You and I know that in life each of us can run up against an excuse every single day. What do I mean
by excuse.

I can name 100 right now, and so can you…

Don’t have time to exercise;
My husband and kids won’t eat anything but high calorie foods;
No one in my family is lean and everyone is fat;
Eating healthy is too expensive;
My office vending machine has no healthy snacks;
I went off the diet again.
I haven’t exercised for so long I don’t know where my workout clothes are.
I strained a muscle.
I have a big deadline at work;
My workout buddy is on vacation;
I’ve tried to lose weight before and as usual, it’s not working!;
Gas is too expensive and so I can’t drive to the gym;

On and on and on… Right?

There’s always something.And so I say “so what”! You need to start saying this to yourself. When something comes up in your mind to block you from any goal, fitness or otherwise. Say to yourself, “so what”. How can I do it despite this road bump? Ask yourself how. And then wait for the answer. If the answer does not come. Ask the question again, and again, and again until you get the answer to the how.

One of the reasons you and I should not accept excuses from ourselves or from others is that there is always someone out there who is going through exactly what you are and they are still achieving success in fat loss, in business, in parenting, you name it. And even more impressive, I guarantee that there are thousands of people out there who have much bigger mountains to overcome and they too have been able to achieve fat loss success.

How bad do you want to be healthy and successful at every thing you do?

Go get my free report that will get you started on your fat loss journey: www.kathystrahan.com

Tell me what you have overcome to achieve fat loss. Tell me what your excuses are for not achieving fat loss. I really want to know. Please leave a comment.

So, what does the Kentucky Derby have to teach us about hard, lean muscles?

Well, here’s the story…

My husband an I have some friends who are very well-known fitness professionals who have just returned from the Kentucky Derby.

It was their first time and they said that they had a fabulous time and that we should all plan to go next year. We certainly may do that…

But, here’s the point I want to make…

First, our friends described the attendance as totally packed with 151,000 people, which was the second largest attendance ever for the Kentucky Derby.

Interestingly, the women were dressed up along with their hats and the men were snazzed up as well. They took fantastic pictures.

Now, here’s the point… They noticed something very significant about the race horses as they filed by, and of course during the race.

What was so significant was the musculature  of the race horses.

Now I know horses are generally lean and muscular animals, but these race horses were very lean and muscular.  They were so impressed with how they could clearly see their leg muscles striations when they were walking past towards the track.

So, I asked, “But horses are generally quite lean, what was the difference here.”

They answered, “it’s that these horses run sprints”! They do this all the time! This is their workout style…

Wow! My friends saw first hand what regular interval training can do. Not just for a human, but for an animal as well.

I know I have talked to you about interval training and sprint training to achieve faster fat loss and body shaping. But this is a very powerful testimony to the concept of what interval training can do!

Look at human sprinters or those who train with intervals and high intensity exercises like I have discussed before.  They are very lean and muscular and it doesn’t come from lifting a ton of weights.

They do cardio intervals at high intensities with full maximal effort.

Race horses are the same way.  They don’t just go out for a jog that takes 1 hour.  They run and they run hard and fast for a short period of time.

If you still don’t believe the research that interval training works for humans, perhaps you will see that it works with animals and then you’ll make the connection to humans.

This is a very powerful statement to see how race horse leanness and fitness can be duplicated in humans.

Now, if you are sedentary, please get a medical clearance from your personal physician. Then, please start slowly and work your way into intense intervals. Please do not just go out and sprint a 100 yard dash straight off the couch!

However, for those of us who are advanced—let’s get out there and exercise hard and fast to burn our fat fast!

Now, if you’re interested in getting leaner, there is a great new ebook that you must check out, by Tom Venuto. Tom is one of the most respected names in the bodybuilding game because of the amazing physique he has built WITHOUT the use of steroids or other drugs.

You’ll also find out the shocking lies the diet and weight loss industry has fed us all these years. Click here.

Bringing you the best.

Well, I can tell you one thing:

Endless crunches are NOT the answer.

It’s funny, but one of my buddies who is a personal trainer where I work out had a brand new client come in who wouldn’t believe this to be the truth.

It’s close to summer and swim suit season and She came in demanding they spend her entire 30 minute workout doing some sort of ab exercise.

My friend, the professional personal trainer who has been in the business since she was a teenager tried to explain the tried and true formula for getting flat abs.

But this client wouldn’t have any of it. She simply did not want to hear any of it!

Apparently the idea of combining proper nutrition and the CORRECT exercise program just didn’t make sense to her.

She wanted to focus in on one area.  She, like so many of us believe that we can spot reduce.

We know we can spot muscle build. Biceps, quads, triceps. but there are some who hold on tight to the notion that spot reducing an area works.

We tend to think that if we do 100 more crunches that this may be the answer. I wonder if she really believed that some sort of ab contraption was the secret to flat, sexy abs. I wonder if this woman
had just seen one too many infomercials. Not a very productive way to think.

Needless to say, that was her one and only workout session with my friend the personal trainer just couldn’t take her on as a client if she wasn’t willing to hear – and accept – the TRUTH.

Getting rock-hard abs isn’t rocket science. But there is science behind it. The human body is a very complex machine. And that is why it stuns me when people refuse to listen to trained professionals.

If we wan to get lean and finally lose the belly fat and the love handles, come on guys! Let’s get serious and learn and accept the truth.

We’re going to need to eat the correct nutrients at the correct times. We’re going to perform the correct exercises scientifically proven to melt fat from our body for up to 48 hours after our workout. We’re going to be disciplined.

Most importantly, when we know the truth, we’re going to succeed.

If you really, really want to get lean? I like the information Tom Venuto has in his Burn the Fat products. For a free report Click here

So, shed the old worn out exercise myths along with the fat. I know you can do it!

Bringing you the best fat burning secrets.

That’s right. Many studies indicate that the ideal order of things should be resistance first, followed by cardio. Read more below…

As I’ve been telling you, the new wave of cardiovascular exercise is interval training, and it is the most economical way to get results fast. According to researchers, intense cardio interval training is much more effective at improving aerobic capacity than long steady cardio training alone.

The key component is that interval training should ideally be done after a resistance workout because after a resistance training your body is in a state where glucose stores are nearly depleted and fat is the prime source for energy.

Now, let’s be clear. Intervals can be done with any cardiovascular workout. If you are walking, then what you do is walk for a minute, then increase your pace for 30 seconds, walk for one minute, then increase the pace for thirty seconds. The optimal number of intervals is six. If you really push hard, then your results will diminish if you have more intervals.

If you like cardio, then after your six intervals simply keep a moderate pace to complete the time you usually allot for your cardio. It’s just that researchers say that we do not need to spend hours on cardio like they originally recommended. It will not create any complications unless we’re talking about overuse injuries which would be the subject of another article.

Also, know that you can get very precise interval increases by using the percentage of your maximum heart rate. Or, you can use the perceived rate of exertion. This is a scale from 1 to 10. From very low #1 as if you’re sitting watching TV, to very high #10 this is not advisable. When we are exercising, we do not want numbers from 1-3 this is too low. And we do not want 10 or maybe even 9 unless you are a very well conditioned athlete.

BTW—Intervals should be done after about four weeks of beginner level training. After this period of time you can introduce some intensity training.

If you’re conditioned, then please intensify your short intervals to an 8 or perhaps a 9. An 8 would feel like you are very late for a flight. In fact, as you are approaching the aircraft, you can see the doors starting to close. Of course you’re sprinting to get there before the doors close and you are waving your arms. Can you imagine? You’d be out of breath by the time you crashed through the doors. Right? This is the intensity to work at when you are at the top of the interval.

In other words, when you increase the intensity of your work out your breathing increases, your heart rate goes up, and you begin to feel a bit uncomfortable. Or, very uncomfortable.

I’ll say this again. This is important. If you are sedentary, please get the green light from your physician to start an exercise program. But once you do, even a very unconditioned person can do an interval. It wouldn’t take much for an out of conditioned person to get out of breath and uncomfortable. On the other hand if you are conditioned to exercise, then just know that you can apply intervals to any cardio work out. Jogging, walking, elliptical, spin classes. Anything.

The key component is to make it a goal to perform your resistance training before the cardio if possible.

Researchers say that this may increase your fat burning capacity.

For more useful cardio and resistance training information from Craig Ballantyne, use the link below.
Click here

Bringing you the best fat burning secrets.

What I’m about to share with you could be the reason many of us who do a lot of cardio (even intense cardio) are not seeing the results we really want to see–a hard, lean, sexy body

Who doesn’t want that?

The information I want to share with you came from an email I received from Dress Size Reduction Blog.

I really recommend the expertise of Jayson Hunter, RD, CSCS

His message focused today on how low intensity workouts, (especially walking) will simply not power up what he calls our “fat melting furnace”.

He points out that in order to really fire up our body’s metabolism it requires hard, intense strength training and that we need to push this intensity each and every time we work out.

Our muscles really THRIVE on the metabolic boost it gets after a hard, intense strength training session.

Apparently, we been mislead with all the hype to do long, steady cardio.

This make sense doesn’t it? Be perfectly candid with you, I’ve seen this in my training as well.

As a spin instructor, and an avid spin class participant I see much better results when I get serious about strength training along with the cardio.

For some very powerful turbulence training work outs from Craig Ballontyne Click Here

Think about it? When you walk in to the gym and see everyone woodenly doing their cardio on the tread mill or whatever, don’t you get that image?

Solution…

An exercise class!

Have you ever considered this? All gyms have some group classes such as kick boxing, hip hop, body sculpting, or spin.

there are so many advantages to joining an exercise class.

The camaraderie, the group energy, the added fun, making new friends, the accountability.

As a person whose both a spin instructor, and an avid participant, there is no question that I work much harder in this kind of dynamic.

If you decide to try a class exercise consider the following tips:

Get there a few minutes early to introduce yourself to other class participants. This eliminates feeling like the outsider.

Introduce yourself to the instructor. Let him/her know about any limitations and ask for work-arounds. Ask for help with equipment. This will be a great way to strike up a conversation. Be interested in others. How long they’ve been working out. Clarify a move, etc.

This next thing is important…

Please. On your very first day in a exercise class, do not expect to get all the moves, or have the same endurance as all the long-time articipants have! This is a very common mistake. We compare ourselves to others. We’re afraid to be a beginner and be a bit unsure. Please, be patient with yourself.

Allow for at least five classes before you really start to get good at the moves, and develop the endurance. So, enjoy the new exercise, and the new encounters and expect the comfort level to take time to settle in.

To find out more about some great fat burning tips please Click here

Brining you all the best.

I know, I can relate…

Fitness experts say that a six pack set of abs (or lack there of) is the direct result of low body fat levels.

If we want great abs.

Then, we better get the fat off that is covering them!—End of story.

Read on to get the truth about flat abs, and how to get the fat off…

I was reading a fitness article the other day about a guy who was doing one thousand crunches per day and still could not see his abdominal muscles.

One thousand crunches!

Wow! Talk about frustration.

Clearly, exercise alone just is not going to cut it.

As I read further, the article revealed that there was a significant factor preventing him from achieving the lean body and the abdominal definition he was aiming for.

A crummy diet!

Yes, he certainly exercised like a fiend, but he then thought he could get away with eating whatever and as much as he wanted. Turned out his diet was a mess. You know, fast food, packaged processed food, refined snacks, everything he ate was too much, and all wrong!

I’m sure you’ve heard nutrition experts say that…

“We cannot out-train a lousy diet.”!

I can relate to that! Can’t you? Come on. Let’s be honest. After a hard workout don’t some of us think we deserve a break. We think we deserve to eat until we are stuffed even if it is good healthy food.

Or even worse, we think we deserve that chocolate chip cookie—just one. We say, “I’ll work it off tomorrow”… One cookie once in a while is fine, but it’s a problem if it’s a consistent choice several times a week. And, let’s be honest—it’s often more than just one.

Now, come on, I’m not saying that ab work is not important.

But, if we want to get the tight flat abs, we cannot ignore any one of the three factors discussed below.

And, we especially cannot imagine that hard exercise can reverse the fat storage consequences of the brownies and ice-cream we had last night…

All the ab exercises and spin classes won’t help as long as we still have body fat covering our muscles.

Sorry!

The truth is, that there is no such thing as spot reduction or people who chew gum all the time would have a skinny face. Right?

The hard truth is that if we want to have a really lean body with great abs and well-defined muscle, we must be concerned with the number and quality of calories we consume.—as well as a combination of resistance and interval training.

To see great abs, we must be concerned with fat loss, not working the ab area to death.

This information is a bit counter intuitive. But all of the most reputable fitness experts agree on this point.

So, how do we achieve fat loss and get lean enough to see our abs?

According to Tom Venuto, here it is…

Fat loss, and weight loss is a combination of three major areas:

1. Intense interval cardiovascular training,

2.  A well-rounded whole body intense weight training program

3.  And, finally, a healthy nutrition program that is about 15 to 20 percent less than your calorie maintenance.—not drastic.

Tom will expand on each of these areas in his book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle.

He points out that each of us is very very unique so this three pronged approach is extremely variable from one person to another.

Some of us can tolerate carbs, others do much better with low carbs.

Tom Venuto’s, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle e-book is the best on determining your very individual body composition, and training and eating requirements. I highly recommend this fat loss manual.

He teaches us exactly how to burn the fat and get lean forever!

So, all the really credible experts like Tom Venuto tell us that in order to loose fat, and get lean, it’s not enough to exercise.

We must slightly reduce our caloric intake, and we must eat small frequent meals. Tom says meals should be around 250 to 300 for women, and a little more for men.

So this means that having only two or three large meals is not conducive to fat loss.

As a spin instructor I see it all the time. Participants work out regularly and see know results. They are either not working intensely enough, and eating poorly. Or, the intensity is there, but the diet stinks. Or they are not doing any strength training. Or a combination of all three.

If we are truly honest with ourselves we will see where we need to adjust.

Maybe more strength training. Maybe we have the intensity, but it’s not frequent enough. And maybe the other two factors are there, but be honest, we just plain eat too much, or we constantly choose highly refined processed food.

So, to recap…

It’s a massive error to think that one thousand crunches done every day will make your abs finally “pop” when your diet is a disaster which is leading to fat storage.

Go check out Tom’s program, I think you’ll really appreciate his no-nonsense information.
Click here to know more.