Yearly Archives: 2012

How To Stick To A Diet Book

How To Stick To A Diet – 3 Secrets To Unstoppable Diet Motivation

Why Is It So Hard To Stick To Diet?

Just saying the word “diet” brings about fear and dread in most people.  The idea of giving up your favorite foods, having to eat boring “health food,” and the constant need to force yourself to stay motivated all so you can have a better body leads countless people to search for ways to avoid “dieting” all together.

The reason diets are so challenging is they typically require sacrificing what you love, making changes to your typical routine, and going against every natural emotional inclination to eat whatever you can and enjoy life to the fullest.

So does that mean a person has to decide between sticking with a diet or being happy?  Not at all! Continue reading

Breville BJE200xl Juice Fountain Compact Review – Juicer Reviews

The Breville BJE200XL Juicer Review

Breville BJE200xl Review
Juicing is one of the absolute best things you can do for your health.  The problem I’ve had with juicing in the past with my Champion Juicer is the inconvenience of prepping the produce and cleanup time.  When I discovered the Breville BJE200xl after my friend purchased it, I rediscovered the joys of juicing.

While this juicer is not the powerhouse of some more end juicers, I’ve found it has more than adequately allowed me to juice greens, raw beets, and just about anything I can stick in the thing.  Keep reading to find out if it’s the right juicer for you.

Appearance

The first thing you’ll notice about the Breville BJE200XL is its sleek and modern appearance.  I really like the silver look and tone of it.  While this is a small point, it’s definitely not going to be an eye-sore to keep out on the counter top at all times.

Ease Of Use

Setting up the juicer is snap.  Just put a few pieces in place, and in about 20 seconds you’re ready to go.

I LOVE the wide opening on the Breville Juice Fountain.  I rarely have to chop things up too much because the large opening lets you juice entire pieces of small fruit, and only larger produce requires being cut into a few smaller pieces.

The engine is very powerful and takes very little effort to push the food down into the juicer.  Whereas I would sometimes have to fight with other juicers, this thing seems to just suck the food right up.

It then puts the juice into a 25oz container.  That’s always more than enough room no matter how much stuff I’m juicing.

It’s got a safety that requires you to lock the pieces into place before use.

Noise

I do consider the Breville Juicer to be a bit loud.   While it is quieter than some other juicers, there’s no doubt you’re going to be making some noise when it’s extracting the juice.  For me this is not an issue, but I would expect it to potentially wake some people up in the house if using in the morning.

Effectiveness

The Breville juicer is not quite as effective as my Champion juicer for getting the most juice out of the produce.  That being said, the pulp is pretty dry.  I would rate it as a good “middle of the road” type of juicer in terms of how well it extracts juice.

It’s got a 700 water motor that runs at 14,000 RPM.  The juice comes out of the food in a matter of seconds.  The entire juicing process is extremely quick taking no more than a few seconds to minutes depending on how much stuff you’re juicing.

Ease Of Cleanup

This is why I would highly recommend the Breville BJE200XL.  The cleanup process is so fast (about 5 minutes) that I don’t dread juicing anymore.

Some pieces are a little awkwardly shaped making getting into some nooks a bit difficult.  I haven’t experienced too much difficulty though cleaning it in the sink under running water.

It includes a small brush to scrub the screen with.  This is the most time consuming part of cleanup taking usually a few minutes to really get any debris out of the screen.

Cons

There are a few things I don’t care for.  One is that sometimes a few small pieces of greens will shoot out the top of the tube.  This makes for some additional cleanup of the counter.

Another thing is that transporting the pulp container to the sink to wash will likely drip some juice unless you keep something under it.

Finally, while cleanup is very easy, it can be a little hard to reach some places in the pulp container.

Final Thoughts

I would recommend the Breville BJE200XL to anyone looking for a good quality, affordable juicer.  It’s not going to have all the bells and whistles of a higher end juicer, but it certainly gets the job done for the vast majority of anyone’s juicing needs.  You can purchase it on amazon below:

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Breville BJE200XL Juicer Review

Best Fat Loss Cookbook

The Best Weight Loss Cookbook – Over 250 Fat Burning Recipes

Weight Loss Cooking Made Fast, Easy, And Tasty

The biggest challenges I hear from people when they want to lose weight and start eating better is that they either “don’t have time,” or they hate the taste of health foods and don’t know how to cook.  While it’s easy for me as a fitness enthusiast who’s been doing this for years to forget about how hard it can be for someone first getting into “dieting,” I also remember how much I hated eating boring bland foods when I first started out.  Fortunately, I quickly started piecing together great tasting meals that were easy to make and tasty.  I even created my healthy cooking youtube channel to show off some of my favorite fat loss and muscle gain recipes.

But, finding great recipes that are both good for weight loss AND taste good is always a bit of a challenge.  Luckily, Dave and Karine have come in and saved the day.  They’ve put together what I consider to be the absolute best cookbook and recipe guide for those interested in getting and staying fit.  I really wish I had this weight loss cookbook that I’m about to share with you when I first got started.

Here are some sample recipes:

Fat Loss Cookbook Breakfast Recipe Idea – Apple Oatmeal Pancakes

Makes 1 Serving (4 to 6 small pancakes)

Ingredients

• 6 egg whites
• ½ cup oatmeal (dry)
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened apple sauce
• Pinch of cinnamon powder
• Pinch of stevia
• 1 apple, diced finely
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• Cooking spray

Directions

1. First heat a frying pan until hot and then reduce to medium temperature. After mixing together all the ingredients in a blender (except for the diced apple), spray some pam (or other cooking spray), drop by spoonful onto the pan.
2. When bubbles start to form, place evenly on pancake some of the diced apple.
3. Let them set in before flipping the pancake.
4. Makes about 4-6 pancakes depending on the size.

Nutritional Facts

(Per Serving)

  • Calories: 240
  • Protein: 28g
  • Carbohydrates: 32g
  • Fat: 0g

 

Weight Loss Cookbook Lunch or Dinner Recipe Idea – Quinoa Burritos

Makes 2 Servings
Perfect for a snack, spread or sandwich

Ingredients

• 2 small whole wheat tortillas
• ½ cup quinoa, cooked
• 4 egg whites
• ½ avocado, cubed
• 1 cup lettuce, shredded
• ½ cup salsa
• ¼ cup red onion, diced
• ½ cup black beans
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Cook quinoa and egg whites separately. Then mix with black beans, cilantro and onion.
2. Spead half mixture equally on whole wheat tortillas.
3. Top with salsa, avocado and lettuce.
4. Wrap and enjoy!

Nutritional Facts

(Per Serving)

  • Calories: 272
  • Protein: 17g
  • Carbohydrates: 33g
  • Fat: 8g

 

Get The “Metabolic Cooking” Cookbook

Best Fat Loss Cookbook

Metabolic Cooking – The Best Weight Loss Cookbook

Check out the Metabolic Cookbook here for over 250 more fat burning meals!

This cookbook will not only give you just about every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack idea you could ever need for weight loss, but it’s also filled with nutritional tips and tricks to maximize your results.  The money saved from not having to eat out at fast food places and preparing your own meals is worth the price alone.  Not to mention you’ll pretty much never need to waste time trying to track down recipes that not only taste great, but will help you get in shape too!

Get More Free Fat Loss Recipe Ideas

Want to try out some more weight loss recipes for free?  Dave and Karine are offering this free guide so you can get even more recipes to burn fat. Right click here and save to your computer.

Also check out: The Best Bodybuilding Recipe Cookbook

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Bacteria

The Best Probiotic Supplements – Top Strains and Products

Bacteria

Friendly Bacteria – A Key To Lasting Health

What Is The Difference In Probiotic Supplements?

It’s important to recognize that the term “probiotic” refers to a broad category of all the various beneficial bacteria and microorganisms found in the gut.  That means every probiotic supplement is unique in terms of the effects it will have in the body and on the individual.

It’s also important to recognize that not all types of probiotics are equal.  For instance, there are many different strains of lactobacillus acidophilus which research shows has differing effects.  So just because a person took something with acidophilus and didn’t notice any benefits, doesn’t mean another strain like the DDS-1 couldn’t be highly beneficial.

Some studies have even shown different people taking the same probiotic supplement had vastly different results.  Since the area of probiotic supplementation is fairly new, this means that it will likely take some time for science to really get a handle on how to diagnose which probiotic someone would benefit from the most.

I firmly believe the best place to start healing the gut and getting the benefits of probiotics is through the inclusion of cultured foods like sauerkraught, kimchi, kefir, and other fermented foods.   These foods also provide far more bacteria per serving than a typical over the counter supplement will.  So consider supplements to be just that, a supplement to a diet already rich in good bacteria from foods.

Best Supplemental Probiotic Products

Here is a list of some of my favorite probiotics.  Note, there are plenty of other good ones out there and this is not mean to be an exhaustive list of every good probiotic supplement.

1. Saccharomyces Boulardii

Saccharomyces Boulardii is a great probiotic yeast to start with because it stimulates sIgA production.  (see: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11021572) This is important for signaling to our immune system what bacteria are in our gut.  To make a long story short, this enhances the benefits of all the other probiotics you will take.  Without adequate sIgA signaling however, the probiotics won’t do their job as well.

2. Lactobacillus GG

Lactobacillus GG (brand name Culturelle) is one of the most researched and time-tested strains of bacteria with over 400 studies done on it.  It’s well noted for its immune enhancing effects, improvement of digestion, and it’s ability to successfully survive the digestive track intact to colonize the gut.  It has been shown to aid in fighting infection and improve the skin with conditions like eczema.  It is my number #1 recommendation when starting probiotics as there are few if any that can match the research backing it has.

3. Bifantis – Bifidobacterium infantis

Bifantis (brand name Align) is well-known for its benefits on digestion.  It is great for those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.  This is typically the first probiotic to recommend for digestive issues.

4. L. Acidophilus Strain DDS-1

The DDS-1 strain is a highly researched strain of L. Acidophilus that is of human origin.  This means it works well within the human body and can tolerate transition through the digestive track.  Like other strains, research has shown it is extremely beneficial for gut-health as well as enhancing the immune system.

Product Link – USA Labs – DDS-1

Multiple Strain Probiotic Formulas

Utilizing formulas are a good way to introduce a variety of strains into the gut.  While I recommend started with the previous single-strain probiotics due to their extensive research, these following formulas may offer benefits to those looking to experiment with other popular strains of bacteria.

Custom Probiotics

One of my trusted health mentors believes this to be one of the absolute best probiotic supplements he’s ever used.  He’s stated that the response people get when taking it is almost instantaneous in how they feel.

Jarro-Dophilus EPS

Called the #1 probiotic in the US.  It is shelf-stable with a good mix of 8 different bacteria strains.

Natren Trinity

Natren is also the only company I’ve seen to have the Malytho superstrain of Bifidobacterium bifidum.  While the product is expensive, some people swear by it.

 

Additional Educational Resources:

http://www.nutricology.com/infocus/pdfletters/InFocus_2009Oct_Probiotics.pdf

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LGN365 Cover

LGN365 Review – How To Look Great Naked 365 Days A Year

What Is LGN365?

LGN 365 Creator

JC Deen – Creator Of LGN365

LGN365 is a fitness guide and series of workout routines created by trainer, blogger, and all around great guy named JC Deen who is well known among the fitness community as being one of the most respected sources for no-BS fat loss and bodybuilding information.  The name of the program stands for “Look Great Naked 365” because it covers just about everything a person would need to know to burn fat, build muscle, and enjoy an awesome looking body year round.

JC Deen has given me the honor and privilege be one of the guest experts he interviews for the program.  So naturally, any program with yours truly is going to be good.

I’ve since got a copy of LGN365 and, even though I would expect nothing less than something spectacular from JC, I was very impressed with how well put together his guide is.  Keep reading to find out what I enjoyed about the guide, and to get a no-BS look at if it is the right solution for your physique goals.

Who Is LGN365 For?

To begin with, you can tell this guide is obviously not aimed at the typical “get super huge” bodybuilding crowd, nor is it for the people looking for a “quick fix” to burn 30 pounds in 30 days.

That’s not because it doesn’t contain great information on how to burn fat or build muscle, but this guide is more for those who want to simply… look great naked.  More muscle, less fat, and what I would consider an “athletic” looking physique.  It’s for people who are busy with other priorities in their lives and aren’t looking to drop everything they have going on to go on a hardcore bodybuilding routine or a radical (and unsafe) fat loss routine for quick but unsustainable results.

That’s because the entire layout of the program is designed so the average person will quickly and easily be able to find out exactly what steps they need to take to reach their goals, but more importantly how they can integrate these steps into their lifestyle so they can maintain their great looking body year round.

What Makes LGN365 Different?

Extremely Effective: While there are certainly many good training programs and diet guides out there, JC has spent a good portion of his life digging into countless hours of research on everything related to body recomposition.  He has then tried and tested numerous methods not only on himself, but many clients to find the exact formula that is most effective for the vast majority of people.  Combine that with his connections to the world’s top trainers, fitness experts, and researchers, and you’ll realize how valuable it is to have all of that knowledge distilled down into one easy to read guide.

I’ve started to put the workout routines to the test and am currently utilizing his most advanced muscle building routine in the guide.   I”ll have an update post on my personal results later.

JC Deen

JC’s Results

Hype-Free: The first thing you’ll notice about the program, and this says a lot about JC, is that it is very “hype-free.”  That’s because even though this stuff works far better than most nonsense out there, JC recognizes that overly hyping things up creates unrealistic perspectives in people.  Namely, people think in terms of quick fixes instead of lifestyle habits.

What Makes LGN365 Great?

Mindset Focused: If you’re familiar with my work, you know how much I emphasize mindset as playing the biggest role in getting results with your health and fitness routine.  Nothing works until you make it work, and JC knows how important the psychology of an individual is in terms of the results they will get.  He gives very simple but effective ways to get yourself motivated to not only get started, but stay on track day after day and year after year.  This is the missing link in most fitness programs, and by including it, he’s virtually guaranteed you’re going to stick through long enough to see results.

Step-by-step: You’ll know how much to eat including the proper ratio of fats, protein, and carbohydrates including automatic calculators to figure it all out just by typing in your body weight, activity levels, and goals.  You learn how to properly read nutrition labels. Exactly what exercises to do with the right amount of sets and reps for both fat loss and muscle gain.  You get a breakdown into how JC assesses what kind of program is best for someone.  You then get multiple programs to run through the year so your body keeps “guessing” and never adapts to one thing for too long. You even get exercise videos showing you proper form.

Basically, it’s like have a world class trainer right by your side giving you a personal evaluation and setting up all of your training and diet for you.  Except in this case, you learn how to do it yourself so you can always adjust and readjust as needed over the course of the years so you’re never left wondering what you should be doing.

This ability to never have to worry about “is what I’m doing really working?” is worth the price of admission alone.  So many people who try to piece things together only to end up unsure of themselves and hesitant to invest much effort.   But by having everything laid out with a system that has been proven time and time again to get great results, this allows you to leave second guessing behind and get straight to seeing your body start to transform.

Practical: Practicality is another thing that sets this program apart.  It doesn’t just tell you the “ideal” thing to do leaving people feeling like it would be next to impossible to actually fit the recommendations in with their lives.  Instead, JC is a realist.  He knows the everyday challenges people including himself face, and he doesn’t give overly restrictive rules.  This includes having things like multiple workout routines that fit into a variety of schedules and how to stay on track while eating out a restaurants.

Expert Interviews: The expert interviews really rounds out the program.  JC ties up any loose ends by bringing in others, like myself, to explain things like how to create habits that stick, how to prepare fast healthy meals, and how to sort through all the conflicting information floating around out there in the fitness advice world.

When it’s all said and done, anyone going through the guide will have all the tools to ensure they will be successful in reaching their physique goals.

Is LGN365 The Best Fat Loss and Muscle Gain Guide Out There?

I myself, and even JC wouldn’t say anything is the “best.”  There are many great programs out there that are effective for fat loss and muscle gain and it all depends on the individual and their circumstances.  But very few programs can match the caliber of LGN 365.  If I had this program when I first started, I would have saved myself a lot of obsessive worrying about things that ultimately don’t make a whole lot of difference and instead would have been able to focus only on what I knew was essential for my goals.

That being said, if you’re not able to invest at least several days a week to training in the gym and tracking your food intake, this probably isn’t the guide for you.  Because it follows a proven template of what will work for either fat loss or muscle gain based on real world testing, just randomly following bits and pieces of the system probably won’t yield as good of results as JC’s clients.  So, you’ll want to make sure you’re really committed and that your lifestyle allows for you to take some time and energy to learn and apply the system.

If you are committed and able, then I’m confident this program will give you what you need to look great naked 365 days a year.  I don’t recommend a lot of courses and programs, so I’m staking my reputation on this one by both including myself in it and recommending it here.  That’s how much I believe this guide will benefit my readers.  So if you’d like to look great naked all year round, click the link below to find out more:

Click here to learn more about LGN365 and purchase the program

By: [googleplusauthor]

Bodybuilding Cookbook

The Best Bodybuilding Cookbook – Over 200 Muscle Building Recipes

Bodybuilding Cooking Made Tasty and Delicious

I remember when I first got into bodybuilding I would force feed myself bland chicken breasts and broccoli.  I would actually bring it in a sack bag to my high school lunch room and proudly display my strict eating habits in front of my friends whom thought I was crazy.

Fast forward a few years, and I’ve since discovered tons of awesome recipes that not only are great for packing on slabs of muscle, but are healthy and tasty too.  I even created my youtube channel to show off some of my culinary creations.  But, finding new recipes is always a bit of a challenge.  Not because recipes are hard to come by, but because bodybuilder friendly recipes are hard to come by.

That’s where Dave Ruel has come in and saved the day.  He’s put together what I consider to be the single best “all-in-one” bodybuilding cooking guide for guys like myself who like taste, affordability, and most of all convenience.   Since most of the recipes are made stupid simple for the average guy, you won’t find you have to be a great chef to start making great tasting high protein muscle gain meals.

Here is an awesome meatloaf recipe courtesy of Dave to kickstart your bodybuilding chef skills.

Bodybuilding Cookbook Recipe Dinner Idea – Muscle Meat Loaf

Ingredients

  • – 2 lbs of ground Turkey
  • – 1 teaspoon of olive oil
  • – 1 diced Onion
  • – 1 teaspoon of Garlic(optional)
  • – 1/3 cup Dried Tomatoes
  • – 1 cup of Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs
  • – 1 Whole Eggs
  • – 1/2 cup of Parsley
  • – 1/4 cup of Low Fat Parmesan
  • – 1/4 cup Skim Milk
  • – Salt and Pepper
  • – 1 teaspoon of Oregano

Directions

  • 1. Cook the Onion with Olive Oil separatly
  • 2. Mix everything together in a big bowl, add the cooked oignons
  • 3. Put the mix in a big pan
  • 4. Bake at 375-400 F for about 30mins

Nutritional Facts (Per Serving)

  • Calories: 393
  • Protein: 46g
  • Carbohydrates: 14g
  • Fat: 17g

 

Purchase The “Anabolic Cooking” Cookbook

Check out the Anabolic Cookbook here for over 200 more muscle building meals!
Best Bodybuilding Cookbook

This cookbook will not only give you just about every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack idea you could ever need for bodybuilding, but it’s also filled with nutritional tips and tricks to maximize your results.  Dave is pretty jacked and knows a thing or two about healthy eating for building muscle and burning fat.  The money saved from not having to eat prepackaged meals or fast food is worth the price alone.

Get More Free Bodybuilding Recipe Ideas

Want to try out some more great muscle gain recipes for free?  Dave Ruel is offering this free guide so you can get even more recipes to build mass. Right click here and save to your computer.

best bodybuilding recipes cookbook

Right Click and Download To Computer

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Bodybuilding Recipes

The Best Quick Bodybuilding Recipes – 3 Tasty & Cheap Meals

3 Fast & Tasty Muscle Building Recipes

So you want to build more muscle and are getting tired of chicken breasts and brown rice?  Don’t worry.  I’ve got you covered with 3 super quick and easy recipes that are not only going to help pack on slabs of muscle, but they taste absolutely frickin’ amazing.  They are also fairly “idiot-proof,” so even if you don’t know much about cooking, you’ll find it pretty hard to screw these up.

Recipe #1 – Bodybuilder’s Slow Cooker Pineapple Chili

Quick Healthy Chili Recipe - Slow Cooker

Directions:

Why It’s Awesome:

A quick and easy chili recipe is essential for any bodybuilder.  Whereas many chili recipes may call for 15-20  minutes of prep time, this can be made in around 5 minutes.  I usually just toss the ingredients in a slow cooker before bed, let it cook while I sleep, and then wake up to several days worth of chili.

Bodybuilders need tons of calories, and there’s no easier way to get those calories than by tossing everything together in a pot and then cooking a delicious meal that can be taken on the go and warmed up whenever you’re ready.  If you want to add even more calories, you can add some more meat for additional protein and fat.  You can also add some organic red potatoes, additional rice (add water in 1:2 ratio of rice to water), and some more beans.

Recipe #2 – Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk (Available in ethnic/Asian food section of grocery stores)

1 cup Canned Pumpkin Puree (Available in baking section of grocery stores)

1-2 scoops protein powder with either 6-12 oz of water, milk, or almond milk

2 tablespoons of honey and/or blackstrap molasses (or 1 tablespoon of powdered stevia)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 oz chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in a blender.  You may use either honey, blackstrap molasses, or a 50/50 mixture of each for a total of 2 tablespoons or desired sweetness.

Why It’s Awesome:

Who doesn’t love pumpkin pie?  And what’s the best part of a pumpkin pie?  The filling!  You’ll swear you’re eating straight pumpkin pie filling with this quick and easy pumpkin pie protein shake.

While a protein shakes’ convenience is a life saver for people in a hurry, but the problem is they’re mostly treated as a supplement rather than a meal in itself.  We can add a few things to make an ordinary protein shake an extraordinary muscle building meal.

Pumpkin is one of the most nutritionally rich foods and is very high in fiber.  So by adding pumpkin to the protein shake, it will be much more filling and give you a lot more nutritional than just protein powder and water.

The coconut milk is a great source of healthy fat including medium chain triglycerides which actually boosts the metabolism and keep you burning fat.  Including coconut fats in your diet is a great way to ensure you’re building muscle without adding too much body fat.

Blackstrap molasses provides tons of minerals including chromium which aids in blood sugar balance.  Proper blood sugar regulation is essential for adding muscle and preventing fat gain.  Studies have shown cinnamon also aids in promoting blood sugar which resulted in more muscle and less fat.

Want to kick it up with even more calories?  Trying adding some applesauce and oats for additional carbohydrates.

Recipe #3 – Homemade Protein Fudge Bars (Non-Cook)

Ingredients:

8 scoops chocolate protein powder
1 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
3 tbsp honey
1/2 cup 1% milk
3 tbsp crushed peanuts

Directions:

1. Mix together the protein powder, oatmeal, peanut butter, honey and milk.
2. Form into 5 bars and then roll in the crushed peanuts to finish.
3. Place in the fridge for about 30-45 mins or until solid

See video below to watch it being made:

Why It’s Awesome:

This last recipe comes from Dave Ruel, author of the Anabolic Cooking Recipe Book.

Most store bought protein bars are crap.  Some low quality protein, a ton of sugar, and the one’s that actually taste good are usually pretty horrible in terms of tons of added crap you probably don’t need to be putting into your body.  But this recipe is quick, easy, and affordable.

Dave’s got a ton of great recipes specifically for bodybuilders.  He’s compiled them all in both his Anabolic Cooking product which you can check out here:

Want More Free Bodybuilding Recipes?

Check out Dave Ruel’s 10 Most Anabolicious Recipes PDF – Right Click Here and Save To Computer

best bodybuilding recipes cookbook

Right Click and Download To Computer

By: [googleplusauthor]

Quick & Healthy Slow Cooker Chili Recipe – Tasty Pineapple Chili

Making Chili Fast and Easy In A Slow-Cooker

This is one of my favorite quick and healthy recipes.  While you can make this on a stove top if you prefer, the slow-cooker allows you to simply dump the ingredients in, set it for the time you want, and then go on about your business (sleeping, working, etc.) for several hours until the chili is ready.

What You’ll Need For The Chili

Ingredients:

  • 2lbs of ground or “stew” lean meat (beef, chicken, turkey, bison, etc.)
  • 1 can of black beans
  • 1 can of kidney beans
  • ½ cup of organic brown rice
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 cups V8 or similar vegetable juice

Spices and Flavors:

  • Chili Powder 2 tablespoons – Up to you how much
  • 1 tsp of each:
  • Oregano, Basil, Sage, and Thyme.  Or just use an Italian seasoning mix.
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon minced garlic.
  • 20 oz canned pineapples.

Slow Cooker

I highly recommend using a slow-cooker aka crock-pot with an automatic shut-off for convenience.  It is quite literally the best kitchen device you can ever own.  Here are some good options if you don’t already own one:

 

How To Make The Crazy Quick Crockpot Chili Recipe

Recipe:

  1. Add ground lean meat to slow cooker, separate with a fork, and add seasonings. (Don’t worry about chopping up too much, you can separate it easier after cooking)
  2. Add in ½ cup of dry organic brown rice.
  3. Add in 1 cup of water or as much as desired.
  4. Open and drain canned beans, add to mix.
  5. Add in a cup of pre-sliced mushrooms as well as any other desired vegetables from a bag.
  6. Add in various spices and garlic to taste.
  7. Mix in up to 3-4 cups of V8 or similar vegetable juice and stir. Alternative: 1 28oz can of diced tomatoes.
  8. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
  9. When finished, taste and add additional spices if desired.  You can add 20 oz canned diced pineapples to really kick up the flavor.

By: [googleplusauthor]

Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps’ Training Workout and Diet Plan in 2012

Michael Phelps Diet and Workout

Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps – Making History in 2012 London Olympics

Michael Phelps just made history in after getting his 19th gold medal in the London Olympics.  The super athlete made headlines years ago for his performance in the Beijing Olympics along with rumors of a 12,000 calorie diet used to fuel his intense training.

But Phelps has recently unveiled his new strategy for healthier eating and revamped his gym training workouts.  After claiming another gold medal, we can still see his effort has paid off.

Michael Phelps Takes On Intense Training for 2012

See video below to see Michael’s training and diet for 2012:

There’s been a trend among athletes like Phelps and Ryan Lochte to step up their dry-land training to include a lot more anaerobic exercise and reduce the aerobic exercise.  Anaerobic exercise, like resistance training, works to increase speed and build muscle.  The focus has shifted because swimmers in these events need speed and explosive power as much as they need endurance.

That means training with the Olympic barbell exercises (snatches, cleans, etc.), medicine ball work, throws, high jumps, and in Phelps’ case he also included sled pushing.

Sled pushing is an excellent form of exercise for training power and speed.  It is also unique in that, unlike weight lifting, sled pushing doesn’t create as much soreness or muscle damage allowing an athlete to train more often without interfering with proper recovery.

This focus on more anaerobic work also means the athletes won’t burn as many calories allowing them to keep their weight up.  Phelps has actually come into the 2012 games with less bodyfat and more muscle.

Of course, the average person can take note of this trend.  Hours and hours of endless cardio sessions will not be as effective for getting both an athletic looking body nor an athletic functioning body like intense resistance training combined with speed and power work will.

Michael Phelps Diet Plan – No More Binge Eating

Michael Phelps may be just as famous for his diet as he is for his gold medals.  News stories spread back in 2008 about his 12,000 calorie days.  But he’s recently set the record straight that he never really ate that much, at least not on a regular basis.  (source: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/05/michael-phelps-12000-calorie-diet-just-a-myth/1#.UBi_Q6DN6So )

Granted, training as intensely as he does combined with his fast metabolism certainly affords himself some additional calories.  But like most things, the idea that he eats that much tends to fall into sensationalism for the sake of making a good story.

He has said doesn’t follow a specific diet, but that he’s not eating as much junk food as he did before and takes vitamins, including vitamin D.

This falls in line with an observation I’ve had, and that is that the more physically active one is, the less they need to concern themselves with how many calories they eat.  However, this also doesn’t afford people a “free pass” to eat whatever they’d like.

Given that the 12,000 calorie notion was likely an exaggeration, let’s not forget that sensible eating comes first and foremost when it comes to keeping a fit body.  Following the tips I’ve outlined on this site and in my free fitness survival guide will be adequate for the vast majority of people to figure out what and how much they should eat to burn fat and build or preserve muscle for their activity levels.

Summary:

  • Michael Phelps, and other swimmers like Ryan Lochte have increased their power training with weights, sleds, and other power exercises in preparation for the 2012 Olympics.
  • Michael doesn’t follow a set eating plan, but has become more conscientious about his food intake and reducing the junk, but more or less eats when he wants and doesn’t keep anything in particular too off limits.
  • He hasn’t stated how much he eats, but we can assume it’s FAR below 12,000 calories as often stated.

More About Phelps:

Related Articles:

Ryan Lochte’s Training and Diet

 

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Ryan Lochte

Ryan Lochte’s Training Workout and Diet Plan

Ryan Lochte Training Workout and Diet

Ryan Lochte

Ryan Lochte – America’s New Superstar Swimmer

Ryan Lochte has just won a gold medal in the 2012 Olympics in London beating out fellow American swimmer Michael Phelps.  When you look at the hardcore out of the water on-land workout routines and training style of Ryan, you can see he has put in the sweat and effort to become a world champion.

Ryan Lochte’s Workout Routine – Strongman Training

Ryan has said he’s incorporated a lot of “strongman” type training into his routine.  For those not familiar with the concept, that means things like flipping tires, lifting unconventional objects like stones, and doing any number of high strength exercises that require total body strength.

Here’s a video of him training (pre-haircut):

http://youtu.be/Va3JJuXDyhc

The benefit of this strongman style training vs. typical “bodybuilding” style training is that he’s utilizing a lot more of his core in the movements.  Compound exercises like deadlifts, farmer’s walks, rope swings, squats, bent over rows, and the like all require a strong core.

Since much of a swimmer’s ability comes from their core strength, this makes sense.  He’s even gone as far as to be releasing a core workout routine dvd.

Another aspect of his training is more explosive movements.  This means things like high jumps, throwing heavy objects, medicine ball slams, and other types of “power” movements which activate the fast twitch muscle fibers.  Since a swimmer needs speed, doing explosive fast movements is critical for training the nervous system to activate a muscle quickly and generate tremendous power.

Can The Average Person Do Ryan’s Exercise Program?

I would say yes and no.  The style of training Ryan does is excellent for all around athleticism and physical fitness.  But keep in mind he is a world class athlete that has built up a tremendous amount of physical strength and endurance and has access to the best trainers to ensure proper form and recovery.

The average person can however utilize many of the same exercises, but they must build up a certain capacity and base strength level before do workouts as hardcore as Ryan.  If you’re just starting out, have only a few hours a week to workout, and want to get strong, fit, and ripped I’d suggest building the fundamentals with a book like Starting Strength which is the go-to book for the vast majority of people just getting into weight training.  It teaches the proper form of the most powerful and essential exercises.

 

Once a person has built up a steady base of strength, they can start incorporating more strongman style training into their routine.  Here’s an awesome article from T-Nation to get you started: Strongman Training.

If a person is more interested in building muscle mass, I recommend specialized strategies like those outlined in this report on maximizing muscle hypertrophy.

Ryan Lochte’s Diet Plan and Healthy Eating Style

Ryan’s success is in no doubt also related to the fact that he started changing how he eats.  You may be surprised to know most athletes, even olympic athletes eat a lot of junk food.  This is especially true for swimmers who burn a lot of calories during the day and it can be hard to consume enough calories without eating a bit of “junk”.

But Ryan Lochte wanted to be “the best,” so he put his effort into eating cleaner foods.  While he used to eat fast food just about every day, he’s ditched that for a healthier diet.

He’s stated that some typical meals he eats are chicken breasts, eggs, oatmeal, fruit, salads, and other whole unprocessed foods.  Nothing too “crazy,” just common sense stuff like we recommend here at Excuse Proof Fitness both on our healthy eating youtube channel and in our free weight loss survival guide.

What Ryan Can Teach Us

1. Hardcore training gets you hardcore results.  Whether you want to be a world champion or just a bit stronger and more fit, you’ve got to put in the sweat and effort.  Results don’t come without hard work.  But you don’t need to spend hours and hours getting those results, high intensity work done for short periods of time often trumps spending hours doing something that isn’t very challenging.

2. Diet and exercise go hand in hand.  He could have simply trained harder and would still be one of the best in the world.  But he wanted to be THE best, so he put just as much focus on his diet.

3. He’s got a rock-solid mindset and will do whatever it takes to win.  He trained harder and ate better than his competitors, and it paid off.  Even if you’re not striving to be an Olympic caliber athlete or competing against others, why note compete against yourself to be better than you were yesterday?

If you’re looking for more mindset and motivation tips, be sure to like our facebook page and download our survival guide for diet and workout tips.

Related Articles:

Michael Phelps’ Training and Diet in 2012

Sources:

http://www.examiner.com/article/shirtess-ryan-lochte-covers-men-s-health-dishes-fitness-motivation-secrets

http://teenstarnews.com/?p=2292

http://www.menshealth.com/olympics/ryan-lochte

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