Workout: Ehhhhhhhhh

Circuit 1: repeat 5 times, no rest between sets!
Swings-30 seconds
Presses-5 reps each side
Plank-1 minute

circuit 2:
Snatch Get-Up-5 snatches, 1 get up each side
Bosu Ball Push Ups-30 seconds
V-Ups-1 minute

circuit 3
Swings-1 minute
Goblet Squat-5 reps
Rotational Plank-30 seconds each side

Its a two-aday day! I'll post the night portion later

Morning Workout

Circuit 1: Perform 10 times, try to complete it under 20 minutes
Deadlift
Double Clean and Press

Night Workout:

Circuit 1: Perform 5 times, 30 seconds rest between sets
Swings-30 seconds
Plank-30 seconds

Circuit 2: Perform 5 times, 30 seconds rest between sets
KB Swing-30 seconds
Decline Push Ups on Bosu Ball-10 Reps

Circuit 3: Perform 5 times, 30 seconds rest between sets
Snatch-15 seconds each arm
Get Up-2 each side

Circuit 4: Perform 3 times, 30 seconds rest between sets
Swings-30 seconds
Ball Push Ups-12 reps
Plank
Leg Lifts
V-Ups-30 seconds for each core exercise

The truth is you can do as many crunches, sit ups, planks, leg lifts, or any other core exercise ever invented, and you could perform them all day, everyday and still never see your abs. Why? Because even though you may develop strong abdominal muscles, they will never be seen unless you remove the fat that sits on top of them, and ab exercises like crunches will never do that for you. The hard truth is that if you want to ever see your abs, or have anyone else see them for that matter, then you have to get yourself down to a very low bodyfat percentage. For males, its typically in the single digits before you start to see your abs, but there are always the genetically gifted that can sometimes get away with their abs being visible with a bodyfat as high as 14-15%. As for females, if you want to see your abs, you will need to shoot for the low teens, and even single digits as well.

So please, stop wasting your time by going to the gym and only performing "abs". It makes me cringe whenever I over hear someone saying that they are going to the gym because they need to do "abs". If only they knew how little they were actually doing for themselves.

True, if you already have a low bodyfat percentage, then crunches, sit ups, leg lifts, and the thousands of other ab exercises out there will indeed help you to develop a more defined set of abs, but honestly don't even waste time performing isolated ab exercises until you are nearing a low enough body fat percentage.

So what should you do to get abs? Well as I stated, you need to remove the fat that sits on top of them, and unfortunately you can't pick and choose where you want to lose fat, but you can bet in most cases, it will be your lower abdominal "pouch" of fat, that will be the last to go. This is what is commonly known as stubborn fat, and well, the only way to get rid of it is through high intensity exercise and proper nutrition, the latter being incredibly important.

The first, well thats easy, just train the able-bodied system, that will take care of the exercise part, and for the nutrition, well start reading the posts I have below about what to eat and when to eat. But if you really want to get as low of a BF percentage as possible, then you need to taper your carbs, and the carbs you do eat should only be low glycemic carbs, more specifically fibrous vegetables. That means no sugar, no flour, no breads, etc. Youa lso will have to up your protein intake, and keep chowing down on your good fats, especially nuts and seeds. Getting down to a single digit bodyfat percetage is no easy task, it requires a lot of self discipline and hard work. Hopefully this will stop you from ever wanting to go to the gym to just do "abs" again.

Workout: Keep It Simple Stoopid

Circuit 1- perform 10 times, 1 minute rest between sets
Weighted Dips-5 reps
Weighted Pull Ups-5 Reps
Decline Push Ups-10 Reps
L-Sit Chin Ups-5 Reps

Workout:The Conjuring

Circuit 1: Perform twice, 1 minute rest between sets
Snatch and Get Up- 5 snatches and 1 get up each side
Swing-30 seconds
Push Ups-30 seconds
Hindu Push Ups-30 Seconds
Jump Squats-30 seconds
Goblet Squat-5 reps
Rotational Plank, Leg Lifts- 30 seconds each position

Circuit 2: Perform twice, 1 minute rest between sets
Snatch and Get Up- 10 snatches each and 2 get ups each side
Swing
One Arm Push Ups- 5 reps each side
One Arm T-Push Ups-5 reps each side
Pistol Squat- 5 reps each side
Goblet Squat-5 reps
V-Ups, In and Outs- 30 seconds each

Circuit 3: Perform Twice, 1 minute between sets
Double Clean and Press- 5 reps
Swing
See-Saw Press-5 reps each arm
Snatch and Get Up-5 each side
Push Ups
Rotational Plank, Leg Lifts- 30 seconds each

Swing Ladder- Reps are as follows
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,14,16,18.20,25,20
-perform for time

Today is my day of rest. On my off days sometimes I do absolutely nothing, and other times I'll work on technique, or even go for a light jog. Just make sure you don't do anything too taxing, and that you get plenty of rest.

Again, sorry for the delay my schedule has been hectic. So now that you have a rough idea of what not to put into your mouth, lets discuss what you should eat, and when. The first thing you want to consume enough of throughout the day are lean proteins, theres a couple of reasons why you should up your protein intake. The obvious reason being that protein supports muscle growth and recovery, which is especially important for those who live an active liftestyle, but protein plays a much bigger role than just muscle recovery. Protein is comprised of amino acids, and different proteins have different amino acid make ups. Amino acids help perform almost every function in your body, you see, the body can live without carbs and without fat(not that you would ever want to live that way), but it can not live without amino acids, they are absolutely essential to your health. Amino acids cover everything from promoting healthy brain function, to supporting your immune system, and even keeping your nails and hair healthy. So aside from protein supporting almost every essential function in your body, along with helping to repair and build lean muscle, protein is also great for boosting your metabolism. Protein takes a lot of energy to digest, actually, about 20% of the calories that you consume from the protein, are used to digest it. Since your body has to work extra hard to digest protein, your metabolism will stay elevated for a longer period of time, and you will also have an extended sense of satiety than you would if you just ate simple carbs. Now onto where you should get your protein from...

You should try and consume protein from a large variety of sources. Good protein sources include, chicken, turkey, salmon, tuna, flank steak, filet mignon, nuts, seed, whey protein powder, raw milk(more on this later), and the list goes on and on. Just make sure you vary where you are getting your protein from, and the leaner the protein source, and the less processed it is, the better. Red meat is perfectly fine, as long as you are opting for a lean cut such as filet mignon or london broil. The belief that red meat is bad for you is a myth, red meat has many great natural benefits such as being a good source of b-vitamins, iron, and even natural creatine. For active people, I would also recommend protein supplementations such as whey protein isolate.

Proteins covered, lets go onto fats. Lets get this out of the way right away: Eating fat DOES NOT make you fat. No other macronutrient has gotten as bad of a reputation as fat has. In fact, eating the right fats can actually help you burn fat, but as discussed before, eating fats such as hydrogenated oils and certain saturated fats, can be very hazardous to your health and waist line. The fats that you want to consume are monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and some saturated fat. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the kind of fats found predominantly in nuts such as almonds, pistaccios, walnuts, etc and in seeds such as sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Fish such as salmon are also a great source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Saturated fat you have to be a little more careful about, because some saturated fats, like the kind found in coconut or in raw milk are incredibly good for you, but where as the saturated fats found in processed, fatty red meats, are not so good for you. But as a rule of thumb, keep saturated fat intake relatively low(less than 20-25 grams a day) unless you are getting it from raw milk or coconut. Now that you have a rough idea of what the good fats are, its time to learn why they are so good. The first reason being is that fat is great because it slows digestion, making you feel fuller, longer. Fat also provides a great energy sources, especially for long term endurance/aerobic exercise. Furthermore, fat is like oil for your body, it keeps everything running smoothly, and many studies have shown that consuming adequate amounts of healthy fats helps to keep your natural testosterone levels higher(fat burning hormone) and can significantly reduce your risk of developing heart disease. That being said, your diet should be comprised of about 20-30 percent of good fats. I forgot to mention that extra virgin olive oil and avocados are also fantastic sources of monounsaturated fat, so top your salads with extra virgin olive oil, and use avocados for a creamy spread instead of mayonnaise.

So now we are left with the last macronutrient, carbs. Carbs have gotten kind of a bad rep in the past couple of years, thanks in part to Dr. Atkins. But just like fats, there are good carbs, and there are bad carbs. Im going to make this is simple as possible and instead of placing carbs into their traditional categories of "complex carbs" or "simple carbs", im going to go with the glycemic approach. The glycemic index was originally developed for diabetics, and is used to analysis how dramatically certain carbs will affect your blood sugar. Why is this important? Because the more dramatically carbs affect your blood sugar, the more insulin your body releases, and insulin is an anabolic hormone which means it puts your body in a state where it is prone to store fat. If you were to make an equation, itd look something like this, the higher the glycemic index of a carb=the sharper the spike in your blood sugar=the more insulin is released to control your blood sugar= the more likely you are to store fat. Now it also happens, that complex carbs typically have a lower glycemic index than simple carbs. Simple carbs are quickly digested and result in a dramatic rise in blood sugar, followed by an insulin spike. This is a bad thing not only because it makes you fat, but because it can lead to problems such as diabetes, hypoglycemia, hyperinsulinism, insulin resistance, and hyperthyroidism, all of which are major medical conerns and can all be traced to the consumption of simple carbs. Complex carbs on the other hand, are typically(notice that I don't say always) lower glycemic, meaning they don't cause as dramatic of a rise in blood sugar, are digested more slowly, and provide a steady stream of energy and don't lead to a huge insulin spike.

So what does all of this mean? It means that you should mostly consume low glycemic carbs, with a few exceptions of course. You can almost always bet that if it came directly from mother nature, then its a good, low glycemic carb. Examples of course would be vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and fruits such as apples, blueberries, strawberries, unripe bananas, etc. But fruits are also the exception to this rule, because a ripened banana is actually high glycemic, but is still an acceptable thing to eat, but that doesn't mean taht you should have 10 bananas a day. If you are to consume a high glycemic fruit, the best time to have it would be after a workout, or first thing in the morning. But really, if you want to get really, really lean, then I'd avoid high glycemic carbs all together. Other good low glycemic carbs from mother nature include grains such as barley, lentils, and oats. Beans are also an excellent source of complex, low glyemic carbs, and also provide a good amount of protein and fiber as well. Just remember, if the carbs are almost directly from mother nature, they are probably fine to eat, but if they are man made, such as bread, flours, simple sugars, etc, then stay away.

I realize this is a lot to handle and take in if you've never really tried to develop a healthy nutrition plan before, but start taking steps towards a lifestyle change now, and remember that nothing worth doing was ever easy, but the pay offs are worth all the hardships. Hope this helps, please comment if you have any questions! Ill cover when to eat(just as important as what to eat) later

Sorry for the delay, heres todays workout

Workout:Fitter, Happier, More Productive...

Kettlebell Man Makers(This a double clean and press, followed by a push up on the kettlebells, you never take your hands off the bells)-5 sets of 5 Reps

Then Three Circuits as Follows: 1 minute rest between circuits, perform each circuit twice with 30 seconds rest in between sets

Circuit 1:
KB man maker-5 reps
KB Swings- 30 seconds
Renegade Rows-5 Reps Each Side
Snatch-15 seconds each hand
Rotational Plank-30 seconds each position
Leg Lifts and Six Inches- 30 seconds each

Circuit 2:
Snatch Right Hand into Turkish Get Up- 10 Reps Snatch, 1 get up
Snatch Left into Turkish Get Up-10 reps snatch, 1 get up
Hindu Push Ups-30 seconds
Goblet Squat-5 reps
Bear Crawl-45 seconds
V-Ups and In and Outs-30 seconds each

Circuit 3:
Snatch into Get Up, left and right(same as above)
OAP(one arm push ups)-5 reps each side
Swing-30 seconds
Pistol Squats-5 reps each side
KB Rows-5 reps each side
Rotational Plank, Leg Lifts - 30 seconds each position and 30 seconds leg lifts

Good Luck!

Today calls for my two a day routine, so I will post both my morning workout, and my nightly workout.

Morning
Circuit 1- Perform 10 times, with 1 minute rest
Deadlift-5 Reps
Weighted Dips-5 Reps
Weighted Pull Ups-5 Reps

Weights will vary from person to person, but progressively increase your weight each set

Night-
Circuit 1- Perform twice
Swing-30 seconds,
Snatch-15 seconds each hand
Hindu Push Ups-30 Seconds
Bear Crawl(perform 2 push ups every 4 steps)-45 seconds
Goblet Squat-5 reps
Deck Squat-30 Seconds
Rotational Plank- 30 Seconds each position
Leg Lifts and Hip Raise-30 seconds

Circuit 2- Perform Twice, 30 seconds rest in between sets
1 arm swing-30 seconds
high pull-15 seconds each hand
One Arm Push Ups- 5 Reps
KB Press- 5 reps each side
Hack squat-5 Reps
Hindue Squats-30 seconds
V-ups-30 seconds
Bicycles-30 seconds

V02 Max- Perform 30 rounds, switch hands every round
one round= snatch 15 seconds, rest 15 seconds

Lets start with why to eat, a topic typically ignored when talking about nutrition. Ignored, but not irrelevant, understanding why you eat the way you do, will help you understand how to reprogram your eating habits. The first question you have to ask yourself, is do you eat for pleasure or do you eat for health? In other words, do you live to eat? or do you eat to live? Think about this for a few moments...Chances are, if your like the average American, you live to eat. You make your food choices based on what tastes best, and not by what provides the most nutritional value. Your decisions when it comes to making food choices are mostly programmed, and probably involve the consumption of foods that are highly processed, loaded with sugar and simple carbs, and full of hydrogenated oils(trans fat). Is it your fault that you eat the way you do? In some ways, yes, but in other ways no. But seriously take a few minutes and think about why you eat the way you do. Is it just because you like the taste of shitty food? or is there something more to it? Everyone is different, and everyone may have a different reason for eating the way they do, but if you can get to the root of why you make the poor food choices that you do, then it will be that much easier to change your ways.

Now lets get on to what to eat. Easier said than done right? Well it all comes down to your degree of self-discipline and self-control. Anybody can make the right choices, as long as they apply themselves and fully commit to a lifestyle change. This is not a diet that I'm talking about here, a diet implies that something is temporary and restricting, when I talk about what to eat, I'm talking about a complete lifestyle change. A lifestyle change is permanent, and you either fully commit to it, or don't bother wasting your time. Once you have decided that your overall health, appearance, and physical performance are all much more important than the taste of a sugar cookie, then you've taken the first step. Now this is just a blog, and I obviously can't cover everything that I'd like to about nutrition, especially since I'm already up past my bedtime, so I'll give you the run down and post more later.

So finally, what to eat! Actually, to make it easier, let's start by looking at what not to eat. Simply by knowing what not to eat, you can pretty much figure out what to eat! Amazing isnt it? Well the first thing that has to go is sugar, more specifically refined sugar. Any sugar that is not coming directly from mother nature herself is strictly prohibited. That means, the only sugar you should be consuming, is the sugar that is naturally in fruits and vegetables. This is not a simple task, because almost everything has added refined sugars in it now adays. Well too bad, because sugar is the ultimate enemy when it comes to being healthy. Why? Let me try put this to you as delicately as I can...Sugar affects blood sugar, and dramitic increases in blood sugar result in insulin spikes. Insulin is an anabolic hormone that promotes fat storage. So when you consume sugar, your body releases insulin, and you store fat. This is over simplifying it of course, theres a lot of other factors such as the glycemic index of the foods your eating, etc, but you can not go wrong by completely eliminating all man made sugars from your diet, immediately! This means no soda, no cookies, no cakes, no ice cream, or anything else that has any dextrose, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, etc added to it. Learn to check the ingredients of the foods you eat, if you see sugar as an ingredient(or any of sugars alias's such as fructose or dextrose) then do yourself a favor and put that food directly into the trash and never look at it again. The second thing you can not have is flour! Yes, i said it flour! If you thought sugar was hard enough to eliminate, then your going to want to kill me for asking you to get rid of flour. But I wouldn't ask you to do so if it wasn't for a good reason. Flour, similar to sugar, is a refined carb. yes, even wheat flour is refined as well. These refined carbs provide little to zero nutritonal benefits, and the more refined they are, the more they effect your blood sugar, and the more insulin is released to control the increase in blood sugar, and the more prone you are to store fat. Simple flours/carbs such as white breads and pastas effect blood sugar in the same way sugar does, so therefore, they should be eliminated entirely. Constantly having fluctuations in your blood sugar is not only going to cause you to gain weight, but also has a lot of other negative side effects. Since insulin is constantly being released into your body, this inhibits the amount of natural growth hormone that your body releases, which is bad, because you want your natural growth hormones to be as high as possible in order for you to be in a "fat burning and muscle building" state. Also, the consumption of simple sugars and carbs can also lead to hyperinsulinism and insulin resistance, two very hazardous health conditions. So this means, no breads that contain flour, no bagels, no doughnuts, no crackers, no pastas, and the list goes on and on. It may seems like between eliminating sugar and flour there is nothing left to eat at all, but in reality there is. There is an abundance of stuff to eat that does not contain flour or sugar, and does not dramatically affect your blood sugar levels and/or promote fat storage. I will get to these amazing foods shortly, but first there is one more thing that you must never consume and that is hydrogenated oils, aka trans fat. Trans fat is a man made oil, and was developed in order to extend the shelf life of many products. Even though it is deemed an oil, trans fat is actually more of a solid. Numerous studies have shown that trans fat not only raises bad cholesterol, but also lowers your good cholesterol. That really suck. Studies have also shown a strong correlation between trans fat and other diseases such as cancer, hyperthyroidism, and even chronic constipation. If any food item you are even thinking about eating has "hydrogenated oils" listed in the ingredients, simply place the food in the trash, and walk away.

So what the hell can you eat? Well, a lot actually. And I will cover this next time, because right now, I'm going to bed! To be continued...