Today was the first day of my Chaska, MN Rapid Fat Loss & Fitness Boot Camp – Look Great at the Lake Boot Camp.  We had a great group and they all did really well.  I look forward to their potential.  By the way, there’s still room left – Get your FREE 2-week Trial here.

Anyway, what would a boot camp program be without push-ups? 

If you struggle with push-ups, like most beginners and even intermediate trainees, this post is definitely something you want to spend some time with.  It’s a long one, so go to the bathroom, grab your coffee, or whatever else you gotta do!

The Push-up.  It is probably the most basic and most popular exercise of all time – from gym class to group fitness classes around the world.  But being popular in this case doesn’t necessarily mean being well liked!  In fact, I think it is safe to say that the majority of people really HATE push-ups.  More specifically, the push-up tends to be the undying nemesis for people who carry extra body weight and for most females who feel they do not have the upper-body strength to ever be able to do anything but “wuss-ups,” or modified push-ups on the knees.

The goal of this article is to address everything you need to know about performing the push-up with proper form in addition to learning how to do more push-ups ASAP.  Remember, people only hate what they are not good at it.  In other words, I am confident that though you may currently hate push-ups, by following this program you will finally unveil your true push-up potential.  And though you may never be madly in love with push-up, you’ll at least be able to stomach them!

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Before I get into it, let me quickly answer the question, “Should I jog or do sprints to raise my metabolism and lose fat” with two questions of my own:

2.  Have you ever seen a fat sprinter?

OK, now let’s get into it.

We’ll start with the obvious and not so obvious, move into the science and then finish with the practical.  I’ll also lay out my training program schedule for you.

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Traditionally, the cornerstone of most strength training programs has been performing exercises in a straight set format – perform a specified number or reps for a given exercise, rest for 30 seconds to a few minutes, and then repeat before moving on to the next exercise.  Fat loss and endurance programs typically prescribe shorter rest periods, while strength and power programs prescribe longer rest periods.

So, what’s the problem with this format? 

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July 4th, 1776 – America declares its freedom

We really do live in an amazing country.  The freedoms we have are beyond incredible compared with other countries.  And, the opportunities are endless.

The 4th of July holiday marks a time for us to stop and think about how great we really have it.  It’s a time where we traditionally celebrate with friends and family at BBQs and fireworks shows.  It really is, and should be, a wonderful time.

Today’s post isn’t going to be about fitness or fat loss.  I’m not going to talk about good eating and drinking in moderation – I covered that enough yesterday.

Instead, I first want to say THANK YOU to the men and women of the armed forces who provide for our freedom everyday.  Secondly, I want to share with you an inspirational video and book I came across this week.  It’s called A Tender Warrior.

Everybody likes to throw a few back with friends -

some a little more than others

But, if you’re on a weight loss plan one night of drinking can really set you back.  The obvious reason is the excessive calorie consumption, but it goes way beyond that.

Check this out:

How Alcohol Makes You Fat

-Alcohol first passes through the esophagus as it travels to your stomach.

-From there, 20% of the alcohol is absorbed immediately by your bloodstream.

-The remaining alcohol travels to your intestines and is absorbed from there.

-The alcohol in your bloodstream then travels directly to your liver.  It is here that  the body breaks the  alcohol down, something that is absolutely essential since alcohol is toxic to the body.

-Alcohol brakes down into acetate and acetaldehyde which IMMEDIATELY signals to your body to stop burning fat.  Even worse, another waste product of alcohol, acetyl CoA, actually starts to make more body fat.

If you booze, you WON’T lose fat!

What Does this Mean?

-Your body can only effectively process 0.5 to 1 ounce of alcohol per hour

-How much damage?  A 12-ounce beer contains about 0.6 ounces of alcohol.  If you consumed 5 of these, your body would be inhibited from fat burning for up to 6 hours.  This is aside from the fact that your body will actually be storing fat during these 6 hours!  The more you drink, the longer your body is inhibited from burning fat in addition to a greater fat build up from excess acetyl CoA.  As you can see, one day of binge drinking can set you back days if not a full week when it comes to fat loss!

-What’s the worst-case scenario?  Mixing alcohol with sugary beverages promotes even further fat gain due to the resulting insulin surge that triggers fat storage (e.g. regular beer or cocktails mixed with regular soda and/or fruit juice)

The Bottom Line

If you want to be lean, you must minimize alcohol consumption!

If you must drink:

a.) Choose wine or hard liquor and “light” beer
b.) Limit alcohol consumption to 1-2 days per week with a 1-2 drink per day max

References:

Campbell and Volek, “TNT Diet: Targeted Nutrition Tactics”

I’m not saying you can’t have some fun this weekend.  Just be conscious of what you’re consuming.

Have a great time, but be safe out there…

Have Faith & Take Action!

Justin Yule

P.S. – Do me a favor and leave a comment to this post to let me know how this helped you out or changed your thinking – were you shocked?  Thanks!

Earl Nightingale’s classic, The Strangest Secret, earned the 1st Gold Record for the spoken word, with sales exceeding one million copies and became the 1st recording of the spoken word to become platinum. There’s a reason. This may be one of the most powerful books you will ever read.

I’ve been STUDYING this program hard for the past couple months.  It’s funny; I’ve been a fan of personal development material for many years now.  I’ve read a variety of authors and have been to multiple seminars.  I’m amazed how much of the information I’ve learned has its routes in The Strangest Secret – some things are word for word!

Without spoiling it for you, I will tell you that you’ll find invaluable information throughout the lessons – the biggest one being, “you become what you think about.”

Do you think of yourself as a healthy, fit, lean and energetic person OR
Do you think of yourself as a sick, out-of-shape, fat and lazy person?

Where you are today is a result of what you have been thinking.  If you want to change your results (lose fat, tone up, build muscle and strength, have tons of energy and live a long & fruitful life) you better start thinking that way!

YOU BECOME WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT!

Check out this video and pick-up a copy of The Strangest Secret.

I promise, if you apply the information, it will change your life.

Have Faith & Take Action!

Justin Yule

P.S. – Share your thoughts on the video by posting a comment.  Thanks!

“How do I find the time to workout?”

I’ve heard it a million times.

•    The mother who puts all of her time into her kids.

•    The husband who busts his butt all day at work and is exhausted at the end of the day.

•    The wife & mother who juggles a career, kids and a husband.

•    The father who provides all day, gets home late and wants to see his kids before they go to bed.

There’s a bunch of different scenarios, and we all fall into one – one that seems like a good excuse not to perform the much needed and sometimes even desired fat burning and fitness workouts.

But the reality is…there is no excuse not squeeze in a quick fat burning workout to keep you in shape, healthy and performing at your best!

If one mother or husband or wife or father can make it happen than so can everyone.  You’re not the first to feel like you can’t do it all and you won’t be the last.

Trust me.  I’ve been there, too.

Let me tell you something that I’ve learned first hand.

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