Most fitness experts will tell you that spending your money on nutritional supplements is a waste of money, but I disagree.  There is definitely a place for supplements provided your at minimum 70% compliant with a good nutrition plan.  Besides, with the unfortunate lower quality of our foods these days, a sensible supplementation program will simply give your body the nutrients it needs without adding calories, and not to mention accommodate your busy schedule.

So where do you start? In this post, I’ll briefly address what I consider the foundational level.  The simple necessities that have the potential to improve health and provide nutritional insurance for repair and growth from workouts and stress.  These include whole food multivitamin/mineral complexes, anti-oxidants, essential fatty acids (EFA’s), and protein powders.

Whole Food Multivitamin/Mineral Complex

Why whole food multivitamin/mineral complex?  Because you’ll want to choose a natural source versus synthetic sources, it’s as simple as that.  These whole food complexes will provide nutrient rich concentrates from vegetables and fruits making it easier for your body to utilize.

Brands that I like: New Chapter Organics, Vitamin Code Vitamins, ProGrade

Anti-Oxidants

Anti-Oxidants simply help to clean up free radicals in our body before they can cause harm.  Harm in the form of oxidation, which can set off disease.  See the video below for a really cool and detailed explanation.

Brands that I like: Protandim, Longevity by Prograde

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s)

As for EFA’s there are several to choose from such as fish oils, krill oil, flax oil, olive oils, and more.  These are considered the “good fats”, the necessary fats that our bodies cannot synthesize and must be obtained through supportive nutrition and supplementation.  EFA’s support our cardio, reproductive, immune, and nervous systems and helps to repair our cells and enable them to run optimally as well as help get rid of harmful wast byproducts.

Brands that I like: Udo’s Oil, Krill Oil, Biotest Flameout (best IMO)

Protein Powders

Protein is absolutely necessary in maintaining health, promoting optimal body function, improving immunity, and assisting in recovery especially after a good challenging workout session.  Protein powders are a finicky category though, because just about everyone is trying to promote this brand and that brand and so forth that it gets extremely confusing to choose what is a reliable source.  Especially with all the clever marketing ads out there right now.  Stick with the brands that have the least amount of ingredients on the list, but to keep it even simpler for you I’ve listed below three really good brands to choose from.  The first two are great sources if you’re on a gluten-free diet or are looking to reduce gluten from your diet.

Sun Warrior (In my opinion, the best)

Dymatize All Natural Elite Whey Protein (great whey protein isolate source)

Metabolic Nutrition Protizyme (good source of whey protein blends, and this brand has amazing flavors)

All the above mentioned should be the place to start, again provided that you are 70% compliant to a nutrition plan supportive of your health and fitness goals.  They DO NOT provide shortcuts to a tight tush or flat stomach.  It’s to provide nutritional insurance to potentially improve health.  Next week I’ll touch on the next tier, Body Comp Altering supplements.

Till the next post!

Rommel Acda, MATT, CSCS

Why do we stick to some goals and drop the ball hard on other goals?

Why is motivation so short lived?

From my experiences I’ve come to learn that most people’s motivational reasons are external versus internal.  When it’s a very personal internal reason, it becomes more of an inspirational factor, and creates a bigger “Why?” for that goal.

True passion comes from finally identifying what you want, why you want it, why it’s important to achieve it, AND (and this is a big AND) visualizing on the outcome of finally achieving the goal and reaping the rewards of it.  I discovered that this is going 4 for 4 on really locking down the inspiration, the deep down intrinsic reason to prevent motivation from fizzling quick like majority of our goals in which we display good intentions, but poor follow through.

The “Why” has to be big enough, and contain a powerful meaning to it.

So what’s your big reason(s), your big “Why?”

Decide how you can add more passion and emotional content to prevent your motivation from fizzling.

Rommel

PS, I’d love to hear how you add more emotional content.  Please share in the comments section.

With Memorial Weekend coming up in five days (and four for a lot of you), the fat loss tips, tricks, and questions are coming at a furious pace having me whip up a quick and easy bodyweight “fat flush” program for you.  Now keep in mind that although the program is titled “Fast 5 Fat Flush” just understand that this can be followed for the next 21-28 days while still achieving awesome results – all from a bodyweight routine and good clean nutrition.

The key is in the execution of not just the workouts, but in maintaining a supportive nutrition game plan.

So instead of holding you off from executing this plan, go ahead and download the Fast 5 Fat Flush program now and watch the accompanying video for a brief overview of the workouts.

Download Manual Here ==> Fast 5 Fat Flush

Watch This Video

Start today – Hit it Hard!

Rommel

PS…I’d love to hear about your progress so drop me in the line in the comments section, thanks!

*This blog post initially started as a private email to a small group that I am training right now, but as I got into the meat of my advice I realized this could help even more people, such as my blog readers. The short story of my group is that they have just completed 4 days of their 28 day challenge…

Well you have completed 4 days and from the updates I’ve received it seems that 3.5 pounds is the average weight loss so far, which is really, really good.  I know at times during the day it’s a struggle, because you either feel hungry or your head and mind feel fuzzy.  This is normal and is your body’s reaction to detoxing from both high amounts of starchy carbs, and just crappy nutrients that come along with the typical food intake.  Be strong and just know that this is good for your body and that it’s actually healing and shifting gears in regards to a more efficient metabolism!

What’s more important right now, and for the next 24 days is to establish a supportive routine.  So let’s dissect this a bit, and not confuse this with habit.  You see, the simplest difference is that a habit is more frequent repetition, while a routine is a regular course of procedure.  A supportive routine requires disciplined focus, which gives you a higher percentage to achieve your goals because the habits developed from this routine becomes a normal part of your life.  More importantly, those habits developed from this supportive routine becomes good habits.

Photo Credit: RobSmithJr.com

But before you create a new, supportive routine you must first be aware and identify what’s currently going on.  The easiest tool to use is a fitness journal that you can track food intake, workout routines, and current behaviors.  When you track all of those components you can make the necessary changes to the components that need improvement.

I suggest tracking everything for 3-5 days. Of course, more days tracked the more data you have to identify what needs to be improved. Here’s a list of components and the details you’ll need to track:

• Food intake and times you ate
• Water intake
• Workout times and details of the workout including exercises, sets, reps, weight and how you felt during the workout
• Mood
• Scale weight. This is a touchy one, because you’re weighing yourself everyday which for some people will really mess with their heads if there’s a huge fluctuation from one day to the other. But here’s why it’s important – if there’s a fluctuation then you need to observe what foods were eaten the day before, what was your workout like, did you get enough sleep, did you drink enough water, and what was your level of stress?  All of these play a role in how your weight can fluctuate from a few to a lot of pounds during the week.

Now is it starting to make sense?

Photo Credit: Jay Deragon (www.relationship-economy.com)

Ok, so with all this data you’ll then need to dissect it all and start incorporating these strategies:

• Write down your top 3-5 fitness and fat loss goals. After each goal identify just two things that you know you can immediately implement to move you closer to achieving them.
• Identify 3-5 situations, or behaviors that are most challenging for you. After each one write down your new supportive behavior that will help you move closer to achieving your goal.

Example: Current behavior – “I can’t stop eating ‘xyz’ food”
New behavior – Get rid of all trigger and non-supportive food items from your household and restock with healthier alternatives that                                                  you know you can adhere to.

Once you address the above, then ask yourself these tough questions and write down (very important) your honest answers to them.

• Why is this so important to you?
• What is the cost of achieving your goals?
• What is the cost of not achieving your goals and the experience you will miss?
• What will happen when I achieve the results I desire and what does that success look like?

Why address these questions? Because, answering them will no doubt agitate you to a point (and a good one) to help you find the main reason you want to make a positive change to your health and fitness. All change must first start with taking inspired action, and answering these questions honestly will provide you with that inspiration to finally take action in the right direction.

The number one cause of failure in most peoples lives is never taking action. We create these comfort zones to a point that it paralyzes us to step out of that comfort zone and really go after our goals with a vengeance. We all know that whatever the health and fitness plan is, that we must follow it, but seldom do. This is an unfortunate waste of time and energy.

So put the above tips to use TODAY to start working towards your goals TODAY!

To your fitness success,

Rommel

P.S. – I’d love to hear why your goals are important to you, so if you don’t mind putting yourself out there for further accountability let me know your goals in the comments section below. Looking forward to reading them!

It’s easy to fall into the trap of mindless working out.  Thousands and thousands of people exercise just to exercise, and sometimes that’s a good thing because honestly everyone should be exercising to reap the benefits.  However, just like any endeavor in life, if it doesn’t have a purpose then the activity will come to a halt sooner than you expected.

Why? Well that’s the perfect question to ask in regards to your fitness routine.  ”Why am I doing ‘this’ fitness routine?”

What’s the goal and the reason behind that goal is another way to put it.

If you can’t define those then what’s the point of sticking to a fitness routine, right?!

So break out that journal of yours, and start writing down what type of results you want to achieve from your fitness routine.  Is it to lose 20 pounds in 12 weeks, or gain 5 pounds of muscle in 12 weeks, or maybe a conditioning goal such as training for a half marathon.  Whatever it is, give it purpose to give your goal some life and the journey is guaranteed to be enjoyable, especially once you start seeing some positive changes.

Use that same journal you wrote those goals in to also track your progress on a daily basis.  Write everything down from the weights you used for that workout, or the time it took you to run a mile.  The important stuff is in the details, because you can look back a couple weeks or months from now back to those details and take joy in the progress you’ve made since then.  Doing this will keep your motivation high and propel you forward to the next goal.

With all that said, I’d like to end with this quote.

“Willpower: Recognizing that the power of will is the supreme court over all other departments of my mind, I will exercise daily when I need the urge to act for any purpose; and I will form habits designed to bring the power of my will into action at least once daily.” – Bruce Lee

Make it a great day!

Rommel

Ok, the videos below aren’t necessarily a breakdancing move, but they certainly look like you are about to perform one.  These cool movements come courtesy from Circular Strength Training protocols, which I learned from my buddy Adam Steer from Bodyweight Coach a couple years ago.

The first video shows Adam demonstrating the basic leg swoop, and the second video shows me performing the progression into a “pushup pillow twist”.

Try a couple sets of 10 reps first of the leg swoop, of course after a proper warm-up, then progress into 2-3 more sets of 10 reps of the pushup pillow twist progression.

Please watch and re-watch Adam’s demo first and work on your proficiency before moving on to the progression in order to maximize the benefits of these exercises in regards to mobility, and total body core recruitment.

Enjoy!

- Rommel

Video 1: Adam’s Instruction of the Leg Swoop

Video 2: My demo of the Leg Swoop into Pillow Twist

Here’s a highlight video of my 10 minute workout for today.  Just earlier this week my order for ViPR finally came in so I thought I’d show a basic circuit with this versatile conditioning tool plus one of my favorite kettlebell combos – Hook Slingshot to High Pull.

Enjoy!

Rommel

PS…Stay tuned for my new Summer Prep Plan in a couple weeks!

Alright, so like I said in the previous blog post, I’m going to switch gears here and talk more about more lessons learned in the fitness arena and how to be more awesome in 2011.  Get ready for the Barney Stinson quotes

10 Minute Workouts Are Legit – If you have the appropriate combination of exercises, intensity, time under tension, and weight selection.  Since launching Fit In A Hurry back in November of 2009 I’ve further experimented with various protocols, but in the last year I’ve noticed that when focusing on the four that I’ve listed, I and my clients have experienced the best results.  Now don’t get me wrong, there are tons of 10 minute workout routines out there and honestly they all work.  However, you just need to make sure that when you choose a short workout routine that the program fits the goals you are looking to achieve.

With that said here are some quick tips:

• If fat loss is your goal – focus on 2-4 total body combination exercises with a 30 second work time, 10 second rest time.  Choose a weight resistance that is challenging (key word here) for 10 reps, not 15 reps, but 10 reps.  And go as hard as you can.
  • Sample routine
    • 1A) Squat to Shoulder Press
    • 1B) Dumbbell Rows or Body Rows
    • 1C) Spiderman Pushups
    • 1D) Kettlebell or Dumbbell Swings

• If strength gain is your goal – focus on 2-4 body part specific exercises with a 20-30 second work time, with 10-15 seconds of rest time.  Choose a weight resistance that is challenging for 4-6  reps.  Focus on moving the weight as fast as possible provided you are still maintaining good form.
  • Sample routine
    • 1A) Pullups
    • 1B) Dumbbell Chest Press
    • 1C) Deadlifts or Kettlebell Swings

• If total conditioning is your goal – focus on ladder protocols.  With the ladder protocol you’ll perform each exercise in a circuit, with little to no rest, and with each successive round add more reps.  In the example below you’ll start with 10 reps in the first round, then build up to 20 reps of each exercise in the second round, then finish with 30 reps of each exercise in the third and final round.  You’ll want to challenge yourself to not have to rest between rounds, but if rest is needed then take a 60 second break, but no longer.
  1. Goblet Squat or Front Squat
  2. Dumbbell Bent Over Rows
  3. V-ups
  4. Dumbbell Chest Press or Pushups
  5. Bulgarian Split-Squats
  6. Heels to Heaven
  7. 1-Leg Bridges

TRUE Tabatas  = Pukeville Every Time – Ok, this is more of a rant.  I can’t stand it when other trainers say “Oh we’re doing Tabatas for this workout!”  And then come to find out that they’re making their clients do a 30-60 minute workout.  I call BS, because if you actually did Tabatas CORRECTLY, you couldn’t do more than 4 minutes.  Which is EXACTLY what Tabatas were designed to do, be an “all out max effort” for eight, 20 second rounds followed by only 10 seconds of rest.  Try doing all out heavy Prowler sprints combined with Battle Ropes for Tabata’s and you’ll find out quickly that you can’t do more than 4 minutes – trust me!

So trainers if you’re going to tell your client they’re doing Tabatas then do it right, otherwise just tell them they’re doing interval work with a 20 seconds work time and 10 second rest time.  Let’s give Tabata the credit it deserves.

The Prowler May Just Be The Best Conditioning Tool There Is – If you have not used a Prowler sled yet, I suggest you either buy one or look for a gym that utilizes it.  We use the prowler in various applications, but the most basic application of pushing it down and back in a sprint for several sets provides so many benefits from cardiovascular conditioning to total body strengthening.  It’s an awesome tool for re-hab as well.  A few sprints with the Prowler will show you just what I mean.

Stop Doing Bicycle Crunches! – Over the past couple years or so you’ve probably read in some fitness magazine that all the research shows that bicycle crunches stimulates the most abdominal muscles.  According to the data it seems to be true, however when you take a closer look at the position of the lower back and what happens to the nucleus pulposus you’ll soon understand how dangerous bicycle crunches are to the health of your lower back.  Simply put, bicycle crunches will, not might, but will eventually cause a herniated disc.

Now let’s talk about how to be more awesome in 2011, which is your comeback year – believe it!  We all aspire to be better each and every year, but the fire and motivation tends to either sizzle by Spring, or we tend to flip the motivation switch on and off several times during the year.  Here’s a list of things to consider to keep the inner fire burning throughout the year.

• Create your personal story, core values, and mission statement already.  I guarantee, once you clarify what your purpose is and stay true and congruent with it, you’ll always be on the right path.  I’ve found the best way to create this is to put yourself in a personal “lockout”.  If you’re not familiar with a lockout it’s simply spending some private time where there are no distractions, and preferably all your techno gadgets are turned off.  It’s helpful to have a white board, a notepad, and maybe even a digital recorder to record you speaking from your “brain dump”.  Just relax, be in the moment, and start the creation process.  You’ll surprise yourself.
• Do the opposite.  Try doing the opposite of everyone else for a change.  Break out of that comfy box you’ve been residing in and do what you’ve always wanted to do.  Did you know that the amount of stress and energy it takes ignoring your inner gut is extremely greater than if you were to just go for it?  You’ll gain a new learning experiences that will serve as stepping stones to your dream goals.
• Incorporate more kettlebell training into your workouts.  When you’re properly taught how to use a kettlebell, and then start utilizing appropriate program designs, you’ll learn a lot about yourself.  There’s something about training with a kettlebell that will pull out the inner “Rocky” in you.  Find a good instructor and challenge your physical limits.
• Give more back to your community.  With my fitness company, Element 5 Fitness, we host various charity fitness events for the community.  It’s an amazing feeling helping out the community as well as helping someone change their life through our fitness services.  Try giving back to your community with an event or purpose that’s more in alignment with who your are, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.
• Create a vision board or even better a vision banner that spans your bedroom wall or office wall.  Cut out inspiring pictures of where you want to be, goals you want to achieve, quotes that resonate with you, etc, and plaster all that onto your vision board or vision banner.  When you connect with a piece of your vision each and everyday your focus and productivity for the day will be in better alignment with that vision.  It often won’t feel that way, but you’ll eventually notice that you’ve been achieving smaller scale goals that are paving the way to your larger scale goals.
• Get involved in an urban fitness challenge like Tough Mudder.  Recruit your closest friends, family, co-workers and setup a training schedule and simply have fun with it!
• Train with more intensity and heavier weights this year.
• Celebrate everything!  I’ve learned from parent baby classes that when your baby does something new to always celebrate and cheer.  It’s amazing how just one 5-second act can change your perspective immediately even if you just had the day from hell.
• For the guys - if your wife or girlfriend made dinner, make sure to clean and put away the dishes.  And to top it all off, give her a back rub or foot rub.  Sometimes it’s mentally tough, but it’s even more rewarding when she melts in appreciation for you doing that.  It’s worth it, trust me!
• Send out hand written thank you notes and birthday cards instead of the lame digital versions.  The feedback you receive is priceless.
• Instead of trying to sell your old clothes or junk to a consignment store or garage sale, just give it away to a Goodwill or Value Village.  This falls in alignment with giving back to your community.  There’s always someone who may be less fortunate who could use your old stuff.
• Read the Go Giver
• Read Gary Vaynerchuk’s book, Crush It!

And to add some humor to this list, here’s 5 funny “awesome” Barney Stinson quotes from the hit show How I Met Your Mother.

• “Think of me like Yoda, but instead of being little and green I wear suits and I’m awesome. I’m your bro—I’m Broda!”
• “Okay, pep talk! You can do this, but to be more accurate, you probably can’t. You’re way out of practice and she’s way too hot for you. So, remember, it’s not about scoring. It’s about believing you can do it, even though you probably can’t. Go get ‘em, tiger!”
• “It’s gonna be legend-… wait for it… and I hope you’re not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is DAIRY!”
• “Jesus waited three days to come back to life. It was perfect! If he had only waited one day, a lot of people wouldn’t have even heard he died. They’d be all, “Hey Jesus, what up?” and Jesus would probably be like, “What up? I died yesterday!” and they’d be all, “Uh, you look pretty alive to me, dude…” and then Jesus would have to explain how he was resurrected, and how it was a miracle, and the dude’d be like “Uhh okay, whatever you say, bro…” And he’s not gonna come back on a Saturday. Everybody’s busy, doing chores, workin’ the loom, trimmin’ the beard, NO. He waited the perfect number of days, three. Plus it’s Sunday, so everyone’s in church already, and they’re all in there like “Oh no, Jesus is dead”, and then BAM! He bursts in the back door, runnin’ up the aisle, everyone’s totally psyched, and FYI, that’s when he invented the high five. That’s why we wait three days to call a woman, because that’s how long Jesus wants us to wait…. True story.”
• “In my body, where the shame gland should be, there is a second awesome gland. True story.”

Lastly, here’s the Bruce Lee quote again.  It speaks volumes!

“I am learning to understand rather than immediately judge or to be judged. I cannot blindly follow the crowd and accept their approach. I will not allow myself to indulge in the usual manipulating game of role creation. Fortunately for me, my self-knowledge has transcended that and I have come to understand that life is best to be lived and not to be conceptualized. I am happy because I am growing daily and I am honestly not knowing where the limit lies. To be certain, every day there can be a revelation or a new discovery. I treasure the memory of the past misfortunes. It has added more to my bank of fortitude.” – Bruce Lee

Yesterday I shared my reflections on 2010 and some of the lessons I’ve learned.  So today, I figured I’ll just lay out the rest and get on with it.

Technology Is A Double Edged Sword – with today’s coolest gadgets from the iPhone, iPad, Droid’s, etc you would think that the ability to multi-task on these devices when you don’t have access to your laptop would make your life easier.  What I’ve discovered is that it initially led to so many distractions from the cool apps, to the social networking, the CONSTANT texts from friends, and the ENDLESS emails from everyone to boot.

In early 2010 I just about had it with the so called cool tech toys!  I couldn’t stand it anymore, and I started simplifying.  Majority of the time my phone is on silent, and I would set a pretty decent schedule to check my texts & emails.  Unless your my wife, you wouldn’t be getting quick responses from me.

In addition, I was introduced to a distraction free writing software called WriteRoom, which I am currently using to write this blog.  It has helped tremendously in my productivity.  You can check it out here ==> WriteRoom

But basically, in regards to technology I find that I needed to be very careful how my time was spent.  Lately, and maybe it’s because I’m now a father, and I’m in my mid-30′s, that all I want to do is be productive with my time.  I have this huge appetite and passion to create.  Technology is amazing in getting things done with the right tools, but as you may discover like I did, you can get lost like a kid with all the distraction laden techno-resources.  So discipline is key.

A Journal Is Still The #1 Tool To Keep You Disciplined - I started seriously journaling 13 years ago when I decided to join a body transformation contest.  I journaled everything from reflections, to food intake, every workout, meditation, and my moods.  You learn a lot about yourself no doubt.

But what I recently learned that is extremely helpful in journaling is to write something to your future self.  It’s an extremely empowering process, and a great tool to practice discipline, accountability, track data that only you can track, and to achieve all goals.  Don’t underestimate the power of putting words on paper.  I encourage everyone to at least try journaling for 30 days and experience the difference it will make in your life.

Food Allergies and Sensitivities Are Keeping You Unhealthy - Over the past 7 years I’ve witnessed gluten intolerance and other food allergies cause my clients a lot of duress.  These food sensitivities played a huge role in causing digestive problems and creating a very toxic, inflammatory environment within the body.

As a result, insulin resistance came about and once you become insulin resistant it basically opens up the door to various forms of metabolic disorders.  In the past 2 years I’ve been noticing I’ve become gluten intolerant myself, but my symptoms were pretty mild.  When I decided to eat gluten free I felt significant changes in just one week thanks to the Paleo solution.

Now I’m not saying that the Paleo solution is the best nutritional strategy, because it’s certainly not for everyone, however the results are very, very promising.  Check out Robb Wolf’s Paleo Solution for more information and suggestions

The Easiest Nutritional Solutions to Losing Belly Fat - Nutrition isn’t rocket science, but the key is to demonstrate discipline and be educated.  If you don’t understand what certain foods do to your body then you’ll never succeed in changing body composition much less lose weight and body fat.  I was just at the bookstore the other day and I noticed for the New Year there were already over 30 new books on the latest fad diet.  Forget all the fad diets.

Here’s a big tip – understand the “thermic effect of food”.  Thermic effect of food is the energy expended (metabolism) by our bodies in order to consume and process food.  Here is a breakdown of the thermic effect of each macronutrient:

• Protein: for every 100 calories eaten, your body has to burn 20 calories to digest
• Carbs: for every 100 calories eaten, your body has to burn 10 calories to digest
• Fat: for every 100 calories eaten, your body has to burn 5 calories to digest

When you effectively manipulate thermic effect by combining foods appropriately, you’ll start to see some cool changes in body fat reduction.  With that said, start with protein as your base, then fill up your plate with tons of veggies, add a serving of fruit, and if it’s post workout you can add some starchy carbs, and keep it gluten free as much as possible.  Don’t make it more complicated than that.

Agave Nectar Is Bad For Your Belly - I was using agave nectar pretty regularly until I started noticing I was gaining more belly fat.  Why?  Well agave nectar has a low-glycemic index, however it’s mostly made of fructose (~90%).  Fructose when used as a sweetener can wreak havoc on your metabolism and make your body store more body fat – around the belly!

Simply put, whenever a sweetening component is extracted from a plant, that sweetener takes on a different life of its own.  In the case of agave nectar the amount of fructose in it can eventually cause fructose intolerance.  It’s basically no better than sugar or high fructose corn syrup.  So be careful.

That’s it for today.  Tomorrow I’ll switch gears and list more lessons in regards to short workout routines, and how to make 2011 your fitness best year yet.

- Rommel

This blog post is a reflection on the many lessons learned and relearned in my frenzied and furious year of 2010, in which, if you also follow the Chinese zodiac was the Year of the Tiger.

The year of the Tiger represents explosiveness, disagreement, disasters, but also big and bold moves, and that no task was to be done on a small, timid scale.  A year for massive change, highly controversial ideas, concluded with a brief word of advice, “Hang on to your sense of humor and let things sizzle out!”

Well, that definitely represented my 2010.

It was a year of many ups and many downs, many “come to Jesus” meetings with myself, but most of all many “come to Jesus” meetings with my son Ryan who is now 14 months old.

He’s taught me a lot about myself in just 14 short months, what I’m made of, what I’m capable of, but I think the biggest lesson was how to truly be fearless – again.  Ryan is fearless, and it’s scary, and refreshing at the same time.  Why?  Because, nowadays as I look around me it seems that too many people are way too scared to pull the trigger and find out what they’re truly made of.

Now some of you reading this blog may say, “How the heck can your son, communicate all that to you, for crying out loud he’s only 14 months?!”  And all I have to say is, why don’t you try being “present” for once – nuff said, lemme get back to mah story.

The past 14 months has brought back memories that I’ve kept at the back of my warehouse mind shelf.  The memories that were boxed with a caution tape that read “Warning! Contents of this box will give you all the secrets to finally unleash your ability to achieve all your goals and dreams!”

Credit: SpongeBob

I can remember when I was just four years old how fearless I was.  I was always the smallest child (thanks to my parents awesome genetics).  I didn’t have a care in the world that other kids were bigger and stronger than me, because I knew that my gift was speed and reflexes.  So I used that to my advantage.  You’ve heard that speed kills right?  Well, that’s how I slayed the dragons growing up.  I was always faster than them (the bullies and sports opponents), which built my confidence to take on more challenges, and improve on some of my physical deficiencies.

My father soon started teaching me Shotokan karate, in which he holds a black belt and was instructing friends and family on the side.  He always made me watch all the old-school kung fu movies, and most especially Bruce Lee tapes.  He had a collection of martial arts magazines and Bruce Lee books that I would always flip through, and even though I couldn’t read them at the time I was already amazed by Bruce Lee’s physique and abilities.  And to tell you the truth, I was also amazed by my pops physique and abilities as well – what can I say he’s my first hero.

I remember when I was thirteen I read this quote, “I am learning to understand rather than immediately judge or to be judged. I cannot blindly follow the crowd and accept their approach. I will not allow myself to indulge in the usual manipulating game of role creation. Fortunately for me, my self-knowledge has transcended that and I have come to understand that life is best to be lived and not to be conceptualized. I am happy because I am growing daily and I am honestly not knowing where the limit lies. To be certain, every day there can be a revelation or a new discovery. I treasure the memory of the past misfortunes. It has added more to my bank of fortitude.” – Bruce Lee

FORTITUDE

If you have a strong enough WHY, you can bear any HOW.

I didn’t fully understand what Bruce Lee meant till I got to college though.  For some reason it didn’t quite stick, but it certainly does now, and when I start to lose focus I always refer back to this quote to put me back on track.

So what does all this have to do with the lessons learned and a fitness blog?  Well, I consider myself a “kaizen” warrior.  Kaizen is a japanese term that simply expresses “continuous improvement”.  I’m constantly looking for ways to better myself, to strengthen my mind, to simplify things so that I create more efficiency in my life.  I created the Fit In A Hurry program, because my clients and I needed a more efficient means to stay in shape with our busy schedules.  I’m currently creating the new and improved version of Fit In A Hurry, which will be out soon, and will provide even more bang for the buck thanks to some discoveries I’ve had this past year – so stay tuned!

With that said, here are the lessons I’ve learned (and relearned) in 2010.  Lessons that flow through personal, career, and health and fitness.

• Be Present – this was a tough one, and still is, especially with all the distracting tech toys I have.  But when I am disciplined to being present, my focus, my work ethic, my parenting, my husband skillz are off the charts!  It’s tough, and you’ll never be 100% present, but just try, you’ll be amazed at what you discover.
• Create Your Core Values – for me this was HUGE.  Creating my personal core values AND mission statement plugged in the achievement leaks in both my personal goals, and in my career goals.  Before you set goals, I suggest you make sure you’ve got a clear picture of who you are stated in your core values then work your personal mission statement around that.  If  you haven’t yet, you may just find out that you’ve never truly identified your purpose.
• Minimize, then Simplify – take a look around you, in your car, in your house, in your office, in your head!  I bet there’s a lot of clutter right?  I had WAY too much non-essentials everywhere.  Things I really didn’t need, things I hoarded for no reason, things that actually meant nothing, but for some reason there was meaning attached to it.  What a disaster.  I’m proud that I’ve disciplined myself to get rid of tons of clutter and non-essentials, but I will admit it’s still an ongoing process.  It feels amazing once you start dumping all that crap, and realize you’ve opened up space for something of higher value and meaning.  One interesting discovery is that the more clutter you have in your head, the more that clutter shows up everywhere in physical form, and the less clutter you have in your head, the less clutter you have everywhere.  Think about it.
• Just Get Things Done – just as it states, stop the excuses, just get your most important tasks done asap.  Find tools and strategies to help you be more productive.  Thanks to some of my mentors and friends, these resources have helped tremendously.
  • It’s All Too Much – Peter Walsh
  • Getting Things DONE – David Allen
  • Work The System – Sam Carpenter
  • Mastering The Rockefeller Habits – Verne Harnish
• Be Willing To Apologize – this lesson I learned from Randy Pausch, the author of The Last Lecture.  He states that “proper apologies have three parts: 1) What I did was wrong, 2) I’m sorry, 3) How do I make it better? It’s the third part that people tend to forget…. Apologize when you screw up and focus on other people, not on yourself.”
• Just Let It Be and Move On - I used to overanalyze issues even after I’ve felt I’ve dealt with it.  The result was constant stress, because it would just linger just like when you minimize a window on your computer screen.  You know that window is still there, but you’ve decided to minimize it and put it aside for now.  Not good.  Deal with it, let it be, move on.
• Everyone Can Use A Mentor - I’ve pursued various mentorships since 2006 and I don’t regret any of them.  I’ve spent a lot of money, but it was all worth it.  Dont’ stop learning.  Find a mentor to help you in areas you know you need help.  But the first step is to admit you need help.
• Join A Mastermind – along with the mentorships I stated above, they also led to joining specific mastermind groups in which I’d meet with anywhere from 2-3 times per year.  We’d all put ourselves on the “hot seat” and let ourselves get critiqued, grilled, and be open to solutions that would improve the situation immediately.  If you haven’t been involved in a serious mastermind I suggest you start looking for one, it will change your perspective on many things, plus accelerate your personal and career goals.
• Speed and Passion Is Good, But Clarity of Vision Makes It Great – I used to always take inspired action, but because I didn’t always have complete clarity of the vision of those actions, the motivation would always fizzle fast and of course lead to frustration.  Gain absolute clarity in your vision first to shine the light on the path best taken.  Again, this goes back to first creating your core values.
• Vision Boards Work! - Some people think vision boards are cheesy or worthless, but they’ve absolutely worked wonders for me.  I’m a very visual person and when I can work off an inspiring vision board filled with pictures of goals I am working to accomplish or places I want to visit I am able to apply very serious meaning to that board.  I just created a new vision board for 2011, and as I was taking down my last vision board I realized I had accomplished 90% of what I had on the board.  It’s a great feeling to put a check mark on those accomplishments.
• Affirmations Work! - This is a tough one to explain, but all I know is that it works amazingly for me.  Affirmations are very powerful statements that are used to bring about positive change.  They’re not the same as goals or resolutions.  I guess you can call it “new agey”, but affirmations to me express a reality that just hasn’t manifested itself just yet.  It requires a certain frame of mind for success, because you work to change your mind through changing your thoughts and beliefs to be in alignment with the new reality you choose.  Let me just give you an example of the first time it worked for me.  In February of 2007 I was in a hotel room in Denver, Colorado preparing for my Muscle Activation Techniques Specialist certification.  I had been studying for months and felt I wasn’t comprehending anything.  I eventually broke down from all the stress, because this was a really big deal for me.  As soon as I calmed down, recollected myself, I tore a piece of paper and wrote in big letters “I am so happy and fulfilled NOW that I am a certified Muscle Activation Techniques Specialist!”.  In addition, I signed my name after the affirmation and taped it to the bed headboard.  It was already 1am, and I made a decision to trust all that I’ve reviewed in the past months and trust in the process.  About 8 hours later as I started writing my answers to the first essay question I realized I had this in the bag.  I passed with flying colors and was seriously overjoyed.  Since then, every time I’ve created an affirmation it has become reality.

Ok, so I’ll pause the list here and be back tomorrow to reveal more of what I’ve learned.  Hopefully, something in this blog resonates with you so far.  Till then, make it a great day!

- Rommel

Spring has come, the sun is coming out sooner, and before you know it it’s 90 degrees and Summer is in full effect.  Time to hit the workouts with a vengeance to get the six pack to show again.

Now I always instruct my clients that they have to do total body workouts and eat right to burn off stubborn fat faster.  However, today I will share a dedicated abs circuit since my clients have been asking for more direct ab work.  Gotta give ‘em what they ask for, right?

What You’ll Need

- A medium to heavy resistance band

- Decline ab bench (If you’re a beginner, or you don’t have access to a decline bench then you’ll just have to lay on the floor)

The Workout

First, the band work: Superset two exercises (one static one dynamic)

A1) Standing Band Planks

- Anchor the band around a post or door anchor.

- Hold both handles, and stand perpendicular to where the band is anchored.

- Now, get some good tension on the band by stepping away and stretching the band further away from the anchor point, while keeping your hands right in front of your belly button.

- From this position, straighten your arms out directly in front of you so that your hands are level with your shoulders (at this point you should really feel the band pulling on you)

- Hold this “planking” position for 10 seconds as you fight the band from twisting you.

- Move on to A2

A2) Standing Band Twists (aka Horizontal Wood Chops)

- From the same “planking” position of A1 you will then rotate your upper body further away from the band anchor point.

- Perform 15 twists

- No rest, turn around, work on the other side, complete 3 sets on each side.

Ok, now you’re done with your warm-up

Now on to traditional ab work, supersetting B1 & B2 using a ladder protocol.

B1) Decline Reverse Crunches (or hip ups if you prefer)

B2) Basic Crunches

- Perform 5 reps of each exercise, then 10 reps of each exercise, then 15 reps of each exercise to complete 1 set.

- There is no rest as you “ladder” up from 5 to 15 reps.

- After completing 15 reps, you then rest 30 seconds, then repeat.  Complete 3 “ladder” sets.

So there you have it, this Friday’s ab circuit.  I love feedback so let me know in the comments section below if you enjoyed this workout.

Have a great weekend!

- Rommel

Here’s another installment of my weekly Friday Ab workout that I’d like to share with you.  Today’s workout will focus on a total body complex.  If you aren’t familiar with complexes they simply incorporate a combination of exercises using a set weight.

They are awesome when you’re crunched for time, and will cause you to burn a lot of calories for the day.  For today’s complex I recommend using dumbbells, and choosing a weight that would be tough for 10 shoulder presses.

You’ll perform each exercise for 10 reps before moving into the next exercise.  Rest 45-60 seconds. Complete 3-4 rounds. *This first routine is an intermediate routine.  There is a beginner bodyweight routine at the end of this blog.

1) Romanian deadlift

2) Bent Over Row

3) Cleans

4) Push Press

5) Front Loaded Reverse Lunges

To finish off this workout is a quick circuit starting from a standing position ending up on the floor with basic planks.

1) Jump Squats – 5 reps

2) Wide Squats (perform in the bottom half of the range of motion) – 20 reps

3) Squat Holds for 20 seconds

4) Spiderman Pushups – 10 reps (5 each side)

5) Plank to Pushup Position – 20 reps total

6) Planks – 30 seconds

Rest 30-45 seconds, then complete one more round.

Beginner Bodyweight Complex

1) Prisoner Squats – 15 reps

2) Prisoner Stationary Lunge – 10 reps each side

3) Plank Taps in Pushup Position – from a pushup position you will take your left hand off the floor to tap your right hand and alternate.  Perform 20 reps total

4) Bird Dog/Opposites – 20 reps (10 each side)

5) Planks – 30 second hold

Rest 45-60 seconds.  Complete 3 rounds.

There you have it.  Have fun, and let me know how you did in the comments section.

Have a great weekend!

- Rommel

Every year I get to a point where I take two to three weeks off of all workouts.  Sometimes it just needs to be done to allow my body and my mind to reset.  When I resume my workouts I always feel like a beginner again.  My muscular endurance sucks, I’m sore as hell, and I just feel like a big wuss.

For most people these fitness layoffs last for months and sometimes years, and it usually happens after graduating from college, start working, get married, and finally, have kids.  The last two are the biggest reasons for most men and women to stop their fitness lifestyle altogether.  Why though?  Maybe it doesn’t make sense to me, because I grew up in a very active household.  My dad was a martial artist and was active in three sports.  He got me involved in almost every sport, and I competed in three in high school.

But I digress.

What I mean to say is that our fitness doesn’t have to be put on hold for anything.  In fact, it should be at the top of our list regardless of our circumstances because it’s the the one thing that CAN be controlled.  No one can make you eat crappy food, it was your choice.  No one can not make you exercise, that was your choice too.

So how do you make a successful fitness comeback?

It’s starts with getting your mindset right, because getting back in to great shape is mostly psychological versus physical.

First, Stop Talking Yourself Out Of It

There are two main excuses I hear, “I’m too old”, and “I don’t have time.”

At least once a week I meet a very active older adult who is in their 70′s, but looks like they just turned 50.  Observing their workouts completely squashes any excuse or justification you can come up with.  It’s never too late for anyone.  I mean there are 60-70 year olds competing in Ironman Triathlon’s for Pete’s sake so what’s really your excuse?

“But you don’t understand, I don’t have the time.” Really?  We all have the same 24 hours in a day, so please explain to me how you’re spending your time wisely.  I’ve trained hundreds of men and women who have 2-4 kids, have busy jobs, and busy lifestyles, but always, always find the time to get a workout in.  Even if it’s only 15 minutes.  The key is to find an activity you absolutely love, which will easily get rid of the “no time” excuse and keep you in great shape to hang with your kids.

Second, Train With A Purpose

Set a goal that you can visualize, but more importantly get it down on paper.  Once it is written down it makes it more real and will more than likely create an intrinsic spark.  If it’s a physique that you know you can attain, cut out a picture from a magazine that resembles that and start setting your groundwork to achieve that body.  Or maybe it’s running a 5-K so get the gear you need, register for an event, but provide yourself enough time to train for it as well.

Get involved in an activity that really moves you, and when you hit a road bump, it’s always a good idea to read over your goals to help you regroup.  If anything, seek out a qualified fitness professional to get you started on the right track.

Lastly, Maintain Focus & Momentum

Your busy lifestyle will bring up a bunch of other reasons to skip a workout, but be strong and don’t give in to your own mindgames.  Get your spouse, a good friend, or co-worker to workout with you.  Explain to them how important this is for you so that you have a partner to hold you accountable.  If that situation doesn’t work, then seek out a group fitness program like local fitness boot camps.  Nowadays, social support is playing a huge role in not only getting more people active, but to stick with the program as well.

Like I said earlier, get your mindset right and the physical part will fall into place.

Stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2: the Comeback Workout and for “Friday’s ABSolution”.

- Rommel Acda, MATS, CSCS

Yesterday’s post I talked about how getting back in to shape is mostly psychological.  I may have pushed your buttons, and if I did then good because that’s a good indicator that you probably need to take some action with your health and fitness.

It really doesn’t take much to get back in the game of fitness.  All you need is at least 5 to 15 minutes, three to four times per week, and you’ll be a hooked again in no time.  It is important, however, to make sure you at least go through a physical readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q) with a fitness professional or your doctor.  You never know, and I always err on the side of safety before starting up a new fitness program after a lay off.

Below is a beginner bodyweight routine to help you re-condition, and develop a good base for the next two weeks so that you can start engaging in more challenging workouts in the future.

Circuit 1: 3 sets x 10-15 reps, 10-20 seconds rest between exercises

1. Supported One-Leg Squat

2. Wall Angels

3. Incline Pushups (or any Pushup variation you feel comfortable with)

4. Plank to Pushup Position (if this is too intense stick to Planks for 15-30 seconds)

Circuit 2: 3 sets x 10-15 reps, 10-20 seconds rest between exercises

1. Stationary Lunge/Split-Squat

2. Plank Position to Elbow Draw

3. Pushup Position Plank with Side to Side Taps

4. Back Extensions with Arms out in a T-Position
– Focus on squeezing shoulder blades together as much as you can as you move into the back extension.

For another bodyweight circuit variation refer to this blog post

- Rommel Acda, MATS, CSCS

Today’s Friday ABSolution is simple. Look into your girlfriend or spouse’s make-up bag and grab her “foundation” powder. Start with a little dab of the powder along the sides of your abs to create the outline for the outer edges of “your six pack abs”. RIIIGHT!!!

OK, all sarcasm aside today’s tip is getting back to the basics with an interval routine to create a huge afterburn effect to help you melt off stubborn body fat.

I recommend sprinting on a track or bike sprints.

The workout:

• Warm-up for 5 minutes of a slow jog, fast walk, or slow cycling
• First set: sprint for 15 seconds, walk or slow cycle for 10-20 seconds
• Repeat four more times to complete five sets
• Cool down with a slow jog or slow cycle

Safety Note:  Although these types of intervals are great tools to increase the fat-burning process, it is also not for everyone.  If you are overweight or have certain joint issues then try a water activity using the same protocol.  If at any time you feel lightheaded during these types of workouts, stop the workout to recover, then consult with your physician.  

On a more comedic note check out this girl’s take on how to get achieve six pack abs quick, she’s quite the character     ==>Click Here To Watch

Enjoy and Have a Great Weekend!

- Rommel Acda, MATS, CSCS

It’s 2pm and your state of mind and energy levels are starting to crash hard.  At this point your having a nasty staredown with the clock on your computer screen as you wish for the day to finally end.  You’re trying everything to stay focused without having to reach for the third “Venti Triple Shot of Battery Acid” to give you another jolt of liquid energy.

Photo Credit: Plecebo

Does this describe your afternoon?

Low levels of energy is a recurring problem for many people these days.  The worst bout usually hits between 1-4pm in which fatigue kicks in and your productivity suffers.

To avoid these mid-day energy crashes use the following strategies to not only give you more energy, but to help you burn more body fat.

1. EXERCISE REGULARLY

Ok, this is one of those “duh” tips, but it’s true because the primary benefit of regular exercise is increased energy.  I think the biggest misconcenptions is that people feel that exercise has to be work.  In this case, exercise can be any physical activity that you deem enjoyable.  Just simply get out and get moving for at least 15-20 minutes is key.  If you only have five minutes then get up of your chair and do 20 Prisoner Squats and 10-20 Pushups.  I guarantee this will get your blood pumping.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest like I do, or any other part of the world that only gets a solid 3-5 months of sun each year, I urge you to get out for a 15 minute walk and absorb that much needed Vitamin-D.  If you’re boss has a problem with that then tell him or her to call me and I’ll set them straight.  Or you can simply tell them to “Get Over It”

2. WEIGHT TRAIN

Weight training naturally boosts your energy levels by boosting your metabolism as you increase your lean muscle mass.  Adding muscle overall will help your body burn off stubborn body fat.  Incorporating a consistent weight training routine at least three times per week for 5-15 minutes per session will do the trick.  For some sample routines take a look at some of my previous posts.

If you have at least an hour to spare and you enjoy a more social atmosphere then check out a local group weight training class.  The social support will more than likely inspire you and hold you accountable.

3. LEARN A RELAXATION STRATEGY

Yoga breathing exercises and short meditation strategies will help you relax and enhance your energy levels by resetting your mental state.  Many times it’s as simple as de-stressing in order to tap into your natural source of energy of being in the right frame of mind, and it only takes a few minutes to at your desk or home office.

I learned “HA” breathing a few years ago, which is an ancient Hawaiian Huna energy healing technique.

It’s simple to do so stop what you’re doing right now and take a full breath in through the nose making sure that your belly expands, not your chest.  As your belly is filled with air you will then exhale slowly through the mouth with the sound, “Haaa.”  The slow and gradual exhalation of “Haaa” is whispered loudly, and is twice as long as the in-breath.

Perform HA breathing for 5 minutes. Put on some relaxing music if you wish or just sit quietly with your eyes closed and focus on your breath.

Photo Credit: Catnomu

After a few days of practicing HA breathing you’ll find that it’s easy to take a step back and incorporate this simple technique when your stressed or feel exhausted.

4.  UNLEASH THE POWER OF PROTEIN

Already heard of the term “Thermic Effect of Food”, aka TEF?  It represents the calories burned in order to process the calories consumed.  Protein has the highest TEF.  For every 100 calories (25 grams) of protein you eat, your body burns 25-30 calories to simply digest and use the protein.

Carbohydrates and Fats don’t even come close at 7% and 3% TEF respectively, so make sure to always add a portion of lean protein to each meal and snack.  It may be the difference of burning off an additional 100-300 calories a day, which will help in losing body fat.

However, this doesn’t mean you have a free ticket to overload on protein calories.  If weight loss is your goal you still need to monitor your calories accordingly.

Incorporate these strategies with consistency during your week and you’ll have more energy both at the office and in other facets of your life.

What are your strategies to increase your energy levels?  Let me know in the comments section.

- Rommel

I remember the days growing up in the small Pacific island of Guam. With my father teaching Shotokan Karate and my wanna-be bodybuilder cousins, I remember them resorting to anything and everything they could manipulate to use as extra resistance to get fit, build muscle, and get ripped.

You had to be resourceful growing up in the island, because there were only a few health clubs to workout at.  Only the wealthy were members, while the rest of us tried to build home gyms with those crappy plastic coated weights and old school Joe Weider benches.

Photo Credit: ladelo

Most of the time we had to resort to bodyweight exercises, sprinting (in my case it was sprinting away from stray dogs in my neighborhood, LOL!), and my dad’s martial arts drills.

I was never a muscular dude.  I was extremely active burning tons of calories from the combination of playing sports (mostly basketball on the blacktop till the wee morning), working out with my friends, and hitting the beach almost everyday.  All this activity kept me ripped and in awesome condition.

Fast forward almost 15 years.  I’ve been a fitness professional for 11 years now, and in the past year and a half I’ve gotten tired of working out in a gym.  I decided to go back to my roots, and back to basics with mostly bodyweight exercises, portable equipment, sandbags, and kettlebells.  To get seriously fit, nowadays that’s all you need.

So now 95% of my workouts are done at home or at the park, with the other 5% done at the facilities that my fitness company runs our boot camps.

As I explained in my very first post, I stumbled upon a sweet spot by mixing and matching certain workout protocols that I felt were the most effective for short workouts that take 15 minutes or less to complete. And I realized that you don’t need a gym for these fast, effective workouts!

So I’d like to share four reasons why you don’t need to get fit at a gym.

1.)    Get Your Precious Time Back

Learning how to use portable equipment and effective bodyweight exercises will save you the 10-30 minutes of commute time. (For some people it’s double that).  This is wasted time that you could have been more productive either at work or at home, especially if you have kids.  That doesn’t even include the wasted time of getting caught in conversations, or the needless wait for equipment.

2.)    Avoid Energy Vampires

This refers to the negative people at the gym.  There’s this unfortunate sheep mentality of people who are slaves to misinformation from the fitness media, and the unsolicited bullcrap advice from not only other gym goers, but bad unqualified trainers.  You get enough crap gossip at work so why expose yourself to more of it at the gym?

(Photo Credit: Targophoto) This month's fitness magazine said the latest research of pinching your fingers real hard, wearing this outfit and doing lunges on the BOSU on your toes will burn off inner thigh fat in just 60 seconds!*End sarcasm*

3.)    Save Your Hard Earned Money

Most gym memberships are a waste of money, because most people don’t even use half of the resources.  Nowadays it’s about getting involved in a supportive social fitness community.  It’s predicted by many renegade fitness experts like myself that the trend in the next five years will be the explosive growth of smaller fitness studios catering to a special niche just like my friend Zach Even-Esh’s Underground Strength Gym.

4.)    Get Your Body Back With Useful Equipment

The number one piece of equipment you will ever need is your own body.  Throw in some useful portable equipment such as high quality bands, bodyweight suspension devices, sandbags, and kettlebells and you’re set for less than $500 bucks for a long, long time.

Don’t get me wrong, some of the new technology is cool, but most of the time it’s really only useful for people needing to rehab injuries.  Using more functional tools will liberate you from the dependence of useless gym equipment that has crippled you for many years and has probably robbed you of the body you’ve always dreamed of.

Take a look at old school strongman Sig Klein.  In the late 40’s & 50’s he was teaching many people how to get fit and strong with simple hand crafted dumbbells, barbells, and bodyweight exercises.  They didn’t have fancy equipment back then, but they were able to build amazing physiques and were in great shape.

Photo Credit: IFBB

Another great example are the physiques and conditioning of any gymnast.  They utilize their own bodyweight as resistance 99% of the time.  Yet, many male gymasts are known to have benched press 1.5 times their bodyweight without using the bench press as a training tool.  Makes you go Hmmm…

So if you’re the type of person who is highly motivated and dedicated enough to workout on your own, then you obviously don’t need to waste your time and money on a gym.

If you still prefer the group support and atmosphere then look into your local fitness boot camps, but make sure they deliver results.

Do the opposite of everyone else and your mind and body will love you for it.

Are you a current gym rat, but can’t stand your gym?  Did you find this post helpful?  Please let me know in the comments section.

- Rommel

This post is going to be short and sweet.  Today’s ab workout involves supersetting two exercises using added resistance with a medicine ball.

Exercise 1: V-Sit with Med Ball Twists

Execution: Get into a “V” position with your torso and upper thighs.  Keep your abs tight, and maintain a flat back as you perform a slight twist to each side.  To advance the motion lift your feet off the floor.  Perform 10 twists to each side.

Exercise 2: Med Ball “Shelf” Crunch

Execution: Lay flat on your back with your hips and knees bent to 90-degrees.  Perform a full crunching motion (make sure to take your shoulder blades off the ground) starting with your arms outstretched taking the medicine ball towards your shins (your shins create a shelf for the ball) and placing the ball on your shins.  Leave the ball on your “shin shelf” and return to starting position.  This sequence equals one rep.  Perform 15 reps.

Start

Finish

Complete 3-4 supersets with only 10-15 seconds of rest between exercises.

Have a great weekend!

Git ‘ir dun!

- Rommel

Today’s post will be slightly different in terms of quick fit tips.  You see this week I’ve been asked for simple ways to help engage more senses not only during workouts, but during everyday daily activities.  

At first I was stumped about engaging more of your senses during daily activities until I thought about how I’ve mixed things up in the past.

Most of these tips I remember, because of my dad not only being a martial arts expert and teaching me and my brothers how to sharpen our minds, but he was the only one in our family who is left-handed.  So here are some easy ways to switch things up and give you some mental cross-training.

Be A Lefty

Use your non dominant hand for some of your smaller tasks, such as brushing your teeth, pouring your milk, putting dishes in the dishwasher, clicking the computer mouse, or even clicking your tv remote. 

Shut Off The Lights

I remember as a kid my dad used to challenge me to dress myself up as fast as I could, but with my eyes closed AND with all my clothes still in the dresser!  I was always a competitive person so I pretended to be Luke Skywalker and “use the force” to guide me (for the guys I know you did too so don’t even trip).  I would take a quick visual of my small room and then go for it.  

Now I was definitely able to get myself dressed in under 60 seconds, but dang if I was going to allow myself to walk out of that house in my Underoos! LOL!

Anyway, I suggest just simply having your clothes ready on the bed and then trying to put them on with your eyes closed and see how you do.

Play Charades

Try to communicate non-verbally for 5-10 minutes with a friend or spouse.  This alone is great for getting some good laughs in, and laughing activates your immune system and decreases “stress” hormones. 

Be A Newbie

As I stated earlier, I’m a fairly competitive person so anytime I was introduced to a new activity or skillset it was “Game On!”  Not in the sense of doing better than the next person, but more so about improving myself.  You see when I start to feel like I’m getting the hang of things I know I’ve made a small accomplishment, and can lead to being more proficient in other skills.

Try doing something different today to challenge your senses.  Simple changes helps your brain create more neurons and build new circuitry to sharpen your memory and thinking.  I guarantee you’ll surprise yourself with some things.

What have you done in the past to keep things fresh?  Please share in the comments section!

Make it a great day,

Rommel Acda, MATS, CSCS

Today’s post addresses a question I was asked this week.

“What Order Should I Perform My Ab Exercises For Best Results?”

Many experts say there is an exact order that you should perform specific ab exercises to get the best results, but there really isn’t any scientific evidence to support this.  The reason is each person’s results will depend on many variables including nutrition, their current fitness level, the type of strength training and cardio training they are doing, and other physical activities just to name a few.

From my experience in my own training and in training clients, I found desirable results with using two to three exercises for up to three weeks, and then switching it up to another two to three exercises.  Doing this will allow your body to adapt to a certain point, but then you change up the exercises just in time to prevent a plateau.

I’ve also discovered, in general, better results by warming up with static core exercises, and static counter rotation exercises before your ab “work sets”.  Two examples are standard planks, and standing band planks.

Plank

Standing Band Plank Hold

I normally perform two sets of thirty second plank holds (any variation), or one set of six reps on each side (each rep is held for 10 seconds) of standing band planks.  It must be noted that during the band planks your goal is to get enough tension to where you can still hold your arms out straight in front of you without the band rotating you.  After you find that resistance, then keep your abs braced and your glutes tight.  Fight the band from twisting you as you breath normally.

After performing the warm-up exercises, then depending on your fitness level I recommend moving on to your two to three core exercises for your work sets.  Generally, two sets of 12-15 reps is enough work.  You really don’t need much unless you’re training for a sport or activity requiring more power work.

When it comes to your abs, less is more.  

Have more question’s about quick ABsolutions?  Post it in the comments section.  Thanks!

- Rommel Acda, MATS, CSCS

Photo Credit: Princessrica

It’s about three weeks until beach season kicks in.  It seems like just yesterday it was the New Year and everyone was getting started on their fitness resolutions.  At this point, you’re in one of two positions: you either took action and made some killer changes physically and mentally, or you took action and then quit after a month or two like 80% of individuals do every year.

I hope you’re the person that took bold action – continue what you’re doing!

If on the other hand you had a “flimsy” resolution, don’t fret. This is what you’ll need to get yourself back into beach body shape.

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Guterman

First, Get Real!
Make a solid commitment to your goals and to yourself (you deserve it) and put it down on paper, RIGHT NOW!  So pause right here for a few minutes, grab a pen and paper or your journal, and write down your goals for the next week, month, six months, and a year if you can.  If anything, at least get down this month’s goals, and stop making the same excuses, especially if you’re tired of not seeing results.  Just get it done. You’ll be glad you did.

Second, Get Your Mind Right
It takes a burning desire to succeed, but most people can’t maintain this desire long enough to break through the comfort zone.  Just one setback can cause most people to say “screw this, it’s too much work”.  I hope this is not you.  Exercise some mental discipline, break through your comfort zone, leave behind the old you and embrace the new you that you’re looking to grow into.

Third, Get Support
Seek social support to help you through your transformation, but most of all seek like-minded individuals.  It even makes more of a difference when you start to get support from people who have done what you want to get done.  They’ve already treaded through rough waters and can help you succeed through yours.

Fourth, Get On a Solid Fitness Program
To achieve a sexy midsection by Memorial Day weekend it’s best to keep things simple, but put in some good old fashion effort – get intense with your workouts.  Here are simple tips for both your nutrition and your workouts.

Here’s a 3-Week Fat Blasting Nutrition Plan

• Week 1: Replace all white carbs with 100% whole grain carbs and all refined sugars with natural sugars.
• Week 2: Replace all starches and sugars with fruits and veggies
• Week 3: Replace all fruits with green veggies
• Week 4 and on: Incorporate the 10% rule.  10% of your weekly total meals should be “cheat meals” so plan them wisely to accomodate for any social gatherings.

For all weeks

• Drink lots of water, between 64-80oz per day or more if you can.
• Eat three reasonably sized meals, and three smaller snacks evenly spaced throughout your day to prevent yourself from getting hungry, to prevent binge eating, and to spike metabolism.
• Eat only whole foods. Avoid meal replacement shakes and energy bars made artificial ingredients.

Sample Day Menu:

• Breakfast: Spinach Omelet with Turkey Sausage or Turkey Bacon
• Mid-Morning Snack: Fat Free Greek Yogurt, 6 Almonds, and a Fruit
• Lunch: Grilled Chicken or Salmon, Brown Rice or Quinoa, and Side Salad
• Mid-Afternoon Snack: Cheese and Fruit/Veggie
• Dinner: Stir Fried SteakBeef and Veggies, and Fruit/Extra Veggies
• *Pre-Bed Snack: Protein Shake and 6 Almonds

Here’s a 3-Week Fat Blasting Workout Routine

Perform this 4-exercise total body circuit three days per week, ie Monday/Wednesday/Friday.

1. Dumbbell Front Squats to Push Press
2. Dumbbell Renegade Rows or Dumbbell Bent Over Rows
3. Dumbbell Swings or Kettlebell Swings
4. Side Plank with Reach

Day 1 Protocol: 20 seconds work time, 10 seconds rest time
Day 2 Protocol: 50 seconds work time, 10 seconds rest time
Day 3 Protocol: 30 seconds work time, 10 seconds rest time

You will alternate between the prescribed amount of work and rest period for each exercise.  Choose an appropriate weight for the specific work times, and perform as many repetitions as possible within those work times.  Complete four rounds total.

On your off days feel free to engage in any other recreational activity to further burn calories, but keep it light to moderate.  You’ll want to save most of your energy for maintaining a high intensity during your circuit training workouts.

Follow these simple steps as a catalyst to finally make the necessary health and fitness changes in your life.  Employ a strong mindset and you’ll NEVER have to worry about not being in beach body condition ever again.

Was this post helpful for you?  Leave me a comment below!

Work Hard – Be Strong,

- Rommel

Following yesteday’s post, here’s a two exercise power med-ball circuit to further blast your core by using more explosive movements that incorporates the whole body.  It’s best to perform these once or twice during the week, preferably on your off days if you’ve never done these before.  Make sure to get a good warm-up in, because when this routine is done right it can still be very taxing even for the experienced person.

Workout Format

1. Vertical Wood Chop Slam

2. Right Arm Chest Throw

3. Vertical Wood Chop Slam

4. Left Arm Chest Throw

Perform each exercise for 5 reps with only 10 seconds of rest between exercises.  Rest 1 minute at the end of each circuit then repeat for two more rounds.

Keep your abs tight during each motion, and be as explosive as you can, with good control.  Think quality versus quantity when doing power med-ball circuits.  This is why I’m prescribing only 5 reps, because most people don’t exhibit good control after 5 reps, so keep it clean but be intense, and you’ll like the results.

Work Hard – Be Strong!

- Rommel

When you’re busy and on the go it gets tough to eat on a set schedule sometimes. This is where proper “on the go” food planning is absolutely crucial in order to prevent hunger strikes. Stock your fridge and cupboard with ingredients that are easy to put together so that you can juggle the daily grind at work and home.

Refuel on the go with these easy, quick and healthy snack recipes, and keep them handy to help you keep stubborn belly fat off by revving up your metabolism each time you eat them.

Power Pitas

- Top a few slices of whole wheat pita with spinach and hummus

- Wrap cubed chicken tenderloins, mixed with your favorite greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and drizzle 1 tablespoon of Goddess dressing (I like Trader Joe’s Goddess dressing, but if you don’t have Trader Joe’s around you then you can get Annie’s Naturals Goddess Dressing)

Photo credit: cybertoad

Power Parfaits

- Mash 1/2 cup of all natural granola with 1/2 cup of non-fat or low-fat greek yogurt, and mixed berries (if you want more of a protein boost then go ahead and add 1/2 to 1 scoop of your favorite vanilla protein powder)

- For peanut butter lovers, substitute 2 tablespoons of  all natural creamy or chunky peanut butter for the mixed berries.

Photo credit: frankfarm

There’s four healthy, quick and easy snacks to add to your busy menu.

Oh, wait, here’s a great one for the kids, which is also an awesome way to sneak in healthy greens into their. I found this on AllRecipes.com and they call it the Green Goo Smoothie, but I’ve nicknamed it the Kid’s Incredible Hulk Smoothie. It just sounds more fun, and if I were to drink a green looking smoothie I’d want it to have a fun super hero name (but that’s for the boys I guess).

Photo credit: lazysupper's

What you need:
- 1 banana, cut in chunks ( I find this works well if they’re initially frozen)
- 1 cup grapes
- 1 (6 ounce) tub vanilla yogurt
- 1/2 apple, cored and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach leaves (trust me, they won’t taste this at all)

Simply throw everything into a blender and blend till smooth. This usually makes two cool kids servings.

Hope these snack ideas help simplify and keep you fueled during your busy day.  Just keep a cooler handy to store them in.

Enjoy!

- Rommel

PS – What healthy snacks do you enjoy when you’re running around like crazy?  Please share in the comments section below, I’d love to try them!

Feeling low on energy during your work shift?  Find yourself chugging down on coffee or red bull’s?  This is usually the case for the individuals who have the rough work shifts, such as the graveyard shift, shifts that rotate every few weeks, or if you’re job has you travelling 90% of the time and you’re practically living on the road.

Photo Credit: ex.libris

If you find yourself in la-la land during your shift, then you might need to take a better look at what you’re putting in your mouth, because I bet the real energy zapper is coming from the foods you eat.

Here are three simple solutions to help you restore your energy levels and focus during your respective shift.

The All-Nighter

People who work these shifts are known to chug down their caffeine with high amounts of sugar usually in the form of soda and donuts.  It’s a vicious cycle, because the jolt only lasts for 10-20 minutes and then they find themselves fading and needing to spike their liquid focus once again.

The solution: eat foods high in fiber and protein for prolonged energy and alertness.  The right amounts of fiber will help prevent dips in blood sugar levels providing you the extra time to stay focused.  An example is a whole grain bagel with ham or turkey, and low fat cheese or cream cheese.  Even a high fiber cereal with skim-milk and an apple will do nicely.  Shoot for 6-8 grams of fiber per meal.

The Shift Rotator

Staying on a set eating schedule is tricky with the changes in work shifts and sleeping patterns.  Your body prefers consistency so you must plan ahead or you’ll be too busy playing catch up and your work performance will suffer.

The solution: This is where the “eat every 2-3 hours” rule should be followed religiously.  To keep it simple plan on alternating larger meals and smaller meals, but staying consistent so that your energy levels stay strong.  Make sure to always have lean protein, a starchy carb, and a veggie or fruit no matter what the meal is.  For example, Asian chicken salad, fruit, and whole grain crackers on the side.  For smaller meals a peanut butter jelly sandwich on whole grain bread plus a banana works.

The Travelling Salesman

Much like the person who rotates shifts, the person who is always on the road must also plan ahead.  This person usually has so little time that it’s not unheard of for them to only hit up drive-thrus and gas stations for processed foods that are high in sugar and fat.

The solution: in addition to the tips for the shift rotator, the travelling man (or woman) should opt for meals and snacks high in protein and good fats, such as chicken wraps that are packed with veggies, and trail mixes packed with almonds, cashews, and peanuts.  This person should have all-natural beef jerky on hand, a good amount of fruit, and a cooler full of water bottles to stay properly hydrated.

Other helpful energy boosters

• Invest in a good whole food complex multi-vitamin like Prograde’s VGF 25+.  Why?  Because, nowadays it’s really difficult to get in all your essential nutrients from nutrition alone, even if you ate 100% organic.  A whole food complex will help fill in the gaps and hopefully take care of possible nutrient deficiencies you might have.
• Try green tea for a natural boost.  If you are not too fond of the taste of green tea, then just add a small dollup of honey to make it more tolerable.  I like Itoen’s Sencha Shot as an alternative to hot green tea.

• Drink lots of “Perfect Water”!  Ummm…Yeah Right!  This stuff is a load of crap claiming to be an alkalizing water source.  I’ve seen it pH tested and it came out light green (or 5 on a pH scale) which renders it just as acidic as coffee.  So don’t waste your money on this hypee “oxygen-rich” water.

Ok, so I really only had two additional helpful tips.  Be proactive with your nutrition plan if you work these tough shifts.  Your mind and body will thank you.

Are you currently working one of these shifts?  What solutions have you come up with?  Please post in the comments section!

- Rommel

I admit, I was a carboholic.  A crappy carb lover to be exact.  I used to love eating pancakes, french toast, and cookies on a daily basis.  It’s way too easy to get hooked on the sweet stuff, because you feel so good while you’re eating it, but then you pay for it big time just 20 minutes later.  You start to feel sluggish, groggy, and your mental focus is the equivalent of a three year old.  

Photo Credit: Dr Awkward

The problem is the types of carbs we love are also the carbs that lack nutritional value, and cause your body to look like Fat Bastard from Austin Powers.  

"I'm dead sexee!" - Nope, not so much.

Why?  Because, there’s hardly any protein or fiber to keep you satisfied so you keep eating, and eating, and eating until your stomach and your brain have had enough finally causing you to feel full.  By this time you’ve done so much damage that it would take you weeks of high intensity exercise and supportive nutrition just to combat all the non-nutritious calories you just consumed.

Don’t believe me? Then you need to check out this video series of my friend Craig Ballantyne and his colleagues for an eye-opening “Diet Vs. Exercise” demo.

In a previous post, Beach Body Nightmares, I provided a fat-blasting nutrition plan which provides an easy way to ween yourself off the crappy carbs.  Here’s a 4-week summary,

• Week 1: Replace all white carbs with 100% whole grain carbs and all refined sugars with natural sugars, such as “sugar in the raw”, or agave nectar.
• Week 2: Replace all starches and sugars with fruits and veggies
• Week 3: Replace all fruits with lots of green veggies
• Week 4 and on: Incorporate the 10% rule.  10% of your weekly total meals should be “cheat meals” so plan them wisely to accomodate for any social gatherings.

What happens after four weeks?  I recommend creating supportive meals by fulfilling these categories in this order,

1. Lean protein
2. Veggies
3. Fruit or small serving of whole grain starchy carb

Example: Grilled chicken or salmon, side salad, brown rice or quinoa, small apple

Since incorporating the 10% rule several years ago it’s been extremely easy to avoid crappy carbs on a regular basis.  I’ll plan my cheat meals accordingly, and sometimes won’t even finish my cheat meals, because my body and my mind is saying “Really! It’s not worth it in the long run!”  

If vitality, health, and having a flat stomach is important to you, then your mind won’t crave soda, cookies, cakes, and fries (aka cancer sticks ala Craig Ballantyne).

Simply incorporate the tips above, take that first small step, and you’ll soon be on your way to not only a healthier body, but a leaner one as well.

Did you find this post helpful?  Leave me a comment below.

- Rommel

When you travel a lot you have to be very creative with your nutrition, especially if you’re living a healthy lifestyle, or if you’re a fitness professional like myself.  Since I knew I was heading out to New Jersey and New York for one week I decided to be more strict with my nutrition a month before the trip to allow myself some “cheat” meals.

The food choices in New York are insane, there’s just too many options and I like to give myself some flexibility when I’m traveling.

However, I was having sensory overload and said screw it!  Yes, my name is Rommel Acda, I’m a fitness professional and I ate like SHIT for a week!  Not only did I eat crap, but since I was on a business trip networking I boozed it up too!  

I didn’t go overboard with the alcohol, but when combined with fatty foods well, that’s just a major double whammy to your midsection (This is where you sing NSync’s “Bye, Bye, Bye” to my flat stomach).

Photo Credit: h33dude

Right about now my clients who are reading this are saying “But yeah Rommel, you can eat like that, you have a fast metabolism!”  I may have a raging metabolism, but if you paid attention to the video in my last post you should understand by now that you CANNOT out train a bad diet.

“But you still must have worked out hard while on your trip, because you’re always working out, and that would help offset the bad food a little wouldn’t it?”  Umm…asides from walking about 3 miles on most days, and then maybe 5 miles for three days straight in Manhattan, in my opinion, that activity doesn’t even come close to one of my 15-minute workouts.

So let’s just say I didn’t do crap in terms of activity, and like I said earlier you still CANNOT out train a bad diet.

Anyway, what I really wanted to talk about was how to reset your metabolism and your body after coming back from fat producing trips like the one I just had.

Photo Credit: Tian

Here are my 5 simple “reset” tips:

1. Consume two meal replacement shakes in place of breakfast and dinner
2. 2-3 meals should be leafy green salads with lean proteins (use extra virgin olive oil & vinegar, or a “goddess” style dressing if you prefer the creamy stuff)
3. Lots and lots of water (shoot for 64-80 ounces)
4. Almonds to help cut cravings between meals (6-8 almonds is good) or all-natural peanut butter
5. EFA’s or Fish Oils (3-6 grams for the day)

Here’s what a sample day would look like for me:

Meal 1 (Breakfast): Meal Replacement Shake – Biotest Metabolic Drive or Prograde Lean (typically in 16oz of water), plus 1 EFA capsule

Meal 2: Salmon Nicoise Salad, plus 8-10 oz of water

Meal 3: Grilled Chicken Salad, 6-8 almonds on the side, plus 8-10 oz of water and 1 EFA capsule

Meal 4 (post-workout): Biotest Metabolic Drive or Prograde Lean (typically in 16oz of water)

Meal 5: same as meal 4, but I’ll add Trader Joe’s Valencia Peanut Butter with Flax Seeds for a bit of a treat, OR another big leafy green salad like Steak Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette and Cilantro, plus 1 EFA capsule

Meal 6 (pre-bedtime snack): 1 tablespoon of Trader Joe’s Valencia Peanut Butter with Flax Seeds if I don’t add this to Meal 5, plus 8-10 oz of water

The above is a simple format that I learned from a registered dietitian, and I’ve discovered it works really well not only on myself, but with my clients.

It’s not rocket science, it’s essentially helping your body reset by consuming high quality nutrients without fat-storing insulin spikes from starchy carbs.

The process varies per individual, and I’ve noticed that I’m back on track after three days of incorporating this routine.

The lesson here – You can’t be strict 100% of the time, but as long as you have and understand the game plan for optimal nutrition it’s easy to get back on track.  Don’t stress yourself out by feeling you can’t enjoy certain food pleasures every now and then.

Let me know if this post was helpful for you and leave me a comment.

Have a great weekend!

- Rommel

As the end of June approaches there’s a noticeable decrease in the gym population from 4-7pm.  It’s obvious that many of these people prefer to take their workout outdoors, but have become so dependent on gym equipment that their outdoor workouts have been relegated to running.

I’m not saying running is bad, because at least you’re staying active, but running or any other type of outdoor cardio is just half the equation to maintaining the fitness results you worked so hard for during the winter and spring months.

The simplest way to maintain strength levels outdoors is to stick with bodyweight exercises in the playgrounds and parks.  Bodyweight exercises give you the best bang for buck.  Be creative and use the monkey bar sets and park benches.

Photo credit: Ratterell

Try this circuit out for size:

1. Jump Squats – 5 Reps
2. Body Rows or Pullups – As many reps as possible
3. Pushups with feet elevated on a swing set – As many reps as possible
4. Reverse Pike Crunch with feet elevated on swing set – 15 reps
5. Jog a 1/2 mile around the park
6. Repeat circuit two more times

Outdoor workouts can be simple, quick, and effective if you have a good database of bodyweight exercises.  I’ll have more to come in upcoming posts so stay tuned.

Now go outdoors, enjoy the fresh air and sun, and crank out the above circuit.  Make sure to drink a lot of water.

- Rommel

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there!

This is going to be a quick post, and I really just wanted to share a quick and simple bodyweight workout for the dads to crank out in just 10 minutes so they can get on with the rest of their day.

Make sure to get a good 3-5 minute warm up in, then get on with the workout.

Perform as many reps as possible for each exercise for a workset of 40 seconds with ONLY 10 seconds of rest/transition time.  Complete 3 rounds, which will take about 10 minutes.  Set up a timer to hold you accountable to the work and rest times.

Exercise 1: Prisoner Bulgarian Split-Squats (Left foot elevated)

Exercise 2: Prisoner Bulgarian Split-Squats (Right foot elevated)

Exercise 3: “Y” Back Extension

Exercise 4: Staggered Pushups

Exercise 5: Wide Outs

Be brief, but intense!

- Rommel

Finding time for workouts is a big issue nowadays with the American lifestyle causing a tight schedule, but not a tight waist.

Photo Credit: Animatrix

The art of squeezing in effective workouts simply takes being armed with just a few “bang for buck” exercises and utilizing time-efficient protocols.

My two favorite time-efficient protocols are “ladder sets” and “tabata intervals”.  With both protocols I prefer to only use two non-competing exercises.

Ladder sets are performed by increasing the reps with every set.  For example, lets take squats and pushups and it would look like this:

Set 1: Squats – 1 rep, Pushups – 1 rep

Set 2: Squats – 2 reps, Pushups – 2 reps

Set 3: Squats – 3 reps, Pushups – 3 reps

And so forth until you complete 10 reps of each.  This example demonstrates if you were to only increase your reps by one with each successive set.  For a more advanced ladder workout you increase your reps by five with each successive set.

Here’s a video demo of “Jump Squats/Pushups” Ladder Workout

Tabata intervals seem to be all the rage lately, because it’s just so dang effective.  It is simply a “time under tension” protocol in which your work sets last for 20-seconds with only 10-seconds of rest between exercises.  This is performed for a total of 4-minutes and requires maximum effort.  This protocol, when done right, will be the tougher of the two.

Ok, so now that you have a quick rundown on what these protocols are about let’s move on to 9 Quickie Workouts to get you fit in 5 minutes or less.

Decide on which protocol you’d like to use.  For simplicity’s sake use 1-rep increments for the ladder protocol and aim for completing at least 8 cumulative reps of each exercise within 5-minutes.  As your conditioning gets better then aim for 10 cumulative reps within 5-minutes

3 Bodyweight Workouts

Workout 1 – Beginner

Exercise 1: Prisoner Squats

Exercise 2: Wall Slides

Workout 2 – Intermediate

Exercise 1: Alternating Lunge

Exercise 2: Staggered Hand Pushups

Workout 3 – Advanced

Exercise 1: Jump Squats

Exercise 2: Body Rows or Pullups or T-Pushups

• For the Body Rows/Pullups perform these if you have the equipment or if you’re outdoors you can use the monkey bars on a playground set – get creative.

3 Fitness Band Workouts

Workout 1 – Beginner

Exercise 1: Front Squats

Exercise 2: Rows

Workout 2 – Intermediate

Exercise 1: Squat to Row

Exercise 2: Overhead/Shoulder Press

Workout 3 – Advanced

Exercise 1: Reverse Lunge with Row

Exercise 2: Forward Lunge with Chest Press

3 Dumbbell (DB)/Kettlebell (KB) Workouts

Workout 1 – Beginner

Exercise 1: DB/KB Sumo Deadlift

Exercise 2: DB/KB Swings

Workout 2 – Intermediate

Exercise 1: DB Squat to Press

Exercise 2: DB/KB Bent Over Row

Workout 3 – Advanced

Exercise 1: DB/KB Swings

Exercise 2: DB/KB Renegade Rows

Workout Tips

• Always perform a brief warm-up.
• Perform your reps as fast as possible WITH good form.  I can’t emphasize the importance of maintaining solid form.  If you can’t complete good reps any longer then you either need to take a longer break, modify the exercise to lessen the resistance, or simply terminate your workout.
• Always keep abs tight with each exercise.  Simplest way to engage them is to pretend someone was about to punch you in the stomach.
• Breathe! And breathe deeply!
• Cool down with static stretching.

That’s all for today’s post, and now you have an excuse for a quickie

- Rommel Acda, MATS, CSCS

PS, If you gave these simple workouts a shot, let me know how it went or if you have any questions.  Thanks!

Been extremely busy, but I wanted to leave you with a no-excuses 5-minute core routine to add to your tool box of “six pack” abs workouts.

You have four exercises, with one of them working one side at a time.  Set your timer for 50-seconds of work time and 10-seconds of rest time.  You should challenge yourself to perform as many reps as you can with solid form so maintain your focus on keeping your stomach tight and glutes squeezed during your work time.

This routine will last 5-minutes, but if you have an additional 5-minutes then go for one more set.

The Exercises

1. Plank Crawl
2. Side Plank with 1-Arm Row (Left Side)
3. Side Plank with 1-Arm Row (Right Side)
4. MedBall Overhead Rotation Slam
5. MedBall Lunge with Side Bend

If you like this routine, send me 20 comments on what other ab routines you’d like to see and I’ll be back with more 5-minute six pack routines!

Have a great workout, be intense!

- Rommel

This is not the usual Fit In A Hurry blog post.

You see, I just finished a baby marathon…scratch that, my wife (who I must say is a warrior princess) just finished a baby ironman times three!  We now have a beautiful baby boy, and I’m sure all the parents out there can relate to how an amazingly emotional moment it is when you finally see your baby for the first time.

My wife decided to birth naturally and when it finally came down to the “pushing phase” I’d have to say she would’ve had a much tougher time if she wasn’t already in amazing shape.  The birthing process, in my opinion, is the toughest physical endeavor one can go through.  And, because only women can experience this process I now have an even greater appreciation for all the mom’s out there, especially my wife, my mom, and my wife’s mom.

So where exactly am I going with this blog?

Well…when the going gets tough, most people give up way too early on their fitness goals (and other goals) and don’t trust the process.  They’ve given up appreciation of how much work they’ve done up until the most difficult hump that they never get to experience the fruits of their labor (no pun intended).

Do not give up on your fitness and fat loss goals, and certainly do not neglect to take good care of yourself!

In all the craziness of your busy lifestyles with your children, the long days at work, the birthday parties and family gatherings, the school plays, the endless homework, and the huge messes at home – you must take good care of yourself.

Forget about always trying to get into beach body shape, or trying to get back into that “black dress”. These are still valid goals to have, but parents have a much bigger stake when it comes to staying in optimal shape – to consistently set a good example of health and vitality for your children, and so that your children and children’s children may have the honor and joy of celebrating you and life with you for many years to come.

Eat healthy and supportive foods, exercise consistently and figure out a way to integrate it seamlessly into your lifestyle and you’ll not only create a strong body, but a strong mind that you’ll never take your health and fitness for granted – ever.

I’m in the fitness business and I help busy people like yourself stay in great shape, but this blog post isn’t about that.

I hope the following video will inspire you and better summarize what this post is about – health, strength, and longevity.

80 and Fit!

Be Strong!

- Rommel

The Fit In A Hurry workout program is finally here, and in celebration of my baby boy (my first child) being born just three days ago I’m offering the chance to win 3 free copies of the Fit In A Hurry Deluxe Package, PLUS future bonuses.

This is an opportunity to train with me in the comfort of your own home, office, or gym with these simple and effective 10-minute workouts.

This is what you’ll get

• Fit In A Hurry Master Manual and Workout Videos
• Fit In A Hurry Kettlebell Workouts and Workout Videos

And these current bonuses,

• Bodyweight Only Workouts
• Nutrition Crash Course Manual
• Lose Your Belly Fat Meal Plans
• Simple Solutions To Relieving Your Stress Manual

AND, exclusive access to a private group forum with me for 3-months where we can discuss more Fit In A Hurry strategies to helping you get your best body back.

So what’s the catch?

Well, I want to help more people achieve amazing shape regardless of their busy schedule. In order to do that I want to hear your story and “How would the Fit In A Hurry Workout Program finally be your solution to get into amazing shape, and burn off stubborn body fat?”

That’s it! Simple!

I just want to know what getting this package would mean to you. I’m setting the deadline for comments to tomorrow, Friday, November 13, 2009 at 11:50pm PST – the same time my son was born

Winners will be notified by email on Saturday, November 14, 2009 and those winners will receive their downloadable digital package so that they can get started on their program immediately!

So hurry on up, you only have till tomorrow, 11:50pm PST to enter your comments below.

Everyone has a shot – get rid of the excuses today!

Looking forward to your comments,

Rommel Acda, CSCS
Creator, Fit In A Hurry – The Ultimate Busy Person’s Workout Program

PS – Hurry!
The contest ends tomorrow, Friday evening at 11:50pm PST so enter your comments below. Winners will be announced by email on Saturday, November 14th, 2009.

Simply answer this question:

“How would the Fit In A Hurry Workout Program finally be your solution to get into amazing shape, and burn off stubborn body fat?”

Think you need more than 30-minutes to burn fat and get in shape?  Think again!  In today’s society everyone wants fitness and fat loss results yesterday.  Well, we know that’s not going to happen, and I’m going to reveal two mistakes that you’re most likely doing that will prevent you from getting quick results.

And I mean quick as in only 10-minutes quick!

Mistake #1 – Not Training With Enough Intensity

Most people don’t work out hard enough or intensely enough to reap any of the benefits. In order to get into great shape and lose body fat fast you must have the “all out war” mentality. If you’re still struggling with excess belly fat you’re going to have to attack it with workouts that are fast and furious in order to get your best body back!

Mistake #2 – Performing Your Reps Slow and Steady

You’ve heard the spiel: “Do each rep slowly, feel the burn!” Or, “Push the weight for a 2-second count, then lower the weight for a 4-second count.”  To keep it simple just understand that muscles were designed for speed.  Faster repetition speed taxes our fast twitch muscle fibers more effectively (provided the proper load is being used), which causes favorable changes in losing unsightly body fat.

Still not convinced?  Try out this basic military style circuit that I’ve modified in choosing what I consider better “bank for buck” exercises.

Exercise 1: Staggered Hand Pushups

• Tip: Stagger your hand position with each rep

Exercise 2: Alternating Prisoner Lunges

• Tip: Make sure to keep your shoulder blades pinched and keep elbows back during the whole set, keep your body tall

Exercise 3a: Renegade Rows performed with just bodyweight or dumbbells

• Tip: Do your best to prevent your hips from swaying too much, keep abs and glutes tight!

Exercise 3b: Standard Pullups (this is an alternative exercise if a pull up bar is available)

Exercise 4: Wide Outs

• Tip: Think jumping jacks but in a low squat position – stay low and light on your feet!

Exercise 5: Plank Crawls

• Tip: Just keep abs and glutes tight throughout the crawling process, and keep your body in a straight line from shoulders to heels as much as possible

Perform each exercise for one minute and perform as many reps as possible with good form.  Without rest move on to the next exercise so keep a workout timer handy and to hold you accountable.  Complete 2 rounds.

Remember, be intense, perform your reps fast but with good form.  Have fun!

- Rommel

PS…Let me know what you think? Have you performed similar workouts? Please share in the comment box below. Thanks!

It’s been 10 days since my precious little boy was born. Still can’t get over the fact that 9 months flew by so quick, and that my life is completely changing, for the better of course!

My body and mind are finally starting to adjust to his roller coaster ride feeding schedule, but there’s obviously that “new parent” learning curve. A learning curve that threw me off my game and forced me to compromise on the three basic components of staying in great shape: eating well, fitting regular exercise into your lifestyle, and getting adequate rest.

Here are a few tips for new parents like myself, or for those of you who are working ungodly shifts in the wee hours that will help keep you sane and prevent you from dragging your feet.

More Energy Now…Please!

Have more protein rich snacks readily available – instead of reaching for the “Sanka” (who drinks that anyway, lol! – oops, lost focus for a second), have your favorite low-fat cheese,  all-natural beef jerky (my favorite is from Trader Joe’s), or your favorite mixed nuts or trail mix.  If you reach for the trail-mix just make sure to get one with the least amount of dried fruit.  You want protein to be the dominant nutrient because it stabilizes your blood sugar levels to help your body stave off fatigue.  A good jolt of protein also helps to release dopamine, a feel good neurotransmiter that keeps you alert.  To receive the fatigue fighting abilities of protein-rich foods you’ll also need to cut back on combining them with refined carbs such as juices, crackers, or white bread.

Let the H2o flow! – Yeah, Yeah, this is one of those tips that’s been tooted over and over, but if you’re seriously low on energy you’ll need to put your hydration levels in check.  Poor hydration basically slows everything down from a cellular level.  Your inner “pink energizer bunny who wears his sunglasses at night” will get his $100 Ray Bans smashed in by the headache hammer.  So drink more water, or you better go buy some Ray Ban knockoffs to keep up!

Photo credit: massdistraction's

Try this one-minute ab circuit - sometimes you just need a good adrenaline rush, get the blood flowing, especially with an exercise complex that makes you think about how to do it.  I don’t exactly have a name for this exercise since it’s a combination of two exercises.  Start from a plank position, transition into a pushup position, then perform either a spiderman pushup or a modified mountain climber.  Watch the video below for the sequence.  If you need to modify from the pushup into the mountain climber simply eliminate the pushup portion and simply pull same side knee towards same side elbow.  Keep your abs braced at all times during this circuit.  Do as many as you can with good form for one minute.

Photo credit: Rafael Lopez

The Comedy Trick – Often times a good energy boost can come from watching a funny flick to get those feel-good endorphins to kick in. Just the past two days my wife and I watched the latest Ice Age movie and The Proposal. It helped take the stress off big time.

These tips aren’t the latest and greatest energy boosters, but different avenues to reduce the stress on your body and your mind. Doing that will help decrease the stress hormone cortisol, and re-ignite the feel good energy producing hormones that will help you get more done when you’re running low on sleep.

Figure out what foods and activities help you de-stress. Your body and your mind will thank you for it.

- Rommel

PS…I’d love to hear about the strategies that have worked for you in boosting your energy levels. Please share in the comments section below.

The holiday crunch starts this week, and it’s about that time where people either get ridiculously strict with their fitness and fat loss plan or take the easy way out and say “To hell with it, I’m gonna wait till the New Year”.  The latter never fails to surprise me, because there really are a lot of reasons and excuses to not stick with your fitness plan.

Holidays bombard us with work parties, holiday shopping, holiday exclusive treats like pumpkin spice lattes, and the biggest potential culprit to your lean body – the family get togethers.  Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love and look forward to spending time with family, but I’ve witnessed time and time again that most family members are unsupportive and blurt out responses like “C’mon live a little, it’s the holidays!”

Well, if you’re trying to improve your health and lose excess belly fat then “living a little” isn’t going to cut it – period.

Here’s a plan to get you through this Thanksgiving week with a few extra strategies sprinkled in to help you also game plan for Christmas and New Years.

Monday

- Cut out all breads, pastries, liquid sugars (milk, juices, soda), and similar carb sources, and replace with fruit.  You’re gonna have to go cold turkey on all processed sugar, and go with the natural sources, hence the fruit.

- Focus on building this weeks meals and snacks around protein first with lean meats, chicken, fish, jerkeys, and last case scenario protein drinks (without the carbs).  More protein will stabilize your blood sugar levels and help keep cravings at bay.  In addition, have as much veggies as you can throughout the day, without the ranch dressing!

- Aim for 80 oz of water today.

- Get a full body workout in incorporating non-competing supersets with heavier weights.  The 4-exercise circuit below will do just fine, and takes only 10-minutes.

1) Dumbbell Thrusters (aka Squat to Shoulder Press)

2) Plank Crawls

3) Dumbbell Renegade Rows

4) Dumbbell Swing

Perform each exercise for 30-seconds with no rest between each exercise.  Rest 1-minute at the end of each circuit.  Complete 3 rounds.

**Perform as many reps as possible within your 30-second set, but maintain good form.

Tuesday

- Keep everything the same with the exception of now cutting out all the fruit, and going with veggies only, think unlimited portions and choose only your favorite veggies.

- Aim for 80 oz of water today.

- Perform some light stretching, and go for a 20-30 minute walk.

Wednesday

- Keep nutrition the same as Tuesday

- Aim for 80 oz of water today.

- Get a full body workout in.  Try out this bodyweight only bootcamp circuit.

1) Inch Worm to Plank Get-ups to Renegade Row

2) Prisoner Split-Squats (30 seconds each side)

3) Spiderman Pushups

4) Grasshoppers

Perform each exercise for 60-seconds with no rest between each exercise.  Rest 1-minute at the end of each circuit.  Complete 2 rounds.

**Perform as many reps as possible within your 30-second set, but maintain good form.

Thursday

- Workout first thing in the morning with a fun group circuit training class at your local gym or a local fitness boot camp.  Have fun, sweat it out with some of your closest friends, it’s Thanksgiving!

- Have a carbohydrate and protein rich post workout meal.  Here are some ideas,

- Eggs, turkey bacon, 2 pieces of whole wheat toast or 1 bowl of oatmeal and fruit

- Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal mashed with non-fat greek yogurt, or non-fat plain yogurt

- “In A Hurry” Migas: scramble 2-3 eggs, when the eggs are about 90% done, crush about a handful or so of blue corn tortilla chips into the mix and scramble some more.  Put it all on a plate then top it off with your favorite chunky salsa and 1 oz of shredded mild cheddar or monterey jack cheese, and add your favorite fruit as a side.

- Aim for 80 oz of water today, and limit the alcohol intake to 1-2 drinks.

- For the rest of the meals before your Thanksgiving feast, stick to the nutritional guidelines from Monday through Wednesday.

- To maximize your metabolism during your Thanksgiving feast, focus on having 2/3rds of your plate being protein and fibrous veggies, the other 1/3 being complex carbs.  Have a small serving of your favorite Thanksgiving dessert to satisfy the craving.

- Today’s guidelines sound simple, but acknowledge that it will be a challenge to apply given the situation, but be strong and committed to your fat loss goals.  If you are going to partake in leftovers, don’t graze, just simply make another small plate with the guidelines above and make it another meal.  Doing this will keep you fuller for longer.

Friday through Sunday

- Perform another bodyweight boot camp workout, preferably first thing in the morning on Friday or Saturday

- Resume nutritional guidelines from Monday through Wednesday schedule

- Aim for 80 oz of water per day

- Rest and enjoy the rest of the weekend

Other tips,

- If you’re a coffee lover you’re gonna want to switch to Americano’s or drip coffee, and no sugar substitutes either like Splenda, etc.  Studies suggest that sugar substitutes may still play a role in telling your brain to release insulin the same way processed sugar does.  This process gives energy to fat cells which translates into making more fat cells – stop it!  If you’re a tea lover, then switch to green tea (again without any sugar).  Green tea is debatable in it’s fat burning effects, but it’s still an easy way to get your caffeine fix and antioxidants.

- Go Fishing!  Supplement with fish oils in liquid or capsule form to assist your fat burning potential. A study done at the University of Georgia found that fish oil with DHA helps stop the conversion of pre-fat cells into fat cells by causing them to die. This significantly decreases the accumulation of fat. [Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 136:2965-2969]  Aim for 3-6 grams per day.

There you have it!  A holiday guide to keep you on track with your fat loss goals.

- Rommel

WOW!  It seems last weeks theme of TV shows focused on “HOPE”.

At least that’s what I think.

Last Tuesday was the Biggest Loser finale and So You Think You Can Dance semi-finale.  Last night was an episode of Extreme Home Makeover.

On So You Think You Can Dance 28 year old Legacy Perez was eliminated, but his journey throughout the competition was remarkable.  You see, Legacy is a break-dancer/street dancer or aka, B-boy, and with NO formal dance training whatsoever.

Photo Credit: justjared.buzznet.com

With no formal training, it put Legacy at a disadvantage due to all the complex and intricate choreography of the different dance genres.  In fact, during the final cut in selecting the top 20 for the show, Legacy barely made it, because he was absolutely terrible in the choreography number.  His b-boy skills got him far enough and I think his skills are in the upper echelon, but after that choreography number I seriously thought he wouldn’t make the top 20.

Well, the judges thought differently in that they saw his passion, and the possibility of the type of dancer he could be by keeping him on the show.  So every week since then he proved the judges and America right in believing in him.  He seemed to be the underdog every week, but proved he is a hard worker, and was dedicated to being the best dancer he could be.  You could always see the passion in his eyes.  Unfortunately, he didn’t make it into the finals, but he was definitely the poster child of hope, and what anyone can achieve if they simply believed in themselves and followed through.

On last night’s episode of Extreme Home Makeover an amazing woman named Clara Ward runs an extraordinary family daycare center with her daughter.  They not only watch the kids, but they also feed and clothe them.  Clara doesn’t have much, but she brings the community together during the holidays, provides toys for over 300 children, and feeds them as well.

Her love and compassion for these kids provides them hope and determination in a troubled neighborhood, and she believes keeping these kids busy in a positive environment will keep them off the streets.

Simply amazing what she’s doing with her daycare, and she absolutely deserved the home makeover.

In the Biggest Loser, geez, where do I even start?  Talk about AMAZING transformations!  Now I’ve always cautioned my clients about the drama behind the show, their trainers, and their approaches, but forget about that right now.  If you watched the finale, there’s only one message to remember – Hope!

The winner of the Biggest Loser, Danny Hill lost a staggering 239 lbs!

Photo Credit: "The Biggest Loser" season eight (TVGuide)

Ok, ok.  Most of you are probably saying “Well if I could live on a luxury ranch for 11-weeks, and had a trainer, dietitian, and medically supervised team to work with everyday then I could achieve similar results.”

I agree, but it’s also half true.  I have personally worked at a state of the art facility that has a medically supervised weight loss program similar to the Biggest Loser, however without residing at a luxury ranch.  My clients would see me three times per week, see their dietitian at least once a week, a counselor at least once a week, and a physician probably every other week or every two weeks.  And that was for at least 12-20 weeks.

The results were amazing, but I also had a wide range of results.  I’ve had clients lose 20-30 lbs, and other clients who lost 65 lbs or more, with one of those clients losing 109 lbs.

The difference with the clients who had lost 65 lbs or more was due mainly to INtrinsic motivation, then discipline, and persistent consistence.

Sure the accountability of the program was a crucial component, but believe me when I say that EXtrinsic motivation only goes so far.  There’s only so many times that I can give you tips, tricks, and motivational tools to keep you going.

True change comes from within, but you have to figure out the “WHY” in which you desire the change.  What does it take to realize your potential?  What do you have to do to see the possibilities?

If you’ve been desiring to make a change whether it be through health and fitness, or a career change, or maybe even salvaging a relationship or simply enriching one take one small step TODAY to spark that change.  What can you do at this very moment to jump start the results you seek?

Try this exercise to help you assess where you’re at.  Be honest and ask yourself how well you’ve done in making progress towards your goals.

Are your strategies working?  If so, what’s working best?

If it’s not working, what’s working most against you?

Of those that are not working, decide to stop them now, or identify 2-3 strategies to help master them.

Never give up!  You’ll have the occasional slip ups, but recognize it, accept it, then move on.  Don’t let it end your progress.

Just take a few moments to reflect on these tasks today, and I’m sure you’ll discover there’s a fighting warrior in you and that you certainly don’t need outside motivators to achieve your goals.

Forget all the excuses, and focus on commitment and persistence to your desired goals.  I bet you’ll find yourself feeling better and you’ll be amazed with your progress from here on out!

Be Strong!

To your fitness success,

Rommel Acda, MATS, CSCS

PS  If you live in the Kirkland, Wa area and are looking for a program to keep you accountable we are hosting our 2010 Ultimate Body 6-Week Transformation Challenge with our Strong and Sexy Bootcamp, which begins Monday, January 4^th.  Feel free to email me at rommel@element5fitness.com for more information about the challenge.

PPS If you want to make a transformation at home or at your gym on your own time my Fit In A Hurry 10-Minute workout program will provide you 12-weeks of fast and effective workouts!

Click here ==>“The Program” for more information.

Today my baby boy is 9-weeks old, and it’s been an amazing experience thus far.  Amazing as it is, I’m still not getting quality sleep.  As many of you parents out there have already experienced you practically get little to no sleep until your baby finally settles into a consistent sleeping schedule.

I’ve been averaging 2-3 hours, and on a really good night I get a full four hours (woohoo!).  Yet, I’ve still managed to maintain a high level of energy training clients each day, sticking to my workout schedule, but to do that I’ve had to completely restructure my fitness routine.

Here are 7 instant tips to stay in shape with little sleep:

1. Drink More Water…yeah, yeah, another “drink water” campaign, but trust me in that if you don’t stay properly hydrated when you’ve had less than three hours of sleep you’ll be suffering from other debilitating symptoms other than your typical headaches…Trust me!  Drink a minimum of 64oz per day.

2. Perk Up Your Morning With The Green Stuff…I’m sure by now you’ve heard of many experts touting the benefits of green tea.  I love green tea but I take it a step further and combine it with Yerba Matte tea.  There are a good amount of polyphenols in this combination.  Polyphenols are a group of phytochemicals, and phytochemicals are compounds that act as powerful antioxidants which in turn protects our cells from cellular damage caused by stress. 

In addition to polyphenols, Yerba Mate leaves contain saponins, which are phytochemicals that have been found to aid in strengthening our immune system and have also been found to have anti-inflammatory properties.  Reducing inflammation in our body during stressful times is extremely key to maintaining good health.

3. Exercise More Often…Increase your training frequency but decrease your training volume.  For example, if you’re used to training 3 days per week, increase your frequency to 4 or 5 days of exercise per week, however only perform 1-2 sets of only one strength exercise per bodypart per workout versus the typical 2-3 exercises per bodypart per workout.  Keep your reps in the 8-12 rep range.  In addition, keep your workout duration to 15 minutes or less.  This strategy will help “maintain” good physical condition considering the lack of sleep.

4. Adopt Simple Relaxation Strategies…Since you don’t have much time to waste here are two strategies that are easy to perform on a daily basis.

The 3-3-6 Breathing Technique

- Breathe in deeply to the count of 3. Inhale through your nose and, feel your belly expand.

- Hold that breathe for 3 seconds.

- Slowly, breathe out to the count of 6. Exhale through your mouth, and feel your belly deflate.

- Repeat this 3 times

“HA” Breathing Technique

I talked about this meditative breathing exercise in a previous blog, and it’s my favorite because I find it even simpler than the 3-3-6 method.

- Breath deeply through your nose focusing on expanding your diaphragm, pause for a second, and then exhale slowly through the mouth, making the sound “HA” as you exhale.

- Keep the “HA” soft and drawn out.  That’s it, simple!

Practice one of these techniques at least once a day, especially at a time when you feel most stressed or when you need to clear your mind for a quick pick me up.  Some studies suggest that proper meditative breathing and meditation for 10-20 minutes can be equivalent to one hour of sleep so it doesn’t hurt to try.

5. Enhance Your Mood With Natural Light…Ok, I have to admit it’s pretty hard to soak in natural sunlight during the winter months here in the Pacific NW, but when the sun does show itself you can bet I’m outdoors soaking in as much Vitamin D as I can.  Since this is an inconsistent occurence I make sure to set my Verilux Happy Light 6000 to gradually turn on about 15-20 minutes before my alarm goes off or at least 15 minutes in the middle of the day when I’m working on the computer. 

I realize this isn’t the best supplement light system, however for me it does the job just nicely in terms of enhancing my mood.  But please understand that a supplement light system will not provide you any Vitamin D, you’ll need natural sunlight or an oral Vitamin D supplement for that.  Make sure to consult your doctor on your Vitamin D needs.  Like I stated earlier I use the light system as a strategy to enhance my mood. 

6. Consume More Antioxidant Rich Foods…Eat foods that have a high ORAC score.  ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, and the ORAC “score” is a standardized method of measuring the antioxidant capacity of different foods and supplements. The higher the ORAC score, the more effective a food is at neutralizing free radicals. Decreasing the amount of free radicals in your body will lead to a healthier body.  Here’s a list of the highest ranking food sources:

• Fruits: cranberries, blueberries and blackberries
• Vegetables: beans, artichokes and russet potatoes
• Nuts: pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts

Stick to fresh organic sources for the best antioxidant content.

7. Take Baths…I rarely ever took baths before my son was born, but our pediatrician recommended that I do this at least once a week with my son.  Now I’m taking an additional bath during the week for myself, because I noticed a huge decrease in my stress levels and it helps me to clear my mind.  It sounds a little foofy, but if you’re a new dad like myself I guarantee you’ll get a lot of benefit from it, especially if you add sea salts to help reduce muscle soreness from your workouts (you are working out right dads?).

So there you have it.  7 instant tips that focus on reducing the amount of stress in your life to help you stay in shape with little sleep. 

What tips have you used with great success when you have a lack of sleep?  Please share in the comments section.

To your fitness success,

Rommel

Photo Credit: Motivated Photos.com

I just woke up from a much needed nap here in Tampa Bay, Florida.  I’ve been locked in a conference room with my fitness mastermind buddies for the past two days hammering out killer fitness ideas for 2010.

Oh, and I’ve learned a few words to add to my “Dude glossary” of “Yopla”, “Nopla”, and “Mollywampt” (What?!) thanks to the “King of Quickness” – Alex Maroko.

I may have to explain what these words mean later, or maybe not.

Ok, I don’t expect you to understand, but if you’ve ever trained with me in person you know how silly I can get, and when Alex broke out these words…let’s just say we got Hellah Silly

But I digress…

So I get here last Wednesday afternoon and met up with a couple of these fellow trainers.  We were itching to get a workout in, which sparked what would turn out to be a three day consecutive blast of bodyweight beach workouts.

Here’s a rundown of what I personally did to get the, as AHRNOLD states, “the greatest feeling you can get in the gym…the PUMP!”

Wednesday

• Bulgarian Split Squats
• Decline Spiderman Pushups
• Chin ups

Thursday

• Wall Sits + Wall Angels
• Wide Outs
• Inverted Row (off of dining table in hotel room – gotta get creative)
• Alligator Pushups

Friday (this workout was at an awesome Powerhouse Gym with the whole crew)

• Dips
• Pullups
• Snatch Deadlift (ok, this was the only exercise I had to use a bar)
• “Coach Adam Steer’s” Core Killer Circuit (this one ROCKED me, but great stuff, which I’ll post in a later blog)

Whew!

Now it’s time for a late night protein snack of Trader Joes All Natural Beef Jerky and Sesame Honey Almonds before I hit the sheets for another fun filled morning.

Oh, BTW, here’s that famous clip of the Governator and his P…

I’ll let him explain it

- Rommel

PS, If you have any silly phrases or fun words I’d like to hear them and what they stand for!  C’mon I need help building my silly glossary so please add them in the comments section.  Help me get 20 more!  I wanna see if we can trump Alex’s list.

Thanks!

We’re now into the third week of January, and a crucial week it is for fitness buffs partaking in their New Year’s Resolutions.

You’ve been working out hard, you’ve been trying to eat right, but you’re still not seeing results.

Most people never stop to think of other factors that might influence their lack of results.

I’ve outlined 10 reasons why you’re probably not seeing results and how to combat each of them.

I challenge you to take a look in the mirror, and find out if any of these apply to you.

1) You don’t believe you’ll see results

When you started your last fitness program, did you truly – and I mean truly beyond a shadow of a doubt – believe that you would see results? Or were you thinking in the back of your head that “This one won’t work, just like last time” or “I bet this is just another fad diet.”

If so, you automatically set yourself up for failure. In order for any success to come to fruition, you must first believe that it’ll happen. Otherwise you’ll give up the moment you think it’s not working when you may have seen results if you had just kept on for another week.

If you find yourself doubting whether you’ll see any results, stop and ask yourself why. Is it because others around you doubt you? Is it because you’ve tried so many different things already and none of them worked? Is it because you don’t think you’re worthy or capable of being anything other than overweight or scrawny?

Once you’ve gotten to the root of the problem, or your “limiting belief”, first get creative about how to change your environment to squash the situation. For example, if others around you doubt you, try to spend only high quantities of time with people who believe in you. Or, sit them down and explain that you need them to say only supportive comments or say nothing at all.

Then, squash your limiting belief. Try this: Write your limiting belief, such as “I’m not worthy of being fit and flexible,” on a piece of paper. Then tear it up! Tear it to shreds! Think about how good it feels to obliterate that belief! Replace all thoughts of “I’m not worthy…” to “I am fit and flexible and getting more so every day!”

Write these new words on sticky notes and post them everywhere – on your bathroom mirror, on your steering wheel, on the refrigerator! Read them over and over again, and feel it resonate in your very soul!

First you must believe, then you can achieve.

2) You don’t have a plan

Okay, you’ve decided that it’s time to lose some belly fat. So, you decide that you’re going to start going to the gym and eating healthy. You do pretty well during week 1, during week 2 you skip a workout or two and order a pizza because you don’t have time to cook dinner, and during week 3 you’ve essentially forgotten what “healthy” means.

But you were so committed to losing the belly fat!

What went wrong?

You didn’t have a plan.

Good intentions are great, but if you’re serious about reaching a goal, you have to lay out a plan.

So, let’s back up. You decide that it’s time to lose some belly fat. Great! Now what? Start laying out your plan by following these steps:

• Set some goals. Make them SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely). For example, “Drop 2 inches off my waist by the 4th of July.”
• Get a structured fitness program. Whether you do research on your own, try out a program that worked for a friend, or hire a personal trainer, get on a program. “Going to the gym” can only be so effective if you don’t have a structured fitness program to follow.
• Get on a nutrition program. Same as the fitness program, you need some guidelines to follow. Otherwise you’re much more likely to “fall off the bandwagon” if you don’t even know what the “bandwagon” is.
• Plan ahead. If you know you need to eat a healthy lunch, but the cafeteria at work serves only burgers and fries, pack your food for the day. Buy all your groceries on the weekends and prepare your meals in convenient Tupperware on Sunday so you can “grab and go” in the morning. Keep a healthy snack like nuts in your bag so you don’t have to resort to the vending machine for an emergency snack.

3) You have poor follow-through.

Maybe you are the type of person who sets the right goals, gets on a fitness and nutrition program, and plans ahead, but somehow you still don’t see results. Is it because you’re not following through on the commitments you made to yourself?

Anyone can set a goal, but it takes a real commitment to follow-through. Once the goals are set the easy part is over. Motivation fizzles. You have to push through the thousands of excuses that present themselves – I have to work overtime, I’m just too tired today, I forgot my gym shoes, etc.

If following through is a problem for you, try these techniques:

• Get some support. Find someone who is also working toward a fitness goal and hold each other accountable. Join an online forum or a fitness class.

• Reward yourself. After a week or two of following through, reward yourself with a special treat – a massage, new clothes, or a getaway weekend.  Whatever it is make it something worth working for.

• Make it fun! Make sure your fitness program is fun. Incorporate activities you enjoy such as hiking, basketball, swimming etc. Make it feel like play rather than work.

4) You’ve been given bad fitness advice in the past.

Everyone thinks they’re a fitness expert – your mom, your dad, your co-worker. And maybe you’ve taken their advice or even advice from a magazine or book that didn’t work, or even worse, caused injury.

No wonder you didn’t see any results. Anyone can give advice, but that doesn’t mean they should be giving it. And it definitely doesn’t mean you should be taking it.

So now it’s time to start over. If you don’t feel confident researching the right fitness and nutrition program for you, get some help from the professionals – a personal trainer and/or a nutritionist. And if that past bad advice came from a professional, talk to your friends, neighbors, and co-workers to get a referral.

As with any profession, there are good and bad apples out there. Interview him or her, ask what their credentials are, and ask for references. Taking that extra time will be worth it.

5) You don’t take nutrition seriously

In my twelve years of experience, I’ve encountered many clients who think all they have to do to change their bodies is go to the gym. But they don’t change their eating habits. They sweat and toil during their workouts, wonder why they’re not seeing results, get fed up, and quit.

Did you know that nutrition is responsible for at least 80% of your results?

You may expend plenty of calories in the gym, but if you’re not altering the number or quality of calories you’re putting in your mouth, you’re not going to get the results you want.

Let me put it this way, if you owned a high performance exotic car like a Ferrari would you put the inexpensive oil and gas in it?  My guess is your answer is no, especially if you paid 6-figures for the car and you want it to run smoothly.  Well, your body is a high performance vehicle much like the Ferrari, so it’s only fair that you nourish it and treat it like one.

Ponder these five reasons for now.

If any of them apply to you post your comments, and I’ll be back in a couple days with five more reasons to finish the list.

- Rommel

Alright, so I hope you’ve been able to digest reasons 1 through 5 from the previous blog post .  Some of these reasons may seem harsh for some, but it may also be the wake up call you’ve been needing in order to start seeing results from your fitness program.

Let’s not waste any more time and get through five more possible reasons that may be impeding your progress.

6) You need to de-stress

Life is extremely hectic, and stressful nowadays. Everyone could use a break from the hustle and bustle of it all.  These stressors take a much larger toll on our body than we think, and causes fat storing stress hormones to bathe in our system.

Engaging in de-stressing activities such as light yoga, meditation, or walks in the park or beach by yourself or with loved ones.  Sometimes you may even need to take a one or two day vacation from it all.  The short getaways help your mind and body rejuvenate and relieve you from stress.

De-stressing is not only good for you, but for your family as well.  Family and friends can always tell when one is stressed and it affects them too.  So do what you can to take care of yourself and alleviate unnecessary stress.  You’ll be glad you did.

7) You don’t have enough attitude

You don’t have enough “oomph” when you’re in “workout mode”.  Let’s take what’s easily the number one fitness goal, “losing belly fat”.  If this is your goal, well then, you need to take an all out war approach, because if you don’t, your body fat WILL win every time.

Most people think, “Oh, that person lost it in just a few weeks, so it shouldn’t be that hard for me too”.  If someone truly lost a significant amount of body fat it in a few weeks without surgery, AND they’re keeping it off, it’s more than likely they declared “Battle with the Bulge”.

Losing stubborn body fat is not easy.  The process on paper seems easy, but it takes an unwavering focus to get it done.  Look, if you’re struggling with losing body fat, you have to remember it took you months to years to put your body in that position.

So get a little more intense with your overall program, create vision boards for added motivation and hang them in your office or in your home where it always serves as a reminder for what you’re working towards.  Put together workout music that’s going to move you and help you get through your workout with intensity.

Everyone has an inner warrior in them, so find a way to tap into that warrior and I guarantee you’ll feel more vibrant, vital, and alive and your fitness goals will no longer feel like your trying to scale the Great Wall of China.

You don’t have social support

How many times have you tried to do something alone that would have been much easier if you had the help of a team or a “cheerleading section?” As I mentioned earlier, it’s important to follow through on the commitments you made to yourself. It’s your responsibility to do what you can to ensure your success, and that includes creating a social network of supporters.

Sit down with your family and explain to them why you’re doing what you’re doing. Ask for their support and encouragement. Join an online forum with whom you can share your victories and challenges and from whom you can get the encouragement you need. Join a boot camp or fitness class to surround yourself with other health and fitness-minded people.

If you’re serious about achieving your goals, try to spend high quantities of time with only those people who will support you.

9) You’re not having fun

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, right? I enjoy working out, but I understand that there are tons of you out there that don’t. And having to do something on a regular basis that doesn’t sound like any fun can definitely lead to poor follow-through, lack of effort, and lack of results.

What would make your fitness program fun for you? Try incorporating activities that you enjoy such as swimming, dancing, hiking, etc. Get a workout buddy to not only hold you accountable, but to also make it more enjoyable. Listen to your favorite tunes to pump you up.

If you’re working with a trainer, make sure you talk about this with him or her. They should be open to changing things up to make it more fun for you.

10) You don’t reward yourself

Sticking to a fitness plan isn’t easy. All that hard work, and never giving yourself a pat on the back can be very discouraging. It’s like when you spent hours on your book report in the third grade and didn’t even get a gold star on your paper. Were you motivated to try hard again for the next paper?

I don’t think so.

Reward yourself for a job well done. After a week or two of following through, treat yourself to something special like a manicure or a movie. You can even reward yourself with a moderate portion of your favorite dessert or snack.

Treat yourself to big rewards like a new power tool or a day at the spa for reaching significant milestones like dropping to a certain dress size or measurement. And give yourself a huge, reward for reaching your ultimate fitness goal.

Some people go on their dream vacation or buy themselves a car! You get the idea.

Give kudos to yourself. You deserve it!

Till next time…

- Rommel

Body Fat...Mmmm

We’re 21 days into the busiest fitness month of the year. Where do you stand with your fitness and fat loss results?

Are you seeing any changes?

Or are you still twiddling your thumbs trying to figure out what next tip or fad you need to implement as a desperate measure?

To be honest with you fat loss is really simple (in concept), but the problem is most people can’t even stick to the basics. Many are too impatient that if they don’t see results they ditch last week’s plan and try to implement a new plan for the following week.

Stop the madness and just stick to a well structured plan! Consistency is key, and every plan works, however it doesn’t work forever (but that’s another post).

Ok, so here are three simple tips to follow for the next 21 days – CONSISTENTLY – to help jump start losing stubborn belly fat.

Tip #1: Cut Out All Sugar and Processed Carbs
This is a tip that has been repeated ad nauseum, but it’s one of the most important ones especially with the typical American diet. Americans ingest too many sugars and processed carbs wreaking havoc on their metabolism.

Sugars and processed carbs rapidly increases and decreases your blood sugar levels, which in turn signals your body to store more fat and slows down your metabolism.

Work on replacing all sugars and processed carbs with lots of veggies and fruits, and I promise after 21 days you’ll notice a major difference just from this tip alone.

Tip #2: Increase Your Intake of Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s)
I’m talking about essential fatty acids from fish oils and krill oil.

Here’s some good news.

*University of Georgia researchers have found that essential fatty acid supplements containing DHA helps STOP the conversion of pre-fat cells into fat cells by causing them to die out before they can mature.

When a pre-fat cell becomes a fat cell there’s no turning back. Unfortunately, you have that fat cell for life. Well the Georgia study demonstrated the reduction of accumulation of body fat by taking an essential fatty acid supplement containing DHA!

But that’s not the only benefit.

According to studies** done at the University of South Australia people that combined exercise with EFA supplements containing DHA saw greater fat loss than the test group that only exercised and did not take the supplement.

These are encouraging findings.

You can find any Krill Oil EFA supplement at our local nutrition store. I prefer the ones from Dr. Mercola and Prograde Nutrition.

Tip #3: Use Metabolic Complexes
A metabolic complex is a giant-set combination of exercises in which you would use a barbell or dumbbell, perform several reps of an exercise, then without rest move right into another exercise, then another, and another, and so forth until you complete your list of exercises (usually 4-6 exercises on average).

I love complexes because they increase your body’s ability to burn fat (creating a furnace like effect), it improves your muscular and strength endurance, and overall conditioning in a shorter amount of time.

Here’s a video example:

Keep it simple, implement these 3 simple strategies and you’ll jump start or re-start your way to a leaner, and fitter body.

If you want more tips like these just leave me a topic you’d like me to address in the comments section, I’m more than happy to help

Now get at it and kill some fat cells!

- Rommel

Had some free time this morning to shoot you a simple band complex workout to target the upper body and core dynamically, and hit the legs statically.

In this video I’m using the ladder protocol of 5 rep increments working on one side of the body.

Just make sure to work both sides of your body, unless you wanna be lopsided

Work Hard!

- Rommel

It was a busy weekend with my wife’s family celebrating three birthdays and the blessing of my son.

It almost felt like Thanksgiving and Christmas all over again with all the awesome food, gifts, and most importantly the gathering of family in which there was a lot of catching up to do with everyone.

When we got back home from the big gathering I somehow had this weird urge to catch an old-school adventure flick that I loved when I was 11 years old – Goonies!

Goonies, reminded me of dreaming big and taking massive action.

In conversations I had with family and friends, plus watching Goonies all over again I was reminded of 2 major lessons,

Lesson 1: Get Comfortable With The Uncomfortable

Whether it’s dealing with occupational goals or fitness goals, do what others are unwilling to do. For example, since Ryan was born I haven’t been getting more than maybe 3-4 hours of sleep.

I already knew my sleeping schedule was going to be uncomfortable, but I accepted the challenge and decided that I would attack some of my business action items in the wee morning after feeding Ryan.

**(Parental Rant) BTW, if you have a newborn like I do, please don’t try to multi task feeding and working at the same time. It’s only fair you be “present” as a parent and fully interact with your baby during the feeding. Besides, how can you ignore them when they are eyes are fully engaged on you

So once I put Ryan back to bed my creative juices are flowing and I spend anywhere from 30-60 minutes putting the smack down on some of my major action items.
**I seem to have a voracious sense of inspiration after feeding Ryan – he must be trying to tell me something

This “uncomfortable” process has led to me being more productive when I’m most inspired, and the fruits of my labor are kicking in harder than ever.

You just have to take action in what I consider the “warrior” mentality, and as cliche as it sounds
do not accept mediocrity.

Here’s an inspiring video of Will Smith’s wisdom (Naturally, I agree with 1:37-2:36)

Lesson 2: Set Your Plan and Work It With Passion

If you don’t have a plan for each goal you pursue you are losing half the battle. You see, so many of us have the passion to pursue things but lack the drive and discipline to keep it in our sights. We let “ourselves” get in the way, and blame the lack of results on “life” getting in the way.

Whether you agree with me or not, we are always responsible for our results – ALWAYS. If that pushes your buttons, I have three words and three fingers pointing right at your face simply telling you to “Get Over It”. That’s right, I said it, “Get Over It”.

I’ve learned that who we are today isn’t a determiner of who we will be, but is a direct result of our past actions. By now you’re probably saying, “Rommel, what the heck does this have to do with fitness?”

Everything!

Every week I hear clients telling me every “good story” or excuse in their book as to why they’re not achieving the results they want. They point fingers elsewhere when they should be pointing the finger at themselves.

Only you can push yourself harder in a workout, only you can put non-nutritious food in your mouth, and only you can control your time to dedicate to your fitness plan and achieve the results you’re looking for.

As a fitness professionals I’m here to help motivate you, and to provide you
the tools and the “map” to your fitness goals, but I’m not the one to drive you there.

It’s not my place.

Just get rid of the excuses, and get done what needs to be done. Take small steps if needed, but just understand that every small step achieved is a victory not a challenge.

At least you took action, and that’s better than 90% of the individuals out there. Take inspired action, get it done, and before you know it you’ve achieved the results you’ve been looking for.

Do you agree or disagree? Are you taking inspired action?

Post your comments and lets discuss it.

Be Strong – Work Hard,

Rommel Acda, MATS, CSCS

It was a crazy busy weekend for me at my gym. Saturday we hosted an “Intro to Kettlebell” workshop, held our popular boot camp, supported my good friend Marisa with her “cult like” group ex class, and promoted our bridal boot camp at a local wedding expo.

Each event was high energy and I met a lot of women looking to accomplish three main goals – achieve a “tight & toned toosh”, “sculpted sexy arms”, and “flatten the stomach”.

I’m not making this stuff up!

These are hot spots that probably every woman wants to address to some degree, and find it very frustrating to maintain consistently.

Just recently Kate Winslet was voted to have the “most desirable body”.

As I’ve preached many times it starts with supportive nutrition, however for today’s purpose I will simply give you an easy to follow ladder workout that will target each of these areas effectively, and kick start you on your way to achieving Kate Winslet’s build.

Ladder Protocol: perform each exercise in a circuit, with little to no rest, and with each successive round add 10 reps (Round 1 starts with 10 reps; perform 3 rounds). You’ll want to choose a weight that is appropriate for each round, and challenges you for the prescribed reps.  Challenge yourself!

The Workout
1) Goblet Squat or Front Squat
2) Dumbbell Bent Over Rows
3) V-ups
4) Dumbbell Chest Press or Pushups
5) Bulgarian Split-Squats
6) Heels to Heaven
7) 1-Leg Bridges

Be strong ladies, work hard!

- Rommel

PS…Guys, stay tuned for a great ladder workout to finish the week!

Workouts can get boring quickly and the end result is simply no results. No results leads to quitting your fitness program or even quitting the gym completely.

“Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits” – Author Unkown

It would be nice if we could just slap that easy button from Staples and have it refresh our workout plan in an instant. There are tons of options out there, but one of my favorites is utilizing “ladder sets” to not only spice up your workout, but to make it even more effective especially from a conditioning standpoint.

In my previous post, I briefly explained how to perform a ladder set with one rep increments. In this post I’ll share two more ladder workouts, one to help build more muscle, and the other is a kettlebell metabolic conditioner.

The Muscle Maker
Protocol: choose a weight that you can manage a comfortable 6 repetitions for each exercise. Set up those stations for a smooth transition. You will perform five sets, building up in one rep increment with each successive set starting with one rep and finishing with five reps on the last set. Rest only 10 seconds between each exercise, and each set. Once you complete one round of five sets, rest 60-90 seconds, then repeat for one more round.

1) Deadlift (I prefer the snatch-grip for best overall effect)
2) Chin-up or Pull Up (weighted if necessary)
3) Push Press (dumbbell or bar) or Dips (weighted if necessary) or Handstand Press Up (wall assisted if needed)

The Kettlebell Metabolic Conditioner
Execution of this ladder workout is to perform three sets building up in five rep increments with each successive set starting with five reps and finishing with fifteen reps on the last set. Rest only 10 seconds between each exercise, and 30 seconds between each set. Once you complete one round of three sets, rest 60-90 seconds, then repeat for one more round.

I advise choosing a set of kettlebells that you can effectively shoulder press for 12 reps.

1) Double Kettlebell Swings
2) Double Kettlebell Bent Over Row or Renegade Rows (for more of a core challenge)
3) Double Ketllebell Clean – Squat – Press

So there you have it.  Two effective workouts, one that is great for an old-school lifter looking to tweak things, and one for everyone looking for a metabolically challenging workout that will help you burn more fat.

Happy Saturday!

Rommel Acda, MATS, CSCS

If you’re struggling to lose fat or if you’ve hit a plateau in your fat loss program, but know that your workouts are appropriate for your fat loss goals, you may need to take another look at your nutritional macronutrients.

Macronutrients are simply the nutrients that provides your body calories for energy, such as protein, carbohydrates, and fats.

What most don’t fully understand is the “thermic effect” of these nutrients, and how to maximize their effects.

First, let me emphasize that “muscle is your metabolism”.  The amount of lean muscle tissue you carry is directly related to the amount of calories you burn on a daily basis.  This is important to understand, because on a fat loss program you want to preserve your muscle, or else your metabolism drops and you burn less fat.

So what is this “thermic effect” I’m talking about?

The “thermic effect of food” is the amount of calories (energy) your body has to burn in order to digest the food, and it accounts for 10% of your daily metabolism.

So when it comes to burning stubborn body fat, your goal is to further increase your metabolism, or calories burned by eating meals with a higher “thermic effect”.

Protein has the highest thermic effect.  It is the second most abundant nutrient in the body next to water.  For every 100 calories of protein ingested it requires 20 calories to burn and digest.

Carbohydrates and Fat on the other hand only require 10 calories to burn for every 100 calories ingested.

So as you can see protein sources trumps carbs and fats for fat burning ability.

Protein is the primary building and rebuilding source for muscles, and is vital for maintenance and repairs for the body.

With just a simple tweak to your nutrition program of structuring your fat loss meals around protein sources first, veggies second, and then maybe a little bit of starchy carbs to round out the meal may be just the ticket to get you past your fat loss sticking point.

Here are some examples of protein rich meals:

• Breakfast: 2-3 scrambled eggs, or spinach omelet, with side of fresh fruit

• Lunch: Grilled chicken salad (heapings of veggies), shallot walnut dressing

• Dinner: Seared Ahi Tuna, quinoa, steamed veggies

Plan your meals out a week in advance focusing on building your meals around protein sources first, reduce starchy carbs and replace with more veggies.  This simple tweak can help you maximize your metabolism.

Work hard, stay strong!

- Rommel Acda, MATS, CSCS

These days everyone is looking for the holy grail of diets, or that secret food to help burn more belly fat.  Let me just end it now by saying you’ll never find it, ever.  So get over it.

Now there are certain foods that when combined appropriately with other foods, can create close to the perfect storm to allow your body to burn off more belly fat.  Today I’d like to share one food in particular that I discovered about a year ago at a Japanese food store called Uwajimaya.

I love shopping at Uwajimaya, because it reminds me of the grocery stores on my home island, Guam.  There is a huge Japanese influence, and there is no shortage of awesome Japanese food and restaurants on Guam.  Do you like Benihana?  Well, allow me to brag for one second that the teppenyaki restaurants in Guam are 100 times better than Benihana

Anyway, back to my story.  I was browsing the seafood area when I stumbled upon a bag of noodles completely submersed in water.  The label said “Shirataki Noodles” and I found it odd that these noodles were packaged in water, but in curiosity I turn the bag over to look at the nutritional menu.

This is what I read,

Fat: 0 grams

Protein: 0 grams

Carbohydrates: 3 grams

• Soluble Fiber: 3 grams
• Insoluble Fiber: 0 grams
• Sugar: 0 grams

Main Ingredient: Konjac Glucomannan

My first reaction was “Huh? A white noodle that not only has 3 grams of carbs, but those 3 grams were soluble fiber carbs?!”

It confused me, and intrigued me, so I bought a couple bags and as soon as I got home I popped open my Macbook to do some research on this mystery (well, mystery to me) noodle.

First of all, what intrigued me wasn’t the fact that it had only 3 grams of carbs, but that those carbs were soluble fiber carbs. You see studies have demonstrated that soluble fiber is important for three things,

1. Helps regulate blood sugar by slowing down stomach emptying time so that sugar is released and absorbed at a much slower rate
2. It helps lower not only total cholesterol, but LDL cholesterol as well
3. It binds to fatty acids

An added bonus is that it’s gluten-free so it’s an awesome choice for people needing to cut out gluten from their diet.

So in a nutshell it’s practically the perfect starchy carb option for a low-carb, gluten-free diet.  But what the heck is it really?

Well, “Shirataki Noodles” turns out to be a noodle made from the Asian konjac yam, consisting of a highly soluble fiber called “glucomannan”, which is responsible for the benefits I stated above.

So is there a catch?

Not really, except for maybe the fact that I only discovered this awesome starchy carb alternative less than a year ago, and others have been reaping the fat loss benefits of adding this into their weekly menus.

So how does this low carb noodle help you burn more fat?

The type of fiber, glucomannan, in shirataki noodles basically expands in the stomach and absorbs fat in the process.  Because of this process the absorbed fats don’t go through the normal digestive process and are simply eliminated from the body, well, through elimination

Along with absorbing fats and negating their caloric value, the expanding that glucomannan does in your stomach creates a feeling of fullness, which then suppresses appetite.

Both of these processes ultimately slows down the absorption of sugar in your blood stream, even if you ate starchy carbs along with the shirataki noodles.

But does it taste good?

I have to admit that the liquid it’s packaged in has a strong fishy odor, and I’ve found the best thing to do is rinse these noodles first in a colander in warm water for up to two minutes.  They’re supposedly ready to eat right out of the bag, but I prefer to cook them up in stir frys.

The texture is very gummy compared to Udon noodles, and I love Udon noodles.  It’s practically flavorless, however I noticed these noodles absorb the flavors of whatever spices or stir fry sauces you use to cook them in.

Here’s a stir fry recipe that I really like, because it’s simple, quick, and takes only a few Trader Joe’s ingredients (I do majority of my grocery shopping at TJ’s)

GINGER SCALLION STIR FRY

• 1 package Trader Joe’s Asian Stir Fry Vegetable Mix
• Trader Joe’s Ginger Scallion Stir Fry Sauce (2-3 tablespoons)
• 6-8 oz of cubed chicken or thin sliced beef (whatever you prefer)
• 1-2 cups shirataki noodles, rinsed well, and drained

How to make it

1. Coat a wok pan lightly with canola oil and place on medium high or high heat
2. When the oil is shimmering throw in your choice of meat and brown
3. Then add the vegetable mix, noodles, and stir fry sauce, and keep stirring to coat the noodles with the sauce  (about 1-2 minutes)
4. Serve and enjoy!

This next one is one of my wife’s favorite recipes with shirataki noodles.

SEARED TUNA STEAK ON NOODLES

• Season a tuna steak with salt and pepper
• Sear on high heat on both sides to desired wellness.
• Meanwhile, stir-fry a packet of shirataki noodles with a splash of rice wine and soy sauce and a few drops of sesame oil.
• Place noodles on a plate, top with the tuna steak, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds – Enjoy!

Ok, so there you have it, two easy recipes with a low-carb noodle source to help you on your way to burning more belly fat on a low-carb diet.

You can find more shirataki noodle recipes at http://shirataki-noodles.recipesilove.com and http://www.miraclenoodle.com/recipes-preparation.html

If you’re already a big fan of shirataki noodles and have some awesome recipes to share, please share in the comment section.  I’d love to give them a try!

Thanks!

- Rommel Acda, MATS, CSCS