What's Your Input and Output?

Teammates, losing your love-handles and losing 10lbs means you need to focus on two things: Output and Input. Output is the number of calories you burn in a given 24 hr period, and Input is the number of calories you eat in a given 24 hr period.

Output:
• Make sure you’re conducting some long cardio workouts – run/jog/fastwalk, bike, swim – whatever, at least three 60 min sessions a week where your pace should be where you can speak 10 words or so before taking a breath.
• Secondly, make sure when you conduct your bodyweight exercises – pushups/crunches/squats/lunges/pullups (this is all you need) – you should progressively make them harder, to the point of muscle failure (form failure). This will help you build muscle which will in turn raise your metabolism (your ability to burn more calories at rest in a 24 hr period).

Input:
• A simple formula is to eat for your target weight. For example: let's say you’re 210lbs, but your target weight is 200lbs – then you’d multiply your target weight by 10 for 2000 calories per day.
• Now if you’re ramping up the muscle building exercises and trying to really build more muscle, you’ll need to supplement more protein and should also consult with a nutritionist (which I am not). Eat more often but in smaller amounts – try eating 6 meals a day to stave off hunger pains.
• Drink half your body wt in fluid ounces of water/day (e.g. you weigh 200lbs, then drink 100 floz of water/day).

Most importantly, don’t you dare ever give up! Stay Fired UP and let me know how it goes!

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

How to Lose Your Love-Handles

Teammates, whatever you call it -- love handles, muffin top, Molson muscle or spare tire, men and women everywhere are trying to lose abdominal fat. Just got this great set of questions: I have bought your product and started using: it is a great workout. I am also trying to lose my “love-handles”. I know this will work some of those muscles but can you suggest another exercise to target mid section? Not looking for another tool, just a suggestion of sit-ups etc.

Also I have heard that sit-ups may not actually do any good. What is your opinion? If crunches are a better option please instruct on a basic exercise I can work into my routine. I run three times a week but I still seem to keep an extra 10 pounds just above my waist.

Jacob – thanks for your questions! Here are 2 things to think about while you attack your lose 10lbs mission:
1. You can spot tone but not spot reduce – that is to say the muscles you work will get stronger and more toned depending on the intensity, frequency and amount of resistance you place on them; HOWEVER, your body does not burn fat in the area you’re working on – example, just because you do crunches doesn’t mean you burn fat in your abs – your body will burn fat from whatever it decides. So every time you exercise know that you’re getting stronger and certainly more toned, and yes, you’re burning fat but it is not where you might expect to burn it (scientists still don’t have a solution to which fat gets burned first and why).

2. I’m not a fan of traditional Situps – I’m a fan of conducting what I call an Atomic Crunch: hands on your ears, curl your upper torso 30 degrees off the floor while simultaneously lifting your bent knees to your nipples on your chest – do both at the same time and you’ll find that your lower back is supported, your upper abs will scream while your all important lower abs will be activated and eventually tighten (helping you get into a smaller pair of pants while strengthening your core). For further intensity, conduct these Atomic Crunches with “bicycling” your legs – that is alternating left knee to right elbow, then right knee to left elbow.

Stay tuned for Part III: focusing on Output and Input to lose 10 lbs. Most importantly, don’t you dare ever give up! Stay Fired UP and let me know how it goes!

CHARLIE MIKE – ALDEN

Follow me on Twitter to check out last month's Operation Lose 10 Pounds.

Picture courtesy of Wikipedia.

Eating Plan for Recovery

Teammates, Michael G asked, "What is the best eating plan for recovery? I find that after my workouts it takes me at least two to three days to recover and even then I am pushing it a bit." Well Michael, first and foremost, I'm no dietician but I'll tell you what works for me -- eat for your target weight. The right foods and 8 glasses of water daily help, but stretching is also key to recovery. I've printed out my Twitter Operation Lose 10 Pounds in 30 Days workout. The food rules I'm following are:

1. Eating for my target weight. My goal weight is 220 pounds. Multiply that by 10 = 2,200 calories per day.
2. Four to six small meals a day
3. 8 glasses of water per day
4. Limit white carbs [like white bread!]
5. Reduce beer intake
6. No sweets

DAY 10 - Cardio/leg: 30 min of running followed by 100 squats and 60 lunges - dropping sweets and still reducing white carbs.

DAY 9 - PUSH/PULL: 80 combo curls followed by military presses (20lbs each arm); 160 pushups; 40 pull/chinups - limiting white carbos.

DAY 8 - CARDIO/LEG Day: 40 minutes of running; 100 squats (regular; wide and on toes); 80 lunges (rev/fwd/side2side) - no white carbos!

OPERATION LOSE 10LBS food rules: eating for my target weight: 220 - multiply by 10 = 2200 kcal/day. 4-6 small meals/day limiting white carbs

DAY 7 - WEIGH IN (rest day): Day 1 results: 231.4lbs; Day 7 results: 228.7lbs...time to reduce beer intake even more and increase water!

DAY 6 - PUSH/PULL: 20 pullups;20 chinups; 100 pushups; 40 (40lb) military presses; 60combo curls to overhead press - drank water..and beer.

DAY 5 - Cardio and leg workout: 3.5 mile run (pushing 60 lb two-yr old); 100 squats; 40 lunges - forward and reverse; drinking 8 gls water

DAY 4 - Push/Pull - Goal: 40 pullups 40 chinups 160 pushups and dips - drink 8 glasses of water!

OPERATION LOSE 10LBS RULES - 1. Workout 6 days/wk 2. Alternate Legs/ Cardio with Push/Pull wkouts 3. Cut out white carbos 4. Weigh-in weekly

DAY 3 of OP LOSE 10LBS - Legs and Cardio - 3 mile run pushing 60lb stoller (with son) and 100 squats 60 combo curls (40lbs)

DAY 2 total: 60 ups 140 pushups 3 mile walk.

DAY 2 of OP LOSE 10 LBS: Push/Pull day so far today: 30 pullups/chinups 60 pushups - more to follow...

DAY 1 - First workout: 30 min jog (with dog) - 100 squats - 60 combo curls to military presses at 40lbs

DAY 1 - On a mission to lose 10 pounds over the next 30 days - here's the plan 6 workouts a week and limit beer consumption!

Teammates, chime in if you have some great advice for Michael!

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

Operation Lose 10 Pounds

Teammates -- I'm on a new mission this August! To lose 10 pounds over the next 30 days. I'll post the workouts here or you can follow me on Twitter. Keep me posted on your progress! And here's an update --

OPERATION LOSE 10 LBS RULES:
1. Workout 6 days/wk
2. Alternate Legs/ Cardio with Push/Pull wkouts
3. Cut out white carbos
4. Weigh-in weekly

Day 3 of OP LOSE 10LBS - Legs and Cardio - 3 mile run pushing 60lb stoller (with son) and 100 squats 60 combo curls (40lbs)

Day 2 total: 60 ups 140 pushups 3 mile walk.
about 8 hours ago from mobile web

Day 2 of OP LOSE 10 LBS: Push/Pull day so far today: 30 pullups/chinups 60 pushups - more to follow...
about 20 hours ago from mobile web

First workout: 30 min jog (with dog) - 100 squats - 60 combo curls to military presses at 40lbs
9:49 AM Aug 4th from mobile web

On a mission to lose 10 pounds over the next 30 days - here's the plan 6 workouts a week and limit beer consumption!
9:46 AM Aug 4th from mobile web

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN