The Most Important Piece of Equipment for a Healthy, Lean, and Toned Body

I'm going to let you in on a "secret tool" I use to help people reach their fitness and weight loss goals in record time. It is well known in the strength and conditioning world, but few fitness enthusiasts or personal trainers use it. Failure to utilize this vital gym equipment is the primary reason most people you see at the gym never make progress.


Many people start exercising and achieve immediate, noticeable results. But after a few months these results come to a halt. They may faithfully take spin class, lift weights, and do hour upon hour of cardio year in and year out. But there body never changes.


They blame this on diet. Or maybe they think its just part of getting older. And while these are important factors, using this simple tool every time they worked out would vastly increase their results.


Are you ready? Here it is...the single most important gym equipment you can use to get the body you want in record time:


Pen and paper.


Yes, that's it. That's the secret tool of the most successful trainers and body transformation coaches in the world. Without a record of what you've done you're just going through the motions. Pen and paper do more to help you reach your goals than any dumbbell, group fitness class, or cardio machine ever will.


Did you burn 300 calories on the treadmill last week? Or was it 330? Was it eight reps with fifteen pound dumbbells or ten reps with twelve pound dumbbells? If you don't know the answer to these questions, how are you going to increase the demand on your body? And if you don't increase the demand on your body your body will not change.


Here is a sample workout log I used to help a forty something mother of two lose twelve pounds of fat and gain six pounds of muscle in just 42 days! (The only changes to her diet involved switching to a zero carbohydrate breakfast)  

Workout 1

EXERCISE	8/1/2011	8/10/2011	8/22/2011	8/31/2011
A) DB Bench Press (1-0-1) 3 x AMRAP, 30 sec RI	20 x 20-12-5	25 x 14-8-5	25 x 16-8-6	30 x 9-4-3
B) Parallel Grip Pull-down (5-1-1) 3 x AMRAP, 30 sec RI	62.5 x 9-5-4	62.5 x 13-6-6	65 x 12-5-4	67.5 x 11-5-5
C) Speed Row Left (x-x-x) 1 x AMRAP	25 x 40	30 x 40	35 x 33	35 x 35
D) Speed Row Right (x-x-x) 1 x AMRAP	25 x 40	30 x 40	35 x 33	35 x 35
E) DB Lateral Raise 1 x 10 full range 1 x 30 partials Static hold x 30	3 x 10-30-18 sec	3 x 10-30-24 sec	3 x 10-30-30 sec	5 x 10-30-8 sec
F) Rower 2000m for time	11:51	11:04	10:49	10:48

Workout 2

EXERCISE	8/3/2011	8/12/2011	8/24/2011	9/6/2011
A) DB Curl (10-0-X) 3 x AMRAP, 30 sec RI	15 x 8-4-3	15 x 10-4-4	15 x 11-4-4	20 x 8-3-3
B) Machine Calf Raise (1-0-1) As many sets of 10 as possible, 10 sec stretch between sets	90 x 10 x 5	90 x 10 x 7	90 x 10 x 8	90 x 10 x 8
C) Leg Curl (10-0-X) 3 x AMRAP, 30 sec RI	70 x 7-4-2	70 x 9-4-3	70 x 10-4-3	80 x 8-4-3
D) Neg. Acc. Hanging Leg Raise (5-0-X) 3 x AMRAP, 30 sec RI	BW x 7-5-4	BW x 8-5-5	BW x 9-6-5	BW x 10-6-4
E) Farmer’s Walk 3 x max time, 30 sec RI	24 kg x 54-32-24	24 kg x 65-30-22	32 kg x 49-24-18	32 kg x 55-30-23
F) Treadmill 20 min x max distance	1.3 miles	1.5 miles	1.6 miles	1.7 miles

Workout 3

EXERCISE	8/5/2011	8/15/2011	8/26/2011	9/9/2011
A1) BB Bench (1-0-1) 6 x 8, 0 sec RI	55 x 8 x 6	60 x 8 x 5 60 x 5	60 x 8 x 6	65 x 8 65 x 6 x 5
A2) KB Front Squat (1-0-1) 6 x 8, 1 min RI	24 kg x 8 x 6	24 kg x 10 x 6	32 kg x 6 x 6	32 kg x 8 x 6
B1) T-Bar Row (1-0-1) 4 x 15-20, 0 sec RI	20 x 20 x 2 20 x 17 20 x 15	20 x 20 x 4	25 x 20 x 4	30 x 20 x 4
B2) 5 Riser Jump Squat (1-0-X) 4 x 20, 2 min RI	BW x 20 x 4	BW x 20 x 4	BW + 10 x 20 x 4	BW + 15 x 20 x 4
C1) KB Overhead Press (1-0-1) 3 x 15-20, 0 sec RI	10 x 20 x 3	15 x 19 15 x 15 x 2	15 x 20 x 2 15 x 16	15 x 20 15 x 16 15 x 12
C2) Plank 3 x 30-60 sec, 0 sec RI	30 sec x 3	40 sec x 3	50 sec x 3	60 sec x 3
C3) Walking Lunge 3 x 1 trip, 2 min RI	BW x 3	BW + 10 x 3	BW + 16 x 3	BW + 20 x 3

Workout 4

EXERCISE	8/8/2011	8/18/2011	8/29/2011	9/12/2011
A1)  Seated DB Curl (2-0-1) 3 x 6-8, 0 sec RI	20 x 8 x 3	25 x 6 25 x 5 x 2	25 x 6 x 3	25 x 7 25 x 6 25 x 5
A2)  Hammer Strength Pull-down (1-1-1) 3 x 20-30, 0 sec RI	30 x 20 x 3	30 x 30 30 x 20 x 2	30 x 30 30 x 22 30 x 20	30 x 30 30 x 29 30 x 18
A3)  Assisted Dips (5-0-1) 3 x 6-8, 0 sec RI	10 x 8 x 3	9 x 8 x 3	8 x 6 8 x 5 x 2	8 x 6 x 3
A4)  DB French Press (1-1-1) 3 x 20-30, 4 min RI	10 x 30 x 3	12 x 30 x 3	15 x 20 15 x 15 x 2	15 x 20 x 3
B1)  Assisted Roll-up (3-0-3) 3 x 8-10, 0 sec RI	BW x 8 x 3	BW x 8 x 3	BW x 10 x 3	BW x 10 x 3
B2)  Trap Bar Deadlift (1-0-1) 3 x 8-12, 0 sec RI	65 x 8 x 3	65 x 12 x 3	70 x 12 x 3	75 x 12 x 3
B3)  High Handle Prowler 3 x 2 trips, 4 min RI	50 x 3	70 x 3	90 x 2 70 x 1	90 x 1 (skipped last 2 sets)
D)  Elliptical Machine 20 minutes for max calories	183	199	178	210

Amazing New Exercise Program Helps Client Lose 20% of His Body-Weight in Just One Week!

Simon has had problems with his weight for his entire adult life. For years he has been told by his doctors that he needed to lose weight, and now, just past 50, he decided enough was enough and came to me wanting a complete lifestyle program to overhaul his health and physical appearance.

I decided to try new, albeit controversial, weight loss plan I have been tinkering with the past few months. This plan has own two rules:
First, absolutely no liquid calories are allowed. Simon could eat as much as he wanted, but he could drink only water.
Second, and more importantly, Simon performed a revolutionary new cardiovascular exercise I have just developed. I call this exercise "Chase Your Own Ass." To perform it, you simply.......well......chase your ass!

Simon performed bouts of this exercise daily, as many times as possible. When he was exhausted and could no longer take it he would sleep, eat, watch TV, whatever. But when he felt rejuvenated he would start over again. To increase motivation Simon suggests taping a pork chop or steak to your butt.

This simple program allow Simon to lose 17.5% of his body-weight in just seven days! And we have the medical records to prove it!

If you decide to try this plan please do so with caution. There are many potential snags that could derail your progress:

1)  If you have exceptional cervical flexibility you may actually catch your ass. If you do, PLEASE DO NOT BITE, no matter how tempting it might be! Simon made this mistake and ended up in the ER needing stitches!

Simon's bed after he caught his own ass!

2)  The quest to catch your ass can be very addicting. In fact, Simon has become so obsessed with the idea that his doctors have recommended he begin taking Prozac!

3)  No matter how much you enjoy chasing your ass, doing so endlessly in the middle of the night will likely cause frustration and animosity among the other people who live with you. I will not be held responsible if one of your housemates chooses to beat you mercilessly.

If Simon's weight loss plan seems too extreme, you could try lifting weights two to three times per week while simultaneously cutting some of the carbohydrates out of your diet. This approach has helped many K-Fit clients lose weight and get healthy. You too can look and feel great without the risk of permanent mental trauma and physical disfigurement!

Simon demonstrating proper technique for the "Catch Your Own Ass" exercise phenomena that helped him drop from 20.6 pounds to 17 pounds in just seven day!

Calorie In/Calories Out is BS - Part 2

We know the reasons the calories in, calories out theory is flawed. We know most traditional methods of weight loss, such as counting calories or starting an exercise program don't work. (click here to read part 1 of this article detailing why traditional calorie counting methods don't work)

But what should we do if we need to lose weight? The best long term solutions for weight loss are those that reduce the amount of calories consumed without restricting caloric intake. In other words:

"We need to eat less while still allowing ourselves to eat as much as we'd like." 

I know this sounds stupid, I know it sounds illogical, but this is the key to long term weight loss. If we consume less calories without actually restricting them we avoid all the problems associated with diets. You won't feel hungry all the time, because you will eat whenever you are hungry. Your metabolism won't slow down and you will not have reduced energy levels, because your brain recognizes that you are eating whenever you'd like. No starvation response will ever be triggered. 

But how can we subconsciously eat less when we are consciously eating as much as we want? Several approaches have shown promise, both in research settings and in the real world.

1)  Exercise

I know, I know, I already said starting an exercise program isn't an effective fat loss strategy. But there are ways to tweak the approach that can help us loss weight without ever counting a calorie or skipping a dessert. While exercise doesn't cause weight loss directly through the calories burned, it does have a host of benefits that can have a positive impact on our body composition.

Exercise has a powerful, positive effect on mood, stress levels, and self-esteem and has been studied extensively as a treatment for depression and other mood disorders. Exercise makes us feel better, and when we feel better, we make better food choices.

But as we've already discussed, there are many pitfalls to exercise. Typically people compensate for the calorie burn of exercise by subconsciously eating more during the rest of the day.

"The key is to exercise enough to fell better without exercising so much that you work up an appetite."

When implementing a program start very small. If you currently don't exercise, begin with 15 to 20 minutes, two or three days per week. You shouldn't dread it either - remember, we are trying to make you feel better, not worse. Killing yourself will be counter productive.

After two weeks assess how you feel. Do you have more energy throughout the day? Do you sleep better on the days you exercise? Are you beginning to look forward to your workouts?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you are on the right track. You can begin to increase the intensity and duration of your workouts, but do so cautiously.

If the answers are all "no" change what you are doing. It's not working. 

2) Sleep

Lack of adequate sleep negatively effects mood and energy levels. And if we feel like crap and have no energy, we are not likely to make good food choices. This is why poor sleep patterns are almost universally linked to weight gain. If you don't get enough sleep, fix the problem and you will likely lose weight without ever watching what you eat.

Go to bed at the same time every night. Wake up at the same time every morning. Make sure your room is very dark. Even the light from a LED alarm clock or cell phone charger can disrupt sleep. If all else fails see your doctor and schedule a sleep study. Your lack of sleep may be due to a medical condition such as sleep apnea.

3)  Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting (IF for short) means alternating periods of fasting with periods of eating. For example, you might eat only between 5pm and 8pm each evening or alternate days of eating with days of fasting.

IF has shown great promise lately as an effective and healthy fat loss program. Animal studies have shown that alternate day feeding increases insulin sensitivity, improves blood lipid profiles, and causes greater fat loss that traditional calorie restriction. And in the real world, many people report amazing results using IF.

To avoid the pitfalls, start slow. For a week, skip breakfast and eat normally the rest of the day. When your get accustomed to that, try postponing your first meal until late afternoon. Eventually, try eating for only two hours each day. For most people eating your only meal at night works best. Many people find it hard to sleep when they are hungry. And late night snacking is the downfall of most people anyway. By eating your meal shortly before you retire you don't give yourself a chance to cheat.

While IF may sound extreme, it is definitely a program worth trying.

4)  The Paleolithic diet

The Paleo diet focuses on food quality. Meals include unprocessed, natural foods such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and tubers. This diet also minimizes unnatural and potentially unhealthy chemicals and hormones, forgoing factory farmed foods and instead choosing grass fed, hormone free beef, pastured poultry, and organically grown fruits and vegetables. The diet is free of grains, legumes, and dairy products (which can be irritating to the gut), effectively eliminating all processed foods from the diet.

"Research shows that people who follow this eating plan tend to reduce their caloric intake even though they are permitted to eat as much as they'd like." 

One potential downfall of this approach is the need for meal planning and preparation. Eating out, although possible, is difficult. Most common snacks foods, such as cheese sticks, crackers, chips, and low fat yogurt, as well as most convenience foods, are not allowed. But if you enjoy cooking and typically prepare your own meals already, this approach is for you.

Follow these links for more information and sample meal plans.

5)  Exercise, part 2

Another counter intuitive but highly effective way to lose weight is to try and gain muscle. Adding muscle mass helps aid in fat loss through two primary mechanisms. First, it increases increases insulin sensitivity by increasing the amount of insulin receptors in your body. This essentially gives you more places to "deposit" any excess calories you consume, reducing the amount "deposited" in your fat cells. Second, muscle mass increase energy expenditure. Add a few pounds of muscle and you will burn more calories throughout the day, regardless of activity level.

To maximize increases in muscle mass perform weight training with moderate weights near the point of muscle failure. Take adequate rest between sets, typically two to five minutes. Stretch each muscle group you trained deeply when you are done.

"Even 30 minutes, three days a week can have a dramatic effect when implemented properly."

If at first your weight doesn't budge don't get discouraged. You can rest assured that you are losing fat and gaining muscle. Make sure to track the changes in your body with skin-fold testing, circumference measurements, and photos. Eventually you will start losing weight on the scale but in the meantime feel good about how good your arms look in that sleeveless shirt and much your waist measurement has dropped.

Follow this link for effective muscle building programs for both men and women.

6)  Cut carbohydrates

People on a low carbohydrate, Atkins type diet, are allowed (even encouraged) to eat as much as they want, as long as they avoid carbohydrate containing foods. But when compared to calorie restricted, low fat dieters they eat less daily calories.

In effect, low carb but calorie unlimited dieters actually reduce "calories in" more than those dieters who are consciously trying to do so!

"When it comes to fat loss, this spontaneous, subconscious calorie restriction is just what the doctor ordered."

If cutting all the bread, pasta, and sweets out of your diet seems impossible, start with only your first meal of the day. As you adapt eliminate carbohydrates from lunch and eventually from dinner. And contrary to popular belief, an occasion indulgence does not mean impending doom. Just get back on track as quickly as possible.

Alternately, you can "eat half". At every meal, eat only half of the bread, pasta, corn, potato, rice, or other grain. If you have dessert, make sure you share it with a friend or family member. Still hungry? Load up on meat and veggies. Even modest reductions in carbohydrate intake can have a positive effect on body weight.

Putting it all together

There they are - six ways to eat less without trying to eat less. Include one or more of them into your lifestyle for fat loss success. Please feel free to call or email me for help or to report your success stories.

In Good Health

John Kuzora

1976 S. Main St

Wake Forest, NC 27587

(919) 435-1960

john@kuzorafitness.com

Kuzora Fitness - innovate and effective fitness and nutrition solutions for a time pressed world