Renegade Inner Circle-Jason Ferruggia

Hey guys,

You may be interested in checking out Jason Ferruggia's Renegade Inner Circle. 

This is a paid membership training site. Some of the features include:

Training Programs

*A Brand New, Strength & Conditioning Program Every Month.
*Elite Level Coaching From World Renowned Fitness Expert, Jason Ferruggia.
*The Renegade Inner Circle Private Discussion Forum & Support Community.
*Members Only Teleseminars.
*MP3 and Audio Files.
*Members Only Training Videos.


The membership is $17 a month if you choose to pay monthly, but the most cost-effective way to join is to pay a year in advance $147.  This is an inexpensive, convenient way to get solid training information--especially when you compare it with the cost of hiring a personal trainer.  Just CLICK HERE to check it out. 

Cheat Day

I'm feeling quite full and satisfied at the moment.  It's cheat day, and I've started it off with a late-morning breakfast and dessert.  I could go into vivid detail about my dining experience (including what I plan to eat later), but I'll abstain.  It may not be your cheat day, after all, and there's no need to make you fall off the wagon.

I'm a big fan of this strategy for long-term, sustained fat loss. Strategic cheating on your diet does more than help keep you sane compliant.  There seems to be some hormonal advantages to it as well.

Leptin

Leptin comes to mind here. 

We know that leptin is one of the hormones responsible for regulating hunger and body fat.  This hormone sends signals to your brain, telling you that you are full.  It also causes your body to burn/release fat stores.

But leptin levels decrease when calories are lower.  We know, for example, that leptin levels tend to decrease after around 24 hours of fasting--this is one reason the Eat Stop Eat program only requires a 24-hour fast.  Levels are also lower after prolonged low-calorie diets.  This seems to be part of the body's way of holding on to its precious fat stores.

Cheating for a day can bring leptin levels back up and prevent you from having a plateau in weight loss/fat loss.

You may be concerned about ruining a week of hard work in one day.  Based on my experience, it just doesn't work this way.  There's a limit to the amount of body fat you can store within one day, and I've found that any weight gained on cheat day tends to be water or glycogen (energy stored within the muscle).  In other words, the benefits far outweigh the risks (pun intended). 

But I want to caution you about something--this only works if you are compliant with your diet the rest of the time.  You should be on a calorie deficit on every other day if fat loss/weight loss is your goal. 

 

An Apple a Day . . .

I'm sure all of us have heard "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." 

Maybe it is more than a cliche. 

Apples can be a dieter's best friend.  A medium-sized apple has about one hundred calories and is packed with fiber.  Take one with a protein shake and you've got a great snack or meal replacement.  I love the way they make me feel full without adding significant calories to my diet.

There's another possible benefit beyond the fiber and low calories.  The natural chemicals in apples (polyphenols) seem to be associated with improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, both of which decrease one's risk for diabetes.  Be sure to eat the peel--it has the highest concentration of quercetin, one of these beneficial compounds. 

Best Exercise for Weight Loss

What is the best exercise for weight loss?

The answer is pretty simple: the best exercises for fat loss are compound, multi-joint exercises that train more than one muscle group.  Such exercises would include squats, clean and press, rows, etc. Getting the big muscle groups involved are going to burn more calories and create a more significant conditioning effect.

Flavia Del Monte

Take a look, for example at a still shot of this video from Flavia Del Monte's Full-Body-Licious Program.  Here she is doing the overhead walking lunge.  First and foremost, this exercise works the large, lower body muscles: the quadriceps, gluteus maximus, and hamstrings.  But she's working other muscles by holding the weights over hear head.  The arms, shoulders, and abdominal/core muscles are having to work to keep the weight stable.  This is the kind of exercise that really transforms your physique.

You should, of course spend some of your time on smaller muscle groups.  Focused abdominal training, for example, isn't going to burn the same amount of calories as a squat or lunge.  But there's no problem with spending some time on it after you've done your compound movements.

Craig Ballantyne

Should you be doing high reps to burn fat?  Moderate rep ranges (8-12) seem to have the most significant metabolic impact.  One study, for example, showed those who did this rep range experienced a higher level of post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) than those who did high rep training. ¹
 
These same principles are also used in Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence Training.  His programs are designed to get the maximum metabolic impact in the minimal amount of time.

Limiting the rest between sets is another good strategy.  Shorter rest periods (let's say 60 seconds) will also burn more calories and help you get in shape faster.  The better your conditioning, the less rest you'll need in between sets.


One last thought:  I've said this over and over, but it bears repeating: you have to have control of your diet in order to lose fat and transform your physique.  You can't out-train a bad diet. 



1. Effects of resistance exercise bouts of different intensities but equal work on EPOC.

Clean and Press

The clean and press is a great exercise to build overall strength and power.  It works multiple muscles groups and can really get your heart rate up if you are looking for more of a conditioning response. Here are a few videos: two demonstrating the barbell version; one demonstrating the kettlebell version.
Barbell Clean and Press

More weight, less instruction
 
Kettlebell Clean and Press

Motivational: Paul Bryant Quote

"There's a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success."
-Paul "Bear" Bryant

Carbs at Night

I used to believe in avoiding carbohydrates after a certain time (like 6:00 p.m.) or for the last meal of the day.  But my mind is changing as I learn about (and practice) intermittent fasting.

A recent study suggests eating carbs at night may not be a bad idea if it is done properly.  78 police officers with unhealthy body mass indexes (BMI) were put on low-calorie diets.  One group ate most of their carbohydrates at dinner (the experimental group), the other group (the control group) presumably spread their carb intake over all meals.

Those who ate most of their carbohydrates at dinner ended up with greater fat loss (as evidenced by weight loss, abdominal circumference, and BMI reduction.) and reported lower hunger scores.  This group also showed greater hormonal improvements.¹

Here are a few of my thoughts about eating carbohydrates at night in light of this study:

A negative calorie balance is still the key to weight loss, regardless of when you eat certain foods.  I think the reason late-night eating hurts so many of us is we've already had plenty of calories throughout the day, then we add even more while sitting on the couch watching TV.  But in this study the subjects were eating less calories than they used, resulting in weight loss.

The experimental group had lower hunger scores.  I'm wondering if the difference in results comes down to compliance.  Maybe those who ate carbs at night simply had an easier time following the diet and thus had more positive overall results.

For argument's sake, lets assume compliance was the key.  It would still make this approach to dieting a valid one--all things being equal, a diet that's easier to comply with is a better diet.  I'm personally having a much easier time eating this way compared to other strategies (low carb, etc). 

It's certainly possible that there are some hormonal advantages to eating this way, and compliance was not the only factor responsible for the experimental group's greater improvements.  More research needs to be done. 

Finally, let's consider the strategy for clarification:

1. A negative calorie balance
2. Most of the daily carbs eaten at dinner

It's fine if you want to try this strategy--but be sure both components are in place.  Don't kid yourself by eating too many calories and too many carbs all day, follwed up with a night of shoveling down the pasta.  That's not what these subject did. 



1. Greater Weight Loss and Hormonal Changes After 6 Months Diet With Carbohydrates Eaten Mostly at Dinner.

Pull In (Stability Ball)

You guys know I'm a big fan of the  exercise ball/stability ball for abdominal training.  Here's another exercise you can do: the pull in. 

Leg Curl Exercise Ball

I'm a big fan of the exercise ball. It is both inexpensive and versatile. The exercises ball (also know as the Swiss ball or stability ball) isn't only useful for abdominal training--it can be used for leg training.

Here are a couple of videos demonstrating how to do leg curls with an exercise ball.  This is especially helpful if your gym doesn't have a leg curl machine (or if the one they have isn't well designed or maintained). 

Leg Curls (Basic)



Single Leg Curls (Advanced)

All She Can (Movie)

Hey guys,

There's a new independent film coming out that involves powerlifting.  It's called All She Can. 

The story is about a high school athlete who is fighting for a scholarship and a way out of her small Texas town.

You can watch the trailer here on apple's website.

You may also be interested in my post about women and weight training.

Glute Workout

There's a workout program for the ladies (and guys) who are interested in building your glutes: Gluteus to the Maximus.  

This e-book program is from the folks at Fitness Ebooks.  They have a solid reputation for high quality workout programs, so I have no problem promoting their products.  Click here to check out the program and get your butt in gear (literally). 

Sumo Deadlift

I've already posted an instructional video for the standard deadlift.

The sumo style deadlift is another way to way to execute this movement.  Like the standard deadlift, you are pulling the weight from the floor.  But you hands are on the inside of your legs with this style.

Some people prefer sumo to the standard style.  I'll write more on this some other time, but it largely depends on individual preference and body mechanics. 

Be sure to start with your shins against the bar--one mistake new trainees make is to start too far away from the bar.  Start with a weight you can handle and execute proper form. 

Here's a video of a young woman lifting 225 lb. at under 100 lb. body weight (see my article on women and weight training to see why I think girls should lift weights).