3 So-Called "Healthy" Foods to STOP Eating

 (if you want a flat stomach & healthy body)

by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author of best-sellers:  The Fat-Burning Kitchen & The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging

I was reading a statistic in a nutrition book recently, and this is going to shock you...
Now before I tell you the statistic, let's keep an important fact in mind... according to well renowned nutrition author Michael Pollan in his book, In Defense of Food, humankind has historically consumed approximately 80,000 different species of edible plants, animals, and fungi, and approximately 3,000 of those have been widespread foods of the human diet.
Now get ready for a shocking and appalling statistic...
Currently, the average adult eating a typical modern western diet in countries such as the US, Canada, Australia, etc consumes approximately 67% of their total caloric intake from only 3 foods -- CORN, SOY, AND WHEAT (and their derivatives).
What would be considered a reasonably healthy amount of corn, soy, and wheat in the human diet?
Based on hundreds of thousands of years of human history, and what the natural diet of our ancestors was (indicating what our digestive systems are still programmed to digest most effectively), this would probably be in the range of about 1% to 4% MAX of our total calories from corn, soy, and wheat.
Considering that modern humans are eating 67% of their total calories from corn, soy, wheat... you can see why we have massive problems in our health, and our weight!
It's not a surprise that we have so many intolerances and allergies, specifically to soy and wheat (and gluten intolerance) ... the human digestive system was simply never meant to consume these substances in such MASSIVE quantities.
Keep in mind that these massively high levels of corn, soy, and wheat in our modern human diet is a relatively new phenomenon that originated from the economics of the multi-billion dollar corn, soy, and wheat industries.  It really HAS been all about the money... NOT about our health!
By "derivatives" of corn, soy, and wheat, this means the food additives such as:

• high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
• corn oil
• soybean oil (hydrogenated or plain refined)
• soy protein
• refined wheat flour
• hundreds of other food additives such as maltodextrin, corn or wheat starch, soy lecithin, mono and diglycerides, etc, etc

This doesn't surprise me... consider how much soda or other sweetened drinks (with loads of HFCS) that the average person drinks daily... this is a LOT of calories from just 1 sole corn derivative.  Even marinades, salad dressings, ketchup, breads, and 100's of other foods contain loads of belly-fattening HFCS!
Also think about how many processed foods we have that are either fried in soybean or corn oil... and even if the foods are not fried in these oils, these oils are additives to almost every processed food... chips, candies, cakes, salad dressings, tomato sauces, burrito wraps, corn chips, breaded chicken, etc, etc.  This is a LOT of calories from these 2 other corn and soy derivatives... both of them EXTREMELY UNHEALTHY!
On top of that, think about how much breads, cereals, pastas, muffins, and other highly processed wheat products that most people consume each day.  Again, this is LOADS of unhealthy, blood-sugar spiking, nutrient-poor calories, that more than half of the population has some degree of intolerance to anyway.
It gets even worse!
Not only are we (as a society) eating 67% of our total calories from corn, soy, and wheat... but because of the economics involved (specifically with cheap corn and soy) we are also feeding most of our farm animals corn and soy now too... again amplifying the amount of corn and soy that passes through the food chain and (from a biochemical standpoint) ends up in our bodies.
Probably the 2 worst examples of this blatant mismanagement of our food supply is how our factory farmed chickens and cows are fed.
Cows are fed mostly corn in factory feedlot farms, even though their digestive systems are only meant to eat grass and other forage. This makes the cows sick (hmm... E-coli anyone?), alters the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of the fats to unhealthy levels, and also diminishes the healthy CLA fats that would occur naturally in grass-fed beef.  All of these problems go away if our cows are fed what they were made to eat naturally - grass and other green forage!
Our chickens are also fed a diet of mostly corn and soy and crowded in tight pens in horrendous conditions... when the fact is that a chicken was meant to roam around the outdoors eating a mixture of greens, insects, worms, seeds, etc.  When chickens are kept inside in tight quarters and fed only grains, it leads to an unhealthy meat for you to eat, and less healthy eggs compared to free-roaming chickens allowed to eat an outdoors diet.
But it doesn't stop there...
Our food supply has gotten so screwed up that we're even feeding our salmon and other farmed fish corn and soy...again because of the economics involved.  How ludicrous is this, considering that fish are meant to eat a diverse diet of smaller fish, worms, bugs, etc.  Again this makes farm raised fish unhealthy in terms of nutrition compared to their wild counterparts.
So even when you're eating chicken, beef, and fish, you're still essentially getting even MORE corn and soy into your body (from a biochemical standpoint) ...considering that the cows, chickens, and farmed fish ate mostly soy and corn.
So it's actually WORSE than just 67% isn't it!
Why is it so unhealthy to consume 67% of our calories from corn, soy, and wheat?
Well, this section could encompass an entire book, so to keep this short, I'll just throw out a few random reasons...

• Skews the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in our diet to as high as 30:1, when a natural ratio of 1:1 to 2:1 in our ancestral human diet is considered healthy.  This imbalance causes massive inflammation in your body, which is a leading cause of many diseases, cancer, and even weight gain.
• Increasing problems with gluten intolerance -- related to heavy wheat consumption that is rampant these days, combined with foreign gluten proteins that have been formed from hybridization of wheat crops.
• Problems with weight gain, blood-sugar swings, and reduced insulin sensitivity (and progression of diabetes) due to excessive refined corn and wheat flours, as well as excess HFCS in the average person's diet.  Important Note:  the starch in wheat (yes, even so-called "whole wheat") is a unique and problematic type of carbohydrate called Amylopectin-A which has been shown in blood sugar testing to skyrocket your blood sugar even HIGHER than pure table sugar... and this can cause hormone imbalances, cravings, prediabetes, and weight gain... Yikes!
• Soy and corn are the most genetically modified crops (which also allows more pesticides and herbicides to be used, which act as "xenoestrogens", causing hormone disruption in women, man boobs in some cases in men, and what's been termed "stubborn belly fat" in both sexes 
• Soy products and soy derivatives contain a double-whammy of xenoestrogens as well as phytoestrogens... again creating an environment in your body for fat storage, carcinogenic effects, and even "man boobs" for some men in very severe cases.
• and the list could go on and on and on...
   

So how do you fight against all of the deceptive marketing in the food industry, and finally take control of your weight and your health?
The next page will show you the SOLUTION to stop being tricked by the food industry and start taking control for yourself to get a lean body, flat stomach, and prevent diseases like cancer and diabetes.
On the next page, I'll show you 23 so-called "healthy" foods you NEED TO AVOID if you want to be healthy and get a flat stomach.  I'll also show you which surprising foods you thought were unhealthy that can actually BOOST your metabolism and flatten your belly:

Click here for the Next Page

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The Top 5 Healthiest Condiments (and the WORST)

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal
Trainer, Author of best sellers:  The Truth About Six Pack Abs &
The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging

I'm sure you can think of all sorts of condiments that are obviously
NOT healthy...


What about Mayo?  Sorry...

With processed refined soybean oil as the main ingredient in most
mayos, there's NOTHING healthy about mayonnaise.
It causes internal inflammation and harms your omega-6 to omega-3
balance with excess omega-6 fats.   Tartar sauce has the same issues
as mayo.If you can find a mayo made with 100% olive oil instead of
soybean oil, this would actually be a healthy choice.

Ketchup?  Not quite...

Yes, ketchup is made from tomatoes so it does contain the beneficial
nutrient lycopene.  Unfortunately ketchup has a high % of sugar, and
most brands are made with nasty high fructose corn syrup.  Not good.
Hey, I'm a ketchup lover myself, but I just try to keep the quantity
small to minimize the sugar intake.

Barbeque Sauce?  Nope...

BBQ sauce is actually worse than ketchup because it has higher levels
of sugar or HFCS and lower levels of actual tomato.  Strike 3 with
BBQ sauce.

Salad Dressing?  Not most store brands.

As you know from this salad dressing article of mine, there's not much
healthy about most store bought salad dressings...most contain HFCS
and soybean oil or unhealthy canola oil as the main ingredients.

Most "fat-free" salad dressings are simply loaded with extra sugar.
Plus, remember that you need a good fat source to go with your salad
to help absorb the vitamins and minerals in your veggies, so fat-free
dressing is not a good option.  Even most salad dressing brands that
claim to be "made with olive oil" only have small amounts of actual olive oil,
while unhealthy soybean or canola oils are main oils used.  Instead, follow
my healthy salad dressing recipe if you want a lean healthy body.

So, what are the top 5 healthiest condiments?

Below, I give you my top 5 picks for the healthiest condiments for a
lean healthy body.  Sure, there might be a few others not on this list that
are also healthy, but these are my top 5 picks:

1. Mustard

That's right... mustard is absolutely one of the healthiest condiments!
First, it has no added sugar.  Also, mustard seed itself is a source of
powerful antioxidants.  In addition to the antioxidants in the mustard seed,
most yellow mustards also contain turmeric (one of the healthiest anti-
cancer spices) and paprika, which both contain powerful antioxidants
as well!

2. Guacamole

I know, I know... when do I ever stop talking about avocados and
guacamole. Sorry, it's one of my favorite foods, and I eat avocados
or guac just about every single day.  At this point, I don't think I need to
explain why Gauc is healthy, as I think everybody knows this by now...
but a quick recap: lots of healthy fats (that satisfy your appetite and
regulate hormone balance), lots of fiber, and plenty of vitamins, minerals,
and antioxidants.

And creamy guac just makes anything taste better!  I put it on eggs,
on burgers, on chicken or fish, or just eat it with veggie sticks.
If you buy pre-made guac from the store, just be sure to check the
ingredients and make sure it doesn't have added trans fats or other
artificial ingredients. But it's so simple and fast to make fresh guac,
I don't know why anybody would buy pre-made guac.

3. Salsa

Although ketchup was on the unhealthy list due to the sugar content,
salsa makes the super healthy list as it almost never has added sugars
if you get a good brand.Salsa is mostly just vegetables so it's hard to
go wrong.  I like it on my morning eggs for variety sometimes.
I also like to mix salsa half and half with guac for a delicious party
treat!

And if you're a ketchup lover and want to reduce your sugar intake,
just try salsa instead for a much healthier option.  Trust me... salsa
on a burger is just as delicious as ketchup on a burger.

Just remember that the corn chips that people generally cram down
their throats with salsa are NOT even close to healthy.  Corn chips
are almost always fried in a heavily refined omega-6 oil such as corn
or soy oil, and are inflammatory. Plus, most corn used for corn chips
is genetically modified.Organic corn chips are a small step in the right
direction (this ensures it's not GMO corn), but I'd still try to keep the
quantity small if you're going to eat corn chips with salsa.

4. Hummus

Hummus is mostly just chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon, and olive oil,
and is easily one of the healthiest condiments or as a separate snack
by itself.

The main thing to look for when buying a good hummus is to make sure
it's made with olive oil and NOT soybean or canola oil.  Unfortunately
most brands use cheap soy or canola oil, but if you're a label reader, it's
easy to find a brand that uses solely olive oil.

One of my favorite snacks is just veggie sticks with hummus.  However,
hummus is also a delicious condiment to go with sandwiches, on top of
meat dishes, etc.

5. Pesto

Pesto is generally a mashed mix of garlic, pine nuts, basil, olive oil, and
grated cheese.  It's a great source of healthy fats and also powerful
antioxidants, mostly from the garlic and basil, but to some extent from the
pine nuts and olive oil too.

Pesto goes incredibly well with sandwiches, on meat dishes, or
surprisingly, even on eggs. There's one more condiment we didn't cover
yet that you might be wondering about.....What about hot sauce?
Actually, hot sauce is fairly healthy. Most hot sauces don't have added
sugars. And the hot peppers are actually good for you too and could even
cause a slight and temporary metabolism increase.
The only drawback to most hot sauces is a moderately high sodium content.
But unless you go nuts with loads of hot sauce on every meal, the sodium
content in hot sauce will not be an issue.

So now that you know 5 of the healthiest condiments, don't be afraid to
indulge next time you need one of these tasty additions to your meal.

Now for the BAD NEWS...

These 4 foods accelerate AGING in your body (avoid these 
and look 10 years younger!)

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Home Ab Workouts & Obliques Exercises

Stop Wasting Time on Side Bends, Torso Twists & Other Oblique Exercises... Try These Killer Oblique Ab Workouts!
 
by Craig Ballantyne, Men's Health Magazine Fitness Expert,
Author of the Best Home Abdominal Workouts Program

Most ab training programs neglect one of the most important muscles in your “core”. Sure, you can do tons of crunches and sit-ups, but if you aren’t properly working your oblique muscles, then you won’t have the complete 6-pack package.
And while your first thoughts of oblique exercises are dumbbell side bends or bicycle crunches, I’ve got 3 killer ab & core exercises for you today that are just as effective and safer for your low back.
If you do all 3 of these abs exercises once per week along with one other ab workout later in the week, you’ll double the effectiveness of your ab workouts.
Plus, you can do this ab workout anytime, anywhere. You don’t have to do it just at the end of a regular workout. You can do it in the morning before work, in your office (if you have privacy), in the park at lunch, or while watching your kids or TV at home. It’s so simple and effective, yet doesn’t require any equipment. It’s the perfect three-exercise ab routine for building a sharp set of oblique muscles to compliment your 6-pack abs.
Do each exercise back to back with no rest between exercises. At the end of the circuit, take a 1 minute rest before repeating the circuit 2 more times. If you are a beginner, make the beginner modifications to each exercise and do the circuit only 1 time for the first week. In the second week, you can bump it up to 2 circuits, and finally to 3 circuits in week 3.

Follow this program for 4 weeks, and then add in some new exercises, remove some of the old exercises, and change the order and repetition scheme of the exercises. You need to change every aspect of your workout every 4-6 weeks so that you don’t get bored and so that your program stays as effective as possible.  Don't forget that your main focus should still be full body workouts and not just ab workouts if you really want to have lean six pack abs.
Here’s the 3-exercise abs oblique obliteration circuit:

1) Cross-Body Mountain Climber – 10 reps per side
2) Side Plank – 30 second hold per side
3) Spiderman Pushup – 8 reps per side
Here are detailed descriptions of how to do each exercise:

Cross-Body Mountain Climber
 

• Start in the top of the push-up position.
• Keep your abs braced, pick one foot up off the floor, and slowly bring your knee up to your opposite elbow.
• Do not let your hips sag or hike up in the air. Keep your body in a straight line.
• Keep your abs braced and slowly return your leg to the start position.
• Alternate sides until you complete all of the required repetitions.
• Beginner Modification: Do the standard Mountain Climber bringing your knee straight ahead and do not try to cross your body with it.

Side Plank

• Lie on a mat on your side.
• Support your bodyweight with your feet and on your elbow.
• Raise your body in a straight line so that your body hovers over the mat.
• Keep your back straight and your hips up. Hold your abs and entire core tight. Contract them as if someone was about to punch you in the stomach, but breath normally.
• Hold this position for the recommended amount of time then SWITCH sides.
• Increase the duration of the hold each workout.
• Beginner Modification: Do the exercise from your knees. Hold for 10 seconds.

Spiderman Push-up
 

• Keep your abs braced and body in a straight line from toes to shoulders.
• Place your hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Slowly lower yourself down until you are an inch off the ground.
• As you lower yourself, slowly bring your knee up to your elbow, but keep your foot off the ground as you do so.
• Push through your chest, shoulders and triceps to return to the start position, and return your leg to the start position. Alternate sides until you complete all repetitions.
• Keep your body in a straight line at all times and try not to twist your hips.
• Intermediate Modification: If you can’t do all 8 Spiderman Pushups per side, do as many as you can and then finish the set with regular pushups.
• Beginner Modification: Do the Spiderman Pushup from a kneeling position, or just do regular Kneeling Pushups.

Try adding these abs and obliques exercise circuits into your regular workouts or on alternate days.  Give it some time and dedication and you'll have razor sharp obliques and rock hard abs in just a couple of cycles.

Need to learn how get your Abs defined?
Need to know about nutrition to get defined Abs?
Need to know the best exercise for your Abs, which by the way are not all Ab exercises?

If your current regime isn't working for you, then you need to change something and get yourself on the correct path.

Click here to get your Abdominal's Hard and Ripped, safely.

I found this information above that has worked for so many people reach there goal.
Not just for there Abs but for health and well being!

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One of The World's Greatest Snacks -- A Healthy Treat for a Lean Body

Why pistachios not only taste delicious, but are also jam-packed with nutrition for your lean healthy body
by Cat Ebeling, RN, BSN & Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialistco-authors of the
Fat Burning Kitchen program


Some people mistakenly think that pistachios are a "fattening" food... but despite having loads of healthy fats, these yummy little snacks can actually HELP you to burn off stomach fat.  Let's see why...
Do you remember eating pistachios when they used to be dyed a deep pinkish/red? They were always so delicious, but after eating a bunch of those bright "red" nuts, your fingers and hands would be stained red.
Pistachios, as we now know, do not grow as magenta-colored nuts but come in a nice natural tan colored shell with a mild-tasting, crunchy, green and yellow interior. Nuts have risen in popularity lately, but did you know that pistachios are probably one of the most nutritious of all nuts?
It's hard to compare anything to the nutritional benefit of nuts like almonds, walnuts, and pecans... but pistachios give them a run for the money!
Just a one-ounce serving of pistachios will give you over 30 vitamins, minerals and other super nutrients.
One of the best things about nuts in general, is that they are full of minerals that are VITAL to our body's proper functioning. And if you have paid much attention to nutrition news lately, you may be aware that minerals are getting harder and harder to obtain from our diet, and many people are mineral-deficient in one way or another.
So what are these great nutrients in pistachios?
Well for starters, pistachios are full of copper, phosphorus, and manganese (different from magnesium).
Copper is made up of multiple enzymes that help to create many of the necessary biochemical reactions in your body and also forms connective tissue. Manganese also helps form connective and skeletal tissue, and is instrumental in growth, reproduction and (this is good!) carbohydrate and fat metabolism. Phosphorus is very important for strong bones and teeth and works with calcium to prevent osteoporosis.
Other important minerals are magnesium -- necessary for more than 300 different important biochemical reactions in your body, and good for your heart and blood pressure; potassium --an electrolyte that keeps the body in the correct acid/base balance and also helps in forming proteins, metabolizing carbohydrates and building muscle.
And there is more to this nutritional powerhouse...

Pistachios are a rich source of B vitamins. B vitamins are essential for good nerve transmission, muscle building, a good mood, lots of energy, and infection-fighting power. They are also one of the highest protein nuts (as well as healthy fats), so they make a great satisfying snack that keeps your blood sugar and insulin at a good steady level.
In one study on pistachios and antioxidants, pistachios ranked up in the group with the highest amount of antioxidant activity above over 100 other foods. Antioxidants help to prevent free radical damage, which saves your cells and prevents aging and disease among other things.
We hear a lot about eye health and nutrients for the eyes lately, and guess what-- pistachios contain generous amount of lutein and zeaxanthin which prevent macular degeneration and other eye diseases related to aging.
Fiber
Last but not least, pistachios are full of appetite satisfying fiber -- as much as a serving of oatmeal.
Nuts in general are a great source of fiber, which is valuable for fighting cancer, controlling blood sugar, and aids in a feeling of fullness. Most people only get about half the recommended amount of fiber they need in their diets, so eating pistachios will help add to your dietary intake.
Healthy Fats
While eating extremely large quantities of pistachios would be a LOT of calories... the good news is that the protein, good fats and fiber in them are nutritious and satisfy so much of the nutrient needs of your body, it's VERY difficult to overeat them.
Even when only eating small servings of these nuts, they have been proven to provide a high rate of satiety. Besides, having to shell all those pistachios actually ends up making you eat them a little more slowly, so the message to your brain that you are full happens on less nuts than if you were eating something already out of its shell.
Try to go for the all-natural or organic pistachios with no salt of low salt. Some brands of pistachios are a bit heavy on the salt.
If you haven't read our new Fat Burning Kitchen program, make sure to see the dozens of foods that help you burn fat, and surprising "health foods" that make you fat.
Eat well and stay lean!

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Get a Fighters Abs Without Leaving Your Home.

If you've ever watched a fight on TV, you know that fighters have some of the best bodies of almost any athlete most of the time.  They usually have six pack abs, and not a love handle in sight!

I recently started following a new program that shows you all of the secrets that some of the most ripped fighters use to get great abs and a rock solid core...

You should definitely check out this resource if you...

-       Have stubborn love handles that just don’t want to go away.
-       Want a midsection that will have other people in awe.
-       Want to get rid of your lower belly fat and see a FULL Six-Pack.
-       Want a slimmer waist or get rid of that beer gut.
-       Want to get a stronger core to fix lower back pain.

-       Are looking for the most cutting edge information on ab training.

Here’s the best part – You don’t even need one single piece of equipment.  As a matter of fact, you don’t even have to leave your living room if you don't want to.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN about this NEW Cutting Edge Info on how you can get lean flat abs like the Pro Fighters you see on TV

And for the ladies reading this, don't think that this is just for men...
Andrew has had amazing results with his female clients too, as you'll see on that page.

Have fun!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Best-Selling Author

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A unique exercise you can use to help flatten your stomach while driving in the car?

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
Author of best-sellers:  The Fat-Burning Kitchen &
The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging

This may sound a little weird to do this in the car, but it actually WORKS
to slowly help to flatten your belly over time if done consistently flat sexy
stomach.With today's short article, I wanted to show you a VERY simple
exercise that you can do anytime, anywhere to help get a flatter stomach
over time.

Now I will preface this by saying that this specific exercise does
NOT increase fat burning, but it CAN help to flatten your stomach
by strengthening your deeper transversus abdominis muscles and
hence "pulling in" a lazy stomach (aka beer belly or "pooch belly").

It involves doing an exercise called "ab vacuums"...

I find it a good time to get in the habit of doing daily ab vacuums while driving on your daily commute or another time that would get you in
the habit of doing them regularly.

(please make sure this doesn't distract you from driving safely... I find
that it doesn't distract me at all, since you can keep your eyes on the road
at all times and both hands still on the wheel...it's certainly much safer than
driving while on a cell phone!)

Of course, ab vacuums can be done anywhere and at anytime and don't
have to be just for driving, but I've found that it helps me to remember to
do them if I do them at a specific time when driving regularly.... this could
be while driving home from the gym every time (I do this 3-4x per week
while driving home from the gym), or perhaps during your daily commute
to work. They even help to strengthen your core and support a healthy back!

Ab vacuums are simple (Instructions)
You can do them standing, seated (such as in a car), kneeling in a
four-point position, or even lying flat on the floor.  I prefer them seated
or standing. The movement is as simple as pulling your belly button in as
 far as you can by imagining you're trying to touch your belly button to
your spine and holding for 10-20 seconds at a time. Start by inhaling deeply.
Then, as you exhale, start pulling the belly button in towards the spine and
hold it there for 10-20 seconds while just taking short breaths.
Repeat for several of these 10-20 second holds, perhaps 5-10x if you have
enough time while in the car.  But even just repeating 3-4x every time
you're driving somewhere can really add up over time and give you the
benefit of a flatter belly! Get in the habit of doing this at least 4-5 days
per week while driving somewhere and you may find that this helps to
flatten your stomach more by strengthening the transversus abdominis
muscle (the deep abdominal muscles beneath the rectus abdominis) if you
previously had a "lazy belly".Like I said previously, this "ab vacuums"
exercise does NOT increase fat burning...it only helps to flatten a round
stomach that has lazy deep ab muscles, and it will strengthen your core.
It's worth a place in your weekly belly-flattening repertoire.

Mike Geary Founder of  Truth About Abs

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Want Something Challenging? Try My Bodyweight Squats Muscular Endurance Challenge

Hey, it's Mike Geary from TruthAboutAbs.com 
 
I told you last week that I'd be sending you out a training challenge this week.
Well, here it is. I challenge you to try to beat my results at this little 5-minute routine. 
 You'll see my results below.
I'm sure if you've been reading my info for some time that you know I like to get creative in the training routines that I recommend trying. I think trying different training styles and routines keeps things more interesting and can be motivating if you set specific goals for certain exercises.
In fact, if you didn't already see it, one of my unique training ideas was recently featured in the popular international magazine, Muscle & Fitness Hers, Jul/Aug issue pg. 18.
So my boredom buster this week is something I just thought up recently. I set a challenge with a couple of my training partners at my gym to see who could do the most repetitions of bodyweight squats in 5 minutes. I will qualify that these are meant to be full squats all the way down to thighs parallel with the ground, not the little "half way down" squats that you see so many people doing.
You basically just keep squatting for as many reps as possible in 5-min. You only rest a couple times here and there for a few seconds if you need it to help you keep squatting.
I liked this idea because I thought it would be drastically different from the normal 3 sets of 10, 5 sets of 5, 7 sets of 3, and so on. No matter how you break it down with weighted squats, you're usually in the range of 20-40 total repetitions in a given workout.
However, with max repetition bodyweight squats in 5-minutes, your numbers easily can get up to well over 100 reps. Let me tell you... even though you're not squatting heavy weights with this unique training style, the high volume of repetitions really pumps your legs and gets you dripping with sweat. Also, if you're not used to this high volume, your legs will be in for some deep soreness for about 2-3 days afterwards.
So the results? Well, in my first attempt at 5-minute squats, I pumped out 157 reps. About a week later, I tried it again, and beat my 1st number by repping 163 squats. Then the following week, I once again beat my former scores by blasting through 169 squats.
I've set the goal that I'd like to get up to 200 squats within the 5-minute time frame. Considering that you have 300 seconds in 5-minutes, I figured 200 reps might be about at the maximum possible capacity as you really need to be repping quickly to do 200 parallel squats in 300 seconds.
Anyway, you can see that this is just one of the many quirky training challenges that I think up on a regular basis that keeps me interested and keeps things fresh. It's a good idea to pick a goal like this and work towards it for a month or two and then pick something totally different and work towards that for a month or two. This gives your body some good variety while also allowing for progression because of the short term consistency.
For example, this muscular endurance goal of 200 squats in 5-minutes is on the totally opposite end of the spectrum when compared to a different goal that I trained for last year when I was training in a pure strength mode working up to a 405-lb deadlift. Changing things up like this and training for wildly different goals at different times can really help keep you interested in your workouts.
Alright, so go ahead and give this little 5-minute squat challenge a try (remember full squats, no halvsies).
Update:  several weeks after running this article, I ended up beating my goal of 200 bodyweight squats in 5 minutes by pumping out 214 reps!  Oh my, the burn!!
Good luck!

Feel free to share this link to any friends, training partners, or family that you think might want to try this training challenge.

Mike Geary
Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Founder - TruthAboutAbs.com

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The Very Best 3 Body fat Burning Meals - Surprising Great Finds.

In most of my years like a professional Diet Specialist, I have observed that many people are shocked to listen to a number of my picks for that top body fat burning meals that are perfect for weight reduction and a healthy body.

I will not bore you with all the typical "healthy meals" that you simply learn about all the time for example fruits and vegetables... everyone knows this. Rather, I am going to inform you some shockers that many individuals don't realize are super healthy meals for body weight loss.

1. Egg Yolks - yes, you heard right... full fatty egg yolks wonderful their fat body and cholesterol. Incidentally, you have been mislead concerning the cholesterol in egg yolks -- it really boosts your GOOD cholesterol helping balance proper ratios, so you shouldn't be scared of the body fat and cholesterol during these little diet energy packed gems. And when you select cage-free eggs for free roaming chickens, the omega-3 submissions are greater having a more balanced body weight profile.

Egg yolks will also be probably the most nutrient dense meals in the world when it comes to vitamins, minerals, and trace nutrition. Attempting to list all the vital nutrition in egg yolks would occupy a whole page and so I will not even try that here. Just understand that egg yolks shouldn't be prevented in support of egg-whites. The protein is much more bioavailable whenever you range from the yolks!

So you shouldn't be afraid to consume individual scrumptious and healthy eggs and begin burning body belly faster.

2. Avocados - This is an additional "fatty food" that's also among the best fat burning meals! Not just that, but avocados make nearly everything creamier and much more scrumptious. They're also energy-full of healthy fats, fiber, and anti-oxidants, in addition to minerals and vitamins. The healthy body fat in avocados likewise helps control appetite and body fat burning the body's hormones within your body.

Try adding avocado slices or guacamole to from morning eggs, preparing salads, sandwiches, and hamburgers, and beginning burning fat body faster! I'd certainly consider avocados among the best healthy super meals.

3. Grass-given beef - Some beef in the supermarket is grain given beef from cattle which are ill and it has lower diet values and omega-6 to omega-3 body fat ratios which are wild of whack, there's a much better option... which is Grass-Given Beef!

Grass-given beef may have greater amounts of healthy omega-3 essential fatty acids minimizing omega-6 fats (which many people get an excessive amount of anyway). Grass-given beef also consists of greater amounts of many minerals and vitamins, in addition to that contains high amounts of conjugated linoleic acidity (CLA), the industry healthy body fats that recognized to help muscle mass building and fat burning.

So you shouldn't be afraid to eat more beef, while you choose healthy grass-given beef rather than grain given beef. Enjoy and begin burning more body fat with one of these so known as "fatty" meals!

Enjoy, and have fun with your fitness endeavors!

Author Mike Geary 

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