Due to things like pesticides, pollution and plastics, there has been a rise in toxins found in our food, air and water supply.

These toxins are flushed out by your livers, which means our livers need to work extra hard these days to eliminate toxins from our body. According to an article by DetoxDIY, our liver is responsible for a variety of tasks, including activating enzymes, destroying old blood cells, storing vitamins and minerals, regulating protein, carbohydrates, and fat in the blood, metabolizing alcohol, but most importantly, breaking down substances that can harm the body.

While our liver is quite the workhorse, it sometimes needs a little help in order to continue performing its myriad functions. Occasionally detoxifying the liver can help it operate properly and keep you healthy for the long-haul, boosting your longevity.

There are numerous detox plans one can follow, but these plans can be extremely complicated. Some plans require a very disciplined, and often impractical, intake of supplements every half hour, while other plans require restricting your diet, sometimes to an extreme. Some of these plans can last as long as a full month and the supplements can get very expensive. 

Would you like to learn how to detox the easy way? Fortunately, there are much simpler ways to assist your body in getting rid of toxins effectively. According to DetoxDIY, here is a list of ways you can help the liver with its essential functions:

1. Drink Vegetable Juice

Eating vegetables helps detoxify the liver but sometimes it’s difficult to get the necessary 4 to 5 servings of vegetables each day. One thing that makes it easier is to make juice out of them. Juicing is a sure-fire way of consuming the right amounts of vegetables while saving time by combining multiple servings of different foods in just one glass. Studies from the National Center of Biotechnology and Information have shown that juicing plant foods such as beets, carrots, kale, broccoli, and cabbage helps lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation. According to the study, the best way to juice vegetables is to juice them raw because store-bought juices may have been put through processes such pasteurization, which can destroy essential vitamins and minerals.

2. Lose Weight (Especially Visceral Fat) 

Generally, losing any type of fat benefits your entire body, but for detoxing purposes, losing visceral fat is highly beneficial. What is visceral fat and how does it differ from regular fat? Visceral fat is a term used to describe the deep fat that accumulates and surrounds essential organs like the heart and the liver, versus regular fat that forms beneath the skin. This is by far the more dangerous of the fats our body stores because visceral fat can restrict organ function and even increase their chance of failure. Therefore, burning fat (i.e. losing weight) can go a long way towards making sure your liver continues to detox your body. If you’ve tried to lose weight without success, ask me about my BodyHack^TM Transformation program, where my clients lose weight and keep it off for good. 

3. Increase Your Intake of Vitamins B and C vitamins

Another way to benefit your liver is make sure you are getting a regular supply of  vitamins B and C. A study by Harvard Health Publishing showed how Vitamin B can help in the breakdown of fats and sugars in the cells, making it more efficient in gathering the nutrients to produce the energy your body needs to function, and helps prevent storage of the deadly visceral fat discussed in the previous section. The study also shows how Vitamin C can help fight off inflammation and protects your organs from toxins and free radicals. Best of all, Vitamin C is easily broken down, so there is little risk of overconsumption.

4. Increase Intake Of Potassium and Iron

Since we are on the topic of vitamins and minerals, another way to aid in detoxifying the liver is by consuming foods rich in potassium and iron. Potassium-rich foods like bananas and legumes aid in lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol, which can improve liver function. Iron is necessary for the development of red blood cells and is something the liver has great control over in the form of how much of it is released in the body. Increasing the intake of these two minerals can ensure the liver will be more efficient in helping you detox.

5. Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting involves limiting your eating to a specific window of time. For example, eating for 8 hours and not consuming any food or calories for 16 hours. Everyday there is more research that reveals how much this eating technique benefits the body. A study conducted by the Washington University School of Medicine has shown how fasting protects mice from DNA damage by promoting small intestinal epithelial stem cell survival. These stem cells are used to create new cells in organs, including the liver, which can help greatly because the liver requires more regeneration than any other part of the body.

6. Avoid Refined Sugars

You’ve probably heard that it’s best to avoid refined sugars found in foods such as soda, cake, and cookies. These foods usually contain preservatives, chemicals, and unnatural ingredients like high fructose corn syrup that the body struggles to breaking down and eliminate, causing it to work harder. A good way to detox is to not consume the toxins in the first place. Give your liver a break from having to break down sugars. Our blog post with diet hacks for ‘fixing your sweet tooth’ will make it easier.

7. Drink Detox Water

Detox water combines water with pieces of fruits or vegetables (e.g. lemon water). These can have a powerful cleansing effect on the body. According to the National Research Center in Cairo, Egypt, detox water has been shown to reduce inflammation, DNA fragmentation, brain lipid per-oxidation, and liver damage. When mixed with citrus fruits like lemon or orange, the citric acid provides antioxidant benefits that create a layer of protection for the liver.

The EASIEST Way To Detox The Liver

Now that you have all the methods of detoxing your body, it is time to put them into action. Make sure your diet consists of natural, healthy foods to give your liver an easier time processing. Again, stay away from processed sugar. 

For a fantastic way to quickly and easily get a solid dosage of vegetables, vitamins, iron, and other liver-cleansing ingredients is to use a greens powders, like the one from our partners at Organifi. Their Organifi Green Juice is made up of beets, turmeric, and 9 other superfoods that balance hormones, boost immunity, provide nutrition, and flush out toxins.

To get your supply at a lower price than anywhere else, click this link.

Conclusion

As you can see, detoxing your body is important to do and can have many health benefits. Follow the detox tips above to maintain optimal health.

PS – To start detoxing immediately for better health, detox the easy way with Organifi.

Here’s an easy question:

How would you like to quickly boost your health, feel great and lose weight, all at the same time? If you said yes, then this blog post is for you.  

First, let me say that we will be focusing on vegetables and we will layout some hacks that will make getting more veggies into your diet both fun and efficient.

ARE YOU GETTING YOUR VEGGIES?
Eating vegetables helps deliver a variety of health benefits, including lowering heart disease, losing weight, and adding more fiber, vitamins, minerals , and antioxidants to your diet.

Plus, vegetables are so versatile, they fit in many popular diets, including the Mediterranean diet, Paleo diet, Vegetarian, Vegan, Flexible Dieting, and The South Beach Diet.

To give you the necessary amount of vitamins and minerals your body needs, it is recommended by Dr. Hatem Zayed, a specialist in anti-aging and longevity, that you eat at least 6 servings of vegetables each day.

Despite the many benefits and flexibility of vegetables, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that most Americans eat less than half the amount of recommended vegetable servings. The recommended 2 1/2 to 3 cups per day (roughly 4 to 6 servings) is in fact, only being met by 10% of people.

I get it. It’s not always easy to get enough veggies because we’re running around and tending to work, school, family, etc.

5 HACKS TO MAKE GETTING YOUR VEGGIE EASY
Here are five ways you can easily add veggies to your diet immediately, so you can start receiving the amazing benefits vegetables deliver: 

1. Replace Carbs With Veggies
Instead of eating starchy carbs like potatoes, rice or pasta, substitute the starch with fiber-rich, filling veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, peas, spinach, cabbage or kale. Because most vegetables are naturally low in sugar, having veggies instead of starch will reduce your carbohydrate intake, decrease the spike in insulin (a fat-storing hormone) caused by starch and help you cut down on calories, which can help you lose unwanted weight.

Here are some simple substitutions you can make to add more vegetables in your diet: Instead of chips have carrots. Instead of hummus with bread, have celery. When eating a sandwich, wrap it in lettuce instead of using bread.

2. Slather On The Salsa
This is one of my favorite hacks and secret weapons when it comes to eating clean. Cooking lean/low fat can sometimes make the food dry and sort of bland (e.g. chicken breast). A quick fix for this is to add salsa, which helps moisten the food, while also adding vegetables to your plate. Salsa is made up of tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, and pepper and packs an entire serving of vegetables in every 1/2 cup. Best of all, no cooking required! Look for organic salsa, which does not cost much more than the regular kind.

3. Batch Cook Vegetables
Having your stock of vegetable prepped and cooked in advance makes it easier to add them to you meals throughout the week. Having cooked or grilled veggies on hand makes it a snap to add them to salads, a side dish or an omelet.

4. Don’t Fear Frozen
No, not the hit animated Disney movie that’s taken over the world. Frozen vegetables! Freezing preserves most vegetables without affecting nutritional content. All you have to do is throw them in the microwave. Buy a bunch and keep them in your freezer for when you need them.

Similarly, easily add veggies to any meal by cracking open canned veggies. Beans, string beans, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, and potatoes all make good canned veggie options. Keep some cans with vegetables in your desk at work to quickly add veggies to your lunch.

5. Use Greens Powders Daily
This is another great hack I use almost daily to add more greens to my diet, instantly. I just stir greens powder in water and voila! Instant serving of veggies.

My favorite veggie supplement is ‘Greens Powder’ from our friends at Organifi. It tastes great, is made from lots of great veggies such as beets, turmeric, moringa, and spirulina, and helps detox the body. It also contains Ashwagandha, which can help you lose weight by aiding in the regulation of your metabolism.

Better yet, because this green juice is made up of 11 versatile, nutrient rich super-foods minced down to an easy to mix powder, you can save plenty of prep time, boost your immune system, reduce stress, increase mental focus, and even rejuvenate the skin.  

->Use this link now to save money on Organifi!

In closing, now that you’re familiar with the hacks above for incorporating more vegetables into your diet, you will have an easier time meeting your daily veggie requirements and getting all the benefits that come with it for greater health, a leaner body and enhanced quality of life.

Have you ever felt you couldn’t exercise like you wanted to because back or knee pain was limiting your range of motion?

If so, you could be limited due to tightness in your hips.

Below, we will cover the main reason for hip tightness and give you helpful exercises and stretches to keep your hips loose and supple, so you can exercise and move your best.

BONUS ALERT: You have a free bonus waiting for you at the end of the article, so be sure to read through to the end!

More Sitting Means Tighter Hips
Today, the majority of US workers grind away at desk-related jobs. According to Business Insider, 86% of American workers sit at a desk all day. If you’re one of them, your hips may be affected.

You see, long bouts of sitting can lead to a shortening and weakening of the hip muscles, which can severely restrict hip movement and cause major problems like back, knee, and hip pain.

It can also expose you to a greater risk of injury. A study featured on the PubMed Central website relates how Norwegian researchers found that sedentary men had a 150% greater risk of hip fracture than those who participated in recreational sports for at least 3 hours per week. In essence, sitting creates a greater danger for your hips that playing sports.

Open Up Your Hips With These Moves
Fortunately, mobility in your hips can quickly be restored and you can get back to doing the things you love without any limits.

Below is a list of movements that will help loosen your hips and restore flexibility fast:

1. Wide Legged Splits
From a standing position, open your legs wide and bend forward with your hands touching the ground. Slowly move your feet further away as far as they can go, keeping them flat to avoid stress to the knee, and make sure the heel is wider than the toes. For those who can keep going, try touching the ground with your elbows.

2. Butterfly stretches
You’ll remember this classic stretch from gym class. Sit on the ground with both knees bent, feet together, and open them to the side as if they were a book. The goal is for the knees to touch the floor, but only go as far as you can. For an added stretch, bend forward and touch the floor with your hands in front of you, but be careful not to compromise the posture. A straight back is key to this exercise!

3. Head To Knee Pose
Sit on the floor with both legs extended. Bend one knee in and with a tall spine, reach for your foot with the arm of the same side on the extended leg. When stretching, try to have your forehead touch your leg to really target the thigh. Repeat on the other side.

4. Pigeon Stretch
For this stretch, lay face down on a yoga mat and get into a plank position. Bring your right knee to your chest while pulling your right foot up towards your left chest (so that your right leg below your knee is at least at a 45 degree angle or almost parallel with the top of your mat). Your left leg should remain straight. Lower down and sit the weight on your right buttocks.

Maintain this position for the duration of the stretch and try to keep your hips aligned. If this is too difficult, start out with a lunge until you develop enough flexibility to do this move. If you can go further, reach forward for that added stretch. Repeat on other side.

5. Reverse Lunge w/Knee Drive
Stand upright with both feet together. Bring one leg back into the lunge position. Stretch for a few seconds and bring it back up, but instead of standing back in the starting position, bring the back leg up to your stomach and hold for a bit. Then, go back to the lunge. Repeat for a few reps and then stretch the other leg.

6. Ball Knee Tucks
For this exercise, you will need a large exercise ball. If you do not own one, then a chair will do. As long as you have something that will keep your feet up for this stretch. Start in a push up position with feet on the ball and body level. From this position, tuck your knees in towards you chest while avoiding rocking your body. Repeat for a few reps.

7. The Clam
This exercise requires you to lay on your side with your feet together and knees slightly bent. Open your legs with the knee on top going as far as it can, and then slowly lower it back in place. Repeat for a few more reps and then do the same for the other leg.

Lay on your side, feet together and knees slightly bent. Raise the knee on top as far as it can go, and put it back into place. Repeat for a few reps and do the same for the other side.

These stretches, if done consistently, will ensure your hips stay loose so you can enjoy better overall mobility.

FREE BONUS: To help you get more out of your hip workouts, get yourself a set of these free resistance bands!

You can get them now, for FREE! (just pay shipping and handling)

In closing, don’t let tight hips limit your workouts or your life. By adding the above exercises to your workout routine, you will help prevent the knee pain, back pain and other issues that are caused by tight hips. Again, be sure to get your free resistance bands before this offer ends!

(Disclaimer: When clicking on the link for the free fitness bands, please note that several other products will be advertised before you get to the checkout page. You are not obligated to purchase any of these other products in order to get the free fitness bands. There is an option to skip these products and finalize your transaction for the free fitness bands. Again, you will only pay shipping.)

Here’s to having healthy hips and mobility!

Have your fitness results ‘flat-lined’?

You’re working hard in the gym, you’re being careful about your eating and you’ve even given up some of your favorite guilty pleasures, to no avail.

Even though you’ve made some good progress in the past, losing fat and achieving your ideal body seems to have gotten a lot tougher. Dropping 10 pounds is no longer as easy as it used to be and the scale won’t budge no matter how hard you try.

If you can relate to some of the above, then chances are you may have bumped up against a weight loss plateau.

Often, the lack of progress when we hit a plateau leads to frustration, disappointment and, worst of all, a lack of motivation to continue.

WHY WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAUS HAPPEN
Weight loss plateaus happen because of how our bodies adapt to food, dieting and exercise. The more progress you make in losing weight and increasing your fitness level, the more likely you are to hit a plateau.

As we diet and lose weight, our bodies adapt and store calories more efficiently. Amanda Foti, M.S., R.D., a Senior Dietitian at Selvera Weight Management Program says, “if you are successfully losing weight, you’ll most likely hit a plateau at some point.”

In fact, research conducted by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2014 uncovered that even those who follow their diet plan religiously can expect to hit a weight loss plateau 6 months into their journey.

The second adaptation that happens in the body is how it responds to the stimulus of exercise. Registered dietitian and health & fitness instructor Jim White explains, “your body becomes more efficient, so it burns less energy during any given workout.”

A study with over 2,900 participants published by The National Center of Biotechnology Information supports this by uncovering how for every pound of weight participants lost, they burned 6.8 fewer calories on average. So, it appears the closer you are to your fitness goal, the more difficult it becomes to achieve it.

To help you avoid or bust through a current weight loss plateau, let’s look at how to diagnose the problem areas causing the plateau and present some solutions for busting through it with confidence!

DIAGNOSING AND BUSTING YOUR WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAU
Often, when I speak with people that are looking to burn fat, tone up and transform their bodies via my BodyHack90^TM transformation program, I ask them what their current struggles are. Many will say things like ‘I can’t seem to lose those final 10 LBs’ or ‘No matter what I do, I can’t seem to get rid of my muffin top.’

When it seems their progress has stalled and they’ve hit a plateau, I usually diagnose the problem by looking a four key areas:

1. Nutrition
2. Exercise
3. Sleep
4. Stress

Let’s briefly dive into each one of these areas below, to see which one might be causing your results to plateau, and review some recommendations for how to fix each of them:

1. Nutrition
The first place to look at with any weight loss plateau is the quality and quantity of your nutrition. While you’ve heard it before, it’s worth repeating: Our bodies, first and foremost, are a reflection of how much and what we consume. Indeed, we are what we eat. When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight or changing your body’s composition (i.e. burning fat and adding muscle), nutrition is said to make up 70-80% of the equation.

So tell me, is you diet on par with the body and health you’re committed to attaining?

First, be sure you are consuming healthy, natural foods that will kick-start your metabolism. Whole, natural foods are you friend here. This means reducing things like processed foods, sugars and unhealthy fats and increasing you intake of quality meat, whole grain and healthy fats (nuts, avocado, olive oil, etc.). Not only will these foods take longer to digest, but will keep insulin levels low. According to David Ludwig, Professor at The Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, fat cells stop storing calories when insulin levels are low.

Second, focus on getting plenty of protein. Not only does protein help you feel fuller, longer, but digesting protein actually burns calories! In fact, the act of digesting protein burns 20% more calories that digesting carbs.

Third, eat plenty of vegetables to receive vital micronutrients your body needs to function properly.

On that note, if you’re consuming a lot of fruit and have hit a plateau, you may want to reduce your intake of fruits. A 2005 study by Basciano H, Federico et al. indicated that that consumption of fructose, the sugar found in fruit, can lead to insulin resistance, elevated blood cholesterol levels and increased fat gain, especially in the abdominal area.

Fourth, note that after losing a certain amount of weight, the body will adapt and your metabolism will naturally slow down. After following a certain diet for some time, the body learns how to use the food you consumed so efficiently, the intended results of losing weight slowly start waning. According to a 2016 study from The National Institutes of Health, it showed how contestants from The Biggest Loser TV show burned 499 fewer calories than what they should have at their current weight due to the dieting they had done while on the show.

To keep you metabolism churning regularly, make sure to eat throughout the day, especially at breakfast. Unless you’re doing intermittent fasting (which is something you may want to experiment with if all else fails), skipping breakfast will result in a slower metabolism. So have breakfast, and, ideally, eat protein. According to Tim Ferris, author of The Four Hour Body, having breakfast within 30 minutes of waking will help keep you satiated longer and fights off hunger pangs.

Finally, and this almost goes without saying, be clear on what your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (i.e. how many calories your burns on a daily basis). Once you know this level, be sure to have a nutrition plan that has you eating at this level, and NOT over. If you over eat calories, those calories will be stored as far.

Coming up with the TDEE and appropriate meal plan based on your individual caloric needs, macronutrient needs and eating preferences is a core part of what I do when I set up a new client on my BodyHack90^TM fitness transformation program.

2. Exercise
Performing intense exercise is the best way to rev up your metabolism. In fact, it benefits you in two ways: First, by burning calories while you’re exercising. Second, by keeping your metabolic rate high for 24-48 hours after your workout is over.

Additionally, if you do weight training and add muscle to your frame, the added muscle increases your resting metabolic rate, which means you burn more calories while at rest (i.e. sitting, sleeping, etc.). That’s almost like getting paid while not working!

The most beneficial type of exercise, and one that I put all my clients on, is resistance training. The most beneficial type of resistance training is one that targets your lower body, since that’s where you’re biggest muscle (your glutes) and muscle group (your quads) reside. Working these large muscles will naturally be the most taxing and will, consequently, boost your metabolism the most.

When doing resistance training, ideally, use free weights like dumbbells, barbells and kettlebells. But if that’s too intimidating, start with machines, cables, or bodyweight-based movements using a TRX device or doing plyometric exercises.

Your other friend when it comes to exercise is doing High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT. This is a more intense way to do cardio and is highly beneficial. Studies have shown that doing HIIT can burn up to 9X more fat than doing stead-state cardio. Furthermore, a study published by The National Center for Biotechnology Information has shown how HIIT training protects against metabolic slowdown.

You probably know by now, but we’re big fans of HIIT training. Its so much more fun and effective than typical cardio workouts. That’s why we launched the Motion Traxx fitness app. It features audio coaching by leading fitness instructors, set to high energy beats that are synced to your workout. Use this motivating workout app to power up your next treadmill, elliptical, rowing or indoor cycling workout!

BTW, men: If you’re doing a lot of endurance running, you may want to consider reducing your mileage. Running long distances has been shown to reduce testosterone, which is a hormone we need to keep muscle high and body fat low.

Finally, if you’ve been nailing your workouts but still not seeing results, consider changing up your routine. Try different exercises, and different sets and rep combinations.

3. Sleep
This is a weight loss plateau culprit many people overlook.

I was recently speaking with an old friend who I had bumped into randomly at the beach. He mentioned he was currently struggling with a weight loss plateau and couldn’t figure out why.

He had been working with a trainer, doing weights and cardio, and had also been careful with his diet, cutting out junk food, sugar, alcohol, etc. He was even taking three different training supplements, including a fat burner, all to no avail.

After asking him about his sleep patterns, he revealed that he rarely slept well, tossing and turning and waking up several times through the night, on most nights. When I pointed out that his lack of sleep was probably the culprit, he was shocked. He hadn’t even considered that as a factor.

Here’s how a lack of sleep can cause you to plateau:

First, sleeping less causes your metabolism to slow down. A study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that study participants (healthy adults) who slept for only 4 hours, 5 days straight, experienced a drop in resting metabolic rate by 2.6% which returned to normal after sleeping for 12 hours.

Second, it prevents you from going full-out during your workouts. Both your muscles and your central nervous system need to recover after an intense workout. If you’re not properly recovered, your body cannot push as hard during your next workout, which means you won’t receive the full benefit of the time spent during your sweat session.

Third, a lack of sleep boosts cortisol, a fat-storing hormone our body releases when we are under stress. Which leads me to…

4. Stress
Stress is another often overlooked factor for plateauing weight loss. 

As mentioned, stress leads to the release of cortisol, which was shown in a study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information to increase belly fat storage. One reason for this might be cortisol’s impact on our thyroid, which is responsible for regulating our metabolism.

Per Dr. Veeravagu, Founder of Sage Clinic in Yaletown, irregular cortisol levels can impair the conversion of thyroid hormone from its inactive form to its active from. This can result in a low thyroid situation, causing weight gain and symptoms of poor metabolism.

Another way stress can cause a weight loss plateau is by leading us to take actions that are detrimental to our fitness goals, including skipping leg day and emotional eating.

To better manage stress, try meditating regularly. Meditation clears your mind, calms your nerves, and allows you to assess your thoughts from a neutral, unemotional place, which will give you piece of mind.

In fact, meditation has been proven effective for losing weight. An eight-week National Center for Biotechnology Information study of 34 overweight and obese women, who partook in a stress-management program that included muscle relaxation and deep breathing, resulted in an average weight loss of 9.7 pounds.

HOW I CAN HELP YOU BUST YOUR OWN WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAU
Using the techniques above, you can better diagnose what might be causing your weight loss to plateau. Often times, knowing where the problem lies and what to do to fix it is enough.

Other times, it takes more formal help with things like dietary guidance, workout planning and accountability to stay on track. I take great pride in helping my clients bust through their weight loss plateaus and attain the health, body and confidence they seek through my online fitness coaching.

My clients have dropped significant weight and have transformed their lives. One success story I love is from my client Carita A., who lost more than 30 pounds in less than 3 months and can finally fit into her Hugo Boss tailored suits that had been sitting in her closet, unused for many years. Pretty cool right?

Looking for results like that for yourself?

With my BodyHack90^TM program, which is virtual, I can coach you to better results no matter where in the world you live.

Interested in how I might be able to help you or someone in your life?

Fill out this one-minute form now to receive a no-cost Weight Loss Plateau Diagnosis, which will help you lose those stubborn 10 pounds and wave goodbye to that weight loss plateau for good!

When it comes to your fitness routine, efficiency is essential.

Wouldn’t you prefer to get your workouts done in a time-efficient manner so you can get on with the rest of your life?

Me too!

In fact, efficiency is what I espouse to clients in my BodyHack90™ program all the time. It’s why I design workouts for my clients that take less than 2 hours, TOTAL, per week!

But, and here’s the big ‘but’, while saving time is something we all want, we also want to get results. I mean, what good is efficiency without effectiveness?

So, the workouts you do have to meet both of these key criteria:

1. Can be done quickly
2. Deliver results

Otherwise, we’re either taking too long in the gym or we’re not getting the muscle building and/or fat loss results we’re looking for.

So, it’s great when we find workouts that hit the sweet spot of efficiency and effectiveness. The ab routine I’m about to show you does exactly that, so read on!

STEAL MY THREE-MINUTE AB BLASTING ROUTINE

The routine below blasts all the major abdominal areas – upper abs, lower abs, obliques and intercostals – in just three minutes.

How’s THAT for efficiency and effectiveness?!

Now, I know you want to try it out, so just watch the video above, and follow the steps below for a fast and effective way to chisel that 6-pack.

Deekron’s 3 Minute Ab Blasting Workout:

1. Start with lower ab pulses (this looks easy but it’s NOT!). Do 10-20 of them.
   
2. Lie on the mat and get into a crunch position to do rotating crunches. Take turns counting down and alternating directions. Five reps clockwise, four reps counterclockwise, three reps clockwise, and so on.
3. Do 25 pulse crunches. I usually hold my breath while doing them, and after each set, I take a split-second break to inhale. Do three sets of 5-10 reps.
4. Do 10-15 cross-knee pulsing crunches on each side.
5. Do lying scissors, 10 – 15 reps.
6. Bring it all together with a grand finale that hits your all your ab groups – bicycle crunches.
   

If you have more time, or want more of a challenge, feel free to add more reps/sets for an even greater burn.  

Hope you enjoyed this routine, which hacks the time it takes to get a great ab workout.

To ask me any questions about this routine, or to learn more about my BodyHack90 transformation program, which helps you attain your ideal body in 90 days, without spending more than 2 hours per week working out, contact me anytime (my email is below).

Happy six pack hacking!

If you’re like me, you love to do things efficiently, including getting your workouts done fast. 

You may know by now that we have a number of super-efficient, 20-minute HIIT treadmill workouts in the Motion Traxx app.

The fitness app features audio coaching from top trainers like master trainer Amy Dixon, set to motivating dance music beats, to push you and keep you in your groove for a quick, calorie-burning sweat session.

But sometimes you may be really short on time (i.e. the morning craze before work) and even 20 minutes may be too long of a time commitment. So, here’s an efficient treadmill workout you can do when you’re really short on time (or for when you rather train without the Motion Traxx app or music).

I consider this the ultimate treadmill workout for when you’ve got ‘no time’. This is what I usually do to elevate my heart-rate and get my blood pumping when I’m in a hurry. Go ahead and steal this workout now…

Deekron’s 10-minute ‘Mini Pyramid’ Treadmill HIIT Session:

1:00 Walk
0:30 Jog
1:00 Run
0:30 Sprint (rest for 0:30)
0:45 Sprint (rest for 0:45)
1:00 Sprint (rest for 1:00)
0:45 Sprint (rest for 0:45)
0:30 Sprint (rest for 0:30)
0:30 Slowback down and catch your breath

Voi la! You’ve revved up your heart rate and your metabolism, and you’re done in just 10 minutes, including the warm up and slow-down.

Best of all, you weren’t bored at all!  So the next time you’re hesitating and thinking ‘I don’t have time’ or ‘cardio bores me’, do this workout.

It’s the cardio quick fix for any time crunch.

P.S. You can actually use this mini pyramid HIIT workout on any cardio machine – elliptical machine, spin bike, rowing machine, stepper, etc.

P.P.S. Remember to stretch when done!

When it comes to your fitness and fat loss, you might be making the same mistakes over and over without knowing. (Most people do!)

If you downloaded my free, 5 Steps To Rapid Fat Loss infographic, you know that step #5 in my fat loss system is ‘Raise Your Results (via Feedback).’

It’s real-time feedback – from a knowledgeable fitness professional – that helps you catch mistakes quickly and get you back on the right track so that you don’t waste time. Otherwise your results will suffer, and you’ll keep on struggling to lose weight and build muscle.

Yes, feedback is very valuable, and it’s why I do weekly one-on-one video check in calls with my fitness coaching clients, as part of my BodyHack90 transformation program.

If you’ve read this far, you’re in for a treat. In the video above, you will get a ‘sneak peek’ into  my real-time coaching feedback.

Watch the above video of one of my fitness coaching calls to see how quickly I fix some of the mistakes my client Chet was making.

Specifically, you will get answers and insights into the following questions:

1. Should you work out in the morning?
2. Should you eat after your workout?
3. If so, what should you eat?
4. What should you eat if you’re short on time?

If you’re struggling to get fat loss results, it might be because you’re making mistakes of which you are not aware.

How would you like a trained fitness professional to look out for you and fix mistakes you’re making?

Then, email me directly (my email is in the footer below) and I’ll tell you what to do next.

Let’s ‘raise’ those fitness results via feedback!

If you celebrate Thanksgiving, you know that it’s a time for expressing gratitude and spending quality time with friends and family.  It’s also a time for big dinners, sinful drinks and yummy desserts.

Eating, drinking and being merry at Thanksgiving is fun and is a treat to in which to indulge. At the same time, it can lead to overindulgence and the start of what I call the ‘holiday belly bulge.’

Many people end up enjoying Thanksgiving so much, they end the day feeling guilty and weighing more.

Indeed, if you’re focused on either maintaining a healthy weight, or working towards a fat loss goal (like the participants of our FastBurn28 Fat Loss Challenge, which is in progress), Thanksgiving can cause a real setback to your aim of looking and feeling your best.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could enjoy Thanksgiving without feeling like Miss Piggy? What if you could eat, drink and be merry without putting on unwanted weight?

Well, I’m here to tell you it’s totally possible!

The six steps below will help you enjoy Thanksgiving, while avoiding the guilt that comes with having overindulged.

In fact, these steps can be used for ANY event where you anticipate a lot of eating and drinking – weddings, galas, birthday dinners, etc.

1. Sleep Well The Night Before

Sleep plays a much bigger role in keeping a healthy weight than you may realize.

Lack of sleep throws off numerous hormones, including spiking Cortisol (which increases fat retention), increases Ghrelin (which is our hunger hormone, making you hungrier) and suppresses Leptin (which is the hormone that tells your brain you’re full and cuts your appetite).

So, sleeping well the night before Thanksgiving is essential to balancing hormones that will keep your weight steady. This might be particularly challenging to do, because the night before Thanksgiving is notorious for being a big party night in many cities.

But if you can get your Zs on Thanksgiving Eve by either going to bed at a good time or at least sleeping in the morning of Thanksgiving, this will help you do better on Thanksgiving Day.

Also, keep alcohol to a minimum on Thanksgiving Eve. In addition to the unwanted calories, alcohol affects quality of sleep. (more on how to handle alcohol on Thanksgiving Day below).

2. Create A Calorie Deficit During The Day

You want to create calorie deficit prior to your Thanksgiving dinner by:

1. Eating less during the day
2. Exercising on Thanksgiving

A. Eating Less Before Thanksgiving Dinner

Like most of us, you’re probably going to consume a lot of calories at your Thanksgiving meal.  A lot more than you would at your usual dinner.

This can cause you to easily blow your calorie budget for the day. But if you under eat during the day, you’ll have more budget left over to absorb the bigger Thanksgiving dinner that awaits.

By under eating, I do NOT mean starving yourself during the day and eating nothing. You definitely want to start the day (i.e. breakfast) by eating something in order to get your metabolism going. Otherwise, if you eat nothing all day your metabolism will slow down and then it will have to process an avalanche of food at dinner, which can lead to indigestion. (more on prepping your metabolism and digestion for Thanksgiving below).

The goal is to keep carbs and fat low during the day so you can have stuffing, gravy and dessert later.

I recommend you have one serving of slow burning carbs in the morning and some low-fat protein. A great and easy option here is sugar free oatmeal (you can add cinnamon, a couple of nuts, etc.) and boiled egg whites.

This will get your metabolism going and provide you with some protein, which you will need for your Thanksgiving day workout.

Get some veggies at lunch or have a serving or two of my favorite green veggie superfood powder: Organifi.

3. Exercising On Thanksgiving Day

You can work out on Thanksgiving Day any time you can fit it in. Preferably, after you’ve eaten something but if it’s first thing in the morning on an empty stomach that can work too.

Either way, have breakfast as described above either before or after your workout.

As far as how to exercise, an intense workout will serve you best. You can do a HIIT cardio session with the Motion Traxx app, or you can do a full body weight training workout that incorporates compound movements. Ideally, you can do weight training and HIIT cardio together that day.

Intense workouts like these will help you burn fat and rev up your metabolism. This will help you absorb the onslaught of calories heading your way later that day.

4. Enhance Your Digestion

Now that you’ve created a caloric deficit, prime your digestive system to better handle the food and drink coming its way.  Alcohol, fats and sugars all cause inflammation and require our digestive system to work overtime to process them.

Make sure your digestive system has the proper enzymes to digest the Thanksgiving feast by taking a serving or two of probiotics before you start eating.

Another good supplement that helps digestion is ginger (either fresh or in capsule form). As an added bonus, ginger has been shown to boost testosterone, which helps burn fat and build muscle.  

5. Sip Slowly

Alright, you’ve made it to Thanksgiving dinner.

It will probably start with drinks, so let’s tackle the subject of alcohol. Many people love to have drinks at festive events such as Thanksgiving. I will not tell you not to have alcohol but I will inform you to the tradeoff you’re making when you do drink alcohol.

Quite simply, alcohol is the most challenging thing for any weight loss or fitness goal. Besides the long term health effects of drinking, alcohol causes inflammation, raises estrogen (which stores fat) and spikes insulin, which means it gets stored immediately as fat.

If that wasn’t bad enough, it also results in decreased willpower, which usually leads to poor food choices. Besides having to convert the fast-burning calories in alcohol into fat, your body also has to deal with the additional calories you eat when you’re feeling merry. That’s a lot for your body to handle.

To have alcohol in a way that is sustainable for your aim to drop fat or stay lean, use techniques that result in drinking less.

One such technique is to have a drink only when someone makes a toast. This helps you make the obligatory toast, while also keeping a limit on how much you imbibe.

Alternatively, have a target number of drinks in mind and don’t exceed it. Obviously, this becomes important for other reasons such as the need to be in good shape to drive home after dinner.

6. Have Just One

You’ve made it through dinner, so let’s talk about ‘surviving’ dessert.

If you downloaded my 5 Proven Hacks for Consistent Weight Loss eBook, you learned that you can reduce the impact of sinful food and drinks with a technique I call ‘Have Just One’.

This means having just one bite of dessert, one sip of a drink, one taste of something indulgent.

This requires some discipline but will help you enjoy dessert a bit while keeping the impact on your waistline minimal.

By following the six steps above, you can enjoy Thanksgiving  – and weddings, brunches, birthday parties and another big eating events – while controlling the impact they can have on your fitness and fat loss goals.

So, go ahead and indulge without worrying about the belly bulge.

P.S. I teach fat loss techniques like this as part of my BodyHack90 transformation program. It can help you reclaim your edge and be your fittest and best self in 90 days, without spending your life in the gym or the kitchen. It features personalized meal and workout plans, and weekly one-on- one coaching calls for accountability. Drop me a line to learn more (my email is below).

It’s that time of year again.

The time where people enjoy the festivities with all the gift giving and feasting to your heart’s content.

Unfortunately, that also comes with a more casual adherence to you fitness plans and if we are not careful, it can bring about the dreaded result I like to call the ‘holiday belly bulge.’

This is more likely to happen with the myriad of events going on and the large amounts of high caloric drinks available.

The holiday belly bulge can be caused by a number of factors but here we list the 3 most common mistakes people make that cause weight gain.

1.You fall off track.
Due to it being the holidays, people act like they are on vacation. They may say, ”I can just relax now. I don’t have to workout, I’m excused.”

Unfortunately, this type of thinking can cause us to neglect the fitness plan in general and cause your momentum to take a nosedive, making it even more difficult to get back to working out once the holidays are over.

What do we do to combat this? Well, just do something.

Even if it is something small, like a 5 minute walk or taking on that extra flight of stairs, it still counts. It is a lot better than doing nothing at all and all those little actions add up. Plus, it will be easier to get back into the groove of consistency once the holiday chaos has passed.

Check out this blogpost to find more ways to fit fitness in.

2. You Overdo it.
Holiday events are everywhere this time of the year. From the office parties to happy hour specials at the bar, there is no escaping the holiday cheer. They are also filled with the most delicious (but also unhealthy) foods that make it easy achieve the ‘holiday belly bulge.’

While I am all for you guys having fun this season, it is important to have a bit of discipline and self control to maintain the progress you have been making the entire year.

You can achieve this by setting limits to how many drinks you can have (1 to 3 at most) or how much food you can consume before putting the plate down for the final time that night.

3.Unrealistic expectations.
The holidays are such a busy time of year that people sometimes underestimate the how hectic it can be. This can cause some derailment in your fitness plans if you don’t plan ahead.

For example, I spent Thanksgiving with my family where we interacted with each other and ate the holiday fest together. Towards the end, we had a surplus of food that ended up going home with me to my cupboard. And this food is the stuff cravings are made from (apple pie, brownies, cookies).

This surplus of good food creates temptation that can certainly cause a dent in my fitness progress. In order to not be caught off guard and give in to it, I am going to do a cupboard check and see which foods I can keep and which ones I can give away. When I do consume it, I will pace myself and have it on days where I can afford to do so (mostly on workout days).

So these are the 3 common mistakes people make around the holidays and hopefully ones’ you can now better avoid.

One thing to help avoid these 3 mistakes is the practice of affirmations where you train your unconscious mind you want something by constantly telling yourself about it..

If you focus on the affirmation, the mind starts to bring ideas in order to make the desire happen. You can say something like, “I will maintain my fitness level this holiday season” and eventually, your mind will find ways to make it happen.

One thing that can help achieve this is the Motion Traxx app.

Good luck with maintaining your fitness level. Hope you have an amazing holiday season and keep making strides towards your fitness goals!

As the saying goes, a year older, a year wiser.

I’ve learned some key lesson in the areas of fitness and weight loss in 2018 and I’d like to share them with you. This way, we can grow together.

But first, some quick reflection.

THE YEAR I DOUBLED-DOWN ON FITNESS

This was a special year for me because it’s the year I recommitted to being a leader in the fitness industry.

Back in 2016, life changes and financial challenges forced me to take take a slight step back from my beloved Motion Traxx. After two years of doing random consulting work and ‘soul searching’, I decided in 2018 to double-down on my passion for fitness and trust that it’s where I’m meant to be.

I started coaching people with their fitness and weight loss goals. I’m finding it very fulfilling and am happy to say that all of my clients are succeeding in losing weight, looking great and feeling awesome.

I’m especially proud to have helped my client Carita, a mother of two, lose 33 pounds in just 3 months and totally get her life back. Now, she can play sports with her kids again, can fit into her favorite clothes again, and is getting a CRAZY amount of compliments on her transformation. (If you’d like to see how excited she is, here’s a funny video with her beaming about her success).

I FINALLY ACCOMPLISHED THIS FITNESS GOAL

In addition to refocusing on fitness as a career, I also refocused on my own personal fitness journey, and was able to accomplish something I had never been able to do before: bulk up.

I was able to gain close to 10 LB of muscle in just 6 weeks, while reducing body fat, by getting smarter about how I timed my carbs. (more on that in a future post).

By coaching people on their fitness goals and achieving a personal fitness goal, I learned some important lessons.

Here they are now.

TOP TEN LESSONS LEARNED

1. Worry Less About What The Scale Says

There are many reasons to not stress so much about what the scale says. One big reason is that your ‘scale weight’ only gives you part of the picture. To really get a sense of where you are, measure your body fat, take full body progress photos and see how you feel in your clothes.

This is particularly true if you’re training regularly and building muscle. If you add a pound of muscle and lose a pound of fat, the scale will tell you that you haven’t made any progress, when in fact you’ve made HUGE progress. (you can see this in my own transformation I had this summer; I looked leaner, healthier and more muscular but I was 8 LB heavier; so if you only judge by the scale alone, you miss what’s really happening).

Oh, and this is why when I work with clients, I measure their progress in terms of ‘fat loss’ not weight loss.

2. Don’t Weigh Yourself Everyday

Because your scale weight doesn’t give you the whole picture, it’s best NOT to weigh yourself every day. I hear a lot of fitness folks suggesting you should weigh yourself every day but I think all this will do is make you anxious.

There are many factors that determine what we weigh and weight can fluctuate from one day to the next due to things beyond our control (e.g. sodium intake, hormones, inflammation, etc.). Which means your weight can be down one day and up the next, even though you’re doing everything ‘right’.

If your mood and motivation fluctuate with the number on the scale, this will set you up for failure because you will expect instant results and will want to quit when you don’t get them.

Instead, weigh yourself just once per week, on the same day, and take the other measures of progress as well. (i.e. body fat and body photos).  

3. Train Around Injuries Not Through Them

I did myself a real disservice this year by pushing through an injury that I should’ve rested instead. I’ve been battling elbow tendonitis, on and off, for two years now. This summer, while on my bulking program, I kept doing the exercises (included weighted pull ups) that were aggravating my injury.

While the warrior in me was able to ‘tough it out’ I was only making things worse on my body. It got to the point where I had to go for an invasive treatment called PRP, and now I can’t use my hands to lift weight at all during a 12-week, post-procedure recovery. (Can you say ‘frustrating’?).

In hindsight, I should have found ways to do exercises that did not aggravate my elbows, rather than trying to push through the pain. Might sound like common sense, but my stubborn side caused me to make the injury worse. Remember: work around injuries, NOT ‘through’ them.

4. Ashwagandha Is Close To a Miracle Supplement

This year, I learned about Ashwagandha, which has a wide range of amazing benefits. Used forever in Ayurvedic medicine, and considered an ‘adaptogen’, Ashwagandha helps with overall health and has a powerful effect on weight loss by reducing cortisol (our fat storing hormone), increasing testosterone (our fat burning hormone) and speeding up your metabolism through improved thyroid function.

I take Ashwagandha regularly through a supplement called Organifi Green Juice. It’s one of the best-tasting greens powders I’ve ever tried (in over 10 years of trying many brands) and includes a slew of other great ingredients, including Wheat Grass. It’s not the cheapest on the market, but it is one of the best.

I put all my clients on it and have partnered with Organifi. You can use this link to save $10 on this awesome supplement.

5. Building Muscle Requires Both Protein and Carbs

For many years I was only focused on protein as the most important macronutrient for building muscle. While I was able to gain some lean muscle with a protein-focused diet, I was not able to pack on the kind of mass I packed on this summer when I upped my intake of carbs.

Now, this may not apply to you if your main goal is to lose weight / lose fat. But if you’re looking add some muscle mass to your frame (guys), learn to take in the right amount and right types of carbs and watch your gains take off! 

Which leads me to…

6. Carbs Are Not The Enemy

I’ve been hearing way too much about the Keto diet this year (which is basically Atkins 2.0). This diet requires you eating a ton of fat and protein and almost no carbs.

I’m not a proponent of this diet for many reasons. It’s generally not fun, not sustainable and not optimal for quality of life, in my opinion. Carbs are the body’s preferred source of energy. Yes, the wrong kinds of carbs can be stored as excess fat, but the right carb strategy can help you achieve your fitness goals, while having all-day energy and without the need to starve yourself.

7. High Volume Training Sucks (For Most Of Us)

The program I followed this summer was a High Volume training program. This style of training involves doing lots of sets – 20 or more per body part. High volume training may work for some (namely, professional bodybuilders who have no life outside of the gym), but, overall, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Two things that suck about high volume training: 1. You don’t go to failure and 2. It takes way too long.

Not going to failure on a particular set robs you of muscle-building potential. You have to take each set to your max if you want to improve your strength and add muscle tone. With so many sets required with High Volume training, it’s impossible to go to failure because doing so exhausts the muscle quickly (and that’s what you want!).

Because you’re doing so many sets with High Volume training, the workouts take way too long. I was spending 2 hours in the gym each time (shoot me now!). The legendary bodybuilder Mike Mentzer said you can either train long or you can train hard. I prefer to train hard and get out of the gym quickly so I can move on with my life.

It’s why I designed The Sharp Body Time-Slicing Workout Plan. It can be done in just 2 hours per week! Download it now for free with this link.

8. Meditation Can Help You Lose Weight

One of my favorite and most consistent clients was a school guidance counselor named Marsha. She was a hallmark of consistency. She never missed a meal, never forgot to send progress photos and followed my program to a tee.

So, no surprise, then, that she would lose weight and add muscle tone to her body every week, like clockwork. I asked her what her secret was to such amazing consistency in her habits and her weight loss.

She said she meditated every single day for an hour. This helped her be grounded, present and beat stress. This consistent meditation practice allowed her to be consistent in all areas of her life, including her fitness habits.

Who knew that getting mindful regularly can help your waistline. Check out this video now to hear more about Marsha’s success, in her own words.

9. Enroll Help With Your Weight Loss Goal

Losing weight consistently is hard for most people. So don’t be down on yourself if you’re struggling (most people do).

A study released this year sought to identify the factor that made a group of dieters succeed, while the other groups had failed. The one thing successful dieters all had in common was this: They had someone supporting them. Someone who they would meet with weekly.

In short, the researchers recommended the following: ‘Don’t Diet Alone’.

This is also supported by the finding that having an accountability partner helps improve your chances of meeting a goal by 95%. So, to have weight loss success, don’t try it alone, get help.

Having the right support can help you transform your body and become the best version of you. Which is why…

10. I Love Helping People Transform Their Body (and Their Life!)

Having been a fitness coach now for the last 6 months has given me the opportunity and the privilege to help people with one of the most important areas of their life: fitness.

I believe that being fit helps us live our greatest life. I’m on a mission to help people experience the benefits of being fit so they can live their highest potential.

In January 2019, I will be launching my new brand, The Sharp Body. It will feature online fitness programs to help driven professionals find their edge in life by being their fittest and best, in 90 days, without spending their life in the gym.

To learn more about how I can help you find your edge by attaining the body and life you crave, drop me a line.

Here’s to being another year wiser.