[ Readers Please Note:The following post was created by fitness and nutrition author Jon Benson. I have his permission to share it with you and know that you will enjoy it as much as I did and will find that it will help you on your way towards a healthier body]

Caution:

This sounds like a silly question, but it’s really the most important question you can ask:

“What REALLY makes me increase my bodyfat?”

Is it too many calories? Sure. That’s one part. But I know people who can eat 4-5K calories a day and not add an ounce.

Is it dietary fat? Rarely if ever.

Fat is necessary to melt bodyfat. It is true that fat has more calories per gram than protein or carbs, but let’s look at this logically:

40% protein; 40% carbs; 20% fat = 40% fat; 40% protein; 20% carbs

So… no. Increasing your dietary fat does not mean you’ll get fatter…

UNLESS… ready?

Your insulin levels are too high.

Elevated insulin is not only the prime cause of diabetes and a sign of being hypoglycemic, but it’s also the prime numero uno reason people get fat.

And insulin is stimulated most by too many carbohydrates… even the so-called “healthy carbs!”

HOWEVER… ready again?

You can still eat carbs… you do not need a “low-carb” dietplan every day in order to keep your insulin and bodyfat low.

You just have to know what TIME to eat the carbs.

There’s a time and place for everything and carbs are no exception.

I have a presentation here that tells you more about how important timing is and how you can eat your carbs (even sweets) and shed bodyfat…

… here:

The EODD System <--carb-friendly dietplan

That being said:

If I had to cut one thing out of my diet for 1-4 days it would definitely be carbs.

I need fat… fat helps melt bodyfat… and I have trained my body to use its own fat-stores for fuel.

( See how on the linked-page above )

I DEFINITELY need protein… and so do you.

Protein speeds up thermogenesis, or your body’s own fat-burning heat factory.

Protein also blunts your appetite so you naturally eat less.

Some carbs are healthy… and I do not recommend you cut out low-sugar fruits and green veggies… you need that stuff.

But you don’t need grains, breads, etc.

At least for a few days.

THEN… you need them… but only after you do two things.

Find out more here:

The EODD System <--carb-friendly dietplan

Remember: Don’t Quit. Get Fit!

P.S. My favorite “Feed Meal” (that’s what I call meals where I eat a lot of calories and carbs) is this:

Small serving of protein (1/2 my normal serving size) like chicken, tuna, etc.

Brown rice or baked potato

Slice of pecan pie (or Key Lime pie… yum.)

Then later that day I’ll have a few slices of New York-style pizza.

The next day I’m LEANER. It never fails.

The only time this can fail is if you do not set your body UP to receive these carbs and some junk food.

I call this my “Real World Favorite Foods Dietplan.” That’s not the name of my System but it could be! That’s exactly what it is.

I love it… so will you…

The EODD System <--carb-friendly dietplan

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Many times getting a smaller looking mid-section has to do with building up your upper and lower body so that your middle appears to be narrower. Front plate raises will help you increase your upper body size creating an illusion of a narrower waistline.

Have you ever looked at a guy with bigger, well built shoulders and wondered what is it that he does to get those amazing wide shoulders?  Well the answer is quite simple; he follows a rigorous workout regimen to get those shoulder muscles.

But it is easier said than done. If you hit the gym regularly you would know that it is very difficult to build muscles on your shoulder safely and effectively.

But it doesn’t mean that it is impossible to get bigger and wider shoulders. It is more like a challenge than a workout and once you successfully achieve the results then you will be amazed looking at the big guy in your mirror and wonder who it is, latter realizing that it is you. Well thinking about that wonderful moment gets a smile on your face right?

Then what are you waiting for, let’s just get straight away to the exercising tips that can help you get those perfect shoulders.
For fresher’s, if you are exercising for the first time on your shoulder muscles then front plate raises back is the best exercise to start with.  Below are the steps to be followed to do the front plate raises back exercise effectively:

•    Start with warm up exercises instead of exerting pressure on those delicate joints.
•    Once you are done with warm ups, stand straight while you hold the barbell plates in your hands at 45 and 135 degrees position respectively( in other words at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock position). Extend your arms completely with your palms facing each other. Keep your arms locked with a slight bend at your elbows. Hold the plate down near your waist in front of you as far as you can hold it. Always note, a thumb rule to be followed here is that your arms should remain in the same position throughout the exercise, as this will be your starting position.
•    As you exhale slowly, raise the barbell plate above your shoulder level and hold this position for a second or two.  Then inhale and get back to the starting position. An important tip to be taken into consideration here is to always be sure that you do not swing the weight or bend at the elbows while you lift the plates. Your upper body should remain motionless throughout this movement.
•    Note that as you inhale and get back to the starting position, you need to bring down the weight slowly. Ensure that you do not play with weight whatsoever.
•    If you are performing this exercise for the first time, then begin with a 25 pound plate and do one set of 25 reps for the first two weeks, thereby increasing it to 3 sets of 10-12 reps in the 3-4 week, 3 sets of 15 reps in the 5-6 week and then 3 sets of 20 reps in the 7-8 week.  Thereby increasing it as per your convenience. If you are an advanced lifter then you can straight away start by lifting a 45 to 100 pound plate.

The benefits of the front plate raise exercise is that it makes your shoulders wider and bigger, which will make your body look lean and perfect. After all, great shoulders equals a great body.

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Dumbbell lunges are great exercises for the leg muscles.  Leg muscles get used a lot during the day, however, walking doesn’t help to build the muscles, nor does walking help to strenghten the muscle.

This is another very important factor for any leg exercise. This is a great exercise because it works so many of the different muscles of the leg giving you a very comprehensive workout.
It works the quadriceps and calf of the leg you are lunging with and it allows you to stretch and work the opposite hamstrings. The weight of the dumbbells allows you get more of a workout because that is simply extra weight that these muscles must work to support.

How to do a dumbbell lunge

1.    Start with your body completely straight and your feet facing forward hip width apart.
2.    Bring one leg forward and lunge. Make sure to keep your foot perpendicular to your shin (do not lean your shin forward) so that you are targeting your quadriceps
3.    You will want to make sure that you land on your heel and roll onto the ball of the foot
4.    You want to bend your knee and hip as your move your weight from the heel of your foot to the ball so that your thigh is parallel to the floor.
5.    Then you will push off from the ball of your foot to go back to standing straight up with both of your feet together, hip width apart
6.    Repeat the above instructions with the opposite leg. Continue this pattern of rotating legs until you have completed the amount of reps in your set

Tips for getting the best results whiles doing a dumbbell lunge

•    Remember your posture because it is very easy to cheat with this exercise by throwing off your posture. What this means is that you can do many sets and find that it is doing little for you because you are not working the right muscles in the right way
•     You can get a more complete workout by working the upper body with the dumbbells in your hands. This can be as simple as just doing your bicep curls while you are doing your lunges. The one thing to keep in mind though is that you do not want to have an exercise that will throw you off while you are doing this exercise
•    Make sure that you sit into the lunge and the farther you can go the better
•    It is important to not let your knee come forward while doing this. Your calf and foot should be positioned in an L position (90 degree angle)
•    If you want  to really blast your legs with this exercise, instead of alternating legs, you can just do all the reps for the set on one leg and then move to the other leg and do all the reps for that leg
•    It is important to focus on the muscles as you move through the exercise. Do not just move fast. Instead you want to perform it at a speed where you can make sure you are moving with control and focus on the muscles you are working.

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