Stage 1 is over and so, enters Stage 2: Circuit Training

Unlike the superset format found in the previous weeks, I will now incorporate circuit training into my routine. Circuit training, essentially, has you moving from one exercise "station" to the next and you keep going until you complete all exercise stations, only to repeat the circuit from the beginning. It's a great way to keep the tempo high while giving your workout routine a twist and keep your body guessing.

Week 5 Resistance Training Program:
Perform all exercises A1 to A8 (eg. A1, A2, A3...A8, A1, A2, etc) for the specified amount of time as determined by your fitness level, followed by a quick rest between exercises.

Beginner:
30 seconds per exercise station
30 second break between exercises
Perform a total of 2-3 circuits

Intermediate:
45 seconds per exercise station
15 second break between exercises
Perform a total of 3-4 circuits

Advance:
60 seconds per exercise station
10 break between exercises
Perform a total of 4-5 circuits

A1: Push-ups with exercise ball (hands on ball)
A2: Squat and press with bands
A3: 45 degree lat pull down with bands
A4: Hip bridge with exercise ball
A5: Standing tricep extension
A6: Bicep curl with bands
A7: Ball switches
A8: Superman (alternating)

Stage 2 High Intensity Interval Training:

Starting week 5, I will be adding 1 extra round and 1 extra day of HIIT cardiovascular training.

My HIIT routine will look like this:

• 5 minute warm-up
• Each round consists of:
1 minute all out sprint
2 minute jog (60-70% of my all out sprint)


Perform a total of 4 rounds

• 5 minute cool down

Total time: 22 minutes

This is what my schedule could look like:

Monday - Resistance + HIIT
Tuesday - HIIT
Wednesday - Resistance
Thursday - HIIT
Friday - Resistance
Saturday - HIIT
Sunday - REST

Notice that I include a rest day. On days where I perform both HIIT and resistance, I would do all resistance training BEFORE I do HIIT training.

Have fun everyone! Thank you for all your support and feedback. Please forward this to anyone you think might be interested in this. I want everyone to experience this journey with me!

You can go comparison satellite tv shopping with the satellite tv promotions at InternetLion.com!

Click here for Week 6!

During my commutes home, I would find myself tuned into talk-radio (there’s only so much Rihanna I can take) and quite often I would hear ads for SierraSil Joint Formula 14, describing its benefits to promote joint health. Although it seems that their advertisement and marketing campaign targets the older folk out there (ages 40+), I’m sure there are athletes and even younger active people who may be interested in looking at joint health supplements beyond the glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM products out there. SierraSil promises joint health and mobility, as well as guaranteed results in two weeks or less. The Mighty Grasshopper investigates.

Product Label and Design:

Right off the bat the product screams two things:

1) Modern/clean design 2) Exceptional quality.

How exactly are these two factors conveyed? When I look at the bottle from a distance, two things stand out to you – what this product is for (“Joint Formula 14” spelled out in a huge font) and who it’s made by (SierraSil logo). While the green and white design is clean and simple, it also borders on generic. But the logo itself is quite eye catching. The logo symbolism jumps out at you and really reminds the consumer that this product is for joint health, mobility, flexibility, etc.

What conveys quality? The lid on the bottle. I love this thing! The thick grip along the edges and the bold lettering imprinted onto the chunky lid makes for easy gripping and it just says “we are not going to skimp out on you!” To top it off, the label is nicely affixed onto the bottle – no bubbling, just clean and evenly applied.

Health Claim:

SierraSil Joint Formula 14 promotes joint health and mobility. I will assume this to be their primary claim. They further elaborate that the product will help with easing joint and muscle ache, reduce stiffness and help prevent cartilage breakdown associated with exercise and movement. As well, there are detoxifying properties given the nature of the medicinal matrix of the product.

Directions of use are fairly simple – based on my bodyweight in kg, I’m to take 4 capsules per day on an empty stomach and to take it with lots of water. No problem on my part.

Regulatory Compliance:

At the time of writing there is no government assigned NPN (Natural Product Number) on the bottle. I’ve contacted SierraSil and they have confirmed that their product has been submitted with Health Canada and that the product is made in a GMP compliant facility. To add, SierraSil did inform me that Joint Formula 14 also meets the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), holding an Informed Choice certification. I thought that was pretty cool!

In terms of label compliance, the product follows all Health Canada regulations clearly indicating medicinal, non-medicinal ingredients, risk information, dosage and health claim.

Contained in each capsule is 667 mg of the SierraSil patented natural mineral complex (derived from the Sierra Mountains). Now I’m sure some of you may want to know what exactly is in SierraSil, so the best place to check out would be their website for all the minerals contained in this SierraSil blend. I’m curious to see if Health Canada would expect SierraSil to list all the minerals and their quantities. Luckily for SierraSil, the mineral complex is not simply just a combination of minerals but, instead, the minerals are contained within the clay matrix/structure inherent of the material derived from the Sierra Mountains, making copycats that much more difficult.

Taste/smell:

I can report that there are no odd tastes or smells other than that of a faint odour typical of capsule products. I just had to make sure that I took the product on an empty stomach and with lots of water. The capsules themselves are nicely filled and are comparable to other capsule products. There are no interesting colors or textures to differentiate itself from other products but, all-in-all, it’s decent looking capsule with no offensive taste or smell – you get exactly what you typically would expect.

Does the Product Work?

Although there is a two week guarantee, I wanted to finish the entire bottle and then check results. This meant a three week lead time for results. Just so you know: I have a history of sore knees after a good basketball session – my typical symptoms would be pain, soreness at the knees and muscles surrounding it. As well, I would have to be cautious as to how I would go up and down stairs in this sore state as I could easily tweak my knee further.

Baseline:

I decided to perform a workout session prior to taking SierraSil. My workout consisted of the following routine, 3 sets each at 8-12 rep range (with exception of E1):

A1: Dumbbell Squats
B1: Dumbbell Sumo Squats
C1: Jumping lunges
D1: Jump Squats
E1: Tabata training using the treadmill (30 second sprint, 20 second jog – repeat 10x)

Although my knees were not as sore the next day as they typically are after playing basketball, my left knee was noticeably tender. Both knees were a little stiff. What I did notice, however, was that during the workout, my left knee kept clicking as I performed the squat motions. I also made an effort to maintain good form so as to minimize the strain I felt on my knees (not over bending, keeping back straight, feet and knees aligned, etc.).

3 weeks later:

I finished the entire bottle (except for 2 capsules, given the capsule count and my dosage), and repeated the workout as above. During this 3 week period, I did not workout by the way. Fattened myself up nicely I’m sure.

A day after finishing the workout, my knees were fine. What I really noticed, however, was that during my workout, my knee didn’t click at all, nor did I feel much strain on my knees as I performed the exercises. Subjectively, I felt the range of motion during the squat and lunge exercises were much smoother than normal as well. It was as if someone was applied some WD-40 to my knees! No problem going down stairs either.

3 weeks after that:

I gave my body a wash-out period of 3 weeks. I have not taken SierraSil since and have started up my Train With Me campaign. On week 3 of my training routine, I noticed my knee starting to click again! Just the other day as I was doing my HIIT training, found my left knee to get sore near the end of it all. Interesting, I thought to myself.

So does this product work? I would say yes. I can’t attest to the detoxifying, pH balancing properties of this product, but I can say that in terms of joint health and mobility, that this product delivers.

Side Effects:
I’m glad to report that there are no adverse reactions or side effects that I noticed.

Bottom Line: If you’re looking for something beyond the typical glucosamine/chondroitin product for your joint pain and soreness, add SierraSil Joint Formula 14 to your arsenal. The product promises results you can notice in two weeks or less – guaranteed. By the way you don’t see guarantees like this too often in the natural health product industry. Glad to see it here – that really shows confidence in their product. Definitely a +1!

You can learn more about SierraSil - visit their website here.

You can also try Intramax, a vegetarian organic nutritional supplement that provides the perfect whole foods & phyto nutrition and is recognized for treating health problems and nutritional deficits.

We are wrapping up the first month of my Journey to Sexy 6 Pack Abs.
This time around, we will incorporate the use of the exercise ball to add a different dynamic to familiar exercises. I know that week 3 wasn't as intense as the first week. If you find this to be the case, increase the resistance, reps or decrease the rest time. Remember, you want to keep the heart rate going.

I've been getting questions regarding the bands I use, in terms of how much resistance I use for the exercises. The proper amount of resistance it up to each individual. You want to adjust the resistance so that at the last two reps, they are difficult for you to complete. You can use free weights, dumbbells, etc. instead.

If you are interested in the bands, please let me know and contact me brian@mightygrasshopper.com

Ok, so here's week 4:

Superset 1 - 3 sets:
A1: Close grip, vertical fist chest press with bands
A2: Squat with exercise ball (you can do these with additional resistance if you want)

Superset 2 - 3 sets:
B1: Close grip back row with bands
B2: Leg curls with ball

Superset 3 - 3 sets:
C1: Side shoulder raise with bands
C2: Triceps extensions with bands

Superset 4 - 3 sets:
D1: Bicep curls with bands
D2: Superman

Reps: Aim for 12-15 reps.

Rest: 40 seconds.

As always, stick to HIIT training as laid out in the past weeks.

Have fun everyone! Please keep your comments, emails and questions coming!

Click here for Week 5!

SEE THE VIDEO FOR THIS WEEK'S WORKOUT.

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Kick stress and anxiety in the butt!

The information age of year two-thousand and ten brings us information faster and easier than ever. That also means, it's stressing us out faster and more frequently than ever. And you can bet that companies out there wanting to capitalize on this market.

Natural health supplements that promise to relieve anxiety or calm the mood are found in every grocery store. Yoga instructors and spas promise you serenity and peace. But are they really delivering? Are these solutions actually making you feel better or worse?

It seems that these "solutions" are no more than just temporary escapes from stress - a high, really.

Free Your Mind:

I want to shift your perspective for a moment and examine what may really be stressing us out and how to kick stress in the butt!

If money issues are stressing you out, then it really doesn’t make too much sense to spend $200 on a relaxing massage only to go home to you see the bills lying on your kitchen table and feel the stress levels rise again.

If you’re stressed from all your school work, then it really doesn’t make too much sense to spend 3 hours (accounting for commute, socializing, etc), at a yoga class, only to realize you don’t have enough time to complete your school projects due the next morning and fail the class.

If the barrage of phone calls and emails from work are keeping you from getting new clients, then how much are you truly gaining from answering your phone and emails?

...and do you really think popping a pill is going to solve these problems?

Focus, Execute and Eliminate.

Eliminating stress is as easy as 1-2-3:

1) Looking at the big picture
2) Determine exactly what you want
3) Focusing on the top 2 things you need to do to make that happen.

Look at the Big Picture:

Forget the small stuff! If you’re a small business owner and you’re spending 5 hours filing your taxes, confused and unsure about what you can and can’t deduct, you might as well spend $200 on an experienced accountant and focus your 5 hours to your first love – you’re business.

If email floods your inbox and phone calls keep your attention away from the presentation you’re supposed to have ready for a potential client tomorrow morning, you tell me what’s more important – the email or the new client with the million dollar account?

For those that despise the 9-5 and want a more flexible schedule, why are you sticking to a 9-5 job? To pay the bills? That’s peanuts. The big picture – you want a flexible schedule. Aim for that.

Determine Exactly What You Want.

Pretty self-explanatory. If you want to travel the world, you can. If you want to have your own business, you can. If you want to be a professional salsa dancer, you can. Essentially, if you were to die Friday, what would you want to do before Friday rolls around?

Execute the Top 2 Things to Make It Happen.

Now that you know what you want and what you have to eliminate, now look at what are the top two things you need to do to make it all come true.

Because we’re taking it down to the top two things you need to act on, you’ll need to spread this into yearly goals, monthly goals, daily goals. For example, one year from now I must do these two things. To do that, I have to do these two things in January. Which means, today I must do these two things.

I know that, upon reading this, it’s pretty much common sense, but then why do so many of us hate our jobs? Or why are so many stressed about work or school? The message that I’m trying to convey is incredibly powerful.

Essentially, focus on the two things you need to do today and forget everything else.

To help, you can also group tasks in the following way:

	Not-important	Important
Urgent	Action: Eliminate/Batch	Action: Batch/Get someone else to do it
Non-Urgent	Action: Eliminate	Action: Execute

Things that are not-important but urgent: phone calls, emails, buying toothpaste. Run all your errands at one time (batching), check all your emails only at certain times of the day. If you can eliminate from having to do it altogether, that’s even better (eg. Provide an email auto-response that contains answers to the most common inquiries you get everyday).

Things that are not-important and are not urgent: Why even bother with these? Eliminate it.

Things that are important but urgent: This is where you can delegate it to someone else. In cases where your judgment is neccessary, then you can batch these items and do them at a certain time of the day.

Things that are not urgent but are important: By grouping your other tasks in the above categories, you can give yourself the opportunity to execute all important but non-urgent tasks. These are tasks that are most important to you. Maybe it’s learning a new language? Or setting a small business venture? Or fine tuning your ninja skills?

Will you still have stress? Sure, but it’ll be the better kind of stress - good stress. It's stress from doing what you want to do or getting you to where you want to go. It's a lot more fun and motivating than stress from mundane tasks.

Bottom Line: Think big. Figure out what you want. Focus on the top two things to make it happen. Eliminate everything else. And just like that, the bad stress dissipates, and you can now really enjoy your yoga and massage sessions.

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We are already halfway through Stage 1 of the program! By now, I've figured out my schedule exactly so that I can time my work schedule, regular life, play time and diet to a tee. By the way, the feedback I'm getting is great - it's starting to become a part of your daily routine. Some are finding that they might have to miss a workout session due to work or other commitments (ahem, Winter Olympics). Although we want to keep this to a minimum, missing a session here and there won't hurt your results too drastically, just be sure to keep on the diet and HIIT.

Week 3 will introduce the use of resistance, in addition to bodyweight. It's probably not as intense as the previous two weeks, but this is more to get your body used to using the fitness equipment. Be sure to keep the resistance light enough for you to aim for the rep count, but strong enough so that you can't go beyond the max rep limit. Also, keep good form!

Week 3 Routine:

12-15 reps for all exercises below (For size, aim for 12. For toning, aim for 15.)

Superset 1 - 3 sets
A1: Squats with bands

A2: Cross-over chest press with bands

Superset 2 - 3 sets
B1: Stationary lunges with bands


B2: Wide-grip row with bands

Superset 3 - 3 sets
C1: Shoulder press with bands


C2: 45 degree bicep curls (elbows in, hands out)

Superset 4 - 3 sets
D1: Ab rotations with bands


D2: Leg lifts (from lying down position)

Need Bands? Click here.

REST: 60 seconds

Your HIIT sessions should be the same as in previous weeks (3 times/week, 3 rounds each session). Don't forget that during HIIT, it's important that you go ALL OUT during the sprints. That means, some equipment aren't suitable for HIIT - such as the elliptical or stair climber. If you're not drenched in sweat and panting like crazy, you didn't do HIIT right.

Click here for Week 4!

***EDIT: i'm sorry folks, I just noticed in my week 1 post that I did NOT include a rest day. There MUST be a rest day. It has been updated, 3 resistance days, 3 hiit days and 1 rest day***

..And just like that, week 1 is down! Nice work everyone - let's keep this up! Bring on week 2!

This sexy abs program is broken up into 4 stages (4 weeks/stage). This first stage is more about getting your body used to the intensity of the workouts, as well as adjusting your muscles to exertion. You should also take the next few weeks to adjust your eating habits: when to eat, what to eat, and, as well, scheduling your workouts (HIIT and resistance training) into your daily routine. It really is quite an adjustment, but based on the feedback I'm getting, you guys are already taking this really seriously and already feeling "guilty" for possibly missing workouts.

As for what to eat, I'm working with a chef (Chef Grace) right now to get you some real good recipes, not that typical "grilled chicken with spinach salad" boring stuff. You can find those types of recipes anywhere. These will be tailor made for the busy you, the you that wants good food that's easy to make and works with the principles of our sexy abs program. Chef Grace is working in the 2010 Olympics so she is a busy bee - but I'm hoping to get you some delicious and innovative recipes soon!

Here's your week 2 routine!

HIIT routine will be the same as Week 1.

Resistance Training: (click on the hyperlinks for video instruction)

Superset 1: 3 sets
A1: Dive bomber push ups - 20 reps
A2: Jump Squat - 15 to 20 reps

Superset 2: 3 sets
B1: Chin up/pull up - 15 to 20 reps
B2: Alternating Jumping Lunges - 15 per side

Superset 3: 3 sets
C1: Double Crunch - 30 reps
C2: Single Leg Plank - 50 sec (25 sec on one leg, 25 sec on other leg)

REST PERIOD: 60 seconds

For the dive bomber push ups, you can adjust it to your fitness level by spreading your legs farther apart, bringing them closer in or doing them on one leg.

Please keep the feedback, comments and questions coming! And please forward this to your friends, family, co-workers or to anyone who would be interested in training along! I want to reach out to as many people as possible!

Click here for Week 3!

Get the latest feeds: Have you subscribed to this blog? If not, here are some reasons to convince you!

Let’s shed some light on the concept of health claims. When you’re shopping for a product, the product’s health claim is one of the first things you’ll want to look for on the label to answer “What will this product do for me?”

Let’s look at goji berry, just as an example. I hop onto the first few sites that Google (goji + benefits) hits and here are the claims:

• Increases metabolism
• Anti-aging ability
• Lower blood pressure
• Antioxidant
• Improve vision
• Improve Immunity
• Help prevent skin damage

This was just from one website too, by the way! There’s no doubt that goji MUST be the super fruit that we’re all looking for.

The Evidence:

But is there truth to these claims? I mean, there’s no way the government could let completely outrageous and misleading claims be made, right? Well let’s take a look.

Let’s start with the easiest claim – that goji berry is an antioxidant. A study has been published that shows antioxidant markers increased in humans after drinking goji juice. So, even though this was the only study published, I will assume that goji does, in fact, have antioxidant properties.

Now let’s look at blood pressure, weight and vision claims. This study, investigating the same brand of juice, looked at how goji juice would affect subjective parameters such as general feelings of well-being, muscle pain, and energy levels, as well as more objective parameters such as blood pressure, weight, pulse rate and visual acuity.

Apparently, the researchers found that the people taking the juice rated higher only in the subjective parameters (eg. happiness, focus). Not surprisingly, there was no difference found in the objective parameters (weight loss, visual acuity or blood pressure) between the test group and the placebo group. With this, it can be concluded that goji juice has no beneficial effect on improving vision, blood pressure nor increasing metabolism/weight loss.

The Half-Lie:

What about the effects of goji juice on preventing skin damage, increasing immunity and anti-aging? Well, here’s a little trick of the trade. What these marketing geniuses do is they use the following marketing logic:

1) Free-radicals are molecules associated with cellular damage.
2) Cellular damage has been associated with conditions such as cardiovascular disease, immune system attack, age-related macular degeneration (age-related vision loss), and even aging (Free-radical theory of aging)
3) Antioxidants are shown to “neutralize” free radicals.
4) Goji juice contains antioxidants
5) Therefore: drinking goji juice will eliminate cardiovascular disease, increase your vision, reinforce your immune system, and reverse the aging process.

All Fruits Can Be Super Fruits:

The brilliance of the above marketing logic is that you could actually substitute goji with any other ingredient that contains antioxidants. Cranberry? Sure. Orange Juice. Why not? Of course, they don’t sound as cool as “goji berry”. The marketing logic allows the marketing department to spew out all the wonderful claims of what goji juice can do, without really lying to you. Even health experts, unfortunately, fall for this. Can you blame them? Sometimes when something is repeated over and over, it becomes the truth (think 8 glasses of water/day. It’s what we’ve been told, but there’s really no scientific basis for that and now even medical doctors recommend this).

Test Tube Studies vs. Human Clinical Trials:

What these marketing geniuses don’t tell you is that the studies demonstrating the powerful effect of antioxidants are purely based on test tube studies, performed in a laboratory setting. They have not been demonstrated in the human body, nor in an animal. There is no doubt that antioxidants are real, but the question is do its effect translate to the observable human level? Will it actually lower blood pressure? Will your vision actually get better? These questions have to be tested beyond the test tube and performed in a clinical trial setting.

Bottom Line: the next time you catch yourself reading all the benefits of goji juice, or any product for that matter, it’s up to you to decipher whether that claim is derived from marketing logic or from actual clinical trial results.

Ok I’m getting some general questions regarding what to actually eat. In my post “Eating Your Way to Sexy Six Pack Abs”, I introduced the concept of insulin resistance, the glycemic index and provided a general guideline on the daily caloric intake. Staying true to this, I will present to you my very own shopping list.

But before I do…

I know this is clichéd, but I really want to stress that this shouldn’t be seen as a diet, but as a shift in perspective and, from that, a shift in behavior, and from that, a shift in habit, resulting in a life-style change. This new way of eating shouldn’t be forced and the mind must make the change before the action. When the action occurs before the mind accepts it, it becomes a chore – it becomes temporary – it becomes a diet.

Your new eating ways will be principle-based. Very simply:

1) Avoid all processed foods (and drink, eg. coke, alcohol)
2) Avoid any foods that say “low fat” or “diet” on the label (if you really want a Coke, have a Coke, not a Coke Zero).
3) When in doubt, refer to the glycemic index chart.

That’s it! Pretty easy, hey? So when you shop, you want to keep these 3 simple principles in mind.

So let’s put you to the test:

Q: Are frozen peas good to buy?
A: Yes, frozen fruits and veggies are fine. They are picked then quickly frozen. They are also convenient to have without the cons of it being processed.

Q: Which to choose: butter or margarine?
A: I would go with butter as it’s natural (not as processed as margarine), and in moderation. I try to limit this as much as I can, but if I had to choose one, I’d go with butter.

Q: Bran flakes or trail mix?
A: Trail mix. Assuming it doesn’t have candy and chocolate, the nuts and dried fruit are pretty much left alone as is. Bran flakes, however, are processed foods – how do you think they get them in those flake-like shapes?

Q: Pasta or Buckwheat?
A: Buckwheat. The flour used in pastas are, itself, processed. How do you think they make flour so white? Stick with the buckwheat.

Q: Peanut butter or watermelon?
A: Surprisingly, watermelon is the culprit. It scores higher on the glycemic index than peanut butter. That said, peanut butter is itself processed. I’d go with an all-natural brand and keep it in moderation. But for the sake of choosing, go with peanut butter.

So here’s my grocery list:

Proteins:

Fish (tuna, salmon, etc)
Chicken breast
Eggs
Beans
Chick Peas
Lean pork (in moderation)

Carbs:

Buckwheat
Whole grain breads (in moderation)
Fruits (apples, oranges, mango, etc)
Yams

Vegetables:

Spinach
Organic greens mix (for my own convenience)
Broccoli
Carrots
You get the idea I’m sure

Fats:

Olive Oil
Nuts (cashews, almonds) (only eat a handful of these per meal, max 2 times a day)
Flaxseed Oil
Dairy products (in moderation)
Good fats also come from fish
Avocado

It’s fairly straightforward. The hard part, in my opinion, is making this all taste good. There’s only so many egg white omelets a guy can take. Unless you don’t mind eating the same foods everyday, I suggest using different sauces, condiments and ingredients to create diverse and stimulating flavours:

Dijon mustard
Soy sauce
Sesame oil (moderation)
Peanut butter
Balsamic vinegar
Salsa
Curry Powder
Wasabe
Ginger
Onions
Garlic
Seasoning/spice rubs for your meats/proteins

The other common question I’m getting is, "How much food should one eat?” For men, protein content should be about 1 lb protein/kg of bodyweight. Ladies, I’d say aim for 60% of that or 0.6 lb protein/kg of bodyweight.

Every meal should have some protein, carbs, veggies and fats. So that protein and veggies make up the bulk of the meal, then some carbs and some fats.

For example, you can have grilled chicken breast, with a sweet potato and grilled veggies drizzled olive oil.

Or for a lunch: A tuna sandwich, carrot and celery sticks with light Italian dressing

An in between breakfast and lunch meal: protein shake, apple and a handful of almonds.

You can find a plethora of meal ideas out there. These meal examples just popped into my head now – I don’t know if these will really satisfy your appetite. It is more important that you understand the principles, how you apply this is up to you.

Bottom Line: Eat healthy foods that are found in their natural state, or as close to it as possible. Stay away from processed foods and anything that says "diet" or "low fat." And, when you're truly stumped on whether a food is good for you or not, check its glycemic index...or ask me! Check back often - I'm consulting with a chef to see what kind of recipes to get you guys!

For my article of Eating Your Way to Sexy Six Pack Abs, click here.