Archive for November, 2008
Are Ellipitcal Machines Your Best Choice to Burn Calories?
Written by success on Sunday, November 16, 2008 | 6 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: burn calories, ellipitical machine, lose weight, turbulence training
I ran across an interesting article yesterday that I thought should share with you. The article discusses a study done by Men’s Health Magazine and the usefulness of ellipitical machines. I have copied the article in its entirety below for you to read.
3 Reasons to Avoid Elliptical Machines
The latest Men’s Health magazine comes down on elliptical machines hard.
Now I know elliptical machines are often the only option for people with bad knees, but if your knees are healthy, think twice before using the elliptical machine for these three reasons.
First, on page 52 of the December, 2008 issue, Men’s Health warns, “Never trust elliptical machines”.
They quote a study that found elliptical machines over-estimated the number of calories burned in a workout by 31%!
Ouch.
So if your “elliptical cardio workout” burned 400 calories, the truth is you really burned closer to only 300 calories.
Second, later in the Dec. issue, Men’s Health magazine interviewed Biggest Loser contestant Ed Brantley. Ed lost 73 pounds on the show, but had this to say about elliptical machines, “I hated the elliptical. It was too easy, I didn’t feel like I was doing anything.”
Exactly. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
But that’s EXACTLY why elliptical machines are so popular…
You see, the third reason elliptical machines are inferior for fat loss is because they fail my “human nature” test.
Put it this way…
Take 100 people and put them in a gym with 100 treadmills and 100 elliptical machines.
Tell them they have to exercise for 30 minutes at a hard pace, and they have the choice to use either the treadmill or the elliptical.
Guess where 90% of folks are going?
The elliptical!
Why?
Because it is human nature to take the EASY WAY out. And that is why elliptical machines are so busy at the gym and you rarely see anyone doing intervals on a treadmill or bodyweight circuits in the corner of the gym.
Often I see folks using the elliptical machine only to say they “worked out”, but without getting any REAL work done.
So if you are stuck at a fat loss plateau, and you’ve been counting on the elliptical machine to help you out, then forget it.
To burn fat and get more out of your workouts, do interval training outside, on a bike or treadmill, or with kettlebell exercises or bodyweight circuits.
For more interval training and bodyweight workouts, visit:
These are all better options in your fight against the fat,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Warp Speed Fat Loss Review
Written by success on Saturday, November 15, 2008 | No Comments
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: warp speed fat loss
First off, Warp Speed Fat Loss is a very cool concept. The idea that you have in your hands the exact step by step rapid weight loss blueprint that can help you lose 8 lbs in the first week and up to 21 lbs in just 28 days is very exciting.
Warp Speed Fat Loss is broken up into two main parts – diet and training. The good thing is you can be a complete idiot in both areas and still lose as boatload of weight since everything is laid out for you.
In regards to the diet. It is put together by nutritionist and fat loss master Mike Roussell. Mike has created a ton of different “diet levels” so all you need to do is 1. Know your body weight and 2. Print out the 28 day diet plan for that body weight. If you don’t like the foods Mike picked out that is okay as he made some really easy to follow videos that show you how to add your favorite foods to his diets.
The training part of Warp Speed Fat Loss isn’t a walk in the park; but if anyone told you that you could lose 20 lbs of fat in just 4 weeks without a solid exercise program they’d be telling you lies. It isn’t like you have to spend your whole day in the gym either as each of the workouts are over in less than 57 minutes.
The Warp Speed Fat Loss program has already given hundreds of people results were nothing short of phenomenal. If you are looking for a brain dead simple guaranteed way to lose weight fast then definitely check out Warp Speed Fat Loss. You can pick up your copy here.
Is Cardio A Waste of Time?
Written by success on Saturday, November 15, 2008 | No Comments
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: burn calores, cardio, cardio waste of time, is cardio efficient, lose weight
Is cardio a waste of time? Is it the most efficient use of time in your attempt to burn calories and lose weight? I may surprise you here but I believe cardio is a waste of your time and definitely not the most efficient use of your time.
Hear me out. I believe this is the case for a variety of reasons. But lets be clear cardio will not make you fat and hopefully it won’t kill you. (As an aside, I would always recommend getting a check up from your doctor before beginning any exercise routine.) Why do I have against cardio? Let me tell you. It is not terribly effective, it can be harmful, and it is not time efficient.
Cardio is not terribly effective. I have talked to many people over the years who have performed cardio only not to see any results. They run day after day without results. It is definitely not the most effective. There are many forms of exercise that burn more calories and allow you to lose weight quicker than cardio. My favorite would be a mixture of bodyweight exercises and interval training. I will explain these both in upcoming posts. (If you want to find out more about bodyweight exercises before I post about it you can check out Turbulence Training.) If you could burn more calories and lose more weight doing something less boring than cardio why would you waste your time with it?
Cardio is also potentially harmful. Many people begin cardio program after they are overweight in an attempt to burn calories and lose weight. However, in this overweight condition they are more susceptible to injuries. Their joint and tendons are not prepared to handle the pounding that cardio brings. Even if you are not overweight, when you get older you body doesn’t fair well with the abuse that cardio can bring. I would definitely choose something less damaging.
Cardio is not an efficient use of your time. If you could burn more calories in a 40 minute period of time than you could with 60 minutes of cardio why would you choose cardio. It is simply not a good use of your time.
I will explain in a future post what type of workout I believe will benefit you the most. So stay tuned.