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Eugene Thong

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Foundations of Fat Loss: Weight Loss Basics

 

Weight Training For Fat Loss: The Holy Trinity

 

How to Turn Your Body Into a Fat Burning Furnace

 

Down and Dirty High Intensity Cardio Secrets

 

Carb Manipulation: Your Simple Guide to Looking Good Naked

 

Getting that Elusive "Six- Pack"

 

 
 

 

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12 Completely Random Tips That Will Help You Shed The Pounds

By Eugene Thong CSCS

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1. For a super-quick and easy breakfast (hat tip to Tim Ferriss), mix up two or three eggs in a microwavable container.  Fill a second microwavable container up with your choice of frozen veggies (spinach, peas, pretty much anything but corn).

 

Plop into a microwave for roughly 2 mins (adjust according to your microwave power).  When eggs are firm, plop the contents of both containers onto a plate, then season the eggs with your choice of topping: salsa, hot sauce, or plain ol’ salt and pepper (no ketchup, please!).  Add a squeeze or two of lemon juice and (optional) a tablespoon of fish oil or flaxseed oil to the veggies.  Enjoy.

 

2. Want a simple way to improve your lifts in the gym?  Ditch your lifting gloves.  Yes, this is more uncomfortable than using them, but the improved contact you get with the bar (read: more friction) will better allow you to lift heavier.  Also, your grip will last longer.

 

3. Here are 5 nearly pain-free ways to include more vegetables in your daily diet:

 

a. Mix veggies into your morning egg scrambles or omelets.
b. Use more greens in your toppings for sandwiches or pizza (and you’re saving these for your cheat days, right?).
c. Drink a green foods/phyto foods supplement or add to a pre/post workout shake.
d. Grill a Portobello mushroom with olive oil and a little cracked pepper.
e. Keep a package of pre-cut vegetables, washed and ready to eat, in your work fridge (or cut and package it yourself on a weekend).

 

4. Forget grilled chicken and tuna: Novel toppings for salads – ginger glazed beef, buffalo, ostrich, maple salmon, sardines.

 

5. Stuck in-between meetings with nothing to eat but “unapproved and unauthorized” foods?  Head to the nearest deli or grocery and choose one of the following: prepackaged tuna/salmon, can of sardines (either in sardine oil or water), bag of walnuts, or bag of almonds.

 

6. Time your rest periods between sets.  It sounds simple, but no one does it (except me and Mike).  The first time, you will be amazed at how much time you waste by “resting.”  Use an egg timer or beeping timer and set it to go off after 60 seconds.

 

7. Get some new sneakers – ones that actually fit your feet and their contour.  If you have no idea what I’m talking about, head to your nearest sporting goods store and ask the shoe person for assistance (make sure they know what they’re talking about by asking, “I over- pronate when I’m running.  What do you suggest?”  IF all you get is a blank stare, ask for someone else).

 

8. Carry a water bottle with you at all times and sip from it regularly.  Fill it back up when you drain it.

 

9. Slow your negatives and gain more muscle.  When lifting weights, concentrate on lowering the weights slowly.  Studies show that more muscle damage (“microtrauma”) occurs during eccentric contractions (the lowering phase) and greater microtrauma from a workout correlates to more muscle built.

 

10. Oops!  Had no time for a workout today?  It’s ok: do our bodyweight workout before you bed down.  Or if that’s too ambitious, you can do the metabolic conditioning workout from our Workouts for the Hotel Room series.  And don’t worry about your sleep – recent studies show that exercise immediately prior to bedtime had no effect on the exerciser’s ability to fall asleep.  In other words, exercising at night won’t keep you up.

 

11. Do Anywhere Exercise#1 – Calf raise.  Find a raised step (hint: staircases).  Position the balls of your feet an inch from the edge of the step.  Slowly lower your heels until you feel a light stretch in your calves, then slowly raise your heels until they are above your ankles.  Repeat for a brief set of 10 reps.

 

12. Push yourself with this tip: Create an anchor phrase.  Visualize yourself with your ideal body.  As you do this, say out loud a short but positive phrase, such as “Best Life”, “Six Pack”, or “Plus One”.  When performing reps in a given exercise set becomes hard, tell yourself your anchor phrase (“Plus One”), either out loud or silently, to yourself (it is more powerful spoken, but if you’re easily embarrassed, you may want to keep your self-talk to yourself). Repeat it over and over as you grind out those last, most difficult reps.

 

We give an extensive list of powerful weight loss tips and techniques like these in Black Book of Secrets.

 

Sign up here for our weekly weight loss newsletter (heck, we even GIVE you something to join – our latest Special Report: The Dark Side of Dieting. It details 21 things you probably didn’t even realize were keeping you from losing those inches.)

 

About the Author:

Eugene Thong, CSCS, was born a weak, skinny, bespectacled child. Now, thanks to a steady diet of martial arts, scientific inquiry, and heavy compound movements, he's no longer weak.  His scientific bent, Zen-like demeanor, and efficient but intense methods have made him one of New York's most sought-after personal trainers.  

 

When not helping clients cultivate their own inner 6-packs, Eugene can be found arm barring opponents at Renzo Gracie's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy or sailing through the air on his snowboard.  Read Eugene's semi-weekly musings on exercise, fitness, and fat loss at his blog

Eugene is Mike's co-author of The Black Book of Secrets.  You can purchase it by clicking here.

 

   

 

 

Diet Articles

Exercise Articles

Strategy/ Motivation Articles

Diet Q and A

Exercise Q and A

Strategy/ Motivation Q and A

How To Videos

Fat Loss Series

 

 

The BEST 7.5 Minute Fat- Burning Workout You'll Ever Use. Really.

 

Head for the Hills and Strip Off the Fat in 12 Minutes!

 

The Green Apple (mini) Project

 

Healthy does not necessarily mean good for fat loss!

 

What's More Important? Counting Calories or Eating the Right Combination of Protein/ Fat/ Carbs?

 

The Beach Day Program: Lose 10-20 pounds in 10 weeks

 

Carb Manipulation: Your Simple Guide to Looking Good Naked

 

Carb Manipulation: Your Simple Guide to Looking Good Naked (Part 2)

 

Get Thoroughly Acquainted with Your Food for the Best Weight Loss Results 

What do you think of that diet where you eat certain foods based on your blood type?

 

I’ve always been told to get a six- pack you need to do a lot of abs work with high reps. Would you agree?

 

Do I need supplements to lose weight?

 

Is it possible to lose weight and gain muscle at the same time?

 

I’ve got fat located in the area of my body where my arm meets my shoulder, and I can’t get rid of it.  Are there any exercises in particular that would help improve that? Or what about any spot reducing supplements?

 

I know I should be having some protein and carbs after a weights workout, but what about after cardio? I've heard that you should wait 2 hours before eating.

 

You mentioned the benefits of scheduling a "cheat meal" into your eating program at least once per week. Is there a best time to eat a cheat meal?

 

Should I be counting my grams of fat, sugar, and calories?

 

What can I do to flatten my lower abs? I've been doing crunches and hanging leg raises for the last year, but nothing seems to help.

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