Lose Stubborn Fat!

Don't Get Fat Summer Bar-B-Ques!

Ok, so everyone is talking about how to go to summer Bar-B-Ques and eat less crap.

Which is totally valid.

All kinds of things like, only do one plate.  Don't graze.  Limit yourself to one beer, ect.

And you can totally do it that way.

That totally works for some people.

It wouldn't work for me.

My way is simple: Pick your battles.

That's it.

Six days per week keep it perfect.

One day per week, let it fly.

If you have two Bar-B-Ques in one week, then you are going to have to raise your game for one of them, because one of them you have to eat on your meal plan.

Why not just make it a "Free Day"?

A Tale of Two Bar-B-Ques

Bar-B-Que #1 - The Free Day Bar-B-Que

You eat: Hamburgers, steak, hotdogs, chips, everything.

You drink: Beer, soda, shots of Bacardi 151 chased with Absinthe, whatever.

You skip: Totally and completely gorging yourself, but otherwise you enjoy everything.

Bar-B-Que #2 - The On Your Nutrition Plan Day

You eat: Meat, fish, chicken, whatever.  Salad if they have it.  Fruit if they have it.  You can actually eat a pretty good meal at most bar-b-ques - there is always protein and salad.

You drink: Water.  And you like it. 

You skip: You skip the chips and the beer and all the other crap, because it's not your free day.

Fun Without Alcohol?  Is it Possible?

You're never going to believe this - I went to a Bar-B-Que the other day and no one really drank.  It wasn't even like a bunch of personal trainers at the Bar-B-Que - it was just a bunch of normal every day dudes and chicks. 

It wasn't that they didn't have beer - they did.

Just no one drank.  Ok, a couple people had one beer.  Most people had none.

Guess what?  It was exactly the same. 

We all had fun.  We all ate some really freakin amazing steak.  We all hung out and had a great time.

And everything was the same.

I'm not anti-drinking.  But alcohol does majorly hold people back in their fat loss efforts.  It needs to be limited.

Lets Grill Up The Taco Bell!

No one Bar-B-Ques crap fast food.  Everything that goes on the grill is usually protein.

The food at Bar-B-Ques is actually pretty awesome, you just need to pick and choose.  Stick to what gets grilled and you're doing awesome.

Every Bar-B-Que I've been to this summer had steak or chicken.  Both of which are awesome protein, and a great part of any meal.

Every Bar-B-Que I've been to this summer had salad or vegetable salad.  Both are great with your steak or chicken.

That's About as "Caveman" a Meal As You Can Get!

In fact, if you go to a Bar-B-Que and have steak, fruit and salad, you'll actually have eaten a perfect meal. 

It's actually healthier than what most people eat most of the time.

It's That Simple

Just choose which events you are going to designate as free days...

and then no more free meals the rest of the week. 

Everything else has to be on point food wise, no matter what it takes.

It's really nice to have rocked the food all week long, to then be able to show up at an event and not have to think about it. 

And it's really nice during the week when you are eating perfect, to know that you have an event coming up where you can eat what you want.

And of course I am using Bar-B-Ques as a metaphor for any number of summer events that come up.  Apply this strategy to all of them.

By Josh Hillis

The Platinum Coaching Club is about dealing with the stuff that comes up in life (like Bar-B-Ques), and getting results anyway.

"Hey Josh, just wanted to say thank you! I'm 4 weeks in to the programme (Josh Hillis Platinum Coaching Club) and still loving it. I've lost at least 7lbs and 2% body fat already and my stomach is getting flatter by the day... I have to say I think the food log is one of the biggest parts of that - who knew that just writing down what you ate and planning ahead like that made such a difference." -Ruth Cozens

Josh is the author of the ever-popular fat loss e-book: The Stubborn Seven Pounds

If you've already completed The Stubborn Seven Pounds, take it to the next level with one of these two programs:

Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss or
Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss for Women

Marisa Miller's Travel Workout

Look, everyone makes excuses about workouts.

And everybody misses a workout once in a while.

One of the best excuses to miss a workout?  Travelling.  It's a excuse to eat crap also.

I guarantee that Marisa Miller travels more than you do.

While Marisa credits strength training, cardio, pilates and surfing to getting her wicked body - she doesn't always have access to a great gym at every location she has to travel to.

I also guarantee that she doesn't make any excuses about it.

Marisa has a wicked travel workout, and it doesn't require anything you couldn't bring in your luggage.

You don't get abs like that making excuses.

Her workout consists of classic bodyweight staples like pushups and split squats.

Of course she does full pushups on her toes, with perfect form: A tight core and a straight line from her heels through the crown of her head.

Split squats are awesome because you can get a wicked leg workout with little or no extra weights.  You could use your bodyweight, some light dumbbells, or even your luggage.

Who needs a gym?  We can get a wicked leg workout with just a chair and a really cool cloudy/ocean background.

She mixes up bodyweight pushing and squatting movements with bodyweight "cardio" movements like mountain climbers, bicicles and speed skaters.

Marisa says she loves boxing and spinning, but usually she travels too much to make it to classes regularly.  Some of my clients have the same problem, but without the travelling. 

Her favorite workout is surfing!  If you've never surfed, you be amazed what an awesome workout it is paddling out wave after wave for a few hours. 

Marisa says that surfing clears her head and just "Doesn't feel like working out."

It's true, you're allowed to enjoy working out.  Strength training legend Dan John has taught me that great workouts often look like play instead of work. 

Surfing would definitely qualify.  So would climbing, ultimate frisbee, and watching Kiana's Flex Appeal.

Marisa's travel workouts tend to revolve around bodyweight movements and band movements.  The biggest upside of using a band is that it's portable.  You can throw some bands in your luggage and take them anywhere. 

Lets get real, bands mostly suck for all the-time-workouts.  But for a once in a while on the road workout, they're invaluable.

In fact, they totally rock for adding some pulling movements to a travel workout routine to get that push/pull balance you always need.  If you can already rock pullups, and you can find a tree branch, that'll work too.  In the meantime, there's bands.

Marisa ends up doing a lot of workouts on the road.  But when she has a big show or shoot coming up, she'll work out with her personal trainer for an hour per day.  Strength training with her trainer she gets extra lean and toned. 

Marisa says she "Wants things to bounce, but not jiggle!"  Amen sister.

People are always saying stuff like "Oh they're all totally airbrushed and photoshopped...  You can't Photoshop a runway walk, so you know Marisa is the real deal:

 

Believe it or not Marisa's biggest challenge isn't always traveling - it's staying home!  Her husband, Griffen Guess eats like crap.

Marisa told Cosmopolitan: "I hadn't had soda in about five years, and I came home to find this thing in the fridge that rolls soda cans out like a dispenser.  I'm like, What are you doing to me?"

There is a gem of wisdom there: She hadn't had soda in five years, and she was pissed off that it was in her house! 

This is a metaphor for everything you know you shouldn't eat, but still do.  Don't have it in your house.  And if it is in your house, blame it on your husband.

Marisa Miller does not look like that by accident.

She does solid, basic work outs, she doesn't miss workouts because she has a travel workout, and she skipped soda (and who knows how many other crap foods) for at least half a decade.  

What I'm getting at is that if you build the food and fitness habits that Marisa has, you'll completely transform your body.

Every month my clients lose another inch off their waist -  I always ask them: "What do you think you did right this month?"  And they always get this puzzled look on their face...  then it hits them!  "I ate right and I did the workouts!"

It's not an accident.  It's not magic.  It's not genetic.  You can transform your body, you just need to stop making excuses and create awesome workout and food habits.

By Josh Hillis

The Platinum Coaching Club is about building the kind of habits that it takes to completely transform your body.  If you do the right things, you get an awesome body.  So the game is really just getting enough structure and support that you actually do the right things.

"Hey Josh, just wanted to say thank you! I'm 4 weeks in to the programme (Josh Hillis Platinum Coaching Club) and still loving it. I've lost at least 7lbs and 2% body fat already and my stomach is getting flatter by the day... I have to say I think the food log is one of the biggest parts of that - who knew that just writing down what you ate and planning ahead like that made such a difference." -Ruth Cozens

Josh is the author of the ever-popular fat loss e-book: The Stubborn Seven Pounds

If you've already completed The Stubborn Seven Pounds, take it to the next level with one of these two programs:

Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss or
Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss for Women

The Three Biggest Fitness Trends for Summer 2009

The Theme for 2009 is Old-School meets New School

1.) Kettlebells

Despite the sad state of kettlebell swing form in the national media, the fact is that we are seeing kettlebells in every fitness magazine, TV, newspaper, online, everywhere!

At first it was a big deal that Katherine Heigl was working out with kettlebells, that they were in Rolling Stone, Oxygen, Men's Fitness, Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey has used kettlebells, Penelope Cruz, Sylvester Stallone, Tim Ferris author of the Four Hour Work Week, they were on The Biggest Loser, Bravo's Workout, the list goes on and on.

Kettlebells are everywhere. 

 You simply don't find a more intense workout than kettlebells anywhere.

Kettlebells will rock your world.

I've been kettlebell lifting for six years, and I'm still shocked at how hard-core a workout they are.

It's the fact that it's more work in less time.

More work + less time = higher intensity,
and intensity does magical things in terms of fat loss.

Kettlebells are the ultimate old-school fat loss tool, they've been "cutting edge fitness" since the early 1800's. 

For the last 100 years they've been the mainstay of hardcore russian military units.

The last 10 years they've been adopted by hardcore US miltary and law enforcement, boxers and cage fighters.

And now, in 2008 and 2009, kettlebells have made the  jump from military fitness to really hot hollywood starlets. 

Hollywood likes kettlebells for the same reason as the military:

The Military needs to be wicked fit - their lives depend on it - and kettlebells are brutally effective at getting results.

Hollywood needs to be wicked hot - their career depends on it - and kettelbells are brutally effective at getting results.

2.) TRX - Suspension Training

TRX Suspension training puts a really cool new twist on some oldschool bodyweight training.

TRX is starting to pop up everywhere. 

It works for the same reason that gymnasts have wicked bodies - it's a full body workout that's really freakin hard.

Seriously, have you ever seen a gymnast that wasn't ripped?  Bodyweight training can kick ass.

They've done some really cool things, like adding foot straps, so you can do a million new variations.

What's even better, is that it can meet you at whatever fitness level you are currently at.

Changing the angle slightly changes the difficulty level completely.  So you can make it easier or harder in a second.

Like kettlebells, because you can get a full body workout all in one package, you end up with a quicker, faster, more intense full body workout.

Pushing, pulling, squatting in powerful, quick circuits.  It's everything that I ask for in a workout, all in tight, compact, portable package.

3.) Boxing

Told you this summer is old school.  

How is it that every starlet in Hollywood is doing boxing and circuits of strength training?

It just works.

Boxing only goes out of style every couple years, then it comes back. 

It just keeps coming back because it produces results.

It's full body, high intensity interval training - It's the very definition of what works for fat loss.

Boxing produces a powerful fat loss result for the same reason that kettlebell lifting does - explosive full body movements in intervals.

I originally put together Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss and Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss for Women to get the same results, without having to fit a boxing class into your schedule.

And boxing is definitely doing a good job of keeping Lauren Conrad looking lean these days.

By Josh Hillis

Right now the platinum coaching group is kicking serious ass.  If you feel like you need a good kick in the ass on your summer workout routine, you ought to check it out.

Josh is the author of the ever-popular fat loss e-book: The Stubborn Seven Pounds

If you've already completed The Stubborn Seven Pounds, take it to the next level with one of these two programs:

Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss or
Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss for Women

"I've seen more results in 6 weeks training with Josh than I saw in the previous two years working out on my own" -Stephanie Weis

What Fat People Can Teach You About Getting Abs

There is a saying that success leaves clues.

So does failure.

People who are overweight have some things in common.

Can you guess what they are?

Here are 4 tips for getting wicked lean this summer, that you can learn from people who are totally overweight:

    1.) Fat people eat at certian places.  Don't eat there.

    2.) Fat people use certain excuses for not eating right.  Don't use those excuses.

    3.) Fat people have reasons they don't like to work out.  Don't have those reasons.

    4.) Fat people have a particular way of talking about food.  Don't talk like that.

Sometimes, knowing what not to do
is just as important as knowing what to do

If you catch yourself making the kind of excuse that someone who is really out of shape would make, stop.

Start becoming more aware of what you are saying to yourself and to others about nutrition and exercise.

If what you are saying doesn't work, then stop saying it.

If where you are going to eat doesn't fit your goals, don't go there.

What Would Jessica Biel Do?

Picture someone who has they body you want - imagine what you think they say about food and working out.

Try to imagine - would Jessica Biel make this excuse about dinner?

Would Matthew Mcconaughey make this excuse about working out?

Would Jessica Alba skip doing lunges because she doesn't like them? 
(I'll help you with this one - she hates lunges, and she does them anyway)

By Josh Hillis

Josh is the author of the ever-popular fat loss e-book: The Stubborn Seven Pounds

If you've already completed The Stubborn Seven Pounds, take it to the next level with one of these two programs:

Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss or
Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss for Women

"I've seen more results in 6 weeks training with Josh than I saw in the previous two years working out on my own" -Stephanie Weis

Hugh Jackman's Wolverine Workout

There are a lot of people talking about how Jacked Hugh Jackman looks in Wolverine.

And there are a lot of people asking him about his workout.

But they seem to be glazing over some of the most important points.

Hugh Jackman has been working on the Wolverine Body for a year.

Building muscle takes longer than losing fat, and it's going to take some serious dedication to make that happen.

Unfortunately, today's quick fix society, people try something for a few weeks, they don't look like they're a member of the X-Men, they stop and try something new.

Switching to another program is quitting.

Pick a program, follow it exactly, and stick with it until you get results.

The Wolverine Workout is Big, Loud, Hard and Heavy

So what did Hugh Jackman do for a year?  Mostly big lifts.

This shouldn't surprise you, he moved heavy iron.  Bench press, barbell rows, heavy barbell lunges, squats, ect.

He rocked the big, hard lifts.

He didn't say how much he was squatting, but he did mention he's benching 315.

If he benches 315, I'd imagine he's squatting at least 315 also. 

Food for thought - Get real about what it takes in the gym:
If you want a body like Wolverine, you should be working on benching 315 and squatting 315.  How ever long it takes.

Why would you waste your time on the crunch machine?  What are you doing on the eliptical machine?  Machine curls, are you joking?  Seriously?

You'll notice next time you go to the gym - the people doing big lifts have ripped superhero bodies.

The girls and the guys.  The guys get jacked, the girls just get wicked lean.  Big lifts work for everyone.

The people who avoid big lifts "because they're hard" or "because they don't know how to do them" don't have a body that anyone is going to notice, much less a superhero body.

If Wolverine is stronger than you, fix that first.
It took Hugh Jackman a year.

If you have to learn the form...
If you have to put in the work...
If it took you a year, wouldn't it totally be worth it?

Do what ever you want, after you get strong in the major lifts - pushing, pulling and squatting. 

So grab yourself a barbell, and start the long, rewarding task of building real strength on the bench, the bent over row, and the squat. 

The Wolverine Workout Cylces

And check this out - Hugh is smart enough to cycle his Wolverine workout.

People tend to make one of two mistakes: They either never change their workout, or they change too often and change too much.

He doesn't do the same thing forever.  He sticks on a phase long enough to cause a result, and then he changes.  For him, that's every three weeks.  (note: More advanced lifters can do three week phases, intermediate lifters should do 4-6 week phases, beginners should do 8 week phases -JH)

Hugh does three weeks of heavy sets, with lots of rest.

Then he does three weeks of lighter sets, with slower tempo (3 seconds down, one second up.  Or 4 seconds down, 2 seconds up).

The last phase of the cycle is three weeks of explosive lifting.

Rinse and repeat.  The movements don't change, but the amount of weight he uses, the speed he lifts it, and the amount of rest, all those variables change.

I've often said that your workout should be like seasons, it should change systematically.  

How Would Wolverine Do This Workout?

This is key - 

Hugh would actually imagine he was wolverine while he was doing the workout.

He wasn't lifting like Hugh Jackman would workout.  He didn't want a Hugh Jackman body.

He wanted a Wolverine Workout, so he lifted like Wolverine.

That included growling and screaming, and attacking his lifting like his life depended on it.

I ask my clients this all the time: "Who do you want to look like?"

And once you get an idea in your head of how you want to look, imagine how that person eats, imagine how that person works out, imagine how that person talks about eating and working out.

Wolverine wouldn't make excuses about going to the gym.

And Wolverine wouldn't punk out on his workouts.

Hugh Jackman set that as the standard he had to live up to.  And he then he just did live up to that standard.  

The body came as a natural consequence of that.

And What Do You Feed a Wolverine?

Hugh's diet was simple - he ate a 1000 calories more than he normally eats.

That pre-supposes something though - to eat 1000 calories more than you normally eat, you'd have to be keeping a food journal, and know how many calories you are eating now.

No one ever gets a really hardcore body without tracking what they are putting in their body for fuel. 

If you aren't keeping a food journal, you have absolutely no chance of looking like Wolverine, no matter what you do in the gym.

You Earn Your Body

Hugh definitely earned his.

The only difference between you and Hugh Jackman, is what you eat and what you do in the weight room

I don't care if you want a body like Wolverine, or a body like Kayla Silverfox, you earn your body with the work you do and choices you make.

The Wolverine Body came as a natural consequence of Hugh Jackman being Wolverine every day, in the gym and in the kitchen.

By Josh Hillis

Josh is the author of the ever-popular fat loss e-book: The Stubborn Seven Pounds

If you've already completed The Stubborn Seven Pounds, take it to the next level with one of these two programs:

Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss or
Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss for Women

"I've seen more results in 6 weeks training with Josh than I saw in the previous two years working out on my own" -Stephanie Weis