If I only had one dumbbell and needed to lose weight, the dumbbell swing would be one of my exercises of choice. This exercise is very simple and yet powerfully effective at eliciting a positive training effect. I like this exercise mostly because it is easy to learn, requires minimal equipment, and works great for burning fat, building lean muscle tissue, and generating strength and power.

While the dumbbell swing may look like an arm exercise, the motion is actually generated in the legs with the extension of the knees and hips pressing into the ground. The core muscles will then channel that energy into the arm which is locked down in order to prevent it from “lifting” the dumbbell. Don’t let the way this exercise looks fool you, this is a full-body exercise that is challenging both to local musculature and to the cardiovascular system.

Programmed correctly into a fat loss program, this exercise can create a large metabolic disturbance, resulting in more total calories burned.

Single-arm Dumbbell Swing

There are a few technique tips to keep in mind when performing this exercise.

1) Maintain good posture - this includes a flat back and a relaxed neck and spine, but also a locked down core. Your abdominal muscles should be actively contracted during the explosive, swinging phase of the movement.
2) Maintain shoulder pack position - actively packing your shoulder directly downwards onto your ribcage. This creates a structure that allows the dumbbell to travel smoothly with no excess movement.
3) Maintain elbow lock - bending your elbow will allow energy to “leak out” at that joint. Keeping your elbow locked will ensure that you get the most benefit from the exercise.
4) Use an intelligent grip - using the popular “death grip” with high intensity dumbbell swings isn’t a smart idea because you’re grip muscles will fatigue quickly. Since we want a full body training effect, we must use the intelligent grip protocol. This entails gripping just enough to maintain control of the dumbbell, and even lessening your grip while the DB is in freefall at the top of the motion (the moment when it stops ascending upwards, and begins to descend downwards). This gives your grip muscles a break and allows you to train more.
5) Allow your leg drive to do the swing work - pressing your feet into the ground while you explosively extend your hips forward and straighten your legs is the driving force of this exercise.
6) Exhale forcefully on effort - this is when the dumbbell is in back position (between your legs) and the body is literally coiled down to extend the hips and legs. When you release that elastic energy, effectively swinging the dumbbell upwards, that is when to forcefully exhale through your mouth.

Plugging this into a strength training program is really simple, but there are a lot of different ways to do it. You could do DB swings for time - doing rounds of one minute/arm. You could try doing heavier swings for reps, doing sets of 10, 20, 50, etc. This could also just be a supplementary exercise that you do at the beginning or end of your sessions. It all depends on your goals. If you have a question about how to include the DB swing into your training program, leave a comment with some basic information about your goals and training background, and I would be happy to help.

To your health and success,

John Sifferman, NSCA-CPT

Today’s post is about something many of us encounter: failure in a fat loss program, or any program for that matter. Let’s face it, fat burning is hard work. Sure, the process looks easy on paper, but during the days and weeks of actually practicing a healthier lifestyle, it can become quite a struggle to lose fat. Fat loss often requires the changing of many lifelong habits - certainly not an easy undertaking.

We like to convince ourselves that starting to exercise will solve our problem, or that taking a special supplement will help us reach our goals, or skipping the potato chips, or the McDonald’s parfait, the list goes on. When it comes to fat loss, many people are guilty of setting up unrealistic expectations - and I can’t blame them. We are bombarded with the message that fat loss is easy by all of the various weight loss marketing schemes that promise ridiculous results based on false evidence.

Many different factors have to come together for fat loss to take place, and sometimes someone will have some of the factors in place, yet have forgotten others. Some people will start exercising with such intensity that they are shocked that their weight remains the same - yet they haven’t taken into account that their diet must change also. Others may start a complete nutritional rehaul, and yet won’t manage their stress, which competes with the body’s ability to adapt and maintain homeostasis.

If you have struggled to reach your fat loss goals, it may be time to take a different approach to reaching your goals. Fat loss is a predictable process of deliberate trial and error. It sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s true. The fat loss research community has an exact understanding of what needs to happen to shed bodyfat, and we know that it takes some estimation and trial and error to make this work for each individual. Fat loss will always occur if there are certain things at work:

1) a caloric deficit. In other words, you’re consuming less calories than you are using during the day.
2) a progressive, challenging resistance training program
3) a progressive, challenging cardiovascular training program
4) adequate rest, recovery, and stress management

If these things are in place, and performed appropriately, fat loss is guaranteed. So, you now know exactly what you need in your lifestyle to burn fat! You are completely equipped with the baseline knowledge of what is necessary for fat loss progress. This means that if you are having trouble losing bodyfat, then one of the four factors above is either missing or not be utilized correctly.

So, you can effectively narrow down the criteria and figure out what may be preventing your progress. You can ask yourself:

“am I positive that I have been in a caloric deficit?”

“do I have trouble sleeping at night? do I eat good post-workout nutrition? do I allow just enough rest days in my training program? do I get sick frequently that sets me back in my training a few days? am I always stressed out about something?”

If fat loss is not occurring, or you are experiencing a plateau, these types of self-analysis questions are perfect for figuring out what needs to be done. One of the biggest mistakes I see when people get frustrated with poor fat loss results is assuming that they are a special case. That somehow they are genetically destined to remain overweight. To this, I say nonsense. The formula is above, and it works for everyone when applied properly.

If you find out that you’re not in a caloric deficit, then that is a pretty simple (but not always easy) one to fix - just eat less than you have been.

If you realize that your strength training hasn’t been challenging enough, and that you haven’t been getting stronger - do some research on designing an effective fat loss program, get a book, or hire a fitness professional to help you setup a program.

No matter what is hanging you up, you are equipped to do whatever is necessary to lose fat. All you need to do is accept that you DO know what is best, that you DO know exactly what you need to do next. You certainly know that something needs to change - doing the same thing will only lead to diminishing returns and continually stalled progress.

Don’t ever allow yourself to think that you can’t do something - the minute you surrender your mind is the minute you’ve lost all hope of achieving your goals.

To your health and success,

John Sifferman, NSCA-CPT

P.S. If you’ve ever experienced a fat loss plateau, or difficulty achieving your goals - we would love to hear about how you overcame those trials. Please comment below.

Greasing the groove is an old technique of teaching the body how to do an exercise through repeated, daily practice. Here’s the technique…

Pick an exercise or two that you wish to excel at. This could be a bodyweight squat, pullups, or kettlebell swings, for example. Let’s use the bodyweight squat as our example. Plan out several time blocks throughout the day, during each of which, you will perform a set of bodyweight squats.

Another way to do this is to set a timer or stopwatch to ring every 60 minutes, and each time perform one set of squats. Or, you could designate a certain area as your training zone - so every time you enter your living room, or the company lounge, you bust out a set of squats.

There are many ways to grease the groove, but what’s important is that you practice the technique of the exercise daily - and never go to exertion. You’ll want to keep your effort under 60% of MAX on all sets - striving for perfect repetitions. Perfect technique is paramount to success.

Over the course of one day, you could find yourself doing hundreds of near-perfect repetitions.

I’ve used this for short-term goals, and I recommend never doing this for more than a few weeks at a time. A couple of exercises that are popularly used during Greasing the Groove programs are pullups, single-leg squats, and kettlebell swings.

Greasin’ the groove is a great way to shock your body into adaptation, and pick up on a new skill quickly and effectively.

To your health and success,

John Sifferman, NSCA-CPT

Ever in a pinch for getting in some good nutrition, and only have a minute or two to prepare a meal? Enter the smoothie. With a little bit of creativity, these can become great tasting, nutrient dense meals that can be prepared in less than 5 minutes.

There is so much leeway with a recipe like this, that there are virtually limitless combinations of ingredients, which ensures that each shake always agrees with your taste buds. Here is a standard template that I use when making a high protein, whole foods smoothie.

Banana Berry Nut Smoothie

• ¼-½ cup water or milk as a base
• ¼-½ cup plain, nonfat yogurt
• ¼-½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
• ½ serving of whey vanilla protein powder (between 10-20g)
• 2-4 tbsp dry oats
• 1 medium banana
• ½-1 cup of mixed berries - blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.
• 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
• 2 tbsp of mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc.)
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 1 tbsp of flax meal (ground flax seeds)
• (optional) honey or splenda as a sweetener, go light on this stuff
• 4-6 ice cubes for texture and that “chilled feeling”

Put all ingredients in a blender, in the listed order, and blend on high for one minute. This simple recipe packs a lot of protein into one meal along with some complex carbohydrates, fiber, and plenty of healthy fats.

Remember that liquid meals like this should be used out of necessity and for convenience reasons - not as a cornerstone of a meal plan. Whole foods smoothies are usually packed with calories and will leave you feeling hungry not long after finishing. Whole foods are always a better option, and when eaten from solid form, instead of liquid, more of the nutrient value will be digested and absorbed into the body.

To your health and success,

John Sifferman, NSCA-CPT

P.S. Do you have any favorite shake or smoothie recipes that you would like to share with other fat burning blog visitors? Please leave your recipes and comments below.

Perhaps you’ve heard about the recent story of a man losing over 80 pounds eating nothing but McDonald’s fast food. Sounds crazy, right?

Chris Coleson, whose story was recently featured on Good Morning America, lost over 80 pounds and 14 inches off of his waist in 6 months time - consuming all of his calories exclusively from the McDonald’s menu. This has left a lot of people, and even fitness professionals, quite baffled. Everyone knows that food from McDonald’s isn’t exactly the cream of the crop - it’s calorie-packed, nutrient-empty, and very convenient.

If you have watched the Morgan Spurlock documentary, Supersize Me, then you probably have an idea of what a “McDiet” is capable of. In case you missed this movie, Spurlock ate nothing but McDonald’s food for one month’s time, and ended up gaining 25 pounds and a host of health problems.

Just a personal note - since watching Supersize Me in 2004, I have only eaten fast food once in four years: a crispy chicken sandwich from Wendy’s. Yep, it had that much of an impact on me!

So, everyone is wondering how Coleson was able to lose weight on fast food. It’s simple really - the same way that everyone loses weight. Coleson isn’t “in” on a special McDiet secret, he has simply applied a universal principle to his lifestyle - resulting in 80+ pounds lost and a much healthier lifestyle. Coleson used the fat loss principle of “energy balance.”

For energy balance in the body to exist, we must consume as many calories as we burn. If we want a negative energy balance (weight loss), then we need to burn more calories than we consume (or consume less calories than we burn; a slight difference in application).

Negative Energy Balance = (calories consumed < calories burned) = weight loss

Essentially, we need a CALORIC DEFICIT.

If you look at the GMA story, Coleson was only eating about 1400 calories a day (down from 5000+ calories a day before starting the diet, think that’ll make much of a difference?!?) - a starvation-level diet for his bodyweight. You may be thinking, “but aren’t starvation diets bad?” And you’re right to assume so - yet starvation diets do result in predictable WEIGHT loss. But there’s a catch!

When eating a starvation diet, the body is desperate for nutrition. If you aren’t consuming enough food to sustain your health, then your body will find its fuel elsewhere. This is a case when our body will actually catabolize, or eat, your muscles for energy. You can imagine how much this screws things up - effectively damaging your metabolism.

While a starvation diet will help someone lose WEIGHT, it will be at the expense of their health - namely, their metabolism and their muscles. Chris Coleson lost over 80 pounds, yes, but I bet that wasn’t all weight from bodyfat.

It’s also important to look into all of the details of Coleson’s transformation. It turns out he was usually eating salad’s, with sometimes a hamburger patty on top. So, it’s not like he was eating a Big Mac every day. He also said that he avoided fries like the plague.

Not only did Coleson adjust his eating habits, he also started exercising regularly and keeping a journal of his progress - neither of which he was doing before.

While I am very happy for Chris Coleson for achieving such amazing results, I think there is a lesson here. The goal of weight loss is a little too broad. Those of us who are looking to lose weight, should adjust our focus a little bit. What we truly need is to lose FAT, and hold onto our precious muscles which largely regulate our metabolism. The more lean muscle we have, the stronger our metabolism will be, and the more calories we will burn naturally - at all times of day. For fat loss to be truly effective and long-lasting, we need to make it into a lifestyle.

If we adjust our focus from “weight loss” to “fat loss,” and utilize the most effective fat loss principle of negative energy balance as is taught in Tom Venuto’s Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle program, we will predictably lose fat, and most importantly, our health will be so much better off.

To your health and success,

John Sifferman, NSCA-CPT

P.S. If you would like a lifestyle program geared to metabolism-boosting, fat loss goals, then check out www.burnthefat.com

P.P.S. If you’d like to read the official story on Chris Coleson, click here:

Fat Burners: The Unadulterated Truth
By Tom Venuto
www.BurnTheFat.com

QUESTION: Dear Tom, I am not currently using any fat burners. However, in many magazines where I see advertisements for fat burners, they always have a model with a six-pack and the headline is something like, “It takes more than training and nutrition to get a six-pack.” Once a person hits a plateau, do we really need fat burners to achieve that “ripped” or “six-pack” look? I am having a really hard time getting my stomach to look the way I want it, and I really respect your opinion, so I appreciate your thoughts on this. Thanks Tom!

ANSWER: The short and sweet answer is NO, you do not ever “need” fat burners.

While I won’t dismiss the fact that there are some ingredients in some “fat burner” products that might help a little bit, I take great displeasure in seeing those kinds of misleading headlines as well as the misleading use of models who are often paid to endorse the product even though they may never have even used it (they’re just models!)

Many “fat burner” companies have been sued by the Federal Trade Commission for false advertising, false claims and falsifying before and after photos.
The best you get is a slight thermogenic effect and possibly some slight appetite suppression. A few products might work through other mechanisms like improving thyroid, but if you forgive me the generalization, I consider the effects of all these “fat burner” products to be minutia. In a previous newsletter, I wrote that in my opinion, 97% of your results come from nutrition and training and maybe you get an extra 3% advantage from supplements.

Just so you know those numbers aren’t something I just pulled out of thin air, lets take an example:
I have reviewed scientific data that EGCG, the active ingredient in green tea extract, if consumed in enough quantity, could increase thermogenesis / metabolic rate by an average of about 75 calories in 24 hours. Since ephedrine was taken off the market, green tea extract appears in many ephedra-free formulas these days. What is a typical calorie expenditure for an active male in 24 hours? lets say 2700 calories per day. 75/2700 = 2.7%. That slight little extra doesn’t hurt, especially when its delivered in a healthful package such as green tea, rather than central nervous system stimulants, but its minutia in the bigger picture. Another way to put this into perspective is to make a list of what other things would burn 75 calories (for 150 lb person:)

* walk your dog for 15 minutes
* three times a day, walk for 5 minutes at normal casual pace
* 30 minutes of ironing
* bagging leaves and grass clippings for 14 minutes
* re arrange your furniture for 10 minutes
* wash your car, 15 minutes
* vacuuming for 15 minutes
* 7.2 minutes of walking up stairs (could be spread throughout the day)

Ah yes, but why move your body when you can take the pill and metabolism increases while you sit and watch TV? How about for your health? A body that is not moved, rots away. Unlike a car which only has so many miles on it and wears out from over-use, people are the only “machines” on earth that fall apart from under-use.

Here’s what any good personal trainer will always tell you: No amount of calorie restriction or pill-popping will ever give you FITNESS. It will never give you STRENGTH. it will never get you MUSCULARITY. It will never give you FUNCTIONALITY. At best it will help you reduce body mass slightly.

On one hand, I’m tempted to say that everything counts and that yes, 75 calories here, and 75 calories there, it ALL adds up, because it does. After you’re exercising regularly and all your fundamentals are in place, details and little things do matter.

I’m simply asking you to put the benefits of any fat burners in proper perspective and realize that (1) there is no “need” for taking them and (2) the claims made in the ads are often erroneous or exagerated.
My advice on fat burners:

1. NEVER buy a fat burner unless you get independent verification of the claims made for the product.
How do you KNOW they really work? Are you SERIOUSLY going to take the advertisers word for it? Are you SERIOUSLY going to take someone else’s testimonial as fact? Get verification for yourself by going to the pub med data base and looking for research (try www.ReleMed.com too, as their search results are very thorough and relevant and they provide links to the pub med citations).

2. Put it in perspective
With those products that work, such as those providing a small thermogenic effect, put that in perspective as compared to how easily you could burn that many calories with even light exercise like walking or housework. Keep in mind the additional fitness and strength benefits you will obtain from exercise as opposed to doing nothing and popping a pill.

3. See if there are any side effects or health warnings.
With all supplements and especially with prohormones or stronger thermogenics like the ephedrine and caffeine stack, (if you still have access to them), understand the risk to benefit ratio, and be certain you know the dangers and contraindications.

4. Read the label and see if the product contains enough active ingredient to even work.
A classic scam is when a “fat burner”product quotes research that a certain ingredient boosts metabolism, which might be true. What they may not tell you is that all the research with positive results used a large dosage of the ingredient, which might not be cheap. So the supplement company includes a “pinch” or “light dusting” of that ingredient just so they can say it’s in the bottle, even though its nothing more than “label decoration.” Then they have the audacity to invoke the research studies in their advertisements when the amount of the ingredient in their product is no where near what was used in the research!

5. Proprietary blend scam.
Some companies, DONT LET YOU SEE how much ingredient is in the product formula, because it contains multiple ingredients and they say their formula is a “trade secret” aka “proprietary”, so they list WHAT is in the product but not HOW MUCH. If you don’t know how much is in there then how are we (the consumers) supposed to get independent confirmation of the facts and analyze whether this product is any good?

6. Make sure there is human research, not just rodent research.
In many cases, advertisements cite studies on rats and mice as “proof” under the assumption that the product will produce the same results in humans. Animal research is an important part of the scientific method, as it is often used to help find areas of research where human study should be pursued, or in the other direction, to trace back the mechanism that makes something work. However, for obesity research in particular, a positive finding in rats does not mean the same thing will happen in humans.

7. Look for more than one human study.
Consider trying a supplement after it has human research that has been replicated by different research groups which are not industry-sponsored. My policy is that I will usually only give a “buy” rating to a supplement when a product has an initial well-designed human controlled trial published and then similar research has been replicated by another research group that is not supplement-industry funded.

Actually, I think it’s a good thing that nutrition and supplement companies fund and sponsor some of the research. They should. They should not only back up their claims with published clinical trials, they should share some of the cost of this expensive research.
However, a basic principle of the scientific method is replication. Other researchers should be able to duplicate the findings. Therefore, while the funding source does not necessarily prove bias, if there is only one study available on a supplement and it is company or industry sponsored, I usually take it with a grain of salt and put an asterisk next to it while I wait for confirmation from another study. (You might be surprised at how IN-frequently this type of confirmation occurs).

Do you REALLY need “more” than nutrition and exercise??????
Now, when you weigh the fact that even the products with research backing them only help a little, with the fact that many of the ads lie to you about research, exaggerate claims and hide vital information about ingredients, and with the fact that you can do a few more minutes of exercise per day and get the same results for free, how enthusiastic are you about fat burners? Yeah, that’s why I’m not real excited about them either and based on the fact that I use no drugs and no “fat burner” supplements and I compete in bodybuilding - very successfully - I’d say that the assertion, “it takes more than nutrition and exercise to get six pack abs” is patently false.

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto
www.burnthefat.com

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the author of “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com

Kyle and I are both big fans of bodyweight training, especially for those with fat loss goals. We often use only bodyweight exercises when we train together. It’s a beautiful thing - no weights, no machines, nothing but you and and the laws of our environment - gravity, friction, etc. Creativity always plays a role, making training seldom a boring experience.

I would encourage most beginners to strength training to give bodyweight exercise a try, just for the experience. The benefits are real, and there is never an excuse not to train.

Here is a brief video of me doing a bodyweight training circuit in my living room. All I need is some floor space to get the job done for today’s session.

Flowfit Circuit Training

As the creator of Flowfit, Scott Sonnon, suggests, I usually keep my sessions under 20 minutes in length. I will log how many rounds (the video was one round) I do in the allotted time, and try and beat that “score” next time I do Flowfit. I will either shoot for doing more total rounds, or doing the same amount of rounds in less time.

With Flowfit, always train for technical precision, as I find this makes me able to do quite a bit more work more efficiently. The goal is not so much to work hard, but to work better. Trust me, you’ll work plenty hard trying to get better, a la practicing Flowfit.

To your health and success,

John Sifferman, NSCA-CPT

P.S. If you are interested in taking a look at Scott Sonnon’s Flowfit program, then head on over to https://rmaxinternational.3dcartstores.com/FlowFit_p_6-152.html

One of the most important factors for fat loss success is making training enjoyable. Losing fat is hard work and can seem daunting at first, but having a little bit of fun will encourage you to stick with it. Using new training tools is always a great way to have fun, and I have recently fallen in love with my 15lb clubbells. Here is a video of me doing some exercises for a warmup…

Outdoor Clubbell Training - swipe and mill warmup

The exercises are: rock-its, swings, cleans to order, arm casts, swipes, inside/outside pendulums, shield casts, and one-arm mills.

To your health and success,

John Sifferman, NSCA-CPT

For more information about clubbell training, visit www.rmaxinternational.com

Howdy,

Today I’ve got something very cool to share with you - an email interview with Charles himself (conducted by Nick Nilsson)!

EDT is hands down my favorite type of fat loss workout so you’ll want to check this out…

The interview covers all kinds of questions about EDT…how it works, how your mindset is absolutely CRITICAL to your success, what training “density” actually IS and how you can use it to FORCE your body to build muscle and strength, and much more!

This is really good stuff - quality information from a TOP strength coach…I know I learned a lot!

—————

NN:

First off, Charles, please give us a little background on yourself so people know what kind of experience you have in the strength training field, e.g. how long you’ve been training, coaching, educational background, athletes you’ve coached, their accomplishments, etc.

CS:

I’ve been coaching and teaching in the fitness/physical preparation arena since about 1983, although at that time the word “personal trainer” wasn’t really in widespread use.

I have a B.Sc in Sociology of Sport from the State University of New York, and I’ve trained many thousands of people during the past 20+ years, many of them high-level, elite athletes in a variety of sports.

I can’t reveal the names of some of my more famous clients, as I’m bound by confidentiality clauses in those cases. However I’ve trained or consulted to several prominent MMA (mixed martial arts) athletes, as well as several Olympic-level winter sport athletes (luge, bob-sleigh), Olympic-style weightlifters, powerlifters, judo-ka, and golfers. But I also train non-athletes, and we enjoy working with beginners at my live-in facility in Gilbert, AZ (Bed & Barbell)

NN:

Charles, you’re probably best known for your revolutionary program “Escalating Density Training.” I’ve used EDT and it is downright AMAZING how well it works and how much it actually simplifies the whole muscle and strength-building process. Could you give people a quick explanation of what EDT is and how it works?

CS:

EDT is a method where you attempt to accumulate more and more training volume while holding the duration constant.

EDT workouts consist of 15-minute time-frames called “PR Zones” (PR= personal record). We’re VERY focused on PR’s - quantifiable indicators of enhanced work-capacity.

Much like Shakira’s hips, numbers don’t lie. And when your numbers go up, so does your metabolism, strength, and fitness capacity. At my facility, we actually have a “PR bell,” which we ring to celebrate client PR’s, whenever they occur.

NN:

Now, in many of your articles and on your website, you talk about having an “athletic mindset” rather than an “exerciser mindset.” Could you explain a little about this and why it’s so critical?

CS:

Many people think like an exerciser when they, well….exercise. This mindset is characterized by pain and deprivation, and it has its roots in the age-old “no pain, no gain” mantra.

Exercisers tend to think in terms of thermodynamics: “OK, if I hit the treadmill for 90 minutes, I’ll burn at least 400 calories…and then if I only eat 1400 calories a day, I should burn at least 2 pounds of fat a week!” It’s all about seeing how little you can eat, and how to make exercise as painful as possible… kinda reminds me of the way anorexics think.

Athletes don’t exercise, they TRAIN.

When you go to the gym or training hall to train, your mindset revolves around performance and PR’s. You’re trying to improve your performance… you’re trying to improve your technique. And when you think like THIS, your gym time becomes very uplifting and self-motivational, which leads to consistency and results.

Bottom line: when you think and act like an ATHLETE, you tend to LOOK like an athlete. And I think THAT is what most people are ultimately looking for.

NN:

I’ve also read in your articles about EDT that the focus should be on “performance” and not “fatigue”. What do you mean by that and how does a focus on performance translate into better muscle-building results?

CS:

Well, I’ve already alluded to this, but to delve into it a bit more, many people instinctively equate pain with progress.

It’s much like the entrepreneur who mistakenly confuses motion with results - just because you’re moving…just because it hurts, doesn’t mean you’re making progress or getting a result.

Now, it’s true that getting out of your comfort zone will involve some degree of discomfort, but that discomfort is a SIDE-EFFECT of the work you did - it shouldn’t be the goal. Because when pain becomes the goal, you lose sight of the REAL goal, which is increasing work-capacity and hitting new PR’s.

NN:

One of the key concepts with EDT is increasing the “density” of the training. What do you mean by training density and why is it so important to be constantly trying to increase the number of reps you’re doing with a given weight?

CS:

Density refers to the work-to-rest ratio of your training sessions - it’s basically how many reps of an exercise you’re doing within a certain set timeframe (e.g. 50 reps in 15 minutes). Many people mistakenly focus exclusively on increasing training intensity, or the amount of weight you can put on the bar.

When you use EDT, you have to “earn” the right to increase your weights by first increasing your training density (performing more sets and reps within that set timeframe).

So in other words, density represents the BASE, while intensity represents the PEAK.

If you try to build too high without a strong base, your structure will fall. Same thing with training. THAT is why EDT is all about focusing on the base and increasing your overall workload - it’s just more effective for maximizing strength and muscle growth. The bigger the base, the higher the peak you will be able to achieve.

NN:

You’ve mentioned in articles that EDT is a “self-correcting” system. How does the system know how to do this and how does it simplify training?

CS:

EDT guides your progress through the use of “rules.”

One of these is the 20/5 rule: whenever you’re able to increase your training density by 20% or more, you earn the right to increase the weight by 5 pounds or 5% (whichever is less). However, failure to meet the 20% milestone means that your current weights are still appropriate.

Similarly, if for some reason your performance declines, the system dictates that you reduce your loads to prevent overtraining. So again, when performance improves, you are “rewarded” with bigger challenges…but not until you’re physically ready to take full advantage of the increased weight.

NN:

I know of the questions a lot of people have is if EDT is only for advanced trainers or big-time athletes or bodybuilders. Is this a program that can be used by anyone?

CS:

Actually, it’s just as appropriate for novices - perhaps even more so.

With EDT, YOU are in charge of how much or how little you do in any given session. If you’re a lazy good for nothing…oh sorry!

Seriously though, let’s say you’ve never trained and you don’t have much pain tolerance. No problem. First time out, you just do whatever you feel like doing, and you end up with a number - your PR for that session.

When you go back to repeat that session later in the cycle, your goal is to BEAT that number…your PR. So now you have a target.

And if you have even a speck of competitive instinct, you won’t be able to help yourself - as you go though the PR Zone, set by set, you’ll get close and closer, and you’ll find a competitive streak you didn’t even know you had.

And THAT is exciting. THAT is what makes training fun!

NN:

Another question I hear a lot is whether you need to be a member in a gym in order to use EDT. Can it be done at home or you do you have to get a full gym membership to really get the most out of the program?

CS:

I’m actually a big proponent of training at home. If anything, EDT may be even MORE appropriate for home-gym training. You can use tried-and-true barbells and dumbbells, as well as bodyweight exercises for EDT.

In fact, if you ever visit my facility you’ll see we have no true machines at all - it’s all free weights.

NN:

I know EDT is excellent for building strength and muscle mass…can it also be targeted for fat-loss as well?

CS:

Well first, I’d like to make an important point here: when you gain muscle, your bodyfat percentage decreases - you’re now leaner - even if you didn’t lose any fat per se.

That’s because when you gain muscle, the fat you have is now a percentage of a LARGER total. But that aside, we don’t call EDT “The Cardio-Free Workout” for nothing. It will give you DRAMATIC results in fat-loss and body composition!

NN:

So here’s the bottom-line question…what sort of results have you gotten from people using EDT?

CS:

It’s so gratifying really, because I have just so many letters from people, from around the WORLD, from all walks of life… I’d hardly know where to start.

Here are just a few e-mails I’ve received recently - I’ve chosen these because they are fairly representative of what I hear from people who’ve used the EDT system:

—

“I wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed the results of EDT. I cannot be happier with my interim results. I have packed on 20 lbs over three EDT cycles. As hard gainer, I have NEVER gained weight so quickly. I remember the conversation we shared at Dianna Linden’s place several years back when you mentioned your EDT methodology and I should have picked up on what you told me then. I would have been well ahead of the game by now.”

Thanks again for all your help.

All the best,

Adam Kaplan
San Juan, Puerto Rico

—

“EDT is truly one of the hardest, yet most enjoyable ways I have ever trained. I love the fact that somehow you start ‘competing’ with yourself in ways no other system has ever forced me to do. The program is very effective at motivating you and progressive overload is pretty much a given. It’s an addictive form of training as well since every other method seems somehow “less intense.”

Marc VanHoek
Glendale, CA

—

“Charles,

I’ve tried a variety of other training systems and I either got minimal results, kept getting injured or could not fit the workouts into my schedule. Finding EDT has been like finding the key that unlocks all the doors.

I don’t have a lot of time to workout and I travel a lot so I need something that I can fit into my day or easily take into unfamiliar gyms across the country. I also need something that is backed by reason and science and produces results. And lastly, I need something that would test my ‘mental toughness’ and would stay motivating over time. It seems EDT has fulfilled all these.

I bought your EDT package and watched the DVD and read the book through in one day. On my first workout the weights were too light, but I was still pretty sore. The workout was fast and furious, but I had more energy throughout the rest of my day than anything I had been doing. I’ve being going at it for three weeks now and have dialed in the right amount of weight for the exercises.

You had said that you really need to experience EDT to ‘get it,’ kind of like riding a bike or falling in love. Your right! This morning’s workout kicked my butt while I was doing it, but I felt good walking out of the gym.

What’s interesting is when I have gone out to run, I am running harder and faster without meaning to. In other words my body just seems to want to go faster. To try to slow down would take more ‘effort’ then to just go with what my body is wanting to do.

My strength is going up and my body is already looking different, better. And these results are just after three weeks! I can’t wait to see what I’ll look like and feel like at the end of my first 8 week program, and the next one, and the next…

Thanks, Charles, for putting together a program for the thinking man with limited time.”

Sincerely,

Paul Crotty
Houston, TX

—

So that’s the end of the interview! If you’re looking for amazing results like these people got with EDT, now’s your best time to go grab Charles’ comprehensive “Video Guide to Escalating Density Training.”

Click here to get your EDT Video Guide now!

Train with purpose,


Kyle Battis, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.SecretsOfBurningFat.com
www.FatBurningInnerCircle.com

Howdy,

Over the years of working with hundreds of people on their fat loss goals one thing has shown through as the critical reason why some people succeed and some people don’t…

It’s simply this…

A compelling reason why.

You see, over the past few months I have been busting my butt, training hard, tightening up my diet, staying focused on my goals.

My reason why for the moment:

“To look darn good on one of the most memorable days of my life - my Wedding day. I also wanted to be proud of my body while standing on the beaches of Mexico and have
a fabulous honeymoon in the sun…”

For me that simple ‘reason why’ has driven me to train when I was tired…

To eat right when temptation was whispering in my ear, and to stick with my plan and stay the course.

When consulting with my personal training clients I would ask them ‘why’ they wanted to work with me.

Most would say they simply wanted to get in better shape.

How motivating is that?

Can you REALLY picture ‘getting in better shape?’

I can’t…

You need a compelling vision to get you through those tempting moments when that cheesburger is sitting there in front of you, you NEED that compelling vision to get you to train when you are tired and don’t feel like it…

My wedding day is a mere 6 days away and my months of hard work have paid off…

I am excited to stand on that Altar, say my vows, and to hear my Fiance’ say her vows.

I am also darn excited to stand on the beaches of Mexico.

That reaso why has fueled my workouts for the last 4 months and as soon as I have reached that goal I will switch my focus to yet another compelling ‘reason why.’

Your ‘reason why’ should motivate you and drive you…

I encourage you to download this old workbook I uesd to give my personal training clients.

I think it will help you find your ‘reason why’ and skyrocket your results…

You can download for free by Clicking Here

Best of luck and I hope that you enjoy this gift.

Train with purpose,


Kyle Battis, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.SecretsOfBurningFat.com
www.FatBurningInnerCircle.com

PS - You can grab my ‘Results-Guaranteed’ Workbook by Clicking Here

PPS - If you have a compelling ‘reason why’ that you would like to share with me I would love to hear it.