Water’s Powerful Role in Fitness & Weight Loss

By Ambrose McKellan

Time and time again, I often find great benefits in returning to the basics when I’m seeking solutions.  Keeping it simple removes unnecessary clutter, confusion, and delays that halt action.  Let’s take a better look at water’s role in diet and hydration.

With certainty, I write there are plenty of concoctions in the marketplace today available for purchase.  A great number of these products are good at replenishing nutrients, boosting energy, and taste fantastic.  As a result, water, at times, takes a backseat.  What about water?  It’s been around as long as time.  Most of our body is comprised of water (and for that matter Earth’s surface).  Water is a powerful force to our existence and should not be overlooked or treated as an afterthought.  Here are 3 reasons why water is the undisputed staple for any fitness agenda:

1.   Performance:  For optimal performance we must stay hydrated.  There are no shortcuts, pills, rituals, or magic spells for the common person that can overcome the negative effects of dehydration and allow you to be your best.  Pre and post training/workout supplement drinks do indeed work, but some individuals cannot tolerate them or don’t care for the flavoring.  On the other hand, all universally accept water and water is a powerful ally in keeping our systems geared in the direction of achieving our fullest potential.

2.   Weight Loss/Management:  Whether you are looking to lose weight or manage weight loss all ready lost water can help.  Consumed in moderate amounts throughout the day, water can thwart off hunger sensations.  In fact, drinking cold water has even shown the ability to positively affect metabolism.  The coldness of the water creates a reaction in the body to produce more heat to offset the sudden temperature fluctuation.  In doing so, more energy is used to sustain a balanced state…something our bodies are always trying to achieve.  More energy used equates to more calories burned.  Another solid fact about water consumption:  NOT a single drop will ever be converted into fat.

3.   Costs:  Diets, fat burning pills, surgery, and magical Acai products promising radical weight reduction all have one thing in common…they all cost money.  Water is readily available and it’s free.  During times of economic challenge water can be a champion in your pursuit to a healthier lifestyle.

Water can make you perform better, is calorie free, and is available practically everywhere.  Energize your fitness routines and weight control with water…you’ll look and feel better!

By Ambrose McKellan

Do you need a fat burner?  There are 3 reasons why you DON’T…

The marketing of fat burning products in the states dominates most fitness media outlets…magazines, websites, and even old fashion television infomercials.  Have you ever stopped to ponder why there are so many varieties with each generally consisting of the same ingredients with the exception to their “secret magical” component that will revolutionize how you lose fat by using their product over another?  Why are there so many to choose from?  How can they all be the chosen solution yet not one dominates as the exact cure all for burning fat?  These companies use three primary motivators to entice you to open your wallet and buy their products:  they claim to curb hunger, increase energy, and help dial in your concentration.  These are the same three reasons why you don’t need them and here’s why:

1. Curbing your hunger can be greater achieved by modifying your meal portions so that you are consuming several smaller meals throughout the day thus keeping your digestive system working.  A digestive system that is working more often is burning energy and can actually result in a more efficient processing of what you eat as oppose to a system that has to kick itself into gear after being idle for extended periods between meals.  Another simple trick is to drink cold water.  The coldness of the water uses more energy to process and has been an effective tool in some individuals at curbing hunger and it is free!
2. You can increase your energy levels by getting yourself up and moving around.  The effects of doing so are far more lasting and beneficial than taking some pills that don’t always work the same in everyone and usually have a crash effect when the caffeine begins to wear off.  Find a hobby, sport or any activity that you enjoy and the energy levels will naturally coincide.
3. Increasing your concentration level by consuming a fat burning pill is hard to swallow (pun intended).  Yes, there may be  ingredient(s) that have shown some effectiveness in helping us hone in on our thoughts, but is it enough to merit the ploy on those that do not need that?  People can focus on things that are important to them pretty easily.  So that leads me to revert back to reason (2) and suggest a hobby, pastime or just about anything else you can imagine yourself being passionate about to increase concentration.  Naturally you’ll divert your attentions to something you enjoy doing.  Stress and other outside influences will subside and you’ll not have any of the potential long-term side effects to concern yourself with in taking a pill.

Remember, the only winning formula is to put your best effort forward.  Through the proper combination of nutrition, rest, and exercise you can achieve any fitness goal.  Aside from surgery, there are no shortcuts.  Work smarter with intensity and goals…you’ll burn all the fat without the pills!

Flabby arms?  Lose the wobble by becoming a dip!

By Ambrose McKellan

Let’s face it; jiggly arms don’t cut it for most of us.  Aside from the aesthetic issues involved, one could build a good case having shoddy triceps can limit the overall quality one’s life.  However, that is not the purpose here.  Instead focus should be directed to a fundamental exercise that negates any concern, whether aesthetics or functionality, with the wobbly arm.  The exercise…Dips.

Plane and simple, dips build lean muscle mass.  Dips, when done with proper form and intensity, will greatly benefit the back region of your arm known as the triceps.  All dips involve using your body weight as the primary source of resistance during your training.  This of course is beneficial as you can do them practical anywhere making them incredible convenient when pressed for space and time.

How to be a dip in a nutshell:

1. Place your palms down on any flat surface (bench, sofa, chair) or grip the bars of a dipping machine at your local health club.
2. Lower your body towards the floor until your arms reach 45°and then press your body up returning to the start position.
3. Repeat.

There are several levels of difficulty to progress with over time.  When starting off you can use the edge of a bed, couch or chair.  If you belong to a health club use any flat bench.  Better yet, look for an assisted dip/pull up machine.  With practice you’ll become stronger and more challenge will be required to keep progressing.  Move on to some dipping bars at your club or if you train at home place the two chairs backside to one another for a larger range of motion.  Eventually you may even consider adding some additional weight to the exercise to further enhance results.

Get the most out your time by adding dips to your routine.  Strong, lean arms await those who act like a dip.

Be well and prosper in your fitness pursuits!

Top 6 secrets to fitness success

By Ambrose McKellan

Want to get fit fast and stay there?  Follow these 6 rules to achieve your fitness goals:

1. Nutrition:  Face it nutrition plays the biggest part in acquiring the physique regardless of what your fitness goals are.  Whether you are looking to shed some extra pounds, pack on muscle, train for your favorite sport, or just improve your overall conditioning to live a healthier life, it begins and ends with what we put into our mouths.  Moderation and timing are key.  The best strategy is smaller portions spread out over several “meal times” a day.  Try to get a majority of your carbs earlier in the day and positioned around your workouts when possible.

2.  Hydration:  You’d be surprised on how important a role water plays in our overall performance.  Far too many of us neglect this easy step and our energy, motivation, and ability to succeed in our fitness goals can be seriously hampered with dehydration.  The remedy, drink more water throughout the day.   In fact, studies have shown drinking cold water can even boost your metabolic rate.

3.  Rest, Recovery, Sleep:  Getting enough rest between demanding routines, long work days, or any other physical and/or mentally stress we place on ourselves is vital.  Without it, you are deluding yourself that you’re functioning at your peak.  We all need the opportunity to recharge.  Without rest this CANNOT be accomplished…it is that simple.

4.  Mindset:  How you approach your fitness quest is crucial.  Rid yourself of all excuses and focus on how living a healthier lifestyle with exercise, nutrition and rest will positively impact your life for the long run.  Believing you can achieve your fitness pursuit is the first step in making it happen.

5.  Intensity:  Make your time count.  Far too often fitness goals aren’t achieve due to the lack of intensity within one’s routine.  Don’t treat your time at the club as a social hour.  Keep your focus on your routine and realize there will be times when you need to push outside of your comfort zone in order to take the next step.  Learn what your body is capable of, how much effort your body requires in order to meet your goals and be on alert for the signs of over training.  Help determining each of these three items is readily available and should be sought out if needed.

6.  Combination Moves:  Add some spice to your routines by combining exercise moves.  Dial moves together that require you to use more than just one muscle group at a time.  Don’t be afraid to give up benching every now and then in favor of burpees/push-ups or single arm dumbbell floor clean and press combos.  You can acquire more strength, endurance, and energy when you enhance your routines with combination moves.

Be well and prosper in your fitness quest!

3 Steps to your fantastic summer body!

By Ambrose McKellan

Summer is just around the corner and with it comes swimsuit season…are you ready?  If for any reason you sighed, rolled your eyes or just simple said to yourself, “oh hell no”, don’t fret.  There is time to firm and tone so you can feel better about all your fun summer adventures!

Here are 3 simple steps for you to follow to get you well on your way to that beach body:

1)      COMMIT—Create a burning desire for what it is you want.  Truly speaking, only when you desire something so strongly will you find yourself doing whatever it takes to make it happen.  Write down specifically what you seek, a timeframe in which to achieve it, and what action(s) you must take in order to make it happen.  Don’t sway, stray or delay with your quest.  Throw all excuses away so you can…

2)      TAKE ACTION—Don’t wait for your desires to happen all on their own.  Begin immediately.  Don’t put off what you can be done today.  Put your best effort into your routines and frequently step outside of your comfort zone.  Try circuit training or H.I.I.T (high intensity interval training) to elevate you past a plateau.  The bottom line is for you to eliminate typical excuses far too many people use to keep them from getting what they want.  Don’t let this happen to you.

3)      REWARD—Give credit when and where it’s due.  If you’ve committed yourself to a plan and have taken the action to get you to where you wish be proud.  Acknowledge you’re making strides and feel great about what you’ve done so far even if you haven’t quite reached the end results.  Be encouraged, you’ll not only reach your fitness goals, but you’ll sustain them for a lifetime.  It’s not always about giant leaps.  The smaller steps we take in our fitness pursuits are important too!

How you feel about your body is a mysterious thing.  Many times how we feel about our body doesn’t necessarily coincide with how it actually looks.  Afterall, we usually are our own worst critics.  Scrap the critiques.  There is plenty of time for you…commit, take action and reward yourself with some fun summer sun!

Be well and prosper in your fitness pursuits!

Why Low Calorie Diets Fail!
By Ambrose McKellan

There are many popular diet fads on the market today.  Regardless of how it is coined, are low calorie diets that restrict your daily caloric intake to 1000…1200…1500 a day without any consideration on how you live out each day good?  Absolutely not,  how absurd!  It’s ridiculous how any diet fad can sweep through the nation as if it’s the magical cure for expanding waistlines.  For as long as I can recall, there has always been some new and revolutionary diet system waiting in the wings to replace another that has outlived its life cycle.  The lifecycle ends when its period of believability ends.  People discover it did not work as the cure against the battle of the bulge.  After all these years companies continue to prey upon the hopes of millions of people’s desperate efforts to reduce body mass.  These companies seem to be winning…billion(s) of dollars winning!  Yet, Americans continue to get bigger and bigger…what’s the deal?

Break the cycle.  Ask yourself what is or has gone wrong in your efforts to reign in your figure?  If dieting is involved, why isn’t it working?  The trouble I have with low calorie diets is the lack of accountability on your lifestyle.  A generic formula, if included at all, doesn’t work when it comes to transforming people.  Unlike a hat where one size fits all, nutrition and fitness require more in depth information about you in order to be truly effective.  Does the system take into account your activity level (or lack thereof)…current health status (not just a general disclaimer to check with the doc)…finances (can you afford to eat the recommendations of the system)…etc.?  I am not a fan of the word diet and shun such restrictions that most associate with pain.

A better approach is to arm yourself with intelligence…information about you!  Case in point.  Before you reduce your daily calories, identify what your body requires each day to maintain its current state.  A few factors to consider are age, gender, height, current weight, and activity (frequency and intensity).  Only after identifying this information can anyone expect to create a fitness plan that will produce results.  Of course, results will only come with your commitment to your plan.

If fat loss is your goal, one must remove 3500 calories to lose a pound of fat.  Let’s look at a simple goal of losing one pound of fat over a 14-day period. Our person in this example has established a daily caloric balance of 2000 calories a day.  In order for our friend to accomplish their goal, a calorie deficit of 250 a day must take place.  This adjusts the daily calorie consumption to 1750 calories and is quite manageable. Simply removing sugary drinks from their diet mix can easily achieve this.  Can you see yourself being able to make this work?

Now don’t get caught in a slippery trap.  Do not become one of the many who’ll aggressively do all of the following: cut more calories or up activity in an effort to propel results faster than is healthy for your body.  Nutrition and rest are required in order for any fitness plan to become and stay effective.  Be smart about your goals…not impatient.  Try to ignore the marketing agendas of diet outfits.  Establish yourself early with the knowledge of what makes you…YOU.  How do you respond to foods?  Physical activity?  You are not just a caloric number in someone else’s miraculous diet system.

Be well and prosper in your fitness pursuits!

Why Cardio Alone Doesn’t Shed Fat Fast
By Ambrose McKellan

For quite a while cardio was king if you were looking to burn calories to lose weight and burn fat.  Lifting weights was for the meatheads looking to build bigger guns and puffy chests.  Fast-forward to the present and it’s now a different game.  Weight training is NOT exclusively a guy thing for bulking up.  Lifting weights has evolved into an essential tool for the overall well being for both sexes and isn’t some passing fad.  Besides the physically aesthetic aspect to weight (or resistance) training, there are a several functional and emotional benefits you should take into consideration when adding weights into your pursuit to burning fat quickly.

Here are 5 contributing fat shedding benefits for lifting weights:

1) Metabolic Shifts—Studies show muscle consumes more energy than fat.  Most cardio routines neglect the upper body all together.  A structured weight routine defeats this oversight.   Working the entire body 3-4 times a week with a day of rest in between each session mixed with cardio exercise is the knockout combo against stubborn fat.

2) Bone & Joint Support—Lifting weights plays a key role in shedding unwanted fat/weight.  Lifting weights is also a key factor in building a strong, muscular physique.  Thus, by lifting weights, you have created for yourself a stronger muscular system that will be supporting less weight because of its fat burning effects.  This in turn will further reduce stress on your joints because there is less of you to carry around.  Common sense would tell you this is good for you…YES!

3) Energy—Want more energy?  Get yourself involved with lifting weights!  Upon completing any proper lifting session (intensity matters), euphoria sets in that continues throughout the day, especially if you accomplished some personal best during a given session.

4) Posture—Targeted weight lifting can strengthen weak areas that are the culprits to aches, pains and overall bad body positioning.  Weak or tight hamstrings for example can be the cause for back pain.  Dead lifts can help strengthen and stretch the hamstrings, which can lead to some correction in back pain.  Lifting can be targeted to improve flexibility and range of motion to help counteract the aging process by keeping the muscles strong and limber.

5) Self Esteem—Worthy of mention due to its overall impact on our daily lives.  You may not have reached your exact fitness goal yet and that is ok.  Afterall it is a journey.  A very nice feature you’ll experience if you add weight training into your fitness mix is feeling the solid results along the way.  Listen, if you are lifting with the proper intensity for your health, fitness level, and age, your muscles are bound to respond.  You’ll know because you’ll feel them, quite literally, becoming stronger and more solid.  Any area trained with weights that was once occupied by a soft, cushy feel of fat should lessen over time.  In fat’s place is muscle…muscle that burns more energy than the fat that previously resided within.  Small transformations in your pursuit encourage a person to plug along for more and more results.  We feel better about ourselves and know our efforts are paying off.

With rest, nutrition, and exercise…both cardio and resistance weight training…working side by side with one another, the unwanted, unwelcomed fat enemy doesn’t stand a chance of survival.

Be well and prosper in your pursuit of a healthier you!

The Fat Loss H.I.I.T That’s Conquering Weight Loss!

By Ambrose McKellan

Tired of spending hundreds perhaps thousands of dollars on diets, supplements, surgery, or whatever latest fad is?  I bet you are because you most likely didn’t get the results promised pertaining to weight or fat loss.  Are your waistline and saggy limbs holding their own even though you spend hours on cardio and continue to be true on your nutritional intake?  Yes.  Well face it, your pocketbook took a hit and now you should take a H.I.I.T.

What is a H.I.I.T?  A H.I.I.T is High Intensity Interval Training.  It is your body with a new explosive action.  It should and will get you the results you’ve been looking for if you are really up for the challenge and truly desire your goals!

H.I.I.T, High Intensity Interval Training, is nothing new to elite athletes around the globe.  Top performers in their respective sport have been seeking the edge on the competition.  They want the edge for speed, endurance, strength, will power…you name it and they seek it.  After years of amazement at how good these athletes are I have finally made the connection.  The same tools they use are now trickling down to mainstream gyms across the country.  One of these tools is H.I.I.T.

What is H.I.I.T all about?  Essentially H.I.I.T training involves changing the intensity (speed, resistance and/or difficulty) at which you perform your exercise session.  Let’s use the treadmill as an example.  Typically, most who train on a treadmill, whether running or walking, will train at a sustain speed/incline for a specific period of time…say 6mph, incline 2% for 30 minutes.  If these same individuals were to H.I.I.T the treadmill they would swap speed, incline and overall time with timed cycles of moderate and rapid intervals…say a cycle of 6mph, incline 2% for 2 minutes followed by a burst cycle of 8mph for 20-30 seconds, repeating this pattern for a total of 20 minutes.  This continuous exchange of speed has a sensational effect on how our bodies burn fuel and if you are looking to shed weight and fat this is of course what you are looking for…burning fuel at a quicker, more efficient rate!

No longer will you have to due cardio for hours and hours.  Why would you when you can burn as much or more in a fraction of the time with H.I.I.T training?  You wouldn’t unless you are a distance athlete.  There isn’t really any reason while more scientific studies are proving, hands down, H.I.I.T training works. 

As support continues to grow the dramatic results are noticed for people shedding unwanted weight.  They are replacing it with a stronger, leaner physique while using H.I.I.T training.  Try it for yourself and see.  If you’re training in any manner, whether cardio or resistance, throw one to two H.I.I.T sessions in a week and witness the results firsthand!  Swapping out your traditional routine with a H.I.I.T session will be challenging.  Do not be discouraged.  Your rewards for being committed are more than worthwhile!

On a parting note, H.I.I.T training combats those who use excuses such as:  no time, not enough time, can’t find the time, blah blah blah time…ect.  No more excuses for you.  It’s time to slam the gavel and close the argument.  There is always time to H.I.I.T it!

Why Getting Board With Exercise Works…
By Ambrose McKellan

No, there’s no typo within the title.  Fact is, boredom within any routine clearly signifies the routine is destined to fail over the long run.  Intentionally, board from the title was a gimmick to draw your attention to a seriously effective and core kicking exercise:  THE PLANK.

What is a plank and what does it do?  Visualize the top positioning of a standard pushup.  Got it?  This position is the high plank and is intended for beginners.  After some practice, you can challenge yourself taking the plank lower and resting on your elbows in what is called the low plank.  It is in the low plank where the core kicking benefits kick in.  With both forms, it’s critical to maintain proper form for the plank to be effective and to reduce the risk of injury.

Now, back to the board gimmick for a moment.  Generally, a board is flat and rigid.  Your plank form should look the same way.  Maintain a flat posture by lining up the backside of your head, back, glutes, and legs to form a nice, straight line.  Next create absolute rigidness throughout the body by flexing the muscles involved in the exercise; and, in the case of the plank that consists of just about everything.  Whether in a high or low plank, if you adhere and do these two simple steps you will have mastered the plank form.

Getting the form down is definitely the lesser of the two challenges planks dish out.  Now you must move onto doing the planks.  Instead of rep counts, planks are completed in timed intervals.  At first, you may only be able to hold the plank for 10-20 seconds.  It’s not a big deal if that’s the case so don’t be discouraged.  After all, planks are simple in form, but damn harder when you begin to practice them.

Press through the early stages because what awaits you at the end is so worth it.  After you’ve practice planks for a short period, as with any new thing we try, it will become easier.  Your times will begin to increase and you can begin to explore other variations of the plank that will challenge and help you strengthen the core.

Arguably, planks are the ultimate core builder in terms of developing strength.  Planks dial in all the muscles in our core section.  They don’t just discriminate on working the abs or back.  By dialing in all the muscle of our core section, our time is used more effectively and the improvement in strength is significant.  Posture, aches and pains, flexibility, mobility, speed and many other performance measures may benefit or improve by adding planks into your fitness plan.

4 Ways To Advance Your Results:
By Ambrose McKellan

1)    Adjust The Weight Used: You can accomplish this in various patterns.  You can split your days, weeks or individually sessions into heavy/light combinations.  Alternating the weight is a simple strategy that will confuse your muscles, keep you in engaged with familiar moves, and continue to push you forward toward achieving your fitness goals.

2)    Rearrange Routine’s Order: Not much different from adjusting the weights used until you actually do it.  Our bodies quickly adapt to new and different things we throw at it.  Exercise is no exception.  If you feel stalled with your current routine, switch the order and perhaps the weight used to really amp things up.  Done with the proper intensity, you should find yourself moving forward once again.

3)    Timing: 3-fold here.  First, the speed in which you perform your repetitions.  Swap the rate you complete a rep with something new…speed it up, slow it down, pausing, ect.  Next, swap the reps or timed intervals.  It’s amazing what you can learn about your true strength, both physically and mentally, with timed intervals.  Last, but not least, is the amount of recovery time you take between sets.  Depending on your goals, shorten or lengthen the time spent resting between exercises.

4)    Combination Moves: The ultimate intensity booster for everyone’s routine.  Anyone claiming their routine isn’t working, is boring or they have no time for it hasn’t completed a structured fitness routine involving combination moves.  Think squatting with an overhead should press, reverse lunges with biceps curls, or box steps with dumbbells for deadlifts.  The combos are limitless and effective.

Of course all 4 tips are useless and an utter waste of time without your commitment.  Get up and start moving.  Quit making the excuses and find a way.  After some initial suffering -kidding of course- you’ll be thankful as you see this lean, strong reflection looking your way the next time you glance into the mirror.