Recent Posts

The NEW “Dairy” for Fat Loss

Posted by Joel Marion on April 16, 2010 110 Comments

So about two months ago I interviewed my good friend and holistic nutritionist Isabel De Los Rios for a guest coaching session, and within that call we gots to talkin’ about dairy quite a bit.

After the call, I started to think twice about my consumption of dairy (you can probably guess what Isabel’s position was), and from there made a couple adjustments to my diet that have made a profound impact on my fat loss over the last 6 weeks:

1.  I’ve cut back considerably on my dairy intake altogether

2.  Whatever dairy I do eat, it’s organic (sorry, I’m not giving up cheese)

Now, I generally have a couple protein shakes each day, and I generally mix the protein with milk.  Then, a couple months back, I swapped out the regular milk for Almond Milk.  No lactose, no dairy, no indigestion, no bloat…and frankly, I think it tastes better.

And oh yeah, it has one THIRD the calories of regular milk while scoring far lower on the Insulin Index.

There’s pretty much no downside.  So, next time you’re in the store, I highly recommend you pick up a carton of Almond Milk and try it out.  You can find Almond Breeze (by Blue Diamond) in just about every grocery store in the refrigerated section or there’s even a shelf-stable version available.  Personally, I like the vanilla (unsweetened) flavor best.

Give it a few weeks, and I guarantee your waist-line will thank you for it.

Want to learn some AWESOME nutrition strategies to help you burn up to 10% of your body fat in the next 30 days?

Isabel just put up a video on her site where she teaches just that:

==> How to Burn up to 10% of Your Body Fat in the Next 30 Days <——- Watch here

Enjoy!

Joel

Why Canola Oil SUCKS (and the best fat to cook with)

Posted by Joel Marion on April 13, 2010 83 Comments

So I was thumbing through a recent edition of a popular newsstand fitness magazine (mainly because John Romaniello had a short article published there, which was good by the way) and then came across a rather troubling article full of misinformation in the nutrition section regarding the best fats to cook with.

Unfortunately, their number one choice (canola oil) is actually one of the WORST fats to cook with or to consume in general, and the REAL number one fat to cook with didn’t even make the list…you gotta love newsstand fitness pubs.

Anyway, so let’s go over while Canola oil sucks, and the true “best” fat to cook with.

Canola oil sucks because…

About 30% of canola oil is made up of polyunsaturated fats, very fragile fatty acids that are easily damaged by high heat processing, which is the processing method of virtually all “commercial” forms of canola oil.

Sure, it’s made up of a large portion of heat-resistant monounsaturates, but that still leaves 30% of the oil as denatured, processed crap.

And you know what happens when fragile polyunsaturates are heated to high temperatures?  That’s right, they get all flustered and turn to trans fats, the absolute WORST possible thing you can put in your body, period.

Trans-fats have been conclusively linked to a million and one diseases and disorders, including heart disease and cancer.  And oh yeah, their toxicity also has been shown to lead to weight gain while making weight loss harder.

But somehow, this particular publication chose canola oil as the “go to option for every day cooking”…yikes.

I really, really hope you’re not getting your fitness info from the mainstream mags…

(unless of course the article is written by me :)

So what should you be looking for in an oil, particularly an oil to cook with?

The oil should be:

1.  cold pressed (not high-heat processed)

2.  have a high smoke point (meaning it is relatively stable at high temperatures)

3.  even better, comprised mostly of saturated fat (saturated fats are the most stable of all fats, and unlike the media has led us to believe, natural saturated fats are some of the more healthy fats available)

So, that gives us a couple options:

1.  For cooking, nothing beats unrefined, organic coconut oil.  Coconut oil is high in stable saturated fats, particularly the healthful medium chain triglyceride group (MCTs).

2.  Organic butter is a close second.

3.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil is ideal for low-temperature cooking and when used straight from the bottle as a salad dressing base or flavor booster for cooked veggies, etc (added after the cooking process).

If you want to learn about 4 other “health” foods you should NEVER eat if you want to lose fat, click below to watch the video my friend Isabel put together for you:

Enjoy the tips!

Joel

High Protein Pumpkin Pancakes (Mmmmm)

Posted by Joel Marion on April 10, 2010 37 Comments

Who doesn’t love pancakes on the weekend?

Um, no one, that’s who.

Well, great news.  You can have your cake and eat it too with this high protein Pumpkin Pancake recipe.

Thank my main man Jay Hunter from Prograde Nutrition for this one.

High Protein Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin puree (pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
1 scoop of Prograde Protein (the Vanilla flavored, Stevia sweetened protein powder)
1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder

Instructions

Combine the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and protein powder in a small bowl.  In another bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.  Fold the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture.  If the mixture is too thick, thin with a little water.

Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Spoon the batter into the skillet.  Cook until bubbles appear on the top and the edges look dry.  Flip and cook until the second side is golden brown.  Top with all-natural maple syrup if desired.

Super easy.  Super tasty. Super healthy.  And just in time for the weekend :)

Want 197 other delicious, fat-burning recipes for a whopping $4.95?

==> http://ProgradeStore.com/cookbook

As an act of good will our friends at Prograde have put together a kick-butt fat-burning recipe book, and you can get all 197 of them for under 5 bucks.  That’s a whole 2.5 cents per recipe.

It’s a one time payment and there is NO “catch”.  197 healthy and delicious (and EASY) recipes for under $5.  That’s all there is to it.

Do you have to buy it?  No.

Is it less than $5?  Yes.

Will it give you 197 new ideas to spice up your diet?  Yes.

The rest is for you to decide.

==> http://ProgradStore.com/cookbook

Be easy and enjoy the weekend (and the pancakes!)

Your friend,

Joel

5 Solutions to Skyrocket Muscle Building Results

Posted by Joel Marion on April 2, 2010 21 Comments

Over the course of the last week, Vince and I have presented you with a TON of killer muscle building content, including:

3 Reasons YOU Want Muscle

6 Reasons You’ve STOPPED Building Muscle, Part I

6 Reasons You’ve STOPPED Building Muscle, Part II

And today we’re back to “solve” your muscle building problems with our latest article, 5 Solutions to Skyrocket Muscle Building Results.  Enjoy!

5 Solutions to Skyrocket Muscle Building Results
By Joel Marion and Vince Del Monte

In the last two articles we’ve laid out 6 of the biggest reasons you may not be experiencing the results you DESERVE from your muscle building efforts, including:

1.  Lack of frequency
2.  Not enough “room” for muscle to grow
3.  Muscular imbalances
4.  No “down time”
5.  Nervous system inefficiency
6.  One-dimensional training

And today comes the fun part.  Today, we’re going to FIX all of the above problems by providing you with some dynamite solutions to set your muscle building results on fire.

Are you ready?  I hope so – let’s jump right in.

Solution #1: High Frequency Training

As mentioned in the previous article, the more you can stimulate a muscle to grow, the more it will grow.  Revolutionary, I know.

But as simple as that sounds, so many people are still stuck training a muscle group once a week, and so many others don’t have a clue on how to effectively up the frequency of their training…so today, we’re going to provide you with some real solutions.

That said, what exactly are the major components to effective high frequency training?

1.  Utilize a full body or half body approach (ie. upper body vs. lower body split)
2.  Vary the stimulus with each session

And essentially, that’s it.

Here are two examples, one with a full body approach and one with a half body approach:

Full Body Approach

Day 1 – Full Body (6 movements, 4 x 10)

Day 2 – Full Body (6 movements, 10 x 4)

Day 3 – Full Body (6 movements, 3 x 25)

Day 4 – OFF

Repeat

Half Body Approach

Day 1 – Upper Body (5 movements, 4 x 10)

Day 2 – Lower Body (4 movements, 4 x 10)

Day 3 – Upper Body (5 movements, 10 x 4)

Day 4 – Lower Body (4 movements, 4 x 10)

Day 5 – OFF

Day 6 – Upper Body (5 movements, 3 x 25)

Day 7 – Lower Body (4 movements, 3 x 25)

Day 8 – OFF

Repeat

With the above two approaches, you stimulate each muscle group via multiple set, rep, and volume ranges throughout the week, up to 5 times weekly.  The results are PROFOUND when compared to once weekly training.  Seriously, if you’ve never done this type of training, get ready to experience, see and feel the results after just one week.

Solution #2: Loaded Passive Stretching

In our previous article we talked about fascia tissue being a limiting factor for muscle growth due to its lack of elasticity and regulatory feedback.  We also mentioned that this tissue CAN be stretched, although few people know how to nor take the time to do it.

And here’s the best part:  it requires ZERO additional time in the gym as you can do it between your work sets.

The technique, known as loaded passive stretching, is intense, deep stretching done while muscles are already in a “pumped” state to facilitate the stretching of the fascia tissue in order to create more room for muscle tissue to grow.

This is NOT normal, passive stretching.  This is deep, heavy stretching done with an external load.

As an example, a loaded stretch for the pecs would be to:  after a set of dumbbell bench presses, grab a pair of moderately heavy dumbbells and sink into the bottom position of a dumbbell fly.  Now hold that position, not relaxing and not contracting, allowing the weight to stretch out your pumped pecs.  Repeat the stretch in between sets of any chest exercise you do, up to five times per workout, but only when your chest is in an already “pumped” state (several sets in to an exercise).

This type of stretching is NOT fun and it can be rather painful, but it’s also very rewarding.  Of course, should you try it, be mindful of the difference between “proper” pain and “injury” pain.

Solutions #3: Specialization to Correct Muscular Imbalances

The issue of muscular imbalances and regulatory feedback was discussed in our previous article as well, and the ideal solution here is to effectively “specialize” any lagging or weak body parts to balance out antagonist muscle inconsistencies.  For example, if your pecs are overpowering your back, you’ll want to take some time off from training pecs directly (perhaps only doing a few heavy sets per week to maintain strength) while heavily concentrating on your back.

Here’s one example way to do this:

Day 1 – Full Body Workout

Day 2 – Back specialization

Day 3 – Full Body Workout

Day 4 – Back specialization

Day 5 – Light back recovery

Day 6 – OFF

Repeat

Bringing up lagging body parts is essential to your muscle building success while avoiding stalled results due to regulatory feedback, or even worse, injury.  Start incorporating it today.

Solution #4: Structured Deloading

While frequency is important, it’s not possible to go “all out” and maintain that level of intensity while training frequently all the time.  This is where structured deloading comes in.

Two of our favorite deloading protocols are:

1.  The “Off” Week – Once every 3 to 4 months, take a week completely off from resistance training

2.  The “Light” Week – Once every 4 weeks, half the total volume of the previous 3 weeks

For example, if you were doing 4 movements @ 4 sets of 10 for your main training cycle, for the deloading week you’d then perform 2 movements for 2 sets of 10.

Structured deloading allows you to go HARD during the “on” weeks without burning out, and also allows recovery time to set you up for “supercompensation” once your next training cycle begins.  Supercompensation is just a fancy way of saying “take some time off, and then to compensate, your body will have an even greater adaptive response when you return to your normal training.”

Go hard and then back off; it works like a charm.

Solutions #5: Multi-dimensional Training

If you want to hit each type of muscle fiber along with each type of muscle growth, you need to break away from one-dimensional training by varying the stimulus given to your muscles by using a variety of training methods.  Here are just a few different ways to activate different fibers and growth responses:

Heavy Training
Light Training
High Volume Training
Increased Time Under Tension Training
Lactic Acid Training
Density Training
High Threshold Motor Unit Training
CAT (compensatory acceleration training) – fast/explosive movements
Varied Tempo Training
Rest-pause Training
Superset Training
High Intensity Training

And the list goes on and on.

If you’re looking to truly MAXIMIZE your muscle and achieve the fastest results possible, then your training program must be comprehensive.  It must target the full spectrum of muscle building stimuli, and unfortunately, most trainees only manage to target one or two.

Hello plateau.

Multi-dimensional training yields multi-dimensional results.

What’s Going Down Next Week

Next week, Vince Del Monte is releasing his brand new muscle-building program, Maximize Your Muscle.  It incorporates ALL of the solutions from this article (and more) in a very specific, step-by-step, detailed manner, and if I do say so myself, the program kicks serious butt.  But today, he’s GIVING AWAY a bunch of copies at his blog — I’m not quite sure when the contest post will be live, but as soon as it is, I’ll be sure to post a link here.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments, we’ll be giving of our time again today to answer them for you.  Post ’em below!

Talk to you in the comments section!

Joel

6 Reasons You’ve STOPPED Building Muscle, Part II

Posted by Joel Marion on April 1, 2010 37 Comments

In Part I of this article, Vince and I shared with you THREE big reasons that may be holding you back from gaining muscle.  If you missed that article, be sure to read it first by clicking HERE (page opens in a new window).  Once you’ve done that, read on to discover 3 MORE reasons you’re muscle building progress may have stagnated.

6 Reasons You’ve STOPPED Building Muscle, Part II
By Joel Marion and Vince Del Monte

Training your butt off but not really getting anywhere?  Put on “some” muscle, but can’t seem to add any more?  Simply not progressing fast enough?  If you can relate to any of those scenarios, then you’re going to love part 2 of this article as we’re getting ready to unleash three more BIG reasons why you’ve stopped building muscle.

If you missed Part I, click HERE (page opens in new window)

Reason #4: No “down-time”

Did you know that strategically taking time OFF from your training (when done in a very specific way, and when strategically setting up the rest of your training to benefit from it) can actually lead to MORE muscle growth?

It’s very true.

Simply put, your body performs and responds best when it’s pushed and then is given time to recover.  Let’s face it, you can’t go full-out, “balls to the wall” 100% all the time.  That leads to burn out and overstimulation.

But you can learn how to cycle strategic periods of “down-time” into your training, either by scheduling time completely “OFF” every so often, or by using “lighter” training periods within your training cycle.

Utilizing this one tactic alone will have a profound effect on your results, and we’ll show you how to do it properly in tomorrow’s article.

Reason #5: Nervous System Inefficiency

Fact:  You’re NOT going to gain muscle unless you can stimulate muscle tissue to grow with loads challenging enough to induce an adaptation response—and sadly, most people simply aren’t.

Why?  Nervous system inefficiency.

Perhaps the most important thing you can possibly do when it comes to building muscle is strengthen your nervous system connection.  You see, your nervous system controls:

• how fast your muscles contract
• how hard your muscles contract, and
• how many motor units you’re able to recruit

Amongst other things.

An efficient nervous system leads to faster, harder, stronger muscular contractions.

An inefficient nervous system leads to slower, weaker, haphazard muscular contractions.

Can you guess which one is going to lead to more muscle?

Fact is, most people’s nervous systems aren’t efficient enough to allow them to use loads heavy enough to adequately stimulate their muscles to grow.  And when the stimulus is lacking, trust us, the results will be lacking as well.

Fortunately, we’ll be back to teach you an easy way to fix this tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

Reason #6:  Your Training is One-Dimensional

Did you know that there are three types of muscle fibers?  (Type I, Type IIa, and Type IIb)

Did you know that there are two types of muscle growth?  (Myofibril, the “protein” portion of muscle cells, and Sarcoplasmic, the “fluid” portion of muscle cells)

Did you know that you need to strategically train in a very specific way to stimulate each ONE of these 5 pathways, each of which requires a differing training stimulus?

Did you know that there are at least 7 OTHER pathways to stimulate the generation of calorie-burning lean muscle?

Most people don’t, which is why most people fail to unlock more than 80% of their muscle building potential.

To make an analogy, let’s imagine that you’re trying to grow your bank account, and your sole method of doing so is depositing your bi-weekly pay check into a checking account.

The number will continue to rise on a slow, steady basis.

But, what if that money was in an interest bearing account?  What if you took some of that money and invested it in 3 or 4 or 10 different places?  What if you set up a side business that was generating even more money to deposit in to that account?

Do you think that over a period of 6 months you’d have SUBSTANTIALLY more money than if you continued to solely rely on the “paycheck deposit” method of growing your bank account?

YES.

Similarly, there are MANY ways and avenues and pathways to stimulate and generate muscle growth, and if you’re hoping to experience optimal growth, you need to be utilizing all the different pathways.

And in tomorrow’s article, we’ll share several methods to ensure you’re hitting multiple pathways with your training.

Wrap Up

Alright, there you have it – 6 of the biggest misconceptions surrounding muscle growth and some BIG reasons why you may not be experiencing the lean muscle building results you’re after, but don’t worry, you can “fix” all of these problems, and we’ll be back tomorrow to share a bunch of solutions.

Stay tuned.

Comment Time:

In the meantime, we’re hear to answer your questions and respond to your comments below, so be sure to drop yours below.  If you’ve yet to comment on the blog, make today your first!  And if you’re a regular commenter, continue with that “action-taking” habit.  The more you act, the more we interact, the greater your results will be.  This is a community and we’re here to help you.

Talk to you in the comments section!

Joel and Vince

6 Reasons You’ve STOPPED Building Muscle, Part I

Posted by Joel Marion on March 30, 2010 58 Comments

As promised, Vince and I are back  to go over some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the topic of building muscle, and several BIG reasons why your current weight training regimen isn’t leading to the lean muscle gains your after.  Part I of this article will cover 3 reasons, and then we’ll be back tomorrow with 3 more.  Enjoy!

6 Reasons You’ve STOPPED Building Muscle, Part I
By Joel Marion and Vince Del Monte

Training your butt off but not really getting anywhere?  Put on “some” muscle, but can’t seem to add any more?  Simply not progressing fast enough?  If you can relate to any of those scenarios, then you’re going to love this 2 part article as we’re getting ready to unleash six BIG reasons why you’ve stopped building muscle.

Reason #1: Lack of Frequency

The old adage of training a muscle once per week to allow for recovery is DEAD.  If you’re not training a muscle multiple times each week, you’re simply NOT going to make optimal gains, period.

But, let’s go back and dissect the “reasoning” of this whole philosophy.

If you train, and train hard, you’re likely to get sore.  Conventional wisdom tells you that you should wait until you’re no longer sore to train again.  Unfortunately, conventional wisdom is faulty here.

You see, if you don’t train your body to improve it’s recovery capacity by training when you’re sore, then you’re body has no reason to improve it’s recovery capacity.

Want to train a muscle 3 times per week and reap double or triple gains?  Then you need to teach your body to recover faster by training more frequently.

Beyond that, let’s further bury the myth that training a muscle while sore hampers recovery.

• Nosaka K, Clarkson P.M. Muscle damage following repeated bouts of high force eccentric exercise. Med. Sci. Sports Exrc., 27(9):1263-1269,1995.

• Smith LL., Fuylmer MG., Holbert D., McCammon MR., Houmard JA., Frazer DD., Nsien E., Isreal RG. The impact of repeated bout of eccentric exercise on muscular strength, muscle soreness and creatine kinase. Br J Sp Med 28(4):267-271, 1994.

• T.C. Chen, Taipei Physical Education College, and S.S. Hsieh, FACSM,. The effects of a seven-day repeated eccentric training on recovery from muscle damage. Med. Sci. Sports Exrc. 31(5 Supp) pp. S71, 1999.

All 3 of these studies came to the same conclusion:  training a sore muscle does NOT adversely affect recovery.  In fact, when done properly, doing so can actually speed up the recovery process by shuttling nutrient rich blood to recuperating muscle tissue.

Here’s the deal:  The more frequently you can stimulate a muscle to grow, the more it will grow.  Sounds simple, and it is.

One small caveat, however:  obviously when upping training frequency you can potentially run in to the problem of “overreaching” or burning yourself out.  The important thing is to listen to your body and train as frequently as possible.  If you’re motivated to train and feel “good”, then have at it.

Reason #2: You’re muscles don’t have enough “room” to grow

Huh?  Not enough “room”?  Allow us to explain.

All muscle is bound by connective tissue called fascia, which surrounds individual muscle fibers (endomysium), groups of fibers (perimysium), and entire muscles (epimysium).  This fascia tissue is continuous with the tendon and functions to conduct the forces generated by the contractile proteins actin and myosin through the tendon, to the bone.

Here’s the problem: these “protective coverings” that surround all muscle tissue lack elasticity.  Meaning, when a muscle grows and fills the “bag”, trying to shove more muscle into the same size bag becomes difficult.

Think of a hot water bottle that holds 16 ounces of water.  Now fill it with 20 ounces of water.  Go ahead; do it!

What do you mean you can’t?

You see, no matter how hard you try to fit 20 ounces into a 16 ounce hot water bottle, it aint gonna happen, not unless you somehow stretch the bottle so it can hold more water.

Well, it’s the same thing with fascia tissue; it can only hold in so much muscle, and when the lining gets full, the rate of growth is dramatically decreased.

Enter “regulatory feedback”.

Essentially, you very well may be stimulating your muscles to grow through proper diet and training, but if the surrounding fascia tissue is not expanding at the same rate, you can bet your bottom dollar that your brain will respond by putting the kabosh on growth.

Fortunately, there are several things you can do to “stretch” this fascia tissue and avoid this form of regulatory feedback — we’ll teach you those in another article this week.

Reason #3: Muscular Imbalances

While we’re on the topic of regulatory feedback, it’s fitting to address another major initiator of R.F. activity, and that’s muscular imbalances.

Simply put, your body wants things to be symmetrical and even, and when they aren’t, it will prevent further adaptations from taking place that will ultimately throw things even further out of whack.

For example, let’s say your training is full of pressing movements, which has caused your chest to experience significant growth.  On the other hand, you don’t do a whole lot for your back…no rowing or heavy pulling movements, leaving your back rather weak and underdeveloped.

The body’s response:  no more growth until you bring your back up to speed.

And this is true across the board, over virtually all muscle groups.

Have you ever seen someone with huge biceps and puny triceps?  No, it simply doesn’t happen because your body doesn’t let it happen.

Why?

One is the issue of injury.  Large pecs and an underdeveloped back put a huge strain and pull on the back and result in poor posture and ultimately injury, especially if things were to get really out of whack (which the body won’t allow).

The other is the issue of symmetry.  It’s almost as if your body wants to prevent you from looking like a moron.  Thank you, body.  It won’t let your biceps grow too much beyond your triceps, even if you work your biceps every day.

Bottom line:  you need to correct imbalances to prevent regulatory feedback from stopping you dead in your tracks.  We’ll share some strategies for correcting imbalances in another article later in the week.

Wrap Up

In yesterday’s article, we talked about why YOU want muscle.

In today’s article, we discussed several reasons why you may not be getting it as fast as you want it.

Bottom line, there ARE things holding you back, and in order to achieve your goals you need to understand and learn how to correct each one.  If you don’t, it’s going to be a long, frustrating road, and that’s the last thing we want to see you deal with.

As mentioned, in another article this week we’re going to provide practical and strategic solutions for all the “problems” mentioned in this 2 part article.  Today we covered 3 biggies, and in Part II (tomorrow) we’ve got 3 more coming your way.

Until then, train hard and train smart.

Joel and Vince

Comment Time:

Learn something today?  Have a question for us?  Vince and I will be checking in throughout the day today, giving of our time to help you.  Take advantage by taking time to respond and interact with us below.  We’re here to help.

Talk to you in the comments section below!

3 Reasons YOU Want Muscle

Posted by Joel Marion on March 29, 2010 506 Comments

3 Reasons YOU Want Muscle
By Joel Marion & Vince Del Monte

It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, 22 or 62, attempting to lose fat or “get buff”, you WANT muscle.  In fact, we’ll venture to say that virtually everyone wants muscle (whether they know it or not), and here’s why:

1.  Building Muscle = Faster Fat Loss

Even if you’re primary goal is fat loss, you’d be extremely wise to build specific periods of time in to your training schedule in which you primarily concentrate on building muscle.

Why?

Muscle is metabolically expensive.

You see, for every pound of muscle you manage to add to your frame, you’ll burn an additional 40-50 cals per day. So, let’s say you gain 10 lbs; that means your body now REQUIRES 400-500 more calories to simply maintain its weight, posing several benefits:

• You get to eat the same amount and lose fat faster OR
• You get to eat more and lose fat just as quickly

Either way you look at it, that’s a pretty solid deal, only possible through the addition of calorie-burning lean muscle.

2.  Building Muscle = Easier Weight Maintenance

Let’s say you lose 30 lbs, which is awesome, but you fail to put on any appreciable amount muscle, or even worse, you lose muscle mass in the process (which is extremely common).

In either case, metabolism will in fact be slower after you’ve lost the 30 lbs than it was when you first started your fat loss journey…NOT what you want if your goal is to actually keep the weight off.

With the addition of lean muscle mass, your metabolism won’t be slower, it will be faster, making maintaining your new body incredibly easy.

Muscle is the difference between losing 30 lbs once and for all, and struggling to losing 30 lbs over and over and over again for the rest of your life.

Wouldn’t you love to just lose the weight once and never have to worry about “gaining it back”…again?

3.  Building Muscle = A Hotter, Sexier Body

Being thin is one thing, being hot is another.  And the latter is something only lean muscle can provide.

I think we’d all agree that while being thin is certainly better than being fat, what we truly want our bodies to look like goes far beyond simply being skinny.

For example, take a look at the photos below; these are both “size 2” bodies:

The difference:  one looks “okay” and the other is smokin’ hot.  The REAL difference:  Muscle.  While the same exact “size”, the physique on the right is comprised mostly of dense, shapely, tone muscle, while the image on the left…isn’t.

And for the guys, when it comes to taking your shirt off or being comfortable on the beach, we’d probably all agree that simply being “thin” or “skinny” isn’t where it’s at.  Muscle makes a dramatic difference in the way we look.  Just look at the before/after pics from these two clowns:

While the “before” photos were thin, there’s a world of difference in the confidence and general appearance of a physique possessing significantly more muscle.

How would your life change if YOU were to gain 5, 10, or even 20 lbs of lean muscle?

Both Vince and I can tell you that since our transformation, our entire lives have benefited massively because of one thing:  muscle.  It really can and does affect your entire life.

Comment Time:

How many pounds of lean, sexy muscle would you like to gain?  Respond in the comments section below along with any muscle building questions you might have.  Vince and I will be checking in throughout the day to answer your questions, and we’ll also select 2 “commentors” at random to receive a free muscle building “gift” ($97 value).

Talk to you in the comments section!

Joel and Vince

P.S.  If you have never commented on the blog, today is the day.  You might win something cool, and besides, when you take action and comment, it just reinforces your goals and pushes you even more toward achieving them.  We’re looking forward to YOUR comment below!

A healthy alternative to your Starbucks addiction

Posted by Joel Marion on March 21, 2010 53 Comments

So I’m at Starbucks getting ready to pull an all-nighter.  It’s like 11:21 or something absurd like that.

Lots of college kids.  Kind of reminds me of my college days…actually, that’s not true; I never went to Starbucks in college.

Anyway, you’re probably wondering why I’m a 27-year-old business owner and pulling an all-nighter.  Good question.  Basically, I procrastinated on something that just so happens to be due tomorrow and I have no choice but to get it done tonight.  And of course, there was about ZERO chance that I’d actually get it done at the home office, so I came here.

But, here’s the cool thing:  I’m working on something REALLY awesome and TOP SECRET and I’m even going to let you know what it is in a few weeks.  Oooo, the anticipation.

But HEY, instead of actually doing my work, why don’t I take some time to blog about Starbucks and coffee?

You think it’s a good idea, too?  Awesome.  YOU’RE awesome.

So, if you’re like me, you like a good cup of coffee every so often.  Or perhaps you just like coffee-flavored things (also like me), such as a White Chocolate Frappuccino (630 calories, 119 grams of sugar – but hey, it DOES have 0 grams of fat).

Fortunately, the whole point of this blog post is for me to provide you with an equally satisfying, tasty coffee-flavored icy treat, which I promise to do in just a moment.

But first, allow me to give you some advice:

Starbucks is good for:

• A change of environment for getting work done at midnight if you’re a true procrastinator like me (I also use random hotel lobbies, in which I’m not even a guest, for this purpose.  Works great and makes me feel very resourceful, which I am.)

• Regular coffee (which I just ordered)

And that’s about it.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  The other stuff does TASTE good (some of it really good), but it comes at the expense of lotsa calories and insulin spiking sugars.  Fortunately, I have a pretty sweet (read cool – not sugary) solution for you.

One other quick thing…don’t be fooled by the “Light” options either, like the Java Chip Frappuccino Light Blended Coffee — that mofo still packs up to 300 cals and 55 grams of carbs depending on the size.

So, today, I’m here to satisfy your coffee-flavored dessert-esque beverage cravings with a much healthier alternative.

The Vanilla Cinnamon Mocha Almond Protein Smoothie (awesome name, I know)

AND, it’s only 150 calories, with 100 of those bad boys coming from lean muscle building protein.  Here you go:

• 1 Scoop of Prograde Protein (the low-carb vanilla protein sweetened with Stevia)
• 1 heaping tsp of instant coffee
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 6 oz of Almond Milk (unsweetened)
• 4 oz of crushed ice

Blend (in a blender) and enjoy.

You’ll never miss a Frappuccino again.

Enjoy today’s blog?  Going to try the recipe?  Already tried the recipe (you action-taker, you)?  Have a different opinion about Starbucks?

Respond in the comments section below!  At least 40 comments and I’ll be back with at least 2 other blog posts this week.  At least.

Talk to you below!

Your friend,

Joel

How to Dine Out Without Screwing It All Up

Posted by Joel Marion on March 5, 2010 60 Comments

This weekend I’m back in the North East attending a marketing conference up in Connecticut, traveling with my buddy and fat-loss frenemy, John Romaniello.

Now you’ve probably never heard of a frenemy, but that’s who John Romaniello is to me.  Part friend, part ENEMY.  Allow me to explain.

First, John lives in the North East (enemy), where it’s like 3 degrees right now (double enemy).  Okay, maybe not 3 degrees, but once you get under 20, it doesn’t matter.

I had to get on a plane to visit him (enemy), which took like 90 hours (triple enemy) due to delays, 3 guys in orange suits and an umbrella.  Listen, I really can’t get in to it right now…

When I finally got there, John took me to the gym (ok, cool…) and then proceeded to take me through a workout that made me vomit about 23 mins and 42 seconds in (immediate jump to quintuple enemy).

On the other hand, John allowed me to use some of his $97 hair product before heading out to dinner, which I suppose makes him my friend.

Anyway, yes, the point of this blog post.  It’s coming.

So, I’m on a rather strict diet right now.  Why you ask?  Because John Romaniello stole $5,000 of my money and has refused to return it to me, unless I come in at less than 212 lbs and 10% body fat by April 19th.

Somehow, he conned me in to signing my name somewhere, and I apparently agreed to this.

Either way, it was John’s mother’s birthday today.  And prior to departing for our conference in Connecticut (from where I am composing this post, alongside a snoring Vince Del Monte), we decided to go out to a celebratory dinner at Bryant & Cooper Steak House (Long Island, NY).

Now, you would think that John was trying to sabbotage my $5,000 non-wager by taking me to such an establishment, but the truth is, John knows I’m a ninja.

No, like a real ninja.

And by that I mean that I still managed to leave very FULL and satiated and I even ate dessert without even so much as settling for a pre-mature cheat meal.

How?  Simple, I learned a little trick called volumizing my plate  (i.e. I chose the right foods and was able to eat a lot of them—while out to eat, without skipping a course, all while never having to “watch” anyone eat while I wasn’t—and without massive caloric damage).

I started with a green bean and tomato salad (tossed in a light vinaigrette), followed by the main course (a 10 oz filet mignon, lean as could be, and 2 “family size” sides of green veggies—the first, lightly buttered asparagus, the second, spinach tossed in olive oil and garlic).

And while John and his mother enjoyed a birthday pecan pie ala mode together for dessert (sweet boy, that John), I didn’t have to forgo the 3rd course either.

Instead of the thousand calorie pie, I chose a heaping bowl of mixed berries, which was,  in comparison to their dessert, significantly larger, while bringing in about 1/10 of the calories.

The truth is this, you can EASILY be social, dine out, eat GOOD, and leave full when you make the right choices.

Not sure what to order?  Just hit up a nice steakhouse and order what I had.  It was, as the Italians say, delicioso.

And tomorrow, I’m having a beer.  A really tall one.  With some cake.  Bring on the fat-loss accelerating Cheat Day.

By the way, for your next Cheat Day, order a birthday cake.  It doesn’t matter if it’s your birthday or not, just do it.  Trust me, it’s awesome.

Your friend,

Joel

P.S.  What’s your favorite healthy “out to eat” meal?  Let me know, along with your comments, below!  At least 50 comments and I’ll be back early next week with some amazing content I’ve got lined up for you guys.  Talk to you below (I’ll be checking in throughout the day ;)

Citizen Cope and Stuffed French Toast

Posted by Joel Marion on March 1, 2010 112 Comments

When I find out about something cool or experience something great−be it a new CD, a great movie, good food, or the many other great things life has to offer−I want to share it with all my closest friends.

So, two things to share with YOU today (you know I consider you one of my closest friends, right? ;):

1.  Citizen Cope’s new album, The Rainwater, just dropped today.  Probably the best band you never heard of.  Preview it on iTunes.  Grab it at Best Buy.  Trust me, you’ll enjoy it.  My favorite song on the new album is “Lifeline”.

Second, I had the opportunity to cook up one of my favorite healthy breakfasts this morning, and while enjoying it thought who better to share the recipe with than you, my beloved subscriber.

The recipe is for Stuffed French Toast, and while that may not sound too healthy, I got the recipe from my colleague and good friend John Berardi−an absolute GENIUS when it comes to making healthy food taste great.

Check it out below and give it a try the next time you’re in the mood for super-charged, great-tasting healthy breakfast!

Stuffed French Toast

4 oz nonfat cottage cheese
1 scoop (20 grams protein) Vanilla Whey Protein
1 tbsp raisins
1/2 cup egg whites (approximately 4 eggs)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp skim milk
1/2 cup raw oats
2 large slices of 12-grain or 100% whole wheat bread
1 tbsp raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries for garnish
1 tsp of Splenda

Blend the cottage cheese in a blender until smooth. Remove to a medium bowl and add mix in the protein powder and raisins. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix the egg whites with the cinnamon and milk. Set aside.

Place the oats on a flat plate.

Preheat skillet on medium-high heat.

Fold each slice of bread to create a “pocket”. Fill each pocket equally with the cottage cheese mixture. Take the bread and dip each side into the egg mixture. Then, coat both sides with the oats. When ready, cook both sides until golden brown, approximately 3 minutes each side. Garnish with berries and serve.

Makes 2 Servings

Alright, comment time.

Did you enjoy this post?  Will you give the recipe a try?

Are you familiar with Citizen Cope?  How awesome is he?

And lastly, if you have a fun recipe and/or an “undiscovered” band that rocks out, share it with us all below!

At least 100 comments and I’ll be back with 3 more recipes later in the week!

Joel