Two Healthy Holiday Desserts For You

I know, I know, I know. The holidays are here and temptation seems to be EVERYWHERE. Now is NOT the time for those with a sweet tooth to fall off the wagon.

So that's why I've got two great Holiday dessert ideas for you that won't pack on the pounds.

First, is Grilled Banana Splits. Here's the simple ingredients you'll need:

4 ripe bananas

2 Tbsp chocolate chips

1/2 cup non-fat, frozen vanilla yogurt

4 tsp chopped walnuts


Here are the easy-to-follow directions:

1- Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2- Place each banana on its side on a piece of foil. Cut a slit lengthwise across the top. Leave the skin attached.

3- Push 1/2 Tbsp chocolate chips into the slit of each banana.

4- Wrap the bananas with the foil, leaving the top open. Grill or bake about 15 minutes or until the chocolate melts.

5- Loosen the foil and press the bananas open a little.

6- Top each banana with 2Tbsp of the frozen yogurt and sprinkle with 1tsp walnuts.

That's it for a nutritious and delicious treat!

Second, if you like your life even easier, and you're a big fan of Dark Chocolate, you are going to LOVE Prograde Cravers. I seriously cannot even begin to tell you how delicious they taste.

You have to watch this video to see for yourself. You'll see fitness professionals tasting Prograde Cravers for the very first time. Yes, fitness pros that have tasted every bar on the planet are amazed at how good they taste.

Trust me, you have to see this: 

 http://www.GetProgradeNutrition.com/cravers

Yours in health,

Nate Miracle

PS - Seriously, Cravers make the PERFECT holiday dessert. They are less than 200 calories and are made from organic dark chocolate. http://www.GetProgradeNutrtion.com/cravers

Is Oprah is the world record holder for the most weight lost ever?

Oprah has been in the news again lately. So whats new, right?

Apparently she has increased her weight to 200 pounds again.

There’s a reason why some people say Oprah is the world record holder for the most weight lost EVER. She goes on diets, she loses 10-20-30 lbs, then gains it back. And she does it over and over again. In my opinion, its pretty bad for someone who is always promoting the latest diet craze, and then gains all the weight back and more afterwards.

If you go on 7 diets and lose 20 pounds each time, that’s 140 pounds you’ll have to lose, gain back, and lose again.

Why put yourself through all that trouble?

Wouldn't it just be easier to lose the weight the healthy way, and only have to do it once?

The thing is, losing fat isn’t hard, in fact it’s really simple if you have a proven blueprint.

Just the other day I was talking to my pal Todd Scott, the author of "How To Get Six Packs Abs". We were talking about all the “so called” short cuts and fat loss scams that are on the market, and how people are easily victimized by companies eager to play to the consumer’s weakness.

So, during our conversation Todd mentioned that he has a MUST READ manual for all of his clients and customers.

And what’s really cool is that he told me I could offer it to you for free.

So here I am.

You're gonna like it because he kinda outlines in detail everything you need to do to burn fat.

umm. yeah. it's super-detailed.

Ever wondered how many calories you burn per day?

- it's in there

Ever wondered if the exercises in your program are effective?

- there

How about cardio. Doing enough? Doing too much...

This awesome report is whittled into 15 hard-hitting-cut-through-the-crap pages

It's a quick read... so you'll really like that.


But what you'll love is it's an action plan.


Just follow the steps, and you'll burn fat.


It's Pretty Nuts. It's Pretty Simple.

And it's FREE.


Just click the link below:

"Truth About Burning Fat"

Top 10 Last Minute Holiday Fitness Gifts For 2008

Don’t know what to give friends and family for the holidays? How about giving them the gift of fitness to help give them some motivation to get back in shape for the new year (since you know that’s always one of everyone’s resolution). You could even use some of these fitness gift ideas to make your own holiday wish list this year. Here are my top 10 fitness gifts for this year:

1.) A Foam Roller

If you’re like most people, you spend a lot your day sitting down at a desk, which can cause muscle imbalances and flexibility issues. You probably don’t have a lot of time to get your daily workout in, let alone a good stretching session.

Well that’s where a foam roller comes in. It’s a phenomenal corrective self-massage tool that will dramatically bolster injury prevention and improve performance. It’s ideal to use for at least five minutes post-workout to promote healing of the small micro-tears in your muscles that result from high-intensity training to jumpstart the recovery process. Plus, a foam roller both kneads out and lengthens your muscle and connective tissues thus alleviating, if not eliminating, nagging aches and pains in your back, knees, hips, shoulders, and elbows.

If you’re going to get a foam roller, get a good one. The cheaper options tend to wear down into a limp noodle for larger individuals after a couple of months. I get all of my foam rollers from Perform Better. My brand of choice is The EVA Foam Roller (about $20), I have used it every day for the last several years and I swear by it! You can get it here .

2.) Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are by far the most simple, convenient, and affordable equipment option in the fitness industry. They supply total portability for killer workouts that can be done anywhere. If you are a busy professional who does a lot of traveling, bands are the perfect lightweight training tool to take your workouts with you on the road as they can fit in the smallest of bags without a problem. If you are a busy Mom looking to workout in the comfort of your own home, bands can make this happen too. Bands provide the perfect compliment to your body weight circuit training workouts for added variety, allow for multiple levels of resistance with practically zero transition and set-up time, are easy on the joints, and are fun to use!

In my years as a personal trainer, I have had the pleasure of meeting the world’s premier resistance band training expert, Dave Schmitz. This guy creates the most innovative fat loss workouts with bands that you’ll ever see. He has his own line of resistance bands that are virtually indestructible and I use them year round to get great workouts in at home or on the road. I also use Dave's bands for all my fitness boot camps. To get the best bands in the business check here.

3.) Gourmet Nutrition Cook Book

Do you think that healthy eating can be bland and boring at times? Well that will all change if you get the Gourmet Nutrition Cook Book. This book features over 100 recipes including breakfasts, meat, poultry, seafood, side dishes, salads, soups, shakes and smoothies, and even dressings and condiments. It also covers topics such as meal planning, preparation tips, and cooking in bulk to make healthy cooking easy. You can get the book here.

4.) A Gift Card to a Sporting Goods Store For Fitness Equipment and Apparel

You can’t beat a sporting goods store like Dick’s Sporting Goods to get the best fitness equipment and apparel on the market today. I always recommend going with a gift card here because everybody has their own preferences, particularly when it comes to clothing sizes and styles.

5.) A Gift Card to Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or Other Premium Grocery Stores

Rather then waste money on an overpriced restaurant, why not give a week’s worth of groceries to a 100% organic grocer like Whole Foods to a friend or loved one. After all, everybody’s got to eat, but how many of us actually eat the right stuff to support our fitness goals?

Organic Grocery Stores like Whole Foods are healthiest option, particularly when buying produce to avoid foods that are typically loaded with hormones and pesticides at other regular run of the mill grocery stores. Also, since they don’t carry the normal crap food found in other grocery stores, there will be less temptation, thus making it easier to stick to your healthy plan. The key is to go in with a budget in mind (e.g. spend $50 bucks on protein, $20 on fruits and veggies, and $10 on miscellaneous items) only buying what you need.

6.) A Gift Card to a Massage Therapist

Most of us are crazy busy and super stressed out during the holiday season and nothing eases the tension like a good massage. This is about as can’t miss of a gift as it gets, unless you know someone who doesn’t like to be touched. It’s nice to be pampered on occasion, and though the foam roller I mentioned above can do wonders for the majority of your body, nothing can alleviate tension in your upper back, neck, and head like a good massage therapist!

7.) Supplements that Work: Protein Powders, Fish Oil, Multi-Vitamin

Most supplements on the market today are waste of your time and money. In my journey, I have found only three supplements to be a mandatory part of the optimal fat loss program: protein powders, fish oil, and multi-vitamin supplements.

Protein powders provide great liquid workout nutrition and a convenient meat alternative for on-the-go snacking. For a protein powder, look for a brand low in sugar and carbohydrates and with a mix of both whey and casein (fast and slow absorbing proteins).

For post-workout, you want something with a little more carbs to help drive the protein in the muscle cells. Prograde Workout is my personal favorite.

For a good on-the-go breakfast or as a meal replacement shake I like Prograde Lean.

Fish oil, or more appropriately entitled an essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement, is critical to providing key omega 3’s to maximize overall health, performance, and body composition. Studies show that krill oil provides the most effective dosing of EFA’s and has over 300 times the amount of antioxidants.

A multi-vitamin provides keys vitamins and minerals that are tough to obtain unless your diet is near picture perfect. I don’t know about you, but I like to cover my bases when it comes to my health. Be sure to choose a multi-vitamin supplement that is made from whole foods rather than synthetic materials, in addition to being made specifically for your gender.

For myself and my clients, I only recommend VGF+25 and EFA Icon, both included in Prograde’s Health+ Package available here.

8.) Sport-Specific Gift

This one’s pretty basic: if you want to give a great gift to an athlete then get them something unique that compliments their sport, whether it be fitness equipment, apparel, or both.

9.) Fitness Book or Subscription to Fitness Magazine

Everybody need bedtime or bathroom reading baby! If you have just read a good fitness book that you know a friend or family member would benefit from, hook them up with their own copy. Better yet, people love magazine subscriptions. Personally, I am a big fan of Men’s Health and Women’s Health. These magazines are filled with tons of workout, nutrition, and lifestyle tips catered to each sex and I never miss an issue. I know it sounds funny that I read Women’s Health being a dude, but I work with a lot of women so I need to keep up with the lingo like skinny jeans and muffin-tops, ha ha!

10.) A Gift Card to a Fitness Boot Camp

Boot camps provide a fun and exciting team environment that guarantee better results than one-on-one personal training for only a third of the cost… it’s a total no-brainer.

Look for a local fitness boot camp with tons of social proof (client testimonials, especially in the form of pictures and video) to make sure they have a solid reputation and a bunch of raving fans of people just like you. Plus, any good boot camp worth its weight offers free trials and money-back guarantees to all newcomers because they are so confident their program works that you’ll more than likely continue after a test-drive, This way there is typically no risk on your part… besides getting you butt kicked, in a good way ;)

So join a fitness boot camp with at least one other friend or family member or buy a boot camp gift card to give to your loved ones. As a boot camp instructor myself, I know firsthand that clients always get better results when they embark on a fitness journey with others.

And if you live in the local Cleveland area, come work with us for the best personal training Cleveland by visiting http://www.ClevelandFitnessBootCamp.com . We’ll change your life and have you looking better naked this New Year, guaranteed!

Stay healthy and fit for the holidays and have a very safe and happy New Year!

Top 13 Nutrition Tips To Prevent You From Getting A Belly Like Santa Claus This Holiday Season

Just because it’s the holiday season doesn’t mean that you have to abandon any form of sensible eating. Use these 13 killer diet tips to best prevent that dreaded holiday weight gain.

We all know that during the holiday season it’s hard to ignore all the festive, calorie laden desserts and fun, seasonal beverages. Use the tips below to allow yourself to stay social and to be able to indulge in moderation and still be able to fit into your pants before the New Year:

1.) Perform High-Intensity Activity Before and/or After a Big Meal or Holiday Feast

I know, I know. I promised nutrition strategies, but I simply cannot go without recommending some activity. Your body is most receptive to higher calorie and/or carbohydrate meals within 30 minutes before and within three hours following high-intensity activity. Ideally you would want to workout out before AND after a big meal, but if you can only do one, that will suffice. It is less important when you do it and more important that you do it. Performing just 20 minutes of a high intensity interval training activity like circuit resistance training or cardio interval training, will give you great workout without having to spend an hour in the gym. Even a 20-30 plus minute walk a few hours afterwards can serve as a bit of damage control.

2.) Do NOT Fast in Preparation for a Big Meal or Holiday Feast

 Fasting in preparation for a free meal will not only lead to overeating, but worse: overeating foods that are extremely high in sugar, fat, or both! Your body is a survival mechanism. After 3-4 hours of not eating, your body switches into fat storing mode, and will actually begin to burn off its own muscle for energy. This means that the next time that you eat your body will use as much of the incoming food as possible to store as body fat (survival energy) in anticipation that it won’t see food again for another long period of time. Do yourself and your body a favor by eating every two to four hours as you normally should to prevent yourself from becoming a ravenous, fat-storing beast this holiday season!

 3.) Do NOT Gorge Yourself

 Eat until the point of satisfaction, not discomfort. Remember this: binge eating is not the habit of lean individuals. Just because it’s a holiday meal it doesn’t give you the right to eat as much as you can in as little time as possible. However, listen to your body and make sure to enjoy the foods you are craving in moderation and only eat when you are hungry. A good way to prevent over-eating is to eat a smaller portion and then wait 20 minutes before you reach for seconds. It takes a while for your digestive system to send the signal to your brain telling it that you are full. By doing this, you should find that you really don’t need that second pile of mashed potatoes.

4.) Eat a High-Fiber, Protein-Rich Meal An Hour Before a Holiday Event

 A meal high in fiber and protein before a big holiday meal will help prevent overeating by making you feel more full which in turn means less calories consumed during the ensuing feast. My favorite strategy is to drink a protein shake with a added fiber and healthy fats (e.g. 2-4 Tbsp. flax meal) and 16 oz. of water before such a meal to help keep me nice and full upon arrival. This way you won’t lose any friends by eating their entire dinner platter and you’ll save your midsection from a fluffier existence!

5.) Eat Lean Proteins and Fruits and Vegetables FIRST

Just because it’s a holiday meal doesn’t mean you can’t eat any nutritious food. Make sure to load up on healthier food choices first and try to eat as much lean meat, fish, and fruits and veggies as possible at the start of each holiday event. Try to eat a small side salad before you dive into the main course. This will leave less room for the unhealthier, higher calorie treats. At least this way you know your body is getting in some good nutrition and you are not putting yourself at excessive risk for sickness and/or other health concerns.

6.) Drink, Drink, Drink Water!

Water competes for space in your stomach and truly helps decrease appetite. For every plate you eat, try to drink at least 1-2 glasses of water. After that second plate, when you have 1 full liter of water in your stomach, I bet you might just throw in the towel!

7.) Do NOT Eat Again Until Hungry Following a Large Meal

Now I know I already told you to eat every 2-4 hours, but there is one exception to this. If you eat a huge meal, it is important not to eat again until you are hungry and/or no longer full. If your body is not used to eating such a big meal, then it will take a much longer time to digest all that food and the worst thing you can do is put more food into an already full stomach, unless you goal is to do the stop, drop, and roll drill. Only when you are hungry again should you resume your normal eating plan following a big holiday meal.

 

8.) Immediately Resume Your Normal Eating Schedule at the Next Meal

One day of indulgence won’t kill your weight loss plan, as long as you quickly get back on track the next meal. Remember weekly caloric intake is far more important than daily caloric intake. For example, let’s say that you need 3,000 calories per day to maintain your current body weight. Well, all that you need to do is make sure the average daily caloric intake each week is 3,000 calories per day. This means that you can fluctuate your daily caloric intake and yield the same results as if you ate that same amount each day. So if you have one day of big eating where you eat 9,000 calories (just an example, not a recommendation), but you only eat 2,000 calories per day the rest of the week, you will still end up at the same caloric balance. Just make sure that you break your total calories into 5-6 smaller meals. Again, I am not recommending that you eat in such an extreme manner, rather I am suggesting that you do not have to obsess about being perfect. Enjoy some indulging in moderation at your various holiday festivities knowing that the week in review trumps a day in review, even when you are particularly naughty on any given day.

9.) Never Eat Junk Food for Breakfast or Before Bed

Start your morning on the right track. Eating a highly refined carbohydrate meal first thing in the morning will make your blood sugar levels go crazy for the rest of the day resulting in greater junk food cravings and uncontrollable hunger. On the other hand, eating a big meal before bed will result in a bunch of unused energy that will be stored as body fat and you very well may have trouble sleeping with all of that extra food volume in your stomach! I recommend a high protein, high fiber meal replacement shake such as Prograde Lean to all my clients.

10.) Control your Portions

 Try to eat only half of all the servings of unhealthy food that you choose. Half of the portions equal half the calories!

 11.) Avoid Empty Liquid Calories and Alcohol

One can easily consume over 1,000 calories per day from liquid calories alone. This means that in one week, you will gain 2 lbs of body fat from just fluids! Opt for regular solid food calories versus empty liquid calories (e.g. juices and soft drinks), for at least the food will fill you up and provide some nutrition where as liquid calories, particularly alcohol, have no such effect. Rather, sugary and/or alcoholic drinks tend to make you hungrier in general and often hungrier for junk food in particular. Furthermore, your body cannot burn fat until the alcohol is processed out of your body in addition to the fact that alcohol consumption actually lowers leptin levels thus defeating one of the main purposes of this flexible eating (decreased leptin levels increase hunger and decreases your body’s use of fat for fuel). Thus over-consumption of alcohol can prevent the fat burning process from resuming until several days later and/or even cause unwanted fat gain and thus set you back as little as a few days to as long as a full week!

12.) Use Lower Calorie/Carbohydrate Substitutes Whenever Possible

Instead of using sugar, opt for zero calorie alternatives like splenda or stevia. They can deliver a similar taste without all of the extra sugar and calories. Even try replacing yeast with protein powder when you bake. The extra protein and reduced carbohydrates will result in a slimmer you while still providing some great tasting treats! Your goal should be to find the minimal amount of calories that can provide the same great taste that makes the holiday treats enjoyable rather than simply overdoing it because you can!

13.) Avoid Eating Meals that are High in Both Fat and Carbohydrates

The absolute worst thing that you can do is to eat a meal that is high in both fat and carbs. The high amount of carbs will lead to a rapid increase in blood sugar levels and thus large increases in the potent fat-storing hormone Insulin. The high amount of fat will lead to a large increase in free fatty acids in your bloodstream. Since Insulin is already present in large amounts, in addition to there being a large amount of free fatty acids now available in your blood, the stage is set for all those free fatty acids to be gobbled up and stored by your fat cells. This is the equivalent of becoming the next Goodyear blimp, so it is imperative to use caution at your holiday meals when it comes to combining fat (particularly saturated and trans fats) and carbs (particularly starches and refined sugars). In general, it is best to choose one over the other. But since most people crave carbs at their free meals, it is essential to keep the fat low at this meal. Want pasta? Instead of alfredo sauce, opt for marinara sauce with whole grain pasta. Want pizza? Make your own pizza with whole grain crust and fat-free cheese. Want mashed potatoes? Well then be sure to skip the gravy and go easy on the butter. Always try to eat a carb or a fat with a source of protein, which will help slow the absorption of carbs and fat into the bloodstream. These small changes can literally save you hundreds, even thousands of calories, and more importantly will prevent your holiday feasts from creating the optimal fat-storing environment that will set you back from achieving your health and fitness goals.

 

Youth Obesity Solution

Your kids could die long before they should.

Horrible fact, but 100% true.

The Center for Disease Control has stated that our youngest generation is the first in decades that is facing a life expectancy shorter than yours.

Obesity and weight issues have been cited as the reason why.

Over the past 15 years, we have seen the obesity rate in young children double.

And its more than tripled in teenagers.

Physical Education is being cut in literally every part of the world and youth sports have become an ultra competitive affair that yield next to no health benefits whatsoever.

We are most certainly facing a crisis.

Parents don’t know what to feed their kids anymore.

How can they?

There is so much misinformation and over-hyped gimmicks on the market that confusion and indecision have become completely normal.

What about exercise?

If kids aren’t getting it in school, they aren’t getting it through sports and they generally don’t like to exercise anyways, what’s a parents to do?

Here’s the reality…

We need to make a change and we need to make it fast.

We need the expert guidance of someone who understands the problem and knows how to fix it.

And that’s why I’m emailing you today.

My good friend Brian Grasso, is considered the #1 Youth Fitness Specialist in the world.

He has traveled all over the globe working with young kids, parents and even School Boards on the fitness and health related needs for our children.

He’s been profiled in Newsweek, the New York Times and even been hired as a consultant for a nationwide ‘Fit Schools’ campaign in order to change Physical Education across America.

He’s the most trusted and respected name in the world of youth fitness and that’s why when he told me about his new ‘Youth Obesity Solution’ I jumped at the chance to let you know about it.

This program is aptly been called the ‘Final Solution’ to the youth obesity crisis, and you’re about to find out why.

He’s given me an exclusive link to give to you so that you can see for yourself how groundbreaking and truly different this program is -

http://mmfonline.iyca1.hop.clickbank.net/

The health of our children are at stake.

And the right man is on the job.

Here’s that link one more time -

http://mmfonline.iyca1.hop.clickbank.net/

Don't fall for the Acai Berry Myth

You can't really miss it on the Internet these days. Seems like everywhere you look there's another company promoting the nutritious Acai Berry as a weight loss miracle.

And that's why I thought it was critical to write you today. I want to make sure you know my opinion on the subject.

First, you know better than to believe you're going to pop some pills - ANY pills - and have the pounds and inches melt off like magic. If you've been listening to me for any length of time you know true fat loss comes from a variety of factors, including exercise and proper nutrition.

Second, any fitness expert worth their fees will tell you that any diet that promotes you eat any one food all day long and then eat a sensible dinner, well, don't bother. Yes, you will lose some weight short-term, but as soon as you go back to your old eating habits - and you know you will - you know exactly what happens.

Third, the Acai Berry contains VERY powerful antioxidants and it is getting a lot of good press for that very reason. Yes, antioxidants as in the extraordinary nutrients that help fight the free radicals associated with aging, cancer risk and other degenerative diseases.

And while on the subject, I wanted to fill you in on something that has recently come to light. Did you know that coffee berries (the berry that covers the coffee bean) is one of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet? It's something researchers have discovered in recent years.

What's really cool is my friends at Prograde Nutrition have just created an amazing Whole Foods based Anti-Aging formula called Prograde Longevity that includes both Acai Berry and Coffee Berry. Oh, and it also utilizes Green Tea, Pomegranate, Wolf Berry and Biovin Grape (Red Wine extract.)

Just to give you an idea of how powerful this formula is, well, you'd have to eat an entire POUND of raspberries to get the same ORAC value. And in case you're not familiar with the term, ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity.

The best part is their having a Thanksgiving Week sale to celebrate the launch of Prograde Longevity. From now until Friday you can get 11% off Longevity or any of their other exclusive products they offer.

You can check out Prograde Longevity for yourself here:

http://mmf.getprograde.com/longevity

Just be sure to enter this coupon code in when you checkout: (yes, it's all lower case)

thanks

Oh, and just so you know, you can't find Prograde products in stores anywhere. They're so exclusive they only let fitness experts work with their company to help them get the word out.

Yours in health,

Nate Miracle Miracle Mobile Fitness

PS - Remember, Prograde's 11% off Thanksgiving Week Sale ends this Friday at Midnight EST, so be sure to get over to http://mmf.getprograde.com/longevity before then to stock up now.

Holiday Pounds Loom On The Horizon...

It's here - just look at the seasonal shelves in your favorite store. Retailers refer to this time as the holiday season, but I like to be more accurate.

Weight Gain season starts now and runs straight through New Year's.

The next few months will bring ample opportunity for you to indulge, to enjoy and to expand your waistline. Of course the choice is yours.

Why do I bring this up now and not mid way through December? Quite frankly now is the time for you to plan for the weeks ahead. Once the whirlwind of holiday activities and obligations begins, you'll be too caught up to put a plan into action.

So in this moment of clarity, this calm before the storm, let's outline a plan that will save you from unwanted holiday pounds.

1) Put Your Feet to the Fire: Exercise is the first thing to go when people get busy, and the holiday season is notorious for deserted gyms. This year do something drastic-obligate yourself to exercise. Promising to yourself isn't enough, you need to promise to others so that you won't drop the ball.

Commit to working with a fitness expert – the perfect solution for consistent, challenging and effective workouts. You'll get the attention and assistance that you need to power through the holidays in better shape than ever – talk about motivating!

Join a class – we've determined that you simply won't be as effective on your own during the busy holiday season, so joining a class would lend accountability. Stick with something challenging that gets your heart rate elevated and incorporates strength training. Our Cleveland Adventure Boot Camp for Women program will help you lose instaed of gain weight this holiday season.

Find a serious exercise buddy – some friends can be the biggest help while others end up pulling you down. When looking for an exercise buddy choose carefully and consider the following questions:

- Do they share your fitness goals?
- Are they typically encouraging?
- Do they stick with things?
- Are you at the same fitness level?

Get your spouse involved – what a great way to spend more time together during this busy season, and you'll be able to support each other in your shared quest for fitness. Decide on an exercise activity that you can both enjoy and set a schedule for your workout dates.

2) Cut the Fat: I mean this literally. I'm not going to imply that you shouldn't indulge in any seasonal treats, but think moderation. So often the holidays are used as an excuse to eat until the point of being uncomfortable – would you really miss that bloated feeling? Decide on a few fattening treats to cut out this year.

Do you really need to bring sweets for everyone in the office, especially since you know that you will end up with the leftovers? How about a fruit basket or flower arrangement?

At holiday parties load your plate first with greens, vegetables and lean meats before breads and heavier foods. Also drink water with your meal and keep alcoholic beverages to a minimum.

Watch what you drink, most beverages are filled to the brim with calories. Hot drinks from Starbucks, cocktails at parties and eggnog around a crackling fire-all very enjoyable and all filled with empty calories.

At no other time in the year are we faced with so many sweets. To avoid being a Scrooge, but without adding pounds to your frame, try the one treat rule. Each time you're in a social situation that involves sweets just eat one, and enjoy your treat slowly.

If you truly want to enjoy the coming festivities without dealing with added pounds it is all in your hands. The key is your mindset.

Most people approach the holidays with the mindset that says ‘I deserve to indulge and I shouldn't have to exercise since it's the holidays.' This is fine if you don't mind entering 2009 a few pounds heavier, a little less healthy, and with lower energy than ever before.

I believe that you deserve better. I believe that you should enter 2009 in better shape than you are today, healthier than you've been in a long time, and with more energy that you thought possible.

To help you keep off the holiday pounds this year, we are offering a FREE 1-Week Trial for all of our boot camps. So come try us out for free, and join the women in Cleveland who will look amazing at that New Years Party this year.

Learn more at:

http://www.ClevelandFitnessBootCamp.com

P.S. Are you looking for a boot camp for men in the Cleveland area? Drop me an email at info@clevlandfitnessbootcamp.com as we will be adding some Boot Camps for men in the near future.

A Tour of Cleveland's First and Only Mobile Gym

For more info, go to:

http://www.MiracleMobileFitness.com

How To Implement Circuit Training Workouts For Maximum Fat Loss

In the past, the cornerstone of most resistance training workouts has been performing exercises in a straight set format. Essentially, this means you perform a certain number of reps for a given exercise or you perform as many reps as possible for a given exercise and then you rest anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes based on your training goals before repeating this set a certain number of times based on your goals. For more of a fat loss and lean muscle gain emphasis shorter rest periods are ideal. For more of a strength or power emphasis, longer rest periods are prescribed.

So, what’s the problem with this format? Well, though straight sets are extremely easy to comprehend for people new to fitness, they are also an extremely inefficient way to order your exercises. In most commercial gyms you’ll typically see someone perform three sets of 10 reps for let’s say the bench press. They pump out 10 reps, go to the water fountain, talk with some buddies, watch a couple of highlights on ESPN, and then gingerly walk back to the bench area to hit up their second set. In general, most people, guys in particular, tend to take about 3-5 minutes between sets. In the case of three sets of 10 on the bench that means it would take up to 15 minutes to complete only one movement pattern (a horizontal push). That means you’d need at least in hour to perform four different exercises!

A much more effective and time-efficient approach to ordering your exercises is utilizing the alternating set format. Here you’ll perform one exercise, rest for a short period of time, then perform another non-competing exercise, rest for a short period of time, and so forth. Alternating sets allow you to work different areas of your body when you would otherwise be resting with the straight set format.

Ideally, you should alternate between an upper body exercise and a lower body exercise, which will also provide a great cardiovascular workout as well as a resistance training workout through peripheral heart action (PHA). PHA will keep the blood circulating through the whole body though the entire workout, making the heart work harder in the process. Plus, by working another area of your body with a non-competing exercise you allow your body to recover from the previous exercise(s). The result is improved training economy and density: more work accomplished in less time, the cornerstone of any sound fat loss program. There are several ways to perform alternating sets outlined below:

1.) Supersets: Alternate between two different non-competing exercises (e.g. upper body and lower body such as push-ups and lunges)

2.) Trisets: Alternate between three different exercises (e.g. push, pull, and lower body such as push-ups, rows, and lunges)

3.) Circuits: Alternate between four or more different exercises

Though supersets and trisets are excellent alternating set options, I believe circuit training is by the far the best option time and time again. To demonstrate why, let’s examine my favorite circuit training template using timed set intervals:

The 50-10 Five Exercise Circuit: You will alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for all five exercises in the following 5-minute circuit:

Exercise#1- Squats

Exercise#2- Push-ups

Exercise#3- Single-Leg Hip Extensions

Exercise#4- Pull-ups

Exercise#5- Standard Plank

Perform this circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body fat burning workout.

Basically, in the same 15 minutes that it took to get in three sets on the bench you could have gotten in three sets of five different exercise for a staggering total of 15 work sets! Plus, the intensity on each exercise will be just as high as in the straight set format because in this five exercise circuit you will have full recovery with over four minutes before you return to any given exercise (just as you did with the straight set format described earlier).

To recap, the key to creating the optimal hormonal environment for fat loss is to perform each exercise with maximal intensity while separated by brief rest periods in order to accumulate a high volume of total body work in the shortest amount of time possible. Circuit training provides for the best of both worlds and is thus simply unmatched for simultaneously maximizing fat loss and lean muscle gain. Use the following template I use with my many boot camp clients for some killer, yet simple fat loss circuits:

Exercise#1- Double-Leg

Exercise#2- Push

Exercise#3- Single-Leg

Exercise#4- Pull

Exercise#5- Core


I’ll be sharing some more great circuit training workouts from my boot camps in the weeks to come ;)

Are you ready to take your workouts to the next level? Starting December 1st, we are offerring a FREE 1-week trial to all first time boot campers. We now have two boot camp times, 5:30am and 9:30am. To sign up, click here.


Nate Miracle, BS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT

http://www.ClevelandFitnessBootCamp.com
http://www.MiracleMobileFitness.com