This month I decided to dedicate this newsletter to all the females out there that have been tricked into believing that cardio is the only way to get in shape and weight lifting will make them bulky. In my opinion this myth has been the greatest obstacle women face when trying to improve their health through fitness. Fitness magazines with distorted female body builders, gimmicky exercise fads and just plain misinformation have led many women to skip the weights and go directly to the cardio deck when scientific evidence has proven nothing gives you a tighter, sleeker more feminine body than weight training. Below are a couple examples of women who have trained with me and have achieved great results with the help of weight training.

Body Transformation week #9

Week #1

Week #9

Grandmother of 3 gets rock hard abs

In my last newsletter I featured my wife Stephanie’s week 5 body transformation pics. We’ll she’s now at week 9 and still making great progress. In fact we both agree that she’s already in the best shape of her life and getting leaner weekly. It’s going to be interesting to see the final results on paper as well as through the camera lens but I’m already more than satisfied. At age 44 Stephanie defiantly doesn’t look like any grandma I’ve ever seen! Be sure to check out our next newsletter to see her final pictures.

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In the news

Former client makes her mark

A few years back Kelly Gonzalez trained with me to get ready for National and World beach flag competitions. Since then Kelly has made quite a mark on the fitness industry. To date her resume includes accomplishments ranging from National and World beach flag competitor, fitness model, writer, bikini Olympia participant, personal trainer and fitness celebrity as well as being featured in chest, back and balance edition of the new P90X videos. And you know what the best part of all this is? She’s just getting started so look for her to achieve much greater things in the future.

Spangler wins pride award

It has recently come to my attention that Megan Spangler of Schell

Megan lost 16 inches of fat in 12 weeks

Brothers companieswas awarded the Shell Brothers Pride award for her performance in my corporate fitness challenge that ended this past summer. Megan transformed her body shedding a total of 16 inches, 9% body fat and 15% of her overall body weight.  But more impressive than any of the above stats Megan finished the challenge by doing 42 chest touching push-ups. This is defiantly an Antonio’s Training record and it was only her first 3 months lifting weights. Who knows what’s she’s capable of in the future.

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Ask the Trainer

How do I get results from my cardiovascular workouts?

This article originally appeared in my Ask The Trainer column on Dec 03, 2011

Q: I have some questions about how to maximize my cardiovascular workouts. I have read a lot on this topic but am confused because I always seem to get conflicting opinions. My goal is to lose body fat and get in better shape, but I am no longer getting progress. I’m currently doing cardio five times a week for 60 minutes. Should I add weight lifting? Should I increase my time or my intensity? Do longer cardio workouts work better for fat burning, and how much can I afford to eat during the holidays when doing the amount of cardio that I’m getting in weekly?

A: It seems everyone associates cardio with getting in shape, but there’s a lot more to it than running aimlessly like a hamster on a wheel. You have to do it correctly, or you could actually do more damage to your metabolism. Here are some answers to your questions to make sure you’re getting the most out of your workouts.

Cardio works better combined with weight training

Some things were just meant to be together, like pancakes and syrup, knives and forks, nuts and bolts, Demi and Ashton – OK, scratch that last one, but you get the idea. Cardiovascular training is an important piece of the fat-loss puzzle, but without weight training it’s like eating cheese without the crackers. It just doesn’t work. This is because cardio burns calories, but it won’t change the overall makeup of your body. If your goal is to tone up and get in better shape, weight training is a must. Weight lifting will improve your overall body composition, and studies prove that weight training boosts your metabolism for hours after you’re finished working out, while cardio will only burn calories for short periods of time. When you combine the two together, you have a deadly metabolic combination.

Cardio must be challenging
It’s important to understand that in order to get results from your cardio workouts, you have to work outside your comfort zone. If you focus on time and distance alone, you’ll never reach your full potential. Instead, find a level of intensity that’s hard but doable, and be sure to change it as your workout gets easier. Keep in mind, it only takes a couple weeks for your body to get used to your workouts, so be sure to throw it a curve ball every two to three weeks, and you’ll avoid periods of no progress.

Shorter, intense sessions work better than long distance
Don’t fall into the more is better trap when it comes to cardio; instead, focus on shorter, more intense sessions from 15 to 45 minutes for best fat-burning results. Too often, people with good intentions believe that if they do massive amounts of cardio, they’ll have a better chance of getting in shape, when actually they’re burning muscle, destroying the body’s ability to burn fat.

On the other hand, shorter, more intense sessions will burn fat and spare muscle, accelerating your metabolism. Remember, bigger muscles burn more fat, and too much cardio can make you skinny-fat.

Cardio is not an excuse to eat whatever you want

Most people work out because they want to look good, be healthy and enjoy some of the guilty pleasures in life, but you have to understand that just because you pay your dues in the gym or on the cardio deck, it’s not an excuse to eat whatever you want all the time.

Try and eat a sensible diet 85 percent of the time and treat yourself the other 15 percent of the time. You’ll get much better results from your cardio workouts, and you’ll appreciate eating what you want now and then as a treat and not a lifestyle.

Put all these pieces together and maximize your cardio workouts for best results.

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What foods contain good fat?

This article originally appeared in my Ask The Trainer column on Dec 17, 2011

Q: For years I would judge the nutritional value of food based on how much fat per serving was listed on the label. I have recently learned that there are good fats that I am supposed to include in my diet. What are some examples of foods that contain good fats?

A: Food manufacturers often twist the truth to boost sales by playing on your fears.
They’ll tell you to buy their product because its “fat free,” leading the public to believe all fat is bad and should be completely eliminated from your diet. Not true!

Good fat is needed for healthy skin, hair, eyes, joints, digestion, energy and a strong metabolism. That’s right, you can actually use good fat to lose weight. Here are some examples of foods that contain good fat to help you get your daily dose.

Fish

Fish is loaded with omega-3 fats that have been proven to reduce the chances of heart disease. It’s also high in protein, helping to maintain and repair muscles after a hard workout. Fish is a staple for anyone interested in eating a healthy diet and should be eaten at least twice a week. For best results grill, bake or broil with nonfat cooking spray or a little bit of olive oil.

Nuts

Nuts are high in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are a great healthy choice snack to keep stocked in your cabinet in case you get hungry in between meals. Best choices include walnuts, almonds and macadamias. Keep portion size at a handful or two and be sure to avoid nuts that have added sodium, sugar, chocolate or other things that take away from their nutritional value.

Avocado

Avocado is great source of good fat for those who prefer fruit. It also contains vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients – substances found in plants that help fight disease. Avocado is an excellent addition to salads as well as many other recipes and is a personal favorite of mine.

Natural peanut butter

If you’ve never tried natural peanut butter, you don’t know what you’re missing. Natural peanut butter is basically the same as regular without the added sugar. It can be a little intimidating because of the layer of oil that sits at the top of the jar, but don’t let it bother you; just scoop through it and enjoy. It’s another excellent source of good fat.

Seeds

Seeds are another good fat snack to keep around the house. They can be eaten alone or added to salads or cereals. Seeds are best eaten raw. Good choices include pumpkin, sunflower, flax or sesame.

It’s important to remember although an essential part of any healthy diet, foods that contain good fat are calorie dense and will cause weight gain if eaten in large quantities. So be sure to consume them in moderation and check with your doctor to make sure you don’t have allergies that would prohibit you from eating the above foods.

***Tune in next month for the final results of Stephanie’s 12 week body transformation, more news, valuable information and inspirational stories!

We’re back!

If you are receiving this e-mail it’s because sometime during the last couple years you signed up for it. The problem is that I have been so busy training, writing and just living life that I haven’t sent out a newsletter for a long time. I have completely upgraded the website and periodically posted fresh material but that’s about it. Boy oh boy things are about to change. I am now gearing up to send this newsletter out monthly with the intent to provide interesting, educational, motivational and inspirational material to anyone willing to read it. There will be no spam, sales pitches or any other junk just valuable information for likeminded people who love working out and staying in shape. I encourage you to comment, write questions and even send pics and who knows you just might find yourself gracing the pages of Antonio’s Training or find your questions answered in the Cape Gazette. Ok, enough said, let’s get moving.

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In the News

Antonio’s Corporate Fitness clients move that bus

Shell Brothers Construction Company has participated in my corporate fitness challenge 3 times and was recently chosen to participate in ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition. The show was chosen for this year’s Thanksgiving special and will air Friday November 18^th at 8:00 Pm. Be sure to tune in and check out the awesome job that they did building a soup kitchen for those in need while working through an earthquake, hurricane and a tornado all in one week. Also check out the video below featuring some of the best male body transformations from Schell Brothers Companies.

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Transformation

Many of you may recognize the woman you see in the picture below. Yep that’s right it’s my wife Stephanie. Stephanie has always been known for being one of the most in shape grandma’s in the area but at age 44 she wanted to take her fitness program to the next level so she has agreed to do my 12 week body transformation. We initially decided that she would only do 6 weeks because of her advanced fitness level but she’s doing so well she is already talking about extending. Stay posted for updates on her progress.

Week #1                   Week #5

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Ask the Trainer

Stick with the basics for best results

When I was young the most common question I heard at the local gym was how much you bench? Boy how things have changed. Today you’re more likely to hear how many box jumps, kettle bell swings and flying leg raises can you do in 30 seconds while standing single legged on a bosu balance ball?

Great exercise or accident waiting to happen? You be the judge.

Don’t get me wrong I too like change. After all it makes life interesting but don’t get so caught up in the hype that you forget about the basics that have been giving people great results for the past 75 years.

Here are 4 time tested oldie but goodies that every serious fitness enthusiast should consider adding to their training programs. Give them a try, you will be surprised at how simple and effective they are for helping you get in shape.

Barbell Squats

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a strength athlete, body builder or soccer mom if you want to reach your full potential barbell squats should be included in your program. Many people don’t like to do squat’s because they are just plain hard but the results you’ll get will be well worth the effort. No other exercise I can think of isolates the quads, glutes and hamstrings more effectively than the traditional back squat so if this exercise is not currently part of your program all I can say is get squatting!

Squats aren’t just for guys.

Dead lifts

Once thought only as an exercise for muscle heads and weightlifting behemoths dead lifts have found their way into the mainstream of fitness. I love deadlifts because there’s no real way to cheat it’s just you against the weight and you better be ready or the weight will win. Deadlifts are a great addition to any program because they work several larger muscle groups including the upper back, traps, hamstrings, quads, hips and a host of smaller muscles all at the same time.

If deadlifts were good enough for a 70 year old they are certainly good enough for you!

Military shoulder press

The thought of lifting a barbell overhead would normally be enough to make most orthopedic surgeons have a nervous breakdown but if you take the time to properly strengthen all 3 heads of the shoulders muscles- front, side and rear delts- as well as use proper form the military press can be a great shoulder exercise. The military press primarily works the shoulders but also hits the traps, triceps, upper chest, abs and lower back too. It can also be a great way to work on balance and it takes a lot of practice to stabilize the weight.

Bent over barbell rows

You can do all the fancy machines you want but nothing will isolate the bigger back muscles like doing a bent over barbell row. I consider this the meat and potatoes off all back exercises and teach it to my clients once they have mastered basic movements such as seated cable rows and lat pulldowns. Bent over barbell rows are great because they require upper body strength, core strength and stability to do them correctly.

Chest Dips

Most people associate bench presses for chest development but I’ll take bench dips any day of the week. Chest dips are a great way to isolate the chest and triceps without using a bench to support your body weight sharpening your core strength, balance and posture all in one shot.

chest dips are not a beginner’s exercise and most people will have to work up to them as they get stronger and lose excess body fat. Once you’re able to pound out 10 or more of these babies you might even want to strap a weight to your body for added resistance. Chest dips have been around forever and are still a great choice for any program.

So if your training routine is beginning to sounds more like an order of fancy Italian coffee than a workout it might be time to go with simpler more effective approach of time tested exercises that have been helping people achieve their fitness goals since 1932 when York barbell decided to forge pig iron into the first weightlifting sets.

Why everyone should get body fat tested

There are many ways to test the effectiveness of your training program but none as important as checking your body fat. You can be strong, fast or have bulging biceps but if you’re carrying a high percentage of body fat you’ll never reach your full potential. I personally guarantee that reducing your body fat to an optimal range will make you look, feel and perform in ways you never dreamed of so if you’re curious to see how you stack up against the competition get tested and adjust your program accordingly.

Getting Tested

It really doesn’t matter what method you use as long as you have a baseline you’ll be able to chart your progress but just in case I’ll break it down from least to most effective so that you can choose the method that works best for you.

Bio-electrical impendence

This method works by sending low level electrical currents through your body to determine your body fat usually through a scale or handheld device. It’s popular because it is quick and easy but is it’s not very accurate. Several factors including skin temperature, body hair and fluid retention make it even less perfect. On average the bioelectrical impedance has a margin of error of approximately 10-12%.

Skin fold calipers

This test uses a large set of calipers to lightly pinch the skin in several key areas. The calipers allow you to measure the thickness of fat on the outer layer of skin. You then compare the measurements to predetermined chart or do a fancy mathematical equation and you have your body fat percentage. This is a much more accurate way to check your body fat and is my personal favorite but it doesn’t test visceral body fat that lies between the organs so the more obese the person being tested the less accurate the test.  It also depends on the skill and consistency of the person administering the test. The average margin of error is about 3-4%.

Hydrostatic weighing

This test requires you’re body to be lowered into a giant tank of water and since muscle is denser than fat your body composition can be determined based on how much water you displace. People that have a low body fat will displace more water than those with a higher body fat percentage but very few facilities have the equipment to give this test except possibly some hospital’s or universities making the test unrealistic for the average person to get access.

Dexa scanner

The Dexa Scaner is latest and most accurate method of body fat testing because it takes into account muscle, fat and bone mass. It’s a very expensive piece of equipment that uses low level ex-rays and can be found at some imaging centers and doctors’ offices. To take this test you simply lay down on an open table while a computer generated arm slowly scans vertically from head to toe over your body. The end result is an accurate detailed spread sheet of overall body fat percentage as well as the body composition of all of our major body parts.

How do I measure up?

The only real way to know what kind of shape you’re in is to see what you’re made of and I mean literally. Here’s a chart to see how you measure up. Remember women naturally carry more body fat than men so don’t be upset if your boyfriend is lower than you are.

Where do I go from here?

Ok, chances are you won’t be as lean as you had hoped for but that’s the beauty of getting tested. First find out where you are and what your fitness level is and then make a better leaner version of your current self. As a wise historian once said, “How do you know where you’re going if you don’t know where you been”, and if you get tested you’ll know where you’ve been. The only real question left to answer is where are you going from here?

18% body fat                    8% body fat

Jay Nichols completed my 12 week body transformation and lost 9% body fat in 12 weeks and body fat testing was a great way for us to track his results.

Stay tuned next month for more valuable information, news and inspirational results!

Three years ago I developed a program to help employees learn how to get in shape by combining my 12-Week Body Transformation with a little friendly office competition.  Since then, a lot has changed, and the contest has evolved from training a small group of employees to training companies for some serious prizes.

This year, Schell Brothers again participated in my Corporate Fitness Challenge but upped the ante by offering it to several of its subsidiaries, including Clean Energy USA and Ocean Atlantic. This contest was different, because there was much more at stake than previous contests. First off, any employees who lost 7 percent of their body weight would be reimbursed half the cost of my 12-Week Body Transformation, and any employees who lost 12 percent of their body weight would be reimbursed 100 percent of my fees courtesy of Schell Brothers, but here’s the kicker.

The employee who lost the highest percentage of body weight would also be eligible for a monthly payment of $500 for up to 18 months as long as their weight stayed within 1 percent of their finishing weight. In other words, if the person who wins the contest can keep the weight off for a year and a half, he or she will pocket $9,000. How’s that for incentive? Although losing weight and winning money was a definitely a plus, it was just the tip of the iceberg for what the participants accomplished. Here are just a few examples.

Sue Raeuber made history as the first female to ever win for Schell Brothers Companies with a total of 33 pounds and 18.28 percent body weight lost. She is now eligible to begin receiving her $500 payments for the next 18 months as long as she keeps her weight in check. Sue has since lost more weight and is doing things in the gym that would have been impossible for her three months ago.

Jay Hack landed the second-place spot with a 35-pound loss and 16.27 percent body weight, but his real accomplishment was the report he received from his cardiologist at the end of the contest. Jay was previously being treated for high blood pressure and other heart-related issues before completing my transformation, but three days after the contest was over, he was given the thumbs-up by his doctor. “He said I could be the poster boy for primary care prevention,” said Jay. “My blood pressure was 110/70, and in my doctor’s exact words, I slaughtered my stress test.” Big Tommy Watts placed fourth with a 35-pound loss and 13.95 percent of his starting body weight. He also shed 5 1/2 inches off his waistline and went down who knows how many pants sizes.

Megan Spangler lost 13.95 percent of her body weight and fine-tuned her body, sculpting her waistline and exposing her abs.  Megan had never spent much time lifting weights before, but quickly became one of the toughest females I’ve ever trained. On her final workout she did 42 marine pushups, touching her chest to the ground for every repetition.

Baby-faced Kevin Stevenson, who at age 30 looks barely old enough to be out of high school, managed to pull off an amazing transformation by melting the fat off his body and exposing ripped muscle. He also finished 17th out of 200 runners in his first 5K with an outstanding time of 21:29. What makes Kevin’s accomplishment so amazing is that he did all of this during the last couple months of his wife’s pregnancy and the birth of his fourth child. That’s right, I said fourth child, and he never missed a workout or gave a single excuse.  He just did everything with 100 percent intensity. 

Kevin before

Kevin after



Kevin impressed his coworkers so much that he now has his own fan club that sometimes show up at company meetings.

Fans show their respect for Baby faced Stevenson

Other highlights included former Corporate Fitness Challenge runner up John “The Beast” Cristaldi who had already succeeded in transforming his body with my program but now wanted me to help him take his training to a new level. Check out John below in one of his routine workouts with me.

For Schell Brothers, my program has not only become a tradition, but as one employee put it, “a rite of passage.” Thirty-six employees have now participated in it, and as previous winner  Jeff Anemone said to me in a conversation last week, “Schell Brothers has the fittest employees of any company around,” and I have to say I agree with him 100 percent.

Antonio’s Training Represents in 2nd Annual Fritchman 5k

As many of you may know 2 years ago I lost a good friend named Kelly Fritchman to Cystic Fibrosis. Kelly was a courageous mother, wife and former division I swimmer that refused to let a debilitating disease stop her from living life to the fullest. To honor her memory friends and family created the Annual Kelly J. Fritchman 5k to raise money for a swim scholarship to be awarded in her name. This years race was quite a success with several Antonio’s Training clients representing with outstanding performances.

Victim gets ready for a DEXA scan

Computer readout of the scan

One of the best ways to measure the success of your fitness routine is to periodically test your body fat percentage to see if you’re making progress.

In the past there were only three basic ways to accomplish this goal – bioelectrical impedance, the skin fold method and hydrostatic weighing – but recent technology has added a fourth and more accurate method called DEXA scanner.

On Tuesday my wife and I were invited by Dr. Pando of Delaware Arthritis to get a DEXA scan and complete body fat analysis to see how it works but before I give my review let’s take a look at the other methods and their effectiveness.

Bioelectrical impedance
The least effective way to test your body fat is bioelectrical impedance. Bioelectrical impedance works by sending low level electrical currents through your body to determine your body fat usually through a scale or handheld device. This method is popular because it is quick and easy, but is it’s not very accurate. In addition several factors including skin temperature, body hair and fluid retention make it even less perfect. On average the bioelectrical impedance has a margin of error of approximately 10-12 percent.

The skin fold method
A better way to determine body fat is the skinfold method. This test uses a large set of calipers to lightly pinch the skin in several key areas. The calipers allow you to measure the thickness of fat on the outer layer of skin. You then compare the measurements to a predetermined chart or do a fancy mathematical equation and you have your body fat percentage. This is a much more accurate way to check your body fat but it doesn’t test visceral body fat that lies between the organs. The average margin of error is about 3-4 percent.

Hydrostatic weighing
Until recently the best way to determine body fat was hydrostatic weighing. This test requires your body to be lowered into a giant tank of water and since muscle is denser than fat your body composition can be determined based on how much water you displace. People that have a low body fat will displace more water than those with a higher body fat percentage but very few facilities have the equipment to give this test except possibly some hospitals or universities, making the test unrealistic for the average person to get access.

Dexa scanner
The DEXA scanner proved to be an amazing piece of machinery because of the amount of precision and detail that the test provided. To take this test you simply lay down on an open table while a computer generated arm slowly scans vertically from head to toe over your body. The entire process was stress free and only took about 10 minutes to complete.

The end result was a detailed spread sheet that gave us our overall body percentage as well as the body composition of all of our major body parts including fat mass and lean mass. It was kind of like getting a report card for our bodies.

In addition the DEXA also scans bone density and can tell if you are at risk for osteoporosis or other bone degenerating diseases. The DEXA scanner is 98 percent accurate and is considered by many to be the gold standard in body composition testing. It was a great experience and well worth the time and effort. For more information on the DEXA scanner or to schedule appointments call Beach Body Fat Analysis at 302-644-2633.

or the past six years, I’ve written this column hoping my passion for fitness would help others get motivated to change their lives, but this has not always been the case.

Instead it’s often been me who is humbled and inspired by the actions of others I’ve come into contact with along the way.

Elizabeth Loncki was definitely such a person. I never had the privilege to actually meet Elizabeth, but after learning her story, I instantly knew what kind of person she was by how she lived her life.

Elizabeth A. Loncki was born in New Castle, where she attended St. Peter’s grade school and graduated from Padua Academy in 2001. She was a vibrant, athletic girl who never backed down from a challenge and took pride in everything she did. She played volleyball, softball and basketball, and loved to lift weights and work out. She was very competitive and was known for her ability to do large numbers of push-ups.

After high school, Elizabeth decided that she wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, and she decided to join the Air Force. Upon her arrival she took a job placement test and scored extremely high, giving her lots of job options, but Elizabeth chose the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team, otherwise know as the bomb squad.

In 2006, shortly after Elizabeth completed her EOD training, she volunteered to go to Iraq to use her skills to help save lives. During this time, violence in Iraq continued to escalate, and roadside bombs were killing large numbers of Iraqi citizens as well as American service men and women.

“As part of the EOD – explosive ordnance disposal – team Elizabeth’s job was to find these bombs and disarm or detonate them, and that’s exactly what she and her team did,” said Steve Loncki, Elizabeth’s father, “She told me they blew something up almost every day so that these bombs would not be able to hurt anyone else.”

During her time in Iraq, Elizabeth and her team literally saved hundreds of lives. In one particular instance, Elizabeth was awarded the Bronze Star for voluntarily taking control of a vehicle, putting herself in harm’s way and rescuing a group of Army soldiers who were pinned down in an ambush.

Some 20 days before her tour in Iraq was to end, Elizabeth and her team were killed while trying to disarm a roadside bomb. She became the first Delaware woman killed in Iraq in the line of duty and the 66th female soldier. At the age of 23, Elizabeth A. Loncki gave her life for her country so that others can live freely both home and abroad.

To honor the wonderful life of Elizabeth Loncki, friends, family and fitness buffs get together each year to compete in the Annual Old New Castle Run. The run features a scenic 5-mile race through historic Old New Castle as well as a 2-mile run/walk. All proceeds go to a scholarship fund for tuition for needy families in Elizabeth’s Loncki’s name. I knew this would be an excellent cause to champion.

This year’s race will begin at 8 a.m., Saturday June 4, in New Castle. For more information and directions go to OldNewCastleRun.com or contact Jim Steele at 302-530-7274. You may also pick up a race form by stopping by The Firm Fitness Center in Rehoboth Beach.

“We miss her and want to celebrate her life,” said Tina Loncki Masiello, Elizabeth’s aunt. “Participating in this race in her name was the closest we could get to accomplishing this goal.”

More is not always better when it comes to burning fat.

Q: I have a few questions about cardio. I have always heard that you have to do 20 to 30 minutes of cardio before your body begins to burn fat, and anything less is a waste of time. Is this true? Do I have to do a certain time period before I can get progress? - Ben

A: This is far from true. In fact, more is not always better when it comes to getting in shape.

To illustrate this point let me tell you a little story: A few years ago a woman signed up to train with me because she had hit a plateau and just wasn’t making progress.

When she started working out a month earlier, she lost 10 pounds, but by the time I met her, she was stuck in a rut. She had increased her cardio sessions to 45 minutes and did them five times a week without any more results.

After I looked over her program, the answer was clear: Although she had increased the time, she had not once increased the intensity. The workout had become easy for her, and although she was still burning calories, her body refused to release fat because it had adapted to the workload. The solution was to simply cut back the time and increase the intensity until the cardio became challenging again. Guess what?

She quickly lost 10 pounds, and she did it starting with only three sessions of 15 minutes.

As time passed and she continued to get in better shape, we added time to her sessions as well as a variety of different changes to keep the body guessing, but the key was her work-outs never again became easy. She was permanently out of the comfort zone, but the results were well worth the work.

Cardio programs vs. fat-burning
What is the difference between doing the fat-burning program on the cardio machines at the gym and the cardiovascular program?

Programs on machines can be very misleading. The fat-burning program is supposed to work at a slower, more comfortable pace and burn a larger percentage of fat, while sparing muscle mass. The cardio program works at a higher level and faster pace, with the goal of increasing endurance of the heart and lungs.

The problem is what is hard for one person may be easy for another and vice versa. That’s why I never use a cookie- cutter program to decide what type of workout my clients are going to do. We start with the manual program to find a level and speed that is challenging and then increase the intensity as needed.

Target heart rates
Do you have to keep your heart rate in the target heart-rate zone even though it now seems easy?

Before I answer this question, let me first explain what the target heart rate is and why it’s important.

Your target heart rate is the speed at which your heart beats when you’re working hard enough to efficiently burn fat. You can figure out your target heart rate by subtracting your age from 220 and multiplying the answer by 0.75. For example, if you are 40 years old, your target heart rate would be 135 beats per minute: 220-40=180 x 0.75=135.

For the average 40-year-old, keeping the heart rate around 135 beats per minute when doing cardio is a good place to start. However, as you get in shape, your heart rate will begin to drop, and you’ll have to give it a new challenge to get it back in the zone again.

Athletes and people who are in good shape may find it difficult to stay in the target heart-rate zone, because their hearts can handle hard work without getting that excited.

People with medical issues should consult a doctor before starting a cardiovascular training program.

Remember: It’s important to be mindful that the body responds to changes. Learn to throw it a curveball every now and again to keep it guessing.



For the last three years I’ve had the privilege to partner up with Schell Brothers companies to offer a corporate fitness challenge designed to give employees the opportunity to get in better shape.

Each year the contest gets bigger, better and more interesting, and this year will certainly not disappoint. Although many companies around the Unites States have offered weight-loss contests, few are as generous and well thought out as this one.

The biggest difference is that the person who loses the most weight in this contest gets nothing! That’s right, he or she gets squat. Unless the winner continues to work hard and keep it off.

However, the person who loses the most weight will be eligible to receive $500 a month for each month he or she stays within 1 percent of the finishing weight for a total of 18 months. That’s right; you didn’t read it wrong; that’s $500 a month for 18 months with a possible grand total of $9,000.

To make things more interesting, if the winner gains back more than 1 percent of his or her final check-in weight, the $500 a month will then be awarded to the second-place winner with the same guidelines. If the second-place winner also fails to stay within 1 percent of the final weight, the payments will then go to the third-place winner and so on and so on.

“The idea is to help the winner establish a new, healthier life and habits, not just go on a binge diet for three months,” said Chris Schell, president of Schell Brothers companies.

This system will encourage everyone to try to stay in shape because even though a participant didn’t initially win, if the people above slip, he or she could end up in line to receive the $500 payments. Sound interesting? Hold on, it gets better.

In addition to the weight-loss contest there will also be the Schell Brothers Prettiest Man Award and the Princess Pride Award.

The Schell Brothers Prettiest Man Award is truly hilarious. The winner of this contest will be judged by the women who work at Schell Brothers as well as the Women’s Council of Realtors. The finals will be held at a venue that is yet to be announced but will showcase the male contestants walking the catwalk in outfits also chosen by the women. At the end of the night, the winner will receive $1,000. The Princess Pride Award will be a contest for the fittest women, who will be chosen by three randomly selected men who will determine which female finished in the best shape. The winner of this contest will also receive $1,000 and will be immortalized by having her name added to the Princess Pride trophy. This contest will be an annual event.

In addition to all of the above, Schell Brothers employees were also given the option of enrolling in my 12-week Body Transformation program to help them get in the best shape possible while competing for the prize money. So far, 15 participants have signed up and have already begun their journey toward better health. To add even more incentive, the company has agreed to pay for half of the program for employees who lose 7 percent of their starting body weight and 100 percent of my fees for employees who lose 12 percent or more. To date, I’ve trained 37 Schell Brothers employees through goal-oriented fitness contests, and I firmly believe that the secret to happier, healthier, more productive employees is giving them the knowledge and power to change their lives while offering incentives to those who are willing to work hard to achieve their goals.

How could anyone afford to miss this opportunity? Stay tuned for more details, as I will periodically feature contest results in future columns.

At age 72 Bob Vastine looks 20 years younger because of working out and staying in shape

Q: I read your column every week and I notice you write about a variety of topics, but one thing is definitely for sure, you are a big fan of weight training. I used to lift weights when I was younger but at 60 years of age I’m not sure if it’s right for me anymore. What’s your opinion on weight training for someone my age? Is it really necessary?

A: I believe weight training is an ageless sport because you’re never too old to get started. I also believe most people age prematurely because they don’t stay active. In fact, George Bernard Shaw explained it best when he wrote, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing,” and there’s a lot more truth to this than most people realize.

Anyone who’s ever broken a bone and had to wear a cast can certainly understand this principle. When a broken bone is sealed in a cast, it’s isolated and doesn’t move at all for a long time, to allow it to heal. The only problem is after a couple of weeks of inactivity the muscle around the injured bone becomes smaller, weaker and less mobile. This is called atrophy. When the cast comes, off the bone may be healed, but it will take months to get the muscles back in shape again.

Now compare this scenario to the lifestyle of the average aging American. As people become older, they become more sedentary, because they work so hard that when they get home all they want is to sit down and watch their favorite TV show. They are less active because technology does most physical labor for them and there is less time to spend outdoors walking or exercising, so they end up spending most of their day anchored to a desk staring at a computer or with a television controller glued to their hand.

With each passing year their muscles begin to shrink and become weak and less mobile. They start feeling aches and pains they never noticed before, and before you know it they’re in the worst shape of their life and have no idea how they got there. Since lean muscle tissue helps the body burn fat, the loss of muscle is replaced with 20-30 pounds of extra body fat. In a way their whole body has experienced atrophy – loss of muscle, strength and mobility – from lack of activity. Depressing, right? Well, not so fast; there is one way to reverse this whole process, and it starts with good old-fashioned strength training.

I like to call weight lifting the great equalizer because it’s never too late to get started, and a good program can stall the aging process by keeping the muscles active and challenged. Instead of getting weaker and less mobile, working out will help you maintain strength, balance, endurance and posture.

It can also reduce injuries and help prevent diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis. Not a bad investment for people who would like to enjoy their golden years with the best possible healthcare plan.

So if you think weight training isn’t for you, guess again. I’d suggest it to anyone who would like to enjoy better quality of life.

A:. Believe it or not, losing weight is easy compared to putting on real muscle size. That’s right, I said it and it’s true. Anyone can strip off extra weight that they’re not supposed to be carrying in the first place, but trying to add a few pounds of lean muscle can be harder than Chinese arithmetic.

So if you have a lightning-fast metabolism and can’t seem to add any extra muscle to your frame, don’t give up.

You’ll just have to trick your body into gaining size. Here’s how.

Eat a few larger meals
Normally I tell my clients to eat five to six small meals a day, because it stabilizes blood sugar levels and gives the body the signal that food is readily available, allowing the release of extra calories.  So, to gain size you simply reverse the process. Instead, eat four larger meals a day to slow the metabolism down and help the body store extra calories for building muscle.

Eat more complex carbohydrates
When you eat carbohydrates, they are turned into glycogen and stored in your muscles for energy. When you eat more than you can use, they are stored and will surely help you gain size as well as give you plenty of energy for high-intensity workouts needed to shock the muscles into growing larger.

Focus on multijoint exercises
Don’t waste a lot of time doing single-joint exercises like bicep curls; focus on the basic meat-and-potatoes multijoint exercises – exercises that work more than one muscle group at a time, like squats, barbell rows, dead lifts and power cleans. These exercises will work large parts of the body at the same time and are proven to be the best for building size and strength.

Don’t miss times to supplement
In addition to regular meals there are two times a day when drinking a quality protein supplement will have a great effect on building muscle size. The first and most important is within 15-30 minutes after a workout, because glycogen levels are low, and anything you eat will be shuttled directly into the bloodstream for faster and more effective muscle repair.

The second is right before you go to bed, ensuring that the body will be supplied with the bricks and mortar needed to build bigger muscles while you rest. Both of these extra meals are better consumed as a liquid, so a quality protein supplement like a shake or powder works best.

Do short, quality workouts
Most people don’t realize that rest is just as important as working out when it comes to adding muscle size. Therefore, your workouts should be short, intense and to the point. I’d recommend a program consisting of one to two body parts a day with eight to nine sets per body part. Keep the repetitions between eight and 10 for optimal growth, and don’t forget that in order to grow, you will have to challenge your muscles with maximum poundage.



John Cristaldi before

John Cristaldi after

John Cristaldi had a super fast metabolism that made it difficult to pack on muscle size that is until he entered my 12 week body transformation. During the transformation he gained 1 pound a week and only increased his body fat percentage by 1.5% by following the the same 5 rules I outlined above. Not bad for a guy that thought he could never get any bigger.

Q: I’m in decent shape but have always carried most of my weight around my waistline. A guy at the gym told me that there is no sense working my abs because reducing body fat in one area at a time is impossible. What are your thoughts on this issue? Are there any special exercises you would suggest to help?

A: Saying you shouldn’t work your abs to burn fat off your waistline is like saying you don’t want to make a lot of extra money because you’ll have to pay more taxes. It just doesn’t make sense. Prioritizing a weakness and working to make it less of a problem is money in the bank and will be a great investment toward a better midsection. Here are some tips to help get you started.

Add some instability movements
Instability movements are abdominal exercises that require balance and coordination and work the abdominals in a more unconventional way than lying on the floor and doing crunches. These exercises simulate the way your abs would feel when picking up an awkward piece of furniture or lifting an object overhead. Hold up, put the couch down; there’s no need to rearrange the living room. To add instability exercises to your abdominal routine simply elevate your body by placing your back on an exercise ball and your feet firmly on the floor and do traditional crunches. The air in the ball will challenge your balance and force you to work the abs in a much different way.

Incorporate twisting movements
One of the greatest ways to sculpt your waistline is by adding twisting movements, because they place constant pressure on the abs, creating a burn that will bring a tear to your eye. Twisting movements also help isolate the oblique muscles or love handles located on the sides of the midsection and will help carve detail that regular exercises can’t. Examples of twisting movements include bicycle crunches, medicine ball twists and side planks.

Work abs throughout your workout
In the old days I’d do my weight training workout first and then when I was good and tired I’d try to do multiple sets of mindless crunches. This technique never worked for me because it was very boring and by the time I was finished my workout I was exhausted and found myself skipping abs and going home instead. I later realized that plugging abdominal exercises in between my regular weight training exercises made a lot more sense because it ensured that they got done while I still had plenty of energy, and I began getting much better results. A good example would be doing a set of seated rows, bicycle crunches and then finishingcle crunches and then finishing with a set of push-ups.

Choose exercises for core muscles
I always include an equal amount of lower back work to complement the abs. Let’s not forget your body has a front and a back.  Spending all your time working on the side you see when you look in the mirror will only give you half the results. Tightening both will make your waistline look twice as good.
It will also help prevent back injuries due to muscle imbalance. Good examples of exercises that isolate the lower back are hyperextensions, bird dogs or supermans.  There is no doubt that it will take a lot more than a great abdominal workout to strip the fat off your waistline and reveal six-pack abs, but prioritizing your weakness is a great start.

Add a good cardio program and a proper diet and you’ll be well on your way to a slimmer, trimmer waistline.



Mark Moore used the above techniques while doing my 12 week body transformation. Do you think he would have ever gotten 6 pack abs like that without targeting his waistline?