How To Get Ripped

Forget everything you thought you knew about diet and exercise in order to achieve that lean, ripped body. I have a secret to scoring the six-pack abs, killer arms and buns of steel you so want.

I know, you love looking at the lean and ripped bodies of athletes and fitness models in magazines and it looks like if you just exercise harder and skip a meal or two, you would look the same. Well, let me tell you. If it was that easy, we’d all have the perfect body.

Are you ready to hear the number one secret to getting that ripped body you want? To sculpting your body to where you’ve always wanted?

I have to be honest. It’s hard. It’s really hard. It takes time. And it demands dogged discipline. You can’t cheat, you can’t skip, and you can’t say “I’ll do this tomorrow. or A little bit is ok”… You have to treat your body transformation goal as a job. In order to get the job done, you have to focus 24/7 and do everything possible and impossible to achieve that goal.

Do you still want it? If the answer is yes, read on.

3 Secrets of How To Get Ripped

Secret #1 Your Diet: Eat To Get Ripped

I know you’ve heard that carbs are your enemy. I’m here to tell you that carbs are your friends, because if you completely remove them from your diet, you will feel cranky, tired and sluggish. Also if your carbs are too low for too long a time, your body will burn precious muscle instead of bodyfat. Getting the right amount and the right kind of carbs is essential to your success. Morning and after your workout are the best times to eat your carbs. Another trick, swap your fruits for veggies…same nutrients minus sugar.

Secret # 2 Your Workout: Train To Get Ripped

The first thing you have to do is do both weights and cardio. If you are doing all your exercise at one time per day, you should do your weights first and cardio second. That way you are burning carbohydrates for energy during your weights workout and then burning fat for energy during your cardio workout. When you do cardio on its own, you’ll be spending the first 20-30 minutes burning away your stored carbohydrates (glycogen) before you can start burning fat for energy.

Now having said that, you need all your minutes of cardio and all your minutes of weight training. So if your schedule doesn’t allow you to do it in the ideal format (weights then cardio in a row) just get it done. The other best times for cardio are before breakfast (not for everyone) or between your last meal and bedtime.

One more bit of info: Weight training builds muscle, which speeds up the metabolism and shapes the body. Weights use carbohydrates for energy and when depleted your body uses protein for energy. There is no way to use weight training to directly burn fat. That’s simply not how the body works. Only rhythmic and continuous cardio using the legs burns fat for energy.

Secret #3 Your Liquids: Hydrate To Get Ripped

You heard that right. If you are serious about lean and ripped, forget about that glass of wine you so enjoy with dinner. The reason: alcohol triggers fat to be stored instead of being used for energy and your body stops digesting food until the liver can excrete the alcohol. Water is a completely different story, of course. Drink a lot of it and stay hydrated.   Just don’t drink anything with calories (except for protein drinks), ever.

3 Ways To Boost Your Metabolism

You hear it all the time, but what is metabolism? Technically, it’s the chemical processes which occur within a living organism in order to sustain life. But what does that mean to you? Well, if you take it one step further, it’s what makes your cells grow, it helps you produce energy and it also helps you eliminate waste and toxins from your body. It’s vital to your health and helps you maintain a healthy weight. But you can’t actually see it or touch it. However, your actions certainly can affect it. Don’t take your metabolism for granted. So, how do you affect your metabolism in a positive, healthful way?

Your body needs to have a balanced metabolism for your health and well-being. You certainly want to produce energy, burn fat, keep your cells healthy and eliminate waste, don’t you? Seems pretty easy. You’ve been doing it all of your life. But have you been doing it to the best of your ability? Are you supporting your body in the most productive way possible? Let’s find out.

1. First things first, are you eating small, well-balanced meals throughout the day? Are you feeding your metabolism, or are you thwarting it? Think about how you feel when you eat a big, heavy meal. You feel full, sluggish and probably pretty sleepy. That’s your body’s way of trying to digest all of the food you’ve eaten. It’s taking the rest of your resources away while your intestinal tract is filtering through all of the food. Now think about how you feel when you eat a leafy green salad packed with vegetables and protein. You may feel pleasantly full, but certainly not sluggish or sleepy. In fact, you probably feel pretty energetic and productive. Now think about how you’d feel if you ate like that for every meal of the day. Is this starting to make sense?

2. Second things second, are you drinking enough water? I can’t say it enough. Water is the key to life for nearly every living organism on the planet. And, it’s huge in keeping your metabolism working at its best. By drinking 64 ounces of water a day you’re flushing out toxins, you’re contributing to your cellular turnover and you’re helping to keep your metabolism on track. When you drink enough water you see visible results; your skin looks and feels plump and hydrated. The same thing happens to you internally.

3. Third, but not certainly not last, are you getting enough sleep? Why is this a key to your metabolic health? Well, your body and mind need to rest in order to recover from the day’s activities. It’s the part of the day when your body regenerates cells, which helps you build muscles, collagen, proteins, skin and pretty much everything else. Why deprive your body and mind of the most important thing it needs?

Your metabolism is one of the most important things and is also one of the easiest to maintain, so long as you pay attention to it, and yourself. Eat right, drink water, sleep. How much easier can it be? Contact me today to create a workout and nutrition plan that’s right for you.

Best Foods For Fat Burning

We know that not all foods are created equal but some have the power to spike metabolism, trigger hormones that burn fat and eliminate toxins that make it so difficult for your body to lose weight. A word of caution: you have to combine these fabulous foods with a clean eating plan and exercise. And not only will you slim down, but you’ll lose weight where you want to — your belly. So, here are five belly-fat-fighting power foods.

FISH and LEAN MEATS
Protein is the base of any diet plan. So naturally fish and lean meats are your classic muscle-building nutrient. Did you know that the body burns more calories digesting protein than it does to process carbohydrates or fat? Many studies have shown that high-protein diets help weight loss. Chicken (white meat), turkey and fish are especially good choices. Tuna and salmon also contain omega-3 fatty acids, which may help keep metabolism revved and improve insulin sensitivity, which shrinks fat from your waistline.

EGG WHITES
Egg whites are pure protein and are more effective at building muscle than milk and beef. Egg sulfur is helpful for tissue regeneration and healing powers. Plus egg whites contain vitamin B12- a nutrient necessary for fat breakdown.

GREEN VEGGIES
Broccoli alone is high in fiber and more densely packed with vitamins and minerals than almost any other food. It is said to scrub excess estrogen (a fat-promoting hormone) from the bloodstream. Asparagus is another miracle food that loads your body with nutrients like folate, vitamin C and copper while reducing water retention. And just one serving of spinach is full of folate and supplies nearly a full-day’s worth of vitamin A and half of your vitamin C.

CAYENNE PEPPER
Cayenne pepper revvs up your metabolism by creating heat. Scientists have found that it burns fat and helps weight loss when added to the diet. When you eat spicy foods, your body heats up in a process known as “diet-induced thermogenesis.” So when body heat rises, so does metabolism, and more calories are burned.

WHEY POWDER
Just adding whey powder to a smoothie for snack helps you created the most powerful fat burning meal possible. Whey protein is a high-quality protein that contains essential amino acids needed to build muscles and burn fat. It’s especially effective because it has the highest amount of protein for the fewest number of calories, making it fat’s kryptonite.

How Much Should I Be Lifting?

I’ll say it again. Everyone needs to lift weights. It doesn’t matter what the goal is- building muscle, losing weight, toning up or shrinking a fat gut- lifting is key to achieving those goals. Well, not the last one, but if that’s what you’re looking for, you’re already in the wrong place.

Strength training builds muscle. Muscle burns fat, even when you’re resting. No fitness goals exist that wouldn’t benefit from using weights.

That, of course, brings up important questions. How much weight should you be lifting? How many reps and sets? Here’s one way to answer those questions. Go to your local gym and ask ten people. Take the ten completely different answers you’ll receive, put them in a hat, and pick one.

Unfortunately, that will likely leave you with an uniformed theory at best.

Everyone who exercises regularly has strongly held opinions. These vary wildly. Maybe you’ve heard, “You should pick whatever weight that allows you to do 100 reps in one sitting.” Or perhaps you’ve been told to, “Stay away from lifting. The only way to lose weight is to spend at least an hour doing aerobic exercises.” Don’t listen to either of these people.

The truth is, the amount you lift depends on your goals. Whether you’re doing 5 reps per set (for power) or 20 (for reducing and streamlining), the weight should be heavy enough that finishing the last rep is very difficult. Even then, finding a successful plan benefits you more than picking arbitrary weights. The default rep goal for men is 10 and women it’s 15.

That’s why you should forget asking those ten strangers at the gym. Instead, work with me or one of my Los Angeles personal trainers. Your strength training plan will vary based on your fitness goals. Take the randomness out of your exercising and contact us today for a custom tailored plan.