The Truth About Burning Fat

2 Simple Steps To Ripped, Shredded Muscles

August 5, 2008 by howtogainweightandmuscle

Sean Nalewanyj - Author of "The Real Deal Body Transformation System"

Picture this scenario…

You’ve been training your tail off for the past 4 months, trying to pack on as much muscle size as you possibly can. You’ve bulked up considerably and are quite happy with the size you’ve been able to achieve.

There’s just one problem…

Along with all of that solid, lean muscle you’ve gained, you notice that you’ve also packed on some excess body fat in the process.

Let’s face it, no matter how “huge” you might be, no one wants to be walking around with a soft, smooth and flabby body. After most trainees have finished their “bulking” phase, they decide that it’s time to “cut down” and strip off the excess body fat that they gained due to their high calorie, muscle-building diet.

How do they usually go about this?

They lighten up the weights and perform higher reps.

This has always been a widely accepted method of “cutting down” and if you ask most trainers in the gym they’ll tell you that “heavy weights bulk up the muscle and lighter weights define the muscle”.

Do you want to know the reality behind the “light weight and high reps” method of obtaining a ripped and defined physique?

The Real Deal Body Transformation System

It is completely, totally and utterly DEAD WRONG.

It couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, there is no logical basis for this way of training whatsoever, and whoever dreamt up this downright ridiculous way of thinking has caused the vast majority of lifters to waste their time and impede their progress in the gym.

Let me clear this up once and for all: you CANNOT spot reduce.

In other words, it is physically impossible to target fat loss from a specific area on your body. Performing bench presses with light resistance and high repetitions will not magically burn fat off of your chest or cause it to appear harder and more defined.

Every single time you wrap your hands around a barbell, dumbbell or cable, your goal is to stimulate as much muscle growth as you possibly can. There are no special, secret weightlifting exercises that will “define” your muscles or cause them to become more “ripped”.

Training with weights builds muscle mass, end of story.

So how exactly do you “define” a muscle?

The only way to “define” a muscle is by lowering your body fat percentage in order to make your muscles more visible. Body fat reduction can be achieved in two ways:

1) Modify your diet.

You’ll need to create a slight caloric deficit within your body to stimulate the fat burning process. This can usually be achieved by lowering your overall caloric intake so that you are consuming 15-20% fewer calories than is needed to maintain your weight.

You should also be focusing on consuming smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. This will keep your metabolism naturally raised at all times and will keep your body in a constant fat burning state.

2) Perform proper cardio workouts.

Let go of the traditional method of moderate intensity cardio in 30-45 minute durations.

If you want to maximize your body’s fat burning capacity and also minimize the muscle loss that inevitably accompanies a fat burning cycle, focus on shorter, 15-minute interval-based cardio workouts performed 3-5 times per week at a high level of intensity.

That’s all there is to it, folks.

Take the notion of “light weight and higher reps” and throw it right out the window, down the street and around the corner. Following this misguided method will only cause you to lose muscle mass and strength, and will not assist you in burning fat or defining your physique.

If you’re looking for the complete inside scoop on lowering your body fat levels while maintaining your muscle mass, check out The Truth About Burning Fat. I’ll show you exactly how to eat and train for maximum fat loss, using simple but powerful techniques that guarantee results.

About The Author

Once an awkward, out-of-shape “social outcast”, Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned fat loss and muscle building expert, best-selling fitness author, and creator of the wildly popular online fat loss program: “The Real Deal Body Transformation System”. Learn how to burn fat and lose weight quickly, safely and permanently by visiting: The Truth About Burning Fat.

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Carbohydrates & Fat Loss: Clearing Up The Confusion – Part 2

August 4, 2008 by howtogainweightandmuscle

Sean Nalewanyj - Author

In Part 1, we established that the ultimate goal of effective fat burning carbohydrate consumption is to keep blood sugar levels consistent and balanced. In doing so, insulin levels will remain under control, the fat burning metabolism will be maximized and the body’s energy levels and mood will remain elevated.

The only issue now is to determine which sources of carbohydrates will aid us in achieving that goal. This is where things get a bit trickier, as there are several factors that need to be addressed.

Carbohydrates are essentially broken down into two main categories: “simple” and “complex”.

Carbohydrates are basically “rings” of carbon/hydrogen/oxygen, and it is the number of rings and the manner in which they hook together that determines whether they are simple or complex.

Conventional wisdom used to tell us that we should limit our consumption of simple carbohydrates and focus on consuming complex carbohydrates. The logic behind this was that the simpler structures are broken down faster while the complex structures are broken down gradually.

We now know that this is not entirely accurate. For example, a white potato is a complex carbohydrate that raises blood sugar levels quickly, while an apple is a simple carbohydrate that raises blood sugar levels slowly.

This brings us to a more accurate tool: the glycemic index.

Rather than focusing on the notions of “simple” and “complex”, the glycemic index evaluates the rate at which carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels by assigning them a ranking between 0 and 100.

In general, a GI ranking of 55 or less classifies a carbohydrate as “low glycemic” (raises blood sugar levels very slowly)… 56 to 69 would be considered “medium” (raises blood sugar levels at a moderate pace)… while 70 and above is considered “high” (raises blood sugar levels quickly and sharply).

While the GI is a more accurate criteria to use as opposed to the “simple” and “complex” method, the drawback is that each ranking is based on that specific food source consumed on its own in a fasted state.

We never consume carbohydrates on their own (in order to maximize fat loss they should always be combined with a lean protein source), and we rarely ever consume them in a fasted state.

This is very important, because when carbohydrates are combined with other food sources (such as proteins and fats), their GI properties can be dramatically altered.

So while the glycemic index IS one useful tool that can be utilized as part of the overall picture,
relying on it as the sole means of carbohydrate selection is an obvious mistake.

The next and final criteria that can be used is the issue of “natural” carbohydrate sources versus “refined” carbohydrate sources.

Refined carbohydrates are foods where the high fiber bits (the bran and germ) have been removed from the grain. White rice, white bread, sugary cereals and any item made from white flour are all examples of refined carbohydrates. These sources of carbohydrates are very simplistic in structure, low in nutritional value and raise blood sugar levels quickly and sharply.

Natural carbohydrates are simply those which have not been modified and still contain the whole grain, including the bran and germ. These sources are high in fiber, take longer to digest, are more nutritious, will keep you feeling full for longer, and have a negligible effect on blood sugar levels when consumed as part of a balanced meal.

To determine if a carbohydrate source is natural, look for the first ingredient on the package to be whole wheat flour, brown rice, rye flour, barley, or oats. Terms such as “rice syrup”, “corn syrup”, “sucrose” and “brown sugar” all indicate that the source has been refined, as does any product made from white flour.

As you can see, there is more than one criteria to be used when choosing fat burning carbohydrate sources.

Here is a summed up review that takes all factors into account…

1) Refined carbohydrate sources of any kind should be avoided.

2) Unrefined starchy carbohydrate sources are fine to consume as part of a balanced meal.

3) Vegetables of all kinds are highly acceptable, particularly green fibrous vegetables.

4) Fruit sources on the medium to lower end of the glycemic index are acceptable with a maximum of 2-3 pieces per day.

5) Low fat and non-fat dairy products are fine to consume in moderation.

With all of that in mind, here is a basic list of carbohydrate sources to include in your fat burning diet…

Carbohydrate sources that should form the bulk of your diet

Vegetables of all kinds
Oatmeal
Whole grain breads
Whole grain cereals
Brown rice
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Yams
Barley
Rye
Lentils

Carbohydrate sources that should be consumed in moderation

Fresh fruits
Low-fat/Non-fat yogurt
Skim milk

Hopefully by now you have grasped the basics of carbohydrate consumption and understand which food sources are best to include in your diet and why.

To learn more about proper fat burning nutrition, including the topics of caloric intake, protein, fats, meal frequency, meal combinations and more, visit The Truth About Burning Fat. You can sign up for my free 6-part fat burning email course and gain instant access to my renowned body makeover program, “The Real Deal Body Transformation System“.

About The Author