“The Lord is my strength and my song; He has given me victory.” – Psalm 118:14

If you’ve been following along, we’ve covered Step 1 (Write down your goals and set deadlines), Step 2 (Surround yourself with a good support system) and Step 3 (Proper nutritional guidelines). Today, we’ll cover Step 4: Resistance Training.

Step 4: Make Resistance Training a Priority.
If your goal is to lose fat, increase stength and gain muscle, make resistance training your priority. Resistance training is essential because it builds muscle, burns calories (during training and for 38 or more hours afterward) and increases your metabolism, strength, and bone density, improves your posture, and strengthens your heart and lungs.

Resistance training has been proven to be more effective for fat loss than aerobic training when combined with a proper nutritional plan (See Step 3). Aerobic training also results in muscle loss which will lead to a slower metabolism – both are counterproductive to your goals.

Resistance training also provides all the cardiovascular benefits of aerobic training in addition to all the other benefits mentioned above - something aerobic training can’t claim. In fact, metabolic resistance training or cardio strength training is a form of training that helps burn fat while maintaining or increasing strength and mass. These types of workouts are difficult, but they also take less time than aerobic training and provide far more benefits.

Resistance training includes all forms of weight training and body weight exercises. At Underground Fitness Revolution, we use many methods including dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, medicine balls, sleds, the Prowler, the TRX suspension system, ropes and a variety of body weight exercises such as squats, lunges, pushups, pull-ups, jumps and a whole lot more!

The key to resistance training is to use progressive overload. You must continue to improve and try to get stronger or do more each workout. However, there is a point where you won’t be able to add more weight to an exercise. In this case, a variety of techniques can be used to keep improving such as increasing reps, increasing sets and decreasing rest periods.

If you want to make your best gains ever, be sure to make resistance training your priority. It will help you lose fat, increase strength, gain muscle and improve your health and fitness far better than aerobic training and anything you see on an infomercial.

Stay tuned tomorrow as we conclude with Step 5. Soon, you’ll be well on your way to reaching all your health and fitness goals.

Happy New Year!

Dedicated to your health and fitness,

Nate

“All the animals of the earth, all the birds of the sky, all the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the fish in the sea will look on you with fear and terror. I have placed them in your power. I have given them to you for food, just as I have given you grain and vegetables.” – Genesis 9:2-3

We’ve already covered Step 1 (Write down your goals and set deadlines) and Step 2 (Surround yourself with a good support system) in previous blogs. Today, we’ll cover Step 3: Proven Nutritional Guidelines.

Step 3: Follow Proven Nutritional Guidelines.
If you want to lose fat, increase strength, gain muscle and improve your health, then these 10 nutrition rules are absolutely necessary to your success:

1. Eat breakfast every day followed by a meal every 3-4 hours.
Those who eat breakfast lose more fat than those who skip breakfast. Breakfast skippers also gain more fat than those who regularly eat breakfast. Also, eating a meal every 3-4 hours raises your metabolism and keeps your blood sugar levels stable while helping you to lose more fat.

2. Eat protein with every meal.
Protein is necessary to build and maintain muscle. It also has a higher thermic effect, meaning that just by eating foods that contain protein, you will burn more calories. Vary your protein sources throughout the day and week. Aim for 20-30 grams of protein with every meal and snack. This is equivalent to about 3-4 ounce of lean meat (beef, chicken, fish, wild game), 16 ounces of cottage cheese or Greek yogurt, 3-4 extra large eggs or one scoop of whey protein powder.

3. Eat a fruit or vegetable with every meal and snack.
Vegetables and fruit are the carbs you want to eat every day and with every meal. Fruits and veggies are low-carb, low-calorie, high fiber and full of nutrients to help you achieve your goals. Whenever you think carbs, think veggies and fruit! Eat a variety of colors and types to get all the wonderful benefits they provide while losing fat.

4. Eliminate all processed carbohydrates.
Yes, this means to leave out the cereal, breakfast bars, granola bars, Pop Tarts, pasta, bread, white rice, crackers, cookies, pies, pastries, etc. These types of carbs are typically processed and full of starchy carbs that tend to be converted to sugar in the body and stored as fat. In addition to the sugar, they tend to be highly processed and full of trans fats and numerous ingredients that you can’t pronounce and shouldn’t eat. If it’s man-made, don’t eat it! Processed carbohydrates contribute to numerous health problems including obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart problems and much more! Stick to fruit and vegetable sources of carbohydrates and you’ll achieve your health and fitness goals much quicker.

5. Use healthy fats and oils freely.
Healthy fats and oils include fatty fish (salmon), olive oil, coconut oil, raw nuts and seeds, avocados and omega-3 fish oils. Your body needs healthy fats to get rid of fat! In addition, healthy fats are absolutely necessary to help absorb certain vitamins and keep all the body’s processes working properly. Don’t fear healthy fats! Research has shown that diets higher in protein and healthy fats and lower in processed and starchy carbohydrates are healthier and result in more fat loss.

6. Eliminate calorie-containing beverages.
This means getting rid of soda (yes, even, diet soda), fruit juice, sports drinks, etc. Calorie-containing beverages add unnecessary calories to your diet and do not provide any benefits (no, not even fruit juice. Eat the fruit and skip the juice). It’s okay to drink some coffee (preferably without sugar and creamer), unsweet tea and limited amounts of Crystal Lite. The majority of what you drink should be water (see Rule 7).

7. Drink a minimum of half your bodyweight in ounces of water each day.
This means, that if you weigh 150lbs, drink a minimum of 75 ounces of water each day. Your pee should be clear each day. Drink enough water until your pee is clear and then drink some more! Drinking water will help you lose fat and is necessary for your body’s daily functions. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Don’t rely on thirst. Also, drinking an extra liter of water has been shown to contribute to five pounds lost. If you don’t drink enough water, your body will hold on to it.

8. Take a high-quality multivitamin and omega-3 fish oil.
Vitamins play key roles in the body, including acting as cofactors and/or enzymes for certain reactions. They are absolutely necessary for certain reactions to happen including burning fat, making energy and building muscle. Take a high-quality multivitamin specifically made for men or women with food every morning.

A research study in 2007 showed that supplementing with fish oil reduced body fat independent of exercise. Not only is fish oil beneficial for fat loss, but also for immune function, reducing inflammation, decreasing blood pressure and reducing the risk for many other diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Take 3-6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids in supplemental form each day along with eating fish a couple times a week to assure that you get enough omega-3 in your diet. Take them with food. Tip: Put them in the refrigerator or freezer to avoid the fish burps and smell.

9. Keep a food journal.
If you know what you put in your mouth every day, you’ll be more conscious of what you’re eating. A food journal will keep you accountable and on track. You must keep track of what you are doing so you can look back and make changes if you need to.

10. Follow these guidelines 90 percent of the time and “splurge” the other 10 percent.
If you follow these rules 90% of the time, you will achieve all your goals. This means that you have 10% where you can “splurge” and treat yourself to something you really want. Rachel Cosgrove, co-owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, CA., uses the term “splurge” rather than “cheat” or “cheat meal.” I like this way of thinking because it helps eliminate any feelings of guilt associated with “cheating” or having a cheat meal.

If you are eating five meals per day seven days per week, that’s 35 meals. That means that you can splurge for 10% of those meals (3-4 per week). Just remember that skipping a meal or violating one of the rules above, including not having a fruit or veggie at a meal, counts as a splurge. So take advantage of your splurges and don’t skip meals or violate the above rules so you can really enjoy some pizza, ice cream, your favorite restaurant meal, etc.

That’s it for Step 3. Make a checklist and see how many of these rules you are already following and check them off. Be sure to follow all 10 rules every day in order to achieve your health and fitness goals. Tomorrow, we’ll discuss Step 4. Stay tuned!

Dedicated to your health and fitness,

Nate

“You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great.” – Psalm 18:35

In yesterday’s blog, we covered Step 1 to a new you in the New Year. Today, we’ll cover Step 2: Your support system.

Step 2. Surround Yourself with a Good Support System.
This is as important as writing down your goals, setting deadlines and reviewing them on a daily basis. If your spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, family, friends or co-workers are unsupportive of your efforts to improve your health and fitness, you will fail to reach your goals.

Unsupportive people are like crabs. If you put one crab in a bucket, it will climb out on its own. But if you put several crabs in a bucket, they pull each other down and none of them escape.

Find supportive people who will help you eat healthy and exercise regularly. Supportive people encourage you and help hold you accountable. Make sure that the people closest to you know your goals and commit to helping you achieve them. If not, get away from those crabs!

Here’s a good tip when you go out to eat or attend a party or special event. When you sit down with your plate of food, tell everyone the following: “Hey, guys! I’m following a nutritional plan to help me achieve my health and fitness goals. I’ve got a plate of food and even some dessert. If you see me go back for a second plate or sneak some more dessert or something unhealthy, just give me a nudge or say, ‘Should you be eating that?’. It will help hold me accountable but still give me a chance to let loose a little bit today and have a few foods that I don’t normally eat during the week.”

Just that simple tip will let everyone around you know that you are serious about your goals and that you have included them in your plan and want them to help support you and hold you accountable. Try it next time you’re in a social setting that involves food.

A strong support system makes all the difference in the world. I’ve seen many people strive to make positive changes to their health and fitness only to have a spouse discourage them and cause them to quit or give up. I hate to see this happen. Take this step seriously so you can achieve your health and fitness goals.

Tomorrow, we’ll go over Step 3. Stay tuned! We’re almost halfway to helping you make 2010 your best year ever.

Dedicated to your health and fitness,

Nate

“Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward.” – 2 John 1:8

Each year, many people make New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight, get in shape and improve their health. Unfortunately, they fail to follow through with their resolutions after the first few weeks into the New Year. It’s not that they don’t want to achieve their goals. It’s due to a lack of a few crucial steps to success.

For the next five days, I’m going to give you five steps that, if followed, will help you lose fat, increase strength, gain muscle and improve your health in 2010. Let’s start with Step 1.

Step 1: Write Down Your Goals and Set Deadlines.
This is very important. You need to have your goals written down in order to review them on a daily basis and remind yourself of what you want to accomplish.

Be specific. Don’t just say, “I want to lose weight” or “I want to look better.” Instead, write down exactly how much weight you want to lose and set a deadline of when you will succeed.

Review this list every day when you wake up and every night before bed.

Say to yourself, “I will lose (list number here) pounds in (list timeframe here) by eating five nutritious meals a day, performing resistance training three times per week and interval training two times per week.” Saying this to yourself each day will make your goals concrete to your conscious and subconscious mind.

This first step is necessary if you hope to achieve your health and fitness goals in 2010 and beyond. Don’t skip over this step. Take a few minutes to really think of what you want to accomplish and write it down.

Check back for Step 2 in the next day. Soon, you’ll be well on your way to having your best year ever!

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

This is the first time that we couldn’t afford a tree or gifts for Christmas. In fact, even when I was a child and my parents were broke, we still had a bountiful Christmas with numerous gifts awaiting us under the tree. Normally, I spend a lot of money buying gifts for friends and family. I enjoy giving gifts to others and seeing their faces light up in pure delight and excitement.

When I lost my full-time job at the end of July, we were hit very hard financially. We relied on my income to pay the majority of the bills. Rather than viewing it as a negative, I knew that it was blessing – as I had been praying about my purpose in life ever since my first mission trip to Costa Rica in June. The loss of my job was a gift from God to give me the time to start my own fitness business and help others with their health and fitness goals. God also provided me with a part-time job in the mornings to give us just enough income to provide for all our basic needs. This gave me the time I needed in the afternoon to run my business and work on growing the business.

Although it makes me sad that we couldn’t celebrate Christmas like we have in the past, I’m thankful for all that God has given me. I am thankful that I have a godly wife who supports me and encourages me. I am thankful that I have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, transportation, utilities and food on the table. I am thankful that I have the support of so many friends and family. I am thankful that I can use my knowledge and passion for health and fitness to help others. I am thankful that I’m healthy.

I’m also thankful that this gives me a chance to celebrate Christmas for what it really is all about – the birth of Jesus Christ. Without the birth of Christ and His death for our sins, we would not have much more to look forward to beyond our short life on earth.

“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” – James 4:14

Our life here is short. And knowing that we have eternal life thanks to Christ for dying for our sins is the best gift we could receive. I challenge you to remember what today really means and give thanks to God for allowing His one and only Son to die for our sins so we may have everlasting life.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” – John 14:6

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Dedicated to your health and fitness,

Nate