and tissues.
There's a smart way to exercise... we'll cover that in a minute. And, what's wonderful is that it takes you about ¼ the time of traditional workouts. We'll cover more details on the next page.

Step 3: Stop Blaming Everything On How Old You Are

The guys to the left are not fat because they are old—they're fat because they eat, think, and move like a fat, old, dying person! Becky and I are both in our 50s—older than the guys in this photo—and I still sport a nice six-pack, and Becky transformed her body from the typical "middle age mom" to a slim, toned, and super-sexy woman who looks 10 years younger. (See the next page for photos!)
Listen: Your body doesn't own a clock. Studies have shown that men and women in their 90s were able to gain muscle tone in just a matter of weeks of simple weight training. I've personally seen men and women transform their physiques at literally all ages—25 to 95!
If you're around those naysayers who are constantly talking about growing old, all their aches and pains, and how life is just down hill after 40—LEAVE! Surround yourself with positive thinkers who absolutely crave a challenge. A challenge is what keeps you YOUNG, and the best challenge there is happens to be taking control of your health and body.
We'll show you HOW we do that on the next page.

Step 4: Avoid Chronic Dehydration

Water isn't just "good for you" — water burns fat. Water suppresses hunger. Water renews your skin. Just drinking 12 ounces of pure water every day can take a few years off your face in a matter of weeks. You'll also drop fat, have more energy, and save your kidneys and liver from chronic overwork.
When your kidneys are taxed from too little water, your liver has to take over. Now, get this: Your liver is your number one fat-burning organ. Do you REALLY want it processing liquids and toxins rather than BURNING FAT? No way, right? Well, grab a glass of water, and watch the mirror. Within a few weeks, the change to your face and body will be noticeable.

Step 5: Work Out LESS (Yes, Less)

If you don't work out at all, you're going to lose muscle tissue every year. That means you'll get fatter and flabbier each and every year with less shape and more sag. Is this what you desire? No way, right?
Well, the answer is old school resistance training. Here's the secret: hardly anyone is doing it right!
Becky and I have seen literally thousand of pro fitness athletes train over the years. The ones who looked the best — and that means looked the youngest, most toned, and had the least amount of unwanted fat — were the ones who left the gym while others were still warming up!