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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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!