I thought I would start this week’s blog off with a question, instead of my daily fit tips. I encourage all of you to chime in, by posting your comments below. I am very interested in reading your response.

Question: When you stand on your scale, do u really know what that number means? Also, do u let that number define you or dictate your fitness, diet, or quality of life goals? Does it motivate you or hinder you? Why?

I often receive emails from you all, in regards to finding the motivation to workout. I know sometimes it can be hard. However, while there many ways to get the motivation to get off your tukas, and get a workout in, fitness expert, Craig Ballantyne drops these 7 quick jewels to get you going. I’m sure, after reading these 7 tips, you will be ready to go sweat it out, especially tips 2 and 6. Check it out, and share how you get motivated to workout, in the comments section.

Sincere~

7 Ways To Get Motivated For Your Workout

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS www.TurbulenceTraining.com There will be days (everyday?) when you don’t feel like doing your workout. Sometimes you don’t want to get out of bed. Sometimes you don’t want to leave your office because you feel like there are too many deadlines (but this is when you need a workout the most!). Sometimes you don’t want to end story time with the kids only to head down to the basement gym. It even happens to me. But I knew how I’d feel like a million bucks after the workout. And in the end, I know I can’t let myself become "soft" and start skipping workouts. I have to lead by example. But if you are set on achieving a goal, then when it’s workout time, come heck or high water you’ve got to bear down and do the job. So here are 7 ways to get motivated for your workout and to get you inspired to get through your workout.

1) Reward yourself. Finish your workout and treat yourself to a magazine, a TV show, some extra time with your family, some new songs for your IPOD, or even a little extra time for yourself. 2) Or set up a punishment for missing workouts. Skip the workout, put $20 into a jar to spend on home repairs. Make sure your spouse controls the jar. 3) Review your goals everyday and every night. Keeping your goals fresh in your mind will help you stay on track. 4) Realize that the hardest part of the workout is often getting your butt to the gym. Once you get 5 minutes into the workout, you will be over the hump. So tell yourself, "I’ll just go in and do 1 set of the first 2 exercises, then I can go". Next thing you know, you’ll have done the entire workout. 5) Visualize yourself doing a great workout and finishing strong. Get yourself mentally prepared and you will literally have better workouts each time. 6) Crank the tunes. Seriously, nothing motivates like music. 7) Get social support. If you have a workout partner, you’ll feel like crap if you let them down. Or become accountable to everyone in the Turbulence Training workout forums…if you don’t post your workouts, they’ll track you down and demand to know why you’ve fallen off track! So online or offline, get everyone on your side!

Now get out there and kick the fat to the curb, Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS About the Author Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com

By Mike Mahler

I do not know about you, but I am sick of boring fat loss programs that make you feel like an idiot. Does anyone really enjoy being on a treadmill or an exercise bike? Of course not! That is why that idiot at your gym is always on his cell phone the entire time he is on the treadmill. He looked six month pregnant when he first joined your gym and now he looks like he is about to give birth. Oh well, so much for the benefits of low intensity cardio for fat loss. Here is a news flash. If you can talk on your cell phone while you are working out, then it is a worthless workout.

Lets forget about the sheer monotony of standard cardio training for a second. After all if it is effective then perhaps it is worth dealing with. The problem is that it is not effective. However, I do not need to convince you of this fact. Every time you see the same fat people month after month in your local gym’s step aerobics class, you know already that it is not effective. Hell, you probably even tried doing cardio five days a week and got nothing out of it. The common rules of fat loss are clearly not working as our nation gets fatter and fatter every year.

It is time for the new rules of fat loss. Lets get started. The reality is that 70% of fat loss is what you stuff in your face. As top trainer Mark Twight stated in a recent article, burning 300 calories in a cardio workout and then taking a post workout shake that is over 500 calories is not going to give you the results you want. Anyone that has had great results with a cardio program is always going to be someone who reduced calories dramatically. In this person’s case the fat loss was 90% diet and 10% training. Thus, the first new rule of fat loss is that you must have your diet locked in.

Sure there are always people that are exceptions to the rule. However, you are not that person so get over it. Turn in your gold membership card at Krispy crème and start eating tons of green veggies, healthy fat such as olive oil, and high quality protein sources. Get all carbs from low glycemic veggies and fruits such as spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, berries, and apples. Any time you are hungry have a spinach salad for a snack with some olive oil and walnuts. Sounds boring? Deal with it. What about meal frequency? Most trainers state that you must eat five small meals per day to lose fat. I do not buy it and do not think such a plan is a fit for everyone.

Many people do well on three moderate meals per day. Many do well on one major meal and a few snacks during the day such as the “Warrior Diet.” The key is what you are eating not when you are eating it. Find a pattern that works well for you. The second rule of fat loss is that healthy fat does not make you fat. Excess calories, in particular excess from the wrong calories makes you fat. This is a very hard concept to get across.

People still believe that fat makes you fat and will argue without you to the grave while they eat a gallon of low fat ice cream that has the power to make you fat over night (okay maybe not that fast, but you know what I mean). Low fat diets are horrible for health and well-being. Healthy fat is critical for great skin, lubricated joints, and optimal hormone production. Want to cut something out of your diet? Start with sugar in all of its various forms. Get sugar down to zero and you will get your glucose levels in a healthy range to induce fat loss.

The only time sugar is beneficial is after a workout to help get he protein to the worked muscles. However, if you are fat skip sugar all together. Get sugar down to zero for ten days and let me know what happens. Lets get back to fat. Low fat diets equal low testosterone and low progesterone production. Both are necessary for men women for optimal fat loss and well-being. Without adequate levels of fat in your diet (30% of calories), you will not have adequate levels of testosterone. Without adequate levels of testosterone you will not be able to build muscle.

Building muscle is the most effective way to get rid of fat and keep it off. Which brings us to the third rule. The third new rule of fat loss is you must build muscle to win the battle against fat. Now you do not have to turn into a Venice beach bodybuilder (not that it will happen by accident). You can have a lean and mean look rather than a bulky look. Sprinters are examples of high muscle beings and often have physiques that both men and women would love to have. Marathon runners on the other hand have skinny fat looks. They tend to follow high carb diets and their training is low intensity. This results in the very unimpressive skinny fat look.

They are not fat in terms of taking up sheer mass, but have next to no definition. Not exactly what the average trainee is looking for. In addition, marathon running is terrible for the joints and for hormone production. Do not bother sending me your hate mail marathon addicts. It will be deleted upon receipt. Feel free to get your blood work done and prove me wrong if you think otherwise. Muscle building is similar to passive income. With passive income, you earn money while you are not working or you earn additional income while you are working.

For example, while I am writing this article, people are visiting my site and purchasing my DVD’s, kettlebells, and other products that I offer via various affiliate programs. Low intensity cardio is similar to billable hours. You make money while you work. However, once you stop working, you stop making money. With cardio, you burn calories while you do it. Once you stop, the calorie burning stops as well. With muscle building, you ramp up your metabolism and when you stop working out, your body burns calories to rebuild and maintain muscle. Thus, while I am sitting on the couch right now writing this article my body is expending energy to maintain the muscle I have.

Sounds pretty efficient right? Of course it is and it is one of many reasons why you should re-direct your training time to strength training and minimize or cut our low intensity cardio. Sure some cardio is good for the heart. A few twenty-minute sessions per week will fit the bill. Or you can simply do circuit training or intense cardio to get the benefits of both worlds. However, for fat loss cardio is at best inefficient. Spend your valuable time on what provides the greatest benefit. The next new rule of fat loss is sleep is critical for transforming your body.

The only time your body makes changes is when you are sleeping. The greatest production of important hormones such as GH, testosterone, DHEA, and melatonin occurs when you are sleeping. Poor sleep equals poor hormone production and a poor transformation. Top researcher Thomas Incledon states that his clients who sleep twelve hours per night have the best hormone levels and the best fat loss results. Perhaps part of the reason is due to the fact that they only have twelve hours to eat. However, all joking aside the real reason is due to the body having more time to rebuild and optimize hormone production.

Low GH equals poor fat loss and poor muscle building. Fail to build muscle and real fat loss will continue to evade you. Now most of you are probably freaking out at the idea of sleeping twelve hours. Most people get on average six crappy hours of poor sleep per night or less. There is nothing that takes the place of quality sleep so do not bother looking. You need to change your lifestyle to get a bare minimum of eight hours per night. Again that is the minimum. The more you can get the better. Work on getting nine hours of sleep per night and then another hour after each workout. Commit to this for one week and you will be amazed with what a difference it makes. Take magnesium before going to sleep on an empty stomach to help increase the quality of your sleep. 300-600mg will get the job done.

The next rule of fat loss is you must get your estrogen levels in the ideal ranges. For men, you want estradiol at 30 or below and estrone at the optimal range as well (do not have the optimal range on file). Have a blood test done for both to see where you are. Women tend to feel great at around 200ng/dl for estradiol. Check with your Doc for the optimal estrone range. Here is the thing about estrogen. Excess estrogen causes fat retention and having high levels of fat causes estrogen retention. Thus, if you are fat you most likely have high estrogen levels (especially if you have the infamous “bitch tits” and big beer belly).

Thus getting your bodyfat down will help get your estrogen levels down. At the same time getting your estrogen levels down will help get your body fat down. Thus take the supplements “Myomin” and “DIM” to get your estrogen levels down. Four caps of Myomin per day and 4-6 caps of DIM per day will do the trick. You can get both at www.docsprefer.com The final rule of fat loss is that fat loss requires mental toughness. Tell all of the slick marketers that tell you that fat loss is easy to go to hell. If it were easy, we would not be a fat nation.

Fat loss is hard and requires mental toughness. If you are weak mentally you will find it easy to skip workouts and eat junk food. You will watch five hours of moronic TV shows instead of getting your nine hours of sleep in. You will eat donuts instead of green veggies. Make no mistake about it, fat loss is hard and most people will always be fat as a result. Accept this fact and develop some mental toughness. Without it you are doomed to fail. On a side note, anything worth having requires mental toughness and perseverance. Accept it, embrace it, and take charge of your life.

There you have it the new rules of fat loss. One final thing to think about is there is a big difference between fat loss and weight loss. You can lose several pounds and not lose any fat at all. On the other hand you can lose plenty of fat and not have your weight go down much. Do not use the scale as an indicator of fat loss. Get regular bodyfat tests down to track your progress. Every four weeks will suffice. No article is complete without a sample training program. High Frequency Training (HFT) is an example of an effective program for building muscle and fighting fat.

Start with four full body workouts per week for three weeks. Then have a back off week and move on to five full body workouts per week for another three weeks. Then take another back off week and resume with six full body workouts per week. Any time you feel you are not recovering adequately, go back to four workouts per week. You may even have to take it down to three workouts per week from time to time. There is no generic fit for you. You must experiment and find your perfect fit. Be patient and persevere.

Sample HFT Programs Beginner Option 1:

Monday and Thursday

* A-1: Barbell Military Press 3×6
* A-2: Barbell Bent-over Row 3×6

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* B-1: Barbell Squat 3×8
* B-2: Barbell Romanian Deadlift 3×8

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* C-1: Lifeline USA Power Wheel Roll Out 3×6
* C-2: Slow and controlled Sit-up 3×10 (4 seconds up and down)

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

Tuesday and Friday

* A-1: Incline Barbell Press 3×6
* A-2: Weighted Pull-up 3×6

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* B-1: Suitcase Dumbbell Squat 3×10
* B-2: One-arm Dumbbell Swing 3×10 each side

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* C-1: Side Bend 3×10 each side
* C-2: Hanging Leg Raise 3×10 Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion.

One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

Wednesday-Saturday-Sunday

* 1-2 mile walks Intermediate (5 days per week)

Monday

* A-1: Barbell Military Press 3×6
* A-2: Barbell Bent-over Row 3×6

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* B-1: Dumbbell Lunge 3×12 each side
* B-2: One-arm Dumbbell Swing 3×12 each side

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* C-1: Lifeline USA Power Wheel Roll Out 3×6
* C-2: Slow and controlled Sit-up 3×12 (4 seconds up and down)

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

Tuesday

* A-1: Barbell Incline Press 3×6
* A-2: Alternating Dumbbell Renegade Row 3×6 each side

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* B-1: Suitcase KB Squat 3×10
* B-2: Double Dumbbell Clean 3×10

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* C-1: Side Bend 3×10 each side
* C-2: Hanging Leg Raise 3×10

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

Wednesday

* A-1: Double Dumbbell Clean and Press 3×6
* A-2: Weighted Pull-up 3×6

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* B-1: Barbell Squat 3×6
* B-2: Romanian Deadlift 3×6

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* C-1: Lifeline USA Power Wheel Roll Out 3×6
* C-2: Slow and controlled Sit-up 3×10 (4 seconds up and down)

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

Thursday

* A-1: Barbell Bench Press 3×6
* A-2: Barbell Bent-over Row 3×6

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* Double Dumbbell Clean and Front Squat 3×10 (one-minute breaks in between each set)

Friday

* A-1: Barbell Clean and Military Press 3×6
* A-2: Weighted Pull-up 3×6

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* B-1: Dumbbell Suitcase Squat 3×10
* B-2: Double Dumbbell Swing 3×10

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* C-1: Lifeline USA Power Wheel Roll Out 3×6
* C-2: Hanging Leg Raise 3×10

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

Advanced (6 days per week)

Monday

* A-1: Dumbbell Clean and Press 3×10
* A-2: Barbell Bent-over Row 3×10

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* B-1: Suitcase Dumbbell Squat 3×12
* B-2: Double Dumbbell Swing 3×12

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×15 on both exercises

* C-1: Lifeline Power Wheel Roll Out 3×6
* C-2: Slow and controlled Sit-up 3×12

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

* Finisher: 50 Bodyweight Squats

Tuesday

* A-1: Dumbbell Incline Press 3×6
* A-2: Dumbbell Renegade Row 3×6 each side

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* B-1: Dumbbell Clean and Squat 3×10
* B-2: Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3×10

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* C-1: Side Bend 3×10 each side
* C-2: Hanging Leg Raise 3×10

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

* Finisher: Hindu Squat 50 Reps

Wednesday

* A-1: Barbell Bench Press 3×6
* A-2: Weighted Pull-up 3×6

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* B-1: Barbell Squat 3×8
* B-2: Barbell Romanian Deadlift 3×8

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* C-1: Lifeline USA Power Wheel Roll Out 3×6
* C-2: Slow and controlled Sit-up 3×10 (4 seconds up and down)

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

* Finisher: Bodyweight Squat 50 reps

Thursday

* A-1: Barbell Clean and Press 3×6
* A-2: One-arm Dumbbell Row 3×8 each side

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* Double Clean and Front Squat 3×8 (one-minute breaks in between each set)
* Finisher: Hindu Squat 50 reps

Friday

* A-1: Dumbbell Bench Press 3×8
* A-2: Weighted Pull-up 3×8

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* B-1: Barbell Squat 3×8
* B-2: One-arm Dumbbell Swing 3×10 each side

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* C-1: Lifeline USA Power Wheel Roll Out 3×6
* C-2: Slow and controlled Sit-up 3×10 (4 seconds up and down)

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

* Finisher: Bodyweight Squat 50 reps

Saturday

* A-1: Double Dumbbell Clean and Press 3×6
* A-2: Double Dumbbell Bent-over Row 3×6

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* B-1: Double Dumbbell Lunge 3×10 each side
* B-2: Double Dumbbell Swing 3×10

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

* C-1: Lifeline USA Power Wheel Roll Out 3×6
* C-2: Slow and controlled Sit-up 3×10 (4 seconds up and down)

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

* Finisher: Jumper Squats 50 reps