Category: Exercise

“Is It Actually Possible to Gain Muscle And Burn Fat At The Same Time?”
You Can Do It…If You Apply 3 Tips!
By Jon Benson
Bestselling Author of 7 Minute Muscle

There are three key steps in order to trick the body into doing two seemingly opposite things at the same time; burn fat and build muscle.

First, you have to stimulate the body to increase its muscle mass. You do this through weight training.

However, train TOO LONG and all that extra energy from your stored bodyfat will go to keeping your central nervous system from crashing. Your body will shift all of that energy and then some into the metabolic processes we call “survival mode” faster than you can snap your fingers.

It will try and make sure your metabolism stays high enough to survive. That’s one reason diets fail-the metabolism crashes because calories are too low AND because you are exercising too much.

Brief but brutal training is the key and it is thoroughly covered in 7 Minute Muscle.

Listen - this is not for everyone. Although the workout is short - it is intense. Personally - I love short and intense workouts - get em done and move on. But not everyone does - so keep that in mind. It is not about doing exercise in 7 minutes - easily.

With that said - I recommend this for those who are up to it.

The Dumbbell
Curl for building your biceps

1) Stand with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent or sit in upright position.
2) Start position: Grasp DB’s with underhand grip (palms facing forward) and allow arms to hang down at sides. Elbows should be close to sides.
3) Flex at the elbows and curl DB’s one at a time up to approximately shoulder level. Keep elbows close to sides throughout movement. Return to start position.
4) Remember to keep back and head straight in a neutral position throughout movement. Shoulders should be stabilized by squeezing shoulder blades together slightly - only the elbow joint should be moving.

Turbulence Training is something I will try to devote some more time to simply because it works.

If you haven’t heard of it before, this is training that is very intense and thus can be done in a shorter amount of time. It’s not for everyone but almost anyone can incorporate some of it into their workouts.

Here’s a terrific video that shows you a little about it. After you finish this, you can head on over to Turbulence Training for some further info.

Click Turbulence Training to get your free report.

Phase 2.

You must get a doctor’s ok before continuing.

Continue the Phase 1 activities, adding resistance training (1 set of 10-15 reps for the major muscle groups on 2-3 days per week) and vigorous aerobic activities such as running, walking, cycling, or swimming (3-4 days per week for a period of from 20-60 minutes).

Start with the distance you can cover without undue fatigue, then gradually increase until you can do one of the following: run 3 miles, walk 6 miles, cycle 12 miles, or swim ¾ mile (usually 20-60 minutes).

The work-out should also include a 10-20 minute initial warm-up and a 5-10 minute cool-down following the aerobic activity.

The most beneficial program for overall fitness is one that addresses each of the primary fitness components:

* aerobics for cardiorespiratory function
* strength training and conditioning for muscular strength and endurance
* stretching for improved flexibility

If that sounds like too much to handle, don´t despair. You don´t have to do it all every day, and every bit you do, helps. Just start slowly, and build gradually. Commitment is a must

Start gradually by building up your endurance. If you cannot walk continuously for 30 minutes without pain or discomfort, start walking or some other form of exercise such as cycling or swimming and continue for as long as you can do so without fatigue. Gradually increase your time until you can exercise continuously for 30 minutes without problems.

Also, try doing some simple stretching for flexibility. After you have been doing these activities for a few weeks, you can move on to Phase 2, which I will cover next.

As the winter is sneaking up on us, it can sometimes make things a little tough if your exercise routine consists of walking or running outside. Black ice is what you really need to be on the lookout.

It can be very hard to see and when you hit that black ice spot, you will have absolutely no control. If you are running on the path at a park, when you get there ask people if they encountered any. Of course, if it’s that cold there will not be as many people there. So take care the first time around. My buddy took a hard fall when we were running one winter evening and he had to take time off from exercise to recover.

Dress warmly but do not overdress. Dressing in layers is best. That allows you to remove a layer as you begin to warm up. The rule of thumb for runners is generally to dress like the temperature is about 20 degrees warmer.

Breathe through your nose. Actually this is a practice you should follow all year round, but particularly during the winter. When it is real cold outside and you are breathing through your mouth, you are going to feel the effects.

If it gets too bad out there, exercise inside. A treadmill is great but if you don’t have one, jog in place. Pop in an aerobics tape and exercise. Jump rope. Shadow box. It’s time to get a little creative.

Exercising outside in the winter can be a little challenging, but follow some of these suggestions and you will get through it and be raring to go in the spring.

If you think of getting active as one more thing on your long to-do list, you’ll never get moving.

It’s important for you to understand you don’t need to go to the gym 5 times a week to be healthy. A 45 minute walk at a brisk pace (3 to 4 miles an hour) can burn up to 300 calories? Or that simply making small changes in your daily routine — like parking further away, taking the stairs, and playing active games with your kids — will enable you to start living an active, healthy life?

Just do it. Do Something to get started. Anything. As you progress, you can begin to exercise more and get the health benefits you need.

• Once you begin your daily exercise routine, keep these points in mind to get the best results:
• Always drink water before, during and after your exercise session.
• Make exercising a part of your daily routine. You may want to set a regular time to exercise each day and invite a friend to join you.
• Start gradually, about 5 to 10 minutes at first.
• Increase the amount of exercise each day, up to about 30 to 60 minutes.
• Breathe deeply and evenly during and between exercises. Don’t hold your breath.
• Rest whenever it is necessary.
• Keep a daily written record of your progress.
• Exercise to lively music, TV, or with friends for added enjoyment.