What it takes to Lose the Weight

The rise of the core has led to a profusion of misinformation and confusion. Eliminate the training flubs that keep your abs in the shadows! "The first rule to get abs is: you do not do sit-ups. The second rule to get abs is: you DO NOT do sit-ups." - Tyler Durden,  Fight Club . OK, Tyler didn't really say that. But as women everywhere reminded their dates in the post-movie recap, he did have some serious abs. Or maybe it was the guy who played him—you know, ol' what's-his-obliques. But whomever they belonged to, they were the kind of muscles that weren't just made in the kitchen. They were carved by hard training, and revealed by smart diet choices. But here's the thing about ab training: What you  do  is only one half of the equation. What you don't do is the other—and I'm not just talking about the usual pre-photo shoot fitness model tricks like avoiding sodium, carbs, happiness, or air. I'm referring to the piles of abominable abdomi...

When I first picked up weights a few years ago, maximal lifting wasn't even on my radar. I ran around in circles with my 10-pound dumbbells, completely unaware that I was missing out on an entire world of fitness. In the world of 1RM strength, you set specific goals and work for weeks or months to inch closer to them. You push your body to its limits to achieve a triumph that only lasts a couple of seconds. But you also get rewarded with a rush unlike anything else. It's a great world to be a part of, and it's changed the entire way I view health and fitness. I wouldn't say I'm an expert on heavy lifting—yet. But I've still learned some important lessons along the way, and I'm confident you'll find them just as helpful as I did. If you're looking to find your numbers or move them up into uncharted territory, here are five rules you need to take to heart. 1  TRAIN SYSTEMATICALLY WHY BOTHER WITH MAXIMAL LIFTS? Heavy weight is instructive....

Don't you just hate it when you stop seeing results for all of your hard work? Everyone reaches a fitness plateau at some point in their journey. You stop losing weight or putting on muscle, and you just stay exactly the same. It's discouraging, and it's a waste of time. So how can you break through  your fitness  plateau? General Tips to Getting Off that Plateau 1. Take a Break  Your body may be too tired and run down to keep building muscle or losing weight, and you need to give it time to rest and recover. Take a few days off from your workout , or do very light exercise. 2. Keep Increasing  Run a bit longer, push a bit heavier. It's often a psychological thing holding you back. 3. Rest Less  If you're resting too much between sets or letting your heart rate dip too low, you're not going to be making the progress you think you should. 4. Switch it Up  Not seeing good muscle mass gains? Do a few weeks of endurance training. When ...

People blame their genes all the time in their struggle with diet and weight loss, because we’re born with our metabolism. The good news is, however, we can do something with what we’re given. We can speed up our metabolism naturally to rev up calorie burn. For advice on how to rev up our engines, we turned to Kirkland Shave, program director at Mountain Trek resort. Mountain Trek retreats are all-inclusive luxury vacations in Canada and Mexico that are also boot camp and fitness experiences. As a trainer and life coach, Kirkland has worked with thousands of people that want to get back their health, strength, and vitality. He’s also a Canadian mountain guide and Iyengar yoga instructor. Kirkland shared his top four tips on how to switch your metabolism from decay to growth and how to lose weight by following these eating rules: 1. Start lifting, pushing, or pulling your body (or weights) to discomfort. Discomfort means that it’s not easy, but that it also doesn’t ...

Complacency is a death sentence for any training program. Use these methods that create sustainable plans of action to lift, run, and live with purpose! Every training career goes through highs, lows, and middling lulls. Not only is this normal, I believe it's a necessary process in order create lasting habits. If you're on a downswing, though, it can feel like you'll be stuck there forever. Trust me: You won't. There are multiple reasons why your training has derailed, but the truth is that there's not one answer. What you were doing before simply wasn't working; what you do  next  is the real test. Each of these strategies has helped me to get back on track in times like these. Approach them with an open mind, and a few minutes from now, you'll own the tools to reinvigorate your physical life. 1  TAKE A WEEK OFF Let's start with the advice no avid lifter wants to hear: Downtime is the first step to overcoming dead-end training. A...