What is Summer Fit?

Summer Fit is a fitness class/boot camp that I run which employs the Fat X workout philosophies and principals.  The Summer Fit fitness class/boot camp revolves around doing more anaerobic work than traditional boot camps which solely rely on aerobic work.  Anaerobic work has been shown to stimulate the metabolism better than aerobic work and Summer Fit participants can definitely attest to this.  

I conduct the fitness class/ boot camp in my backyard which gives me advantages over other boot camps such as access to my anaerobic fitness tools, dumbbells, sand bag, weighted sled, kettle bell, water jugs, running space and power rack.  By conducting the fitness class/boot camp in my backyard it also gives it a dimension of privacy for those that don't like an audience when working out.

After taking a week off, the Summer Fit fitness class/boot camp restarts this Monday.  Classes are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 5:15 p.m- 6:00 p.m. and 6:15-7:00 p.m.  If you're in the Pasadena area, want to burn fat, lose weight and get fit, feel free to send me an e-mail at coachrollie@gmail.com for more info on attending the Summer Fit fitness class/boot camp.

Fat Burning, Weight Loss, Diet and Fitness Q&A of the Week-Abs

Every week I answer a question or questions that are sent in to me regarding fat burning, weight loss, diet, fitness and or the Fat X program.  I skipped last week but I'm back on track today. Today's question was posted as a comment on my post "Diet Breaks Can Help Long Term Goals"

Hey,

Ive been doing your workouts but then I started to get busy during this summer, and unfortunately had to pause my session. I want six pack abs, I plan on doing your workout program to lose some fat, and lower my body fat percentage. Once that is done, I would like to work on my abs. Do you have any exercises to work on abs. Or are you posting any ab videos, for those who want to get visible abs? I as just wondering on what you would be coming up with for abs because that is the number one thing I want.

Thanks a bunch!! 

Nick

Included in the Fat X workout program are abdominal exercises.  Some of them are non-traditional so you might not even know that they work your abs.  One of the best exercises that I included in the program is in day 3.  It's called the spin crunch. It looks extremely silly.  Especially if you're a beginner.  But if you've tried it, you know it's extremely effective at working your abdominal muscle.

As I've mentioned before, the most relevant thing to getting or actually seeing six pack abs is decreasing your body fat percentage so that the layer of fat covering the abdominal muscle is reduced to the point you can see muscle definition.  I do have some nice specialty exercise routines for abs and other muscle groups that I will be putting out for those people that feel they need extra work.  It's a common request, but as you may know this site is run on a shoe string budget so It might take a while. 

 On that note, I do want to thank those that visit the site, purchase the FX workout guide and or check out my other sponsors.  It helps a lot in keeping the site free.  Thanks a lot and good luck Fat X'ers!

Get Healthier and Your Body Will Follow

One of the things people don't realize is that when I'm training someone or when they are following my workout program is that my main concern is getting them healthier.  Whether my clients goals are to lose weight, burn fat, get bigger muscles, get toned or just get more fit, my approach is always the same.  Get them healthier!

Getting them healthier is my main concern because a healthy person will lose fat, get bigger muscles, get more toned and fit a lot easier than someone that is unhealthy.  So in order to get them healthier, I don't advocate a low calorie diet or counting calories, I advocate a highly nutritious diet.

I'm not concerned with how many calories my clients eat, what is most important to me is that they are eating enough nutritious food.  By nutritious I mean vegetables, lean sources of protein, fruits (especially berries) and nuts.  My philosophy is that by eating nutritiously, you become healthier.  By eating nutritiously and becoming healthier you feel better, workout better and recover from workouts better.  The side effect of all that is that your body will look better.  

My point to all this is that you should concentrate on becoming healthier and the rest will follow.  

Weight Training vs Cardio Part 2

In part 1 I discussed how there two schools of thought when if comes to losing fat. On one side there's the hours of cardio advocates and on the other there's the weight training advocates. With cardio there's the drawback of only burning calories during the workout session.  So is weight training the answer to lose fat efficiently?

Cardio sessions can burn more calories than traditional weight training sessions, but weight training stimulates muscle building.  Muscle tissue burns more calories than does fat tissue throughout the day, so by making sure you build muscle, your metabolism will be elevated throughout the day.  The drawback is you might not burn a lot of calories during a traditional weight training session. 

To accommodate for the cons in both methods of working out, most fitness experts have suggested doing a few days of cardio and a few of weight training.  That works well, especially if working out is your only hobby, you don't have a demanding job, no family or friends.  It's definitely the work harder not smarter philosophy.

Luckily, there's been an evolution in fitness coaching in the last few years that has given rise to a hybrid form of working out.  This hybrid method combines cardio and weight training into the same workout for better and more efficient workouts.  This is the secret behind training programs like Fat X ,Turbulence training and a few others.  If you haven't tried the FX program, give it a go and you'll see how you definitely get in a cardio workout while weight training.

Fat Burning, Weight Loss, Diet and Fitness Q&A of the Week-Protein Supplement

Every week I answer a question or questions that are sent in to me regarding fat burning, weight loss, diet, fitness and or the Fat X program. Today's question was sent in to me on myspace and is regards to supplementing with protein.

Hi Coach,

A friend of mine did your fat loss program and had great results.  I'm trying to get lean and toned and I'll be starting my Fat X project this weekend.  I just bought a protein powder supplement and was wondering when and how I should use it. Thanks for your help.

J.T.

Protein is required to help repair and maintain muscle. It's very important that you get enough protein so as to feed your muscle.  Your muscle is what is going to keep your metabolism revved up and give you that toned look once your burn the fat.  I try to get about a gram per pound of lean body tissue.  I usually start the day with a protein smoothie/shake just to get me off on a good start.  I'll also have another after workouts to help recover from workouts as quickly as possible.  Hope this helps and good look with the workout program.

Weight Training vs Cardio Part 1

There's a big debate on what's better for fat loss.  On one side you have the cardio advocates who believe the best way to lose fat weight is by doing hours of cardio.  On the other side are the weight training advocates who believe it's better to lift weights and build muscle.  I often get asked on what side I'm on and why.  The answer to that is neither.  There's pros and cons to both, but there's also no reason to have to chose sides.  You can do both.  For best results, you should actually get both done at the same time.  If you've done the Fat X Workouts you know what I'm talking about, if you haven't tried them, I'll explain why it's the best way to lose fat.

When people do cardio, they're burning calories while doing that particular cardio session.  Whether it's running or exercising on some type of cardio equipment.  When that cardio session is over, so is the calorie burning.  What's even worse is that as your body adapts to that particular cardio exercise and duration, it burns less and less calories because the body has adapted to the motion and and has become more efficient at completing it. So in order to burn the same amount of calories or more, you have to extend the time you do that type of cardio exercise.  

Check in for part 2 later this week.  Meanwhile check out my post "How Too Much Cardio Can Hurt Fat Burning Goals."

Fat Burning, Weight Loss, Diet and Fitness Q&A of the Week-Weight and Six Pack Abs

Every week I answer a question or questions that are sent in to me regarding fat burning, weight loss, diet, fitness and or the Fat X program. Today's question was e-mailed in and was regarding weight and six pack abs.

Hi Coach,

I'm a male, 5'9" and 185 lbs.  How much weight would I have to lose to see six pack abs?

Jim

Total body fat and body fat percentage are more relevant to seeing abs, or six pack abs than total body weight.  You can have a lot of muscle tissue, therefore weigh more than the average person, but have a low body fat percentage and see six pack abs.  If you want six pack abs, concentrate on burning the layer of fat covering them and not so much on total weight.  If you can, get your body fat tested.  Or, a quick tip I would suggest would be to measure your waist every morning on an empty stomach.