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Copyright © 2013-2014 (and beyond) Bruce Krahn and Ebodi Health Inc. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this information may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, distributing, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author. The author and publisher disclaim any respon-sibility for any adverse effects or consequences from the misapplication or injudicious use of the infor-mation presented in this text.

Disclaimer

Fitness training in any form involves a potential risk for serious injury, health complications, or death. The dietary and exercise techniques discussed and utilized in this manual are designed and demon-strated by highly trained professionals, and should not be attempted by anyone, regardless of age or physical condition, without help from a fitness professional, medical doctor or registered dietician / licensed dietician. Anyone who attempts any of these techniques, whether under supervision or not, assumes all risks. Neither Bruce Krahn, Ebodi Health Inc, www.troublespottraining.com, nor any business affiliates of Bruce Krahn or Ebodi Health Inc shall be held liable to anyone for use of any of these exercises, diet plans, or any advice whatsoever contained within this book. The Trouble Spot Training ebook is informational and for your entertainment only. The data and information contained herein are based upon information from the author’s own personal experience and practice as gained by various sources, some peer-reviewed, and some not. The author and publisher of this manual makes no warranties, expressed or implied, regarding the currency, completeness or scientific accu-racy of this information, nor does it warrant the fitness of the information for any particular purpose. This summary of information from anecdotal experience, books, research journals and articles is not intended to replace the advice or guidance from health care professionals, personal trainers, correc-tive exercise specialists, or registered and licensed dieticians. It is not intended to direct their behav-ior or replace their independent professional judgment. Before you embark on any health, fitness or sports training programs, seek clearance from a qualified health care professional.

CONTENTS

THE 3 NUTRITION PRINCIPLES FOR FAST FAT LOSS .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .1

HOW YOUR BODY “BURNS” FAT.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .6

NUTRITION RULES .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .9

A DAY IN THE LIFE.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 16

SUPPLEMENTS FOR FASTER RESULTS.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 22

EXERCISE TECHNIQUES FOR FAST FAT LOSS . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 26

CONTENTS

1

THE 3 NUTRITION PRINCIPLES FOR FAST FAT LOSS

Nutrition is going to play a very significant role in your success with this program. Regardless if you need to build muscle or lose fat at the mo-ment your nutrition program will be the single biggest factor to achieving your goals.

Re-shaping your body requires that you lower your body fat percentage to such a point that your weak body parts become visible. Once you

have done this you will switch gears from burn-ing fat to building muscle in order to create your ideal body shape.

That being said, throughout this entire process there are 3 nutrition principles that remain con-stant. These principles hold the power to shape your body in terms of losing fat and building muscle and are crucial to your success;

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Nutrient QuantityThe number one most important factor to losing body fat and gaining muscle is calorie balance. What does this mean? It means that calories count. In order for your body to tap into stored body fat one of two things must happen- you must reduce calorie intake or increase calorie expenditure through exercise. No amount of food combining, fasting, supplementation, or protein/carb manipulation can make up for this. In all things, calorie balance reigns supreme. Every diet book is predicated upon this one sim-ple fact (although the best selling ones are very good at disguising it in order to trick people into thinking something else is going on). It is critical-ly important that you accept this fact.

Most people tend to grossly underestimate the amount of calories they are eating and then overestimate the number of calories they think they are burning through exercise. However there is one very important point I would like to make- not all calories are created equal. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction- the action of eating food imparts the reaction of

hormonal response in the body. Two thousand calories per day of candy bars and potato chips will produce vastly different results compared to consuming two thousand calories of protein, vegetables and essential fatty acids. This is mainly due to the beneficial effects of protein in terms of satiety and its thermogenic properties.

The same goes for when it is time to build mus-cle. You simply will not build new muscle tissue unless you have sufficient food energy coming in. In order to be successful at body re-com-position you need to have a very good idea of approximately how many calories you are con-suming each day. I say approximately because it doesn’t need to be exact. However, once you have reached your goal you will have a very good handle on how your body responds to the different eating and exercise strategies outlined in this book and you will be able to eat more intuitively. You can try to do this without count-ing but keep in mind that in order to produce a predictable result it is always best to operate using real data and not guessing.

NUTRITION PRINCIPLE #1:

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The following is a simple formula I use for calculating calories:

FAT LOSS MEASUREMENTSBody weight in lbs x 10kcal

Bodyweight* Calorie Intake100 lbs 1000kcal (900-1100)150 lbs 1500kcal (1350-1650)200 lbs 2000kcal (1800-2200)250 lbs 2500kcal (2250-2750)300 lbs 3000kcal (2700-3300)

Measuring your food will always produce the best result but it isn’t always practical. For those who prefer a simpler approach you can use the following form of food measurement;

WOMENProtein- size of ½ your palm

Vegetables- size of your palm

Starch- size of your ½ palm

Fats- size of your thumb

MENProtein- size of 1 palm

Vegetables- size of two palms

Starch- size of your palm

Fats- size of 2 thumbs

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Nutrient FrequencyNutrient frequency simply means how many meals/snacks you consume each day. There has been a tremendous amount of debate surrounding this topic lately and the answer to how often or how many meals you should eat per day depends upon your goal. For example, if you need to lose fat it is better to spread your meals further apart and have a lower meal frequency. For most people this means eating every 3-4 hours. This reduced meal frequency is better for fat loss for a number of reasons including;

1. Eating meals too close together doesn’t allow for insulin to “clear” and keeps your body in an anabolic or growth state. This may be fine during a muscle building phase but NOT during a fat burning phase. Fat loss is a catabolic (tis-sue breakdown) event. During a fat loss phase you want to balance your time between periods of catabolism to lose fat and anabolism to pre-serve lean muscle tissue.

2. Fat loss requires that you eat fewer calories making a higher meal frequency very impracti-cal. Just try dividing 1800 calories into 6 small meals and you will see what I am talking about. A more practical approach in this case would be to have 2-3 whole food meals and one nutri-tion shake.

On the other hand if your goal is to build muscle a more frequent meal frequency may prove to be beneficial. Not only does this allow for more food energy to be consumed and an increase in anabolism (tissue building) it also protects against catabolism or muscle loss during peri-ods of intense training.

During periods of muscle building the calorie requirements for a hard training athlete can be as high as 6,000 (or more) per day. In this case it makes perfect sense to have 6 or more meals spread out evenly throughout the day.

Note: ALWAYS consume your post workout recovery protein drink regardless of meal timing or frequency.

I recommend experimenting with your meal fre-quency. Here are some suggestions for you to try;

4 meals per day6 am- Breakfast12 pm- Lunch5 pm- Dinner→ Post workout recovery beverage

3 meals per day12 pm - Lunch6 pm- Dinner→ Post workout recovery beverage

2 meals per dayLunch or Dinner→ Post workout recovery beverage

NUTRITION PRINCIPLE #2:

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Nutrient combinationsNutrient combinations are the percentages of fats, proteins and carbohydrates consumed at each meal. These combinations will vary depend-ing upon whether you are in a fat loss or muscle building phase and your exercise schedule. The combinations can be surmised as follows;

1. Always have protein with each meal. Protein consumption promotes anabolism and has the highest thermic effect of all nutrients thus in-creasing the rate of calorie burning in the body.

2. Never consume high amounts of fat with high amounts of starch based carbohydrate foods. High fat intake together with high insulin levels is a recipe for fat storage.

3. Never consume starch based carbohydrate foods by themselves. Always have protein with carbs to help mitigate the insulin response and control appetite.

4. The best food combinations are as follows:

Pre workout: Protein + fat + vegetables

Post workout: Protein + starch carb + vegetables

Non-workout/ rest days: Protein + fat + vegetables

Depending on your goal, these ratios will be manipulated further to allow for an increase or decrease in calorie intake:

FAT LOSS6 Days per week: Protein + fat + vegetables ONLY

Day 7: Protein + Vegetables + Cheat meal (fe-

males) or 3 hour cheat window (males)

MUSCLE BUILDINGPre workout:

Protein + fat + vegetables

Post workout: Protein + vegetables + starch based

carbohydrates

Non-workout/ rest days: Protein + fat + vegetables

Cheat meal once per week (female)

Cheat window (3 hours) once every 7 days

(male)

NUTRITION PRINCIPLE #3:

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HOW YOUR BODY “BURNS” FAT

It is important to understand that fat loss is systemic. Your body is constantly mobilizing and storing fat, from all over your body, at all times of the day. Where the fat comes off first is largely determined by genetics (although hormones like testosterone, insulin and adrenaline can influence fat storage and mobilization as well). When you workout, the hormones and enzymes responsible for fat loss are released into the bloodstream and interact with fat cells all over your body. The ability of these hormones and enzymes to interact with your fat cells is impact-ed by adipose tissue blood flow. The better the

blood flow is to your fat cells the better your results. While you may not have control over where your body access’s fat for energy first, you do have control over two critical components that impact its efficiency- diet and exercise.

In this section I am going to show you the most efficient diet and training methods for fast fat loss. To defeat an enemy it is important to fully understand him and so I will begin by giving you a quick review on fat cell metabolism (don’t worry- it sounds dry but it really is quite interest-ing- I promise!).

Lipolysis — how your body “loses” fatLike air trapped in a balloon, fatty acids are contained within a fat cell and are “released” when the fat cell interacts with a hormone called Hormone Sensitive Lipase or HSL. Once released into the bloodstream, these fatty acids are transported to muscle cells where they are oxidized or “burned”. Any residual fatty acids that are not burned and remain in the bloodstream are subsequently re-deposited

back into fat cells through a process known as fatty acid re-esterification.

The efficiency of your body’s ability to metabo-lize fat is enhanced through exercise as exercise stimulates the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline is what is known as a “catecholamine” or a hor-mone that serves to activate HSL and stimulate lipolysis or fat burning in the body.

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As its name implies, HSL is very sensitive, in particular to the action of insulin which has the ability to shut down its fat releasing effect. This effect is even more pronounced in individu-als with less workout experience as they have poorer insulin sensitivity compared to those are more highly trained.

Because of the effect that insulin has on the release of fat from the cell and into the blood-stream it is critical that you control its release. This is NOT to say that insulin has to be kept low at all times- you simply want to manipulate your diet to minimize its action during periods when you are burning fat and increase its release during periods when you are building muscle.

Adrenoreceptors and your body fatAll over the various tissues of your body (includ-ing fat tissue) there are cells called adrenocep-tors. These receptors react in response to the messages sent by the catecholamines. There are two main classes of adrenoceptors- alpha and beta. Alpha receptors are thought of as being “bad” as they reduce the mobilization of fatty acids in the blood and increase fat storage. On the other hand, beta receptors are considered to be “good” as they do exactly the opposite and amplify the fat burning effects of the cathecol-

amines. As I am sure you have guessed by now those body parts that are most resistant to your fat loss efforts have a higher density of alpha to beta receptors.

To combat this and mobilize those stubborn fat deposits you must activate the beta receptors while simultaneously blocking the alpha recep-tors. This can be accomplished in two ways:

Follow a carb cycling diet. Diets that are low in carbohydrates (less than 20% total calories) will reduce insulin, inhibit alpha receptors and increase the release of the catecholamine hormones. This effect does not happen immedi-ately- carbs must be reduced for several days for full effect to take place.

Perform high intensity exercise. Even moderate exercise will increase catecholamine output and activate beta receptors however high intensity exercise is significantly more effective.

As discussed, when the catecholamines react with a beta receptor of a fat cell, fat will be released into the bloodstream where it can be transported to other tissues to be burned. An increase in adipose tissue blood flow amplifies this effect by way of increasing the interaction between epinephrine and adipose tissue beta receptors. Poor adipose tissue blood flow means epinephrine can’t reach the fat cells

It is very important to note that high intensity exercise is the ideal way to increase the release of the catecholamine hormones and subsequent release of fat from the cell and this is why the exercise program I recommend for fat loss is dramatically different from the one used to target your trouble spots during the muscle building phase.

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making it even harder to mobilize fat away from the cell. An increase in blood flow can be ac-complished in two ways:

1. Increased exercise. Vigorous exercise is one of the best ways to increase blood flow and transport of fat to muscle cells where it can be burned. This process is amplified in the pres-ence of low muscle glycogen levels. The exercise program detailed below are excellent for accom-plishing this.

2. Carbohydrate fasting. In terms of nutrition, carbohydrate fasting lowers insulin and improves blood flow to your fat cells. This helps to move fat to your muscles where it can be burned as fuel.

During the fat loss portion of this program I am going to have you do both of these- reduce your carbohydrate and calorie intake for short peri-ods while simultaneously performing very spe-

cific exercise protocols to bring about maximum fat release and burning. Instead of bogging you down with too much information I have broken your nutrition down to a number of “rules” for you to follow.

SPECIAL NOTE: The hormonal systems of the human body are incredibly complex and in-terconnected. After years of searching I finally found an online course taught by a medical professional who understood the complexity of this system and was able to explain it in lay-man’s terms so that it was easy to understand. This course is called “Fat Is Not Your Fault” and it was created by Doctor Bryan Walsh. Dr Walsh is my “go to” source for all things hormonal. I cannot say enough about this course- if you even suspect that you have a hormonal im-balance issue you owe it to yourself to at least watch the free video over at the Fat Is Not Your Fault website.

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In my lectures and books I often refer to “moving the big rocks first”. What this means is that you will have establish a solid foundation of nutrition first in order to bring about the greatest results from your training program. Diet will always be the single most significant (and difficult) barrier to long term success. The secret is to keep things realistic and actionable. This can be accomplished by following these simple rules for optimal body composition;

Remember that calorie balance reigns supremeCalories matter and anybody who says oth-erwise is either confused or trying to sell you something that sounds too good to be true. The simple fact of the matter is this- in order to lose fat you must be in a calorie deficit on most (but not all) days. In order to build muscle you must be in a calorie surplus for most (but not all) days. Here is a basic calorie guideline for you to follow;

For FAT LOSS try consuming the caloric equiva-lent to your bodyweight (in pounds) X 10

This is simply the place to start as no two indi-viduals are exactly alike. Don’t get too hung up

on things like meal frequency either. For fat loss you need to eat less and for this reason I prefer to eat 3-4 times per day during a fat loss phase. For muscle building more calories are needed and for that reason a higher meal frequency of 5-7 “feedings” sometimes works best. The best thing for you to do is to find a meal frequency that works for your lifestyle and allows you to eat healthy, nutrient rich meals on a consistent basis.

The best way I have found to make this whole process a whole lot easier is to simply follow some basic guidelines when it comes to your food choices and portion sizes. In terms of food choices I recommend consuming mostly nutrient dense foods such as lean proteins, vegetables, and healthy fats. By doing so you will discover that maintaining your results is a

NUTRITION RULES

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breeze. Your goal is to eat this way on a daily basis and simply increase or decrease your meal frequency depending upon the results you are trying to achieve. The key is to track your results (measurements and percent body fat are best) and keep an eye on your current level of condi-tioning. If the fat isn’t coming off try eating a bit less- conversely if the muscle growth isn’t hap-pening then you should try eating a bit more.

The following are some very effective meal planning guidelines for you to follow in order to achieve optimal body composition;

Cycle your carbsThis trick has had the single biggest impact on my ability to remain lean and muscular year round. I simply do not eat any starch based carbs such as potatoes, rice, breads etc unless I have exercised and earned the right to do so. On days that my activity level is low I simply stick to eating proteins, veggies and healthy fats. This works to keep both hunger and body fat under control. I would like to emphasize the impor-tance of consuming protein and carbohydrates following your TST muscle building workouts. The intensity and duration of these sets will deplete glycogen stores and break down muscle tissue and this increases the need for protein and carb consumption immediately post work-out.

The best way to tell if you are eating too many (or not enough) carbs is to use the following self assessment;

How you look = How many carbs you should eat

I look soft and bloated — Cut back on carbs for one day

I look great and feel strong — Increase carbs by having an extra portion after your workout

I feel tired, my muscles look “flat” and my train-ing sucks — Have a serving of carbs PRE and POST workout

Eat more fat (just not with your carbs)Being fat phobic is a fast way to fat city. When training for optimal health and body composition it is important to consume sufficient amounts of healthy fat each day. For optimal leanness I suggest the following food combinations;

FAT LOSS PHASE:

Protein + vegetables + fat 6 days per week

Protein + vegetables + starch carbs on your cheat days

MUSCLE BUILDING PHASE:

Protein + vegetables + fat PRE exercise or on days you don’t workout

Protein + vegetables + starch carbs POST exer-cise only OR on your cheat days

Eat real foodThere are hundreds of meal replacement shakes and bars on the market and the implication is that consuming them will provide some sort of metabolic benefit that surpasses eating the equivalent in whole food form. This is pure mar-keting B.S. I can recall a client telling me how

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the latest protein bar would magically transform any subsequent calories eaten into muscle rath-er than fat. Or how about Sensa- the magical fairy dust you sprinkle on your food that renders the calories eaten inert. All of this is pure mar-keting fantasy. Humans will always function best when give a diet consisting of real food such as lean meats, vegetables, nuts, beans, and fruits - not food that comes with a bar code

Avoid “Obeseogens”All of the foods we consume are connected in one way or another to the soil. Synthetic fertiliz-ers upset the delicate soil balance and this im-pacts the quality of food that is produced. Many of the chemicals that are used in food produc-tion are known to disrupt the human endocrine system and are classified as being “obeseo-gens”. These foreign chemical compounds are known to;

▶ Encourages the body to store fat and re-program cells to become fat cells

▶ Prompts the liver to become insulin resistant

▶ Prevents leptin from being released from your fat cells to tell your body you are full

Avoiding obeseogens is possible and doesn’t re-quire that you turn your life upside down- here’s how I do it;

▶ Buy wild fish & grass fed meat and dairy products that are hormone & antibiotic free

▶ Install a granular activated carbon filter on your faucet

▶ Use stainless steel water bottles or those that are BPA-free

▶ Avoid plastics with the number 3 or 7 on the bottom

▶ Choose organic fruits and veggies whenever possible and always wash thoroughly with soap and water before consuming

▶ Never microwave food in plastic

▶ Eat fewer canned foods. Tuna can be found in pouches that do not contain BPA

▶ Get rid of your non-stick pans if possible. Never scratch a Teflon pan (use a wood implement)

▶ Buy meats straight from the butcher and ask that they wrap them in brown paper

▶ Skip the air fresheners, open the windows, and try a vase of dried lavender instead

Eat more proteinI am sure that this comes as no surprise. I have found that the simple act of increasing protein consumption is often enough to bring about sig-nificant changes to body composition through a reduction in appetite and an increase in ther-mogenesis. In order to maintain your results you don’t have to obsess over the exact amount of protein to consume each day- simply make sure that each time you eat you include a source of good quality protein from an animal or vegetar-ian source.

Eat fewer processed foodsThis is a no brainer. Processed carbohydrate foods like breads, cereals, pastas, rolls, crackers, cakes, candies and fast foods are easily convert-ed to sugar and extra body fat. Processed carbo-

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hydrates are the number one reason why peo-ple are getting so fat these days. These foods are simply too calorie dense and nutrient sparse to be a part of your everyday lifestyle. Sure it is ok to eat them on occasion but always time their consumption to coincide with the post exercise training period. In other words- you must earn the right to eat this crap and no more frequently than once per week.

Avoid hidden sugarsYour body doesn’t care what the label says- all of the following words mean “added sugar” and should be avoided:

▶ Corn Sweetener

▶ Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids

▶ Dehydrated Cane Juice

▶ Dextrin

▶ Dextrose

▶ Fructose

▶ Fruit Juice Concentrate

▶ Glucose

▶ High Fructose Corn Syrup

▶ Honey

▶ Invert Sugar

▶ Lactose

▶ Maltodextrin

▶ Malt syrup

▶ Maltose

▶ Maple syrup

▶ Molasses

▶ Raw sugar

▶ Rice Syrup

▶ Saccharose

▶ Sorghum or sorghum syrup

▶ Sucrose

▶ Syrup

▶ Treacle

▶ Turbinado Sugar

▶ Xylose

Drink more water and teaYour body is more than 80 percent water so it makes good sense to keep well hydrated. Stay away from artificially sweetened water and stick with having water with lemon. Drink more on days you exercise or perspire heavily and try not to drink excessive amounts with your meals. Teas are also great to have anytime but try to keep coffee to the pre-workout period only. In terms of amounts, a good goal to shoot for is to consume ½ your bodyweight in ounces of water daily and even more on days you perspire heavily.

Eat more veggiesVeggies are often classified as having “negative” calories as they can cost more energy to digest than they contain. Veggies are packed with nu-trients and will help fill your plate (and stomach) without adding to your calorie load. Just keep them away from the deep fryer and season them using only lemon and/or spices.

Plan to cheatLife is not about deprivation- it’s about earning your rewards. I always recommend scheduling

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weekly diet breaks and going too long without them can actually hinder your results. Plan when you are going to cheat and enjoy every minute of the experience. To prevent a total diet meltdown allow yourself a cheat “window” as opposed to a cheat “day”. By allowing yourself a period of time to indulge (3hours, one day per week) you are able to satisfy any cravings with-out going over board and setting yourself back.

Keep a food diaryOne of the most under rated fat loss tools is a food diary. The simple act of keeping track of what you eat and drink will bring awareness to your eating patterns and help to hold yourself accountable. I recommend keeping a food diary throughout the fat loss process. Some stats you should be monitoring include: type of food and beverage consumed, time of day when eaten, approximate quantity and any emotional trig-gers associated with the foods or beverages you consume.

Manage stressManaging our stress is a vital component to lasting health, long life, happiness and fat loss. Recent studies have shown that approximately 40% of all North Americans suffer from stress- related adverse health effects. In addition, up to 90% of all doctor visits are for stress- related complaints or disorders. Stress has been linked to every leading cause of death including can-cer, heart disease, accidental deaths, cirrhosis and suicide. Interestingly, studies have found that the most common health risk of obese peo-ple is stress. This is because obese people under stress secrete more cortisol, which activates an

increase in fat-storage enzymes. However, stress is a normal part of everyday life. What makes a difference is how we deal with it. Some effective stress management techniques are meditation, deep breathing and prayer.

Sleep it offGet a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Sleep in complete darkness (no night lights). A lack of sleep decreases the secretion of growth hormone (GH), which is imperative for burning fat and building lean muscle tissue. GH plays a role in controlling the body’s fat and muscle proportions. It is released in spurts during deep sleep. A lack of sleep also disrupts other hor-mones like leptin, which is responsible for tell-ing your body when to eat. Sleep debt causes leptin to decrease resulting in cravings for fats and refined carbohydrates. This in turn raises insulin levels which add to fat gain. Sleeping in complete darkness triggers your pineal gland to release melatonin, which is a very potent antioxidant, and allows the body to regenerate while sleeping. If there is light present in the room (night lights, clock radios, TVs etc.) it will interfere with this process. Try Passion Flower if you experience trouble falling asleep and time released Melatonin for help with staying asleep. If you have trouble waking simply dip your feet in cold water!

Test for Food IntolerancesFood allergies are surprisingly common these days and it’s not hard to see why. The average North Americans diet consists primarily of wheat and dairy products- two of the most common food allergens. Symptoms can include skin

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conditions, lethargy, gas, bloating, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, constipation, or other GI abnormalities. Identifying and clearing these in-tolerances can be accomplished using a phase based approach.

Note- Begin with Phase 1 and progress only if the condition persists

Phase 1- Substitute whey based protein powders for vegetarian/plant based

Phase 2- Stop consuming the same pro-tein source more than once per day

Phase 3- Add supplemental digestive enzymes into the diet

Phase 4- Add a gut friendly acidophilus rich supplement into the diet

Phase 5- Remove all protein based supplements from diet and stick to whole food sources only

Phase 6- Remove all remaining food al-lergens from diet. The worst offenders are wheat, corn, eggs, dairy, nuts and fish.

Accelerate results with an intermittent fasting periodWhenever food is eaten insulin levels will rise. It doesn’t matter what foods you eat- any food that is consumed will result in an insulin re-sponse. However, some foods such as healthy fats or proteins will have a more favorable response than fruit juices or refined wheat products. When you fast you are not consuming any foods or calorie containing beverages and

the result of this is very low insulin levels and increased fat burning potential.

Another benefit to fasting is an increase in Hu-man Growth Hormone (HGH). HGH is a powerful hormone responsible for increasing lean muscle mass and decreasing body fat. HGH is secreted throughout the day but approximately 75% of HGH release occurs while you sleep. This is one of the primary reasons why getting adequate sleep is a vital component to health and body composition. However, this delicate process can be disrupted by eating.

Optimal fat burning occurs when HGH is high and insulin is low. The time when this happens naturally is when we are in a fasted state. There are several ways that you can fast however there are two methods I have used personally that I have found to be effective and not cause me to feel irritable.

The first is a daily fast. With a daily fast you are simply extending the fast you are already doing while you are sleeping. Here is how it works- consume your last meal of the day no later than 7 pm. Go to bed as usual (the earlier the better) and eat breakfast at 7 am. This provides a full 12 hours of fasting. For even greater HGH release you can extend this to 14 or 16 hours of fasting.

The second method is a weekly fast. With this method you will be forgoing food for a full 24 hour period one day per week. Here is how it works- consume your last meal of the day no later than 7 pm. Go to bed as usual (the earlier the better) and eat a light dinner the following day at 7 pm. Eat as normal beginning the follow-ing morning at breakfast.

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 Your body has the highest fat burning potential when insulin is low and HGH is high. Because of this I always recommend performing cardio is a fasted state (early am being best). This is a technique that has been used by physique competitors for many years and now you can understand why it works.

I have tried both of these methods (daily and weekly fasts) and they both work to speed up fat loss- primarily due to the resulting decrease in caloric intake but also due to the favorable hormonal response.

If I had to pick one method I would choose the weekly fast performed the day following my “cheat” period day. Scheduling a fast day at this time actually makes the whole process a lot less painful. In fact, I find it quite liberating to not have to eat the day after I have consumed a con-siderable number of calories and carbs. I simply am not that hungry at this time and knowing that skipping a few meals may actually be of benefit makes the practice even easier.

Fasting is something that you can incorporate to speed up your fat loss and prepare you for the muscle building phase of this program. My rec-ommendation is to give one (or both) of these methods a try for a few weeks and track your results- only then will you know if fasting is the right lifestyle for you.

Practice the Pareto PrincipalVilfredo Pareto was an economist who is best known for his observation of wealth distribution in the early 1900’s. He observed that 80 percent of the wealth was held by 20 percent of the population. He then went on to show how this 80/20 relationship could be found everywhere and not just in economics. For example, Pareto explained that 80 percent of his garden peas were produced by 20 percent of the pea pods he planted in his garden. This will also apply to your diet and exercise- as long as things are on track 80 percent of the time then the remaining 20 percent will have a negligible effect.

Fasting and Exercise

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You are probably wondering what the fat loss diet looks like so here is a sample for you to peruse.

Wake up ▶ 12 ounces water ▶ Greens+ ▶ Multivitamin/multimineral ▶ 2 fish oil caps ▶ 3 caps Abs+ ▶ 2 caps Lean+ ▶ 5 grams creatine ▶ 5 grams BCAA’S ▶ 1 cup green tea

Workout ▶ Sip 5 grams BCAA’S mixed

in 1 litre water

Note: If BCAA’S are unavailable please substitute with 1 scoop of whey or vegan protein.

Breakfast ▶ 3 organic whole egg omelette ▶ 1 cup spinach ▶ 1 tablespoon salsa ▶ ½ cup mushrooms ▶ 1 cup water

A DAY IN THE LIFE

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Lunch ▶ 1 serving homemade turkey chilli

(with celery, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers and zucchini) OR large green salad with mixed vegetables topped with grilled turkey breast meat and olive oil dressing.

▶ 1 cup water ▶ 3 caps Abs+ ▶ 2 caps Lean+ ▶ 2 fish oil caps

Snack (optional- but I found this works very well to calm any hunger pangs. You could also use 1 scoop of whey or vegetarian protein powder mixed in water. I recommend alternating between the two)

▶ 5 grams BCAA’s

Dinner(Same as lunch as I like to keep things very simple when cutting calories. However, it would be best to use a different protein source such as beef, fish or vegetarian)

Pre bed (optional- I can’t sleep with my stom-ach grumbling so I tend to always have this)

▶ 5 grams BCAA’S or 1 serving whey protein with a dash of real cinnamon

▶ 2 caps fish oil ▶ 1 serving magnesium

The finer pointsThe finer points of this fat loss program can be surmised as follows;

1. Go Into Every Workout in a Carbohydrate Fasted State

When training for fat loss don’t eat any fats or carbohydrates for at least 3 hours prior to ex-ercise. The only food energy during this period should come from 5-10 grams of BCAA’S. This is to ensure that your insulin levels are kept low and will allow for maximum release of growth hormone (great for fat burning).

2. Know Your Calorie Limit and Stay Within It

During this period it is absolutely essential to only consume foods that have a high nutrient density. You should follow a meal plan so that you know how many calories you are taking in. Foods like chicken breasts, vegetables and es-sential fatty acids will be the foundation of your nutrition plan. Alcohol is out for now (as it offers no nutrient benefits). Resolve yourself to the notion that this is about getting your body to strip fat as fast as possible while retaining your muscle mass. This means that your diet is going to have to be quite boring for the time being. However, once you reach your goal you will be able to loosen the reigns and look hot eating and drinking the foods you love.

3. Lean On Supplements To Fill Nutrient Gaps

Supplements become more important as calo-ries decrease and activity increases. This is the time when you will notice a significant difference in how you feel, perform and look depending on

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the supplements you use. Protein supplemen-tation in the form of BCAA’S and whey and/or vegetarian protein powders will help keep you feeling fuller longer (and a whole lot less irritable during this time). Multivitamins, minerals, green drinks and fish oils will serve to fill nutrient gaps. Fat burners such as Lean+ and Abs+ will give your body a slight fat burning boost.

4. Increase Water Consumption

It seems counter intuitive but drinking wore wa-ter will help to eliminate more of the subcutane-ous water retention that can make you appear fat and bloated. Consume ½ your bodyweight in ounces of water each day and more on days that you sweat a lot. I like to flavour my water with fresh lemons and limes and this also helps allow me to consume such high amounts. It is going to be an inconvenience for a while (plan your bathroom breaks) but definitely worth it in the end.

5. Exercise DAILY During This Period

Your body can take the increase in exercise fre-quency for a short period of time. My preference is to perform 3 resistance training sessions per week PLUS 2-3 low intensity cardio sessions on alternate days. Even walking is helpful during

this period. I prefer to perform my resistance training in a superset or circuit fashion for about 30 or 40 minutes and follow each resistance training workout with 20 or 30 minutes of steady state cardio. This can be sustained for up to 8 weeks MAX and then take a week off completely.

6. Consume Protein Around Each Workout

Muscle catabolism is most likely to occur during periods of low calorie and carbohydrate intake and increased exercise volume. You can min-imize the chances of this by keeping protein intake high. The two critical periods are pre and post workout.

7. Restrict All Non-Vegetable Carbs

I am far from being carb phobic but after testing this on numerous occasions I can tell you that you will reduce body fat more efficiently when carbs are strictly controlled. Just to be clear- when I say “carbs” I am taking about foods such as potatoes, rice, breads, oatmeal, pasta, quinoa and other grains. Fruit should also be kept to a bare minimum. You can eat all the vegetable carbs your hungry heart desires. And now for the good part- once per week you MUST have a cheat “window” where you go carb crazy and feast on as many carbs as you want.

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The following is simply an example of the foods you should choose when creating your daily meal plan during a fat loss phase. Feel free to make substitutions to suit your taste while still

adhering to the nutrition rules outlined above. The measurements below are approximations- be sure to refer to the portion guidelines dis-cussed earlier in this guide.

BUILDING YOUR MEAL PLAN

BREAKFASTProtein Choices: Choose One

Whole organic eggs

Turkey bacon

Leftover meat from the night before (beef, chicken etc)

Vegetable Choices: Choose OneBroccoli

Cauliflower

Spinach

Asparagus

Fat Choices: Choose OneAvocado

Flax seed oil (do not cook with flaxseed oil- use coconut oil instead)

Extra virgin olive oil

Fish oil

Organic butter

Meal suggestion: Combine ingredients to make an omelette or mix in a bowel to form a healthy salad.

Short on time? Then try my favourite fast breakfast- protein cof-fee shake!In a blender combine the following;

1 cup water (or coconut milk- just watch the calories)Ice cubes1 teaspoon instant coffee1tablespoon full fat organic whipping cream1 scoop chocolate whey isolate proteinBlend until smooth and enjoy!

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LUNCHChoose One

Chicken (dark or white meat)

Turkey (dark or white meat)

Fish (tuna only 1 time per week)

Beef (lean varieties)

Vegetable Choices: Choose OneBroccoli

Cauliflower

Spinach

Asparagus

Fat Choices: Choose OneAvocado

Flax seed oil (do not cook with flaxseed oil- use coconut oil instead)

Extra virgin olive oil

Fish oil

Organic butter

Over a large salad that is made up of any of the following:Mixed greens with Celery, Peppers, Cucumbers, TomatoesDressing: Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Flax Seed OilAdd spices to taste.

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DINNERChoose One

Chicken (dark or white meat)

Turkey (dark or white meat)

Fish (tuna only 1 time per week)

Beef (lean varieties)

Vegetable Choices: Choose OneBroccoli

Cauliflower

Sautéed spinach

Asparagus

Fat Choices: Choose One Avocado

Flax seed oil (do not cook with flaxseed oil- use coconut oil instead)

Extra virgin olive oil

Fish oil

Organic butter

Combine ingredients in a wok and stir fry until vegetables are crunchy tender and meat is cooked through. Add spices to taste.

Healthy Starch Carbohydrate Choices (These are best eaten in your post workout meal during your muscle building phase but can be eaten one day per week during a fat loss phase.)

Ezekiel Bread

Ezekiel Roll

Ezekiel English Muffin

Gluten free oats (made with water)

Rice (white or brown)

Potato (white or sweet)

PLUSOne Fruit

1 green apple

1 pear

Medium banana

Please see Trouble Spot Nutrition for detailed meal plans

and recipes.

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Losing body fat requires eating less food and a relatively simple diet. One of the strategies that works extremely well for me (and for my clients) is to embrace the idea that, when embarking on eating for extreme body transformation, boring is better.

By this I mean that once you find four or five meals that are palatable and fit your diet criteria, it is a good idea to eat those same meals over and over (with the exception of your cheat days where you should be eating other types of foods).

This produces excellent results however there is a potential problem with this strategy- the

increased possibility of developing nutrient deficiencies. In addition, the need for nutri-ents increases as demands are imposed on your building, repairing and recovery systems. When dieting this demand is exacerbated as nutrients from food are diminished. In order to address this issue supplementation is neces-sary. The following are the supplements I use and recommend;

Note: We are all unique and vary in our individ-ual nutrient requirements. Always consult with your natural health practitioner for testing and dosing protocols.

SUPPLEMENTS FOR FASTER

RESULTS

Fish oil. Excellent for reducing inflammation, hormone production, improving insulin sensi-tivity, blood flow and a host of other benefits. Look for one that is standardized to contain a minimum of 2:1 epa/dha ratio and sourced from small fish like anchovies, sardines and Krill. Rec-ommended dose is 6-20 grams per day.

Pre and Probiotics. Taking both pre and pro-biotics can positively impact fat loss and mood. Providing your gut with good bacteria will serve to boost your immune system, fight off infec-tions, influence fat absorption and help with neurotransmitter production in the gut.

GET FISH OIL AT A DISCOUNT! GET PROBIOTICS AT A DISCOUNT!

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Vitamin D and Zinc. Vitamin D deficiencies are common- especially during the winter months when there is little sun exposure. Generally it takes about 15 minutes of exposure to the sun to make about 20,000 units of Vitamin D. Most people are in the range of 25 ng/mL but you should work to bring this up to between 50 and 80 ng/mL through sun exposure or supplemen-tation. I usually recommend between 1,000 and 5,000 units per day and possibly more during the winter months.

B vitamins. B vitamins are important for detox-ification, decreasing estrogen load, metabolism and energy production. They also make every other vitamin you ingest work better. Because these are water soluble I usually take two doses daily- one in the early morning and again in the late afternoon (avoid late evening as these may affect your ability to fall asleep).

Whey protein and Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’S). This is one of the supplements I use most often. Whey protein is like fish oil in that there are so many studies proving its efficacy that stating them all would require a whole new chapter. Supplementing with whey protein is a simple way to increase your protein intake and reap its many benefits including increased lean muscle tissue, decreased fat mass, improved immunity and increased satiety. BCAA’S are constituents of whey protein and are very useful for building muscle, decreasing fat, increasing insulin sensitivity and decreasing muscle sore-ness. Increased protein is necessary in order to avoid losing muscle during periods of reduced calories and intense training.

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greens+. This is my favourite supplements of all time and I rarely start a day without it. With the nutritional equivalent of 6 servings of organic vegetables, greens+ is a concentrated blend of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and green “su-per foods” that promote an alkaline ph balance in the body. Being too acidic can compromise immunity, deplete bone calcium and muscle glutamine levels leading to osteoporosis and sarcopenia. I often double up on greens+ during periods of intense training by including a serv-ing in my post exercise protein recovery drink. This helps to restore an alkaline ph and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing that you are giving your body something that it really needs.

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Hydrochloric Acid or HCL. There is lots of talk about what foods we should eat but we hear very little about what happens to those foods once they have been consumed. Digestion and assimilation of nutrients is the single most over-looked aspect of nutrition. The digestive fluid in your stomach contains sodium and potas-sium chloride along with hydrochloric acid or HCL. HCL is often lacking and this impedes the absorption of nutrients and anti-oxidants, the breakdown of amino acids and the activation of enzymes- all of which can impact your body composition. Your gut is your bodies “second brain” and a deficiency in HCL can also impact neurotransmitter efficiency and hormone pro-duction. If you are thinking that since you have acid reflux you must have too much of the stuff already think again. Health care practitioners are often wrong when diagnosing hypochlorhy-dria or low stomach acid. When HCL is too low,

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food isn’t digested properly and remnants can work their way back up the esophagus causing a burning sensation. Prescribing ant-acids for this only worsens the problem. The solution is to increase stomach acid using supplemental HCL. The best way for you to tell if you have low stomach acid is to have yourself tested. A natu-ral health care practitioner will use the Heidel-berg ph test as this is the most accurate way to gauge HCL insufficiency. Some other common symptoms of low HCL include gas, bloating after eating and undigested food in stools.

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Magnesium. Magnesium and Vitamin D are two of the most common deficiencies. A magnesium deficiency is associated with bone loss, osteo-porosis and even heart disease. People who are low in magnesium are usually low in Vitamin D as well. Magnesium works to calm the nervous system, lowering stress and the muscle wasting hormone cortisol. I use magnesium glycinate before bed and after hard workouts. This is better than the more common “oxide” form of magnesium that is often found in multivitamin formulations.

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Caffeine. Caffeine can assist your workout in many ways including mobilizing fat stores and helping your muscles to access fat instead of carbs for energy, increasing exercise time to exhaustion, increasing testosterone, increasing endurance and relieving fatigue. However, be-cause caffeine will raise blood sugar and cortisol it should only be used pre workout so skip the post workout Starbucks latte and opt for protein instead. On the down side caffeine can tem-porarily elevate blood pressure and heart rate but this effect is less pronounced in those who consume caffeine on a regular basis. In addition, caffeine can induce blood sugar fluctuations so keep this in mind if you have health issues re-lated to blood sugar such as diabetes. Caffeine may interact with certain medications so always check with your doctor before introducing caf-feine into your diet. Finally, when choosing your coffee always go with organic as coffee is one of the most heavily sprayed crops.

EGCG. Epigallocatechin gallate is a polyphenol found in green tea that works synergistically with caffeine to increase thermogenesis or heat production in the body and amplify the effect of the catecholamines. Therapeutic levels are 270 mg’s EGCG per day (an amount difficult to obtain through drinking tea alone). Supplemen-tation is your best option here.

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CLA. Conjugated linoleic acid is a naturally occurring derivative of the Omega- 6 essential fatty acid linoleic acid (but does not provide additional Omega -6 to the diet which is a good thing). CLA has been shown to increase meta-bolic rate, reduce insulin and improve glucose

I would consider this list to be “Tier 1” sup-plements. In order to enhance the fat burn-ing effect of the diet and exercise program consider the addition of the following “Tier 2” supplements to your regimen. While the list may seem quite extensive, remember that the use of these is meant to be tempo-rary and only during a fat loss phase;

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tolerance- all essential components to losing fat from around the mid-section. In fact, research has proven its effectiveness in reducing abdom-inal fat in humans. Therapeutic amount is 3,400 mgs per day in divided doses.

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Yohimbe. Often touted as being a male sexual performance supplement, yohimbe is actually great for both sexes as it increases blood flow (as opposed to increasing testosterone as was once believed). Yohimbe works to inhibit the alpha 2 receptors allowing for the catechol-amines to do their job of releasing stored fat more effectively. If you recall, the only other way to inhibit your alpha receptors is by consuming a low carb diet. Yohimbe can be used to ampli-fy the effect of eat lower carbs OR you can try using it in conjunction with a regular, balanced diet. Caution must be practiced when using this supplement as it is a stimulant and will increase heart rate and feelings of anxiety. When used in conjunction with a low carb diet (insulin negates its effects) and exercise, yohimbe can certainly aid in the release of fat from your trouble spots. Studies have shown effective results using 10 mgs twice daily for 3 weeks. Other experts rec-

ommended a more precise dose of 0.2 mg/kg. If you try yohimbe look for the standardized HCL version and always start with a very low dose taken on about ½ hour prior to exercise and at least 3 hours away from your last meal.

Ephedrine. Ephedrine has been around for years and used extensively in Chinese medicine for a variety of reasons. Ephedrine also has use as a fat loss supplement due to its appe-tite suppressing properties and its ability to stimulate beta cells for increased fat burning. However, ephedrine does so in a non-direct fashion through the release of noradrenaline and this is one of the reasons why it isn’t the ideal fat burning supplement. Ephedrine does help enhance the fat burning process but it should only be used for short periods of time (less than 2 weeks) as its effects diminish over time. Due to its very short half life in the body ephedrine must be taken frequently throughout the day to be effective. The ideal dosing pattern for ephedrine is 10 mg ephedrine and 100 mg caffeine every 2-3 waking hours. There are some establishments that condemn its use entirely so keep that in mind when making your decision whether or not to use this supplement.

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As discussed earlier, it is important that you fo-cus on losing fat first before adding back muscle to those areas that need it most. This is what body re-composition is all about and makes for an amazing final result. A well designed fat loss exercise program should achieve three goals;

▶ Preservation of lean body mass

▶ Burning of calories

▶ Release of fat burning hormones

The single most important aspect to a fat loss program is the creation of a calorie deficit. When it comes to exercising for fat loss, calorie burn-ing is a function of effort- not simply reps. In the following fat loss workout you will see most exercises fall within the 8-15 rep range. If you are advanced you could use slightly heavier weights and lift in the 6-8 range and if you are a newbie then feel free to lighten things up a tad and lift in the 12-20 rep range. Make sure you always use the MOST WEIGHT POSSIBLE USING GOOD FORM for these exercises and strive to improve your performance from week to week.

For fat loss to happen quickly you need two things;

1. A reduction of caloric intake

2. An increase in calorie output (best achieved using a workout that burns calories, preserves lean tissue and produces a high catecholamine response).

When it comes to exercising for maximum fat loss you have many options. In this system I will present you with workouts that can be per-formed at home with simply a set of dumbbells or a barbell as well as workouts you can do at the gym.

EXERCISE TECHNIQUES

FOR FAST FAT LOSS

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Working out at home is often necessary due to time restraints etc. However, one of the biggest challenges people face with home based exer-cise is making the workout challenging enough using minimal equipment. While body weight only workouts can be effective the problem is that there is little room for progression in terms of resistance. The following three protocols solve this problem by incorporating minimal equipment in the form of dumbbells and/or barbells. These HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts produce a significant cate-cholamine response and calorie burn providing an excellent fat burning result.

NOTE: Start every workout with the warm-up circuit.

Only rest 60-90 seconds between super sets and circuits.

Use the heaviest weights possible while maintaining good form

Finish each workout with stretching for the tight muscle groups only.

At the end of each workout, complete 20-30 minutes of steady state cardio.

Home Based HIIT Fat Loss Resistance Training Workouts

ADRENALINE WARM UP CIRCUIT:Begin with the following 5 minute cardio warm up:

Note- to be performed on a tread-mill, bike or elliptical machine

Begin at an easy pace for 1 minute followed by 15 seconds at moder-ate to difficult/15 seconds easy for 6 rounds (3 minutes). Finish with 1 minute at an easy pace.

Next, complete 2 rounds of each of the following:

Lying Hip Extension x 15 repeti-tions

Bird Dog X 10 per side

Y squat X 10

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Time Based ProtocolsTime based protocols are a very effective way to increase calorie expenditure by manipulat-ing the variable of time. My two favourite time based protocols are as follows;

Tabata intervalsTabata intervals are an excellent alternative when you are pressed for time and typically incorporate 20 seconds of hard effort followed by 10 seconds rest. For example;

Tabata interval: Complete as many repetitions as possible of dumbbell squat presses or kettle-bell swings in 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds and then repeat. Complete 8 rounds.

Timed intervals

Timed intervals are slightly different from Tabata intervals in that you perform a certain number of repetitions in a given time. For example;

Timed interval #1

Exercises = 12 barbell rows plus 12 dead lifts

Perform 12 repetitions of each exercise and repeat for 10 minutes without rest.

Timed interval #2

Exercises = 7 Barbell squats plus 7 bench press or floor press

Perform 7 reps of each exercise and complete as many rounds as possible in 12 minutes without resting.

LaddersLadders are one of my favourite fat loss work-outs and can be done in an ascending, descend-ing or inverted fashion.

Ascending and descending ladder: Pick four exercises and perform 3 rounds with no rest in between. You will perform 8 reps per exercise in the first round, 6 reps in the second and 4 in the third. This is a descending ladder- in an ascend-ing ladder you would do the reverse and work up in repetitions.

Here is a killer exercise combination (but feel free to create your own):

A1) Power cleans

A2) Shoulder press

A3) Squats

A4) Bench or Floor press

Inverted ladder: Pick two exercises. Begin by performing 12 reps in the first exercise followed by 1 rep in the second. Work down from 12 to 1 on the first movement and up from 1 to 12 on the second movement. For example;

12 pull ups and 1 push up

11 pull ups and 2 push ups

10 pull ups and 3 push ups

9 pull ups and 4 push ups etc.

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ComplexesThis is my preferred method and when per-formed correctly will separate the men from the boys and lay you out big time! Pick a number of exercises that can be performed using the same weight using a barbell of set of dumbbells. Perform 7 reps of each exercise with no rest in between and without putting down the weight. Rest for 1-2 minutes between rounds and repeat for 3 rounds. For example;

A1) Barbell dead lift x 7

A2) Barbell bent over rows x 7

A3) Barbell shoulder press x 7

A4) Barbell squats x 7

A5) Good mornings x 7

Bodyweight Circuit

This is the perfect workout for those times when you don’t have access to any additional equipment. All you need is a little space and the desire to make it happen.

Superset #11A) Split Squat – 10 reps per leg

No rest.

1B) Push ups – 5-20 repetitions

Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Superset #22A) Step-ups – 15-20 reps per leg

No rest.

2B) Bodyweight Row, Pull-up or Rene-gade row – 5-10 pull ups or 15- 20 body-weight/renegade rows

Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Superset #33A) Mountain climber – 30-60 seconds

No rest.

3B) Plank – 30- 60 secondsRest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

IMPORTANT: ALWAYS follow your resistance training intervals with 20-30 minutes of steady state cardio for maximum fat loss results. During short bouts of high intensity exercise there is a release of fatty acids into the blood stream (this is good). However, if the duration of the total exercise session is too short these fatty acids may not be “burned” by the body and end up re-depositing elsewhere (this is bad). By com-bining both interval and steady state cardio into one single session you can prevent this from happening.

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HOW TO PROGRESS YOUR WORKOUTS

Progression is important so be sure to keep track of your workouts and try to improve on your performance each time. Progress your workouts by manipulating the following variables;

Increase the load. Keep track of the weights you are using and try to gradually increase the amounts lifted over time. There is one caveat to this- never sacrifice form for weight. If your exercise form breaks down during any portion of the lift this is an indication that the load may be too much for you at that time.

Increase the volume. This is an excellent way to increase the total amount of work that you

do. One way to do this is to increase the reps performed with the same weight. Another way to increase the volume of exercise is to simply add an extra round of exercises each week.

Decrease the rest intervals between sets/rounds. By decreasing rest time you are in-creasing the density of the workout (complet-ing the same amount of work but in less time).

Increase the density. This is accomplished by performing more work in the same time period as before. This can be accomplished by timing your workout on one day and striv-ing to include an extra round or circuit into the same time frame at your next workout.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Cardio WorkoutsHigh Intensity Interval Training (or H.I.I.T as it is often called) is all the rage these days. The reason for its popularity is that the workouts are very short. You can work out hard or you can work out long but it is very difficult to do both. Having experimented extensively with H.I.I.T training I can say that it is not a panacea. Yes, it is very good for increasing anaerobic and aero-bic capacity and it is known to produce a higher amount of calorie burn in the post exercise pe-riod (a phenomenon known as EPOC). However, the effect of this is over hyped. What matters

most when it comes to weight loss is total cal-ories burned during an exercise session. If you burn 300 calories in 10 minutes or in 30 minutes the end result is pretty much the same.

One area where high intensity does make a difference is in catecholamine response and its effect on mobilizing body fat. While all exercise increases the release of adrenaline/nor-adren-aline this response is amplified when the inten-sity of effort is increased. The important thing to remember is that while H.I.I.T training will

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increase catecholamine output and subsequent release of fatty acids into the blood stream, the exercise duration MUST be sufficient as to allow those fatty acids to be fully taken up and utilized for energy. If the duration is too short these fatty acids may actually re-deposit themselves elsewhere in the body through a process known as re-esterification. The possibility of fatty acid re-esterification is the reason why I always recommend performing some form of steady state cardio exercise immediately following any interval training workout- including after your resistance training workouts.

NOTE: I have noticed that women can (and should) perform HIIT more often than men. For most men HIIT should be performed sparingly and sometimes not at all. If you are a guy who loves HIIT it is better that you put your HIIT train-ing on the first or second day following a high carb

day. This is because performing HIIT when glyco-gen levels are depleted can cause muscle loss.

Because women deplete muscle glycogen at a lower rate then men they tend to respond better to more frequent HIIT sessions and can perform them more often. As always, I recommend starting with the least (1 session per week on non weight training days) and see how your body responds. I also do not recommend performing H.I.I.T training the day before or the day after a heavy leg work out as this can lead to overtraining.

There are many ways that you can perform H.I.I.T cardio workouts. The word “interval” sim-ply means a period of time. With high intensity intervals you will be performing an interval of hard work followed by an interval of relatively easy work. Here are some examples of different types of intervals:

H.I.I.T Level One

1:3 Work/Rest Ratios. With this interval you will be working hard for 30 seconds and easy for 90 sec-onds. Repeat for recommended number of intervals.

The following are my top three cardio machines in order of effectiveness and convenience;

1. Treadmill

2. Step machine

3. Elliptical Machine

Note: The stair-mill is also extremely effective however most people do not have access to this device. When choosing a “cardio” activity to lose fat it is best to select one in which you are in a standing posi-tion (treadmill, stairmaster, step mill, running, etc.) since this is the position where the catecholamine release will be highest resulting in the greatest release of fatty acids to be used for fuel.

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Hop on the machine of your choosing and perform intervals as follows. Feel free to adjust speed and incline levels as needed;

Warm up for 5 minutes (level 3.5 as an example)

Difficult for 30 seconds (level 7.0 as an example)

Easy for 1.5 minutes (level 3.5 as an example)

Difficult for 30 seconds (level 7.0 as an example)

Easy for 1.5 minutes (level 3.5 as an example)

Continue to alternate between intervals of easy and difficult for 20- 30 minutes. Finish with 10-15 min-utes of steady state cardio at an RPE of approximately 3-4 followed by static stretching of lower body.

This is a beginner’s introduction to interval training and an excellent place to start. As soon as this becomes too easy switch to performing Level Two.

H.I.I.T Level Two

1:2 Work/Rest Ratios. With this interval you will be decreasing the rest and increasing the speed (and incline if you are using a treadmill). You will be required to work hard for 30 seconds and easy for 60 seconds. Repeat for recommended number of intervals.

Hop on the machine of your choosing and perform intervals as follows. Feel free to adjust speed and incline levels as needed;

Warm up for 5 minutes (level 3.5 as an example)

Difficult for 30 seconds (level 8.0 as an example)

Easy for 1 minutes (level 5 as an example)

Difficult for 30 seconds (level 8.0 as an example)

Easy for 1 minute (level 5 as an example)

Continue to alternate between intervals of easy and difficult for 15-20 minutes. Finish with 15 minutes of steady state cardio at an RPE of approximately 3-4 followed by static stretching of lower body.

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H.I.I.T Level Three

1:1 Work/Rest Ratios. With this interval you will be decreasing the rest and increasing the speed even further. You will be required to work hard for 30 seconds and easy for 30 seconds. Repeat for recom-mended number of intervals.

Hop on the machine of your choosing and perform intervals as follows. Feel free to adjust speed and incline levels as needed;

Warm up for 5 minutes (level 3.5 as an example)

Difficult for 30 seconds (level 9.0 as an example)

Easy for 30 seconds (level 6 as an example)

Difficult for 30 seconds (level 9.0 as an example)

Easy for 30 seconds (level 6 as an example)

Continue to alternate between intervals of easy and difficult for 10-15 minutes. Finish with 20-30 min-utes of steady state cardio at an RPE of approximately 3-4 followed by static stretching of lower body.

H.I.I.T Pyramids

Pyramids are another popular (and effective) way to add some variety to your cardio workouts. Here is how it’s done:

Warm up for 5 minutes (level 3.5 as an example)

30 seconds difficult/30 seconds easy 1 minute difficult/1 minute easy 2 minutes difficult/2 minutes easy

4 minutes difficult/4 minutes easy 2 minutes difficult/2 minutes easy 1 minute difficult/1 minute easy 30 seconds difficult/30 seconds easy

Finish with a 10-minute cool down.

Keep track and vary

As with any type of work-out, if you always do the same level of intensity and duration you will eventually cease to progress. Always keep track of the workouts you perform and keep try-ing to progress yourself by changing up the variables.

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Gym Based Fat Loss Resistance Training WorkoutsThe following is a 4 week gym based workout outline for fast fat loss. Perform your fat loss resistance training workouts on three, non consecutive days per week (M/W/F) and perform some additional low intensity cardio on alternate days (as discussed, low intensity cardio is effective when used in com-bination with a low calorie, low carbohydrate diet). If you really want to speed up your fat loss results then I strongly recommend that you perform an additional 20 minute interval cardio workout approxi-mately 6-8 hours after your weight training workout.

When working with women, I prefer to use whole body workouts when training for fat loss. Men can use this approach as well OR split the body up into upper and lower days. Here is what your fat loss exercise program may look like;

MONDAY: Weights in am (whole body)/interval cardio in pm

A1 Barbell Deadlift 3x10-12 reps 0 secA2 Squat-Row (cable) 3x10-12 3 minB1 Step Ups on High Box 2x10 each 0 secB2 DB Bench Press 2x10 0 secB3 Wide Grip Lat Pull Down 2x10 0 secB4 Glute Bridge (weighted) 2x10 5 min

TUESDAY: Steady state cardio in am

WEDNESDAY: Weights in am (whole body circuit)/interval cardio in pm

A1 Chin Up or Pull Down 3x4-6 reps 0 secA2 Flat Bench Press 3x4-6 0 secA3 Barbell Row 3x4-6 0 secA4 Lunge 3x4-6 each 0 secA5 Barbell Squat 3x4-6 0 secA6 Rear Delt Fly 3x4-6 0 secA7 Garhammer raise 3x 4-6 4 min

WOMEN

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THURSDAY: Steady state cardio in am

FRIDAY: Weights in am (whole body)/interval cardio in pm

A1 Split Squat DB 2x15 each 0 secA2 Mountain Climber 2x30 seconds 4 minB1 Prone DB Row 2x 8-10 0 secB2 Incline DB Press 2x 8-10 0 secB3 Bicep curl 2x 10 0 secB4 Tricep Pressdown 2x 10 5 min

SATURDAY: Rest

SUNDAY: Yoga session (for flexibility enhancement and recovery)

You can search hundreds of yoga poses online at www.myyogaonline.com

Monday: Weights in am (chest/back/biceps)/interval cardio in pm

A1 Incline Barbell Bench Press 5 x 4-6 reps 0 secA2 Incline DB Fly 5 x 6-8 3 minB1 Barbell Row 5 x 4-6 0 secB2 Lat Pull Down 5 x 4-6 3 minB3 Incline DB Curl 5 x 4-6 0 secB4 Barbell Curls 5 x 4-6 3 min

Tuesday: Steady state cardio in am

Wednesday: Weights in am (legs/abs)/interval cardio in pm

A1 Barbell or DB Squats 5x 4-6 reps 0 secA2 Forward Lunge 5 x 5 each 3 minB1 Romanian Dead Lift 5 x 4-6 0 secB2 Prone Leg Curl 5 x 4-6 3 min

MEN

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C1 Standing Calf Raise 5 x 6-8 0 secC2 Seated Calf Raise 5 x15-20 0 secC3 Garhammer raise 5 x 6-8 3 min

Thursday: Steady state cardio in am

Friday: Weights in am (shoulders/triceps)/interval cardio in pm

A1 Barbell Shoulder Press 5 x 4-6 reps 0 secA2 DB lateral raise 5 x 6-8 3 minB1 DB shoulder press (palms facing) 5 x 4-6 0 secB2 DB Front Raise 5 x 4-6 3 minB3 Decline DB Triceps Extension 5 x 4-6 0 secB4 Cable Press Down 5 x 4-6 3 min

Sat: Rest

Sun: Yoga session (for flexibility enhancement and recovery)

Note: Always use primarily multi-joint exercises when training for fat loss. These include squats, dead lifts, pressing and pulling movements and single leg exercises like split squats and lunges. Feel free to toss in some isolation work for your arms or shoulders at the end if you like but stick primarily to com-pound movements. You will incorporate more isolation work when you move on to the next phase of the program as outlined in the TST Muscle Building Manual.

Follow this fat loss plan for 4-6 weeks. By then you should be ready for the next phase of this program- “TST Muscle Building Manual”. This is when you will create your ideal looking body using a number of highly effective and targeted muscle building techniques.