If so, you are in good company. Even the most seasoned athletes experience times when their results plateau.

When you continue to put in the same effort day after day with little or no results it is safe to say that you’ve hit your own fitness plateau.

Your body adapts quickly to any repetitive routine. The definition of ‘insanity’ is to do the same thing over and over while expecting different results. This holds true for your workouts. When your results stop then it’s time to do something new.

I have good news – the following 4 tactics are guaranteed to crank your workouts up to the next level and to deliver the fast results you want.

Tactic #1: Focus on Negatives

Each time that you do a weight lifting repetition you are utilizing three types of strength. These are:

1. Positive strength: the motion of lifting the weight.
2. Static strength: holding weight in a contracted position.
3. Negative strength: the motion of lowering the weight.

Most people completely miss the benefit of the negative in each repetition by allowing the weight to drop quickly with little control. It is understood that the negative portion of a repetition is just as important as the positive portion, and possibly more important.

Focus on the negative portion of each repetition by lowering the weight very slowly. Concentrate on the negative contraction, and make each repetition count.

If you are advanced, then use a training partner to assist you in moving heavier-than-normal weight into a contracted position, then lower it very slowly.

Another way to utilize negative repetitions on a machine is to lift the weight using two limbs but then lower it with just one. For example, use both legs to lift the weight on a leg extension machine, but then lower it back down slowly using only one leg.

Tactic #2: Do a Drop Set

Drop sets have long been used to fight off exercise plateaus. This technique is great for adding muscle strength, endurance and for increasing the cardiovascular benefit of your workout – resulting in more fat burn.

Here, in a nutshell, is how to do a drop set: When you perform an exercise to exhaustion, don’t stop there. Drop the weight by 80% and do another set.

You could take it a step further by dropping the weight twice, making it a double drop. Or drop the weight three times for a descending drop set.

Use this technique only once or twice per workout, on the final set of the exercise.

Tactic #3: Modify the Exercise

There are certain exercises that are considered ’staples’ in the gym.

The squat. The lunge. The chest press. The shoulder press. The bicep curl. You get the idea…

While you shouldn’t throw these exercises out the window, find creative ways to modify the familiar motion in order to challenge your muscles. Try these exercise modifications:

• Squat on a Bosu ball or balance board.
• Place a weighted bar across your shoulders and do walking lunges.
• Use an exercise ball for chest presses instead of the bench.
• Do a full squat between each repetition of shoulder presses.
• Do a shoulder press between each repetition of bicep curls.

Tactic #4: Use Active Rest to turn each workout into High Intensity Interval Training

Every minute of your workout is an opportunity to increase intensity and to burn more fat. Don’t waste precious minutes with long rest periods between exercises.

While it is important to catch your breath if you feel winded, most of the time you would benefit more from an active rest than a passive one. Perform one of the following activities for 30 seconds between exercises and turn your regular workout into High Intensity Interval Training.

• High Knees with Alternating Punches: Alternately bring each knee high to your chest in a quick jumping movement while alternating forward punches at shoulder level.
• Burpees: Start in a sanding position and bend at the waist. Once your hands hit the floor, push your entire body back, extending your legs until they’re straight and you’re in the push-up position. Go down for a push-up, and when you push yourself up, jump slightly to bring your feet back near your hands. Finally, jump in the air with your arms fully extended over your head.
• Side-to-Side Jumps on Bench: Stand on one side of an exercise bench. Place the foot closest up onto the bench, jump up and switch feet, then land on the opposite side of the bench.
• Mountain Climbers: Place your hands wider than shoulder-width apart on the ground in a push-up position. Bring one knee to your chest and then back to the starting position, alternate each leg quickly.
• Side-to-Side Ab Twists: With feet close together, jump and twist your legs left to right – holding your abs tight. Keep a bend in your knees and swing your upper arms with each twist.
• Jump Lunges with Pop Squat: Start in a lunge position, lunge down then quickly jump up, switching your leg position in midair, land in an opposite leg lunge. Once you’ve done both legs, jump straight into a squat.
• Medicine Ball Squat Jumps: With feet wider than shoulder-width apart hold a medicine ball at chest level. Squat down until your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Explosively jump up, raising the medicine ball straight over your head.

If you’d like a sure-fire way to break through your fitness plateau and to melt away unwanted fat, then contact me for a fitness consultation.

Call or email today – I look forward to hearing from you.

Your friend and trainer,

Paul F. Sweatt

~ Denis Waitley

Hello everyone it’s your good, old, soon to be not as fat friend McLuvhandles here again.  Due to constant badgering from Mr. Train To Sweatt (and his lawyers),  I have “decided” to stop spreading my FGAA rhetoric and hop on the fat loss Train.  Hee Hee. Get it.  Train.  Oh whatever.  Never mind.

Fat LOSS never being my thing I decide to Google fat loss strategies.  And came up with about a thousand pages of tips.  Not kidding.  Try it yourself.  Since I didn’t really want to put that much effort into, I decide to go with the top 5 that I found.

Even though I wish McLuvhandles all the best in his (very suspect) new founded fat loss journey, I don’t agree with his supposed “fat loss” stratagies.  I think this is just a ploy to get more unwitting members for his FGAA.  Because of my “suspicions” and that fact that NONE of his tips will actually help you lose fat I have added my own proven tips to the list.

So here we go:

McLuvhandles’ Fat loss Strategy #1:  Do hours and hours of low intensity, steady state cardio.

Doing this type of cardio has been shown to keep you in your body’s fat burning zone.  Meaning that of the calories that you burn a larger percentage come from fat then would happen if you exercised more intensely.

Actually, the “fat burning zone” is a myth.  If you really wanted to do something that burned the largest portion of it calories from fat, go lie down.  Yes, you read that right.  Lying down doing nothing burns 50+% of its calories form fat.  But if you decide to take up this exercise I guarantee you won’t be happy with the results.  In addition, it has been shown in studies that doing hours of low intensity, steady state cardio will actually cause your body to use lean muscle tissue for fuel.  This will not have the fat loss result you want.  Not all weight loss is good weight loss.  When you lose muscle your metabolism slows down.  When your metabolism slows down you use less calories for fuel and stop losing weight (or possibly gain it back).

He’s burning 50+% of his calories from fat.  As you can see it’s  not working.

You can prevent lean muscle tissue break down by doing some high intensity interval training.  Not only does doing  interval training spare lean muscle tissue (won’t use it for fuel), it also INCREASES your metabolism (will burn more fat doing nothing) and can be done in as little as 10 minutes after your weight workout.

McLuvhandles’ Fat Loss Strategy #2: Lift light weights for high reps (20+)

What better and easier way is there to lose fat then to pick up something light and move it a bunch of times to lose fat?

I have one.  Pick up a heavy weight and move it 12 or less times.

She lifts heavy.  And I mean heavy.

When you lift light weights you are only using the smaller, weaker fibers in the muscle and using these few fibers will have absolutely no effect on your metabolism or fat loss.  If you really want to crank up your metabolism and your fat loss results you have to use as many fibers in the muscle that you possibly can.  To get all those fibers firing you need to pick up a weight that is challenging.  The weight should heavy enough that the exercise becomes really challenging around rep 8.  (Make sure you stop when your form starts to go, you don’t want any injuries.)   Also make sure you stick to exercises that work the most muscles.  The more muscles firing the higher your metabolism and calories burned.

McLuvhandles’ Fat Loss Strategy #3:  Make losing fat your only purpose for working out.

Trying to gain muscle tone and strength will only take away form your fat loss goals.

Sure if you want to look like a runway model on a cocaine and celery diet.

I guessing this isn’t the look you are going for.

Getting a lean, toned and fit looking body requires more than just fat loss.  If you really want to get the body of your dreams (and it is not to look like the aforementioned runway model) you also have to increase the amount of lean muscle tissue on your body.  To increase lean tissue and get the desired muscle tone you are looking for you must more heavy weights.  To move these heavy weights you must get stronger.  The stronger you get – the heavier weights you can move – the more muscle fibers you recruit-  the higher your metabolism.  Remember, higher metabolism means greater fat loss.

Also, it has been shown that the stronger you are the faster you can move.  The faster you move the more fat you burn during exercise (and afterwards).

McLuvhandles’ Fat Loss Strategy #4:  The less you eat, the less you weight.

To lose weight just eat less.  Simple

(Rolls eyes.) If it where that easy, there wouldn’t be as many overweight people suffering from hunger pangs afraid to step on the scale.

The only thing you will lose eating this little is the feeling of being satisfied.

Your body and metabolism need calories and nutrients to function properly.  The less calories you take in the fewer nutrients your body gets.  If your body does not get the calories and nutrients it needs (i.e. amino acids, vitamins, minerals, omega-3s) it will bring your metabolism to a halt.  And to make matters worse if you lower your calories to much your body will start breaking down the lean muscle tissue you do have to get the nutrients that it needs.  Less calories=less muscle=slower metabolism=more fat.  Seem familiar?

To prevent this viscous cycle from occurring or reoccurring as the case maybe, make sure you replace all the low-quality foods (crap) you eat (i.e. sweets, stratches, fatty & processed foods) with high-quality, nutrient dense foods (i.e. fruits, vegetables and lean proteins).

What better way to lose weight than to fill yourself up with fresh, tasty, good for you food.

Fresh, tasty and good for you.

McLuvhandles’ Fat Loss Strategy #5:  Workout every day.

The more often you workout the more fat you will burn off.

I think his suggestions get worse and worse as he goes.

Training every day is very bad on your body as this method does not give your body the appropriate time it needs to recuperate and rebuild.  If you do not give your boy the rest it needs you will quickly end up in a over-trained state.  Being over-trained is very stressful on your body and when you body is under stress it release cortisol.  Guess what this is really bad for your fat loss results.  Cortisol tells your body to store and to hold on to as much fat as it possible can.

Do your body a favor and give it at least 3 day of rest a week.

I advise find something a little more comfortable to rest on.

So just follow my fat loss strategies and you will be an official member of the FG….er, I mean toned and ripped in no time.  I knew it. I myself haven’t actually started using any of my strategies yet but I plan on starting next Monday.  Seriously.  I mean it this time.

Yeah right.  I am sure you know the drill by now.  Don’t listen to McLuvhandles,  follow the advice in blue and you will be one of the people at your gym that actually sees the results they want.  I know people whom have used these exact tips to lose 25+ lbs in 39 days.  Trust me they work.

Your friend and trainer,

Paul F. Sweatt

Wellesley’s Fat Loss Expert

Here’s what you need:

• 3 cups tomato juice
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 sweet green bell pepper, seeded and quartered
• Dash of hot sauce
• Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tomatoes & 2 cucumbers chopped for garnish

1. Place all of the ingredients, except tomato and cucumber garnish, in a high speed blender. Turn on high speed for 40 seconds.
2. Chill the soup for 30-60 minutes.
3. Place chopped cucumber and tomato in each serving dish and fill with soup. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 85 calories, 2.5g fat, 15g carbohydrate, 2.5g fiber, and 3g protein.

1. Staying hydrated enhances weight loss.
2. Drinking water prevents dehydration.
3. Filling your stomach with water before meals prevents overeating.
4. Quenching your thirst with water hydrates your skin, giving it a more youthful glow.

David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding sure think so. But then they did write the book on it: Drink This Not That. They’ve even gone so far as to claim that you could lose up to 32 pounds in a year just by changing what you drink.

What most people don’t know is that it’s a lot easier to drink extra calories than to eat it. So you really need to pay attention to what you’re sipping on.

Here is a sampling of what their book has to offer. The following are 5 of the worst things to drink, followed by 5 slimming alternatives.

Breakfast
While a cup of hot coffee or a glass of lowfat milk are both great ways to start your day, beware of the smoothie trap. More often than not smoothies are closer to milkshakes than protein shakes.

Worst beverage: Smoothie King Peanut Power Plus Grape (40oz)

• 1,498 calories / 44g fat / 214g sugar

Drink This Instead: Smoothie King High Protein Banana (20oz)

• 322 calories / 9g fat / 23g sugar

Lunch
A study done at Virginia Polytechnic Institute showed that people who drink 17oz of water before sitting down for a meal ended up eating 9 percent fewer calories. Those calories can really add up over time.

Worst beverage:

SoBe Green Tea (20oz)

• 240 calories / 0g fat / 61g sugar

Drink This Instead: Honest Tea Organic Honey Green Tea (16oz)

• 74 calories / 0g fat / 18g sugar

Afternoon
When the afternoon rolls around most of us are ready for a pick-me-up. Too often these caffeinated drinks are loaded with waist-expanding calories.

Worst beverage: Starbucks Venti Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream

• 660 calories / 22g fat / 95g sugar

Drink This Instead: Starbucks Venti Caramel Cappuccino

• 170 calories / 6g fat / 18g sugar

Post workout
There’s no good reason to follow up a great workout with a sugar-filled beverage, even if it makes claims for quick recovery and muscle growth. After exercise your body is in need of protein, carbohydrates and potassium, so choose a beverage filled with these three.

Worst beverage: Naked Protein Juice Smoothie (15.2oz)

• 418 calories / 4g fat / 53g sugar

Drink This Instead: Horizon Organic Chocolate Reduced Fat Milk (8oz)

• 180 calories / 5g fat / 27g sugar

Alcoholic beverages
There are known benefits to drinking alcohol in moderation (one or two drinks per day) such as raised HDL (good) cholesterol, boost in bloodflow, and improved sugar metabolism. A recent study in the journal BMC Public Health reported that people who have a daily drink were 54 percent less likely to be obese. However, it’s called a beer belly for good reason, since many alcoholic beverages are loaded with calories.

Worst beverage: Red Lobster Traditional Lobsterita

• 890 calories / 183g carbohydrates

Drink This Instead: Red Lobster Classic Martini with Gin

• 140 calories / 0g carbohydrates

Recent studies are reporting that most of us drink 21 percent of our daily calories. That adds up to an average of 460 calories each day. It’s easy to see how these calories quickly add up into unwanted pounds.

Pay extra attention to what you drink throughout each day. Make it a habit to pass on the calorie-packed drinks and to focus on drinking lots of water.

Remember that small changes to your lifestyle over time will make the difference.

Your friend and trainer,

Paul F. Sweatt

I was amazed at all the comments I received about it, both on line and in person.

Some of you recommended some great foods that I did not mention in that article.

There were too many to mention in a single post.  So I picked the ones that I thought would go well with the warm sunny days ahead.  And make them a lot more enjoyable.

These foods go great with barbecuing in the back yard, picnicking at the beach or just tanning (with sun block of course) on your deck.  And they also go great with a fat loss diet.

1.)  Watermelon – I will bet you a free session that even though you ate lots (and lots) of watermelon as a child, you have dropped the habit as an adult. Why?  Nothing say summer like a giant wedge of juicy watermelon.  Not only is watermelon about 96% water, it is also an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and lycopene.

And for you guys, it also helps with the blood flow down there.

2.) Summer Squash – Unlike the stuff that gets served at Thanksgiving, you can easily add this form of squash to stir-fries, cook it on the grill or eat it by its lonesome with a nice (low-fat) dip.  With only 36 calories per serving and a high amount of phytochemicals to ward off heart disease, cancer and strokes who wouldn’t want to eat some.

After looking at this photo I not to happy with the fact that I am not allowed to have a grill.

3.)  Blackberries –  Put down the strawberries, it is time to grab some blackberries instead.  Not only do these berries taste great by themselves but they also go great with yogurt and in smoothies.  Also, these little fat loss power houses are almost 1/2 fiber, so they help keep you regular

You didn’t here this from me but blackberry Mojitos are the official drink of the summer.

4.)  Papayas – Papayas pack on heck of a nutritional punch.  Not only are papayas very high in vitamin C but they also contain loads of folate, potassium, and fiber.  You probably have heard that papayas helps with digestion but did you also know that eating them can help reduce your chances of getting colon and prostate cancer?  Well you do now.

5.)  Water – I know.  I know.  Water isn’t a food.  Well guess what?  In Train To Sweatt land it is.   During the hot summer months you should increase the already copious amounts of water that you drink.  And no, soda, beer, and other alcoholic beverages don’t count.  If you like some of my clients don’t drink water due to its hopefully lack of taste, you can flavor it up by adding a slice of orange, lemon, lime, watermelon and/or some blackberries.  Talk about refreshing.

Drinking pool water is also not recommended for hydration purposes.

6.)  Cantaloupe – Cantaloupe is yet another great source of vitamins A and C on this list.  It is such a great source of vitamin A that it is even better for your eyes than carrots.

Maybe Bugs should switch to this instead.

7.)  Marshmallows –  Kidding.  Well sort of.  You all should know by now that I am a big proponent of OCCASIONALLY cheating on your diet.  Well nothing screams summer like s’mores around a campfire with family and/or friends.  Just make them with dark chocolate to keep them somewhat healthy.

Bet you want a s’mores now.

So to make sure that you have and keep your best body ever this summer go back and reread  this post and 9 Flat Stomach Foods You MUST Have in Your Kitchen.  Then make sure that your kitchen and your picnic basket is stocked full of the aforementioned foods.

Your friend and trainer,

Paul F. Sweatt

Wellesley’s Summer Body Expert

P.S.  Keep the marshmallows to a minimum please.

I love chicken  and salads and I am always looking for recipes to add variety to my diet. I like to keep thing exciting.  So I found this recipe for a Greek salad and decided to add some chicken to it for some extra protein.

Servings: 2

Here’s what you need…

• 2 large chicken breasts (about 8 oz each)(optional)
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 large cucumber
• 16 pitted Kalamata black olives
• 4 oz low fat Greek feta cheese
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp oregano
• Dash  salt

1. Cook and cut chicken into thin strips.
2. Cut peppers, onion and cucumber into thin strips and dice tomatoes.
3. Toss them and olives into very large bowl. Mix.
4. Mix together olive oil, oregano and salt for dressing.  Pour on veggies in bowl.
5. Sprinkle on feta.
6. Add chicken if desired.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (with chicken) equals: 232 (428) calories, 17g (22g) fat, 11g carbs, 4g fiber and 8g (42g) protein.

With I all I know about health and fitness, people will still argue with me about how training only with machines is the way to go for health and fitness.  They believe this because time and again they heard that machines are safer and more effective.  They heard it so many times that they came to believe it as the “truth” and no matter what anyone tells them otherwise, they won’t change their minds.  They don’t realize that there is a big problem with this “truth”.  The truth is that it is a lie promoted by the manufactures of these machines and is only  backed up by research that these companies funded.

Nautilus advertises a 12-machine, 12-minute circuit for a great looking and healthy body.  Curves anyone.  We at BSC Wellesley even have the Xpressline.  Thankfully both Curves and the X-line are going the way of the dinosaur as people realize that they are not getting (and will never get) the benefits promised (and the injuries don’t help either).  Just not as quickly as they should.  Shame.

Typical Curves member’s before and after photo.

Back in the 80’s the Cooper Clinic told everyone that aerobic exercise (slow boring cardio) was the way to go for health and fitness.  I bet even you started running when you heard this.  And like with machines, people heard this so much that they still consider it “truth” today.  The only people really benefiting from this lots of slow, boring cardio mindset are the doctors and physical therapists who are making  millions treating and caring  for all those that get injured and/or re-injured believing that hours and hours of cardio is all they need.

Long slow boring cardio can also cause emotional trauma.

Don’t get me wrong there are some good things that came about with this cardio mentality.  Things like R.I.C.E. and sports medicine became household words.  Along with patella-femoral dysfunction, plantar fasciitis and iliotibial (IT)band syndrome.

Now we have group exercise classes, spinning and shoes that tone and lift (don’t even get me started on this one).  This means more marketing, more injuries. and more money for the doctors and physical therapists.

You will more likely sprain your ankle or knee than get a toned butt.  These shoes are unsafe and were probably designed by a PT that needs the business.

Though some of these ideas are well-intentioned, most are flat out lies said to make money.

Yes, exercise needs to be smart and safe but it also needs to be challenging. Very little can be achieved without hard work and your health and fitness is not the exception.

Some doctors say gardening qualifies as exercise.  Others say that walking is great exercise.  I believe that this is because people don’t want to be told that something is going to require effort and are looking for the easy way out.  Some people will say anything to be popular and liked.

Yes, something is always better than nothing but if you can (don’t have any health limitations), why stop there?

Push yourself.

If you want to really see all the health and fitness benefits you possibly can, you are going to have to push yourself as hard as you can when exercising.  Sucking wind should be part of your routine.

If it is not hard, it is not helping.

…except to see all those not as fit people eating your dust.

With little media coverage (mainly because people didn’t want to hear it) The New England Journal of Medicine published a study in 2002 that said “…the peak estimated exercise capacity achieved during the test (graded exercise treadmill) was the strongest predictor of the risk of death among patients with cardiovascular disease and among patients without cardiovascular disease.”  It also said that “Greater fitness results in longer survival.”

To say the findings in layman terms, this study showed that it is not how often or how long you exercise but how hard you exercise that determines longevity.

Those that can exercise the hardest live the longest.

Your friend and trainer,

Paul F. Sweatt

Wellesley’s Best Personal Trainer

P.S.  If you don’t have any sort of medical conditions and you find gardening or walking challenging, you are out of shape.  It is that simple.

Here’s a recipe to spice up your breakfast. Egg whites, fire-roasted green Chile and diced tomatoes create a tasty omelet that is bursting with flavor and packed with protein. Serve with a side of salsa and sliced avocado.
Servings: 2

Here’s what you need…

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 small tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 (4oz) cans of fire-roasted, diced green chiles
• 12 egg whites
• 2 Tablespoons water
• Non-stick cooking spray

1. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and chiles and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Season with pepper and salt and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl whisk the egg whites and water. Lightly coat a medium non-stick skillet with non-stick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add ¼ of the eggs and swirl to evenly coat the bottom of that pan. Cook until the eggs have set, about 2 minutes.
3. Use a rubber scraper to lift the eggs up and let the runny uncooked egg flow underneath. Spoon 1/4 of the Chile mixture onto half of the omelet, fold over, and slide onto a serving plate. Repeat with remaining egg whites and Chile mixture.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 163 calories, 5g fat, 6g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, and 26g protein.