Why Exercise Fails…Do This
I was 10 years old when I started running. My 5th grade teacher encouraged me to run 2 mile races, which hurt like hell from start to finish! I remember having to reach deep down and find that extra strength to make it toward the finish line. Officially, it was my first form of exercise. However, running races made me feel nauseous and dizzy. But, the endorphin rush has me hooked on running ever since!
Being a Fat Cow – Even With Exercising
So, the last 28 years I have tried all difference kinds of endorphin pushing exercise: swimming, weight lifting, wrestling, adventure racing, Crossfit and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Proudly (or not!), I was as fit as the “Man Your Man Could Smell Like” from the Old Spice commercials! Okay, not really! Instead, I was fat and could have been the honorary member of The Fat Cow Hall of Fame. No matter how hard I exercised, my weight skyrocketed to new highs and spiraled down – over and over. Simply put, the scale was out of control. That’s because most exercise won’t help you lose weight to look great.
I’ll be bold enough to say that for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless. Trainers and work-out addicts may disagree. When it comes to having your best physique, it’s more about hormones than it is about how much time you sweat in the gym.
Fat Loss the Same With or Without Exercise?
Here is a recent study that confirms exercise is useless for weight loss. Two groups of menopausal, obese women underwent a caloric deficiency. One group took part in regular exercise. The other didn’t. Not surprising, both groups had identical fast loss!
Don’t you see? The women who exercised did not lose any more weight compared to those who DIDN”T exercise! This is confirmed by earlier studies on exercise and weight loss.
If you think being a “weekend warrior” when it comes to exercise is going to help you lose weight, then think again! Why? Because the hormones responsible for burning fat are “asleep,” or dormant and are unable to turn on fat burning and energy. This is why the hormonally challenged feel lethargic and heavy when exercising. To “wake up” these hormones, you’d have to exercise 1.5 to 4 hours a day to turn fat reserve into fuel.
Overweight Bedroom Asthma Attack
Yes, it happened to me! I had 30% body fat – nothing my wife was interested in. I couldn’t even do a few reps on the bench press or walk to the water fountain before I would run out of breath…let alone play around in the bedroom! I’d practically have an asthma attack just thinking about 5 minutes alone with my lovely wife! Not good! My fat ass was the embodiment of sleepy hormones and no amount of exercise was going to save me.
To really make exercise count, you have to prime your body for fat burning before you step into the gym. Men, time to Man-Up. Women, time to pick yourself up by the ovaries. How? Hormones.
Hormones dictate what type of fuel gets converted into energy. Think of a hybrid car, which can run on different fuels – with different kinds of physical energy. When your hormones are sleeping, the body will utilize glucose (sugar) and amino acids for energy, while storing fat. That’s bad.
By adhering to a few simple habits, you can awaken your fat burning hormones to convert fat to energy. Exercise no longer becomes futile. Once you do this, the body streamlines unsightly body fat into the cellular furnace for fuel.
Hormonally Ignorant Can Get Help
Essentially, high-energy fat is what fuels the robust, shredded, Old Spice Man (and now me) when he goes to the gym. His hormones are forcing muscles to utilize fat for explosive strength and endurance, as well as growth.
Fat burning is the answer for people with sleepy hormones because it allows the body to chisel out a perfect physique at any age, in response to exercise!
Fat metabolism is so powerful because it is a mass factory of ATP – the chief energy and strength producing molecule within cells. Get this. A single fat molecule can create a whopping 129 molecules of ATP – which is the universal energy currency for metabolism. Compare that to a carbohydrate or glucose molecule, which produces a mere 38 molecules of ATP! You do the math.
The key to executing ATP is being a fat burner BEFORE you go to the gym. Just like a cool car doesn’t make you cool, exercise doesn’t make you a fat burner…
If you want exercise to work in favor, then wake up your hormones by following these simple dietary rules:
- Drink plenty of clean and purified water
- Avoid sugar and artificial flavors (Stevia is okay)
- Avoid fruit and fruit juice
- Eat only three meals daily (but rich in healthy fats)
- Get plenty of amino acids (very important)
Amino acids are the raw material your body needs to fuel healthy hormone production.
- Amino acids help your liver release a family of special polypeptides known technically as somatomedins.
- Amino acids allow muscles to grow from the release of human growth hormone (hGH) in response to exercise and sleep.
- When your body has the right amino acids, it also produces a fat melting compound known as glucagon. This is the “I can’t wait to wear a bathing suit” hormone. When released by the pancreas it works to control blood sugar, while activating fat metabolism during your sweaty routines.
- Get your amino acids from brewers yeast (non-fortified), eggs and whey isolate (but make sure your whey has no sugar or artificial sweeteners).
Partner these dietary rules with the following muscle building tips.
Tip #1: Hit Your Target Heart Rate
By hitting your target heart rate with every set of exercising, you adrenals “wake-up” and produce hormones like catecholamines that turn on your metabolism to favor weight loss. If you are exercising with bands, to dig into your fat stores you must make sure to still reach your target heart rate – even if you become a little embarrassed with such intensity! To figure out your target heart rate, use the following formula: (220 – (Your Age)) x .60 = 60% of your max heart rate and then also times .80 for a range of heart rate intensity to achieve.
Here is an example: Stan is 45 years old. The formula is (220 – 45) x .60 = 105 beats per minute is 60% of his max heart rate. (220 – 45) x .80 = 140 beats per minute is 80% of his max heart rate. Therefore, to hit his target heart rate the range is 105 to 140 bpm.
Tip #2: Use a Thermogenic Aid
To motivate you to exercise and maybe to a show off a little, you bought the perfect workout shoes in your favorite color. Next, you are sporting the latest in workout tops to lean out your features. You even have the latest iPod that’ll do everything except burpees for you. Now, your best move will be to start using a “thermogenic aid!”
Thermogenic aids are compounds in nature that target “beta-receptors.” Discovered decades ago, these are your internal “go-time” switches. When used, they ramp up energy, strength, endurance and of course, metabolism. The perfect combo makes fat burning red hot, and paralyzes fat storage. Thermogenic aids come from:
- Yerba Mate
- Green tea
- Guarana
- Yohimbe
Tip #3: Target Large Muscle Groups
Studies show that a perfect balance of fat burning, muscle building and anti-aging hormones such as human growth hormone and testosterone are produced in response when we favor these muscles during exercise…
- Glutes
- Quads
- Hamstrings
- Lats
- My favorite are burpees and jump squats
Make The Exercise Effort Worth It
With these tips, the amount of effort you put into your exercise will dictate how much awesomeness you have in your body. But, when it comes to exercise by itself, it’s more about hormones for weight loss!