Yeah I am the same way. Being in large groups doesn’t really stress me out either. But when I am stressed, I usually prefer not to be in them.

I like your fight-or-flight way of explaining it. Makes sense. You may remember, I posted on stress a while back: http://www.truefitnessfanatic.com/health/stress-relief/
Nate Armstrong´s last [type] ..Cellucor C4 Side-Effects

Yeah the ab wheel definitely burns when you do it right. I used to think it was kind of a joke before I started doing it correctly.

Thanks for the compliment. I will continue to post on here, just not as frequently.

Have to admit I always dismissed the ab wheel as a toy – that was until I was challenged to do 2 sets of 15 reps on it – never felt such a burn!

-Sean

I’ve always like your site. Come on back to the fitness niche.

Cheers
Kelly Fitzsimmons´s last [type] ..Why is High Fructose Corn Syrup Bad for You?

Thanks, man. I’m glad you plan to check it out!

Good Luck! Can’t wait to check it out, I’m sure it will be great.

Cheers,
Jordan

Thanks! And congrats on making Clint’s top 50 free health and fitness reports!

I agree it takes time. It’s very easy to underestimate calorie intake. I am usually very conservative with my estimates, so if anything I’ll tend to overestimate.

I was, but everything is back up and running now.

This is sound advice.
Jonathan | WorldOfDiets´s last [type] ..9 Unhealthy Habits To Stop Doing Today

Thanks for the support man! I appreciate it!

It’s kind of crazy that parents these days actually need to enforce physical activity, but it’s great that you are taking responsibility for your kids’ well-being. I guess that’s just the society we live in today.

@ Anna,

I agree that there is no reason for teens to be obese at such a young age. They should be out and about burning plenty of calories, but unfortunately that’s not the case. We can only hope the trend does not continue because on top of the immediate effects of teen obesity, there are also much more severe consequences a few years down the road.

Parents definitely need to be more conscious of what they feed their kids and get educated on this topic. Nutrition not only affects their children’s health but also their energy levels and academic performance.

I’m glad you bring awareness to this topic with this post.

Anna D.
Anna Dornier´s last [type] ..Never Let Go: A Philosophy of Lifting, Living, and Learning

I have recently started doing stability ball exercises and I agree they are great for the core because they incorporate the added dimension of balance work.

I think a stability ball is also worthwhile. It can help you do a lot of core exercises and it is inexpensive.
Jonathan | WorldOfDiets´s last [type] ..Best Bodyweight Ab Exercises To Flatten Your Belly

I do the same. I’m a big believer that it’s good to have regular strategic cheat days because they provide psychological relief.

I can also see the difference between now and when I was growing up. I agree that technology has a lot to do with it. Youngsters still have more opportunities to be active than adults, though, so hopefully the trend doesn’t continue.

@ Niko,

Good point. I know I was definitely more active as a kid because my dad got me into soccer. Adults need to shoulder a lot of the responsibility, especially for younger children.

As a father of 2 young boys I can see the influence my training and way of life has on them. Whilst all my oldest boys friends now have their own Nintendo DS consoles, my boys are more interested in getting outside and running around and bike riding. It’s usually no surprise to see overweight adults have overweight children, parents are the biggest influence in their children’s lives during their formative years. As adults we need to pick up our act and in turn it will flow onto our children.

Niko
niko – noeXcusefitness´s last [type] ..Niko’s Weekly Dose # 10 | Follow My Weekly Fitness Plan

I agree, you can’t just rely solely on diet or solely on exercise. For the best results, you need to combine both. Thanks for stopping by!

Yeah some people may not buy into it, but the guy with 8% bf and poor diet probably has better cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and health stats in general than the obese person who eats healthy.

Too many people think that you can just eat unlimited amounts of healthy food, and that’s just plain wrong
Keith´s last [type] ..My Free 33 Page Ebook Is Ready For Download

A lot of it is on the parents. Unfortunately, here in Northeast Florida, some of the high school sports programs are getting cut also due to budget issues.

I read that study also. That’s interesting because it seems there is a lot of focus on diet these days and less on people’s fitness levels. I think that is about to shift though with things like MRT and HIIT becoming mainstream. With a heightened activity level, eating right really does become less of a worry.

For sure! I get cravings for them too every once in a while. Fortunately, more holiday food is just around the corner!

Some of them are definitely a rip off. After all, these companies do need to turn a profit. I think in general, buying raw ingredients and making your own foods/drinks are cheaper and better for you.

There is definitely a component of “feel” to it. I went through a lot of trial and error before I figured out about how much I needed to be eating to maintain my weight.

Yep happy birthday to her, indeed! Still can’t believe she is 30!

Thanks man! No pics around the exact dates of the one year period, but the before and after pic on my about page is pretty close to what the difference was.

Glad you liked it! Thanks for visiting!

Sounds good! Thanks!

@ Niko,

I sprinkle cinnamon on them before I bake them, but I’ll try that tip out as well. Thanks!

I think many people underestimate the amount of upper and lower body strength required to be a decent soccer player. You need to be able to jump and use your body to challenge for the ball and shield it. This is why a soccer player develops dense, compact muscle that suits his frame for functional strength as opposed to large, bulky muscles like bodybuilders.

I haven’t tried making mashed sweet potatoes, but I’ve had them at restaurants before and they are really good.

I actually like them post workout also. There aren’t many healthier sources of carbs out there.

@ Dave,

Oh well, can’t win them all. Reminds me about how I wish I liked avocados more since I’m always hearing good things about those!

I’ve never heard of delicata squash, but I’ll check it out. If it tastes anything like sweet potatoes, I’m sure I’ll be a fan!

Yeah that’s interesting. I’ve never eaten them raw before. I also read that Matthew Morrison uses a sweet potato only diet a couple of days before an event to get extremely lean.

Great recipe!
Srdjan – Bloom to Fit´s last [type] ..How to Strengthen Ankles for Life

Anytime! Keep up the great work on those instructional videos. They are really beneficial!

Also great post. Hanging Leg Raises and the ab wheel make for a killer combo for developing a perfect core.

Keep up the great work.

Greg.
Greg´s last [type] ..A Simple but Effective Home Gym Workout

I completely agree. Once you get into the habit, it feels very natural. When I eat frequently, I feel slow and sluggish. IF is so simple and effective which is why I love it.

I must say that my natural fat burning only got a real kick start once I learned about intermittent fasting from Rusty Moore.

I believe it’s a very healthy, effective and actually very natural way of eating … or not eating, in this case!

Thanks,

Mark
Mark´s last [type] ..How To Get Bigger Arms: The Checklist

Definitely! Sometimes, you’ll see guys who don’t do an ab-specific routine at all and still have ripped abs. This just goes to show that diet and overall exercise routine are the most important factors.

Cheers (and I mean.. Cheers)

I also really enjoyed the Abs Blueprint video series! Can’t believe Rusty is giving that product away for free!

@ Darrin,

I’ve never tried pistol squats, but I’ll check them out. I used to be anti-squats but now I do them regularly as part of a metabolic workout routine.

@ Jordan,

The ab wheel is great. I actually used to think it was useless until I started using proper technique. I’m sure there is a way to make a homemade ab wheel, but I don’t know how… you can probably Google it basically all you need is some type of wheel and attach it to something you can grip like a rolling pin. They are pretty cheap though so I just bought one.

@ Niko,

Planks are also a great core exercise. I like to do a few sets of hanging leg raises followed by planks and then finish off with the ab wheel.

Cheers,
Jordan
Jordan – The Healthy Teacher´s last [type] ..Conquer your fear of the gym: The 5 Step Plan

I am also a big fan of the workouts in Abs Blueprint and the video series that is included in the follow up sequence is amazing as well.

-Sam
Sam- Look Like An Athlete´s last [type] ..Brad Gouthro Interview: Awaken The Abs Within And Other Fitness Tips

I’ve also been able to get away with eating more junk food lately since I’ve been doing a lot of HIIT + IF. I notice best results when I really try to eat clean, though.

@ Niko,

They certainly are under a lot of scrutiny, but a lot of them seem to really enjoy keeping in good shape and looking great which makes the process much easier. In a sense, it is something they have to do, but once they have that mindset, it becomes something they’d do whether or not they are in the spotlight.

Yes, it’s safe for anyone. I’d recommend not doing it more than once a week, though. Just so that it’s easier to stick to long-term.

@ Keith,

Yeah I’m not sure if this is something that will ever go mainstream because it’s not a diet which focuses on what to eat. Therefore, there is no way for companies in the food industry to spin it so that it will benefit them.

I’ve been using IF for over 2 years now and feel great.

But I think #2 is going to be the hardest for people to try since it’s the extreme opposite of everything else out there.
Keith´s last [type] ..The Definite Answer To How Many Calories Should I Eat A Day To Lose Weight

@howard- Are you from the UK mate, or you just support Man Utd from another country. I am a big Utd fan living in London, would be nice to know if there are any other guys in our niche from the UK.
Michael @ somebodylied.com´s last [type] ..Joe Manganiello Height And Workout Routine

I believe people can get into good shape with a minimal time commitment. However, getting into amazing shape requires a higher training volume. I don’t think there is any way around this. A lot of people may not care about being ripped, though, as long as they are lean and healthy

As you say celebrity bodies can be a great inspiration for people taking action and getting in shape. I know for me after watching the rocky films way back that was my motivation to start serious training. I just think people have to remember that to achieve the results they do celebrities have lots of time and resources plus huge motivation.

Cheers

H

ps Utd not playing well at the moment but hanging in there. We need a new midfielder so Rooney can get back up front again.
Howard – Energia Fitness´s last [type] ..3 Reasons why you struggle to burn fat consistently

You are always welcome! Dieting for women can be tricky because they usually need to eat way fewer calories than men. A man might be able to get away with 2,000 calories a day or more, but a woman might only need 1,200 or so. I think they need to focus more on calorie manipulation tactics such as intermittent fasting to keep their intake low and maintain a calorie deficit. I suggest reading my free report which you can access on my Facebook page for some ideas.

Thanks for reading. I also use intermittent fasting along with a combination of strength training and HIIT for fat loss. This is a winning formula if you stick with it.

Haha yeah I didn’t quite get the ones vs. tens thing either.

@ Dave,

I agree most celebrity routines aren’t realistic for normal people. I still think that celebs can be incredible fitness role models, though. I was inspired to obtain a great physique by idolizing Cam Gigandet’s appearance in Never Back Down. The volume of training is much higher for celebrities. Since regular people usually can’t mimic this, they need to focus more on calorie restriction and tools like intermittent fasting.

The reality evidence I have found is this: BCAAs have helped my muscles look fuller after fasted strength training than before when I didn’t take them. I feel like I hold onto more of my gains while in a significant calorie deficit. Fasted training is the only time I use them and probably the only time I ever will. However, as Dave pointed out, Xtend came out with a new electrolyte-enhanced formula that I may begin to use as a sports drink for all HIIT type cardio. Just need to exhaust my current supply first!

I did not gain anywhere near 34 lbs of muscle, nor did I intend to. I did gain about 5 lbs of muscle which was at the lower end of my goal, but I stopped before going any further because I found it harder to keep making gains without eating a constant calorie surplus and gaining some fat also which would compromise the lean look I always aim for.

The damage control stuff is good for occasional cheat days, but I found that if you really want to put on some mass, you need a constant calorie surplus and some of it will inevitably spill over into fat. So I ended up kind of nipping this experiment in the bud and now I try to stay under 140 at all times. It’s interesting to go back and read this after almost a year, though.

Good luck on your case study. VI phase 1 is a great plan for putting on some mass without compromising the lean look.

I honestly don’t think I could live without meat. Lean meat is probably the best source of protein you can consume and it helps fill you up, so when combining it with veggies, you have an excellent meal.

The longer you keep it up, the easier it becomes.

@ Jordan,

I still estimate calories, but I find that when fasting regularly, it becomes much easier to hit my target while still enjoying cheat meals. So it really gives me peace of mind.

My “nachos” is ice cream, though. That, I definitely should cut back on.