Why You're Still Fat

I'm loving all the mails you guys have been sending! Fat-loss is a topic that's come up more than anything else. Something I've noticed is that the men tend to stick to weight lifting, and the girls are only doing cardio. To get a defined or ripped physique means you need both. Most of the men already have good amounts of muscle, and just need to shed the fat covering it. Most women need to include weight training to make sure fat is being burned, not muscle.

The majority of you don't have a lot to lose, but need some help with the details.

Everyone seems to be looking for that magic or secret quick-fix. Chances are that if you're reading this, though, you know it takes effort and patience to get your perfect sexy body and get healthy! I'm going to share a few things I know can hold you back, and a few tips and tactics I've used.

Get Drunk, Not Fat!

For most people, one of the pitfalls of starting a new way of eating (more healthily) is giving up certain things you enjoy. While some sacrifice is necessary to achieve any goal, giving up on good foods and alcohol forever is daunting. However, you really don't need to cut these things out completely. Not only would life be pretty boring, but it's likely your dietary adherence would go out the window. Not good. There aren't "good" or "bad" foods, but that's a topic for another day. Today, with the weekend here, we're going to focus on how to drink while still getting lean and sexy! (Scroll down to skip the technical explanations).

Portal shooters - can't have blue without red!

MYTHS of Gaining Muscle

There is so much nonsense (or broscience) floating around the fitness community it's absurd. One study done on rats showing X happens under Y circumstances and suddenly we have so-called experts saying you can only absorb 30g of protein at a time. That was an example, before you get huffy. A specific truth in certain circumstances all too often leads to it evolving into general "truths" that must be followed or else.

Most of the time, the answer is "it depends". This post focuses on the myths about muscle gains and the exercise and nutrition broscience nonsense surrounding it.

Joe Manganiello - Men's Health

Joe Manganiello - Men's Health

Healthy Yummy Recipes!

Eating well isn't always easy. Between the social events, working late, rushing about and generally being short on time, it can seem daunting to cook healthy foods. Once you learn a few good go-to recipes, though, it will become second nature. So stop putting your health and sexy body at the bottom of your priority list! Stop making excuses! Don't start tomorrow, or next week, or next month - you never will! Start today!

Here are some of my favourite recipes that are healthy, nutritious and boy do they taste amazing!

Breakfast, Snacks, Lunch, Dinner, Desserts

Gifts For Fitness Freaks!

Trying to motivate someone to get active? Want to start off the New Year with some motivation? Need to find a gift for that fitness freak of a friend? Or perhaps you want to get yourself something for a change!

Keep at least a little active during the festive seasons to get that head start on your NY resolutions!

Here's my list of fantastic and useful gifts for the aspiring fit and healthy!

2 Steps to Getting Toned and Building Muscle!

I know! I've slacked a bit this week, and this post is a bit late :)

This one is especially for guys who want to pack on some sexy muscle and gals that want to tone up and get firm or look less "skinny-fat" - in 2 simple steps!

My better half turned 30 recently and I threw a Portal-themed party for him, with lots of cake and cupcakes! I had my fair share of cake and it was oh-so-delicious.



At the party, my younger brother asked me about my Personal Training and during the discussion, he looked at me and said, "Sounds like a great career. But don't become too muscular, hey!"

Supplements: The Essential 7

I had some major PC trouble today. Twitter was a small but helpful way to vent! (Follow me here). Got things back up and running though, so you'll get your weekly Lean on Me fix! :)

Both my best friend and my gym buddy  have told me several times that they want to get healthier and sexier naturally when I've suggested supplements. I suspect the negative media around steroid use and the like have spilled over into accepted supplements.

When I talk about supplementation, I'm not talking about crazy steroids or testosterone injections, I'm talking about naturally occurring nutrients that will help your body along it's path to awesomeness. The key factor here is that they're supplementing your diet and exercise; they aren't a quick-fix substitution.

FAQ: Nutrition & Exercise

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope you've all had a great weekend. My law exam went very well so my weekend was off to a good start! I had an awesome dinner/movie night and indulged in one of my favourite restaurants: Gourmet Garage. Then we watched Alex Cross. I was pretty excited to see Matthew Fox playing someone other than Jack Shepard, from Lost. The movie didn't seem to focus on him at all, though, which disappointed me. Saturday afternoon was a friend's 30th in a gorgeous house on a golf estate. There were people fishing in the lake. If you live in a place like that, I'd love to come train you!

Anyway, if you're reading this, thanks! The blog is doing quite well for the short time it's been up, so if you're supporting it - you rock! If this isn't your thing, I hope you're telling anyone who might be interested! (If not, please do).

I'm getting a bunch of questions and suggestions from people via Facebook/email/IMs, even from people I haven't spoken to in years! The suggestions are fantastic, so keep them coming. Even if I have no idea who you are, feel free to send me a mail if you're wondering about something :)

I'm not sure why, but you guys seem a little shy about making comments here on the blog instead! You can post a comment as "Anonymous" if that worries you :)

Now, let's bust some myths and answer some questions: 

Working out at Home!

This past weekend I got to see Linkin Park LIVE IN CONCERT! They were amazing. I was actually looking forward to seeing the Kongos (the opening act), but they paled in comparison to the main event. LP has fined tuned their performance so fantastically. (Straight into the first song after making us wait an hour or two was a good call).

In preparation, I baked some protein bars and took fruit, almonds and protein powder to make sure my nutrition didn't slip for the awesome event. My exercise, on the other hand, didn't fair so well. With LP preparation (including an outfit!) on Saturday and my upcoming law exam, I had to skip my workout that day. On Sunday I drove to gym only to find it was closed. As was every gym in the area. It didn't put me in a good mood. The only option was to make do with a home workout.

Healthy eating doesn't mean constant hunger...

A few uninformed friends think I'm starving myself or are really surprised when I tell them how much I eat on a daily basis. Even when I'm restricting calories to burn body fat, it's quite a lot of food. That's one awesome benefit of eating clean!

I thought I would share an example of what I eat in a day to help dispel the myth that eating healthily means tiny meals and constant hunger. Take a look:

It's the Small Things: Exercise Basics Part 2

This is the second post regarding exercise basics! In part 1 we covered:

• Form & technique
• Know your body

This post (part 2):

• Weight/resistance training for different goals
• How many reps and sets?
• What exercises can you do?
• How do you make a workout plan?
• Cardiovascular Exercise

It's the Small Things: Exercise Basics Part 1

Before we get started, I'd like to point out that I'm not an expert or a doctor, but everything I've posted is from personal experience and/or extensive research. Tons of experience and hours of research. Everything here might not apply to you, but it's a great outline for getting started or learning a bit more!

Everyone wants to exercise. Everyone seems to know they should exercise. However, not many people seem to know exactly how  to exercise. When it comes to workouts, one size does not fit all. You need to figure out what works for YOU, based on your goals, limitations and ability. What works for your friend will not necessarily work for you.

It's the Small Things: Getting Started with Nutrition

Today, I was more proud of myself than I've ever been. There will be no false modesty here! I accomplished things I never thought I could do, and pushed myself past limits I was sure could not be moved. I never thought I'd be able to do proper push-ups or pull-ups, HIIT training or macro-nutrient manipulation.

I'm sure you've heard similar cliched sayings many times before, but has it ever really sunk in? It didn't for me! If someone had told me when I started that I'd be passing on chocolate or hitting the gym 6 days a week, I would have laughed and rolled my eyes. And then laughed a bit more.