3 Flexibility Tips to Improve Workout Strength and Performance

You need to do more than jog for 5 minutes when getting ready for your workout. Most people will have muscle areas that are tighter because of the way they live. An example would be tight hip flexors, which is common with people who sit for most of the day (thanks to technology).

1. Gone are the days when static stretching before workouts was commonly accepted as the best method. Current research suggests that a dynamic stretching routine will prepare your body better for your workout and prevent injuries.

Having said that, static stretching between strength workout sets will help improve your strength performance on the next set.

Summary of Benefits of Flexibility Training:

--Corrects muscle imbalances
--Increases joint range of motion
--relieves joint stress
--decreases excessive tension of muscles
--maintains the normal functional length of all muscles
--helps to achieve optimum neuromuscular efficiency

2. A dynamic stretching routine will excite your central nervous system and juice up your muscles. Dynamic flexibility integrates various stretches in all three planes of motion to produce maximum extensibility of soft tissues throughout the full range of motion. You are using your muscles to warm up your muscles.

An example of a dynamic warmup would be:

--Jump Rope, 3-5 minutes
--Body Weight Squats, 3 sets/8 reps
--Walking Lunges 2 sets
--Lateral Lunges, 2 sets
--Leg Swings
--10-15 Pushups

3. End each workout with static stretching to bring your muscles back to normal length and to help recovery for your next workout:

--Gastroc/Soleus (calf)
--Peroneals
--Hamstrings
--Hip Flexors/Quads/Psoas
--Erector Spinae
--Piriformis
--Adductors
--Lats, Pectorals, Neck

Enjoy your workout today!

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

Top Inexpensive Weight Loss Ingredient

by Steven Sisskind, MD

A recent study performed by Brenda Davey, Ph.D., of Virginia Tech University finally demonstrated what many people have been saying for years…

There is a virtually free ingredient that can accelerate fat loss.

And surprisingly, the benefit far exceeded expectations.

In a randomized, controlled intervention trial, 48 adults were divided into two groups. One group consumed two units of this ingredient prior to their meals. The other did not.

All of the subjects ate a low calorie diet during the study.

Over the course of 12 weeks, the group that consumed this ingredient lost 44% more weight than the group that did not.¹

Want to Know What This “Magic Ingredient” Is?

I bet you do!

The answer is… WATER… Pure H2O!!!

Just two cups of water before every meal increased weight loss dramatically.

How is that for a low cost weight loss solution?

Researchers are not sure why the results are so pronounced, but their best guess is that drinking water before meals leads to less calories consumed per meal.

I will admit that I am a bit surprised at how dramatic the results are… but the data is clear and convincing.

One thing to note is that the two groups were both consuming low calorie diets. I doubt you can use this technique and lose any weight by eating unhealthy, high calorie meals… so it is NOT a panacea.

Also, preliminary research indicates that the results are more pronounced in older adults than in people in their teens and early 20’s.

I would say this could be a healthy habit at any age — but if you are a mature adult it appears that drinking water before meals is a very smart addition to your current efforts to stay healthy and slim.

Action Steps and Final Thoughts

1) Keep a 16oz water bottle with you at all times. It makes sense that if you keep water with you, you’re more likely to drink it. On the other hand, if you get hungry and water is not close by, chances are you’ll just start your meal without it and miss this powerful weight loss opportunity.

2) If you go out, ask your waiter for two glasses of water upon arrival. Or if you get take out, order a 16 oz bottle of water with your meal and drink it before you begin eating. Over time, this will become habitual and second nature to you.

Last thing… Before we wrap this up, I’d love to hear any thoughts or questions you have on this subject.

Do you struggle to drink enough water? Have you discovered a tip or trick that makes drinking enough water, especially before meals, any easier?

by Steven Sisskind, MD

Change Your Mind, Change Your Body

You may need to change your mind to a positive attitude to start making progress to reach your fat loss and weight loss goals. An "I can and I will attitude" will lead you to success in changing your body.

The road to fitness and health can be full of setbacks and disappointments along the way.

You may need to change your attitude about weight loss in general. You have to burn fat if you want to drop pant or dress sizes for good. If you just lose weight, you will probably regain the weight because you haven’t changed your body’s composition (burn fat, build muscle) to lean and toned.

Even if you leaned out your body with hard work and clean eating, you have to keep it going. You will stay lean and toned with more hard work and good nutrition. Even though muscle never changes to fat, you can lose muscle mass and the fat cells will fill up even more (if you become inactive for too long).

It will help if you get your motivation right while setting realistic goals. And, be ready to make adjustments to your workout and eating habits. Most of all, be ready to make the commitment to a lifestyle of fitness.

How's your attitude and self-talk these days?

Dr. Kevin Elko, an expert in Cognitive Behavioral Psychology (CBP), states it this way:

“Those are real fancy words (CBP) that mean I learned how to help change the way people conduct conversations with themselves. Changing the way you talk to yourself can totally revolutionize your life, but learning to do it
can take some time and guidance.”

How badly do you want to achieve good health and a lean body?

Dr. David McClelland and his associates at Harvard University studied achievement motivation for over 20 years. They concluded that achievement motivated people have certain characteristics in common:

1. The capacity to set high (stretching) personal but obtainable goals.

2. The concern for personal achievement rather than the rewards of success.

3. The desire for job-relevant feedback (how well am I doing?) rather than for attitudinal feedback (how well do you like me?).

In my personal experience with clients, I find that those who embrace the process of transforming their bodies are ultimately successful. They get it done no matter how long it takes. And, they apply the feedback that I give them
without feeling as though they are failures.

Other types of motivation include:

1. Amotivation - You don't really have a reason to work out. Working out just happens to be the "flavor of month (January!!)" for you. Your workouts won't last long.

2. External Regulation - You're motivated to workout because other people like the way you look when you're in shape, but no internal motivation exist. How long do you think you'll be able to please people? Then what will motivate you?

3. Introjected Regulation - You feel bad about yourself when you don't workout. This is a type of motivation, but its based on negative motivations.

4. Identified Regulation - You workout because its good for your health and lifestyle. This is a very positive behavior and will lead to permanent lifestyle changes.

5. Intrinsic Motivation - You workout because you enjoy it! Probably the best motivation of all.

In my opinion, a combination of the motivations listed in numbers 3 through 5 lead to permanent lifestyle changes (with heavier weight attached to numbers 4 and 5) and help you achieve your long-term goals. You will have to persevere to change your body.

Be positive, stay strong and work hard to reach your goals!

If you need Motivation and Accurate Information to make your best body.......

Be sure and download your FREE 7-Day Body Makeover Jumpstart e-Course, which shows you how to totally remake your body a healthy and lean fat-burning machine!

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

12 Health Benefits of Swimming

Add swimming to your list of exercise routines to keep your body from adapting to the "same old workout." A combination of strength training, running cardio, swimming and jump training will help you burn more fat and reduce risks of repetitive stress injuries. It also keeps exercise interesting and fresh.

swimming spa

If you need bodyweight workouts that you can start at your own level, check out the Free download below (it has beginner, intermediate and advanced levels):

Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts. 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

Are Your Genes Causing Weight Gain?

While its true that we inherit certain body types, don't blame genetics if you're overweight or obese. If your jeans don't fit anymore, don't blame your genes. Ultimately, your body weight will depend on how much you eat and how much you exercise (including an active lifestyle), not your genetics. Hard, smart exercise and a good meal plan can overcome genetics!

If you consistently eat more calories than you burn (caloric surplus), you will consistently gain weight and add on body fat, no matter what your genetics may be. If you are active and exercise regularly (especially strength training), it will help you burn more calories. It will also keep your metabolism "humming along." Part of being active is to walk as much as you can every day.

You need to know how many calories you need each day to reach your fat burning goals. Use your basal metabolic rate, your activity level and your goals to set your daily calorie intake. You must maintain a caloric deficit on most days in order to lose weight and burn fat. If you exercise regularly, it will be easier for you to achieve your caloric deficit.

Having said that, you must eat enough or your body will shift into starvation mode and begin to store fat. For example, if you eat 1,000 calories a day for too long (like 1-2 weeks), your body will shift to starvation mode....1,000 calories a day is not enough food to even support your basal metabolic rate.

A caloric deficit of 300-500 calories for 5-6 days in a week will help you burn fat. You can take 1-2 days in the week and be in caloric surplus of 300-500 calories and still be okay for the week.

It also matters what you eat. Eating whole, natural foods is not the same as eating processed foods and sugary foods, which promote belly fat. All calories are not equal. Start a healthy meal plan filled with whole, natural foods. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts and low-fat diary products fit the bill. Severely limit sugars, fast foods, processed foods and foods in a box or bag.

Keep a food journal. Research has proven that you will have a better chance of succeeding with your meal plan and fat loss if you keep a food journal. By logging your actual food choices, you are holding yourself accountable throughout the day. You will also plan your meals better. It will also help protect you from binge eating and emotional eating if you write down why you eat what you eat. and do the things necessary to change your body composition. You don't need to strictly count calories but you need a good idea of how much to eat.

Start changing your body today with the program below....

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

Why Do Strength Training and Yoga Combo?

Combining strength training and yoga can have fat loss, mental and emotional benefits which get you closer to total wellness. Its not enough to only be physically strong. If you've been thinking about taking a yoga class, go right ahead. You should learn to do yoga correctly to get maximum benefits.

According to a study commissioned by the American College of Sports Medicine, combining yoga and strength training helps you with anxiety, tension, energy and fatigue. Strength training improved muscle mass, fat burning, bone density, metabolic health and produced positive moods. Yoga provided the most benefits with anxiety reduction and calmness.

Personally, I don't practice yoga. But, I am for any activity that promotes health and fitness. If you're looking for ways to enhance your fitness and well-being, disciplines such as yoga is a great alternative.

Yoga also has strength benefits, especially in how it improves core strength and flexibility. There are many different disciplines of yoga so it is important to find the particular one that best suits you.

Flexibility training is under-rated as a tool for injury prevention. Stretching your soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons) will allow the full range of motion of your joints (in all 3 planes of motion).

Some benefits of improved flexibility:

1. Flexibility training corrects muscle imbalances, increases joint range of motion, relieves joint stress, decreases excessive tension of muscles, maintains the normal length of all muscles and helps your body to function efficiently. This will help you workout harder without getting injured. Its also important to stretch your muscles between weight training sets.

2. You should incorporate static stretching and dynamic stretching into your workout routine.

With dynamic stretching, you use your muscles to warm up your muscles with exercises like bodyweight squats, lunges and jump rope. Research suggests that dynamic stretching prepares your body best for your workout. Static stretches require little movement and a hold for 20-30 seconds. Examples of static stretches are the standing quadriceps stretch and the piriformis stretch. Static stretches should be done after your workout to bring your muscles back to normal length.

3. Use self myofascial release with foam rolls (SMRF) in your flexibility routine. It is a form of self massage and you can do it anywhere, anytime.

4. Also, use other massage techniques, such as deep tissue massage, to help relax your body and muscles.

5. If you are in rehab for an injury, flexibility is critical. You should rehabilitate the injured area as follows: a) restore the range of motion, b) restore flexibility and strength of the injured area and c) regain balance lost because of the injury.

6. There are also flexibility tests that you should have done such as the sit and reach test. It measures the flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings. You will want to avoid painful, nagging low back and hamstring injuries.

There are many methods to use to improve your body's fat loss and composition. Use them!

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

Burn Belly Fat with Ab Ball Curl Up

The ab ball curl up is a good core exercise if done correctly. Your rectus abdominis (6-pack part of your abs) and obliques should do most of the work. It will help you burn belly fat.




Lie on your back on the ball, knees bent about 90 degrees, hands behind head and feet flat on the floor.

Lie on the ball so that your back hugs the ball. Your shoulders and neck shouldn't assist your abdominals during the movement.

The movement should be slow. Curl up and bring your chin towards your chest (to about 45 degrees). Curl up through the upper back and not the neck. Brace your abs during the movement (as if someone is going to punch you in the gut). Keep your ears and shoulders in alignment. DON'T ROUND YOUR LOWER BACK WHEN LIFTING YOUR TORSO!

Use your abdominals to curl your upper back up. Don't move any other body part and keep your arms, shoulders, neck and legs relaxed as the abs pull you up. Your head and arms should curl up with your shoulders.

Don't tilt your pelvis or pull with your thighs to lift your upper body. Hold for 2-3 seconds and return slowly to the starting position.

Use your abdominals to lower your upper back. Don't move your head or arms as you return to the start position.

If you need bodyweight workouts that you can start at your own level, check out the Free download below (it has beginner, intermediate and advanced levels):

Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts. 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

#1 Reason to Start Exercising Again

Start exercising again today! Why? Because you are worth the time and effort it takes to build the best lean, healthy body you can! There is no better reason and its one that will help you stay committed to regular exercise and better eating habits.

The best thing about fitness is that you can start at any time.....you can't blame it on the economy because you don't need money to start...you don't need a health club membership....you just need you, a determined attitude and some expert guidance.

But, you have to get started. There's no good reason not to start now. What will be different next week or month? Just get started already....even if its just a brisk 30 minute walk. Here is a good tactic that I use all the time: exercise at the location where you are currently. Fit in 15-20 minutes of exercise while waiting for your kid's practice to finish.

Take advantage of "DEAD TIME" during your day and exercise. Twenty minutes of exercise here and 20 minutes of exercise there works. Walk during work breaks or part of your lunch hour. There are opportunities to stay active every day. Just look for them.

And, start eating better today....try a bowl of oatmeal, an apple and some brewed green tea for breakfast. Start throwing out all the unhealthy foods in your pantry and replace them with whole, natural foods. You will eat what is in your house. Its that simple.

Start a good exercise habit today!

If you need Motivation and Accurate Information to make your best body.......

Be sure and download your FREE 7-Day Body Makeover Jumpstart e-Course, which shows you how to totally remake your body a healthy and lean fat-burning machine!

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

3 Probiotics Tips for Brain and Body Health

by Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS, MFT 

Probiotics, or beneficial bacteria, are most commonly regarded as a digestive aid that can enhance your gastrointestinal tract.

However, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the ‘terrain’ in your gut impacts far more than whether your food is digested properly, with its health impacting far-reaching areas of your body, from your immune system and skin to, researchers have recently revealed, your brain.

Eating Probiotics Influences Your Brain Function

Inherently you’re probably aware that your brain and your gut do share some connections. For instance, have you ever lost your appetite or suffered indigestion during an emotional argument, or gotten ‘butterflies’ in your stomach when you felt nervous? These are examples of the mind-body connection at its most basic level. It’s long been known that your brain actually sends signals to your gut, but what is now being confirmed is that the relationship works both ways, meaning that your gut sends signals to your brain as well.

In the latest research conducted by UCLA scientists, women who regularly ate beneficial bacteria via yogurt had altered brain function, with the probiotics appearing to influence multiple areas of the brain, including those involved in sensory processing, cognition and emotion.[i] The study’s lead researcher noted:

“Our findings indicate that some of the contents of yogurt may actually change the way our brain responds to the environment. When we consider the implications of this work, the old sayings ‘you are what you eat’ and ‘gut feelings’ take on new meaning.

… Time and time again, we hear from patients that they never felt depressed or anxious until they started experiencing problems with their gut. Our study shows that the gut-brain connection is a two-way street.”

Probiotics Linked To Less Anxiety, Depression And Better Mood

The latter study isn’t the first to show a strong connection between the bacteria in your gut and your brain. Probiotics have also been shown to normalize anxiety-like behavior in mice,[ii] as well as influence GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter in your brain. By activating GABA, which has a calming effect, as well as lowering stress hormones like corticosterone, probiotics have been found to potentially improve both anxiety and depression.[iii]

At the same time, mice that lack gut bacteria have been found to engage in anxiety-like behavior, and the absence of intestinal microbiota was also found to induce neurochemical changes in the brain.[iv]

As the research continues to unfold, it’s becoming undeniable that the health of your gut is intricately tied to your whole-body health as well, including that of your mind. Fortunately, this is one of the easiest strategies to embrace to get healthier (and perhaps give your brain and mood a boost at the same time) …

Enhancing Your Body’s Beneficial Bacteria Is Easy!

Most of us could use a bit of help in the probiotics department because we live in an era where our body’s beneficial bacteria are constantly under attack. Antibiotics, chlorinated water, and eating excess sugar are just three examples of factors that can seriously compromise the probiotics in your gut; there are far more.

At the same time as our good bacteria are being assaulted, most of us do little by way of replacement. You may eat a yogurt here and there, but unless you’re consuming decent quantities of traditionally fermented foods (such as homemade sauerkraut or kefir) daily, you’re most likely not replenishing your body’s supply.

Probiotic supplements are, fortunately, widely available, although there are key traits you should look for to find an effective brand. After much research, we chose Danisco®Probiotic Blend, which contains both bifidobacterium and acidophilus made by one of the most trusted companies in the field, to be a part of our 30-day colon flush and revitalization program, Natural Cleanse.

This patented blend of essential probiotics has been clinically proven to improve digestive function, and when combined with the other herbal remedies in Natural Cleanse – like milk thistle extract, buckthorn bark, rhubarb root and cloves – it will help to flush your colon clear of toxic build-up while soothing inflammation of your GI tract and replenishing the good bacteria in your gut to rebalance your vital gut microflora.

You get the benefits of the best probiotics combined with centuries of traditional healing wisdom designed to gently release and flush impacted fecal matter from your colon while at the same time revitalizing and tonifying your colon. If you want to get the brain and body benefits that probiotics have to offer, … try Natural Cleanse risk-free for 90 days now.

---

[i] Gastroenterology. 2013 Jun;144(7):1394-1401.e4.

[ii] Neurogastroenterology and Motility December 2011; 23(12): 1132-1139

[iii] Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2011 Sep 20;108(38):16050-5.

[iv] Neurogastroenterology & Motility March 2011, Volume 23, Issue 3, pages 255–e119

5 Dumbbell Workout Fat Burning Tricks

You can burn major fat using a pair of dumbbells. Be prepared to go beyond using 5 and 10 pound dumbbells to make progress and start shaping your body better and faster!

I hear this phrase often, "I don't have any equipment to workout with." My answer is always the same--"you don't need much equipment to workout." You can do bodyweight exercises, run outside, jump rope or do calisthenics for your cardio and do dumbbell strength exercises.

5 Dumbbell Workout Tricks to Torch Body Fat

1. Dumbbell workouts are superior to lifting weights on machines. Dumbbells allow you to use "natural body motion" as you perform the exercise. You can also perform dumbbell exercises in any plane of motion. You will burn more fat by doing multi-planar exercises.

An example of a multi-planar exercise is clock (or 3-D) lunges.

Machines and even barbells (sometimes) restrict natural movement. Machines typically use the sagittal plane of motion. Daily human movement uses all three planes of motion (sagittal, frontal, transverse).

2. Dumbbells allow you to train one-limb-at-a-time (unilateral training). Therefore, each arm and leg will do "its share" of the work.

Also, if one arm or leg is stronger than the other, dumbbell work can correct the strength imbalance. Unilateral training challenges the core more than bilateral training. Unilateral exercises are more intense than bilateral exercises so they help you burn more fat.

Ramp up the intensity of your workout, burn more fat and shape your body. The more intense your workout, the more fat you will burn. Quality workouts, and not time spent, are the key to fat loss and weight loss success.

3. Along the same lines, dumbbell exercises improve your dynamic balance since weaker muscles "catch up" with the stronger ones.

This helps you to do more challenging exercises such as single leg dumbbell deadlifts to improve your strength. This will also challenge your nervous system more. Dumbbell workouts allow you to be more creative with your exercises such as doing a squat-to curl-to press movement.

4. You can do a dumbbell workout anywhere which can be a big timesaver. Dumbbells are good for doing short burst workouts.

Short burst workouts, such as circuit dumbbell training have these advantages over the low-to-moderate intensity workouts: a) more release of fat from cells, b) more fat used as fuel during exercise and c) increased metabolic rate after exercise. All it takes is 20-30 minutes of workout time. And, adding high speed dumbbell exercises to any circuit will improve fat burning.

5. Finally, high repetition dumbbell workouts are effective fat burners. For example, I will sometimes do a workout of 5 sets of 10 repetitions of each exercise like: squats, rows, shoulder presses and chest presses. Rest 30 seconds between exercises. Do the circuit 2-3 times. You would need to use dumbbells heavy enough to make doing 10 repetitions very difficult.

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

Measure Summer Body Fat and Burn It Off

How's your body fat looking this summer? When's the last time you checked your body fat percentage? Don't just weigh yourself without checking your body fat (at least once a week). Your long-term goal should be to shape your body leaner and healthier. You should have less body fat than you did last week, last month, etc.

You want to have fun working out but I'm sure you want to look in the mirror and see your body changing. It feels great when the tape measures less inches on your butt, hips, legs, arms, chest and neck. This happens when your workouts are effective and your changed eating habits are working.

One of the best ways to change your body's composition is to add intensity to your workouts. Excess 60-minute cardio sessions won't lean out your body but they will waste away your muscles (and your muscle tone).

Research confirms that exercising at a fast or explosive pace (short bursts) will shape and sculpt your body better because these types of exercises activate your bulkier, shapely fast twitch muscle fibers (think butt, hips, thighs, etc.).

Some of you can break through your fat loss and weight loss plateau by varying your workouts. If you have been doing the same workout for 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year or 5 years, your progress has probably stalled.

Your body has the amazing ability to adapt to your workouts and bring your fat loss and weight loss progress to a grinding halt. You MUST be willing to vary your workout routine every 2-3 weeks to keep your body guessing. Actually, you could vary your workout every workout session in different ways (like changing intensity).

Here are 7 top tips to burn more fat and shape your body:

1. Do different strength exercises to target the same muscle groups. This change is pretty simple. For example, do chest press on the ball instead of bench press.

Change up your weight training routine. For instance, you could do superset training instead of regular circuit training.

2. Shorten your long, boring cardio sessions. A 20-minute interval cardio session will give you more fat-burning and heart-health benefits than a slower 60-minute cardio session.

3. Add more plyometric exercises (jump training) to your workouts. Plyometric exercises are very intense and effective. Examples would be squat jumps and lateral cone hops. You should perfect jumping and landing techniques or you will injure yourself. And, if you have knee and low back problems, high-speed jump training is not for you.


4. Metabolic circuit training is an advanced form of high intensity exercise (strength circuits and interval cardio circuits). Metabolic circuit training is a popular and effective method for sports teams. If you play on a rec league basketball, soccer or flag football team, metabolic circuit training would be ideal. 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.

Many sports such as football, basketball and soccer require different levels of strength, speed and power. For example, soccer requires constant running---jogging, half-effort sprints and maximum effort sprints. Football requires short bursts of power, sprints, jogs back to the huddle and endurance. Football also requires relative strength, which is the strength level per unit of bodyweight. Basketball requires repeated sprints, jumps and sub-maximal effort runs and cuts during the game.

For example, you could time your workout intervals based on a quarter of the sport you will play.

5. Do more bodyweight cardio workouts. Choose 4 or 5 exercises such as lunges, pullups, pushups, inverted rows and squat jumps and get busy for 20 minutes! These workouts give you a dual strength and cardio benefit. Bodyweight workouts are great fat burners.


6. Do two separate workouts on the same day. For example, do a 25-minute workout in the morning and evening instead of a 1 hour workout. Research proves that doing a second workout during the day (even a short one) keeps growth hormone levels high throughout the day. This will give you even more body fat burning.

7. Jump rope for at least 10 minutes every day (if your knees and back allow). A 10 minute jump rope warm-up before your workout always gets the job done. Actually, a 20-minute interval jump roping session is one of the best fat-burners and body-sculptors available. Try it for cardio at least once a week.

Start shaping your body the way you want and need it to be!

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

5 Reasons to Eat a Raw Food Diet

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

If you’re reading this article, you may be wondering about the benefits of a raw food diet, right? Well, the benefits of eating more raw foods are numerous and once you understand them you’ll probably wonder why you haven’t eaten more raw in the past. You’ll also think twice about eating dead cooked foods ever again.

Raw Foods Give You More Energy

I don’t think I know of a single person who eats at least 80% raw foods who doesn’t enjoy far more energy than the average person. I know that when I transitioned away from eating a diet made up of breads, dairy, and cooked foods, and adopted more of a raw foods diet, my energy went through the roof. And I’m not talking about the quick surge you would get from an espresso but rather long-lasting energy that enables you to do more with less.

For instance, eating raw will allow you to sleep less and have far more energy than you ever thought possible. When I’m eating at least 80% raw, I can easily function on just 4-5 hours of sleep. I literally bounce out of bed and don’t require any naps throughout the day. Oh yeah, did I mention that I workout every single day as well? Sometimes, even twice!

Energizing Enzymes

There are several reasons why a raw food diet will give you more energy. First, raw foods are rich in food enzymes. Enzymes are required for every single reaction in the body. Unfortunately, our bodies only have a finite number of these enzymes, so when we run out, we run out of life! To add to this, when you heat foods above 118 degrees fahrenheit, you destroy the food enzymes that are naturally present in all raw foods. Therefore, if you eat a predominantly cooked foods diet, you’re not getting enough food enzymes, which means that your body will have to produce and use more of its own to digest and metabolize your foods.

The more energy your body needs to divert towards digestion, the less energy you will have for other activities. You will feel more lethargic and tired as your body is trying to breakdown “dead” foods and figure out what to do with them.

So, the food enzymes inherent in raw foods are a big reason for boosting your body’s energy. They are the spark plugs and are intricately related to the next property that make raw foods so energy-boosting.

Life Force

When raw foods are left intact, they are also known as living foods. They are called “living” because they carry an incredible amount of life force.

Now, since every living being has an aura or energy field illuminating from their body, which foods do you think would enhance yours? High energy raw foods or cooked foods that dead? I think we both know the answer.

As I like to say, “eat alive and you will thrive”.

Weight Loss and Beautiful Skin

The other highly sought-after quality of a raw foods diet is its ability to help you lose weight and beautify your skin. Almost all raw foodists have reported losing weight they could never lose. At the same time, they notice an instant improvement in their skin. They look younger and have a natural glow that comes about because of the “living” nature of raw foods, their abundance of enzymes, and of course the plethora of nutrients that are ingested when eating more fruits and vegetables.

You will find it easier to lose weight on a raw food diet because your getting more nutrients and, therefore, your body won’t crave “dead” foods. Second, the enzymes help to breakdown the foods you are eating and excess energy and fat stores in your body. Third, raw foods are water-rich, which helps you feel more satiated, as well as hydrated.

Many of these reasons also help us explain why living foods make you look younger and beautify your skin. Enzymes, life force, water, and high quality nutrients all play a role in natural skin care.

We could talk about the benefits of a raw food diet for hours but the only to truly understand them is to experience them for yourself. So why not take action today and enjoy the health, the body, and the vitality that you deserve!

Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN
Eating for Energy


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

7 Kickboxing and MMA Exercises to Burn Fat and Shape Up

Try kickboxing and MMA exercises to burn more body fat, "lean out" your body and ramp up your workouts! Many of you are looking for a more challenging workout this summer. I recommend kickboxing if your body is ready for the intensity.

Its important to do a dynamic flexibility warmup prior to starting a kickboxing workout. If you don't, you will injure yourself. Kickboxing workouts are "high-risk," "high reward." A good dynamic warmup could include jumping rope, running, various jumps, kicks, bodyweight squats, hip turns and hip swings.

A good kickboxing workout definitely targets your full body and that is why it burns so many calories and body fat. Some specific benefits:

a. core strength work
b. improved dynamic balance and coordination
c. skills learned for self defense
d. strengthening of bones, joints, ligaments and tendons
e. good change up from your regular workout routine
f. more fun working out
g. convenience - do this workout anywhere, anytime

It is a high intensity workout so all you need is 20-30 minutes of work.

Here are 7 good kickboxing exercises to torch body fat and shape your body:

Warm up with the jump rope (2 minutes), medicine ball throws (2 minutes) and leg swings (2 minutes). Do each exercise for 1 minute. Rest 30 seconds between exercises. Rest 3 minutes between circuits. Do the circuit 2-3 times.

The workout order: front kicks, jabs, side kicks, hooks, roundhouse kicks, upper cuts, straight rights/lefts

Kicking exercises to work your body in all planes of motion:

1. Side kicks (pictured above). This exercise works the frontal plane of motion which includes side-to-side motions, hip abductions and adductions (think side lunge steps, standing leg side raises and side shuffles).

2. Front kicks. Sagittal plane includes up and down and front to back motions. Examples include walking, running, bicep curls, leg curls and seated back rows. Traditional training techniques (such as training with machine weights) have focused on the sagittal plane of motion. That's why its important to do more than machine weight training.

3. Roundhouse kicks. Transverse plane work. You will do many turning, twisting and rotating motions during the day so this plane of motion needs regular work.

Body bag punching drills:

Be sure to transfer power from your legs through your core to your arms to get maximum power (i.e., don't just use your arms to punch the bag).

4. Jabs

5. Hooks

6. Uppercuts

7. Straight rights and lefts punches

You will enjoy your kickboxing workouts more if you are in general condition. Try the free workout book below:

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

Summer Holiday Smoothies

Smoothies are a great choice for healthy, delicious treats during the hot July 4th holiday. Smoothies will save you money and are perfect for holidays or whenever.

Here are 3 yummy holiday smoothies:

BANANA SPLIT SMOOTHIE

1 cup nonfat, vanilla or plain Greek Yogurt
1-1/2 cups frozen banana slices
1/2 cups pineapple chunks
5 frozen strawberries, sliced
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons sweetened cocoa powder (to taste)

Blend until smooth.

ARCTIC FOREST SMOOTHIE

1 peach, frozen, cut
10 blueberries, frozen
1 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 tablespoon crushed pecan
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend until smooth.

TROPICAL FLING SMOOTHIE

1/2 cups each ripe pineapple and mango, cut up
1 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Blend until smooth.

Drink enough water during the day to stay hydrated in the heat. Aim to drink half your weight in water every day. So, if you weigh 160 pounds, drink about 80 ounces of water every day.

If you want over 120 delicious smoothie recipes, download your Free Smoothies book now!

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

5 Point Healthy Eating Checklist

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

Yesterday, I posted a question about where you guys need some more motivation for eating right.

The most common answers were:

- "meal plans"
- "eating healthy 98% of the time"
- "healthy eating"
- "struggling right now to eat healthy"

As you can tell, eating healthy is something many of you are striving towards, yet finding it tough to stick to.

And that's ok. Remember, you're battling years of conditioned eating habits and not-so-good food choices - so it takes time.

And if you slip once and a while or every day, then don't fret. Don't beat yourself up. You're doing the best you can.

Don't expect yourself to be perfect. I certainly am not. I do my best to let you guys know that I too am human and make some pretty horrific food choices every now and again (like the chicken wings that I had last week).

Each day is a new day and a new chance to start fresh. Don't let yesterday's choices affect today's, ok?

With that said, I want to give you a healthy eating checklist that can help you stay on track throughout the week. As you're about to see, planning and preparation are the key.

It's actually ironic that more structure leads to greater freedom (in all areas of life). The less thinking you have to do, the better off you'll be.

This is same reason why pilots do the same pre-flight inspection before every flight. And they don't do it from memory - they simply follow a pre-defined checklist. You can do the same with your diet.

Item #1 - Kitchen Walk Around

Is your kitchen full of unnecessary clutter? Can you even see your blender or bowl of fruit? If not, clean up the mess. Get rid of that pile of dishes, put away what doesn't need to be on the counter, and give yourself some breathing room.

A cluttered space creates a cluttered mind. And a cluttered mind can't think straight, let alone figure out what to eat.

Item #2 - Keep The Essentials Within Reach

Which appliances do you use most - a blender, juicer, food processor, other? If you've got space in your kitchen, keep those visible and within reach.

As silly as this may sound, if your juicer is packed away in a cupboard, you now have one more obstacle in your way of making a fresh juice - the act of opening the cupboard and taking out the juicer. Yes, we humans are pretty lazy.

Keep whatever you use more often visible and put away the rest. If you never make coffee, then put away the coffee maker (note to self).

Item #3 - Compile a Weekly Grocery List

I don't know if you've noticed but we mostly rotate between 7-10 go-to meals. Even if we follow a diet (like Eating for Energy) which has tons of recipes and meal plans, eventually we default to a select number we enjoy most.

And that's fine. It can actually make your life a little simpler sometimes.

So let's say you've got 7-9 recipes that you eat throughout the week…

What are the ingredients needed to make them. Write these foods/ingredients down and the quantities of each.

Remember, get all the thinking done ahead of time.

This then becomes your master list which you turn to each and every week. Even if you try a few new dishes each week, you'll always have your staples taken care of.

Item #4 - Chuck the Crap

Rule #1 of healthy eating: if it's in your house, it will be eaten, especially if it's a not-so-good treat.

For your body's sake, go through your fridge and pantry and remove the treats and foods you know shouldn't be in your home.

Here are some helpful tips:

- if it's in a box, you probably don't need to eat it.

- if it's been advertised on TV, please burn it or return it.

- if it has more than 50 ingredients, don't touch it.

- if it has a health claim or health check (ie. low in fat, "heart healthy", etc...) then it's doing nothing more
than deceiving you.

As you can tell, pretty much all packaged/processed foods will fall into this category.

Item #5 - Stock Up

So what should your fridge and pantry consist of then? Well, here are the fundamentals, which should make up about 90% of your foods.

- tons of fresh fruits and vegetables

- unsalted, raw nuts like almonds, walnuts, and cashews

- fresh (from the butcher) grass-fed beef, free run chicken eggs, organic meat, (if you like animal products)

- organic nut butters

Now you've got a solid base from which to work.

Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN
Eating for Energy


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

5 Tips for a Hard Body and Toned Abs

You won't have a hard body and toned abs without burning major fat. Successful fat loss and lasting weight loss are processes that take time for you to accomplish. You will have failures and make many adjustments along the way. Have a "never quit attitude" about changing your body and improving your health.

Afterall, what better thing can you do for the only body that you have.......make the commitment today.....

Here are 5 tips to help you succeed with fat loss to get a hard body and toned abs:

1. It has been proven that you will be more successful if you try to accomplish one major goal at a time rather than trying to accomplish two or more major goals at the same time.

Here is a great goal to start with: burn fat. That will require you to improve your eating habits and do regular strength and interval cardio training. Don't even worry about losing weight at this point. Just burn body fat (lose inches, shrink your body). Check your body fat percentage once a week to see if you need to make adjustments.

2. Build foundational body and core strength so your body will hold up under intense training to come. If you're injured, you will not reach your goals.

Weak body cores lead to back and other related trunk injuries. Others have weak opposing muscle groups. An example would be having strong triceps but weak biceps, or strong chest muscles but weak back muscles.

Do full body workouts, which will include core strength exercises and total body flexibility exercises. This way your workouts will focus on your "weak links" while training the other parts of your body.

3. Quality of movement in an exercise should come before trying to increase the amount of weight you lift in that exercise. Doing this will avoid injuries due to incorrect execution of an exercise. Bodyweight exercises work well for this purpose.

Performing a weight (or resistance) exercise incorrectly can cause pain in your joints, back or other unintended areas. For example, the squat or lunge should primarily work and strengthen the glutes,quadriceps and hamstrings. If you feel unusual pain or stress in your back or knees, this could signal injury or incorrect performance of the exercise.

4. Focus on compound or multi-joint exercises in your workouts. These exercises work major muscle groups and help you burn more fat. Exercises like squats (with or without weights), step ups, deadlift, rows, bench press, planks, squat jumps and lunges all apply here.

Top interval cardio exercises are walking or running uphill, bodyweight cardio and shuttle runs.

5. Maintain and/or improve muscle mass throughout your life to slow the effects of aging and keep your metabolism humming.

Numerous studies indicate that muscle mass may decline by 20% to 40% between age 20 and age 65. Muscle inflexibility, joint/tendon/ligament stiffness, bone loss and decreased range of motion also comes along with inactivity. You can stop a significant portion of this deterioration of muscle mass and mobility by using a regular strength and conditioning program throughout your life.

A slow or sluggish metabolism is not the major cause of weight gain. A caloric imbalance is the cause of weight gain. If you consistently eat more calories than you burn in a day (caloric surplus), you will continue to gain weight and fat.

Regular exercise and an active lifestyle will help you burn more calories during the day and at rest. I recommend that you walk at least 30 minutes every day, even on the days you workout.

If you need Motivation and Accurate Information to make your best body.......

Be sure and download your FREE 7-Day Body Makeover Jumpstart e-Course, which shows you how to totally remake your body a healthy and lean fat-burning machine!

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

Positive Self Talk Leads to Weight Loss Success

What are you telling yourself as it relates to losing weight and transforming your body? Hopefully, you’re telling yourself positive things and the facts.

Dr. Kevin Elko, an expert in Cognitive Behavioral Psychology (CBP), states it this way:

“Those are real fancy words (CBP) that mean I learned how to help change the way people conduct conversations with themselves. Changing the way you talk to yourself can totally revolutionize your life, but learning to do it
can take some time and guidance.”

Yes, you may need expert guidance but first try talking positively to yourself. Here are some negative self-talk examples that I have heard from clients:

“I can’t stop eating sugary foods and drinks.”

“I wish I could fit into that dress.”

“I hate lifting weights so I only do cardio exercise.”

“I can’t run fast so doing sprint intervals won’t work for me.”

“I would go to the gym but I don’t want people staring at me.”

“I don’t have time to workout.”

Those negative phrases could easily be replaced by “I can” or “I will” or “what’s the alternatives.” We will end up believing what we continually tell ourselves. And, it shows in our attitude and behavior.

It is also important to surround yourself with positive people. It will only reinforce what you are trying to do. Research proves that you will be more successful with your fat loss/weight loss efforts if you have positive people holding you accountable.

Personal trainers, spouses, workout buddies and group exercise classes are great for holding you accountable. That means you must inform them of your intentions to transform your body.

Achieving Your Weight Loss Goals

I hope you expect to achieve what you set out to do! Achievement motivation is what drives you to succeed.
Dr. David McClelland and his associates at Harvard University studied achievement motivation for over 20 years.

They concluded that achievementmotivated people have certain characteristics in common:

1. The capacity to set high (stretching) personal but obtainable goals.

2. The concern for personal achievement rather than the rewards of success.

3. The desire for job-relevant feedback (how well am I doing?) rather than for attitudinal feedback (how well do you like me?).

In my personal experience with clients, I find that those who embrace the process of transforming their bodies are ultimately successful. They get it done no matter how long it takes. And, they apply the feedback that I give them
without feeling as though they are failures. These are just 2 examples of clients who have succeeded:

At this point, a lifetime commitment to the fitness lifestyle is needed to achieve your lean healthy body.

Dr. Christopher Sciamanna discovered that losing weight was just the beginning. After losing 30 pounds, he described his new, lower weight as "shockingly challenging" to maintain.”

He and his colleagues at Penn State University's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center decided to study weight loss maintenance. Part of their study was to examine results found at the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR). For the past two decades, NWCR has focused on a single group of people. To qualify, they have to lose at least 30 pounds and keep the weight off for at least a year. The findings aren’t surprising. The participants were successful primarily because of the following habits:

a. Exercise at least an hour a day, almost every day
b. Follow a low-fat, low-sugar, low-calorie diet
c. Eat, more or less, the same foods all the time
d. Minimize TV watching
e. Eat breakfast

What's holding you back from taking real steps to change your body?

If you need Motivation and Accurate Information to make your best body.......

Be sure and download your FREE 7-Day Body Makeover Jumpstart e-Course, which shows you how to totally remake your body a healthy and lean fat-burning machine!

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