Category Archives: Strength Training

May 7 2012

4 Top Weight Loss Tools that Work for Life

You want fat loss with weight loss? You need a program that works over the long haul? Tired of hearing about the weekly new weight loss programs on infomercials? Want some fat loss and weight loss strategies that will work today, tomorrow and 10 years from now? Read on…….

Here are steps you can take to be successful with fat loss and weight loss management:

1. Shorten your weight training workouts to 50 minutes or less and ramp up the intensity. In other words, work harder for a shorter period of time and you’ll get more fat burn and calorie burn during and after your workout.

Do as many compound strength exercises (with weights or bodyweight) standing up as possible. These types of exercises work major muscle groups and many times are full-body strength exercises.

Squats, deadlift, lunges, standing bentover rows, squat-to curl-to press and bench press are great examples. Full-body core exercises like planks and side planks work well also. Spend less time posing on “mirror exercises” like bicep curls, calf raises and tricep extensions.

Here is a good fat-burning workout:

Do each exercise one after the other with little or no rest between exercises. Rest 2-3 minutes between circuits. Do the circuit 4 times.

–Bulgarian Split Squats, 10 repetitions each leg
–Plank, 12 repetitions, 10 second hold
–Pushups on Medicine Ball, 12 repetitions
–Step Ups with Knee Lift (knee high platform), 10 repetitions each leg
–Bentover dumbbell rows, 10 repetitions
–Clock Lunges, 5 repetitions each leg
–Standing dumbbell shoulder press, 10 repetitions
–Repeat circuit 3 more times.

This type of workout will torch body fat.

2. Shorten and intensify your cardio workout. Long, slow cardio sessions wastes time and eats away at your muscle mass. Short, intense cardio sessions also burn more fat and calories during and after your workout.

I’m talking about interval cardio sessions that are 20 minutes or less.

Here is an interval cardio session that I often do (or something similar):

–Jump rope, fast, 1 minute
–Walk 1 minute
–Mountain climbers, fast, 30 seconds
–Walk 30 seconds
–Jumping Jacks, fast, 1 minute
–Walk 1 minute
–Run-In-Place, fast, 30 seconds
–Walk 30 seconds
–Bodyweight Jump Squats, fast, 15 seconds
–Walk 1 minute

Repeat this circuit 2 more times.

If you don’t like these types of exercises, then pick exercises that you like. I know that jump squats won’t work for those with knee or back problems. As long as you change it up and keep it interesting, you will will make progress.

3. Make needed changes to your eating habits and reach your fat loss and weight loss goals faster.

Don’t ruin great workouts by eating bad food with a million calories. Its possible to hide those hard-earned muscles with a thick layer(s) of fat. Don’t fight against yourself!

We eat “too large” servings of food and that’s without even “super-sizing” anything. Keep your daily food journal to track what, how much and why you are eating! This will help you with portion control.

It will be easier to keep your commitment if you plan your meals for the week. And, instead of eating out during the day, pack your food. This will protect you from binge eating and haphazard eating (i.e. grazing).

Here are some common sense do’s and don’ts when it comes to eating:

Cut out these type foods: sodas, sugary fruit juice drinks, candy, cookies, donuts, fried meats and fried foods, fast foods, ketchup, mayonnaise

Add these type foods: whole grains, oatmeal, nuts, low-fat dairy products, low-fat yogurt, fruits, veggies, unsweetened tea, water, lean meats (baked, broiled or grilled), olive oil, cinnamon, mustard. You get the idea.

4. Shorten and intensify your workouts with jump training (plyometrics).

If you’re having trouble sculpting your butt, hips and thighs then you need to do more plyometric training.

Plyometric workouts are advanced workouts. You need to perfect jumping and landing techniques or you will injure yourself. And, if you have knee and low back problems, high-speed plyometric training is not for you.

Try this jump training workout (take little or no rest between exercises):

–jump rope, two feet, full speed, 1 minute
–squat jumps, 10, full speed
–lunge jumps, 10, full speed
–depth jumps (off knee-high platform), 10
–tuck jumps, 10, full speed
–jumping jacks, 30 seconds, full speed

Rest 1 minute between circuits. Repeat the circuit 2 more times–20 minutes total workout time. Take more rest between exercises or circuits if needed.

Burn fat, lose weight and stay healthy!

Here’s 10 other tools that will help you keep the weight off…..Download your free book today, “10 Tools to Help You Live Healthier.”

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Apr 27 2012

Got Butt and Hip Fat?

So, you’re sick and tired of butt fat, saddlebags on your hips and jigglin’ jelly thighs? I have four words for you—Work Your Butt Off! Don’t take shortcuts….this way, the fat will stay off…. Read these testimonials:

“Hi there Mark, I just want to say “Thank you”, your blog and your Fat Blaster ebook has been such a help for me. To my dismay, the scale isn’t moving, but whatever you have said is right because even though I have only been doing the fat blaster workout (level 1) for about two weeks, my size 12 pants are starting to fall off and I can fit into size 10 again (though they’d be too funny/tight to wear, I CAN GET THEM ON!!! This coming from someone who was upset that she started out in size 14!!” —Jennifer N.

“Great post! Oh and hey, remember when I said that I was in a size 14 and because of your workouts got to be able to put on my size 10’s but they were too tight?? Not anymore!!! I can wear them now!! Yahoo!” —Jennifer N.

You should take the approach that you will sculpt your total body, not just your butt, hips and thighs.

If you have cellulite, don’t give up, just be realistic about how to reduce your cellulite. There are many factors that determine whether you have cellulite—your genes, gender, skin thickness and amount of body fat all play a part. What you need to know is that there are no quick fixes for cellulite.

Don’t buy in to quick cellulite reduction stories! As usual, your best bet in reducing cellulite is with regular exercise and a healthy diet.

Total body fat reduction, especially abdominal fat, should be your goal. Keeping your metabolism active will help you burn fat.

Your metabolism does not have to get sluggish or slow down. A faster metabolism helps you burn more calories during workouts and at rest. The number one reason that womens’ metabolisms slow down is loss of muscle mass. Save your muscle mass with short, effective strength and interval cardio workouts.

Muscle tissue is the most metabolically active tissue in your body. Your body has to work harder to maintain muscle mass. So, muscle mass is your top fat-burning tool. Work hard to build and maintain your body.

“As women age, their metabolisms slow down, mainly because they are losing five or six pounds of muscle each decade starting in the mid-20s,” explains fitness expert Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., fitness research director of the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts.

“There’s no reason you can’t have the same metabolism in your 30s and 40s that you had in your 20s,” stresses Pamela Peeke, M.D., author of Fight Fat After Forty.

Here are 2 top methods to burn more fat:

1. Circuit weight training workouts with light weights increase growth hormone in your body. Growth hormone elevations during this type of exercise have been shown to decrease body fat and increase protein synthesis after exercise. Growth hormone helps promote tissue repair and muscle mass growth from lifting weights.

Heavy weight lifting (you won’t get bulky) will give you exercise-induced testosterone increases, which will help you build muscle mass.

Concentrate on compound (multi-joint) strength exercises during your workouts because they work major muscle groups and burn major fat. You can accomplish more in less time. Exercises like squats (of all types), step ups, rows (of all types), shoulder press, pullups, pushups, deadlift and bench press all fit the bill.

2. Intense interval cardio exercises such as sprints and shuttles also increase growth hormone release.

Use shuttle runs to add variety to your cardio workouts, burn fat faster and really lean and tone your body.

Shuttle runs are effective fat burners because of at least three mechanisms:

–Interval cardio - Research has proven that the benefits of anaerobic exercise (like sprint interval cardio) is superior to aerobic exercise for fat loss, fitness and heart health.

The progression of your cardio exercise should be low-intensity aerobics to moderate/high-intensity aerobics to high-intensity anaerobic exercise.

–Speed – Sprinting activates your bulkier, shapely fast twitch muscle fibers. These fast twitch muscle fibers lie dormant when you do slow-paced cardio sessions (hint).

Sprinting will really burn the fat on your butt, hips, thighs, hamstrings and lower legs. Fat will also be burned on your upper body. You don’t have to be fast, just run as fast as you can during the shuttle.

–Sudden changes in direction – This adds more intensity to an otherwise intense form of exercise. Shuttles will improve your dynamic balance, power and coordination.

Try these 2 shuttle runs for cardio in your workouts to burn more fat (run on grass or rubber surface):

Speed Shuttle Drill or 5-10-5 Cone Drill – Place three cones in a straight line, 5 yards apart. Start in a 2-point or 3-point stance at the middle cone.

Run as fast as you can to the left cone (5 yds) and touch ground with your hand, run as fast as you can to the right cone (10 yds) and touch ground with your hand and finish running through the middle cone. That’s one repetition. Rest 1 minute between sets. Do 8-10 sets per workout session.

Speed Endurance Shuttle Run – Place cones at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 yards. Sprint to the 5 yard cone and sprint back to the start. Then, sprint to the 10 yard cone and sprint back to the start. The same would be done at the 15, 20 and 30 yard cones. That is one set. Rest for 2 minutes between sets. Do 5-6 sets.

Some top cardio exercises for total body shaping are: sprinting (including uphill), walking uphill, stair climbing and jogging. You don’t need any gimmicks or fancy gadgets!

Start burning more fat and changing your body!

Download my FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program and get started changing your body today!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Apr 16 2012

5 Steps to Your Lean Body–Start Shaping It Today!

Start shaping your lean body now–what are you waiting on? There are no new magic lean body secrets out there! Be consistent with your fat loss and weight loss program and you will get and stay lean and toned—in time!

Here are 5 Lean Body building tips that always work, if you’re willing to work hard:

1. Jump exercises, and other high intensity exercises, burn more fat and shape your body better….period.

If your exercise program is stalling your progress, ramp up the intensity of your workouts. Jumps are good examples that help you burn more fat and lose more weight—sooner.

Mix up your routine a little with some jump training. Jump training has many benefits which include: burning body fat, strengthening bones and increasing power.

Jump training is high intensity training, placing great stress on the bones, joints, and connective tissue. Jump training places you at greater risk of injury than less intense training exercises. It is important to perform the exercises correctly before implementation of full-speed exercises.

Jumping and landing techniques should be mastered to avoid knee and low back injuries. Exercises should be performed on safe surfaces such as rubber mats, sprung floors, grass or sand. Concrete or other similar hard surfaces expose you to injury. And, you should have good core and lower body strength to reduce chances of injury.

A good place to start is with jump rope exercises. There are many variations of jumping rope: two legs, one leg, alternating legs, shuffles, slalom, etc.

You can progress to eventually jumping rope at full speed. Jumping rope is one of the best exercises for burning calories, burning fat, increasing bone density and improving coordination/balance.

Another good jump exercise is jump squats. Learn proper jumping and landing techniques before progressing to full speed execution of this exercise.

2. If you want fat loss, weight loss and a lean and toned body then you MUST eat for fat loss. Everyone needs a meal plan. You need to have some sort of idea of what you are going to eat for the day. If you don’t have a meal plan, you might eat anything at any time!

If you have a plan, you are more likely to follow it or at least eat similar foods. And, record what you eat in a food journal to hold yourself accountable.

3. Burn more fat by working large muscle groups, not by working out longer. Maximize your time in the gym and get the results you want! The quality of your workouts are better than the quantity of your workouts.

Shorten your weight training workouts to 50 minutes (3 days a week) or less and ramp up the intensity. Doing this will give you more fat burn and calorie burn during and after your workout.

Compound strength exercises (with weights or bodyweight) like squats, deadlift, lunges, standing bentover rows, squat-to curl-to press and bench press are great examples. Full-body core exercises like planks and side planks work well also. Spend less time posing on “mirror exercises” like bicep curls, calf raises and tricep extensions.

4. Do short, intense cardio workouts (about 20 minutes, 3 days a week). Sprint Intervals or similar cardio exercises activate and shape the bulkier, shapely fast-twitch muscle fibers. This type of cardio will also burn fat and calories like crazy and give you superior heart health!

5. Walk 30 minutes every day, especially on your non-workout days. Walking helps you to keep an active lifestyle.

Consistently do these 5 things and you WILL have the lean and toned body of your dreams!

Be sure and download my FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program and get started changing your body!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs