7 False Weight Loss Advertising Statements

Advertisements that promise you quick weight loss and body transformation success without long-term improved eating habits and regular exercise are false. Advertisers will state half-truths, misinterpret research or straight out lie to make money. Many times, lawsuits or settlements against these businesses is just a cost of doing business (after they have pocketed millions). Save your money and use long-term solutions to health, fat loss and weight loss.


Wouldn’t it be nice if, as the ads claim, you could lose weight simply by taking a pill, wearing a patch, or rubbing in a cream? Too bad claims like that are always false. Doctors, dieticians, and fitness experts agree that the best way to lose weight long-term is to eat higher quality calories and increase your physical activity and exercise.

According to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), here are the 7 most misleading claims made in weight loss ads:

1. "LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT DIET OR EXERCISE!" Achieving a healthy weight takes work. Take a pass on any product that promises miraculous results without the effort. Buy one and the only thing you’ll lose is money.

2. "LOSE WEIGHT NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU EAT OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS!" Beware of any product that claims that you can eat all you want of high-calorie foods and still lose weight. Losing weight requires sensible food choices. Filling up on healthy vegetables and fruits can make it easier to say no to fattening sweets and snacks.

3. "LOSE WEIGHT PERMANENTLY! NEVER DIET AGAIN!" Even if you’re successful in taking the weight off, permanent weight loss requires permanent lifestyle changes. Don’t trust any product that promises once-and-for-all results without ongoing maintenance.

4. "BLOCK THE ABSORPTION OF FAT, CARBS, OR CALORIES!" Doctors, dieticians, and other experts agree that there is simply no magic non-prescription pill that will allow you to block the absorption of fat, carbs, or calories. The key to curbing your craving for those " downfall foods" is portion control. Limit yourself to a smaller serving or a slimmer slice.

5. "LOSE 30 POUNDS IN 30 DAYS!" Losing weight is really all about losing body-fat and learning how to keep it off. At best, products promising lightning-fast weight loss are false. At worst, they can ruin your health.

6. "EVERYBODY WILL LOSE WEIGHT!" Your habits and health concerns are unique. There is simply no one-size-fits-all product guaranteed to work for everyone. Team up with your fitness professional to design a personalized nutrition and exercise program suited to your lifestyle and metabolism.

7. "LOSE WEIGHT WITH OUR MIRACLE DIET PATCH OR CREAM!" You’ve seen the ads for diet patches or creams that claim to melt away the pounds. Don’t believe them. There’s nothing you can wear or apply to your skin that will cause you to lose weight.

Make fitness a lifetime commitment and you will reap the health benefits. And, you will look your best!

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

7 Tips for Summer Travel Exercise to Stay Lean

My summer travel exercise tips will help you stay lean and toned during your busy summer. You can easily put on 20 pounds of fat during a 2 week summer vacation! Have fun on your vacation----and do fun exercises and workouts. Check my article on a summer beach body fat-burning workout.


Everything is looser in the summer so keeping up with exercise and eating right is a huge challenge. Since the clothes are looser, you want to look good, right? Well, take some steps to stay in shape.

While you are busy doing your travel and running around this summer, don't forget your workout schedule. You can still exercise and do everything you need to do. You just have to be a little creative.

So, here's 7 summer travel exercise tips:

1. Never skip both your Friday and Monday workouts. If you do this, you will probably go 4 full days (Fri, Sat, Sun, Monday) without working out. Four missed workout days could turn into weeks, months, summers and years!

2. Get a stability ball, medicine ball and dumbbells to do exercises anywhere, anytime.

3. Walk 30 minutes every day whether you workout or not. This keeps your fat-burning enzymes working for you.

4. Exercise at your hotel while on vacation. Most hotels have a pool and small gym. Some even have obstacle courses.

5. Don't forget to "reasonably" (at least 90% compliance) stay on your meal plan during summer travel.

6. Plan your menus and pack your food during the summer and when on vacation. You can also plan healthy meals at the restaurants you will be visiting. This will help you avoid the fast food trap and binge eating.

You know the food traps found in airport or roadside restaurants. The food choices are usually high-calorie, high-carb and high-fat. And, you know how much money you can waste at these food establishments.

Haphazard eating or grazing will skyrocket your calories and pack pounds on your body. Eat plenty of high-protein and high-fiber foods to keep your blood sugar levels more steady and to stay fuller for longer.

The simple solution is to plan and pack nutritious foods like lean meats, salad greens, nuts, fruit, yogurt, yogurt smoothies, vegetables, etc. If you drink coffee, skip the high-calorie designer coffees.

If you eat at a restaurant, skip the appetizers and breadsticks before your meal. Request that your foods not be fried, dipped in butter, etc. to keep the calories down.

Drink plenty of water. This will help you limit sugary drinks that pack on pounds and belly fat. Your body is about two-thirds water. It will help you eat less and help your body function better.

Drink about half your weight in water every day. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of water each day.

Smoothies are perfect to pack and take with you all summer. Download your FREE Smoothie book.

7. Have fun! Change up your exercise routine and include fun exercises like jump rope games, dancing, relay games and obstacle courses.

Remember that sweating has nothing to do with losing fat or weight. Sweating just cools down your body. Do your workouts.

Take care this summer, have fun and keep exercising. Take advantage of the extra daylight during the summer and stay active.

Download your FREE 10-Minute Fat Burning Workouts now and take them on the road with you. There are strength and cardio workouts in the e-book.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Her Fitness Hut
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

A Beginners Guide to Jogging

As the summer approaches, the time to get fit and lose some weight is upon us! After the indulgences of a long and miserable winter, warm weather is the perfect encouragement to get outside, get active and get fit. And what better way to achieve all of these things than with jogging.

It doesn’t require any expensive equipment and membership to use your local footpath is free. And when you’re burning over three hundred calories for every thirty minutes you spend running, in comparison to the two hundred you’ll burn playing tennis or swimming in the same amount of time, it seems like jogging is an all-round winner.

If you’re planning on using running as a regular form of exercise, but feel you’re lacking in experience or knowledge about how best to go about it, this simple advice aims to help you make the most of your running opportunities this summer.   

Planning

If you’re an inexperienced runner or you’re even unused to exercising on a regular basis, it’s a bad idea to start jogging without a structure to what you’re doing. Going for a run, without any idea of how long you’ve been out or how much distance you’ve covered will leave you with little idea of what you need to work on and what you’re actually achieving.

Eight week plans, like this one provided by About.com, are an effective way of easing yourself gently into running. The key is to alternate between time walking and time spent running. As you gain stamina and your fitness improves, your time spent running will increase until eventually you’ll be able to cover longer distances without breaking. Pushing yourself  too hard, too early, will leave you breathless and uncomfortable and make you reluctant to maintain your interest in jogging as a regular exercise.

Use a digital watch or the timer on your phone to record how long you’re running. Using a pedometer is also an effective way of tracking the distance that you’ve covered.  What’s more, varying the route you take will stop you from getting bored, though when you’re first starting out, keeping to the same route will give you a better indication of the progress you’re making. If it used to take you twenty minutes to get to the bridge near your house, but now it’s only taking you fifteen, you’ll know you’re improving!

Method

Experienced runners will tell you that everyone has a preferred way of running. For some, going for a run is a time to be alone with their thoughts and is crucial to distressing. Others prefer listening to loud music to keep them motivated.

Running doesn’t necessarily equate to isolation either. Finding a running partner will  give you some company and keep you motivated – when you think of giving up, another person urging you on can unleash a potential in you that you didn’t even realize was there. If you’re feeling intimidated about going jogging, as many people do, having a partner who’s working at the same level as you can make you feel less anxious about running outside of an environment like the gym.

Experiment with different methods and find what works best for you. 

Equipment

When you’re getting into running, don’t feel the need to rush out and spend money on all of the ‘gear.’ As a beginner, running in your standard gym wear is sufficient; when you’re really sure that running is for you, that’s the time to go out and buy a new wardrobe of ventilated sportswear.

The beauty of running to keep fit is that it works your entire body and your core muscles. But it’s common sense that when you’re pounding the pavements, your feet and your lower body are going to take the brunt of the impact.  Having some decent running shoes is the biggest expenditure when you’re starting to run, but it’s where the money needs to be spent most to prevent injury and discomfort that’s going to hinder you from making progress.

Ideally, you should look for footwear that’s both lightweight and provides enough support when you’re running. To get you started, Millet Sports stocks a full range of Nike running shoes, including the Flynit series which was the Editors Choice’ by Runner’s World in 2013, and incorporates a foam core into the design for increased support. 


Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES

Your Fitness University
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8 Tips to Stop Bad Food Cravings

by The Healthy Back Institute

Is it a bowl of chocolate fudge ice cream that gets you? A pepperoni pizza that calls your name? A large order of curly fries, jelly beans or a big bar of chocolate?

Virtually all women, and the majority of men, crave certain foods, and almost always those foods fall into the “junk” category.

Have you ever wondered why most people don’t crave a giant salad or steamed broccoli? (If only!)

High-fat and high-calorie foods actually impact your brain much like hard drugs like heroine and cocaine, overloading your brain’s “pleasure centers” and leading to addiction.[i]

Plus, processed foods are, quite literally, made to make you crave them. The food industry pours big money into researching how to make you want their foods, and this goes way beyond appealing to your taste buds.

“Scan the scientific journals, or read the food industry publications and a picture emerges of an army of chemists, physicists and even neuroscientists, all working to make sure you want a second cookie,” CBC News reported.[ii]

Processed foods aren’t created by chefs … they’re made up in kitchens that more closely resemble laboratories, the product of a team of marketers, consultants and scientists who consider things like “mouth feel,” how to blend flavors so you don’t get tired of a food too fast, and even the sound or “crunch” a food makes when you bite it (a bigger crunch is more appealing). All of this virtually guarantees that you’ll crave their products.

It’s a lot stacked against you, but you’re not powerless. The tips that follow will put you back in control and help you kill your food cravings, fast.

8 Tips To Stop Food Cravings

8. Imagine Eating It

Typically, once you eat a food your subsequent consumption of it tends to decrease, because you’ve already fulfilled your craving or need for that taste. It turns out that justimagining you’ve eaten a food has the same effect, and will lessen your desire to actually eat it.[iii]

7. Exercise

Exercising in the morning has been found to impact the way people respond to food, and actually decreases food motivation.[iv] This means that if you exercise you’ll not only burn calories but also likely have fewer food cravings (and be less likely to give in to them).

6. Chew Gum

Keep a pack of gum handy, as chewing a stick can cut down on your feelings of hunger and your cravings for foods, especially sweet foods.[v] Brushing your teeth can also help curb the cravings if you’re not a gum chewer.

5. Eat Eggs for Breakfast

Eating a protein-rich breakfast helps to satisfy your appetite and, as you might suspect, reduces not only hunger but also food cravings for the rest of the day.[vi]

4. Call a Friend …

Or do any other activity that distracts you for 30 minutes to an hour. Cravings rarely last longer than this, and by substituting eating with an absorbing activity you’ll be less likely to give in to the craving. Even waiting 10 or 15 minutes before giving in will reduce the craving, probably enough so that you can resist it.

3. Eat a Healthier Food Instead

Are you craving peanut butter ice cream? Try peanut butter on celery instead. If you want something salty, like potato chips, try a bowl of air-popped popcorn, olives or cheese and whole-grain crackers instead. Eating real food in lieu of the junk food you’re craving will satiate your appetite and may also make your initial craving disappear.

2. Substitute the Craving With Something You Want Even More

In other words, you might be craving a piece of chocolate cake at the end of your day. But if that means driving to the store to get it, you might rather soak in a bubble bath instead of getting in the car and making the trip. Or, you might really want to slim down in time for your upcoming vacation, in which case you might substitute the chocolate cake with a session of cardio.

1. Use a Spritz of ThinMist

ThinMist is scientifically formulated to reduce cravings and tame your inner Carb Monster by helping regulate your blood sugar and serotonin (‘happy hormones’). When cravings appear, ThinMist can send them packing …

by The Healthy Back Institute

References:

[i] Nat Neurosci. 2010 May;13(5):635-41.

[ii] CBC News March 7, 2013

[iii] Science. 2010 Dec 10;330(6010):1530-3.

[iv] Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012 Oct;44(10):1864-70.

[v] Study presented at Experimental Biology 2, Baton Rouge, Louisiana April 19, 2009

[vi]Obesity Volume 19, Issue 10, pages 2019–2025, October 2011

Total Body Fat Burning vs. Spot Body Fat Reduction Training

Make your fat burning and body transformation successful by burning total body fat. Never do "spot fat reduction," such as targeting abdominal fat. Spot reduction training, by itself, won't work.


The overall goal should be for you to have a healthy, lean body and not just great looking legs or abs.

Some common body fat areas that are sometimes hard to lose are: belly fat, butt/hips/thighs fat, low back fat and upper back arm fat

Any of those fat areas sound familiar? I think we all have dealt with one or more of those stubborn fat areas. Do you know what to do about it?

Tone your total body with the right training methods and you will burn more fat. In other words, "muscle up" and the fat will melt away! Make the commitment to full body strength training from now on....it will improve your body's composition and overall health (including bone density).

Build Muscle, Burn Fat and Shrink Your Total Body

Burn total body fat by doing full body strength training and eating whole, natural foods. This will help you burn dangerous belly fat. Doing 1000 ab crunches a day won't get the job done. If you want to do some extra work on your stubborn body fat areas (in addition to your regular workouts), that's okay.

Mix up your strength workouts between heavy weight sessions (3-5 repetitions per set) and lighter weight circuit training sessions (10-12 repetitions per set).

Another tactic that will work to help you burn fat is changing up your cardio workouts. Don't just do running on a treadmill or elliptical machine. You could do a different cardio workout every session to avoid boredom and repetitive stress injuries. Try these cardio workouts to blast fat:

--Bodyweight cardio
--Sprint intervals
--Jump exercise intervals

Cardio sessions of about 20 minutes will work to burn fat and save your muscle mass.

Stop Wasting Money On Silly Fitness Gadgets and Weight Loss Gimmicks That Don't Work

You don't need fitness gadgets to burn fat and lose weight. And, don't spend any more money on fat loss and weight loss pills. You don't need those supplements either. And finally, forget about quick weight loss programs. They don't work long-term and that's why they are called quick.

Your Fitness Program Should Be Tailored to Your Body

We all have a body type due to heredity and lifestyle choices. A fitness assessment is important because the personal trainer identifies your postural weaknesses and muscle imbalances. The fitness program is then tailored to fit your needs. Without this assessment, you are "shooting in the dark."

Achieving optimal muscular fitness requires flexibility, strength, endurance, power, and speed. These components should be included in an integrated training program.

Because of lifestyle habits, the dominant side of the body develops more than the non-dominant side. And, if certain patterns or muscular actions are performed repeatedly, your muscles develop more in either the front of the body or the back of the body. As a result, some muscles become tight, lengthened or weak.

An integrated training program focuses on 3-dimensional muscular balance. This will help overall strength, burn more fat, prevent injuries and enhance everyday living.

Opposing muscle groups should be in balance. Focusing more on exercises like squats, deadlifts, rows, shoulder presses and bench presses will help you do this. Using more unilateral (one-leg, one-arm) exercises also improve muscular balance. Lunges, step ups and dumbbell exercises fit this category.

For example, the quadriceps group/hamstring group should be in balance (or the quads should not be significantly stronger than the hamstrings). Research has proven that inadequate hamstring strength contributes to knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.

To avoid developing muscular imbalances or to correct muscular imbalances, you should do the following:

a) Have a postural assessment performed by a fitness professional. This assessment will indicate where your muscles are tight, weak or lengthened.

It will also indicate patterns of postural dysfunction called postural distortion patterns. Distortion patterns occur because the structural integrity of the kinetic chain (human movement system) is compromised due to the misalignment of one or more of its components.

b) Develop a comprehensive flexibility routine.

c) Strength training should focus on the total body (in all planes of motion) to burn more fat and avoid muscular imbalances.

Ready to get started?

Download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Her Fitness Hut
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

11 Tips on How to Eat Carbs

by Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN Author, Eating for Energy

First of all, carbs are not necessarily the enemy. They can actually be your best fat burning
friends – IF you use them strategically.

And, if you really want to control fat loss once and for all, it’s crucial for you to understand
the pros and cons of carb intake. Trust me, it can be a love-hate relationship.

The Pros of Carbs


1. Carbs are muscle sparing. In other words, they preserve and prevent the breakdown of lean
calorie burning muscle tissue.

2. They provide energy to the brain and the body.

3. They help spark our metabolism and keep it elevated to prevent metabolic slowdown and keep
hormones in check.

4. They stimulate insulin, which leads to a very a nabolic/muscle building environment (this is
kind of a catch 22 as you’ll read in a second).

The Cons of Carbs

5. Carbs spike insulin levels and elevate blood sugar. It’s almost impossible to burn body fat in
the presence of high insulin levels. (hence – the catch 22 above)

6. Consuming too many carbs over lengthy periods of time can lead to a lot of fat spillover, which
leads to excess fat storage. Think obesity, heart disease, diabetes, etc.

7. Carbs (especially processed carbs) are the most abused nutrient from both a health and fat
loss perspective.

8. Excess carb intake creates a lot of water retention, which leads to a soft look so it makes
you look and feel bloated.

9. Processed carbs hide nasty fillers and chemicals that can potentially lead to severe
health challenges. We call these obesity additives.

10. Additionally, processed carbs like grains contain “anti-nutrients” and gluten that can block
fat-loss and potentially cause various types of autoimmune diseases.

Now you can see why people think you can just cut out carbs to lose weight. But there’s obviously a
lot more to it because we need carbs to stay healthy and keep our metabolism happy and burning
fat.

11. Additionally, low carb diets only work for 4 to 7 days at a time before your thyroid and leptin
levels react negatively to slow metabolic rate and suppress fat burning hormones.

Now you can see the crux of carb intake. It can be a double-edged sword.

That’s why you gotta get “sneaky” and cycle your carb intake to maximize both your health and long
term fat-loss.

Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN
Eating for Energy


Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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Her Fitness Hut
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Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Increase Adrenaline and Burn Fat with Shuttle Runs

Shuttle runs increase adrenaline production and are great fat burners. Adrenaline production will break down and burn your fat stores.


Use shuttle runs to burn fat faster and really lean and tone your body.

Shuttle runs are effective fat burners because of at least three mechanisms:

1. Interval cardio - Research has proven that the benefits of anaerobic exercise (like sprint interval cardio) is superior to aerobic exercise for fat loss, fitness and heart health.

Doing these types of short burst workouts will change your hormones allowing your body to naturally regulate fat burning, appetite and moods.

Your body will release more fat from cells, use more fat as fuel during exercise and increase metabolic rate after exercise. All it takes is 20 minutes of exercise intervals.

The progression of your cardio exercise should be low-intensity aerobics to moderate/high-intensity aerobics to high-intensity anaerobic exercise.

2. Speed - Sprinting activates your bulkier, shapely fast twitch muscle fibers. These fast twitch muscle fibers lie dormant when you do slow-paced cardio sessions (hint).

Sprinting will really burn the fat on your butt, hips, thighs, hamstrings and lower legs. Fat will also be burned on your upper body. You don't have to be fast, just run as fast as you can during the shuttle.

3. Sudden changes in direction - This adds more intensity to an otherwise intense form of exercise. Shuttles will improve your dynamic balance, power and coordination.

Try this top shuttle drill in your workouts to release adrenaline and burn more fat:

Speed Shuttle Drill or 5-10-5 Cone Drill - Place three cones in a straight line, 5 yards apart. Start in a 2-point or 3-point stance at the middle cone.

Run as fast as you can to the left cone (5 yds) and touch ground with your hand, run as fast as you can to the right cone (10 yds) and touch ground with your hand and finish running through the middle cone. That's one repetition. Walk for 30 seconds between sets. Do 8-10 intervals. This is a great interval cardio workout!

Add shuttles to your exercise mix and you will start to see your body toning up faster.

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Play Soccer for Fat-Burning Interval Cardio

Playing soccer is great for interval cardio exercise. Look for different ways to do cardio to change up your routine (avoid boredom) and burn more fat.


It helps to keep exercise fun as much as possible. If you hate doing exercise, you will quit at some point. By its routine nature, cardio can become boring, so you need to mix it up.

Playing games is one of the best forms of exercise because you're focused on the game and not on the exercise (especially if you are in shape to play).

Play soccer the right way and you will get great fat burning benefits. Here are 3 tips:

1. Sprinting when you should sprint will burn major calories and fat. Research has proven that the benefits of anaerobic exercise (like sprint interval cardio) is superior to aerobic exercise for fat loss, fitness and heart health.

Sprinting activates your bulkier, shapely fast twitch muscle fibers. These fast twitch muscle fibers lie dormant when you do slow-paced cardio sessions. Sprinting will really burn the fat on your butt, hips, thighs, hamstrings and lower legs. Fat will also be burned on your upper body. You don't have to be fast, just run as fast as you can.

If you want a faster version of soccer, play in an indoor soccer league.

The progression of your cardio exercise should be low-intensity aerobics to moderate/high-intensity aerobics to high-intensity anaerobic exercise.

2. Soccer is great for developing agility (change-of-direction skills) and balance. This adds more intensity to an otherwise intense form of exercise. Soccer will improve your dynamic balance, power and coordination.

Growth hormone elevations during this type of exercise have been shown to decrease body fat.

3. You should jog (between sprints) when you play soccer. Notice I said jogging and not walking.

You could do some metabolic training to get in shape to play. Metabolic training is a popular and effective method for sports teams. You would also lessen your chances of injury. Many weekend warriors get hurt because they aren't in condition to play a sport at full speed.

Soccer requires constant running---jogging, half-effort sprints and maximum effort sprints. You could simulate an actual game by training this way.

Play soccer once or twice a week if you need a change up for cardio exercise.

Download your FREE 10-Minute Fat Burning Workouts now! There are strength and cardio workouts in the e-book.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

3 Steps to Getting Toned Beach Arms

Planning a summer vacation? Or even just spending a few days in the sunshine at the beach? Whatever your plans are this summer, it’s likely that at some point you’re going to have dig out your bikini and swimwear.

At a time of year when we practically live in vests and t-shirts, we want our upper arms to look toned and slim. 

Therefore, the time to tackle the bingo wing, the flabby flapper – however you like to refer to it - is here. Following a few pieces of simple advice will leave you self-confident, in better general health, and with toned upper arms.

Diet

When you’re fighting the fat, the best place to start is, naturally, your diet. Ditch foods with high fat and salt content, in favor of healthier options like fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds.

It’s not all about choosing the right foods. It’s equally important that you get your mind in the right place when you’re trying to shed body fat. Adopt a positive, determined attitude and you’ll succeed. That includes things like not giving in to the pressure of family and friends when you’re eating out – as much as they might try to coerce you into choosing something unhealthy with high fat and salt levels from the menu, or to join them for dessert, remain focused and go your own way.

Choosing the healthy options will leave you guilt free and firmly on track to achieving the results you want. Writing for fitnessmagazine.com, Richard Laliberte outlines a helpful top ten strategies to lose fat that will get you in the mind set that will lead you to success.

Starting to Tone Up

You’re the master of healthy eating and in control of a sensible diet. You’re losing weight and feeling great - that bathing suit is already calling out to you. But bear in mind that weight loss, especially if it’s quick, can leave you with excess skin that’s a nightmare to get rid of. 

Start your exercise regime at the same time that you embark on a fat fighting diet and you should be in great shape. Ease yourself in gently though. Don’t go straight for the big guns – you’re likely to end up hurting yourself and you’ll be less likely to get the end result that you want.

Using things from around the house or the office is a great start when you’re toning your upper arms. Starting with something lightweight, like cans or bottles of water, is a good idea to build up your exercise plan gradually. Spend fifteen minutes each day doing some light reps with a small weight and you’ll already start to see results.

A tricep kickstart – don’t panic, it’s not as complicated as it sounds – is a good step up from using cans or bags of sand to help tone your upper arms. It’s common to focus on your biceps when you’re doing reps with a weight, but this exercise will help tone the back of your arms. For a full demonstration of this exercise, carried out by fitness expert Samantha Clayton, see the following video. 

Building your core strength and toning your upper body.

As your health and fitness is improving, you’re naturally going to want to push yourself further. Getting yourself some equipment is a good move and will help you achieve great results. 

Whether your focus is purely your upper arms, or you’re interested in working your entire body, a rower is a fast and effective way of achieving the results you’re looking for. As well as working your upper arms and your shoulders, rowing will develop core muscles like your back and abs. For more information on which muscles you’ll be working on a rower, see here.

And you won’t have to commit to a monthly gym payment or the worry of feeling self-conscious as you’re working out. Rowers are smaller than most gym equipment and can be easily accommodated in the home.

Rowers are available to buy for the home from companies such Iron Company, which stock a range of rowing machines.

For UK readers, companies like Best Gym Equipment stock brands such as WaterRower, offering free UK delivery. A design like this, which uses a water wheel design as opposed to a traditional ergometer, means that the rower adjusts itself to how much effort you’re putting into your workout. The harder you work it, the harder the machine will work you! You’ll be burning calories as you tone your muscles, achieving great upper arms that you’ll be desperate to show off this summer.

Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Exposing Diet Myths

by Karen Danish, LAP

With bathing suit and vacation season fast approaching, finding and sticking to a diet is always on our minds. But which one do we choose? Whatever your goal, there is surely one out there that you hope will help you achieve it: weight loss, muscle-toner, fat-burner, abs-flattener, etc. There isn’t a miracle solution, though. Most fad diets aren’t personalized to fit each and every unique body, so we’re going to crack the myths behind some popular diet trends. From fat-free to no and low carb diets; let’s take a deeper dive into why these get-skinny-quick methods just aren’t what they seem.


Myth: Low-fat diets are good for you and will help you drop weight quick.

Fact: Dieters tend to think that if you cut out all fat, it will help them lose weight. However, a healthy diet means one third of your daily calories should come from fat. The body uses this fat for energy, tissue repair, and to transport vitamins throughout the body. There is no need to follow a fat-free diet, and could cause dieters to feel deprived and binge on high-fat foods later.

Myth: Crash dieting and fasting helps drop weight quickly.

Fact: There may be truth in this in the short term, but crash diets cause weight gain in the end. Losing weight over the long term in a healthy way burns off fat, but crash dieting burns fat but also lean muscle and tissue, causing a drop in metabolic rate. This means your body requires less calories throughout the day and can make weight gain more likely once you stop dieting.

Myth: Eating late at night is more fattening.

Fact: Many diets tell you not to eat after a certain hour of the day to prevent the body from storing food as fat. They say that the lack of activity after you eat causes weight gain at night. However, research has proven that it is more important to track calories over a 24-hour period than to start or stop eating meals at certain hours of the day. Space meals evenly throughout the day to prevent binge eating at night. This pattern will cause weight gain.

Myth: Low-fat or skim milk has less Calcium than full-fat milk.

Fact: Skimmed or semi-skimmed milk may actually have more Calcium than the full-fat variety because the Calcium is in the watery part of the milk, not the creamy part. Low-fat milk is an excellent part of a balanced diet and helps maintain a healthy weight.

Myth: Low-fat foods are the best for you.

Fact: Low-fat or fat-free foods don’t necessarily mean low-calorie. Next time you are in the grocery store, compare labels of your favorite food – the regular version and the low-fat. The caloric difference may only be slightly different, if there’s any difference at all. Plus, low-fat versions sometimes have added sugar or thickeners to enhance the flavor, which is affected by the lower fat content.

Myth: You can eat what you want as long as you exercise.

Fact: No amount of exercise can fix an unhealthy diet. A clean diet is the most important to maintaining a healthy body inside and out. Don’t give up your exercise routine, though.
Many diet trends today promise quick weight loss, but extreme diets and unhealthy exercise is unnecessary if you can work on cleaning up your diet and fitting in a little bit of exercise.

This post was written for My Fitness Hut, by Karen Danish, LAP. Karen is a licensed acupuncture physician and a valued staff member at Anne Hermann MD, PA, a Tampa Weight Loss and Nutrition Clinic

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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The New Science Behind Probiotics and Getting Lean

by Dr. Steven Sisskind

The numbers are astonishing: In spite of having about 10 trillion cells in your body, you have about 10 times more micro-organisms living in your gut.

Most of these bacteria live in your digestive tract and help break down your food, absorb vital nutrients and make key vitamins.

But in recent years, scientists and researchers have realized these bacteria do more than just help your digestion — they interact with cells that influence your energy levels and how you store fat.

Now there’s new evidence that adding more of these beneficial bacteria — in the form of probiotics — may help you lose weight and resist the storage of extra fat.^{1, 2}

Probiotics May Cut Risk of a Fat Belly

In a study from the European Association for the Study of Obesity, researchers discovered that pregnant women who took certain probiotics were far less likely to be obese or have a fat belly one year after giving birth.³

In the study, 256 women were divided into three groups:

• Group 1 received dietary advice and daily capsules of probiotics.
• Group 2 received dietary advice and received placebo pills (no probiotics).
• Group 3 was not given dietary advice but also received placebo pills.

After one year, the researchers measured the women for what they call “central obesity,” the accumulation of abdominal fat resulting in an increased waist size. This is a form of obesity that is correlated with cardiovascular disease.

The results were very interesting!

The women who took the real probiotics and not the placebo were more than 41% less likelyto be obese than the women who received the placebo pills.

That means the women taking the probiotics significantly cut their risk of being fat.

While there isn’t enough proof to call this a sure thing, there are other studies that suggest probiotics can help you slim down:

• A study from 2010, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, followed 87 people for 12 weeks as they drank fermented milk enhanced with a probiotic called Lactobacillus gasseri (LG2055). Compared to the control group, the people taking the LG2055 lost more body weight and belly fat.⁴
• An animal study published in the journal Microbiology showed that a specially-engineered probiotic had an impact on the metabolism and fat composition of mice. The authors of the study concluded that the probiotics may play a role in preventing obesity.⁵
• Another curious study published in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery followed patients recovering from gastric bypass surgery. Split into two groups, the patients who received the probiotics showed significantly greater weight loss than those who didn’t.⁶

These studies tell us that probiotics may be a viable way to help control weight gain, and could even help you get rid of some belly fat.

The number of published studies is still limited, but I’m excited by the possibilities. I’m currently exploring different strains to find the best combination for weight loss, and when I find something worth recommending, I’ll let you know in a future blog post.

Dr. Steven Sisskind 

1. Delzenne NM, et al. Interaction between obesity and the gut microbiota: relevance in nutrition. Annu Rev Nutr. 2011 Aug 21;31:15-31.

2. Diamant M, et al. Do nutrient-gut-microbiota interactions play a role in human obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes? Obes Rev. 2011 Apr;12(4):272-81.

3. European Association for the Study of Obesity (2009, May 7). Probiotics May Help Ward Off Obesity, Study In Pregnant Women Suggests..

4. Kadooka Y, et al. “Regulation of abdominal adiposity by probiotics (Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055) in adults with obese tendencies in a randomized controlled trial.” Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Jun;64(6):636-43.

5. Rosberg-Cody E, et al. “Recombinant lactobacilli expressing linoleic acid isomerase can modulate the fatty acid composition of host adipose tissue in mice.” Microbiology. 2010 Dec 22.

6. Woodard GA, et al. “Probiotics improve outcomes after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery: a prospective randomized trial.” J Gastrointest Surg. 2009 Jul;13(7):1198-204.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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5 Cross-Training Tips for Marathoners and Triathletes

Marathons and triathlons "are all the rage" right now. You need to cross-train your body to prepare for competition. Any marathon or triathlon will require that you be strong, explosive and fast at some point during the event.


Strength, speed and power training should be a part of your overall training program. Having more power and speed will give you an advantage over your competition.

If you are a competitive athlete, you should do more than run when you train. You should train like an athlete to avoid injuries and perform at a high level.

There is a certain amount of injury risk with any exercise program. Marathoners and triathletes have to be especially careful because of the intensity and endurance required in these events.

Improve your performance and decrease your risk of injury by following these 5 tips:

1) Strength training should be a big part of your training regimen. Two to 3 days a week of full body weight training will strengthen your core and overall body. A strong body and core is a prerequisite to being a good athlete.

A strong body will also help you recover faster from races and injuries. Plyometric and speed training should also be a part of your overall training program.

Speed and plyometric training increases your chances of injury. Proper warm-up is critical. You could include one day each of speed and plyometric training (not consecutive days).

Or, you could combine training types on some days such as:

--Chest press on ball, 10 repetitions
--Walk 1 minute
--Dumbbell squats, 10 repetitions
--Walk 1 minute
--Step Ups (knee high platform), 10 repetitions each leg
--Walk 1 minute
--Sprint intervals (60 yards) for 6 minutes (run sprint, walk back to start)
--Mountain climbers, fast, 30 seconds
--Walk 1 minute
--Squat jumps, fast, 30 seconds
--Walk 1 minute
--Bentover dumbbell rows, 10 repetitions
--Walk 1 minute
--Standing dumbbell shoulder press, 10 repetitions

Repeat this circuit 1 more time after 5 minute rest.

2) Mastering proper running mechanics will make you a more efficient runner and protect you against injuries. You will make a tough race or triathlon even tougher when you "fight against yourself" as you run.

It is important to practice good mechanics for swimming as well (triathletes). And, endurance and speed swim training is needed to produce good results during the event.

3) Don't over-train your body. Research shows that the lowest number of running injuries occur when you run three days a week. Each added day increases your chance of injury. Also, don't run too many miles in a week. Those who run 20 miles or less a week experience the lowest number of injuries.

4) You need rest between exercise days and walk breaks during long runs.

5) A dynamic warmup (using your muscles to warm-up your muscles) has been shown to prepare your body best for strenuous activity. A sample dynamic warm-up could be a 5-10 minute jog, prisoner squats, 1/2 speed sprints, jumps, hops, lunges, etc. Static stretches would be done after your workout.

If you feel sharp pain during any run or exercise, stop immediately and seek medical help if needed. Don't just be a runner---train and run like an athlete. That's what you are.

Train hard and safe!

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Burn Max Fat with Effective Interval Cardio

Use your interval cardio sessions to burn fat while not wasting away your muscle mass. Throw your 60-minute cardio sessions out and replace them with efficient, fat-burning sprint interval cardio workouts.


Build your lean body with less hard work. Be a smart exerciser and you will lean out your body faster.

So, here are 3 Tips to Burn More Fat with Interval Cardio:

1. Make your warm up count as a significant calorie burner. I can't tell you how many times I have seen people "goofing off" during their warmup before the workout.

One to 2 minutes for a warmup is not enough to get your body ready for the workout and if you only do static stretches for your warmup, that is not enough.

Burn more calories by using a dynamic warmup. It is better to warmup your body with a dynamic exercise such as running or jumping rope to warm your muscles and get the blood flowing. Do your static stretches after the workout to bring your muscles back to normal length.

2. When it comes to burning fat and losing weight, there is a very effective cardio workout that you can do regularly.

Here it is:

Run sprints for 20 minutes. That's it! Running outside is even better because you fight against gravity, ground forces and the elements (usually wind) with no help from a cardio machine. Here is how it works:

Run a sprint for at least 50 yards, walk back and do it again. Do this for 20 minutes. You can probably get in 8-10 sprints. And then you're done!

This workout burns fat and sculpts your body. Its that simple....try it. If it gets too easy, start doing your workout on a hill incline.

3. Good running mechanics will help you do your cardio with better efficiency. If your running mechanics are bad, you make a tough workout even tougher.

Read my post about running mechanics to see a full discussion on the topic.

You are headed for many injuries of the foot, ankle, knee and hip with bad running mechanics. Shin splints is a common running injury caused by over-striding. You are also slowing yourself down (braking) when you land heel-first.

Two of the most common arm position running mistakes are these:

a) You have little or no use of the arm swing while running. You should use your arms to help you run faster. Pumping your arms fast will help you run faster and more efficient. Also, when you get fatigued, a fast arm pump can help propel you to the finish.

b) Your arms are swinging across the body (flailing side to side). If you are running straight ahead, you will definitely be slowed down by swinging your arms across your body (fighting against yourself).

Use the shoulders (and not the elbows) to pump the arms as fast as possible. The hands should be relaxed in unballed fists with the front hand rising up to about nose level and the back hand passing the buttocks. Move each arm as one piece (straight up and down) with the elbow bent at 90 degrees.

Remember these tips the next time you're doing your interval cardio.

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!


Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Eat These SPECIFIC Veggies To Burn Fat This Weekend

by Kevin DiDonato, MS, CSCS, CES

Now, when it comes to weight loss, you do everything in your power to avoid certain foods, sugar, alcohol, and “diet” anything.

And this may lead you to losing weight, keeping it off, and maintaining your weight loss for months or years to come.

Most people have their staples from the list below, but if you notice, there is ONE food group that is always on your plate: vegetables.

And for good reason!Veggies are a low-calorie, low-fat food that is packed full of vitamins, minerals, water, and FIBER which are vital nutrients for any fat loss program.

But, although ALL vegetables are GREAT to include on any weight loss plan, there may be some that shouldn’t be consumed ALL the time.

Download your Free Report, "What to Never Eat After You Workout!" Fuel your body all day to give you better results during and after workouts.

The reason: their glycemic index may be too HIGH!

Glycemic index is a scale for foods that determines - when you eat a particular food - how fast the sugar will rise in your blood.

For example, a food that has a glycemic index of over 80, may result in a sharp and fast increase in your blood sugar; then your body will produce insulin to take care of all the excess sugar.

Now, the problem with this is pretty simple: The more insulin and excess sugar you have, the more likely it could lead to it being stored as fat!

And, the more you are exposed to conditions like this (high blood sugar and high insulin levels) the more likely you may become insulin resistant or even diabetic.So here is a list of foods that you should consume – BUT IN MODERATION – if you are healthy and free of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome:

• Potatoes (yes they are good for you)

• Corn

• Carrots

• Peas

• Some types of squash (winter ones)

• Parsnips

Now, don’t get me wrong, all the vegetables on this list may provide benefits to your health.

They all have essential vitamins, minerals, and in some cases, antioxidants…

But they may also contain high levels of sugar and they may all be foods higher on the glycemic index.

Now, if you don’t suffer from diabetes or other conditions, such as metabolic syndrome, then consuming these foods in moderation may be a great way to round out and boost your nutrition.

For those who do, these would be best avoided, or limited, due to the way they are processed by your body.

But don’t worry, the next list contains foods that are LOW on the glycemic index and could provide your body with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients your body needs for both weight loss and overall better health.

Here’s that list:

• Parsley

• Celery (some say celery is good for boosting T-levels in men)• Collard greens

• Spinach (if you have gout, keep this one in moderation due to high purine levels)

• Swiss chard

• Brussels Sprouts

• Broccoli

• Cabbage

• Cauliflower

So what makes these foods so special?

Well, just like the others, these veggies are loaded with vitamins and minerals your body needs for optimal health.

And, they are low in calories and fat and full of fiber, making them an ideal food for weight loss, or for people looking to watch their calories but increase their fiber intake.

Now, the most important part, they all have a much lower glycemic index, which is perfect for maintaining blood sugar control, therefore better insulin control.

Simply put: You may avoid the peaks and valleys associated with high blood sugar levels – which may drop to levels below normal levels – therefore keeping your energy up.

But what’s more important?  They are PERFECT for weight loss!

Your Next Steps

If you’re looking for the best way to improve both health AND fat loss, then you should look no further than the foods you are eating.

Vegetables, which are all low in calories and fat, may be perfect additions to any meal or snack for added calories and the essential nutrients your body needs for optimal functioning.

However, you do need to be concerned about some of the veggies, since they are higher on the glycemic index than others.

Keeping those foods in moderation may prevent you from storing excess sugar as fat in your body.

Looking for foods that fall lower on the glycemic index may lead to greater fat loss, plus still provide your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs for optimal functioning.

WARNING: DO NOT Take Another Weight Loss Pill Until You Read This >>

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES

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The Best Homemade Protein Bars

Save your money buying fat-filled protein bars. Make your own protein bars that will help you build muscle and burn fat.

Check out this video:

Protein bars are great snacks, if you eat the right ones.  Forget about the 100-calorie snack packs and sugary treats for snacks. They leave you unsatisfied, under-nourished and wanting to eat even more.

Eat the wrong snacks and it could blow a hole through your fat burning and weight loss goals. Empty calories leave you, well, empty and looking for your next meal too soon.

You could be gaining weight because of your snacks between meals. It doesn't have to be that way.

What you eat for snacks can mean the difference between out-of-control weight gain or weight loss management/fat loss.

Snacks bridge the gap between meals and can help you eat less at regular mealtime.

Going too long between meals can cause you to load up on sugary carbohydrates to get quick energy. These types of snacks are usually high in calories, not very nutritious and cause rapid ups and downs in blood sugar levels.

Up your protein intake!


Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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