Everything Works but Nothing Works Forever

There you go again, walking in a straight line for hours on that treadmill. Dancing around on and off that step in your “power” aerobics class? How about that person riding that bike while talking on your cell phone? I can’t leave out those people pumping away with endless amounts of repetitions with those ever so popular pink dumbbells… Why is it that you see the same people with the same bodies year after year? It’s because people have been doing the same old thing for far too long and nothing works forever! How many more crunches and aerobic classes do you have to do to finally get some results?
Let me ask you a question. Do you remember your first cup of coffee? Remember how it got you all wired? Over time that first cup just didn’t give you the same type of effect that the first one did, so what did you have to do? You needed to drink 2 cups, right? So in order for you to get the same affect that you used to, one of two things must occur, either you increase the total amount of coffee or you increase the strength. What about the first alcoholic beverage you had back in college? Remember how it didn’t take much to get you that “buzz” that you might have been seeking? Fast forward to your senior year or even right now and you’ll see that your tolerance for alcohol has some what improved… In order to get the same effect one of two things must occur, either you increase the total amount of alcohol or you pick a stronger drink.

The S.A.I.D Principle Exposed

You might be asking how the above examples have anything to do with your fitness program or fat loss endeavors? Allow me explain. The S.A.I.D Principle defined is Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands. In a nut shell this means that your body will ALWAYS get better at exactly whatever ever it does no matter what it is. Let’s use the S.A.I.D Principle with an example toward fat loss… If you run 1 mile 3 days a week I can guarantee that by the next week that one mile will feel easier. Well according to S.A.I.D Principle it should. The next week or two you should be able to increase your mileage. You are now progressing nicely because now those 2 miles are feeling like your old one mile. Why not go for 4 miles the next week, how about 5 mi? You will eventually get to the point where 10mi or even 15 miles will not be a difficult accomplishment.

If you remember the two examples at the top I used with Alcohol and Coffee you will remember that your body will become desensitized to any stimulus that it’s exposed to too often… This even includes long-distance running. This means in order for you to burn the same amount of calories that you used to get at mile 5; you will now need to run 10 miles! You have effectively adapted to the implied demand of running at the same intensity. From a caloric expenditure stand-point this is catastrophic. So what is the solution? If we look at the above scenario’s using the Coffee and Alcohol there are only two choices… Run further, or increase the intensity of the run and shorten the distance. This actually proves that long-distance/low-intensity steady state cardio isn’t a smart modality for fat loss. Why? Because you must do more work to get the same effect!

Do you want a Cadillac or a Honda? Chunky Aerobic Teacher Syndrome Revealed

If I told you that my Honda got good gas mileage than that would mean that my car was fuel efficient. This would mean that my car can go long distances on very little gas. This is actually a good thing, for a car. What if I told you that running long distances or performing low intensity, long duration cardio made your body efficient at using fat for energy? This type of exercise not only wrecks your joints creating pain and dysfunction but it also makes your body extremely FUEL or FAT EFFICIENT! This is great for your car but extremely frustrating for someone engaging in a fat loss program. You want you’re body to mimic a Cadillac when engaging in a fat loss program… You want a car (body) with a big engine (a lot of muscle)! The goal should be to use as much fuel as possible but that fuel should be coming from Glycogen, not fat! Too much long distance long duration types of activities will make your engine (muscle) smaller thus creating less of a calorie burning machine at rest… By increasing the intensity and shortening the duration you will use glycogen as your primary fuel source and fat for energy while RECOVERING from you’re training session. By increasing the intensity you will also be able to maintain lean muscle (engine) which will increase your resting metabolic rate or the amount of calories you can use while doing nothing. Could this be the reason we see fat long distance runners? What about Fat spinning/aerobics instructors? Could this be the reason so many people hit plateaus and quit there exercise programs come February and March?

Don’t get me wrong – Are there people not of Kenyan descent that receive great benefit from long duration low intensity steady-state aerobics? Of course! What about that one guy who lost 50 pounds and the only thing he did was spinning 3 days a week? Oh, and there is that woman in step class that looks awesome! She swears by it, it must work. You’re exactly right, it did work. For them! This is exactly my point… Just because it works for one doesn’t mean it will work for everyone. This goes the same for the Adkins Diet, The South Beach Diet, The Fat Flush Diet, The Peanut Butter Diet, The Cookie Diet, Vegetarian Diets, Vegan Diets, Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers. These diets all work for some and more often that not fail for others. We are all unique and each person’s diet, cardio regimen and weight training protocol are truly unique to each individual. It is a mistake to blindly follow in the foot steps of whatever is popular on TV, the magazine in your grocery check out line or what the body-builder at your local gym told you. You will most likely just be setting yourself up for failure.

What are you Insane?

Let me remind you of the definition of insanity; to continue to do the same things and expect different results. A great quote puts it all in perspective,” The best training routine you can be on is the one that you’re not on.”

Stay tuned for Part 3 of the Fat Loss Simplified series where I go in depth on how to stop the insanity… Learn what the best trainers in the world are using to achieve extreme fat loss in 20 min or less!

Matt Pack, NASM-CPT, Nutrition Lifestyle Coach
http://www.extremefatlosstraining.com
http://www.impackfitness.com

The Lost Art of Intensity…

I’ve been saying for years that fat people finish marathons all the time. What people need to realize is that it’s not about the distance covered it’s about how FAST or INTENSE the distance was covered. I wish people would get this through there heads when January comes and they embark on the magic “run for weight-loss” kick. People see the Kenyan crossing the Boston Marathon finish line and actually believe that running made him/her skinny… The fact of the matter is that the Kenyan’s body type had more to do with the selection of that runner’s mother and father than running 26.2 miles ever did. Some people are “built” for running long distances and some people are not… On average most people are not! You may ask why?

The large majority of our population is just too structurally unsound to run over long distances. Imbalances at the ankle and hip can cause havoc on the knees and low back… Just ask any local Physical Therapist who there number one patient is and more often than not they will say the long distance runner. Professional long distance runners are plagued with over-use injuries such as plantar fasciitis, shin splints, anterior knee pain, IT band/lateral knee pain and hip and low back dysfunctions. I won’t even get into the subject concerning Free Radical damage and the actual “oxidizing” that occurs in the body from not only Pollutants in the atmosphere but just from running for prolonged periods of time. The Free Radical damage mentioned has been shown to increase the likelihood of many types of cancers especially that of the brain.

Excessive running also increases a stress hormone called Cortisol. The hormone Cortisol is a necessity in a fight or flight situation like running from a tiger or getting out of a tight jam but elevated Cortisol levels for too long of period can flat out ruin health much less your fat loss program. Elevated Cortisol levels are no stranger to the average person… A typical stressful day usually starts with a “healthy” bowl of cereal, low fat milk and orange juice. This type of breakfast is notorious for stimulating or spiking insulin levels. The elevated insulin level over a long period of time becomes a stressor to the body as well which in turn increases one’s Cortisol levels. Were just getting started… From breakfast you head off to work and in to rush hour traffic, now you’re late for work! More stress, more Cortisol. You finally reach work and find out that you’ve missed your scheduled Monday morning meeting. More stress, more Cortisol. After a long day of work (stress) you feel like the only thing that will relieve your stressful day would be that 8pm spinning class. More stress, more Cortisol! Is there any wonder why heart attacks take place on Mondays more than any other day of the week? With a day such as this the last thing your body needs is spinning or any long duration aerobics at all for that matter. A better choice would be some sort of stress management, a massage or an even better idea would be to get to bed at an earlier time. You see, your body doesn’t know the difference between insulin stress, work stress or spinning stress. Your body only senses a fight or flight situation and when your body thinks it’s in danger the last thing on earth its concerned with is fitting into your size 2.

Wait There’s more!

Another problem with low-intensity/long duration running is that it flat right out doesn’t work for fat loss! Yeah, I said it, it stinks! Is it good for weight loss? Sure, but what good is the lost weight on the scale if you’re destined to gain it back plus 10 pounds extra. Forget the fact that it’s time consuming, places undue amounts of stress on your muscular-skeletal system and causes over-use injuries it’s just not a efficient strategy for LONG-TERM FATLOSS. The key word here is long-term. You see it’s not just Running that’s the problem… It’s Spinning Classes, Aerobic Classes, Cardio-Kickboxing Classes, Zumba Classes, Body-Bar Classes and every other class that they offer at your local big box gym. They all seem to work, but than something interesting happens… Your results start to slow or they magically come to a screeching halt. This usually happens around the beginning or Middle of February the same time you stop your New Years Resolution every year. Is this some sort of a Coincidence? I think not. Look, these classes are fun and boy do they make you sweat! Unfortunately, you can dance in the mirror and laugh and sweat all over that pretty little abdominal mat but until you realize that fun and sweat don’t  always equal fat loss you’ll continue to spin your wheels (pardon the pun). I know, I know, spinning is hard! But is it really? How hard can something be hard if you’re able make it through one of those famous 2 hour Thanksgiving Day rides? We keep getting caught up in this more is better scenario… Let’s explain why these timed based/distance training sessions fail to live up to there promises.

SURVIVAL COMES FIRST!

Let’s assume that you are eating enough calories to support those 2 hours of spinning, which you’re probably not, than you are more often than not going to be using your hard earned muscle for energy. You see, the last thing your body wants to do is use body-fat for energy, especially when it thinks your starving… I know you’re doctor informed you that you should eat less and move more but I respectively disagree. When your calories are too low and you engage in any type of physical activity you’re body has to get energy from somewhere. That energy is coming primarily from MUSCLE, the most metabolically active tissue that your body possesses. You know that same tissue that you worked so hard for in that “Body Pump” Class… This is really quite simple, muscle burns calories at rest but the crazy thing is that muscle also needs calories to maintain it self. So, if you’re not eating enough calories muscle becomes a threat to your existence and long-term survival. See, if you’re running for your life on very little food (calories) your bodies best bet is to dump muscle because it’s literally burning calories that you don’t have. Now comes the fun part! Because you’re body thinks you’re in a survival situation, when you do decide to eat that Jenny Craig or Lean Cuisine dinner your body conveniently converts the food to fat and stores it on your inner thigh. This becomes a downward spiral because the running was working. Frustrated you increase the amount of time running, riding the bike etc… Or you just lower your calories even more (this never works) and you end up in an even worse situation than before. This scenario plays out every year in every gym in America! It has successfully made billions of dollars for abdominal gadgets, diet pills, doctors, gym memberships and fad diets across the board. It sounds good, “all you have to do is move more and eat less”! If this concept worked than Americans wouldn’t be the fattest and unhealthiest people on the planet.

Smarter than a Caveman?

In all honesty human beings just were not built to run slow in a straight line for prolonged periods of time… On the contrary we as human beings are best suited for using our energy for short bursts of energy and than recovering like throwing a spear at an elk or deer, chasing it down and dragging it home to feast. Our body’s number one goal is Survival! Running for long stretches from a cave man perspective wouldn’t have been very smart… Think about it; would you want to fatigue yourself by running a 5k or 10k and than get chased by a potential predator? Could you actually manage to flee from danger with runner’s knee or a case of shin splints? How much sense would it make to go on a hunting marathon, SLOWEY running after dinner making all types of commotion, scaring off potential food while simultaneously making you more vulnerable to being eaten? If you really look at it more closely the only way to catch food is if you could actually sneak up on it. You know actually hunt for it. Don’t forget! Animals, yeah, they kind of sense things like danger, oh and they hear pretty well too. In order for you to catch dinner for your family you would have to be berry, berry QUIET like Elmer Fudd looking for that widdle wabbit… You would have to be cunning and keen, patiently (what do Americans know about patience) waiting for the right time to pounce… At the right moment you throw a rock or a sharpened stick, SPRINT and try to catch the prey before it darts off into the deep forest or open plain.

I know it sounds crazy because we no longer have to hunt for food; Burger King and your local supermarket actually do that for us. But before technology and processed food and refrigerators it really was SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST! No drive through windows, delivery options like Nutri-System, Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers. In fact the act of dieting from a survival standpoint makes no sense at all, ironic that the first 3 letters of the word diet are DIE! We Americans no all about dieting were the fattest people on the planet.

If not running Than What?

I’m going to tell you a little secret… Would you like to know why there are so many fat and unhealthy individuals in our country? Aside from the fact that people live off of box foods, skip breakfast, work too much, don’t sleep enough and obviously just don’t move enough. People want results and don’t want to work for them. It just doesn’t work that way! So what’s the SECRET? The secret is INTENSITY. We have to work harder, not longer. If longer worked than you wouldn’t see fat marathon runners, but you do. If easy worked than riding on that bike while talking to your girlfriend would work but it doesn’t. The fact of the matter is that simple and easy is not the same. Easy implies no effort. Simple means not complicated. Achieving total health and lower body fat levels is simple, but it’s far from easy.

Stay tuned for Part 2! I’ll discuss the phenomenon of Chunky Aerobic Teacher Syndrome and how to combat it…

Matt Pack, NASM CPT, Nutrition Lifestyle Coach
http://www.extremefatlosstraining.com

http://www.impackfitness.com

ARE PARENTS DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD WHEN IT COMES TO FEEDING THERE CHILDREN?

Is a calorie a calorie?

Let me break the “Calorie” thing down a little further just so I don’t confuse the parents I’m trying to target… Is Brown Rice better than White Rice? Absolutely! Are Sweet Potatoes better than White Potatoes? Absolutely! Is Brown Rice and Sweet Potatoes better than Pizza or Mac and Cheese? Absolutely!

The main point I’m trying to make is that the type of Calorie is more important than the amount. I’m sure that statement won’t go over well with everyone but it’s the truth… Different Carbs cause different Insulin responses hence Brown Rice having a lower Glycemic Index vs. White Rice. A 300 calorie piece of Chicken will affect a child’s blood sugar differently than that 300 calorie Ice Cream Cone. A calorie is not a calorie is not a calorie! One thing should be noted is that adding Protein with ANY Carb will slow the child’s insulin response.

 This is the one thing that kills me when I see a young child eating Pasta with no Chicken or Pancakes with no Eggs… Kids shouldn’t eat much different than adults! They should eat often and the foods should be nutrient dense. The food should be free of Food Colorings, additives, Preservatives, artificial sweeteners, Trans-Fats and other High Fructose Corn products… This can easily be achieved by limiting foods eaten out of a box and shopping primarily from the perimeter of your super market. A child should limit foods that have expiration dates, long ingredient lists with a long shelf-life. Children should eat adequate amounts of “GOOD” fats such as Whole or Raw Milk, Raw Butter, WHOLE EGGS and natural fats found in animal products and fatty Fishes…A child should never be eating a LOW FAT Diet! A large majority (80%!) of the brain is comprised of fat and fat is what the brain needs to work optimally. Also, a child’s main beverage consumption should come from WATER, not DIET COKE! Are you kidding me!

 I just listened to more BIG FAT LIES on The Today Show spewing from a RD/Nutritionists mouth promoting Cereal, Skim Milk and Orange Juice as being a “Healthy” breakfast! She continued the typical advice by advising a Low Fat Turkey sandwich on Whole Wheat with yet again some more Low Fat (KEY WORD) Yogurt! Incredible! As you might see I’m not a big fan of RD’s or Nutritionists for that matter but the list below is something I feel like we can see eye to eye on.

1. Eating too many fibrous vegetables is not the cause of childhood obesity.
2. Non-Fibrous Carbohydrates (breads, pasta’s, sugar, flour, anything ending in -ose) have a negative affect on insulin levels and blood sugar
3.One of the job’s that insulin is responsible for is the storage of Fat
4.Protein and Fat have no negative affect on insulin levels or blood sugar
5. Debatable but Carbohydrates are considered by most to be the bodies “primary” source of energy 
6. Playing video games, spending countless hours on the computer (Facebook;) and communicating with the world through text messaging doesn’t burn much energy

I’m glad we got that out of the way. Can we agree once more that RICE; white, brown, wild, sprouted, fried, stir-fried, baked, fricasseed, tossed etc…is a Non-Fibrous Carbohydrate…? Were on a roll now! If in fact Rice is a Non-fibrous Carbohydrate, which it is, it would also mean that it would have an affect on one’s insulin levels. Ok, forget the damn Rice! I don’t care what Starchy Non-Fibrous Carb it is… It could be Organic, Ezekiel, frozen, fresh, sprouted, gluten free, hormone free, whole wheat and approved by Weston Price and Francis Pottenger themselves! If you or your child consistently sits on there butts playing video games, surfing Facebook or texting all while consuming any STARCHY NON-FIBROUS CARBOHYDRATE you eventually will have to deal with over-fatness or ill health. This is a non-issue! Adults and children alike take in too much energy (carbs) and do absolutely nothing with it. These types of Carbohydrates should be exercise dependent PERIOD.

 We as parents are responsible for creating our child’s future nutritional habits… Good or bad these habits will follow your children through out there lives. These habits can either increase health and vitality or decrease health and vitality. It’s all up to you! Like I said, your child doesn’t know what’s best for him/her, you do, and well at least now you do. Your child doesn’t buy the groceries, you do!

If you’re child is over-eating like the kids on the Dr. Phil Show it’s because his/her body is malnourished. A child’s body will look to get what ever it can get out of crap food! If there is no nutrients in that food the body will crave more food until it receives adequate nutrition… If there choices are empty calories coming from dead foods it can be a vicious cycle! So if your child is consistently sick (it’s not a anti-biotic deficiency!), tired/lazy, is over-weight, over-eating, has ADD, can’t sit still and is running around out of control you must take a closer look at what TYPES of FUELS (Proteins, Carbs and Fats) you are putting in his/her gas tank…Your car won’t run optimally on Diesel (Standard American Diet) if it’s supposed to take Supreme (Organic Meats, veggies/fruits and nuts). What exactly makes you think you or your child’s body will run optimally on Sugar Smacks and Orange Juice?

Matt Pack, NASM CPT, Nutrition Lifestyle Coach http://www.extremefatlosstraining.com

http://www.impackfitness.com

1. Crunches are a waste of time (abs are made in the kitchen!).
2. There is no muscle stimulator you can place on your stomach that gives you a six pack.
3. Milk (comercial)won’t make you skinny or make your bones stronger for that matter…
4. Cereal for breakfast is NOT the breakfast of champions
5. Those Brazilian weight loss pills are going to kill someone.
6. Infomercials are scams but damn that Tony Little guy is a rich man…
7. Aerobics doesn’t work but cardio sure does?
8. If you only have time for cardio or weights always choose WEIGHTS!
9. WHOLE Eggs are excellent for you! The yolk is where the nutrients are found.
10. Sweat and exhaustion doesn’t equate to fat loss (I hate SPINNING!)
11. Soy makes you fat!
12. Get off the elliptical machine! Unless you’ve recently had knee surgery. It’s too darn easy!
13. No ladies, for the 100th time, heavy weights won’t make you bulky.
14. No training program in the world can make up for a crappy diet…
15. Vegetarians
16. People doing the same thing and expecting different results
17. Un-educated personal trainers
18. Marathons! Why would you want to: run in a straight line for 26.2 miles? Eat your own muscle? Supress your immune system? Get Feet, knee, hip and low back pathologie(s)?
19. Aerobics Classes
20. People who eat Carbs without a Protein! How can you eat spaghetti by itself?
*Bonus* 21. People doing the same thing and expecting different results ( for god sakes stop reading about Brittney Spears on the Elliptical maching!!!)

Click the YOUTUBE tab above to see what we do here LIVE!

Aside from the fact that this type of training is fun, fresh and different it flat right out burns a ton of calories! People have been doing the same old thing for too long. Nothing works forever! How many more crunches and aerobic classes do you have to do to finally get some results? Lets not forget the definition of insanity; To continue to do the same thing and expect different results. I’ve gotten extraordinary results with these type of workouts simply because it’s something completely new that your body has never seen. A great quote puts it all in perspective,” The best training routine you can be on is the one that you’re not on.”

I’m tired of seeing people on treadmills reading magazines! I’m tired of people riding bikes talking on there cell phones. I’m tired of seeing the same people lifting the same pink dumbbells that they were lifting last year! I’m going to tell you a little secret… Would you like to know why there are so many over-weight and unhealthy individuals in our country? Aside from the fact that people live off of box foods, don’t eat breakfast, work too much, don’t sleep enough and obviously don’t move enough. People want results and don’t want to do anything for it! It’s not easy… If it was easy than everyone would look like Jennifer Lopez and Brad Pitt.

The secret is INTENSITY. We have to work harder, not longer. If longer worked than you wouldn’t see fat marathon runners, but there are. If easy worked than riding on that bike while talking to your girlfriend would work but it doesn’t. Has that abs class worked for you yet? Look, what I’m getting at here is that simple and easy are not the same. Easy implies no effort. Simple means not complicated. Achieving total health and lower body fat levels is simple, but it’s far from easy.

Here’s a Couple of Things I know for sure…

Crunches are a waste of time(abs are made in the kitchen!). There is no muscle stimulator you can place on your abs that gives you a six pack. Milk won’t make you skinny. Cheerios is not a good breakfast and lastly I’m sure that those Brazilian weight loss pills are eventually going to kill someone. On the bright side there a couple of things that are proven to work for long-term fat loss: HARD WORK, EAT, SLEEP and REPEAT!