Ryan Murdock traveling in Jordan.

If you’ve been following the blog for awhile, I’m sure you know that I’m a big proponent of the Circular Strength Training system. Ryan Murdock is on the Faculty, in charge of bringing CST to the world, and he has a revolutionary way of sharing his health-first fitness viewpoints. I guarantee that you’ll learn something new by listening in on this call. Plus, Ryan is a great story-teller, and he’s gives us a glimpse into some of his travel adventures.  Some of the key points we covered include:

- How martial art will change your worldview and set you on the path of personal mastery, preparing you for all of life’s challenges. (also, why CST jives with most martial artists especially)

- Why joint mobility is Ryan’s “daily minimum,” and how he uses it to stay in tip-top shape year round.

- The best bodyweight training methods for achieving your health-first fitness goals at home or on the road.

- Health and Fitness Insights we can learn from visiting indigenous people from obscure places in the world.

- How to kill giant cockroaches that scurry around your hotel room! (one of Ryan’s stories from traveling in Burma with his girlfriend)

Listen to the interview here:

John Sifferman Interviews Ryan Murdock (54 Minutes in Length)

I want to thank Ryan again for doing this interview. It is an honor to learn from someone who carves out his own path in life and sets a fine example for us all. Be sure to check out his sites:

http://RyanMurdock.com
http://rmaxstaff.com/murdock
http://BodyweightExerciseRevolution.com

Here are some ways you can get started with CST today:

Clubbell Quick-Start Training Packages can be found halfway down this page (you can find more info about clubbells on the official site here http://clubbell.tv.com)

Prasara Yoga Introductory Package – Book here, Instructional DVD here.

Joint Mobility Training Package (more info about mobility training on my site here)

As always, if you have any questions about what was discussed on the call, how to get started, or about the products themselves, please leave a comment below or use the Contact page above.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and CST Student

P.S. For more information about clubbell training and prasara yoga, I recommend Scott Sonnon’s programs The Encyclopedia of Clubbell Training and his book Prasara Yoga.

7th Anniversary Interview with Tom Venuto

Here’s some of the info that was covered:

• old bodybuilding photos pulled out of Tom’s photo albums!
• The story of how Burn The Fat was originally developed
• Tom’s “man boobs” story
• The most important fat loss strategies Tom uses with a new client
• The difference between male and female fat loss strategies
• 3 things that mess up your results
• How to get rid of the last bits of stubborn fat

7th Anniversary Interview with Tom Venuto

Tom kindly requests that no one make any wisecracks about the “man boobs” thing!!!

Enjoy the interview, and feel free to discuss it here.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Manager of BurnTheFat.com

Adam Steer - CST Head Coach

I had an awesome interview with Adam Steer, specifically about bodyweight exercise.

In case you don’t know Adam yet, he’s a wealth of fitness and conditioning knowledge and he’s also a man who walks the talk when it comes to fitness and athleticism. He has not only been a strength and conditioning coach to elite athletes and others around the world, he has some very impressive athletic achievements himself. Adam is most notably known for being on the Circular Strength Training head coaching staff and for his work on the Bodyweight Exercise Revolution program. He is a co-author and co-creator of the book, which includes 5 distinct training programs.

I was able to get Adam to answer some of the most common questions about bodyweight exercise on this call. I guarantee that you’ll learn something new by listening in. Some of the key points we covered include:

• The clear advantages that bodyweight exercise has over other training methods that will help you keep fit equipment-free.
• How structuring the program design variables can help you progress to achieve almost any training goal.
• Explaining the “you can only get so strong with bodyweight exercise” myth and giving you a glimpse at how strong you can truly get without extra resistance.
• How to build lean, functional muscles that aren’t over-bulky.
• How to keep fit with a hectic schedule, even while traveling without a gym available.
• Don’t miss the special offer at the end of the call, available only to my readers who take action in the next 24 hours.

Listen to the interview here:

John Sifferman Interviews Adam Steer about Bodyweight Exercise (28 Minutes in Length)

Thanks again for a great interview, Adam.

If you’re interested in learning more about Adam’s program, Bodyweight Exercise Revolution. Be sure to check out the official site here:

Bodyweight Exercise Revolution

This is the busy-man’s solution to training on a budget, and I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed. But don’t take my word for it. Read the testimonials on the official site yourself.

*Janice from sunny California was the first to take advantage of Adam’s exclusive Inner Circle coaching group offer. Way to lead from the West Coast, Janice!

*Jon from Spain will also be joining the Inner Circle – great choice mi amigo!

*Shirley from California just joined the ranks!

Note: Entrance into the Exclusive Inner Circle Coaching Group is now closed, but you can still take advantage of this great program and post your training journal on the Circular Strength Training forums.

Chris from Australia and Peter from Massachusetts have both decided that the Bodyweight Exercise Revolution was a good program to invest in.

June 11 Update: 5 others have also invested in the Bodyweight Exercise Revolution.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and CST Student

The creator, Frank Forencich, has molded a health and fitness system that serves our primal needs, our practical needs, and our desperate need for play. One of the hallmark traits of the Exuberant Animal system is the infusion of play into every element. Naturally, going to play is a much easier decision to make than going to WORKout, and the vitality that Frank’s trainee’s display is inspiring to say the least.

I think one of Exuberant Animal’s main goals is to help people fall in love with movement, because when you’re playing a silly game, nobody even realizes that they are exercising (just like when you were a kid, right?).

Frank was kind enough to send me a copy of his Exuberant Animal Play Book: Secret Moves and Games of the Play Masters, which proved itself an invaluable learning tool this past weekend which I spent bumping hips, throwing toys, and “heckling” friends and family. Without a doubt, everyone had a great time and we all got a good workout.

This was the group Frank worked with this past weekend at one of his seminar's. You can tell the whole group had a blast. Frank is the one with the white shirt, in the middle.

Frank and I got on the phone today for an official interview, where we will delve much deeper into these subjects. Enjoy, and prepare to have your perspectives challenged!

John Sifferman Interviews Frank Forencich (27 minutes)

I want to thank Frank for doing this interview, and especially for sending me a copy of his Play Book. Just in my brief interactions with him, I can tell that he is a giver, someone who pays it forward every day of his life.

Exuberant Animal Trailer

To learn more about the Exuberant Animal methods, check out Frank’s site here:

http://ExuberantAnimal.com

If you’re a bookworm, like me, then I think you’ll especially enjoy the newsletter archives – but there is plenty else to check out.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Play Enthusiast

P.S. Also, be sure to check out Frank Forencich’s book, EXUBERANT ANIMAL: THE POWER OF HEALTH, PLAY AND JOYFUL MOVEMENT

P.P.S. I conducted a short “teaser” interview with Frank through e-mail earlier this week…

Teaser Interview with Frank Forencich:

1) Could you give a little background about yourself and how you became involved in your line of work?

Personally, I was a sick little kid with a lot of health problems that went away when I started swimming in high school. Later I got involved in martial art, at the same time I was studying human evolution and anthropology at Stanford. It occurred to me that there ought to be some relationship between human history and modern movement practices; this generated a lot of questions in my mind, and in turn, a strong interest in paleo perspectives. Suddenly, the modern world of health and fitness started to look both fascinating and disturbing.

2) What needs were you trying to fulfill with Exuberant Animal that other fitness/health programs were not living up to?

There are several needs that just aren’t being fulfilled in big box fitness facilities. The first is the need for community. With treadmills and other exercise devices, most gyms keep people in isolation. But people learn best in groups. Second, people need more functional movement experience. This means more multi-joint, multi-plane, real world movement. Wobble boards, med balls and natural terrain tend to stimulate more functional experience. Third is the need for balanced sensation; we are over-stimulated in vision, but under-stimulated in touch. We need skin contact with natural surfaces and with one another. Fourth is the need for joyful play. Too many programs are grim. The modern proliferation of boot camps and trash-your-body programs take the joy out of moving. The final need is for relevance and meaning. The ability to squat a thousand pounds might be impressive, but it has no relevance for the modern human predicament. We need movement programs that are appropriate for the health and environmental challenges of the day.

3) You talk about the human predicament being likened to living as aliens on our own planet. Could you explain this and perhaps talk about the importance of habitat as a deciding factor in health success?

The modern world is “alien” in many ways. Obviously, it’s an alien kinetic environment (sedentary and sport specializations), an alien nutritional environment (“fake foods”), alien thermal environment (constant indoor temperatures), alien circadian environment (artificial, on-demand lighting), alien social environment (displaced tribal relationships), alien sensory environment (too much noise, not enough tactile stimulation), alien aesthetic environment (natural beauty is rare).

Clearly, alien habitats are hard on all animals, including humans. Some animals, such as rats and dogs, can adapt to wider ranges of habitat, but in general, the more the original habitat is altered, the greater the stress on the organism. In this way, chronic stress becomes one of the dominant threats to the health and fitness of the modern human body.

4) What does a holistic health regime look like in real life? Are most health program missing some essential elements?

We’re not sure what it looks like because we hardly ever see it. Perhaps some small town communities have a comprehensive environment for health, but it’s rare at best. Even the so-called champions of holism, the yoga practitioners, fail to deliver. Yoga is an indoor art that doesn’t study human locomotion or strength. Almost every modern discipline misses one or more elements of “primal holism.” Too many are indoors, and fail to develop a connection to the land or habitat.

5) How could someone start incorporating the principles and practices of EA into their life today?

The best way is to start spending more time outside, in habitat, with friends. Start paying more attention to the natural world and looking for ways to fit back into it. Keep your movement challenges simple and diverse. Use simple toys and tools. Be strong and endurant, but put the emphasis on cooperative experience. Avoid specialization. Start thinking about primal, functional movements such as squatting, walking, hiking, carrying and basic lifting.

Trainers can take the lead on this by promoting cohesive group experience. At Exuberant Animal, we don’t do boot camps, we do foot camps!

Adam Steer - CST Head Coach

There’s a bit of a story behind this interview, so if you just want to listen in, scroll down and click the green play button.

Basically, it’s a technological miracle that I’m even able to bring this to you today. Upon recording this amazing interview with Adam, I logged into my teleconference service to retrieve the audio file for editing, and I was shocked to discover that the file was “corrupted.” I couldn’t download the interview! Panicking, I sent an e-mail to the customer service department for help – I just HAD to get this interview, which was pure gold! Not even the CS department could assist me, it was just a “technological fluke” that the file was not working. I continued to check the file almost daily, and then almost weekly until about 2-3 weeks ago. I decided that I would check on the file, ONE LAST TIME, and then give up for good. It was still “corrupted” and in my mind, hopeless. I gave up.

Until yesterday afternoon, when I received an email from Adam asking about the call. I decided to check the file one last time, so that I could tell him with certainty that we would never obtain the audio interview again. Well, here is where the miracle happened. When I logged into my teleconference service, the file was there and COMPLETE, with excellent audio quality. Now, I’ve been using computers ever since I was a very young child, and I know that things don’t just start working without some intervention, especially when they’ve been broken for months. Computers don’t just fix themselves.

So, needles to say, I’m ecstatic and honored to bring you this interview, which was truly fantastic.

Adam Steer has a revolutionary way of sharing his health-first fitness viewpoints, and I guarantee that you’ll learn something new by listening in on this call. Some of the key points we covered include:

- How to build a foundation of mobility that will increase your health and movement potential, making you able to pick up new skills quickly

- The number one reason why clubbells stand out among other strength training tools and how you can use them to improve your natural, athletic strength in all skills.

- The best strength training tools for achieving your health-first fitness goals at home or at the gym.

- The wisdom in following a program completely, and then transitioning into intuitive training to OWN your movement and LIVE your fitness every moment.

- How to take an active role in balancing your training with recovery and putting that into a comprehensive training program that works in harmony to maximize performance and minimize injury.

Listen to the interview here:

John Sifferman Interviews Adam Steer (62 Minutes in Length)

I want to thank Adam again for doing this interview. It is an honor to learn from someone that walks the talk and sets the bar high for everyone else. Be sure to check out his sites:

http://bettersbetter.com
http://bodyweightexerciserevolution.com

Here are some ways you can get started with CST today:

Clubbell Quick-Start Training Packages can be found halfway down this page (you can find more info about clubbells on the official site here http://clubbell.tv.com)

Prasara Yoga Introductory Package – Book here, Instructional DVD here.

Joint Mobility Training Package (more info about mobility training on my site here)

As always, if you have any questions about what was discussed on the call, how to get started, or about the products themselves, please leave a comment below or use the Contact page above.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and CST Student

P.S. For more information about clubbell training and prasara yoga, I recommend Scott Sonnon’s programs The Encyclopedia of Clubbell Training and his book Prasara Yoga.

Even though Tom is a bodybuilder at heart, he has a wealth of health-first nutrition knowledge. Tom has been laboring away in research and academia almost as long as I have been alive, and has held many prestigious positions within the fitness industry including health club manager, best-selling author, and the founder of the internet’s premiere fat loss membership support community, the Burn the Fat: Inner Circle.

I caught up with Tom after a well-earned break from his normally hectic schedule as a fitness author and nutrition researcher to bring you this exclusive interview.

What is the average day like for Tom Venuto? How do you fit training and eating into your hectic schedule?

It’s the other way around. I work my hectic schedule around my training and eating. Training and nutrition are among my highest priorities. Everything else is scheduled around the priorities. So an average day starts with me reviewing my priorities for the day and I make sure those priorities get accomplished, if nothing else.

Can you give us a word picture of how much you enjoy training and competing in bodybuilding? For you, what is bodybuilding?

The way I see it, bodybuilding is the human body as sculpture. If you have appreciation for art and if you can look at Ancient Greek sculpture or Renaissance sculpture like Michelangelo’s David and say that’s a beautiful work of art, then couldn’t you look at a sculpted body and say that’s even more beautiful than an inanimate piece of art? I think most people don’t see bodybuilding that way because they think it’s a superficial pursuit. They think it’s only about vanity. Or they think its just about winning a trophy. That would be like saying martial arts is only about violence and beating people up. Obviously there’s an art and even a spiritual practice there as well.

I believe that as a bodybuilder, you’re a sculptor. And the food you eat and the training you do are your hammer and chisel. If you know how to eat and how to train, your body is your canvas. You can paint whatever you want. You can chisel off a little bit on the waist, and slap a little muscle on the lats and deltoids and carve out more definition and you look like a different person. Bodybuilding nutrition and training give you a feeling of total control over creating your body – you don’t feel like you’re at the mercy of genetics or environment because you’re holding the tools to change it. This is what I love about bodybuilding and why it’s the method of physique transformation I teach in my Burn the Fat program.

How important is your competitive bodybuilding to assisting you with your vision and purpose?

My business vision is to inspire and motivate as many people as I can to change their lifestyles, become fit and achieve their ideal weight and great health – naturally. I think the best way to inspire and lead is to set the example and what better way than drug-free bodybuilding?

What is your favorite quick and easy, nutrient-dense meal?

My all time favorite has to be my high protein, apple cinnamon oatmeal pancake. You can see the recipe here: http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.com/public/124.cfm?sd=2

When Tom Venuto has guests, what does he serve?

I “serve” whatever the best restaurant has on the menu! Seriously, last time I had some friends over, we went into Manhattan and ate some Italian at little Italy. I don’t eat in restaurants often, but when friends are over, that’s an occasion when I like to go out and enjoy a good meal in a place with some good atmosphere.

Favorite protein source? Favorite veggies? Favorite fruits? Favorite starchy carbs? Favorite treat or cheat foods?

Favorite protein: steak. I also eat eggs, fish and chicken daily. Veggies: A favorite is mixed veggies like mushrooms, onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc. in an omelette or a huge raw veggie salad with a nice balsamic dressing. Fruits: I like them all, but I eat grapefruits and apples and blueberries the most. Starchy carbs: oatmeal, yams, potatoes, brown rice. Favorite treat foods? A big restaurant steak, sushi or pasta. I don’t cheat often – I don’t crave junk foods most of the time.

Let’s say someone wants to build lean muscle, how much should they be eating, and how important is food quality? I’ve heard a lot of guys say they just need to eat a TON, even if it’s from McDonald’s.

The amount of calories a person needs is totally individual based primarily on gender, body size and activity level, secondarily on age. The guy who eats a ton of fast food to gain muscle who doesn’t get fat is the exception, not the rule. In fact, that’s usually the genetic freak on steroids. The average natural guy needs to eat the right quantity and high quality food to make solid, lean gains while staying healthy. It’s true though, it takes a lot of food to gain large amounts of lean mass. Most people who complain that they can’t gain muscular weight simply aren’t eating enough. Some pro bodybuilders say that during mass building phases, eating literally becomes their job.

From a fat loss standpoint, how important is it to eat organic, whole, raw, and unprocessed foods? From a health standpoint?

From a fat loss standpoint, it’s hardly important at all, which really irritates the heck out of the “clean eating” or “natural health” people and they yell at me for even suggesting this. But a metabolizable calorie is just a calorie from a pure energy balance point of view. However, I’m not saying you should only worry about the quantity of food you eat and not the quality. Eating unprocessed foods is very important for your health. Food quality does impact body composition as well, by way of nutrient partitioning and the effect that each type of food has on hormones, cell quality, appetite and long term health. But eating organic or raw and so on has very little bearing on actual fat loss unless doing so makes you eat less.

What about foods that contain zero calories – like diet sodas, should these be avoided or welcomed as a nice treat away from our diet?

I have no problem with an occasional diet soda or diet Snapple or crystal light, etc., strictly from a fat loss perspective. It’s all over the news again that “diet soda makes you fat,” but that’s not true. The recent wave of publicity against diet soda came as a result of a mouse study. Rodent studies, especially in the area of obesity research, have almost no bearing on the results in humans. The human studies from a few years ago were epidemiological. They looked at data that had been collected from a large group of overweight people and said, “aha, these overweight people drink a lot of diet soda, therefore, diet soda made them fat.” That’s confusing correlation and causation. That’s like looking at data about all the fires in your city for the last 10 years and saying, “aha, the fires with the most damage had the most fire trucks at the scene. Therefore, fire trucks caused the damage.” Perfect correlation, but obviously the fire trucks didn’t cause the damage. The reverse is true, actually.

There are no calories in diet soda. If diet soda makes you fat, how do you explain it? One suggested mechanism is that it may increase appetite. This has not been proven, but if it’s true then that would concern me. However, if diet soda increases appetite and you eat more of other food, then what was the true cause of the fat gain – the diet soda or the additional food eaten? What if you had the awareness and restraint not to eat the additional food?

That said, it’s important to realize that diet soda is not real food. It has no positive nutritional value and it’s entirely possible that drinking large quantities of it may have negative effects on health over the long term – especially from daily consumption. I think we should be very selective about what we eat every day as part of our habitual intake. However, as you suggested, non-caloric diet drinks can be a nice occasional treat with sweet taste, to help take the edge off a strict diet. Just keep your consumption of anything artificial to a minimum. Also remember that the correlation found between diet soda intake and being overweight shows that using reduced calorie diet products is no guarantee that you’ll lose more weight if you compensate by eating more elsewhere.

Is there a best nut to eat? I’ve heard that peanuts should be avoided because of the allergens. What nuts do you recommend eating?

Peanuts are a highly allergenic food, so for sure, if you’re allergic to peanuts, don’t eat peanuts. That doesn’t mean we should warn everyone to avoid peanuts – well, except when there’s a recall from a salmonella outbreak, as there was recently, but that’s not an everyday type of occurrence. Interesting enough, natural (no sugar) peanut butter is one of the all time favorite dietary fat sources for dieting bodybuilders. It tastes good so it helps take the edge off the diet and provides some energy and satiety when carbs are low. All nuts have some valuable and unique nutritional qualities, so nuts can be a part of almost any nutrition program. I like almonds and walnuts in particular. Walnuts are one of a few whole food sources rich in omega-3. All nuts are high in calories, so the quantities should be carefully controlled and measured.

What do you think about juicing vegetables and fruits – any thoughts on the pros and cons? Do you have any favorite recipes?

I don’t have any favorite recipes, because I don’t use a blender or juicer that often, I eat a lot of whole fruits and vegetables instead. But sure, I think it’s a great idea to make smoothies or drinks, provided the ingredients are mostly whole foods, especially the veggies because they’re so low in calorie density. If you’re talking about using fruit juice from a carton, then I don’t advise that for fat loss programs except in very small, carefully counted quantities because liquid calories don’t activate the satiety mechanisms in your body the way whole foods do. But fruit juice in a carton is different than something you could blend up at home straight from whole foods because in the latter case you have the fiber and pulp and its just the whole food liquefied. You could even make the shake somewhat thick and chunky and research has shown that shakes or smoothies that are thick or even have a degree of “chew factor” can help with satisfying appetite.

How much attention should we pay to our fiber intake – and what are some of the best fiber-filled foods?

Fiber is very important for health but also it has implications for appetite and body fat control. The fiber itself is not fully metabolizable so all the caloric energy is not available; it gets passed through the digestive system unabsorbed. Fiber also contributes to the feeling of fullness and helps with control of blood sugar. For fiber, eat lots of fruits and veggies of course, but don’t forget about the natural starchy carbs. The starchy complex carbs often get snubbed on a fat loss diet, but those can be some of your best sources of fiber, especially the beans and legumes. Also, if you don’t eat a lot of berries, some of the berries like raspberries are loaded with fiber. Put some on your oatmeal in the morning and you’ll have half your daily fiber intake in one meal.

What do you think about intermittent fasting? I’ve read about some plans that involve fasting for 24 hours every so often. Some plans call for alternate-day fasting. It’s said to improve insulin sensitivity and increase longevity, among other benefits. Any thoughts?

I think it’s noteworthy that you said many people are interested in fasting or intermittent fasting (IF) for life extension, independent of weight loss interests. Discussing “life extension by caloric restriction (CR),” including IF, is still entirely academic and totally theoretical because the life extension claims are all based on animal studies or at best, looking at biomarkers of aging in humans. CR clearly extends the lifespans of animals, and the subject is being studied in earnest to find mechanisms and see if animal findings transfer to humans. But we still have no direct, conclusive proof that CR will extend human life and even the CR researchers say so themselves.

I think an area that’s usually overlooked in life extension and improved quality of life as you age is psychology. I believe that understanding the mental and emotional side of health and aging are worth greater consideration than dietary factors. People with a purpose, a passion and a reason for living – especially if that includes other people – are going to live a long healthy life – that’s my personal belief anyway. I’d recommend some deep introspection on this before starving yourself. I also think you have to think about quality of life above all else. Lifelong hunger is a tough sale, and nobody wants to tack on years of dysfunction and illness. What if you under-eat yourself into a weak and frail body – what will be the consequences when you’re older? One of the poster boys for CR is 6 feet tall and 115 lbs.

With intermittent fasting (IF), alternate day dieting or just an occasional fasting day, you have more reasonable and feasible approaches than prolonged CR. If fasting is not carried to extremes and or if short fasts are done infrequently, I don’t think you have to worry about metabolic slowdown or any major muscle losses and there may be health or psychological benefits. Some people say the IF approach gives them a sense of freedom and relief from regimented diet programs especially ones requiring meals every three hours like Burn The Fat or other bodybuilding-based programs.

IF practitioners are quick to say that bodybuilding diets with 6 meals a day is not mandatory and may actually be an inconvenience to many people’s lifestyles. That’s a perfectly legitimate point. However, what does not make sense to me is that their answer to 6 meals a day is to eat nothing for an entire day or the better part of a day rather than taking a balanced approach and meeting in the middle with just 3 meals a day. So if someone absolutely does not want to use the bodybuilding method of 6 small meals a day, why not just eat 3 slightly larger meals a day (or 3 meals plus snacks), every day instead of having days with zero meals or just one big meal? Eating breakfast, lunch and dinner is actually the traditional and socially acceptable meal pattern and will help alleviate the hunger of long stretches without food, which is a big problem with any fasting approach.

For bodybuilders and those seeking muscle mass, I still strongly recommend eating 5-6 protein-containing, meals per day as I explain in my book Burn The Fat, and this method has a decades-long proven track record. However, given the research on IF and the interest in alternative lifestyle choices today, we don’t need to be dogmatic about meal frequency nor fear the occasional missed meal or short fast. IF could be a legitimate quick fix way to lose weight because it virtually guarantees a calorie deficit, without having to do any calorie counting. A high meal frequency is not an absolute requirement to lose weight, only the caloric deficit is, but I don’t believe there’s any physiological fat loss magic in IF outside the caloric deficit. Some people are best advised to avoid IF and that would include those with a history of binge eating or hypoglycemia and people who don’t tolerate hunger well. I also wouldn’t recommend IF to people who want to optimize muscle mass gains.

By now, most of us know that carbohydrates aren’t the arch-nemesis of fat loss progress, and we all know that we do need carbs, in different amounts for different people. What is the best way to find out how many carbs we need individually?

There are some questionnaires that are designed to help a person find their metabolic type. They’re not scientifically validated, but they do seem helpful to some people. There are also some clinical tests for glucose tolerance or insulin that might help. But I think there’s always going to be a little bit of trial and error necessary.

My preferred way to do it is to begin with a diet that’s nicely balanced between protein, carbs and fat, with about 40-50% of the calories from carbs. From there, if necessary, experiment with lowering that proportion of carbs and see how that affects fat loss and also how it makes you feel.

Some people may be able to avoid the trial and error because they already have an instinctive sense about whether they are the low carb or high carb type of person. They intuitively gravitate towards that approach. For those who aren’t sure, I’ve put together a pretty good set of criteria that will give you a good way to screen yourself for carb sensitivity. This might give you a better idea where to start and also reduce the trial and error period.

First, run through the list of metabolic syndrome symptoms:

1. Abdominal obesity, which for men is a waist measurement greater than 40 inches, and for women, greater than 35 inches

2. High triglycerides (over 150)

3. Reduced HDL cholesterol (under 40 mg)

4. Elevated blood pressure (over 130/85_

5. Elevated glucose (fasted – over 110)

Then ask yourself

1. Are you overweight or obese?

2. Are you over age 45?

3. Are you sedentary?

4. In your opinion, have you had difficulty losing weight on high carbohydrate diets? (keeping in mind that high carb diets make it easier to overconsume calories)

5. If you’ve tried a low carb diet before, in your opinion, did you feel that you were more successful with this approach than with any other? (keeping in mind that its easier to keep a calorie deficit on low carbs)

6. After eating a large dose of concentrated carbohydrates, especially simple sugars or calorie dense starches, do you tend to crash mentally and or physically shortly afterwards? (as compared to feeling more sustained energy and alertness)

The more of these you say yes to, the more likely you are carb intolerant which means you might want to be conservative on the carb intake. Since there’s so much variation from person to person, that’s one of the reasons I don’t prescribe a high carb or low carb diet exclusively to everyone. My Burn The Fat program has moderate carb and lower carb phases based on your goals and your body type. For most people, reducing carbs somewhat does help with the last bit of stubborn fat and I use a modified low carb program before competition myself. I explain that in chapter 12 of the Burn The Fat ebook.

Last but not least, one should keep in mind that the carb intake is relative to the activity level and training volume and training intensity. People who train more can and should eat more carbs. And in general you can eat more carbs on training days – after your workouts in particular – and all but the most extremely carb sensitive people will benefit greatly from that type of nutrient timing.

From a health standpoint, should people be concerned with their blood acidity versus alkalinity?

When I first heard about blood acidity I didn’t think there was anything to it. I thought it was just another fad coming out of the “alternative health” movement. But that was probably because my first exposure to the concept came from someone claiming that balancing your blood ph properly was the key to weight loss. I immediately thought that was a bogus claim and still do to this day. I haven’t seen a shred of evidence that eating a more alkaline diet will make you lose more weight if calories remain equal. However, I’ve read scientific papers which discussed the value of acid – alkaline balance for good health.

If we go easy on the processed grains and sugars, that will help. Some people also talk about acidity as a reason to avoid animal proteins and meat, but demonizing an entire macronutrient is never a good long term strategy. I see the issue as a matter of balance, which means balancing the acids with the alkalines which very simply means eating more greens and plant foods. That’s something you should be doing anyway for good health, so ph balance is really not an issue I focus on that much because if you’re eating lots of greens and vegetables you’ve got your bases covered.

Any exciting plans for 2009?

Big plans. But I should keep quiet because I tend to jinx myself on deadlines when I announce stuff before I have it finished. I’ll announce some of the new projects when they’re finished!

A big thanks to Tom for doing this interview!

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Manager of www.BurnTheFat.com

Scott Sonnon - the Flow Coach

*Listen to Part 2 of this interview by clicking here.

Of all the fitness professionals I have drawn my philosophy from, Scott Sonnon, is one of the most influential on my life. I have taken more useful information from this man than probably any other coach – including information meant for more than just physical living. It seems fitting to dedicate my 100th blogpost in honor of him, even if only a small form of recognition.

Scott Sonnon has a revolutionary way of sharing his health-first fitness viewpoints, and I guarantee that you’ll learn something new by listening in on this call. Some of the key points we covered include:

- Scott’s difficult journey discovering himself by overcoming physical challenges that ultimately gave him a world-view to help other people.

- New advances in human anatomy and physiology studies that have completely recreated the definition and methods of pursuing fitness.

- You’ll have some of your beliefs about fitness training challenged probably more than ever before. If you don’t scratch your head, think “wait a minute!” or burst out in fury over the “heresies” that Scott covers, then my hat goes off to you.

- The differences between soft and hard styles of training, and how to optimize both to ensure you maximize your training time and performance.

- Why joint mobility training is important and how to begin experiencing the benefits of this exercise style today.

John Sifferman Interviews Scott Sonnon (Part 1, 53 Minutes in Length)

I want to thank Scott again for doing this interview, and for setting a stellar example for all to follow.  If you’re interested in learning more about joint mobility training, check out this collection of blog posts I have put together:

Q+A: What is Joint Mobility?

Joint Mobility Training Enlightenment – John’s First Experiences

Joint Mobility From Head to Toe in 5 Minutes (Video)

Review of Ageless Mobility – the follow along mobility and prasara yoga program

Review of Intu-Flow – the Encyclopedia of Joint Mobility and Human Movement Health

Don’t forget to check out Scott’s site www.YourPainFreeMobility.com for your free joint mobility tutorials.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and CST Student

P.S. For more information about joint mobility training, I recommend Scott Sonnon’s Intu-Flow program (all-inclusive collection of joint mobility exercises for the entire body) here: http://www.rmaxi.com/products/intu-flow.html

and his Ageless Mobility program (follow along format) here:

How to Achieve Goals (Part 1 of 3)

Modeling other people and having your goals written down where you will see them everyday are two of the most effective strategies for actually following through on what you want to accomplish. If you’re not doing either of these yet, I strongly encourage you to at least find a 3X5 card and write down your goals in the present tense – as if you have already achieved them and are enjoying your success.

“I am so happy now that I am _______________________________.”

Your Question of the Day is: do you try to model other people, too? Please post your comments by clicking here and scrolling to the bottom.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional

Here is an interview I conducted with Kyle Battis CSCS, NSCA-CPT, all about home gym training. I train with Kyle once a week in his home gym training dungeon. It’s great! No rules, no staff, no corny music – just pure, hardcore training at its finest.

Home Gym Training with Strength Coaches John Sifferman and Kyle Battis (Video length is 9 minutes)

If you don’t have a home gym setup yet, then I really encourage you to start now. All it really takes is a bit of floor space and the right mindset – the rest is just details.

Your Question of the Day is: what’s in your home gym?

Please post your comments below by clicking here and scrolling to the bottom.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Home Gym Training Aficionado

Tom has been super-busy taking media interviews with many major magazines and news outlets. The BodyFat Solution has been taking the fat loss industry by storm, and women especially have piqued an interest in Tom’s new book.

I’ve included a download link to 21 page transcript where you can learn Tom’s newest insights, techniques and strategies for fat loss success in the new year. You can download it here:

The BodyFat Solution: 21-page Interview Transcripts

Inside Tom’s report, you will learn

• how to end emotional eating and stop diet self sabotage once and for all
• Tom said that “BodyFat is not a problem, it’s a…”
• why people are confused when trying to think positively
• how to maximize goal setting with a “vision” that provides purpose and motivates you for life
• how to reprogram your mind to crave healthy foods unconsciously
• how ridiculous it is to listen to TV weight loss show winners for fat loss advice
• strategies to keep the weight off for good

You’re going to see and hear about Tom and The Body Fat Solution Book in the major media everywhere in 2009, and you will see the book on the shelves of every major bookstore in America….

Luckily, I have one of the first inside looks into Tom’s secrets for permanent and natural fat loss inside this PDF transcript.

My friend and training partner, Kyle Battis, just got a sneak preview for you from the first full-length interview Tom has ever given about his New Book! This 21-page transcript is from a teleseminar interview between Kyle and Tom.

The MP3 audio was already made available for the Burn The Fat: Inner Circle members (Inner Circle members get the first dibs on everything from Tom).

I can guarantee that when you read this report from Tom, his new insights on the reasons people are still failing with fat loss and why 90% of losers are regaining the weight, will give you some of the most enlightening “A-HA’s” of your life.

You can download the transcript, “An Introduction To The Body Fat Solution” from the link below, and get Tom’s latest advice that will help you reach your fitness goals in 2009. Knowing Tom, I understand that he doesn’t consider his work done unless he teaches you how to maintain your results for life.

The BodyFat Solution: 21-page Interview Transcripts

If you know anyone else that may be interested in reading this fat loss report, please send them the download link as well.

To your health and success,

Stumble It!

P.S. Happy thanksgiving! Take a moment and reflect on what you are thankful for, and then give thanks for it.

P.P.S. I’m not making any money off of promoting the BodyFat Solution.  Tom is a friend of mine, and I know that his work stands above and beyond anything else in the fat loss industry.  Tom has worked hard on this book, and he deserves to have it read by millions, which is why I’m sharing it with you.