9/1/2007

Circuit of the Weak Week

Coming back form a vacation can be brutal on many fronts. Getting back in the gym can be almost impossible. First off you're feeling fat from eating too damn much, and if you've been away a while you have probably lost some strength and are feeling pretty weak. The good news is the strength loss is only temporary. If you have only been gone a week or two the chances of real muscle loss are fairly slim. And the reality is that you probably didn't gain that much weight. It may feel like you did, but I doubt it.

I have had clients come back from a single weekend of overeating and say they gained ten pounds. The truth is you would have to eat and absorb 3500 calories OVER your current maintenance level to gain a single pound of fat. So the chances of someone over eating by 35000 calories over the course of a weekend is ridiculous. Most of any scale weight you may carry will be due to excess water. Within a few days of getting back on your normal routine those extra water pounds should fall right off.

I'm not saying you can't get fat, I'm just saying you won't get as fat as you'll feel. And let me say I put those theories to the test. Now on to the workout...

I returned really late on Thursday (like 1am) , so with the time change and dealing with kids and the time change getting back into the gym on Friday was not really in the cards for me. As I was feeling a bit bloated, I decided to hit some circuits at home before returning to the gym on Monday. I did the circuit below in my garage on Friday evening, and again on Sunday morning as a re-introduction. By Monday I felt pretty normal again and ready to get back to my weight program.

This is nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. I use similar circuits with my fat loss clients all the time. You can do this anywhere, you just need some dumbbells (and I used a ball for crunches, but the floor works too).

Perform the circuit 4-6 times, no rest between exercises. Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat.

A1: Squats w/ Shoulder Press x 12 reps
A2: Push-Ups w/ tuck x 12 reps
A3: Alternating Jumping Lunge x 8 reps each leg
A4: DB Row x 12-15 reps
A5: Ball Crunches x 10-15 reps

Simple and effective.

Joshua Carter
The Body Transformation Expert
Carter Fitness
joshua@carterfitness.com
http://carterfitness.com
818-337-6175

Liar Liar: The Epilogue

I have gotten many emails asking how the surprise / vacation went. So here it is: I am happy to report it went great. I'll keep this brief, but let me start at the beginning...

As planned I woke Denyse up at 6am and as expected she was initially not thrilled. That changed when I told her we were leaving for a week in Hawaii. She had 24 hours to get packed and ready, and I presented her with a check list and all the stuff I had pre-prepared. We spent most of that day shopping for crap she needed (wanted) but it wasn't that bad.

After the flight there was one last treat I had in store for her upon our arrival. I had arranged for her Mother, sister, brother-in-law and their baby to meet us in Hawaii. When we got to Kona and walked through the gates there they all were. It could not have been more perfect.

I did manage to slice my foot open on a rock on the first swim of the first day, but some Band-Aids and tape and I was good to go. We spent the week doing tourist stuff; sight seeing, snorkeling, eating, hiking, eating, lying on the beach, eating, etc. Below are some of the 800+ pictures I took (yes I know, I am that type of Dad). It was absolutely great having some of our family there. Ironically, even though it was out 10th anniversary we were so busy that I hardly got any time alone with Denyse. The exception was an amazing beach side couples massage at sunset- a gift from her sister Amy and brother in-law Jason. A special thanks you to them for that wonderful experience. Another special thanks to Denyse's mother Linda who looked after our kids when they were driving us nuts. Also thanks to everyone who knew and said nothing, Mary who took Gabe to school on Wednseday so Denyse could pack, my mother who watched our dog Buffy (and more), Josh, Everett & Evelyn who made sure my gyms still ran smooth in my absence and thanks to anyone else I might have forgotten.

There are a few things I've learned if you are traveling soon that you might want to keep in mind.

• Take pictures in your bathing suit at the beginning of the trip, not the end
• When flying, sedate your kids or yourself
• Even a plain burger will be $20, and take about an hour
• Your kids will throw fits, and will wait till everyone is watching (just roll with it, they are out of their element)
• Women will shop in stores they have at home simply because they are in Hawaii now
• Snorkeling is a great ham exercise

The tan has already faded, but the memories are holding on strong. And if I ever need a reminder I can check out the 800 pictures previously mentioned :) It was well worth all the effort, and I hope my family had as much fun as I did. Here are some of my favorite shots (click for larger version).

Denyse and Nate at sunset

Gabe at the Kona Hilton (not where we stayed)

Another shot of Denyse and Nate at sunset

Self portrait of Me and Gabe at the beach

Nate loved the sand

Gabe and Me at the Volcano at night

The whole crew at the luau (I'm happier than I look)

Joshua Carter

Short Circuit

I do a fair amount of online training these days.  Many people who want to work with me simply do not live close enough to make it feasable. That is where the online training comes in.  I wanted to put together a sample workout so you guys could see what I am talking about.

In my experience the fastest way to shed body fat is through circuit type training. In my gyms we use a training protocol that involves short circuits of weight training to achieve insane fat loss. With that in mind I present the following program:

The free workout I have this time out is the actual program I designed for my wife who after the birth of our second needed to lose some bodyfat. We have a small gym set up in our garage with dumbbells, a swiss ball and a variable angle bench. So the program is designed with those limitations in mind. The program has worked even better than I expected and she looks great.

Perform the 2 ab exercises first, then the other exercises in circuit fashion one after the other. Then repeat the circuit. Only give yourself 30-60 rest between movements. Feeling studly? No rest between moves (but rest between circuits). Shoot for 3 complete circuits. If you can do all 3 circuits, then cut your rest time next time through.

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Joshua Carter
The Body Transformation Expert
Carter Fitness
joshua@carterfitness.com
http://carterfitness.com
818-337-6175

How To Get Fat Eating at Subway

You've probably heard of Jared Fogle - he's the guy that lost over 200 pounds by only eating at Subway. His amazing story captured the attention of people all around the world. Here it is in a nutshell:

It all started March of 1998 when Jared was a college student with a problem. His weight had skyrocketed to 425 pounds. Now that's a lot of weight for anyone to handle, let alone a busy college student. So Jared made the decision to change his life.

He knew the weight would come off with the help of a healthy, lowfat diet. Luckily for him there was a Subway restaurant located near his apartment. His plan was brilliant in its simplicity. Everyday he ate the same thing:

• Breakfast - coffee
• Lunch - "I ate the 6-inch turkey, tons of vegetables, including hot peppers and a bit of spicy mustard." He left off the mayonnaise and cheese and had a bag of Baked Lays® potato chips and a diet soft drink
• Dinner - Footlong veggie sub - again no mayonnaise or cheese.

I'm sure you know the rest of the story. The Subway diet, along with exercise, got Jared to shed the extra weight until he was a lean 190 pounds (the guy is 6'2"), and he became a spokesperson for Subway, sharing his story and inspiring millions of people.

Subway then became synonymous with healthy eating.

Ever look at a Subway napkin? It lists 7 of their sandwiches that have 6 grams of fat or less. Then at the bottom it shows you an alternative. The Big Mac and the Whopper, burgers that hold 31 and 40 grams of fat, respectively.

Wow, Subway is much healthier, right? Well, yes and no.

First read the small print. The 7 sandwiches with 6 grams of fat or less are calculated with only bread, veggies and meat. So if you take your sandwich with cheese, mayonnaise, and oil (and really, other than Jared, who doesn't?) then you need to recalculate the numbers.

Here, I'll do it for you, using a 6" Roasted Chicken Breast sandwich as an example.

Food Item	Fat	Calories
6" Sandwich (bread, veggies and meat)	6	342
Cheddar Cheese (2 slices)	5	60
1 Tbl Mayonnaise	12	110
1 Tbl Oil	15	135
Totals:	38g Fat	647 Calories

Let's not forget the tempting side items are that so often picked up in the Subway line:

Food Item	Fat	Calories
Wild Rice with Chicken Soup	11	210
1oz Bag of SunChips	6	140
Chocolate Chip cookie	10	210
Totals:	27g Fat	560 Calories

And just like that your 'healthy' Subway sandwich grew into a meal with fat and calorie totals that rival a Big Mac meal.

Now I know you probably don't get all of the extras when you visit Subway but, quite frankly, that isn't the point.

The point is that there is danger in classifying any restaurant as 'healthy'.

The truth is that you could gain weight eating anywhere, just like you could lose weight eating anywhere. It all comes down to maintaining a balanced diet with a reasonable calorie and fat intake.

Jared lost weight by drastically cutting calories and fat from his diet and by starting an exercise program. You too could do this at Subway or any other restaurant. But eating at Subway does not mean that you will walk out leaner and healthier.

It all comes down to choices.

Everyday you make choices that directly affect your weight and your health. Should you get mayonnaise on your sandwich? What harm will one cookie do? Will skipping your workout today really make a difference?

You get to decide.

At some point we all reach a breaking point. For Jared it was hitting 425 pounds. For you it may be when you have to buy the next size up. Or when you find your body riddled with aches and pains. Or when you're shocked by the number on the scale.

Sooner or later you will decide that you are worth it. You will decide that your health is important. You will decide that you deserve to look great. And you will do what it takes to achieve amazing results.

I'm here to help you do just that. Call or email today to get started on an exercise program that will change your body and your life...just like Jared.

Chocolate Dependency

Many of us are simply hooked on chocolate. Rather than getting your chocolate fix through a piece of double fudge brownie, try a nutritious glass of low fat chocolate soy milk instead. You still get to enjoy your favorite flavor while cutting out calories and fat.

Guiltless French Toast with Ricotta

Egg whites and nonfat milk take the guilt out of this breakfast favorite. You will be so surprised by the great taste that the fat and sugar of traditional French Toast will not be missed. Enjoy it with sliced strawberries or any seasonal fruit. Servings: 2

Here's what you need...

• 4 egg whites
• 2/3 cup nonfat milk
• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• 1/2 cup nonfat ricotta cheese
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Sliced Strawberries (optional)

• Thoroughly mix the egg whites, milk, salt and cinnamon. Soak bread in the egg white mixture.
• Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Cook the bread until each side it set and bread is light brown. Place French toast on a plate top with ricotta and garnish with sliced strawberries and cinnamon.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals 182 calories, 1.5g fat, 23g carbohydrate, and 18g protein

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Joshua Carter

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About the Author:
Joshua Carter is a certified personal trainer as well as a fitness and fat loss expert. With over 15 years personal training experience, Joshua has developed training & nutrition protocols that have delivered proven results in half the time as traditional programs.  These successful protocols have been shared with a select few trainers who assist Joshua with training at his Carter Fitness in West Hills, California.  His facility offers personal training for those who live near West Hills , Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, Chatsworth and Calabasas.

Email: joshua@carterfitness.com
Phone: 818-337-6175
Web: http://carterfitness.com