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Category: Blog
Why Your Weight Loss Isn’t Working (Probably Not What You Think)
So your weight loss has plateaued? Those pounds you were dropping – stopped. Inches were going down, but now …… nada! And even though you’re putting in one hundred percept in the gym, that change just isn’t happening. Frustrating, isn’t it? Here’s the thing though – it’s not your fault. There’s something that no one’s bothered to tell you before. The secret trick that your program – despite being seriously tough – is missing. That secret ….. Is weight training. Muscle Eats Fat The main reason why you want weight training ….. actually, scratch that – why you NEED weight training to help you get leaner, is because muscle eats fat. More muscle equals faster fat loss. The amazing thing about lifting weights is that it raises your metabolic rate. Your metabolic rate is the key to fat loss success, and it refers to the number of calories you burn. Unfortunately, regular old boring cardio might burn calories, but it does very little to raise your metabolism, and keep you burning calories outside of the gym. The same can’t be said of lifting weights though. See, when you perform resistance exercises, it’s such a shock to your muscles that your metabolic rate goes through the roof, which means not only do you burn as many calories as cardio during your workout, but that calorie burn stays high for up to 48 hours after you’ve finished lifting. For more on this metabolic phenomenon, check my latest video – How to Program Your Weight Training You might be confused about weights. And that’s completely normal. With so many machines, free-weights and programs around, figuring out where to start can be a serious puzzle. The good news is though, there’s no “best” exercise, or best bits of equipment. Whether you prefer to use dumbbells, barbells, fixed path machines – even kettlebells and cables, I’m not too worried for the moment. What I am worried about however (and what will get you the best results) is how you set up your workout. Here’s what I like – A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 D1 D2 What does this mean? Each letter and number is an exercise – with the “1” exercise being an upper-body move, and the “2” exercise a lower one. So you could have – A1 – Squat A2 – Push Press B1 – Dumbbell Lunges B2 – Kettlebell Row And so on. But that still doesn’t quite get in-depth enough for what we want. TUT and TIBS – The Forgotten Tricks Watch out – fancy acronyms coming up. (Don’t worry, they’re incredibly simple.) TUT stands for “Time Under Tension” – basically how long you’re working for in each set. TIBS stands for “Time In Between Sets” – i.e. your rest time. For optimal fat loss and lean muscle gains, your TUT needs to be 40 to 70 seconds. So if one rep takes you 4 seconds using a 1-1-1-1 tempo (that’s 1 second each to lift, hold, lower and pause) then you need between 10 and 17 reps to hit that 40 to 70 second sweet spot. As for TIBS – 45 seconds rest between each set is ample. You don’t want any more, otherwise you’re sabotaging your metabolic rate and your fat loss. The final component – number of sets. Let’s keep this nice and simple – 3 sets per exercise works incredibly well. Oh yeah, and those letters – they indicate a super-set, where you don’t rest between moves. Putting it All Together Right then, sample workout time, I’ll walk you through the perfect workout, step by step: A1 – Squat A2 – Push Press Perform squats for 40 to 70 seconds using enough weight to really challenge you, then go immediately into push presses. Same deal – 40 to 70 seconds with a hard weight, but keeping good form. Rest for 45 seconds, then do this twice more. That’s your squats and presses done, you’d then move on and do exactly the same with another 3 superset pairings, such as – B1 – Dumbbell Lunges B2 – Double Kettlebell Rows C1 – Stiff-Legged Deadlifts C2 – Elevated Push-Ups D1 – Ab wheel rollouts (I sometimes like to put ab moves in place of a final lower exercise) D2 – Lat Pull-downs Bonus: “But I Don’t Want to Get Big and Bulky” Don’t worry – you won’t. With the way this is set up, growing huge, brutish muscles just will not happen. What will happen, however, is that you’ll get faster fat loss than ever before. You’ll also get lean, toned muscles, rather than that skinny, saggy look that’s rife among the cardio crowd, who do nothing more than slog away on the treadmill and elliptical. So if you want to torch body fat, take your metabolic rate up a gear and see new insane results ….. Start lifting! Check the video for even more advice –
Why Today Should Be The Last Day You Ever Count Calories
A calorie in, a calorie out, right? Well… not exactly. Let me explain why I think… Conventional wisdom has this backwards But first let’s agree on what conventional wisdom says about creating a caloric deficit in efforts to lose weight. It’s pretty simple, most personal trainers will tell you that in order to lose weight you have to create a caloric deficit based on your body’s BMR. Your BMR simply tells you about how many calories your body will burn at rest (laying down, but not sleeping). In other words, if you were planning to do no activity whatsoever, this is the amount of calories you could eat without gaining any weight. If you decide to workout or go on a walk this exercise needs to then be taken into account (calories in, calories out). After you subtract the calories out from the calories in you will arrive at a number. If that number exceeds your BMR you can count on weight gain. If the opposite is true, conventional wisdom says you’ll lose weight. While there is some truth to this philosophy, I’d like to create a scenario to show you that it isn’t entirely accurate. If the conventional wisdom is true then it makes no difference where the calories come from I have a question… What do you think would happen if one person ate 2,000 calories in Twinkies and the other person ate 2,000 calories in… let’s just say apples. Let’s assume they both have the same BMR and they both burn the same amount of calories from daily activities. What do you think would happen over time (30 days)? Conventional wisdom (calories in, calories out) suggests that the end result will be the same. My response, “don’t be silly”. The effects are going to be far from the same. It’s not just calories in, calories out that matters. You must take into consideration… Where these calories are coming from? Why do you think so many (Americans especially) struggle with weight loss? I’ve got an idea… Conventional wisdom is for the birds! I haven’t counted a single calorie in over a year, yet I continue to lose fat and gain lean muscle. So why am I different? This is a very easy question, and it’s certainly not because I have great genes. My success is directly correlated to my eating habits. While I eat all day long, I am very conscious of what goes into my body. I have completely eliminated all processed foods, refined sugars, and grains The effects of these types of foods are detrimental to your success. I don’t care how big your calorie deficit is. Sure you’ll lose weight the bigger your gap is, but it won’t be healthy or sustainable. Trust me, I’ve been there and done that… Focus on eating whole foods; lean meats, healthy fats and low glycemic carbohydrates. Some examples include; chicken, beef, lamb, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, squash, artichokes, asparagus, eggplant, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, to name a few. Additionally, a great way to prepare these foods is by using healthy fats such as coconut oil, olive oil and grass-fed butter. Calorie counting is stressful I won’t even get into the effects stress has on your bodies ability to shed excess fat. Ill save that for another blog post. It’s important to understand when you make changes to anything, especially your diet, gradual change is more effective for long-term success and sustainability. Calorie counting is nonsense! So, are you ready to make it a thing of the past? Let’s get fit together, Michael Tweet 2 Share 0 +1 0 Reddit Pocket Pinterest LinkedIn 0
Why You Don’t Need to Waste Money Buying Organic?
Organic shopping, while the best way to buy produce, can be very expensive and hard to budget for. With growing concerns over pesticides and fertilizers and what they can do to your health, it seems right to consider organic no matter the price. However, sometimes at the going price of organic in some areas it is just not reachable for some families on a budget. The truth is that there is a way to make sure your protecting yourself from pesticides and it doesn’t require eating all organic. After researching the amounts of pesticides consumed on organic and non organic produce, researchers put together a list of produce that had the most pesticides left on them after washing and peeling. From this, the dirty dozen and the clean fifteen lists were put together. Produce on the dirty dozen lists are all highly sprayed and permeated with pesticides and are worth spending money on to buy organic. The clean fifteen had the lowest amount pesticides and can be purchased non organic. When consuming off these lists there is a large difference in pesticides that make it into your body between the clean fifteen and the dirty dozen. EWG did studies that pointed out that just five fruits and vegetables consumed off the dirty dozen list a day lead to eating up to 10 pesticides and day as compared to to being able to eat the same amount from the clean fifteen list and only consuming less than 2 pesticides a day. This is particularly important for developing babies, young children and people who are exposed to these pesticides long term. To minimize the potential long term damage from these harmful chemicals shop with the following lists: Dirty Dozen: Shop all Organic Celery Peaches Strawberries Apples Blueberries Nectarines Bell Peppers Spinach Cherries Kale/Collard Greens Potatoes Grapes (imported) Clean Fifteen: Lowest in Pesticides Onions Avocado Sweet Corn Pineapple Mangos Sweet Peas Asparagus Kiwi Cabbage Eggplant Cantaloupe Watermelon Grapefruit Sweet Potato Honeydew Melon By shopping from these lists, you can save yourself money by just buying only the most sprayed and absorbable produce organic. Other ways to save money when shopping for your meal prep for the week include going to farmer’s markets to find organic produce at better prices and buying in bulk when possible. Preplanning saves money when buying even some food organic so it does not go to waste. Meal plan for the entire week and write down all the produce you need so you don’t over purchase and go over budget. Use these guides to shop smart, save money, and still protect yourself and your family from harmful pesticides. Tweet 0 Share 0 +1 0 Reddit Pocket Pinterest LinkedIn 0
Train Like a Monster – Chest Day with Cookie and Elmo
At Morellifit, holiday weekends don’t mean a holiday from health. Working out during the holiday, no matter what one it is, is a great way to stay on track. We love to have fun, so in the spirit of Halloween we bring you a monster of a work out with our very own Cookie Monster and Elmo. Check out the video and watch cookie monster get schooled on how to do a chest workout. Their hilarious antics will show you proper form as well as go through a workout that you can actually do for your chest. Chest Workout: Bench Press – 3 sets of 12-15 Reps Decline chest Press – 3 sets of 10 -12 reps Cable Flies – 4 sets of 12-15 reps Incline Dumbbell Press – 4 sets of 10-12 reps Pushups – As many as you can do until fatigue! Happy Halloween! Tweet 6 Share 5 +1 0 Reddit Pocket Pinterest LinkedIn 0
Weight Loss Transformation Success Stories (Six-Pack Finishers)
Lots of people have asked about the success of members in my Six-Pack Finishers membership program. It began on January 20, and was limited to just 100 people (so that each member received personal attention). Below are just a few genuine success stories from members of my first-ever online program – Six-Pack Finishers. The clients came from all over the world with various fitness and diet backgrounds. The favorite part of my day is checking my inbox to find an email from a client who took action and transformed his or her body (you guys rock!). This is what I live for and why I started teaching. I’m getting ready to open up the membership program again, and I have created a free series of videos. They will be taken down at the end of the week, so be sure to check them out. “Your program has been a HUGE help” Your program has been a HUGE help, feeling good about the progress I made! My diet is awesome, I always thought I ate good but I cut out my grains & some dairy (yogurt and cheese) and woohoo I feel great and not so bloated! Thanks so much for the program you put together you’re doing great things Megan Dougherty “After following this for a little over 40 days I have lost 25 lbs” Dear Michael, Thank you so much for letting me be a part of Six-Pack Finishers! This has been a life-changing experience for me! Five years ago I started my journey towards a healthier life, after a so-called rude awakening. I came over a photograph from my holiday in Morocco. I had been riding camels in the desert, and I saw that I almost looked as big as the camel itself. Something had to be done, and so I started exercising more and eating healthier. It went really well, and then it stopped. No matter what I did, I didn’t lose any weight for a period of two years. I started using instagram more for tips and motivation, and I discovered your IG’s. After everything I read, I got more and more curious- and it looked like a lifestyle I could follow, and the training looked fun. I tried some of the routines, and they were really hard, but manageable. Then the Six-Pack Finishers was released, and I think I was one of the first to get it. And this was one of the best decisions I have ever made! I started noticing changes immediately. During the first week of training I lost 9 lbs. I think I triple-checked the scale because I couldn’t believe it. Two years of constant struggling was over! The sad thing was, that I didn’t get to finish the training because of an injury, and I had to get an operation. But I stuck to the diet, and even without going the gym I have lost 25 lbs. The mealplan included in this program has been a great inspiration, and I have experimented a lot on my own based on the knowledge I have received during this program. And when in doubt, I could just post a question, and I got an answer straight awayJ Some of the exercises I had problems with, because I had an ACL-operation 6 months ago, and when I told you that, I got other things I could do instead. I think my biggest problem was to get a hold of some of the products, but that’s because we don’t have easy access to them here in Norway. But with a little effort I found out where I could get them. After following this for a little over 40 days I have lost 25 lbs, and I can’t wait to start the trainingprogram all over again. And get to finish it. Because I know it works- after the first week of training, my friends started to notice that I had lost weight, and especially that my collar bone had been more defined. I just love that! And my veins on my arms have become more visible! By following the advice in sleeping pattern as well, I now have so much more energy during the day. I used to have really big issues with getting up in the morning, and I often missed my bus to work. Luckily we have flexible hours at work, so I didn’t get in trouble there. The best thing is that since I had to cut training due to my injury, I still receive the back-up when I get back into it. Because that means so much to me- to know that I can just ask if I have problems, and when I write something to you, the positive answers I get makes me feel so proud of myself. I get the feeling that you genuinely care about how I’m doing- and I think you doJ So thank you so much Michael- I can’t wait to see where this will end! But I know for sure that this lifestyle is here to stay, and that the old me is in the past. I like the new me so much better. Best Regards, Anne-Lee “I’ve lost 22.5kg (50.4 lbs.) and approximately 9.2% of body fat” As a New Year resolution I’ve said to myself: enough is enough! On the 31st of December 2013 I was very overweight, exact numbers are 154,5kg (346,08 lbs.) my highest weight ever – I used to be ashamed of them – now I am not. That day on Instagram I’ve started to follow Michael. Few days later he announced that a program called Six-Pack Finishers will be released for various people who have various and very different goals but all of them want to start eat healthy, live healthy and have that stunning 6pack – they just want to change their life’s. Six-Pack Finishers helped me in various ways. First of all taught me that I can eat in a healthy manner and do not need to
3 Major Benefits Of Adding Constant Resistance Training To Your Workout
What is Constant Resistance Technology..? The easiest way to define (CRT) is any time you use your own body weight as the source for your resistance, you are using constant resistance technology. Push-ups, pull-ups, air squats, wall-sits, jumping jacks, and even stretching falls into this category. Sometimes special apparatuses facilitate calisthenic exercise. I bet you’ve heard of adjustable step-up platforms, inversion machines, pull-up bars, TRX suspension systems, even slant boards for situps. Calisthenics are designed to improve a multitude things; endurance (cardiovascular or in a single muscle group), strength, and/or flexibility. Even running is considered a calisthenic exercise because again you are using your own body weight. If you want to increase the level of difficulty during calisthenics, simple add resistance with dumbbells and/or strength bands. How do I know (CRT) works? Aside from the fact that I use this type of training during every workout and have had amazing success… Have you seen what Olympic athletes look like? I am specifically referring to those that train in gymnastic rings. These athletes are training with constant resistance technology each time they train. The great thing about calisthenics or (CRT) training is you can increase the stress level in a number of ways. For example, you can add weight, increase duration, and/or increase the number of reps. Constant Resistance Technology can also be isometric, functional isometric, compound and compound aerobic exercises. Furthermore, by examining the training sequence you can not only increase or decrease cardiovascular intensity, but also stress on the muscles. Calisthenic exercises are nothing more than a special application of constant resistance technology. It’s actually quite simple to understand. If your body weight is sufficiently heavy, it delivers overload to the muscles. In other words, calisthenics are just like constant resistance weight training. The most important thing to remember about (CRT) and calisthenics is that if your muscles do not continually receive more stress than they are use to, you are not progressing and only maintaining. Recommendation… By putting in to play the advice above, you’ll be able to keep your body guessing and therefore keep your body progressing. Varying speed, form, time, weight, sequence, and/or the number of reps and you could easily use (CRT) training to continually improve both your aerobic and anaerobic capacity. Tweet 0 Share 0 +1 0 Reddit Pocket Pinterest LinkedIn 0
6 Facts The Supplement Companies Don’t Want You To Know About Protein Shakes & Bars
If you think you have an advantage at building muscle by buying protein powder or bars, you may be sadly mistaken. So many of us have become victims of the persuasive and misleading marketing that these companies plaster all over the web and across magazines. Of course they seem like a great option to enhance your over-all fitness, with their bright and alluring packaging, gorgeous models promoting them, and the enticing claims they make. Sound familiar? A protein bar is really nothing more than a candy bar with some additives that claim to get you ripped and lean in no time. Take a look at the ingredients in these protein bars; you’ll likely find high fructose corn syrup, sugar alcohols, artificial sweeteners, etc. These are all terrible for your body and may actually cause adverse effects. If you consume three or more protein shakes a day, you could be causing health problems due to contaminants in these products. In an investigation published by “Consumer Reports” back in 2010, heavy metal contaminants were found in at least one sample of each of the 15 protein drinks examined! These contaminants were arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Do these sound like ingredients you should be putting into your body? Aside from the dangerous ingredients in protein bars and powders, experts have said that too much protein can, in fact, lead to dehydration, digestive problems, increase your risk for osteoporosis, and can even cause kidney problems. So the question is, why are we still throwing away our money on these products? Not only are they outlandishly expensive and dangerous, but you can get sufficient protein from inexpensive whole foods. Did You Know? A half of a chicken breast contains 27 grams of protein, three scrambled eggs will give you 20 grams; all for under a dollar per serving! It all comes down to is this simple fact: There are NO shortcuts! Mother Nature has given us the resources to live happy, healthy and productive lives. Tweet 1 Share 0 +1 1 Reddit Pocket Pinterest LinkedIn 0
What’s The Correct Daily Protein Intake For Sustained Fat Loss?
What’s The Correct Daily Protein Intake For Fat Loss? This is an evergreen question in the health and fitness industry. And it’s one of the most commonly asked question in any fitness forum. I want to provide you with my perspective. Firstly, protein is very important for weight loss. Protein has a number of benefits: increases your metabolism to help you lose fat faster essential for muscle growth and repair stabilizes blood sugar promotes a feeling of satiety Consider a “couch potato” lifestyle. It’s recommended that someone who is sedentary consumes about 0.8g of protein per pound of body weight, on a daily basis. Now, consumption should increase from there. When you exercise, protein stores are broken down and used for fuel. Without adequate amounts, your body can enter a catabolic state, which means it begins to use and burn muscle tissue instead. I don’t want you to be alarmed – just aware. This causes problems in both the short and long term, however, you really begin to see it’s effects long term in your inability to lose weight. How lack of protein prevents fat loss Muscle burns fat. You’re number one goal should be to increase your BMR (basal metabolic rate), or otherwise referred to as your RMR (resting metabolic rate). Your BMR refers to the number of calories your body burns/needs on a daily basis while at rest (not sleeping). The more muscle on your body the higher this number. Protein builds muscle. More muscle means more fat loss If you goal is fat loss, then you need to build more muscle. When you do this, it means that you won’t have to work as hard to burn calories. We all get old. Sure we can train to delay the effects of age but at some point you will not be able to train as hard for as long as you do today. So, having more muscle mass means that your body will burn fat during the day, even when you are resting. This is the ideal condition to achieve. If you set yourself up for success now, even when you are able to do less you’ll be able to count on a higher BMR to help you. It’s all about your BMR. My daily protein recommendations Begin at 1g of protein per lb of body weight as an absolute minimum, and work up from there based on the intensity and frequency of your training. Ideally I’d like you to work up to 1.2 – 1.5 if you are training 4 -5 times per week at an hour a session. Eat a portion of protein at every meal to help you hit your total daily intake. Supplement with a high quality Whey. My recommendation is 1-2 shakes per day. The best protein powder for lean muscle gains I personally use All Pro Science Grass-Fred Whey. I feel it is the highest quality protein on the market today. It’s all natural, and if you’ve seen my videos you know I am very much in favor of whole foods from as close to nature as possible. All Pro Science uses less than 10 total ingredients in their Whey. Common protein mistakes Lastly, do not get the protein in nuts, milk, cheese or yogurt confused with the protein that’s necessary to meet daily requirements. Nuts = quality fats Yogurt, Milk, Cheese = carbs Examples of high quality proteins are fish, eggs, chicken, beef, lamb, and turkey. Summary Use the recommendation daily protein intake and track the results you start to see. You will notice more muscle and less fat as a result. When I started to manipulate my protein intake, I began to notice quick changes in my physique. Remember, fat loss is all about your BMR. What protein powder do you currently use and what’s your go-to flavor? Tweet 0 Share 0 +1 0 Reddit Pocket Pinterest LinkedIn 0
Why Low Calorie Diets Cause Weight Gain
You’ve been there. Following a plan that’s supposed to get you lean. You cut calories just about as low as you can handle, while battling with intense hunger, and severe cravings, yet for some reason, that fat that should be shifting – it’s going nowhere. And you feel desperate, disheartened, and like you’re a dieting failure. But wait – It’s NOT Your Fault! See, these diets that are designed to get you shredded, strip away stubborn fat and give you the body of your dreams – they are actually the cause of your lack of progress. In fact, not only are they sabotaging your results, they’re solely responsible for you gaining weight. Your Body is Adapting In this world of calorie-counting and cutting portion sizes, it’s easy to believe that simply lowering your calorie intake will result in weight loss, and help you torch body fat. But this isn’t the case. In reality, your body adapts, and compensates for this low calorie intake by burning less. Here’s how it works – Eat Less = Burn Less Eat More = Burn More I’m not saying that suddenly switching to a high-calorie diet of donuts, pizzas and pretzels is going to get you shredded, but eating more nutrient-dense, healthy foods may well be the answer to your fat loss prayers. By slashing your calorie intake, your body descends into survival mode, and tries to store everything you eat, meaning you’ll never burn fat. By giving it more food, it’s primed to kick your metabolism into overdrive. Let Me Tell You a Story … A friend of mind came to me asking for a personalized diet plan a few weeks back. She’d been on a low calorie diet, and not losing weight. So I told her to eat 600 more calories every day. Sounds crazy, right? Well – she lost weight and broke through that plateau. (I explain HOW this works in the video) I was the same. During my journey where I lost 27 pounds of pure fat, I hit a wall. That was when I thought that calories were all that mattered, and that low-calorie diets were “the answer.” Guess what I did? I started eating MORE calories from MORE whole-foods … and smashed that plateau, eventually reaching 8% body fat. How to Increase Your Calories to Lose Weight As much as low-calorie diets are bad news for weight loss, you can’t just double or treble your calorie intake and expect to see progress. In fact, such a huge jump up will almost inevitably result in a tonne of fat gain. It’s all about increasing your intake slowly and surely, by adding around 10% of your calorie intake every week. So if you’re currently eating 1,200 calories per day, try just bumping this up by 100 to 150 so you’re at 1,300- 1,350 calories. Stick with this for a week, then add another 100 – 150 calories, until you hit a more sensible number, such as 1,500 calories, then see where you’re at. If you want a hand with this, check out my custom meal planning service? It takes all the guesswork out of it, and my team of experts and I ensure that we maximize your calorie intake as you get lighter, leaner, fitter and send your energy levels through the roof. For details on my world class 12-week meal planning service click here. A Higher Quality Another HUGE point here, is that the calories you add have to be quality calories. We’re talking complex carbohydrates like rice, sweet potato and quinoa. Lean meats and oily fish. Nuts and seeds. And of course – fruits and vegetables. These will fuel performance, stoke your metabolism, and contribute to burning more calories. Moral of the Story Food is fuel. You’re like a car. Think of your body as a fine specimen of sports car, like a Ferrari or a Lamborghini – you wouldn’t drive one of these beauties around with just dregs left in the gas tank, or full of low-quality fuel, would you? You should treat your body with the same respect. To perform at your peak, and allow your body to lose fat, you have to eat enough, and make sure that it’s nutritious, wholesome food. Remember – Eat more – burn more And of course – Be patient. Stay the course. And let’s get fit, together. For extra tips, hints, and a little more on how I’m currently losing fat faster than ever while eating over 3,000 calories per day, check out the video – Tweet 4 Share 9 +1 0 Reddit Pocket Pinterest LinkedIn 0