New favs, reading, and YouTube reference videos!

Check out Favs on right hand side of page for Updates! Also, here are some new Fav Supplements/Gear:

• Hammer Appestat - Appetite suppression, really feel fantastic on these and takes off any hunger pangs/creates a calmness that I have not experienced on any other supplement, great for pre-lunch and pre-dinner! 
• Pre-Race or Pre-intense workout - GU Chomps, if you are depleted, phenomenal way to quickly re-charge, particularly for endurance athletes (pre/during race).
• Kre-Alkalyn Creatine - no load period, bloating, or other side-effects you get with Mono, take one pre and one post workout, phenomenal muscle repair / growth capabilities.
• Buy an ab bench for your home, seriously, I try to put in 100 a day on my Hoist, best ab bench on the market, you can keep increasing the angle/difficulty! 
• Workout Gear: Compression, IT WORKS, period, use it pre/during/after workouts to aid recovery and support, I like: 2XU or CW-X

Great articles, supplemental reading in addition to prior post references:

• 10 Worst foods for a diet (look familiar? All align with my recommended eating approach, that has permanency and isn't merely a diet!): http://www.livestrong.com/article/390016-the-10-worst-foods-for-a-diet/
• 10 Worst foods that will cause weight gain (again, all NOT on the list): http://www.livestrong.com/article/306023-the-10-worst-foods-that-make-you-gain-weight/
• 10 Worst foods, period (again, largely not on the list, take issue with whole eggs being included, bust understand their point!): http://www.livestrong.com/article/413463-10-worst-foods-that-you-can-eat/
• Great lists of food additives to avoid (hence, emphasis on eating non-processed whole/raw foods!): http://www.livestrong.com/article/470375-10-worst-food-additives/ and http://www.livestrong.com/article/22015-dangerous-additives/
• It's all about your mental strength and focus
• Overcome weight loss plateaus: http://www.hivehealthmedia.com/overcoming-weight-loss-plateaus/
• Lazy guide to getting ripped: http://www.healthhabits.ca/2009/09/08/the-lazy-mans-guide-to-getting-ripped/
• Perfect digestion, eat with the right food combinations - in short: 1) Protein + Veggies OK; 2) Veggies + Grains/Starches OK; 3) Protein + Grains/Starches NOT OK; & 4) Fruit by itself only (if consumed at all).

Great YouTube videos on HIIT - mix it up, but make it intense with rest/low intensity intervals and per prior posts you will blast away fat!

• HIIT with GymBoss, best way to do it!
• Eliptical HIIT Example
• Various Machines - Treadmill, Rowing, etc.
• Tabata Protocol (10:20) - using Burpees
• Sprinting
• MMA Style
• Inspiration for Guys
• Inspiration for Ladies

Carpe Life Fitness Plan

Foundation – The Baseline:
Working out for some is a foreign concept, so whatever it takes to get you kick-started, whether it be a health scare or wanting to improve your dating life, it is ultimately going to require your will-power and determination to make it sustainable, the motivation must ultimately come from within. We all inherently know the benefits of working out, but until you get into a routine and consistently workout each week, you will not know how incredibly satisfying it is in relieving stress, improving your outlook and emotional well-being, and increasing your overall energy levels.

Baseline Program: This is your foundation program, you can fall back on it when you need a restart or are perhaps on vacation or traveling frequently. In the Baseline, you are going to focus on accomplishing 3 workouts of one hour in duration a week: 2 cardio/core sessions and 1 resistance training session. There should be at least 1 day of rest in between workouts (e.g. you could do cardio Monday/Wednesday and a resistance training session on Friday or Saturday). Follow this program for 3 weeks straight, if you have trouble staying on it, start over again.

Cardio/Core Workouts: 

• 30 minutes of steady-state cardio. Options: Stationary bike (prefer recumbent), rowing machine, swimming, running, stair master, or elliptical. Increase your resistance or intensity every 10 minutes (e.g. could use levels 4, 5, and 6 on the machine over the course of the 30 minutes or if performing outside, increase pace/effort required, such as incorporating hills). You will be burning calories, fat, as well as warming up for your HIIT session.
• 16 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) cardio. Steady-state cardio typically only burns fat calories for the amount of time you are working out (so you will be burning fat in the first 30 minutes for that period of time) – as it largely does not peak your heart rate and employs slow twitch muscle fibers. HIIT cardio training recruits fast twitch muscle fibers, which burn more calories and require more energy to recover after the cardio exercise. Additionally, HIIT creates lactic acid because of its high intensity, which in turn increased lactic acid buildup triggers increased release of human growth hormone and oxygen debt/increased metabolism which triggers more fat burning for the rest of the day and typically 24-36 hours afterwards. A study at Laval University in Quebec, Canada found that HIIT cardio helped trainees loose nine (yes, 9!) times more fat than those who trained the traditional way (moderate speed for 20-60 minutes). HIIT is not easy, so work up to the below interval levels (e.g. if you can’t do 20:10 x 8 cycles, start with 20:20 x 8 cycles and build), if at any time you experience any dizziness, chest pain, nausea, or severe shortness of breath, discontinue immediately and consult a medical professional.
• HIIT Options: Preferred - Jump rope or Kettlebell swings; Others - Sprint/walk on treadmill or outside, Stairmaster, Stationary bike, or stadium stairs. Use the cardio machine or ideally, the GymBoss Max to track your intervals and cycles.
• 3 Interval sets, 30 seconds of rest in between each, for total of 16 minutes: 1) 20 Seconds On / 10 Seconds Off x 8 Cycles (4 min); 2) 30 Seconds On / 15 Seconds Off x 6 Cycles (4.5 min); and 3) 1 Minute On / 30 Seconds Off x 4 Cycles (6 min)
• Remaining time (~15 minutes) – Core, complete 3 cycles:
• Elbow to knee crunches x 20 reps
• Bicycle crunches x 20 reps
• Breath-in/hold x 20 reps (10 second hold for each)
• Ab bench x 20 reps

Resistance Training Workouts:

This workout applies to both Males and Females, this is an efficient functional/multi-joint and complete body workout that will add strength/muscle and increase your Resting Metabolic Rate and fat-burning capabilities. If you have never worked out before and need direction on form, check out the YouTube videos, hire a trainer, or contact me to do a run-through. Perform 3 Supersets/6 Exercise, 12, 10, 8 reps of each Superset pairs (e.g. perform A then B, then A again then B until you have done 3 of each), increasing weight by 10 pounds each of the rep sets, no rest within Supersets, rest one minute between Supersets 1, 2, and 3). Use 12, 10, 8 reps – start with a weight you can comfortably perform for 12 reps, then increase the weight by 10 pounds for 10 reps, and increase the weight again by 10 pounds for 8 reps. If, on the final 8 reps, it feels easy, in your next resistance training session, increase your starting weight by 10 pounds. (Example: 12 reps at 100 pounds, 10 reps at 110 pounds, 8 reps at 120 pounds, if the 8 reps at 120 pounds feels easy, increase the starting weight to 110 pounds for the following resistance session/week). Progress is measured by the increase in the amount you can lift – aligning to total weight/tension you are putting on your muscles and corresponding strength increase.

• Superset 1: A. Deadlift (three options: bar bell, dumbbells, or trap bar) and B. Chest Press (two options: bench or machine).
• Superset 2: A. Seated Rows (machine) and B. Leg Press (machine, not the plates leg press version which can cause injury)
• Superset 3: A. Pull Downs (machine – palms out, wide grip, don’t lean back) and B. Dumbbell Curl to Shoulder Press (2 dumbbells)

Carpe Workout Approach

In the Carpe Workout, you are going to focus on accomplishing 5 workouts of 75 minutes in duration a week: 3 cardio/core sessions and 2 resistance training sessions. You will have two rest days a week, so a schedule may look like: Monday: Off; Tuesday: Resistance Train; Wednesday: Cardio/Core: Thursday: Off; Friday: Cardio/Core; Saturday: Resistance Train; and Sunday: Cardio/Core.

Cardio/Core Workouts:

• 30 minutes of steady-state cardio. Options: Stationary bike (prefer recumbent), rowing machine, swimming, running, stair master, or elliptical. Increase your resistance or intensity every 10 minutes (e.g. could use levels 4, 5, and 6 on the machine over the course of the 30 minutes or if performing outside, increase pace/effort required, such as incorporating hills). HIIT is not easy, so work up to the below interval levels and times, if at any time you experience any dizziness, chest pain, nausea, or severe shortness of breath, discontinue immediately and consult a medical professional.
• 30 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) cardio.
• HIIT Options: Preferred - Jump rope or Kettlebell swings; Others - Sprint/walk on treadmill or outside, Stairmaster, Stationary bike, or stadium stairs. Use the cardio machine or ideally, the GymBoss Max to track your intervals and cycles.
• 4 Interval Sets, 1 minute of rest in between each, for total of 30 minutes: 1) 20 Seconds On / 10 Seconds Off x 10 Cycles (5 min); 2) 30 Seconds On / 15 Seconds Off x 8 Cycles (6 min); 3) 30 Seconds On / 15 Seconds Off x 8 Cycles (6 min); and 4) 1 Minute On / 30 Seconds Off x 6 Cycles (10.5 min)
• Remaining time (~15 minutes) – Core, complete 3 cycles, 30 seconds of rest in between cycless
• Elbow to knee crunches x 30 reps
• Bicycle crunches x 30 reps
• Breath-in/hold x 30 reps (10 second hold for each)
• Ab bench x 30 reps

Resistance Training Workouts:

Perform twice a week. Same exercises as Baseline, but we will introduce the concept of cycling rep-counts, this drives up intensity, muscle confusion, and different types of muscle fiber/stimulus. Cycle rep-counts (A / B and optionally, C, every 3 weeks): For 3 weeks perform A: 10-9-8 reps and for the following 3 weeks perform B: 7-6-5 reps (with an increase in weight lifted). If looking for significant strength/muscle gains, add C: 5-4-3 reps, for 3 weeks. For example, for Cycle A: 10-9-8 reps, you might use 100-110-120 for weight, in Cycle B: 7-6-5 reps, you would use 120-130-140 (taking the highest weight from your Cycle A results and using it as the starting weight for Cycle B – similarly if you want to add Cycle C, you would take the highest weight you ended with during Cycle B as the starting point).

• Superset 1: A. Deadlift (three options: bar bell, dumbbells, or trap bar) and B. Chest Press (two options: bench or machine).
• Superset 2: A. Seated Rows (machine) and B. Leg Press (machine, not the plates leg press version which can cause injury)
• Superset 3: A. Pull Downs (machine – palms out, wide grip, don’t lean back) and B. Dumbbell Curl to Shoulder Press (2 dumbbells)

Carpe Life Nutrition

This plan is all about laying the foundation of good habits, mindset, and discipline/will-power and then building from there to achieve your health and fitness goals. Having read, tried, and found pro’s/con’s with the Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet, Four Hour Body Diet, Paleo Diet, Ketogenic Diet, and anything else that has emerged in the last decade, I have sought to take the best from each to establish a permanent and sustainable approach to eating as opposed to a short-term fad diet. As with any eating approach, with new research, lessons learned, and critically, feedback from you all, I will continue to make refinements and enhancements. Note that each section will have links to additional reference materials and supporting evidence in case you wish to read further/understand the reason behind these rules and approaches to nutrition. Additionally, under the side bar “Favorites – Health and Nutrition” you will find links to the optimal food, supplements, equipment, and other research, that you can leverage. Much like Tim Ferriss and others, particularly in the blogging community, I am not a dietician, nutritionist, or pro athlete, I am however an avid self-experimenter, researcher, and amateur competitive athlete, who has worked with countless coaches, nutritionists, and doctors over my lifetime and feel that I can add value in the approaches outlined below - see “About” if you want to learn more about me and disclosures.

Instructions: Start with the Foundation for 4-6 weeks (however long it takes for you to successfully incorporate these rules/habits) and then move into the Carpe Eating Approach and you can optionally incorporate “Ketogenic Bursts” to catalyze further results and if you reach plateaus. If you have questions, comments, or positive/negative results to report on, please reach out to me.

Foundation – The Baseline
Objectives: Manage your calorie/meal count, metabolism, portion sizes, meal timing, and start eliminating the low-hanging fruit health/weight loss impediments.

Follow these 9 steps:

1. Develop a Target Weight and Key Metrics: Set goals, achieve them, set new ones and keep succeeding! Make the process data-driven and measurable, select a target weight and other key metrics to measure goals against. Select a target weight that you have derived from your personal view of your ideal weight, has been prescribed by your coach or doctor, or use one of the national health standards as a starting point, I like this approach as it takes into account sex/height/frame size. Identify other metrics you want to measure over time, suggest: 1) Body weight/BMI estimate from scale (Withings) daily; 2) Body Fat % and lean mass every 6 months (via DEXA scan); 3) Body measurements monthly (Chest, Biceps, Waist, Hips, and Thigh); and 4) Blood tests every 6 months at least (Cholesterol – LDL/HDL levels, Iron, Testosterone/Estrogen – total/free, Vitamin D, Thyroid levels, Ferritin, and Hematocrit all are strong indicators of health/fitness levels)
2. Develop a Daily Calorie Target: Add a zero to your target weight/multiply by 10 (e.g. 150 would be 1500 calories), this is your baseline daily calorie intake on non-workout days. For workout days, multiply your target weight by 10 + the number of hours you’ve worked out to account for the calorie deficit – e.g. a one hour workout would equate to 1650 calories for a target weight of 150 (e.g. 150 x 11). Track your calories for the first 2 weeks (use site such as fitbit.com), no need to continually track calorie intake unless you find it helpful (many weight-loss studies see strong positive correlation with meal tracking or taking pictures of your meals with iPhone apps such as MealSnap), simply need to be sure you’re in the right ball park and are adequately eliminating more calories than you’re taking in. Once you have reached your target weight, you simply maintain the same calorie target you have already aligned to and if you want to lose more weight, set the target weight/calorie count at that level and repeat.
3. Divide calories into Protein/Carbohydrates/Fat: Protein and Carbs have 4 calories per gram, while Fat has 9 calories per gram. If you are doing endurance sports/frequent cardio (5+ days a week), aim for this percentage: P: 35%; C: 45%; F: 20%. Anyone else, including those doing resistance training/short burst cardio, aim for isocaloric (equal amounts from each macronutrient): P: 33%; C: 33%; F: 33%. Take your target calories and divide by the macronutrient calorie amounts to determine how many grams of each you should be having daily and incorporate them into your meal plan (for workout and non-workout days) – for example, for a 1500 target, 1500*.33 = 495 from each macronutrient (495/4 = 123 grams of protein and 123 grams of carbs, and 495/9 = 55 grams of fat).
4. Optimize digestive efficiency: You must be able to derive the nutrients from food efficiently and optimally to adequately fuel your body. Be conscious of your body’s natural circadian rhythms and digestive process: 4am-Noon – Elimination (Toxic debris and dead cells are removed from the body. Intensified house cleaning takes place via the lungs, skin and urinary tract), 12-8pm – Alimentation (Prime time for eating. These are the hours when the body should take in food.), and 8pm-4am – Assimilation (Food that was taken in during the previous phase is now assimilated and stored for use). Hence, the following rules to optimize your digestive efficiency: 1) Breakfasts should be light/easily digested (e.g. protein shake); 2) Have your largest meal at lunch; 3) Consume less calories (particularly from carbs) through the day; 4) Dinners should contain no or be lighter on protein (as protein takes 6 hours to digest) and never have more than one type of protein at any meal in order to optimize digestion; and 5) Never eat after 8pm or within 3 hours of bed time if you’re a night owl – ideally you want 12 hours between dinner and breakfast the following day.
5. Practice Portion Management: ½ of plate from vegetables, ¼ from starch (if applicable/post-workout) and ¼ from protein (or ½ if no starch), with portions the size of your fist. Know that you are going to be eating again in 3 hours, so you do not need to eat until you “feel full.”
6. Practice Conscious Eating: Acknowledge/meditate on the food in front of you before you begin, chew twenty times before swallowing, breath in between bites, put your fork down after every bite, and limit liquids with meals to allow for complete natural digestion. It takes your body 20 minutes to digest, so eating quickly will result in overeating and spikes in insulin/blood glucose, take your time and you’ll soon realize that you need far less food to feel satisfied.
7. Manage Meal Volume: Eat 5 meals a day (3 primary + 2 snacks) to increase metabolism, fuel workouts, and combat hunger/fatigue. Divide your calorie target amongst the 5 meals, such as in the below example.
8. Meal Timing is Key: Example eating schedule with 1500 calorie target (eat every 3 hours):
• Breakfast: 7am (300 Calories)
• Snack: 10am (200 Calories)
• Lunch: 12pm (500 Calories)
• Snack: 3pm (200 Calories)
• Dinner: 6pm (300 Calories)
9. Work on continually managing/attacking the low-hanging fruit health/weight loss impediments:

• Avoid processed foods (sugars, breads, pastas, cereals, and manufactured foods out of packages/wrappers)
• Sugar – regular and artificial sweeteners (Sucralose/Splenda, Equal, Sweet-n-Low, High-high-fructose corn syrup, etc.), all of which spike insulin/signal to your brain that calories are forthcoming and make you hungry, as well as harm your digestive lining/tract. Hence, no sodas (regular or diet), snacks, desserts, or other foods that contain sugar or artificial sweeteners. The only acceptable sugar substitute is Stevia (which is increasingly being used in Vitamin Water, sodas such as Zevia, protein bars and powders, etc.).
• Liquid calories as they are empty calories. Drink primarily water (aim for 64 ounces a day), fresh vegetable juice (either from Whole Foods or your own juicer, not V8 or other artificial versions), or tea (eliminate or limit caffeine intake, as it negatively impacts your endocrine system and causes insulin spikes). No milk, fruit juice, or any drink with calories. Limit alcohol consumption to once or twice a week and a two drink maximum (preferably red/white wine which have some health benefits, no beer, and if you must drink liquor, stick to clear ones with soda water).
• Avoid white flour and all “white” carbs/grains (e.g. breads, pastries, potatoes, etc.)
• Avoid fried foods
• Limit stress. Though a fact of life for many of us, stress causes weight gain and has other harmful effects on the body, managing stress is critical for weight loss (particularly stubborn abdominal fat) – recommend yoga, meditation, and proper sleep (at least 7 hours per night). Great article from Mayo Clinic.
• Saturated Fats (butter, cream, lard, coconut oil, etc.)
• Domino and “gateway” foods. Many foods are difficult to stop eating once you have started (e.g. a bag of nuts – nuts are also not ideal for weight loss focused diets) or serve as a gateway and catalyze you to eat more (e.g. alcohol) – know yourself and don’t put yourself in a position to sabotage your healthy lifestyle. Additionally, keep all domino or temptation foods out of your house.
• Emotional/reward eating. Food is for fuel, period, reduce the significance of food in your mind and don’t tie it to reward or comfort. Seneca argued “Our keen edge is too often dulled by heavy eating and then wasted further as we drain our life-force in exercise trying to work it off.” Further, as the Cynics argued: “Food is just dead animals, plants and liquids we’re eventually going to excrete. No need to get excited nor stressed.” "Cheat days" which are popular in other programs are a direct link to reward/emotional eating and simply extra calories at the end of the day - no one feels good after excess/poor eating. Resources for overcoming emotional eating: Shuman, Pawlik-Kienlen, and WebMD.

Carpe Eating Approach – Objectives: Eliminate poor fuel sources, derive nutrients from “real”/unprocessed foods, while enhancing high-nutrient robust food sources, control insulin/blood sugar levels, and maximize fat burning while providing sufficient energy to fuel workouts and fitness goals.

In Addition to the Foundation Rules, 3 Things to Limit / Avoid

• High carb and high glycemic index (GI) foods (unless immediately after a workout as explained later – examples: beans, corn, potatoes, carrots, squash, parsnip, peas, artichokes). Carb reference. GI references: List and Database. Your body can only handle a certain amount of high GI/”active” carbs and when you eat more than what your body is able to use from energy, the excess is stored as fat.
• Dairy: While having a low GI and low glycemic load (GL), dairy products have a high insulinemic response and will impede weight loss.
• All fruits (except avocados): Fruit’s principal sugar, fructose, which is processed in the liver as glycerol phosphate into triglycerides and stored as fat – some identify it as a toxin and go so far as to call it a poison for the body – and will impede weight loss (particular abdominal fat). This is a controversial recommendation (one which Four Hour Body took a lot of flack for), particularly given national health agencies and nutritional recommendations – if fruit is a must for you, eat it by itself or in a protein shake (it combines terribly with other foods from a digestive perspective), limit to one serving a day, and stick to low carb/low GI fruits (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and grapefruit). Note that having experimented myself, fruit was a major drag on my weight loss and I do not miss it at all.

 Allowable Fuel (if it’s not on this list, don’t eat it, period):

• High Quality Proteins: Lean Beef (Sirloin, top round, tenderloin), Buffalo, Eggs, Fish/Shellfish, Skinless Poultry (turkey/chicken breast), and Whey/Casein/Egg Protein Powders
• Low-GI/Low Carb Veggies: Asparagus, Broccoli, Green beans, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumbers/Pickles, Lettuce, Green/Red peppers, Mushrooms, Spinach, Sprouts, and Zucchini.
• Limited amounts of higher carb complex sources (post-workout fuel only): Veggies: Yams, squash, sweet potato, beans, and raw carrots. Grains: Quinoa, wild rice, brown rice, polenta, or steel cut oatmeal. Supplement: Carb Powder for protein shake.
• Dairy Substitutes: Almond Milk (Unsweetened) preferred or Soy Milk (females only)
• Natural/Unsaturated Fats: Avocados/Guacamole, Olives/Olive Oil, Fish Oil, and Flax Seed Oil
• Spices/Garnish/Toppings: Cayenne Pepper, Cinnamon, Ground Pepper, Turmeric, Hot Sauce, Mustard, Salsa, Hummus, and Nut Butters (natural almond or peanut butter)
• Snack Options: 1) Protein shake; 2) Non-fat hummus or nut butter + low-GI/low carb veggies; 3) Salsa + low-GI/low carb veggies; 4) Low sodium pickles.
• Sample Meal Plan - ideally workout in the AM followed by:
• Breakfast 7am: Protein Shake (at least 25G of protein, 15-20G of Carbs, such as from Carb Powder or add Steel Cut Oats, with ice + dairy substitute or water).
• Snack (10am): Two table-spoon scoops of non-fat hummus + celery sticks
• Lunch (12pm): Salad – ¾ veggies and ¼ lean protein (grilled chicken, tuna, or other)
• Snack (3pm): Protein Shake (Protein only)
• Dinner (6pm): ¾ veggies + ¼ lean protein (+ starch/carb substitute if post PM work-out)

 Workout Nutrition

• In order to get the most out of your workouts, you ideally need to time them around your primary 5 meals and use those meals as your pre/post-workout fuel, however, if the timing isn’t optimal, you should be aiming for the following. Additionally, in the “anabolic window post-workout” high GI carbs should be consumed in the meal, as it will help quickly restore your glycogen levels and insulin will spike, pulling the nutrients into the cells more quickly. For both the pre and post-workout shakes and typical workouts, use a ~2:1 Carb:Protein ratio as a baseline – if you are performing high intensity two hour+ workouts, increase the ratio to 3:1. See “Favorites – Health and Nutrition” for information on the appropriate types of supplements.
• Pre-workout (1 hour before): Protein and carbs meal (either one of your existing meals or if you are working out in the AM for example, have a shake with 10G of protein and 20G of carbs - e.g. about a half scoop of whey protein powder and about a half scoop of carb powder).
• In-workout: Water mixed with BCAAs and electrolytes.
• Post-workout (within 1 hour of workout completion): Protein and quick carbs meal (either one of your existing meals or a shake aiming for 25G of protein and 40G of carbs - e.g. one scoop of whey protein powder and one scoop of carb powder).

Optional Supplements

• They are “optional” as if you are eating whole foods from the program, you shouldn’t require supplementation, however, some supplements have proved to be beneficial and can act as enhancers/accelerators to improved fitness – again, see “Favorites – Health and Nutrition” for information on my preferred supplements.
• Part of core program: Whey Protein, BCAAs, Electrolytes, and Carb Powder
• Multi-vitamin (with breakfast)
• Fish Oil – Krill Oil Best (before bed)
• Vitamin D (with breakfast)
• Fat Burning/Insulin Control (with breakfast and lunch): 1) Green tea capsules; 2) CLA; 3) Chromium Picoilinate; and 4) Vanadyl Sulfate.
• Strength Gain (pre/post work-out): 1) Creatine capsules (cycled every 6 weeks) - Ethyl Ester or Kre-Alkalyn and 2) DHEA
• Joint Improvement (before bed): Capsule with Cissus Quadrangularis, Glucosamine Sulfate, Chondroitin Sulfate, and MSM
• Digestion Aids and Probiotics (with meals)
• Endocrine/Adrenal/Stress Management Aid (with breakfast)

Ketogenic Bursts

Ketosis is the process of burning fat (both stored “ketones” and consumed) for energy as opposed to glycogen (storage form of glucose which comes from carbs), and is accomplished by getting carbohydrate intake down to <50G per day, such that carbs are largely unavailable as an energy source for the body. High protein and high fat diets have been around for many years – popularized by Atkins – they are one of the most powerful fat burning approaches, but have been mistakenly used as a permanent eating approach which is largely unsustainable for most, though is becoming increasingly more popular for pure endurance athletes and has been proven to improve epilepsy. Hence, as opposed to making it a permanent approach, would recommend (as does Dr. Wiley), leveraging “Ketogenic Bursts” are 2 week periods where you are taking a ketogenic approach to eating, using the same calorie target, but adjusting your macronutrient ratio: 70% fat, 25% protein, and ~5% carbohydrates (<50G). You will have lower energy, particularly in the first couple of days, but cannot cheat on these runs or it will not work – to ensure you have entered ketosis, you can use ketosis strips.

• On the Burst, four guidelines: 1) Ensure you are taking an electrolyte supplement, as calcium/magnesium/potassium will be depleted; 2) Ratchet back your workouts to the Foundation-Baseline (2 cardio sessions and one resistance training session per week); 3) Take a fiber supplement (Metamucil or Pro Fiber) in the evening; and 4) Once complete, on day 15, after the keto run, increase the higher carb sources during your meals in order to replenish glycogen stores and exit ketosis.
• Sample Meal Plan:
• Breakfast 7am: Protein Shake (Protein powder + flax seed oil)
• Snack (10am): 3 Oz Raw Almonds
• Lunch (12pm): Salad – Limited veggies (1/4) with salmon or tuna (3/4) mixed with olive oil
• Snack (3pm): Protein Shake (Protein powder + flax seed oil)
• Dinner (6pm): Limited veggies (1/4) + salmon or tuna (3/4)

Why HIIT should be the focus of your cardio workouts!

Like many others, to get leaner, I was literally doing 60-90 min cardio sessions 5-6x a week, I was incorporating intervals, but not an intensity that it moved me beyond "steady state," so I was effectively only burning calories while I was working out, improving my aerobic capabilities but not accruing any additional benefits such an anaerobic improvement, metabolism boost, and additional fat burning. I was getting frustrated and was frankly exhausted and burnt out. When I discovered High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), I was shocked that in 20-30 min cardio sessions, 2-3x a week, I could accomplish more than what I was previously putting in. Here's more on HIIT and in my prior posts are the recommended HIIT exercise approaches incorporated into a full workout routine. As the below routines stress, rest is important as HIIT requires recovery (indeed, it's the fact that it requires recovery and repair that is driving a number of its benefits, but you can't accrue those benefits unless you rest (24 hours in between sessions, would complete a max of 3 HIIT sessions week).

It's not complex or anything to be intimidated by, it will save you time and improve your results dramatically. In fact, Equinox, Spin Studios (Kinetic here in LA), and other fitness outlets have caught on to HIIT and are incorporating these approaches in their classes - so you may be getting exposure to HIIT without knowing it, I would recommend gravitating to those types of classes more! 

HIIT Defined: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a type of cardio training in which you alternate short, very high intensity intervals with longer, slower intervals to recover. This type of training has been used by athletes to improve performance, but it's also been shown to benefit the average exerciser. HIIT training not only helps performance, it also improves the ability of the muscles to burn fat. A typical HIIT workout usually lasts about 20-30 minutes and involves a 2:1 ratio, meaning your recovery intervals are twice as long as the work intervals.

Heart Rate Targets to drive "intensity:"

• Many have asked "what is intense?" Well, your personal definition of intense is going to change over time - what was once intense will seem like a breeze as your aerobic and anaerobic endurance steadily improves. Hence, I highly recommend using a heart rate (HR) monitor for your HIIT training sessions (see "Favs" for preferred equipment).
• Here's what you should be aiming for in terms of HR targets in HIIT - During "work" interval: 85%+ of your target HR max; During "light/rest" interval: 60% of your target HR max (need to focus on your breathing and you will improve over time at bringing your HR down). If you are not hitting 85%+ of your max, you need to a) Work harder; b) Pick a different exercise perhaps; or c) Increase your rest intervals so that you can exert more intensity during the "work" interval until your body adjusts.
• To calculate your HR zones, you can use this simple calculator that starts with your resting heart rate (would take it when you first wake up) and has options for Sex and level of current fitness - finding the 85% and 60% target rates (e.g. for me, with a resting HR of 48 BPM, at age 30, using the male "Fit" formula, mine are 162+ and 114 respectively).

HIIT Benefits, from enumerate studies (many listed on Wikipedia):

• Increases both your aerobic and anaerobic endurance 
• Burns adipose (fatty) tissue more effectively than low-intensity exercise—up to 50% more efficiently.  
• Speeds up metabolism, increasing your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), which helps you burn more calories as a baseline. Also referred to as "EPOC" (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) or "After-burn effect" - accompanied by an elevated consumption of fuel, fat stores are broken down and free fatty acids (FFA) are released into the blood. In a 1992 Purdue study, results showed that high intensity, anaerobic type exercise resulted in a significantly greater magnitude of EPOC than aerobic exercise of equal work output.
• Results in increased HGH levels, which is a hormone that burns fat while preserving muscle.   

HIIT Approaches - Varying theories around ratios of work to rest:

• Data shows that shorter work intervals of 15-30 seconds allow you to exert more effort, which result in stronger release of HGH and elimination of more fatty acids. Longer work intervals greater than 30 seconds require more perceived effort, resulting in greater number of calories burned, glycogen depletion levels (burning stored carbs for energy), increased EPOC/RMR, allowing your body to burn more fat after the completion of a workout. Further, the amount of rest/low intensity included dictates how much intensity you will be able to put in during the work phase.
• As a result of this data, in the below workouts, I've structured HIIT sessions to vary the interval and rest lengths and continue to experiment with different combinations as well as when to introduce the steady state cardio (some studies have shown that doing the steady state cardio afterwards or in-between HIIT cycles, allows for more active recovery of your muscles as well as better processing of the fatty acids that the HIIT has released into the bloodstream).

My current cardio approach, incorporating HIIT, as outlined in earlier posts for Carpe Life:

• 30 minutes of steady-state cardio:
• Options: Stationary bike (prefer recumbent), rowing machine, swimming, running, stair master, or elliptical. Increase your resistance or intensity every 10 minutes (e.g. could use levels 4, 5, and 6 on the machine over the course of the 30 minutes or if performing outside, increase pace/effort required, such as incorporating hills). HIIT is not easy, so work up to the below interval levels and times, if at any time you experience any dizziness, chest pain, nausea, or severe shortness of breath, discontinue immediately and consult a medical professional.
• 30 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) cardio:
• HIIT Options: Preferred - Jump rope or Kettlebell swings; Others - Sprint/walk on treadmill or outside, Stairmaster, Stationary bike, or stadium stairs. Use the cardio machine or ideally, the GymBoss Max to track your intervals and cycles.
• 4 Interval Sets, 1 minute of rest in between each, for total of 30 minutes: 1) 20 Seconds On / 10 Seconds Off x 10 Cycles (5 min); 2) 30 Seconds On / 15 Seconds Off x 8 Cycles (6 min); 3) 30 Seconds On / 15 Seconds Off x 8 Cycles (6 min); and 4) 1 Minute On / 30 Seconds Off x 6 Cycles (10.5 min)

2 other approaches am experimenting with that you may want to try:

1. a) 15 min steady-state cardio (typically stationary bike or stair-master); b) 11 min, 2 HIIT cycles (15-30 second range) - 1) 20 Seconds On / 10 Seconds Off x 10 Cycles (5 min) and 2) 30 Seconds On / 15 Seconds Off x 8 Cycles (6 min); c) 30 min steady-state cardio (typically stationary bike); and d) 12 min, 1 HIIT cycle (1min range) - 1 Minute On / 30 Seconds Off x 8 Cycles
2. a) 5 min steady-state cardio (typically stationary bike or stair-master); b) 16 min, 2 HIIT cycles (15-30 second range) - 1) 20 Seconds On / 10 Seconds Off x 10 Cycles (5 min); 2) 30 Seconds On / 15 Seconds Off x 8 Cycles (6 min); 3) 30 Seconds On / 15 Seconds Off x 8 Cycles (6 min); c) 30 min steady-state cardio (typically stationary bike); and d) 12 min, 1 HIIT cycle (1min range) - 1 Minute On / 30 Seconds Off x 8 Cycles.