1) The Tabata Protocol – Possibly the most underrated cardio workout when it comes to torching body fat. It may also be the fastest and most effective cardio training ever! Perfect for people with hectic schedules.

It is basically your average 20 minute HIIT workout condensed into a 4 minute overdrive! Talk about burning body fat on the go. It is certainly not easy and not for those with a low endurance. To perform it you simply alternate 20 seconds of your all out effort with 10 second rest periods.

Ideally you should perform 6 to 8 intervals. As an example you could perform burpees as fast as you can for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest which seems like no rest at all. Then repeat 5 more times.

This type of training was designed for elite athletes to better their performance. You could really apply it to anything you like. This 4 minute burst of intervals will have your body burning calories for hours afterwards. Talk about more bang for your buck.

2) Jump Rope Workout – If someone came up to me and asked me what piece of fitness equipment should they buy with a budget of $15 I would without hesitation say a jump rope. Jump roping is a full body cardio workout that can be done inside your house as long as the ceiling is high enough.

Not only does it improve your agility and foot work (ideal for boxers) it also triggers your fat burning hormone known as HGH. But you need to perform an intense jump rope workout to really burn the body fat.

It will take some getting used. Once your body is coordinated you will be able to jump rope effortlessly. At that point you can throw in some double jumps, cross jumps, and jogging in place.

3) Barbell/Dumbbell Circuits – A pair of dumbbells are certainly cheaper than a barbell but I prefer barbell circuits. Make sure to use one weight and stick with that for the entire workout.

When I do barbell circuits I only use the barbell without plates added on. Instead of increasing the resistance with more weight I increase the number of circuits or the tempo (time it takes to raise the weight).

With a barbell you can perform compound exercises like bentover rows and shoulder presses which are great for maintaining muscle mass while dropping the fat. What is great about resistance interval training is that you mix your resistance training and cardio into one sessions. So you basically keep the muscle while dropping the body fat.

Make sure to perform the exercises back to back with little to no rest. A great rule to follow this type of training is not let the weight touch the ground until you have completed the circuit. Then rest for 2 to 3 minutes before repeating as desired.

4) Body Weight Circuits – No equipment? No problem. You can burn loads of calories and increase HGH levels by performing basic body weight exercises. You can perform them inside a small room such as your bedroom.

A great body weight circuit training session would look like this. I call it the “Fast Five”.

• 5 Burpees
• 5 Chin Ups or Clapping Push Ups
• 15 Walking Lunges (On Each Side)
• 20 Mountain Climbs
• 30 Seconds of Shadow Boxing

Repeat for 4 or 5 circuits. You obviously don’t have to perform this workout. You can pick whatever exercises you like and construct your own body weight circuits.

5) Heavy Bag Training – If you would like to get ripped like a boxer then you should train like a boxer. Hitting a heavy bag is a very effective workout for your upper body. You can unload on the heavy bag with a bunch of random punches but I would recommend learning the basics like proper form and combos like the left jab-right cross-left hook.

Complete 6 to 12 rounds. Each should be about 30 seconds each with 30 seconds rest. Hitting a heavy bag is also a great form of exercise to use in the tabata protocol. Hope you found these high intensity interval training workouts helpful.

When we talk about weight loss I always assume we are talking about fat loss since people usually only want to lose their pudge rather than their hard earned muscle. So there is a certain way of achieving this.

It is known as HIIT or interval training. I believe the best way to burn fat with running is by doing sprint intervals which I like to call sprintervals (clever I know). This is basically about alternating jogging with sprinting which is a more advanced cardio workout.

Before you tackle an intense cardio routine like this it is best to work your way into it. If you feel your endurance is at a high level then you can jump right in. However if you are not in the best shape and cannot remember the last time you got a good run in then you should ease up to this point.

Start with steady state cardio. Go for a jog 3 times a week for roughly 45 minutes. Go at a brisk pace so you don’t get that sore. As you get used to jogging you will get leaner and in better shape. As you get leaner you will find it more challenging to burn body fat.

This is when you hit a fat burning plateau. Usually this takes 1 or 2 months. Once you reach this point it is time to perform sprintervals to continue burning the fat like crazy. A typical sprinting workout would go like this.

• Start with a 5 minute warm up (walking at a fast pace).
• Then start sprinting. Run very fast as if you are being chased by a wild animal (think bear or a tiger!). Do this for 30 seconds.
• Go back to a brisk jog for 60 seconds to catch your breath.
• That is one sprinterval. Repeat for 5 to 10 intervals.
• Cool down with a 5 minute walk once again.

HIIT workouts like this one should be no longer than 30 minutes. As you get better you shouldn’t challenge yourself by increasing the time it takes to do the workout.

Rather than adding more intervals you should challenge yourself by sprinting faster. What I love about sprint intervals is that it is a great alternative for working your legs. If you are like many people who would rather have slim toned legs then sprints should replace leg exercises like squats.

I know that most fitness enthusiasts say that squating is the “king of exercises” but that only goes for people who want to build mass. Women will especially love sprintervals because they may be the best form of exercise for toning the leg muscles and that includes the butt.

Another thing to note about HIIT training like sprints is that it burns more body fat than steady state cardio especially for people who are already lean. The reason is because intense training stimulates your human growth hormone also known as your fat burning hormone.

To read more about this check out my post on HIIT training vs. steady state cardio.

Running is a great form of exercise for weight loss. It is very effective for building a lean body and you don’t need any equipment. But it certainly isn’t the only form of cardio that burns body fat like crazy. Check out these HIIT workouts that don’t involve running for weight loss.

However you may find the best workout routine for YOU. I don’t know you personally. I don’t know what your goals are or what your schedule looks like. I don’t know if you belong to a gym. I don’t know how good of shape you are in. I don’t know how old you are.

So I can’t give you the best workout routine that suits you. The workout routine you go with should be based on the goals you have and your lifestyle. If you are in good shape, have a gym membership, and your goal is to simply lose body fat then I would recommend weight training with a HIIT workout afterwards.

If you have not worked out since the holidays, are a busy stay-at-home mom, and on a budget I would recommend body weight circuits with some steady state cardio. These can easily be performed in a small room with no equipment whatsoever. They are not to be underestimated as they burn body fat like crazy.

However if your goal is to build a lot of muscle and get the “bulky look” then this site is really not for you. You would be better off with a body building site. My site focuses on increasing fat loss and building just enough muscle to look lean and sexy.

You won’t find any articles on how to reach a 400 lb bench press. Here at this site you will find articles on how to build a lean body that is attractive to the opposite sex.

So if that is your goal then your workout routine should go according to that. I teach people how to get the lean look that models and most celebrities have. I believe it is the best way to go. For men it is usually building some muscle, generally 10 to 20 pounds and then getting lean to really get a sharp muscle definition.

For women it is more about getting the lean slim look also known as the “hourglass figure” or maybe a tad thick known as the “voluptuous look”. To achieve these kinds of looks the workout routine generally stays the same.

It is not really about what workout routine you go with. But rather follow some guidelines and come up with the best workout routine for you.

• Lift Heavy – Yes, this goes for the women as well. Lifting heavy weights for low reps is ideal for getting a lean toned body. Women will not get big muscles like men. That is because guys have a little thing called testosterone.
• Perform Compound Movements – You get more bang for your buck and you work your core. Don’t bother with “core exercises” like chest presses on an exercise ball. The basics like chin ups, military presses, dead lifts, and renegade rows are very effective for building your dream body.
• Definitely Perform Cardio – Cardio is what keeps us lean. It is what helps us lose body fat quicker. If your endurance levels are low then you should start off with walking for a while each day.
• Intense Exercise is the Key to Get Lean – Whether you perform circuit training or sprints you must focus on intense exercise. Interval training is ideal for losing that last bit of body fat to look sharp. It stimulates your fat burning hormone known as HGH.

Don’t make this too complicated. Construct your best workout routine using the guidelines above. Then understand that your routine may very well change later on.

Please note that your workout routine is only part of the equation to getting a lean body. Dieting is actually the most important factor. To learn more check out my free 38 page report on how to get a beach body.

As you get used to high intensity interval training you will want to switch things up a bit. Here are 8 HIIT workout ideas that don’t involve jogging.

1) Kettlebell Workouts – Kettlebells are hailed as the single best piece of workout equipment ever by many fitness experts. They have a key advantage that dumbells and a barbells don’t have. Since the weight is extended beyond your hands you can effectively perform exercises like swings and snatches which works your entire body.

They are known to give a more complete workout since kettlebell workouts increase flexibility, strength, and endurance at the same time. But they can be very challenging and should be approached once you are in good shape.

2) Body Weight Circuits – I like to think of this as the default way of getting in great shape. You don’t need any equipment whatsoever. You didn’t even need a big room to perform body weight circuits in.

All you need is you. You can get super lean by doing basic exercises like push ups, lunges, shadow boxing, and jumping jacks. Performing them back-to-back with little or no rest is great for increasing your HGH levels to help lose body fat.

3) Heavy Bag Workout – This is one of my personal favorites since you get to take out all of your anger and stress on a heavy bag. Get into the Rocky spirit and give yourself 5 -10 rounds of hitting a heavy bag.

Then rest for 2 to 3 minutes before repeating. If you are not too familiar with boxing then check out some basic combos to use such as left jab-right cross-left hook.

4) Barbell Circuits – A barbell is not that expensive compared to other gym equipment. If you are performing circuits then you can give yourself a tough workout without adding on plates. Here is a powerful workout you can perform to get your body in fat burning mode for hours.

10 Deadlifts
10 Bentover Rows
10 Hang Cleans
10 Standing Military Presses
10 Squats

Rather than challenge yourself by adding weight you can challenge yourself by performing more circuits. If you can work up to 5 circuits of this then you will be in great shape. Make sure you don’t let the bar touch the ground until the end of the circuit. Then rest for 2 to 3 minutes in between.

5) Plyometric Training – Also known as athletic training since it is a weapon in most athlete’s arsenal. Plyometric training is all about exercising for power and speed. Some great exercises to choose from are vertical jumps, burpees, and clapping push ups.

Then there is exercises involving a medicine ball such as slamming the ball on the ground as hard as you can or tossing it up up high as you can. Agility training is also ideal for athletes who perform plyometrics. A good example of this type of exercise is hopping side to side over a box. This type of training can be rough so make sure to rest for up to 5 minutes between intervals.

6) Rowing Machine - Any machine can really help you get in shape whether it is a stair master or an elliptical trainer. I know most fitness gurus are completely against machines but they can certainly add variety to your workout.

I especially like rowing machines because they really work the upper and lower body while machines like the stair master only work the legs.

7) Swimming - In my opinion swimming is one of the best exercises you can perform. It basically works the entire body and is much easier on your joints than pretty much every other form of exercise.

But it is not ideal for everyone. Some people can’t swim that well especially those who are really out of shape. Then again you don’t have to be Michael Phelps to get a great workout from it. Swimming burns loads of calories. We are talking up to 900 calories an hour!

Jump Rope Workouts - Easier on your knees than running. And it gives you a full body workout. Not to mention some other great benefits. As you master the rope you will greatly improve your coordination, agility, and endurance. Hence why jump roping is essential for boxers. Between this and heavy bag work there is no wonder they are so ripped.

Jump ropes are very cheap as well. You can get one for as low as $5 but I highly recommend getting a speed rope for $15 or $20. These are ideal for a HIIT workout. Jump roping can be tough even if you are in great shape.

Being coordinated enough to jump rope for a few minutes without hitting your feet may take some practice. As you get better you can throw in some advanced moves that will help you blast body fat.

Such moves include double jumps, arm crosses, and running in place which is when you alternate hopping on each foot. Jump roping can really help trigger your HGH which is ideal for burning body fat.

Switch Up Your HIIT Workout

These are just some effective alternatives for running. You don’t have to stick to one form of exercise. Pick a different approach for your HIIT training each month. Remember performing high intensity interval training 2 or 3 times a week is ideal to lose body fat like crazy.

To learn more about losing body fat check out my free guide on how to get a beach body.

You simply lose stubborn body fat to reveal the steel. BUT this raises a lot of questions like how many calories should you have each day? Do you even have to count calories? What if you have over 20 pounds of fat to lose? Will too much cardio burn muscle rather than fat? Will skipping meals burn muscle rather than fat? Ugh…

Like I said it can get pretty confusing. Not to worry as I will go over these topics.

Dieting is Most Important For Losing Body Fat

Low calorie diets work and work very well. In order to lose body fat your body must burn off more calories than you take in. You cannot do that through exercise alone. If you tried you would eventually burn yourself out.

Create a calorie deficit through your diet. Eat less than what you are eating now to get leaner. But don’t over do it! It is all about hitting your sweet spot.

You don’t have to count calories. But if you are just starting out and want a rough estimate then take your weight in pounds and multiply it by 10. That is roughly how many calories you should be eating each day to lose body fat.

To get a more accurate number check out this calorie calculator.

Of course you need to have a clean diet and load up on natural foods such as lean meats, oats, yams, fruit, vegetables, beans, and nuts. These types of foods will really increase your energy levels and make you feel less sluggish.

Have some cheat meals from time to time but do it in moderation. Oh and did I mention?…

The 6-Meal-a-Day Diet is a Big Myth

Eating 6 small meals a day or eating every 3 hours DOES NOT boost your metabolism. I fell for this myth for a long time. It was based on the idea that our bodies go into “starvation mode” after not eating for a long time.

But we are talking a LONG time… about 24 hours or more. Studies show that only after about a full day of not eating will our bodies start using muscle for energy rather than body fat.

Eating 3 or 4 larger meals a day is ideal for losing body fat anyway. Here’s why…

When you workout you ideally want to workout in a fasted state. What do I mean by a fasted state? Not eating for 3 or 4 hours before your workout. This helps trigger your human growth hormone (HGH) known as your fat burning hormone.

This ensures that your body is using mostly body fat for energy rather than stored energy/calories. This is a nice tweak to use in order to help rid that stubborn belly fat. Obviously you would not be able to do this when trying to eat every 3 hours.

Intermittent Fasting is a Powerful Way to Lose Body Fat

There are some great benefits to not eating for long periods of time. But you have to do it in a strategic manner. Fasting for 24 hours once or twice a week is the way to go.

This will trigger your fat burning hormone (HGH) so you teach your body to use body fat for fuel rather than muscle. Just don’t fast for longer than 24 hours.

As an example let’s say Monday is your fasting day. If you ate dinner at 10pm on Sunday you would not eat until 10pm on Monday. Just make sure to not eat a larger meal than normal. If your dinner is usually 600 calories then eat just that.

This is a very effective (and sneaky) way to reduce your calories. Intermittent fasting has several other benefits like increasing energy levels and decreasing risk of disease.

Increase HGH Through Exercise

If you have not guessed already losing body fat is really all about increasing your natural fat burning hormone known as HGH. Rather than taking dangerous HGH supplements it is best to increase HGH naturally with methods like intermittent fasting.

Then there is increasing your fat burning hormone through intense exercise. Light exercise won’t do it.

You need to perform interval training whether it is HIIT training or circuit training. But you only have to perform 2 to 3 workouts per week to get optimal results. Short intense workouts really trigger HGH levels while steady cardio does not.

Unless you have a bit of weight to lose and are in bad shape you should jump right into intense interval training whether it be body weight circuits or sprints.

If you want to learn more about how to lose body fat like crazy then check out my free guide, Beach Body Blueprint. Inside you will learn how fitness models and Hollywood celebrities keep a single digit body fat percentage and look stunning all year round.

How is it different from the traditional interval training? Well, it is basically the same thing only you perform it based on how you feel rather than using a stopwatch. If you feel that your endurance is not good enough for alternating jogging with sprinting then I highly recommend fartlek training.

It is actually a form of training developed for beginners to develop their speed. The word Fartlek is Swedish for “speed training”. It was made to help beginner athletes improve their endurance quickly.

I also recommend this form of training because steady state cardio is pretty boring for those who are not in very good shape. Rather than performing intervals with a fixed time you just perform them based on what you feel comfortable with. So keep the stop watch at home and get in tune with your body.

I think it is important for everybody to sort of “listen” to what their body is saying. Like with dieting. You don’t have to track calories. You should just eat when you get hungry and stop when you are full. Simple, no?

Fitness does not have to be a numbers game. That is another big reason why I like Fartlek training. As with HIIT or circuit training you can perform it with any type of exercise you want whether it is the classic running approach or using body weight exercises combined with hitting a heavy bag.

A Beginner’s Fartlek Training Routine

Warm up with a slow pace for 5 to 10 minutes. It could be a brisk walk or using your favorite form of cardio at a light pace. Know when you feel ready to start jogging for a bit.

Start jogging until you start breathing heavily. Then rest by going back to walking until you are ready to jog again. Keep alternating at your own pace. Don’t go by a stopwatch. Just go by how you feel. Keep alternating the mixed intervals until you get tired and feel like cooling down for 5 or 10 minutes.

Like I said Fartlek training is the same thing as interval training only you are not using a stop watch. You are going old school. If you are running outside on the street then you can use landmarks to measure your intervals. Like maybe you see a street sign ahead and then once you pass that you do a sprint.

Feel free to mix it up and keep your body guessing. The key is to not over work your body but to get a good workout in. Go for the HGH flush which is the feeling you get when you break a sweat and are out of breath. This triggers your fat burning hormones.

After a while of perform Fartlek training you can get into interval training or you can just continually challenge yourself with Fartlek training. After a couple of months your endurance should increase and you will be ready for more intense exercise like circuit training or sprintervals.

So what exactly is HIIT training? It is high intensity interval training. It refers to alternating intense exercise with steady exercise such as sprinting and walking. You do it for a short amount of time (15 to 20 minutes).

Steady state cardio refers to performing moderate exercise such as jogging for a longer period of time (30 minutes to an hour). So which one is the best approach to take? That is what we will discuss in this post.

HIIT Training

• More efficient than steady cardio. It gets you in better shape faster than performing cardio at a light pace.
• It burns more body fat than steady cardio. It releases your fat burning hormone known as HGH (human growth hormone). This teaches your body to use body fat as fuel rather than stored energy. This is the biggest benefit of HIIT training in my opinion.
• HIIT training is more fun and versatile. Steady state cardio can get pretty boring after a while. With HIIT training you can get creative and do circuit training if you would like.
• It is intense. If you are out of shape and are not used to pushing yourself to the limit then you would be better off with steady cardio until you feel your body is ready for intense workouts.
• HIIT can make you very sore if you have a strength training routine that involves heavy lifting. The best example of this is performing sprints on top of doing leg exercises like squats and dead lifts. You don’t have to do heavy lifts with your legs. You don’t even have to work your legs if you work them with cardio. I personally find it much easier and efficient to work my legs with sprints as well as light leg exercises such as body weight squats and swiss ball leg curls.

Steady State Cardio

• Steady state cardio is easier than HIIT training. It is ideal if you are out of shape and not very active.
• Light cardio like power walking or jogging were very popular before intense cardio was brought out.
• It burns some body fat despite what you may read in magazines. It just doesn’t achieve the high release of HGH that HIIT does. So it takes longer to burn body fat.
• It actually burns more calories than intense cardio. People underestimate steady state cardio now that HIIT is mainstream. For example jogging for an hour ultimately burns more calories than HIIT for a half hour does.
• Another drawback with steady state cardio is that it can get pretty routine after a while.

So which one should you go with?

Both. Unless of course you are out of shape. If you have more than 20% body fat then steady state cardio will work well for you. As you get leaner your workouts should get more intense.

Once you are in shape and fast walks/jogging become too easy you will really want to amp up your cardio with HIIT training and/or circuit training. Otherwise you will hit a fat burning plateau.

The best way to combine the two once you have a high tolerance is to perform a HIIT training session first such as sprints for 20 minutes followed by 20 minutes of light cardio such as walking.

• For one it combines resistance training and cardio into one workout.
• It is very hard to get bored with circuit training routines.
• Circuit training is very versatile since you can use just about any type of exercises from body weight exercises to machines.
• You don’t need equipment. But the more equipment you have the more creative you can get.
• Circuit training is perfect for people with a tight schedule since you only have to workout for about 30 minutes.
• It may be tough but you will feel great afterwards.
• You burn a ton of fat in a short amount of time and keep your body in fat burning mode for hours afterwards.

Performing this type of workout is not easy but that is also why there so so many benefits. If your goal is to build mass then circuit training is certainly not for you. It is great for those who want to get six pack abs and develop a lean body.

On this blog you will learn that I mainly talk about losing fat while maintaining your muscle mass. So the best way to do that is through diet (of course), intense cardio, and resistance training of some sort. Circuit training combines cardio and resistance training so you will maintain your muscle while burning the fat off.

Awesome! So What Would a Circuit Training Routine Look Like?

It works like this. You pick several exercises to perform back-to-back with little or no rest in between sets. You can rest about 10 seconds in between each exercise but ideally you should just get right into the next exercise as quick as you can. Once you have completed each exercise you have completed one circuit and you can rest for a minute or two.

The key to an effective circuit is to get out of breath before resting. Make no mistake. Circuit training will give you a good beating. Even if you are basic body weight exercises you can make them very tough by putting them in your circuits.

I love circuit training because of how fast you break a sweat. By the end of your workout you should be dripping sweat and gasping for air.

Another thing to note about these types of workouts is that they trigger your HGH levels making you burn a lot more fat in short amount of time. It is the same idea with HIIT only you are doing weight training.

Circuit training is especially ideal for people who are already in pretty good shape. If you are already in good shape from doing basic full body workouts with some cardio on the side then at some point you will hit a plateau.

You can only get so far with weight lifting and steady state cardio. Sure you can throw in some more hours on the treadmill but the key to getting very lean and breaking through that plateau is by increasing the intensity of your workouts. Ironically it is not by increasing the duration of your workouts but by simply working harder within the time frame you have.

Doing circuits is a more advanced type of training. It is not really for people who are out of shape and have not mastered the basics such as push ups, body weight squats, and jogging.

So now let’s talk about the different approaches you can take with circuit training. A common myth is that you have to use machines at your gym to perform circuits which is very unlikely. I don’t recommend doing it with machines unless you have access to a gym that is not busy.

You can basically include any exercise in your circuit. From hitting a heavy bag, to doing chin ups, to doing barbell squats. Here are a couple of great examples of circuit training routines. This is a body weight circuit that can be done at home since you don’t need any equipment. Perfect if you don’t have a gym membership.

Make sure to warm up for 5 to 10 minutes with something like light jogging. Then jump right into the circuits. I found a cool video to explain this workout.

Then there is this circuit routine involving a barbell. You just need a barbell with some weight if you want more of a challenge. You can check out the source for this circuit training routine by clicking on that link.

So now you may be asking about how to keep circuit training challenging. The cool thing about it is that you can simply progress by adding another circuit every couple of weeks.

So let’s say for example you perform 3 of the body weight circuits above but after a couple weeks you are finding it too easy. You simply start doing 4 circuits, then 5, and so on until you have reached your max. Once you are able to do 7 or 8 circuits you will be looking very lean indeed.

Just remember that exercise is not everything. You must follow up with a clean diet if you want to see your six pack abs. This is a great workout routine that will make it so you can easily you those abs.

Remember when you were a kid and you dreaded your aunt coming over for dinner Sunday night because you hated it when she pinched those pudgy cheeks of yours? In this article I am going to teach you how to make your face pinch proof by getting rid of the pudge.

I figure that about 80% of the people who step into a gym are ultimately looking for the same thing. That is not to bench 300 pounds. But to rather develop the lean attractive body of a Hollywood star or model with no pudge. The problem is that most people go at it all wrong.

My first tip to getting rid of the pudge is to not try and out-exercise a bad diet. This is a common problem. The key is to have a good diet filled with fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts, and beans. But even if you are eating nothing but natural foods you should be limiting your calories.

When it comes to losing fat it is all about how many calories come in and how many are burned. Some people try to increase how much they exercise to make up for eating too much. Have you ever got caught eating a cheese burger or a slice of cake and then thought to yourself “Oh, I’ll just do cardio for an extra 30 minutes to make up for it.”?

You cannot develop that habit. Trying to make up for a bad diet in the gym can increase cortisol levels. This means that your extra work at the gym backfires on you and teaches your body to burn muscle and store fat.

Clear out all junk food from your home. Stick to natural foods. Get on a calorie deficit. And workout normally.

What do I mean by working out normally? Train as if your goal is to build muscle. Don’t back off on heavy lifting just because your main goal is to lose fat. You will not get bulky as long as you have a light diet.

Resistance training and a calorie deficit are the keys to developing a sharp muscle definition. But what about cardio? Cardio should not be overdone.

What I do recommend is that you only workout 2 or 3 times per week. They should not be more than an hour long each. For 30 or 40 minutes you should be doing weight lifting followed by steady state cardio.

Or you can perform circuit training which is a great way to combine resistance training with cardio. Just remember that since you will be restricting calories you don’t want to overdo the exercise part of the routine.

Most people will workouts for hours thinking that is the fastest and easiest way to lose the pudge. Short intense workouts like circuit training are what will get you in great shape without having to devote a lot of gym time.

Circuit training is great because it is very intense but you don’t have to do it for more than 30 minutes to really enjoy the benefits of it. Highly recommended for people with a tight schedule or who don’t have access to a gym and can only workout at home.

Alright back to your diet. So I said that you must cut calories in order to get super lean. So does that mean you have to count calories? Heck no.

It is much easier to just listen to your body. If you want you can keep track of the calories you eat for a week or two and then you will get the hang of it. You don’t want to eat so little that you don’t give your body enough nutrients to refuel and recover from your workouts.

But you also want to get lean. It is all about hitting the sweet spot. Like I said you can count calories for guidance if you would like. But I find it best to listen to your body. Eat when you get hungry. Stop when you are full rather than satisfied.

Don’t be afraid of not eating for hours on end. One of the biggest myths is that going for up to 8 hours without food will cause your body to store fat and breakdown muscle tissue. It doesn’t matter if you eat two large meals a day or the classic 6 small meals a day. All that really matters is what you eat and how much you eat.

It is certainly not that easy quiting junk food for good since there is pressure all around us. Junk food is always being heavily advertised on TV. I remember growing up dieting never even occurred to me. Hanging out with friends who were fellow junk food junkies didn’t help either.

What you eat not only affects your health but also how you look. As the saying goes you are what you eat. Seriously, you think models or celebrities look great by eating sugary sweets and trans fatty foods all day? Here are 8 helpful steps to take in the right direction.

1) Start playing sports. You don’t have to jump into intense workouts at the gym right away. You can just start by being more active. Get a heavy bag and start getting into boxing. There are so many sports out there that make being active a lot of fun. There are so many to choose from. There is football, basktetball, tennis, and baseball just to name a few.

Once you start to break a sweat and get tired your body will not want you to eat junk food to recover and refuel. You will want to have food that is dense with nutrients. Joining a local league is great for playing sports because not only will you be making a commitment to yourself you will also be joining other like minded people who probably eat well.

2) Eat junk food. Having junk food in moderation is not bad. There is no need to be perfect. Go ahead and be less than perfect. Allow yourself a couple of cheat meals a week. As long as you eat clean for the entire week you can go out at night and have some beer and hot wings. The difference in fat loss is insignicant meaning there will not a big change in your overall results.

3) Only buy healthy natural foods for your home. I find it best to save my cheat meals for when I go out with my buddies. This approach has worked best for me because I only go out once maybe twice a week.

When you go shpping at the supermarket make sure to only buy natural foods. Eat right before you go so you don’t have any kind of cravings or temptations when you pass by the sugary sweet sections.

4) Consider fasting. Fasting seems to have become the next big dieting craze. But don’t let the hype fool you. Fasting works very well when done in a strategic manner. Not eating for a 24 hours once or twice a week will really help you curb your junk food cravings.

5) Visualize what you want to look like. Sure you may have to sacrifice taste for a while in order to get your dream body. But nothing tastes as good as looking sexy. I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense. But isn’t that one of the main reasons why you want to quit junk food?

Not only do we want to drastically improve our health and prevent disease but we want to look good. We want to have clear skin and a lean sexy body to attract the opposite sex. If you need inspiration go ahead and check out some pictures of models or see a special effects movie. Chances are the stars will look stunning.

6) Use reverse psychology. One of the biggest problems I’ve had when trying to quit junk food was the psychological part. For some reason I thought eating junk food was cool because all my friends and family were doing it. Whenever I tried eating healthy I would always find myself in an awkward situation.

There were a lot of times when they would get the idea of getting take out for lunch or dinner. Then whenever I would say something like “No thanks.” or “I’m not hungry, I already ate.” I would always feel casted out. Then the peer pressure happens.

Some of my friends actually thought I was weird for trying to eat right. Imagine that? There comes a certain point when you have to realize that if you want to succeed then you may have to remove yourself from the crowd.

I am not interested in conforming to eat junk food. If eating junk food is all the rage these days then I would much rather avoid it and start my own trend. If that makes me weird then so be it.

It takes guts to go off and do your own thing. If the people around you make that big a deal out of it then perhaps you should start hanging out with other people. I had to. It wasn’t easy but I certainly don’t regret it.

7) Understand that it takes time. Your taste buds will have to adjust to eating natural foods. You don’t have to take the “cold turkey” approach and abruptly stop eating junk food the very next day. Instead you can ease into your new eating regimen.

Every day start replacing one processed meal you usually eat with a natural meal. Replace that candy bar with a banana and some natural peanut butter. Instead of having that late night pizza have some cottage cheese and fruit. Get into cooking your meals in advanced if you have a budy schedule.

Replacing a bad habit with a good habit generally takes 30 days. If you can keep yourself from caving in for an entire month then your mind and body will have adjusted and you will find it much easier to continue your new habit. Your taste buds will actually enjoy healthy food.

Drop the “this is the last time” habit. Another very common psychological problem I had with dropping junk food was of course procrastination. I would always find creative excuses for delayingmy success like ”Oh, this the last time I order take out, I swear.” and not to mention that classic “Well it is the holiday season, everyone else is gorging themselves so I will start eating right once New Year’s comes around.”.

Stop the madness! It will not happen overnight. Over night success stories are nothing but a bunch of myths. If you want to improve your health and look your best then you need to cut the crap and start eating right as soon as possible.