The Reason Your Abdominal Workouts Stop Working...
By David Grisaffi
www.flattenyourabs.net
Did you know that your body can adapt to an exercise program in as few as 4-5 workouts or less?
It's true - it's a scientific fact.
What exactly does this mean? Well, it's quite simple:
You develop muscle and strength (abs included) as an adaptive response to a specific stimulus (a workout or exercise routine).
You "ask" your body to perform a certain exercise or workload, and if it hasn't been asked to perform this type of work before, your body says to itself, "what the heck is this??? We've never had to do THIS before. We'd better prepare ourselves for the next time this happens by adapting and getting stronger and adding some more muscle."
And that, in a nutshell, is how muscles develop: Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands (also known as the S.A.I.D. Principle)
Once the adaptation has taken place, your body is prepared to handle it the next time. And so if you repeat that same exercise again, in the same volume and intensity, since you have already adapted... guess what...
NO FURTHER MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT TAKES PLACE!
At this point, you're just doing maintenance.
To continue to develop the muscles further, you must impose another, NEW stimulus which will again cause another adaptive response
It makes perfect sense, right?
So my questions to you are:
(1) How often do you change your workout programs?
(2) When you change your workouts, to you advance (use progression) to the next higher level of difficulty?'
(3) Are you satisfied with maintaining your abs and waistline the way they look right now, or do you want to take them to another level?"
If you haven't been changing your workouts often, or if you have been changing them but you're not sure if you're using progression properly, and if you're NOT satisfied with maintaining your abs the way they look now, then here's what you need to do:
You must keep "surprising" your body with new, and progressively more challenging workouts.
I can't emphasize this enough. You must change your workouts regularly. The more advanced you are (the longer you've been training), the more often you must change your workouts and continue to challenge yourself.
Until now, the trouble has been that most people don't know how to progressively increase the difficulty of their workouts. Most people also don't know very many exercises.
If you survey 100 people about their ab exercise programs, 95% of them will tell you that they do crunches, leg raises sit ups and maybe some ab machines as their primary exercises.
Yes, a few people have started catching on to core training and swiss balls, but even they don't realize there are DOZENS more exercises you can do for core and on the ball.
The solution is twofold:
1. Exercise variety (you need a "menu" of exercises to choose from)
2. Progression (including progressive overload)
The reason I created my program Firm & Flatten Your Abs was to help provide both of these two variables which will ensure that you get the ab development you want.
Firm and Flatten Your abs contains 7 levels of ab exercise workout programs, each a little more difficult than the one before. After that, the possible combinations are endless.
Firm and Flatten Your Abs also contains nearly 50 ab and core conditioning exercises - and I can assure you - you have probably never even seen most of these unless you are a fitness professional by trade.
Here's the best part of all:
Not long ago I launched the 2nd edition of the Abs ebook.
The Firm And Flatten Your abs ebook has increased in size from 60 to 180 pages and includes more information, more questions answered, more photographs, and more exercises than ever before.
The program comes with an ironclad 8 week, money back guarantee which is more than enough time for you to try these exercises and see for yourself how much of a difference they really make in helping you carve out a rock hard midsection and strong core.
When you have this many exercises to choose from, you not only can keep making steady progress, you can also keep your workouts fresh and interesting and say goodbye to boring sit up and crunch routines.
Again, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to vary your workouts and have the ability to progressively advance your exercises in degree of difficulty if you want to keep getting better and better results in your abdominal development. You now have the tool to do just that right at your fingertips.
To get your copy of the new 2nd edition of Flatten your abs, with 7 levels of exercises and nearly 50 abdominal and core exercises, visit
http://www.flattenyourabs.net
Sincerely,
David Grisaffi
Author, Firm And Flatten Your Abs
About The Author
David Grisaffi majored in physical education and is a certified high performance exercise kinesiologist with the prestigious CHEK institute. David holds a total of 6 certifications, he is a high school wrestling and baseball coach as well as an independent trainer and strength coach, known especially for his work with professional boxers and golfers. David is the author of Firm And Flatten Your Abs an online best seller which teaches you how to lose body fat and develop "six pack abs' while improving strength, function and athletic power at the same time. You can contact David or learn more about his programs at www.FlattenYourAbs.net
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Movement Sufficiency NOT Calorie Deficiency
Movement Sufficiency NOT Calorie Deficiency
By David Grisaffi
www.flattenyourabs.net
Do you want to reduce your body fat? If so, then you must focus on getting a sufficient amount of exercise rather than only decreasing your food intake. This is critically important! Studies published in Internationally recognized scientific journals as well as my own personal experience from years of exercise and nutrition counseling have led me to understanding an interesting and significant relationship between lack of physical activity and body fat. Not surprisingly, the more sedentary you are, the more body fat you will carry.
I strongly recommend that if you want to lose weight, you should increase your activity as your first strategy. Even being more physically active in general (such as climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator, mowing your lawn with a push mower instead of a riding mower, moving around instead of sitting still, sitting instead of lying down and even showing some excitement and enthusiasm instead of boredom), will all help to burn calories and reduce body fat more effectively than slashing your food intake with crash diets.
Consider this: A half-hour aerobic workout accounts for far less energy expenditure than our minute-to-minute movement patterns that accumulate over a daytime in the office or at home, including things as simple as washing your dishes by hand instead of using a dishwasher. It all adds up.
It seems that almost everyone has lost sight of the value of being physically active. What happened? I'll tell you - the diet industry happened!
Millions of Americans are trying to lose weight, spending approximately $30 billion plus a year on diet programs and diet products. Often, they do lose some weight. But if you check with the same people five years later, you will find that nearly all of them have regained whatever weight they lost! I recently read about a national panel that sought data to determine if any commercial diet program could prove long-term success. Not a single program could do so.
Being overweight, and especially being obese, predisposes you to a number of diseases and serious health problems, and it's now a known fact that when caloric intake is excessive, guess what happens to the excess? It's stored as body fat.
Elevated blood sugar is one of primary culprits, because most people are sedentary while eating an excess of carbohydrates, of both the simple and complex variety. When this happens, a cascade of hormonal actions occur in order to maintain balance in the body. The more this eating pattern continues, the more fat you accumulate and the more difficult the fat becomes to remove. I cannot emphasize enough the need for human movement - exercise sufficiency - above calorie deficiency!
The lack of movement has many negative effects on your body. For example: a lack of movement causes many negative effects on your joints, ligaments, bones, muscles and your heart such as shrinking of the joint capsules, increased compression loading on your joints, decreased thickness of collagen fibers for failure rate of your ligaments, decreased bone density and bone spurs, decreased muscle mass, decreased mitochondrial content, decreased thickening of collagen fibers for your muscles, decreased maximal heart rate decreased the O2 Max for your heart.
According to Seaman and the Journal of medical physical therapy, "The two main promoters of degeneration are repetitive strain and sedentary lifestyle."
People who diet without exercising often get fatter over time. Although your weight may initially drop while dieting, such weight loss can usually be attributed to elimination of excess fluid. As stated above, when the weight returns, it comes back as fat and more stubborn fat.
As you lose weight via diet only, your body's calorie burning furnace is reduced. What happens is your physiology interprets the dramatic decrease calories and moves on its innate starvation instincts. To avoid getting fatter over time, increase your metabolism by exercising regularly.
In one of my recent articles, I talked about walking as one of the best exercises for strengthening bones, controlling weight, toning the leg muscles, maintaining good posture and improving positive self-concept. Increasing your daily movement can be as simple as walking more.
Another great way to reduce body fat is by resistance training. There are many types of resistance training that are very effective at building muscle (and muscle burns body fat). These programs can be fun and engaging at the same time.
One program I highly recommend is what I call" the spin routine." The routine incorporates all different movement patterns, aerobic and interval training in addition to fat burning.
Here is an example of a level one spin routine:
Spin Training Routine One
Exercise Rest Intensity Tempo Repetitions Sets
A1 Squat 90's BW/60%1rm Slow 12-15 1-3
A2 Bench Press/Push Ups 60% 1rm 313 12-15 1-3
A3 Dynamic Lunge BW 313 12-15 L/R 1-3
A4 Chek Press 60% 1rm 333 8-12 1-3
A5 Lat Pull Down 60% 1rm 313 12-15 1-3
Perform all exercise one after the other with no rest
Ex: A1-A2-A3-A4-A5 rest 90's repeat for desired sets
Core Routine
4 point transverse abdominis vacuum BW slow BW 10 H - 10 R 15 1
Floor Crunch 60s BW slow 8-12 1-3
Cardio Workout: 15 minutes hard after the above resistance training session. You have a choice of which activity you would like to do. Choose from: Exercise Bike, Elliptical machine, Treadmill, Stair climber, Versa climber.
Circuit training is performed without any rest between exercises. Only rest after each circuit of exercises in this case 1 and ½ minutes or 90 s.
You can also put together your own routine using the exercises in this section. Just make sure you can do the exercises in proper form and never go to failure (muscular fatigue) like in bodybuilding. Always do core conditioning last. This prevents stabilizer fatigue and possible injury.
All exercise should follow the basic protocol as described below.
Exercise: The exercise to be performed in the core routine. Each exercise is placed in order of execution.
Rest: This is the period of time you rest between exercises or if given more then one set between sets of the same exercise. Min or sec can display the number.
Intensity: This is the amount of workload or how hard you are going to work. BW indicates bodyweight. You will find out what intensity you should use with regard to the amount of weight by the repetition number. If you see -2 then this means stop two reps before your maximum effort.
Lifting Speed or Tempo: This indicates speed of movement. The first number indicates the first movement of the exercise, the second number indicates isometric part of the exercise and the third number indicates the final part of the exercise. For example: 323 simply means three seconds on the first movement, hold for two seconds and three seconds on the final part of the movement. Also there are times when it will be displayed in 10-second hold (H) and 10-second rest. Plus there will be times when you see slow, medium and fast.
Reps: This is the amount of muscular action you do within a set. When you can complete more then the described amount of reps with no muscle soreness, increase the weight by five percent. A - sign may be in front of some repetition suggestions in the exercise table. The - sign indicates to not go to the maximum amount of reps. A - 2 simply means do not go all the way to 10 if the rep window is 8-10.
Sets: This is the amount of workload for a given exercise sequence. For example: if you see an exercise that says sets 1-3, then begin with one set of the exercise. You can add sets as long as you have no muscle soreness at the next scheduled workout date.
When it comes to good health and weight loss, exercise and diet are inter-related. Exercising without maintaining a balanced diet is no more beneficial than dieting while remaining inactive. However, decreasing calories taken in from food is not the same thing as increase calories burned through exercise. Movement sufficiency, not calorie deficiency has far greater power to get you lean and healthy for life.
About The Author
David Grisaffi majored in physical education and is a certified high performance exercise kinesiologist with the prestigious CHEK institute. David holds a total of 6 certifications, he is a high school wrestling and baseball coach as well as an independent trainer and strength coach, known especially for his work with professional boxers and golfers. David is the author of Firm And Flatten Your Abs an online best seller which teaches you how to lose body fat and develop "six pack abs' while improving strength, function and athletic power at the same time. You can contact David or learn more about his programs at www.FlattenYourAbs.net
By David Grisaffi
www.flattenyourabs.net
Do you want to reduce your body fat? If so, then you must focus on getting a sufficient amount of exercise rather than only decreasing your food intake. This is critically important! Studies published in Internationally recognized scientific journals as well as my own personal experience from years of exercise and nutrition counseling have led me to understanding an interesting and significant relationship between lack of physical activity and body fat. Not surprisingly, the more sedentary you are, the more body fat you will carry.
I strongly recommend that if you want to lose weight, you should increase your activity as your first strategy. Even being more physically active in general (such as climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator, mowing your lawn with a push mower instead of a riding mower, moving around instead of sitting still, sitting instead of lying down and even showing some excitement and enthusiasm instead of boredom), will all help to burn calories and reduce body fat more effectively than slashing your food intake with crash diets.
Consider this: A half-hour aerobic workout accounts for far less energy expenditure than our minute-to-minute movement patterns that accumulate over a daytime in the office or at home, including things as simple as washing your dishes by hand instead of using a dishwasher. It all adds up.
It seems that almost everyone has lost sight of the value of being physically active. What happened? I'll tell you - the diet industry happened!
Millions of Americans are trying to lose weight, spending approximately $30 billion plus a year on diet programs and diet products. Often, they do lose some weight. But if you check with the same people five years later, you will find that nearly all of them have regained whatever weight they lost! I recently read about a national panel that sought data to determine if any commercial diet program could prove long-term success. Not a single program could do so.
Being overweight, and especially being obese, predisposes you to a number of diseases and serious health problems, and it's now a known fact that when caloric intake is excessive, guess what happens to the excess? It's stored as body fat.
Elevated blood sugar is one of primary culprits, because most people are sedentary while eating an excess of carbohydrates, of both the simple and complex variety. When this happens, a cascade of hormonal actions occur in order to maintain balance in the body. The more this eating pattern continues, the more fat you accumulate and the more difficult the fat becomes to remove. I cannot emphasize enough the need for human movement - exercise sufficiency - above calorie deficiency!
The lack of movement has many negative effects on your body. For example: a lack of movement causes many negative effects on your joints, ligaments, bones, muscles and your heart such as shrinking of the joint capsules, increased compression loading on your joints, decreased thickness of collagen fibers for failure rate of your ligaments, decreased bone density and bone spurs, decreased muscle mass, decreased mitochondrial content, decreased thickening of collagen fibers for your muscles, decreased maximal heart rate decreased the O2 Max for your heart.
According to Seaman and the Journal of medical physical therapy, "The two main promoters of degeneration are repetitive strain and sedentary lifestyle."
People who diet without exercising often get fatter over time. Although your weight may initially drop while dieting, such weight loss can usually be attributed to elimination of excess fluid. As stated above, when the weight returns, it comes back as fat and more stubborn fat.
As you lose weight via diet only, your body's calorie burning furnace is reduced. What happens is your physiology interprets the dramatic decrease calories and moves on its innate starvation instincts. To avoid getting fatter over time, increase your metabolism by exercising regularly.
In one of my recent articles, I talked about walking as one of the best exercises for strengthening bones, controlling weight, toning the leg muscles, maintaining good posture and improving positive self-concept. Increasing your daily movement can be as simple as walking more.
Another great way to reduce body fat is by resistance training. There are many types of resistance training that are very effective at building muscle (and muscle burns body fat). These programs can be fun and engaging at the same time.
One program I highly recommend is what I call" the spin routine." The routine incorporates all different movement patterns, aerobic and interval training in addition to fat burning.
Here is an example of a level one spin routine:
Spin Training Routine One
Exercise Rest Intensity Tempo Repetitions Sets
A1 Squat 90's BW/60%1rm Slow 12-15 1-3
A2 Bench Press/Push Ups 60% 1rm 313 12-15 1-3
A3 Dynamic Lunge BW 313 12-15 L/R 1-3
A4 Chek Press 60% 1rm 333 8-12 1-3
A5 Lat Pull Down 60% 1rm 313 12-15 1-3
Perform all exercise one after the other with no rest
Ex: A1-A2-A3-A4-A5 rest 90's repeat for desired sets
Core Routine
4 point transverse abdominis vacuum BW slow BW 10 H - 10 R 15 1
Floor Crunch 60s BW slow 8-12 1-3
Cardio Workout: 15 minutes hard after the above resistance training session. You have a choice of which activity you would like to do. Choose from: Exercise Bike, Elliptical machine, Treadmill, Stair climber, Versa climber.
Circuit training is performed without any rest between exercises. Only rest after each circuit of exercises in this case 1 and ½ minutes or 90 s.
You can also put together your own routine using the exercises in this section. Just make sure you can do the exercises in proper form and never go to failure (muscular fatigue) like in bodybuilding. Always do core conditioning last. This prevents stabilizer fatigue and possible injury.
All exercise should follow the basic protocol as described below.
Exercise: The exercise to be performed in the core routine. Each exercise is placed in order of execution.
Rest: This is the period of time you rest between exercises or if given more then one set between sets of the same exercise. Min or sec can display the number.
Intensity: This is the amount of workload or how hard you are going to work. BW indicates bodyweight. You will find out what intensity you should use with regard to the amount of weight by the repetition number. If you see -2 then this means stop two reps before your maximum effort.
Lifting Speed or Tempo: This indicates speed of movement. The first number indicates the first movement of the exercise, the second number indicates isometric part of the exercise and the third number indicates the final part of the exercise. For example: 323 simply means three seconds on the first movement, hold for two seconds and three seconds on the final part of the movement. Also there are times when it will be displayed in 10-second hold (H) and 10-second rest. Plus there will be times when you see slow, medium and fast.
Reps: This is the amount of muscular action you do within a set. When you can complete more then the described amount of reps with no muscle soreness, increase the weight by five percent. A - sign may be in front of some repetition suggestions in the exercise table. The - sign indicates to not go to the maximum amount of reps. A - 2 simply means do not go all the way to 10 if the rep window is 8-10.
Sets: This is the amount of workload for a given exercise sequence. For example: if you see an exercise that says sets 1-3, then begin with one set of the exercise. You can add sets as long as you have no muscle soreness at the next scheduled workout date.
When it comes to good health and weight loss, exercise and diet are inter-related. Exercising without maintaining a balanced diet is no more beneficial than dieting while remaining inactive. However, decreasing calories taken in from food is not the same thing as increase calories burned through exercise. Movement sufficiency, not calorie deficiency has far greater power to get you lean and healthy for life.
About The Author
David Grisaffi majored in physical education and is a certified high performance exercise kinesiologist with the prestigious CHEK institute. David holds a total of 6 certifications, he is a high school wrestling and baseball coach as well as an independent trainer and strength coach, known especially for his work with professional boxers and golfers. David is the author of Firm And Flatten Your Abs an online best seller which teaches you how to lose body fat and develop "six pack abs' while improving strength, function and athletic power at the same time. You can contact David or learn more about his programs at www.FlattenYourAbs.net
Multi Dimensional Ab Training
Multi Dimensional Ab Training
By David Grisaffi
www.flattenyourabs.net
In some of my previous articles, I've written about why you need to change your ab programs frequently to avoid muscle adaptation, repetitive pattern overload injury, muscle imbalance and of course, boredom!. But those aren't the only reasons you need exercise variety.
The functions of the abdominal and core muscles are so numerous, so varied and so complex, that entire textbooks have been written on functional anatomy and kinesiology without even scratching the surface.
What this means to you is that since there are more actions and functions of the abs and core than any other body part, there are more possible exercises you can do for abs and core than for any other body part.
With literally hundreds of ab and core exercises to choose from, the irony is that most people are STILL doing workouts that revolve around only a few exercises such as crunches, sit ups, leg raises and maybe some ab machines...
This is what I call "training in only one dimension"... and that can spell "trouble"
One dimensional training leads not just to progress plateaus and muscle adaptation, but also failure to engage all the functions of the core region, to strengthen thoroughly in every plane of movement, or to develop the proper neurological link to the muscle.
The end result is muscle weakness, muscle imbalances, injuries, a distended lower abdominal area and or and a not so impressive midsection.
The Firm And Flatten Your Abs program includes about 50 exercises which allow you to train every muscle in your core region in every "dimension." These dimensions include:
Flexion
Extension
Stabilization
Rotation
Side flexion
Prone
Supine
Seated
Standing
Quadruped
Stable
Unstable
One way to enter a whole new "dimension" of abdominal training is to start using a Swiss ball - also known as a stability ball because a ball is an unstable surface. Training on an unstable surface flips the switch on your nervous system and activates stabilizing muscles that are weak in most people due to sitting at a desk all day long and or doing too much machine training.
Here are 5 of my favorites (includes illustrations and exercise instructions):
http://www.flattenyourabs.net/swissball5.html
I realize if you're not familiar with Swiss ball and core training, that some of these exercises may look unusual or even "weird" at first.
You might look at the pictures and say, "David, it looks to me more like "rolling around on a beach ball than training."
Yup... that's what a lot of people said... until they tried them and their abs started showing for the first time!
By expanding your arsenal of ab and core exercises and working them in every capacity and function for which they were designed, you will...
* Increase your strength
* Decrease the odds of ever having back pain
* Improve sports performance
* Avoid plateaus and muscle adaptation...
And maybe best of all..
* Get an impressive "six pack"
You can learn more about this concept of multi dimensional training and also see dozens of new core and ab exercises in the Firm And Flatten Your Abs Ebook:
http://www.flattenyourabs.net
About The Author
David Grisaffi majored in physical education and is a certified high performance exercise kinesiologist with the CHEK institute. David holds a total of 6 certifications, he is a high school wrestling and baseball coach as well as an independent trainer and strength coach, known especially for his work with professional boxers and golfers. David is the author of, Firm And Flatten Your Abs an online best seller which teaches you how to lose body fat and develop "six pack abs' while improving strength, function and athletic power at the same time. You can contact David or learn more about his programs at www.FlattenYourAbs.net
By David Grisaffi
www.flattenyourabs.net
In some of my previous articles, I've written about why you need to change your ab programs frequently to avoid muscle adaptation, repetitive pattern overload injury, muscle imbalance and of course, boredom!. But those aren't the only reasons you need exercise variety.
The functions of the abdominal and core muscles are so numerous, so varied and so complex, that entire textbooks have been written on functional anatomy and kinesiology without even scratching the surface.
What this means to you is that since there are more actions and functions of the abs and core than any other body part, there are more possible exercises you can do for abs and core than for any other body part.
With literally hundreds of ab and core exercises to choose from, the irony is that most people are STILL doing workouts that revolve around only a few exercises such as crunches, sit ups, leg raises and maybe some ab machines...
This is what I call "training in only one dimension"... and that can spell "trouble"
One dimensional training leads not just to progress plateaus and muscle adaptation, but also failure to engage all the functions of the core region, to strengthen thoroughly in every plane of movement, or to develop the proper neurological link to the muscle.
The end result is muscle weakness, muscle imbalances, injuries, a distended lower abdominal area and or and a not so impressive midsection.
The Firm And Flatten Your Abs program includes about 50 exercises which allow you to train every muscle in your core region in every "dimension." These dimensions include:
Flexion
Extension
Stabilization
Rotation
Side flexion
Prone
Supine
Seated
Standing
Quadruped
Stable
Unstable
One way to enter a whole new "dimension" of abdominal training is to start using a Swiss ball - also known as a stability ball because a ball is an unstable surface. Training on an unstable surface flips the switch on your nervous system and activates stabilizing muscles that are weak in most people due to sitting at a desk all day long and or doing too much machine training.
Here are 5 of my favorites (includes illustrations and exercise instructions):
http://www.flattenyourabs.net/swissball5.html
I realize if you're not familiar with Swiss ball and core training, that some of these exercises may look unusual or even "weird" at first.
You might look at the pictures and say, "David, it looks to me more like "rolling around on a beach ball than training."
Yup... that's what a lot of people said... until they tried them and their abs started showing for the first time!
By expanding your arsenal of ab and core exercises and working them in every capacity and function for which they were designed, you will...
* Increase your strength
* Decrease the odds of ever having back pain
* Improve sports performance
* Avoid plateaus and muscle adaptation...
And maybe best of all..
* Get an impressive "six pack"
You can learn more about this concept of multi dimensional training and also see dozens of new core and ab exercises in the Firm And Flatten Your Abs Ebook:
http://www.flattenyourabs.net
About The Author
David Grisaffi majored in physical education and is a certified high performance exercise kinesiologist with the CHEK institute. David holds a total of 6 certifications, he is a high school wrestling and baseball coach as well as an independent trainer and strength coach, known especially for his work with professional boxers and golfers. David is the author of, Firm And Flatten Your Abs an online best seller which teaches you how to lose body fat and develop "six pack abs' while improving strength, function and athletic power at the same time. You can contact David or learn more about his programs at www.FlattenYourAbs.net
How To Lose Weight With Walking
How To Lose Weight With Walking
By David Grisaffi
www.flattenyourabs.net
Three universal goals nearly all of us share are: (1) to live longer, (2) to live free of illness and (3) to control our weight. Amazingly, walking lets us achieve all three. In fact, walking may be your best medicine for slowing the aging process, reducing your chances of illness and slashing your body fat. For anyone out of shape or not athletically-inclined, walking is the no-stress, no-sweat answer to lifelong conditioning. All you need is a good pair of shoes, a little time, some common sense, a few guidelines from a fitness professional and you're ready to go.
Unfortunately, there's more misinformation floating around today about fitness walking and weight loss than ever before. Some experts even say walking is not effective for weight loss at all and they insist that only higher intensity forms of cardio will do anything to improve your body composition. Others fitness experts believe that you should not do cardiovascular exercise every day - even walking.
There may be a little truth in each of those statements, however, walking always was and still is one of the best exercises for strengthening your bones, controlling your weight, toning the muscles in your lower body, maintaining good posture and improving your self image.
Walking uses almost every muscle in the body, it improves circulation of blood to the joints and massages the blood vessels, keeping them more elastic. Walking also helps you maintain muscle and an efficient metabolism as you get older (not to mention keeping you young "in spirit.")
Walking is incredibly convenient too. Since you don't need a gym or any special equipment, you can walk any place, at any time and that allows you to lose weight and get fit with little or no interruption to your busy schedule.
People who diet without exercising often get fatter with time. Although your weight may initially drop while dieting, weight loss from low calorie and especially low carb diets consists mostly of water and muscle. When the weight returns, it comes back as fat. To avoid getting fatter over time, you must increase your metabolism by exercising daily.
To get the maximum benefits of a walking program, you need make it more challenging than a leisurely "walk in the park." Walking at a steady and brisk pace burns more fat simply because it burns more calories. Just remember to begin slowly to avoid muscle soreness, and increase your pace over time as you become more fit.
To lose weight, it's ideal to alternate your walking sessions between high intensity and lower intensity days. For example, on one day walk for 30- 45 minutes as a steady and moderate pace. On the next day, walk at a faster pace. You could even do "road work" like the boxers do, where you break up your walk along the route with some sets of squats, lunges, bench push ups or other body weight or callisthenic exercises to make it a real cardiovascular and muscle blaster of a workout! It doesn't have to be boring or the same thing every day. Make it fun and keep it up consistently, leading an active life-style 365 days a year.
Slow and casual walking has benefits, but you will not get as much out of walking at a very slow pace because we all have a built-in mechanical advantage for walking long distances at normal speeds.
Our bodies, via the spinal column, muscle attachments and bony structures, reserve energy in the musculoskeletal system and release it back to us without asking for additional energy output. In other words, as you walk, your spinal column keeps energy in reserve because of the way you straighten and extend your spine during normal walking.
As you step, your spine is stretched, and as you take another step, the energy reserved in the spine is used in propulsion. The spine acts very much like rubber band as your walk, harnessing this reserve energy.
To get substantial cardiovascular, muscular and weight loss benefits, this is why you must walk briskly or create extra movement patterns beyond casual, slow walking in order to optimize your walking program for weight loss and cardiovascular fitness.
Walking the right way will also improve your posture and tends to help keep you upright (because you must see where you are going). Just hold your chin up and shoulder slightly back.. Walk with your heels hitting the ground first and your feet pointed forward. Swing your arms fully and make lengthy strides.
To lose weight and achieve optimum health, exercise and diet are both necessary and interrelated. Exercising without maintaining a balanced diet is no more beneficial than dieting while remaining a couch potato.
Carbohydrates are high-octane fuel. They provide energy for movement and help raise internal body metabolism. They're also satisfying. The key is to avoid adding high-fat and high calorie toppings to your carbohydrates. Also be sure to focus on fruits and vegetables and do not eat the majority of your carbohydrates from the starch category such as bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes. These type of carbs can create an insulin spike, which in turn feeds your fat storing system.
Fruits and vegetables are the ideal health, diet and fat loss foods for many reasons. They're relatively low in fat and calories, high in fiber and rich in essential vitamins and minerals. The National Research Council recommends eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
Your everyday habits will determine your long term body weight and body composition. Make sure you get enough sleep, drink enough water to expel toxins, avoid processed food as much as you can, eat your fruits and veggies, eat organic when ever possible and work hard.
Just one last thought: taking a three-minute walk after each meal is worth a four pound reduction in body fat in a year's time. Climbing two flights of stairs a day burns off half a pound of body fat in a year. On the other hand, one candy bar eaten daily will cost you 20 pounds annually.
If you enjoyed the information in this article, you will also enjoy the "David Grisaffi Walking Guide," which is a complete walking exercise plan that comes FREE with the Firm And Flatten Your Abs program at www.flattenyourabs.net
About The Author
David Grisaffi majored in physical education and is a certified high performance exercise kinesiologist with the prestigious CHEK institute. David holds a total of 6 certifications, he is a high school wrestling and baseball coach as well as an independent trainer and strength coach, known especially for his work with professional boxers and golfers. David is the author of Firm And Flatten Your Abs an online best seller which teaches you how to lose body fat and develop "six pack abs' while improving strength, function and athletic power at the same time. You can contact David or learn more about his programs at www.FlattenYourAbs.net
By David Grisaffi
www.flattenyourabs.net
Three universal goals nearly all of us share are: (1) to live longer, (2) to live free of illness and (3) to control our weight. Amazingly, walking lets us achieve all three. In fact, walking may be your best medicine for slowing the aging process, reducing your chances of illness and slashing your body fat. For anyone out of shape or not athletically-inclined, walking is the no-stress, no-sweat answer to lifelong conditioning. All you need is a good pair of shoes, a little time, some common sense, a few guidelines from a fitness professional and you're ready to go.
Unfortunately, there's more misinformation floating around today about fitness walking and weight loss than ever before. Some experts even say walking is not effective for weight loss at all and they insist that only higher intensity forms of cardio will do anything to improve your body composition. Others fitness experts believe that you should not do cardiovascular exercise every day - even walking.
There may be a little truth in each of those statements, however, walking always was and still is one of the best exercises for strengthening your bones, controlling your weight, toning the muscles in your lower body, maintaining good posture and improving your self image.
Walking uses almost every muscle in the body, it improves circulation of blood to the joints and massages the blood vessels, keeping them more elastic. Walking also helps you maintain muscle and an efficient metabolism as you get older (not to mention keeping you young "in spirit.")
Walking is incredibly convenient too. Since you don't need a gym or any special equipment, you can walk any place, at any time and that allows you to lose weight and get fit with little or no interruption to your busy schedule.
People who diet without exercising often get fatter with time. Although your weight may initially drop while dieting, weight loss from low calorie and especially low carb diets consists mostly of water and muscle. When the weight returns, it comes back as fat. To avoid getting fatter over time, you must increase your metabolism by exercising daily.
To get the maximum benefits of a walking program, you need make it more challenging than a leisurely "walk in the park." Walking at a steady and brisk pace burns more fat simply because it burns more calories. Just remember to begin slowly to avoid muscle soreness, and increase your pace over time as you become more fit.
To lose weight, it's ideal to alternate your walking sessions between high intensity and lower intensity days. For example, on one day walk for 30- 45 minutes as a steady and moderate pace. On the next day, walk at a faster pace. You could even do "road work" like the boxers do, where you break up your walk along the route with some sets of squats, lunges, bench push ups or other body weight or callisthenic exercises to make it a real cardiovascular and muscle blaster of a workout! It doesn't have to be boring or the same thing every day. Make it fun and keep it up consistently, leading an active life-style 365 days a year.
Slow and casual walking has benefits, but you will not get as much out of walking at a very slow pace because we all have a built-in mechanical advantage for walking long distances at normal speeds.
Our bodies, via the spinal column, muscle attachments and bony structures, reserve energy in the musculoskeletal system and release it back to us without asking for additional energy output. In other words, as you walk, your spinal column keeps energy in reserve because of the way you straighten and extend your spine during normal walking.
As you step, your spine is stretched, and as you take another step, the energy reserved in the spine is used in propulsion. The spine acts very much like rubber band as your walk, harnessing this reserve energy.
To get substantial cardiovascular, muscular and weight loss benefits, this is why you must walk briskly or create extra movement patterns beyond casual, slow walking in order to optimize your walking program for weight loss and cardiovascular fitness.
Walking the right way will also improve your posture and tends to help keep you upright (because you must see where you are going). Just hold your chin up and shoulder slightly back.. Walk with your heels hitting the ground first and your feet pointed forward. Swing your arms fully and make lengthy strides.
To lose weight and achieve optimum health, exercise and diet are both necessary and interrelated. Exercising without maintaining a balanced diet is no more beneficial than dieting while remaining a couch potato.
Carbohydrates are high-octane fuel. They provide energy for movement and help raise internal body metabolism. They're also satisfying. The key is to avoid adding high-fat and high calorie toppings to your carbohydrates. Also be sure to focus on fruits and vegetables and do not eat the majority of your carbohydrates from the starch category such as bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes. These type of carbs can create an insulin spike, which in turn feeds your fat storing system.
Fruits and vegetables are the ideal health, diet and fat loss foods for many reasons. They're relatively low in fat and calories, high in fiber and rich in essential vitamins and minerals. The National Research Council recommends eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
Your everyday habits will determine your long term body weight and body composition. Make sure you get enough sleep, drink enough water to expel toxins, avoid processed food as much as you can, eat your fruits and veggies, eat organic when ever possible and work hard.
Just one last thought: taking a three-minute walk after each meal is worth a four pound reduction in body fat in a year's time. Climbing two flights of stairs a day burns off half a pound of body fat in a year. On the other hand, one candy bar eaten daily will cost you 20 pounds annually.
If you enjoyed the information in this article, you will also enjoy the "David Grisaffi Walking Guide," which is a complete walking exercise plan that comes FREE with the Firm And Flatten Your Abs program at www.flattenyourabs.net
About The Author
David Grisaffi majored in physical education and is a certified high performance exercise kinesiologist with the prestigious CHEK institute. David holds a total of 6 certifications, he is a high school wrestling and baseball coach as well as an independent trainer and strength coach, known especially for his work with professional boxers and golfers. David is the author of Firm And Flatten Your Abs an online best seller which teaches you how to lose body fat and develop "six pack abs' while improving strength, function and athletic power at the same time. You can contact David or learn more about his programs at www.FlattenYourAbs.net
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Stubborn Fat: Does it affet you? Part Three
Stubborn Fat: Does it affect you?
Part Three
By David Grisaffi, CHEK
Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist
Golf Biomechanic Certified
Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach
As you know from reading parts one and two of this series, your hormones can be a liability when it comes to getting rid of stubborn body fat. For example, the hormone estrogen has a unique relationship with the fat cell. Fat cells can release signals that enable your body to synthesize estrogen and to regulate the reproductive cycle. In turn, estrogen has an effect upon fat cells. An influx of extra estrogen into the body from food sources can cause fat cells to grow and become stubborn.
A similar situation occurs during pregnancy and in mothers who are breast-feeding, as this causes the fat cells in the body to swell so that they are able to absorb and store more fuel. The estrogen is telling them that they need to stock up on extra fat, so the fat cells prepare to do so. This is why a lot of women gain weight when starting birth control pills or when entering menopause when levels of progesterone fall and estrogen becomes the dominant hormone.
Most of the time, women have a more difficult time losing body fat than men. However, men are quickly catching up in this day and age due to the estrogenic foods being consumed in our modern Western society, rife with environmental pollution and refined foods. Ironically, one reason women have a harder time with fat loss than men, is because at any given time, women are more likely to be on a severely restricted diet in order to attain the coveted thinness that’s been established as a standard of beauty and attractiveness in our culture.
Unfortunately, severe and prolonged dieting shuts down the metabolism, sending the body into starvation mode. The fat cells begin sending out even more fat storing enzymes and a significantly smaller amount of fat releasing enzymes. Because the fat cells are afraid of being starved to death and depleted of their stores, they will hold on to the fat they have to the best of their ability, causing the body to start burning lean muscle mass to get the amount of fuel it needs.
Lean muscle mass, located in the skeletal muscles and the organ systems, is the metabolically active part of the body. This means that after the diet is over and your body is out of starvation mode, your metabolism will still not be functioning as well as before the diet, because you have lost some of your muscle mass, which was the engine driving your metabolism.
In addition, the effects of restrictive dieting on your fat storing and releasing enzymes can be permanent. Though the levels will return to closer to a normal level after the diet, the fat releasing enzymes will almost always be at a little lower level than before the diet and the fat storing enzymes will almost always be at a slightly higher level. Even worse: The effects are cumulative. This means that after each successive bout of dieting, it will be harder and harder for you to lose fat and control your weight for the long term.
It sounds hopeless, but it’s not, so don’t panic just yet! This doesn’t mean that you’re stuck with unwanted fat and excess weight for the rest of your life. It only means that you don’t have to diet anymore. Even if you “tortured yourself” with deprivation diets that left you hungry, anxious, and unhappy in the past, what we know about hormones, enzymes and fat cells can actually be great news. You can lose your unwanted fat through good old-fashioned nutrition, calorie-burning and metabolism-stimulating exercise and anti-estrogenic foods.
What I am suggesting to you is not a magic bullet solution, and if you’ve been a long term chronic dieter, it might take a lot longer to lose the amount of fat you want to lose. But by putting an end to the quick-results, crash-diet approach and taking the weight loss gradually, you will not only avoid the feelings of deprivation that sabotage many diets, but also, the weight you lose will be three times more likely to stay off.
To improve your results in losing stubborn fat and to reduce estrogenic effects on your body, there are a few steps you must take to ensure your success. Your success will be dependent on your understanding of how to detoxify your liver, eat foods that aid reducing estrogen and exercise.
On this stubborn fat reduction plan, you are going to consume as many anti-estrogenic foods as possible and eliminate as many estrogenic foods as possible. In addition to stimulating greater fat loss, this type of eating will also aid in the detoxification of your liver. Without cleaning out the liver and reducing the chemical build up, your liver becomes overburdened and your fat loss can hit the wall.
There are a few stages in stubborn fat removal, so here we go
First and foremost you must eat unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds and occasional wild salmon. This starts the detoxification of the liver as you eliminate all processed foods, grains, farm fed livestock and chemically altered foods. Try to eat as much organic food as possible.
The base of your anti-stubborn fat plan is to consume an enormous amount of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussel sprouts, as these vegetables are very anti-estrogenic. Include citrus fruits such as grapefruit, orange and pineapple as they have enzymes in cofactors that help your body against the radical damage and help your liver detoxify.
Supplement your diet with omega-3 fatty acids from wild caught salmon and flaxseed. You can also take an omega-3 fatty acid supplements such as Carlson's oil available at mercola.com.
Eating raw nuts and seeds, avocados, and olive oil also improves your body’s function. In addition, eating green leafy vegetables, whole oats and barley, legumes (no soy), and spices such as turmeric (cancer fighter), milk thistle (liver detoxer), dandelion root (natural diuretic) and ginger increases loss of stubborn fat by decreasing estrogen in your body
There are many estrogen inhibitors that can help you decrease body fat quickly. According to Ori Hofmekler, author of The Warrior Diet, consuming these foods will greatly improve your ability to remove stubborn fat and decrease estrogenic effects. Hofmekler says there are additional estrogenic inhibitors such as chrysin (passion flower), Apigene (chamomile), Quercetin (onions, garlic) and all of these cofactors can work together to detoxify your liver and get the stubborn fat off.
To simplify, systemize and organize this information, Hofmekler has developed an anti-estrogen, anti-stubborn fat program into three stages:
Stage 1 Defense (Eat Anti-Estrogenic Foods)
Eat Anti-Estrogenic Foods Estrogen inhibitors
Cruciferous vegetables Passion flower
Citrus fruits Chamomile flower
Omega 3 oils
Wild catch salmon
Organic Dairy
Stage 2 Defense (additional foods that promote anti-estrogenic hormones).
Raw nuts and seeds
Avocado
Olives and Olive oil
Rice Germ Oil
Wheat Germ Oil
Stage 3 Defense (Foods that as cofactors and promote liver detoxification)
Green Vegetables
Spices (turmeric, oregano, thyme, rosemary and sage)
Fruits (citrus, berries, apples, pineapple
Whole oats and barley
Legumes (NO SOY)
Herbs (dandelion root, ginger, alma berries, milk thistle)
Three week plan:
Outlined below is a very simple three week plan that will produce good initial results in just three weeks. After this initial three week phase, you can then to rotate the stages to get continued and even better. You can also alternate the stages by the day. After the first 3 weeks. To gain more information on to set up a plan on a day to day bases just e mail me at
As this part is out of the scope of this article.
Stage 1 for a week
Detox liver
Stage 2 for a week
High Fat for fuel change over
Stage 3 for a week
Food reintroduction
In addition to eating the proper anti-estrogenic foods to remove stubborn fat, it goes without saying that a very important part of any program is exercise. Diet alone is not enough. Regular exercise is not only beneficial for fat loss, but also for your overall health. Exercise lowers body fat, blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. You need to set some goals and plan to exercise on a continuous basis.
If you attempt to lose weight without exercise, you should expect only temporary success and expect to succumb to the rebound effect. This simply means that sooner or later, you will eventually gain back the fat and the harder it will be to remove the next time around.
Instead of using the diet-only approach, emphasize the diet and exercise combination and focus on increasing your daily activity level overall (refer to my article titled, “movement sufficiency, not calorie deficiency” for more information on exercising more rather than just eating less, and here are a few quick and practical suggestions:
Walk to the store instead of driving, go for a bike ride, walk upstairs in office buildings rather than using the elevator, and park your car at the end of the parking lot instead of looking for the front row spot. Take short walk during daily breaks or after you get home. Mow your lawn with a push mower, vacuum your carpets every other day, tidy up you backyard, basement or garage, iron your clothes, wash your windows, and play with your kids. These activities are usually not looked at as “exercise” or “workouts,” but all the activity adds up at the end of the day and it can work wonders as it accumulates over the long haul.
Naturally, of course, you should also have a more structured and formal exercise program to achieve maximum reductions in body fat. Even mowing your lawn has health benefits and burns some calories, but for really making inroads into those stubborn fat stores, more intense and focused exercise is a must.
A great type of routine for stubborn fat loss goals is a circuit training program. This style of training not only raises your metabolism, improves your cardiovascular ability, and increases strength, it is also time efficient. Put together a routine that uses large body parts such as legs, chest, back and shoulders into groups and perform all of the exercises nonstop. You can also mix cardio interval training into your circuit workouts or in addition to your circuit workouts to increase the fat burning effect.
Here is an example of an effective and time efficient circuit program that can easily be performed at home with nothing but dumbbells and a swiss ball.
A1 - Swiss ball Squats (ball up against the wall)
A2 - Dumbbell Cleans
A3 - Dumbbell Flys on a Swiss Ball
A4 - Lunge
A5 - Dumbbell 3 Matrix (side laterals, bent laterals, front laterals)
A6 - Dumbbell Row
Do each exercise with perfect form for 6-8 reps and then get on your cardio equipment and go hard for 1-2 minutes. Rest about 90 seconds between before repeating the circuit 2-3 more times, as your schedule and fitness level dictate.
You can easily take one or two ideas out of this series, put them to work and immediately begin to see improvements in stubborn fat reduction. However, the real “secret,” if there is one, is putting all the pieces together into a comprehensive healthy lifestyle overall.
The lifestyle below suggestions may seem basic and general, but when combined with what you’ve learned in this article series, they will have a profound impact on your outcome.
1. Don’t diet – Eat reasonably but do not starve or deprive yourself; avoid yo-yo dieting
2. Avoid empty calories and processed refined foods like sodas and sweets
3. Eat many smaller meals – eat light at every meal to keep blood sugar steady and metabolism stoked
4. Eat healthy fat- Eat omega 3 fatty acids such as those found in salmon to promote proper hormone function and balance
5. Eat a LOT of vegetables, focusing on the cruciferous variety,
6. Drink lots of water - What can you say other than, “without it, you will die!” Drink a 1⁄2 and ounce for very pound you weigh
7. Get sufficient quality and quantity of sleep
8. Keep stress to minimum
9. Avoid excessive and chronic use of stimulants
10. Exercise – Just a little increase in daily activities will go a long way towards improving your health; add circuits and intervals to knock off the most stubborn fat.
11. Have a little fun – find an exercise program you enjoy and do it
www.FlattenYourAbs.net
If you enjoyed the information in this article, you will also enjoy the
David Grisaffi Walking Guide, which is a complete walking exercise plan
that comes FREE with the Firm And Flatten Your Abs program at
www.FlattenYourAbs.net
David Grisaffi, C. H. E. K. II, CFT, PN
Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist II
Golf Biomechanic
Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach II
mail to:david@flattenyourabs.net
http://www.FlattenYourAbs.net
Part Three
By David Grisaffi, CHEK
Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist
Golf Biomechanic Certified
Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach
As you know from reading parts one and two of this series, your hormones can be a liability when it comes to getting rid of stubborn body fat. For example, the hormone estrogen has a unique relationship with the fat cell. Fat cells can release signals that enable your body to synthesize estrogen and to regulate the reproductive cycle. In turn, estrogen has an effect upon fat cells. An influx of extra estrogen into the body from food sources can cause fat cells to grow and become stubborn.
A similar situation occurs during pregnancy and in mothers who are breast-feeding, as this causes the fat cells in the body to swell so that they are able to absorb and store more fuel. The estrogen is telling them that they need to stock up on extra fat, so the fat cells prepare to do so. This is why a lot of women gain weight when starting birth control pills or when entering menopause when levels of progesterone fall and estrogen becomes the dominant hormone.
Most of the time, women have a more difficult time losing body fat than men. However, men are quickly catching up in this day and age due to the estrogenic foods being consumed in our modern Western society, rife with environmental pollution and refined foods. Ironically, one reason women have a harder time with fat loss than men, is because at any given time, women are more likely to be on a severely restricted diet in order to attain the coveted thinness that’s been established as a standard of beauty and attractiveness in our culture.
Unfortunately, severe and prolonged dieting shuts down the metabolism, sending the body into starvation mode. The fat cells begin sending out even more fat storing enzymes and a significantly smaller amount of fat releasing enzymes. Because the fat cells are afraid of being starved to death and depleted of their stores, they will hold on to the fat they have to the best of their ability, causing the body to start burning lean muscle mass to get the amount of fuel it needs.
Lean muscle mass, located in the skeletal muscles and the organ systems, is the metabolically active part of the body. This means that after the diet is over and your body is out of starvation mode, your metabolism will still not be functioning as well as before the diet, because you have lost some of your muscle mass, which was the engine driving your metabolism.
In addition, the effects of restrictive dieting on your fat storing and releasing enzymes can be permanent. Though the levels will return to closer to a normal level after the diet, the fat releasing enzymes will almost always be at a little lower level than before the diet and the fat storing enzymes will almost always be at a slightly higher level. Even worse: The effects are cumulative. This means that after each successive bout of dieting, it will be harder and harder for you to lose fat and control your weight for the long term.
It sounds hopeless, but it’s not, so don’t panic just yet! This doesn’t mean that you’re stuck with unwanted fat and excess weight for the rest of your life. It only means that you don’t have to diet anymore. Even if you “tortured yourself” with deprivation diets that left you hungry, anxious, and unhappy in the past, what we know about hormones, enzymes and fat cells can actually be great news. You can lose your unwanted fat through good old-fashioned nutrition, calorie-burning and metabolism-stimulating exercise and anti-estrogenic foods.
What I am suggesting to you is not a magic bullet solution, and if you’ve been a long term chronic dieter, it might take a lot longer to lose the amount of fat you want to lose. But by putting an end to the quick-results, crash-diet approach and taking the weight loss gradually, you will not only avoid the feelings of deprivation that sabotage many diets, but also, the weight you lose will be three times more likely to stay off.
To improve your results in losing stubborn fat and to reduce estrogenic effects on your body, there are a few steps you must take to ensure your success. Your success will be dependent on your understanding of how to detoxify your liver, eat foods that aid reducing estrogen and exercise.
On this stubborn fat reduction plan, you are going to consume as many anti-estrogenic foods as possible and eliminate as many estrogenic foods as possible. In addition to stimulating greater fat loss, this type of eating will also aid in the detoxification of your liver. Without cleaning out the liver and reducing the chemical build up, your liver becomes overburdened and your fat loss can hit the wall.
There are a few stages in stubborn fat removal, so here we go
First and foremost you must eat unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds and occasional wild salmon. This starts the detoxification of the liver as you eliminate all processed foods, grains, farm fed livestock and chemically altered foods. Try to eat as much organic food as possible.
The base of your anti-stubborn fat plan is to consume an enormous amount of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussel sprouts, as these vegetables are very anti-estrogenic. Include citrus fruits such as grapefruit, orange and pineapple as they have enzymes in cofactors that help your body against the radical damage and help your liver detoxify.
Supplement your diet with omega-3 fatty acids from wild caught salmon and flaxseed. You can also take an omega-3 fatty acid supplements such as Carlson's oil available at mercola.com.
Eating raw nuts and seeds, avocados, and olive oil also improves your body’s function. In addition, eating green leafy vegetables, whole oats and barley, legumes (no soy), and spices such as turmeric (cancer fighter), milk thistle (liver detoxer), dandelion root (natural diuretic) and ginger increases loss of stubborn fat by decreasing estrogen in your body
There are many estrogen inhibitors that can help you decrease body fat quickly. According to Ori Hofmekler, author of The Warrior Diet, consuming these foods will greatly improve your ability to remove stubborn fat and decrease estrogenic effects. Hofmekler says there are additional estrogenic inhibitors such as chrysin (passion flower), Apigene (chamomile), Quercetin (onions, garlic) and all of these cofactors can work together to detoxify your liver and get the stubborn fat off.
To simplify, systemize and organize this information, Hofmekler has developed an anti-estrogen, anti-stubborn fat program into three stages:
Stage 1 Defense (Eat Anti-Estrogenic Foods)
Eat Anti-Estrogenic Foods Estrogen inhibitors
Cruciferous vegetables Passion flower
Citrus fruits Chamomile flower
Omega 3 oils
Wild catch salmon
Organic Dairy
Stage 2 Defense (additional foods that promote anti-estrogenic hormones).
Raw nuts and seeds
Avocado
Olives and Olive oil
Rice Germ Oil
Wheat Germ Oil
Stage 3 Defense (Foods that as cofactors and promote liver detoxification)
Green Vegetables
Spices (turmeric, oregano, thyme, rosemary and sage)
Fruits (citrus, berries, apples, pineapple
Whole oats and barley
Legumes (NO SOY)
Herbs (dandelion root, ginger, alma berries, milk thistle)
Three week plan:
Outlined below is a very simple three week plan that will produce good initial results in just three weeks. After this initial three week phase, you can then to rotate the stages to get continued and even better. You can also alternate the stages by the day. After the first 3 weeks. To gain more information on to set up a plan on a day to day bases just e mail me at
As this part is out of the scope of this article.
Stage 1 for a week
Detox liver
Stage 2 for a week
High Fat for fuel change over
Stage 3 for a week
Food reintroduction
In addition to eating the proper anti-estrogenic foods to remove stubborn fat, it goes without saying that a very important part of any program is exercise. Diet alone is not enough. Regular exercise is not only beneficial for fat loss, but also for your overall health. Exercise lowers body fat, blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. You need to set some goals and plan to exercise on a continuous basis.
If you attempt to lose weight without exercise, you should expect only temporary success and expect to succumb to the rebound effect. This simply means that sooner or later, you will eventually gain back the fat and the harder it will be to remove the next time around.
Instead of using the diet-only approach, emphasize the diet and exercise combination and focus on increasing your daily activity level overall (refer to my article titled, “movement sufficiency, not calorie deficiency” for more information on exercising more rather than just eating less, and here are a few quick and practical suggestions:
Walk to the store instead of driving, go for a bike ride, walk upstairs in office buildings rather than using the elevator, and park your car at the end of the parking lot instead of looking for the front row spot. Take short walk during daily breaks or after you get home. Mow your lawn with a push mower, vacuum your carpets every other day, tidy up you backyard, basement or garage, iron your clothes, wash your windows, and play with your kids. These activities are usually not looked at as “exercise” or “workouts,” but all the activity adds up at the end of the day and it can work wonders as it accumulates over the long haul.
Naturally, of course, you should also have a more structured and formal exercise program to achieve maximum reductions in body fat. Even mowing your lawn has health benefits and burns some calories, but for really making inroads into those stubborn fat stores, more intense and focused exercise is a must.
A great type of routine for stubborn fat loss goals is a circuit training program. This style of training not only raises your metabolism, improves your cardiovascular ability, and increases strength, it is also time efficient. Put together a routine that uses large body parts such as legs, chest, back and shoulders into groups and perform all of the exercises nonstop. You can also mix cardio interval training into your circuit workouts or in addition to your circuit workouts to increase the fat burning effect.
Here is an example of an effective and time efficient circuit program that can easily be performed at home with nothing but dumbbells and a swiss ball.
A1 - Swiss ball Squats (ball up against the wall)
A2 - Dumbbell Cleans
A3 - Dumbbell Flys on a Swiss Ball
A4 - Lunge
A5 - Dumbbell 3 Matrix (side laterals, bent laterals, front laterals)
A6 - Dumbbell Row
Do each exercise with perfect form for 6-8 reps and then get on your cardio equipment and go hard for 1-2 minutes. Rest about 90 seconds between before repeating the circuit 2-3 more times, as your schedule and fitness level dictate.
You can easily take one or two ideas out of this series, put them to work and immediately begin to see improvements in stubborn fat reduction. However, the real “secret,” if there is one, is putting all the pieces together into a comprehensive healthy lifestyle overall.
The lifestyle below suggestions may seem basic and general, but when combined with what you’ve learned in this article series, they will have a profound impact on your outcome.
1. Don’t diet – Eat reasonably but do not starve or deprive yourself; avoid yo-yo dieting
2. Avoid empty calories and processed refined foods like sodas and sweets
3. Eat many smaller meals – eat light at every meal to keep blood sugar steady and metabolism stoked
4. Eat healthy fat- Eat omega 3 fatty acids such as those found in salmon to promote proper hormone function and balance
5. Eat a LOT of vegetables, focusing on the cruciferous variety,
6. Drink lots of water - What can you say other than, “without it, you will die!” Drink a 1⁄2 and ounce for very pound you weigh
7. Get sufficient quality and quantity of sleep
8. Keep stress to minimum
9. Avoid excessive and chronic use of stimulants
10. Exercise – Just a little increase in daily activities will go a long way towards improving your health; add circuits and intervals to knock off the most stubborn fat.
11. Have a little fun – find an exercise program you enjoy and do it
www.FlattenYourAbs.net
If you enjoyed the information in this article, you will also enjoy the
David Grisaffi Walking Guide, which is a complete walking exercise plan
that comes FREE with the Firm And Flatten Your Abs program at
www.FlattenYourAbs.net
David Grisaffi, C. H. E. K. II, CFT, PN
Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist II
Golf Biomechanic
Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach II
mail to:david@flattenyourabs.net
http://www.FlattenYourAbs.net
Stuborn Fat: Does it affectyou? Part Two
Stubboorn Fat: Does it affect you?
Part Two
By David Grisaffi, CHEK
Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist
Golf Biomechanic Certified
Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach
When it comes to the physical make-up of men versus women, many of the differences are obvious. Men, on average, are 10-15% larger than women, weigh 20% more, and are 30% stronger (especially when considering upper body strength). Testosterone is one of the major hormones active in a man’s body. Men also produce more HGH (human growth hormone). Testosterone stimulates muscle enlargement and bone growth and also raises the level of red blood cells in a man’s blood stream.
What you may not know, however, is that all of these factors combine to make oxygen much more available to a man’s cells than a woman’s cells. That means a man could be working at 50% of his capacity during physical activity, but a woman would have to be working at 70% of her capacity in order to keep up. It is not as easy for her cells to absorb oxygen.
This is due partly to the fact that women have a smaller percentage of lean tissue (muscle, organs, etc.) and a much higher percentage of body fat. Though this is detrimental in a short sprint, a higher percentage of fat means that women can power their cells longer from their body’s reserves without stopping to eat or drink in order to refuel. This may translate into greater endurance. Studies comparing men and women in running, swimming, and speed skating have all shown that the differences in time vs. distance decreased between men and women as the length of the event progressed.
Hundreds of studies have showed some interesting differences between men and women in nearly every area. Looking through the research, you would discover all kinds of facts such as how much more likely women are to wear a seatbelt than men (2 times more likely), to how often they are the sexual initiators in a monogamous relationship (65% of the time).
As interesting as those facts may be, let’s concentrate on the differences between men and women that have an effect on women’s physical fitness. These differences are primarily found in the functioning of a woman’s hormones and the construction and function of her fat cells. These two factors influence everything from the way a woman’s metabolism functions; to how likely she is to suffer from stubborn fat and other health related diseases such as osteoporosis.
Though the construction of the male and female fat cell is basically the same, they differ vastly when is comes to size and function. To begin with, a women’s fat cell is five times larger than a man’s! In addition, not only are women’s cells capable of holding more fat, they are genetically programmed to do so. It all comes down to enzymes:
Lipogenic- Fat Storing Enzymes
Lipolytic- Fat Releasing Enzymes
Though these enzymes are present in both men and women, women’s bodies have two times the number of Lipogenic (fat storing) enzymes, and only half the number of Lipolytic (fat releasing) enzymes. This is the genetic legacy of women’s role as the childbearing and nurturing gender of the species. Nature wanted to ensure that women were carrying around enough fat cells to nurture their growing babies and to breast-feed them once they were born. A baby in-utero requires the mother to burn at least 300 extra calories a day and breast-feeding can require as much as 500 extra calories.
In addition to the normal caloric needs of a baby, our foremothers also held onto extra body fat in case of a drought or famine. This extra fat was stored in the hips, thighs, and buttocks. Therefore, the females who survived famine and drought to pass down their genes were the women whose bodies were adept at storing fat. Skinny thighs in the past were a serious liability, serving only to increase the risk of death when food supplies became scarce. These enzymes tend to be balanced in a healthy person. Too much l of either develops an unbalanced system develops and leads to insulin resistance, leading contributor to stubborn fat.
Other contributors to stubborn fat are estrogenic compounds called xenoestrogens. These chemicals are a byproduct of fertilizers, plastics, soy isoflavones, certain herbs and petroleum products. These compounds in our food and water supply mimic estrogenic functions and aid in binding to estrogenic fat receptors. This produces induced aromatase influence. Aromatase is an enzyme which helps convert androgens (male hormone) to estrogenic compounds.
When this occurs, it enhances the production of estrone, which is the main culprit in stubborn fat gain in both men and women. Look at many children today and you can see that they take on some very feminized features such as breast fat.
To benefit from a program that reduces stubborn fat, you must first recognize that estrogenic compounds are all around us (and in us). To combat this problem, you need to look at the food you consume and the liquids you drink, as there are many culprits that cause stubborn fat gain.
You move in the direction of gaining stubborn fat when you develop bad eating and lifestyle habits, which cause insulin resistance, a toxic overburden on the liver and elevated estrogen. These all contribute to the fat that will not go away. To open these cells, you should start by heading down the food chain. Minimize or eliminate all refined foods, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (preferably organic), and exercise.
In the third and final part, you will learn more about how specifically to get this stubborn fat out of you life forever.
www.FlattenYourAbs.net
If you enjoyed the information in this article, you will also enjoy the
David Grisaffi Walking Guide, which is a complete walking exercise plan
that comes FREE with the Firm And Flatten Your Abs program at
www.FlattenYourAbs.net
David Grisaffi, C. H. E. K. II, CFT, PN
Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist II
Golf Biomechanic
Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach II
mailto:david@flattenyourabs.net
http://www.FlattenYourAbs.
Part Two
By David Grisaffi, CHEK
Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist
Golf Biomechanic Certified
Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach
When it comes to the physical make-up of men versus women, many of the differences are obvious. Men, on average, are 10-15% larger than women, weigh 20% more, and are 30% stronger (especially when considering upper body strength). Testosterone is one of the major hormones active in a man’s body. Men also produce more HGH (human growth hormone). Testosterone stimulates muscle enlargement and bone growth and also raises the level of red blood cells in a man’s blood stream.
What you may not know, however, is that all of these factors combine to make oxygen much more available to a man’s cells than a woman’s cells. That means a man could be working at 50% of his capacity during physical activity, but a woman would have to be working at 70% of her capacity in order to keep up. It is not as easy for her cells to absorb oxygen.
This is due partly to the fact that women have a smaller percentage of lean tissue (muscle, organs, etc.) and a much higher percentage of body fat. Though this is detrimental in a short sprint, a higher percentage of fat means that women can power their cells longer from their body’s reserves without stopping to eat or drink in order to refuel. This may translate into greater endurance. Studies comparing men and women in running, swimming, and speed skating have all shown that the differences in time vs. distance decreased between men and women as the length of the event progressed.
Hundreds of studies have showed some interesting differences between men and women in nearly every area. Looking through the research, you would discover all kinds of facts such as how much more likely women are to wear a seatbelt than men (2 times more likely), to how often they are the sexual initiators in a monogamous relationship (65% of the time).
As interesting as those facts may be, let’s concentrate on the differences between men and women that have an effect on women’s physical fitness. These differences are primarily found in the functioning of a woman’s hormones and the construction and function of her fat cells. These two factors influence everything from the way a woman’s metabolism functions; to how likely she is to suffer from stubborn fat and other health related diseases such as osteoporosis.
Though the construction of the male and female fat cell is basically the same, they differ vastly when is comes to size and function. To begin with, a women’s fat cell is five times larger than a man’s! In addition, not only are women’s cells capable of holding more fat, they are genetically programmed to do so. It all comes down to enzymes:
Lipogenic- Fat Storing Enzymes
Lipolytic- Fat Releasing Enzymes
Though these enzymes are present in both men and women, women’s bodies have two times the number of Lipogenic (fat storing) enzymes, and only half the number of Lipolytic (fat releasing) enzymes. This is the genetic legacy of women’s role as the childbearing and nurturing gender of the species. Nature wanted to ensure that women were carrying around enough fat cells to nurture their growing babies and to breast-feed them once they were born. A baby in-utero requires the mother to burn at least 300 extra calories a day and breast-feeding can require as much as 500 extra calories.
In addition to the normal caloric needs of a baby, our foremothers also held onto extra body fat in case of a drought or famine. This extra fat was stored in the hips, thighs, and buttocks. Therefore, the females who survived famine and drought to pass down their genes were the women whose bodies were adept at storing fat. Skinny thighs in the past were a serious liability, serving only to increase the risk of death when food supplies became scarce. These enzymes tend to be balanced in a healthy person. Too much l of either develops an unbalanced system develops and leads to insulin resistance, leading contributor to stubborn fat.
Other contributors to stubborn fat are estrogenic compounds called xenoestrogens. These chemicals are a byproduct of fertilizers, plastics, soy isoflavones, certain herbs and petroleum products. These compounds in our food and water supply mimic estrogenic functions and aid in binding to estrogenic fat receptors. This produces induced aromatase influence. Aromatase is an enzyme which helps convert androgens (male hormone) to estrogenic compounds.
When this occurs, it enhances the production of estrone, which is the main culprit in stubborn fat gain in both men and women. Look at many children today and you can see that they take on some very feminized features such as breast fat.
To benefit from a program that reduces stubborn fat, you must first recognize that estrogenic compounds are all around us (and in us). To combat this problem, you need to look at the food you consume and the liquids you drink, as there are many culprits that cause stubborn fat gain.
You move in the direction of gaining stubborn fat when you develop bad eating and lifestyle habits, which cause insulin resistance, a toxic overburden on the liver and elevated estrogen. These all contribute to the fat that will not go away. To open these cells, you should start by heading down the food chain. Minimize or eliminate all refined foods, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (preferably organic), and exercise.
In the third and final part, you will learn more about how specifically to get this stubborn fat out of you life forever.
www.FlattenYourAbs.net
If you enjoyed the information in this article, you will also enjoy the
David Grisaffi Walking Guide, which is a complete walking exercise plan
that comes FREE with the Firm And Flatten Your Abs program at
www.FlattenYourAbs.net
David Grisaffi, C. H. E. K. II, CFT, PN
Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist II
Golf Biomechanic
Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach II
mailto:david@flattenyourabs.net
http://www.FlattenYourAbs.
Stubborn Fat: Does it affect you? Part One
Stubborn Fat: Does it affect you?
Part One
By David Grisaffi, CHEK
Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist
Golf Biomechanic Certified
Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach
Everyone walking on the face of this earth has an abundance of fat cells throughout their bodies.
In fact, if you’re a healthy adult with normal body composition, you have approximately 30 billion fat cells. This is an astronomical number when you think about it. Did you ever wonder why you have so many? Have you ever wondered what those fat cells are for?
The answer is, fat cells are part of our genetic code and they allowed us to use stored energy when food was scarce. This survival mechanism is very much the same today as it was 10,000 years ago. However, today our needs have changed. There is an abundance of food in modern society today.
When you consume too many calories, your body goes into storage mode for that “rainy day,” so to speak, but the “rainy day” does not happen. So your body simply stores those extra calories as fat. When you eat less calories then your body demands your cells release stored fat for energy. Pretty simple equation, however it does not appear that all fat is the same.
The placement of fat deposits on our bodies varies depending on each person’s genetic influences, lifestyle choices and nutritional intake. Men tend to store their body fat around their bellies and chest. Women tend to store it around there hips, buttocks, thighs and back of their arms. A complete discussion of hormones and fat storage would be beyond the scope of this article, but let it suffice to say that certain hormonal process do determine body fat distribution.
There is one major factor that many people do not realize when they are attempting to lose body fat and this can be a stumbling block in anyone’s long term success. Many people approach fat loss and fitness with great enthusiasm and determination. With this attitude, they lose body fat and feel great, but even so, they just do not seem to get rid of ALL they fat they want to. They lose fat successfully for a time, but ultimately get stuck just before all of the fat is completely gone.
This is commonly known as a plateau and this plateau phenomenon causes many people who were previously successful to lose their enthusiasm and return to their old ways. When old habits take over again – and this happens to the majority of dieters - the body fat comes back with a vengeance. This is due to programming of the fat cell. Each time you try to lose body fat again, it seems to take longer and require more effort.
So what is the real solution? It’s simple – you must understand how fat cells work and how to get past the plateau phenomenon and defeat this last bit of body fat, that we often call stubborn fat.
I have worked with many clients and I would say most of them have a good amount of stubborn body fat. This fat is literally “programmed” to be very difficult to lose. It seems to remain on our bodies no matter what we do, hence the word stubborn fat. Modern diets and weight loss programs almost all seem to work in the beginning, but then they never really address this crucial part of fat loss – the last bit of stubborn fat.
Stubborn fat develops when your hormonal pathways are broken down. Age does play a role in this: Fat deposits increase and become more resistant to fat loss methods as you get older. This you have little control over, but some things that lead to stubborn fat development are under your control. Yo yo dieting is one of them. Losing weight on crash diets and then regaining it – often known as the “rebound effect” – will only increase stubborn fat in the long run. A decrease in exercise and activity level also compounds the stubborn fat problem. This is why people who crash diet on low calories and refuse to exercise and move their bodies, often have the worst stubborn fat problems of all.
Our ancestors really never had to deal with this problem because they moved and engaged in physical labor as a regular part of daily life, whereas technological conveniences and the modern lifestyle have caused many of us to become lazy and inactive.
Stubborn fat is metabolized extremely slowly and is resistant to the hormonal process that takes place while the fat burning process is started up. To burn fat, the adrenal hormones better known as adrenaline and noradrenaline, attach to the fat cell receptors and essentially “open them up” so the fat can be used in the energy pathways. There are two kinds of receptors in your fat cells: one is alpha and the other beta. The beta receptors are much more active and respond to adrenal hormones. To lose body fat, the adrenal hormones switch on and the body begins to use fat as energy. However, in the case of people with stubborn fat, this does not occur, so no body fat is lost.
According to my good friend and colleague Ori Hofmekler, author of the warrior diet, "stubborn fat” has a lower ratio of beta receptors to alpha receptors." Therefore, your body’s hormonal “fat dissolver,” adrenaline, will not be able to enter the fat cell and open the door. Ori also points out that “to make these matters worse, stubborn fat has more estrogen receptors which cause even more stubborn fat.”
If all this sounds bad enough, what makes it even worse is that if you indulge in the typical modern diet and sedentary lifestyle, this often results in reduced insulin sensitivity (read my past article on Insulin Sensitivity for more information). Added on top of everything else, your fat tissue becomes so incredibly resistant to your attempts to lose it, it seems like you will be stuck with it forever.
Diets fail because they only look at the caloric reduction side of the equation. You need to understand the other variables in the equation – exercise and lifestyle. You need to understand the deeper issues you are really dealing with. Getting rid of stubborn fat is not nearly as simple as just slashing calories and dieting. Stubborn fat is the result of a complex interplay of biological and hormonal processes – all of which are affected by how you eat, how you move and the type of lifestyle you lead.
Now that you understand why you have stubborn fat, right down to the hormone and receptor level, the question is “How do you alter your nutrition, exercise and lifestyle to get rid if this resistant body fat?” The answer will be found in part two. Stay tuned.
www.FlattenYourAbs.net
If you enjoyed the information in this article, you will also enjoy the
David Grisaffi Walking Guide, which is a complete walking exercise plan
that comes FREE with the Firm And Flatten Your Abs program at
www.FlattenYourAbs.net
Part One
By David Grisaffi, CHEK
Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist
Golf Biomechanic Certified
Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach
Everyone walking on the face of this earth has an abundance of fat cells throughout their bodies.
In fact, if you’re a healthy adult with normal body composition, you have approximately 30 billion fat cells. This is an astronomical number when you think about it. Did you ever wonder why you have so many? Have you ever wondered what those fat cells are for?
The answer is, fat cells are part of our genetic code and they allowed us to use stored energy when food was scarce. This survival mechanism is very much the same today as it was 10,000 years ago. However, today our needs have changed. There is an abundance of food in modern society today.
When you consume too many calories, your body goes into storage mode for that “rainy day,” so to speak, but the “rainy day” does not happen. So your body simply stores those extra calories as fat. When you eat less calories then your body demands your cells release stored fat for energy. Pretty simple equation, however it does not appear that all fat is the same.
The placement of fat deposits on our bodies varies depending on each person’s genetic influences, lifestyle choices and nutritional intake. Men tend to store their body fat around their bellies and chest. Women tend to store it around there hips, buttocks, thighs and back of their arms. A complete discussion of hormones and fat storage would be beyond the scope of this article, but let it suffice to say that certain hormonal process do determine body fat distribution.
There is one major factor that many people do not realize when they are attempting to lose body fat and this can be a stumbling block in anyone’s long term success. Many people approach fat loss and fitness with great enthusiasm and determination. With this attitude, they lose body fat and feel great, but even so, they just do not seem to get rid of ALL they fat they want to. They lose fat successfully for a time, but ultimately get stuck just before all of the fat is completely gone.
This is commonly known as a plateau and this plateau phenomenon causes many people who were previously successful to lose their enthusiasm and return to their old ways. When old habits take over again – and this happens to the majority of dieters - the body fat comes back with a vengeance. This is due to programming of the fat cell. Each time you try to lose body fat again, it seems to take longer and require more effort.
So what is the real solution? It’s simple – you must understand how fat cells work and how to get past the plateau phenomenon and defeat this last bit of body fat, that we often call stubborn fat.
I have worked with many clients and I would say most of them have a good amount of stubborn body fat. This fat is literally “programmed” to be very difficult to lose. It seems to remain on our bodies no matter what we do, hence the word stubborn fat. Modern diets and weight loss programs almost all seem to work in the beginning, but then they never really address this crucial part of fat loss – the last bit of stubborn fat.
Stubborn fat develops when your hormonal pathways are broken down. Age does play a role in this: Fat deposits increase and become more resistant to fat loss methods as you get older. This you have little control over, but some things that lead to stubborn fat development are under your control. Yo yo dieting is one of them. Losing weight on crash diets and then regaining it – often known as the “rebound effect” – will only increase stubborn fat in the long run. A decrease in exercise and activity level also compounds the stubborn fat problem. This is why people who crash diet on low calories and refuse to exercise and move their bodies, often have the worst stubborn fat problems of all.
Our ancestors really never had to deal with this problem because they moved and engaged in physical labor as a regular part of daily life, whereas technological conveniences and the modern lifestyle have caused many of us to become lazy and inactive.
Stubborn fat is metabolized extremely slowly and is resistant to the hormonal process that takes place while the fat burning process is started up. To burn fat, the adrenal hormones better known as adrenaline and noradrenaline, attach to the fat cell receptors and essentially “open them up” so the fat can be used in the energy pathways. There are two kinds of receptors in your fat cells: one is alpha and the other beta. The beta receptors are much more active and respond to adrenal hormones. To lose body fat, the adrenal hormones switch on and the body begins to use fat as energy. However, in the case of people with stubborn fat, this does not occur, so no body fat is lost.
According to my good friend and colleague Ori Hofmekler, author of the warrior diet, "stubborn fat” has a lower ratio of beta receptors to alpha receptors." Therefore, your body’s hormonal “fat dissolver,” adrenaline, will not be able to enter the fat cell and open the door. Ori also points out that “to make these matters worse, stubborn fat has more estrogen receptors which cause even more stubborn fat.”
If all this sounds bad enough, what makes it even worse is that if you indulge in the typical modern diet and sedentary lifestyle, this often results in reduced insulin sensitivity (read my past article on Insulin Sensitivity for more information). Added on top of everything else, your fat tissue becomes so incredibly resistant to your attempts to lose it, it seems like you will be stuck with it forever.
Diets fail because they only look at the caloric reduction side of the equation. You need to understand the other variables in the equation – exercise and lifestyle. You need to understand the deeper issues you are really dealing with. Getting rid of stubborn fat is not nearly as simple as just slashing calories and dieting. Stubborn fat is the result of a complex interplay of biological and hormonal processes – all of which are affected by how you eat, how you move and the type of lifestyle you lead.
Now that you understand why you have stubborn fat, right down to the hormone and receptor level, the question is “How do you alter your nutrition, exercise and lifestyle to get rid if this resistant body fat?” The answer will be found in part two. Stay tuned.
www.FlattenYourAbs.net
If you enjoyed the information in this article, you will also enjoy the
David Grisaffi Walking Guide, which is a complete walking exercise plan
that comes FREE with the Firm And Flatten Your Abs program at
www.FlattenYourAbs.net
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