Your question LIVE on TV with Valerie Waters

This is “Time Sensitive”.

At 5PM Eastern Valerie Waters is going LIVE on Ustream.TV and she wants to invite you to join her and the girls.

You can see and chat with her here…

http://tinyurl.com/val-tv

She’s going to be LIVE for 5 hours, and you’ll have the chance to ask her anything you want!

You’ll also have the opportunity to chat with some special celebrity guests on the show and get access into her Diamond Express Celebrity Body Coaching Program.

You DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS…

http://tinyurl.com/val-tv

Additionally, I’ve worked out a special deal to get you into the Celebrity Body Program, but you have to show up at the show to redeem the special offer.

Head on over and take a peak at Valerie and friends on this page…

http://tinyurl.com/val-tv

What’s Your Best Fat Loss Tip? Tuesday’s Tips 01062009

Hello! Each Tuesday in 2009, I will be publishing a collection of tips to either burn fat or build muscle. If you have tips, please leave them in the comments section, and you may see them in a future edition of Tuesday’s Tips!

I thought I would get the tips off to a fun start, so here we go…

Tip: Wear Sunscreen

There is actually a ton really good advice in that video, and is one of my favorites.

Now, on to the more serious stuff…

Shop the Perimeter

When you take your weekly trip to go grocery shopping, where do you spend most of your shopping time? My guess, if you were anything like me, is going up and down the isles. Next time you go into the supermarket, take a moment to make an observation…

Where is all the healthy food?

It is on the perimeter of the store. Whole grain breads, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, milk, eggs, dairy. Most of the time, these items are on the perimeter of the store, and this is intentionally so. It is designed that way to get you into the center section of the store.

What’s in the center section? Cookies, chips, ice cream and soda.

It often seems like to me that the grocery stores are conspiring to make be overeat. So I chose to fight back. I spend over 80% of my shopping time on the outside isles of the store. And my waistline has thanked me for it.

Have a Drink…Of Water!

Drinking water is one of the simplest ways to cut calories from your diet.

Not only does the water replace the empty calories you are drinking in from your soft drink, if you drink approximately 8 to 10 ounces before a meal, you will eat less during that meal.

The reason is that the water takes up space in your stomach that would normally be taken up by food. You will feel fuller faster, and eat less.

To Lose a Lot ( and Keep it Off ), Change a Little

One of the biggest mistakes I made when I started losing weight a few years back was jumping all over the crash diet bandwagon. And you know what happened? That bandwagon did exactly that – crashed – each and every time.

I finally had success when I started to make small sustainable changes like the two listed above. Those are easy changes that I can repeat day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year.

It can be something as easy as saying “no” next time someone asks you, “Would you like to supersize that?”

Start small and build from there…

Are You Using This Tip?

I call this the "Blogger's Diet."

This great cartoon came from the great folks over at Funny and Jokes.

Well, that wraps up this Tuesday’s Tips.

What is you best fat loss tip? Please leave it in the comments below.

Secrets of Celebrity Fitness

You all know how much I like to send you free stuff from time to time.  Well, this one is really special!

Valerie Waters

If you want to finally transform your body, my friend and celebrity ’super-trainer’ Valerie Waters  (she trains Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel, and more)  has a cool thing going on right now.  She’s starting an online coaching program in a few days and during the promotion this week, she’s giving away a lot of great information – for FREE.

Anyways, she took this woman Alicia (not a celeb) through a 6 week program and she saw some pretty spectacular results.  The cool thing is that Alicia kept a very detailed journal about what she did & what she ate..  and Valerie is allowing you to go and download the journal.  There’s a bunch of great Daily Meal Templates sorta laid out from someone who really rocked the program   It’s very nice!

Here’s how you get your copy:

Go to http://tinyurl.com/freejournal and watch the video.

It’s not even 2 minutes long but take a look at the results this woman Alicia got working with Valerie – it’s pretty amazing and she will tell you how to get your copy.

But even more important than that, by downloading the journal, you’re also entered in a raffle to win a free spot in Valerie’s upcoming Diamond Express Coaching Program (apparently, the original “Diamond” program sold out before the doors even opened).

So to get your copy of this ’superwoman’ Alicia’s journal and your entry in Valerie’s raffle.  I know you’re going to love it!

http://tinyurl.com/freejournal

Oh, I almost forgot. She also has this awesome video of Jennifer Garner and her discussing her program & diet in Valerie’s home office!  Jennifer just came over and they were taking questions from a live chat room.  You can take a look at that over at this page too:

http://tinyurl.com/jengarner

Motivation Monday 01052009

Welcome to the first Motivation Monday post of 2009.  Of course, we all know that Monday sets the tone for the rest of the week.  Get Monday right, and the rest of the week usually falls right in line.

Generally speaking, I usually get a theme song that takes me through the day… that gets me motivated.  Today’s song is “Sabatoge” by the Beastie Boys.

My favorite lyrics from this song:

You’ll shut me down with the push of a button?

But you, I’m out and I’m gone,

I’ll tell you know, I keep it on and on.

Sometimes I just need a king of “me against the world” kind of vibe to get me going.

And if that that fails to motivate you and get the juices flowing, this speech from Al Pacino from “Any Given Sunday” should help!

Life truly is a game of inches, and you have to set goals, not only for the long term, but also for every every inch of life. What are you going to do this month to build muscle or burn fat? In the next week? In the next day? Next hour?

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One of the easiest ways to stay motivated and be successful when trying to burn fat and build muscle is by keeping a journal. Not only does a journal make it easier to know and observe places you can improve, it also is a great snapshot of how far you have come when you have a feel doubt creeping into your mind.

My first journal was just a pad on the refrigerator with my weight and waist size posted on it every Monday.  When ever I put on a pound or two in a given week, all I had to do was look at that pad.  I could see that I had actually lost 10 or 12 pounds, not gained 2, and I was right back in the game.

Now my journal tracks not only my waist size and weight, but my body fat percentage, what I ate in a given day with calories, protein, fat, carbs, exercises for the day, and how I felt.

And whenever I need a little motivational jolt, I simply turn to the first page!

What are some of the things that motivate you to succeed?

Cool Video to Help You Shine in 2009

First and foremost, Happy New Year! This is just a very short post to thank you for visiting my blog.

I am going to share a great video with you to help you get your new year off to a great start. Read on to find out more.

My motto for this coming year will be to “Shine in 2009.”

I am very excited for some of the things I have in store for Middle Management and Build-Muscle-and-Burn-Fat.com. Just like you though, I get extremely nervous that some of the things I have planned to do will not be successful.

However, I know that if I can continue to motivate myself, all of my plans to help you “shine in 2009″ will be met with success.

To help you stay motivated, I have put together an easy to follow collection of motivation tips here:

http://www.build-muscle-and-burn-fat.com/self-motivation-tips.html

Be sure to check out the special video I found for you on YouTube, it really gets me motivated every time I watch it!

Some of you may have seen my article about my 8 Self Motivation Tips, and if you have, AWESOME! You have a head start on the New Year!

If you have not seen the YouTube video, it is at the bottom of the page. Check it out now:

http://www.build-muscle-and-burn-fat.com/self-motivation-tips.html

Be sure shoot me a note and tell me how you are progressing.

Finally, I have a question for you… if you could have a private conversation with me, what two questions would you would like to ask me?

Post your question in the comments below.

That’s all for now, look for the next post very soon…

Best Regards,
Ben

Rotator Cuff Strengthening for Huge Shoulders

When you wear a t-shirt, one of the first things people notice are your shoulders.  A full, round set of shoulders commands attention and separate you from everyone else walking down the street.

However, you can’t build boulders if you spend half the time battling shoulder injuries.

Injuries can slow any muscle building effort, so it is best to avoid them altogether.  The easiest way to do this is to build a solid foundation with preventative exercises.

The most common shoulder injury that prevents people from performing their shoulder exercises is a rotator cuff injury. Your rotator cuff can be injured by overhead motions like throwing a ball or serving a tennis ball or other repetitive overhead motions such as placing items on a shelf, or intense weight training.

To avoid these types of injuries, you should focus on rotator cuff strengthening exercises.

These exercises help strengthen the muscles and tendons in your shoulder joint that are most often injured.

16 Pounds of Muscle in 16 Weeks

This is a really cool video of a high school wrestler that put on 16 pounds of muscle in 16 weeks using functional strength training. Check it out.

The video is 9:37 long and gives you some idea of the amount of work needed to put on this kind of muscle this quickly.

November 2008 Wrap-Up

This Months Posts

Coming Soon… and a Tweet! (11/11/2008)

1075. Pound. Bench Press. (11/18/2008)

Poor, Obese Children Not Eating Enough (11/20/2008)

Really? Some Calories Count More than Others? (11/25/2008)

Thanksgiving Tip – Don’t Worry, Be Happy! (11/27/2008)

Top 5 Referrers

Big Fat Deal Blog

He’s Fit

Internet Duct Tape

Bits & Pieces (new site) (old site)

Happy Lists

Top Commenter

novice1

That is our monthly wrap-up.  What would you like to read/learn about next?  Leave it in the comments section below!

For more tips and tricks, don’t forget to follow me on twitter!

5 Stability Ball Moves for 6-Pack Abs

I am often up late at night watching TV, and as such, I tend to see a lot of different infomercials for exercise equipment, particulary for your abs.

Unfortunately, many of these products simply don’t work.

There is one product that is used primarily for abdominal exercises (though it can be used for a myriad of other exercises) that really helps to target you midsection and build a rock hard set of abs.

The stability ball.

Using the ball can improve many of the traditional abdominal exercises by increasing the effective range of motion of the exercise.  The increased range of motion allows for greater activation of the muscles by recruiting more muscle fibers.  This allows you to build muscle faster and burn more calories during the exercise.

So, what are my 5 favorite stability ball exercises?

1. Ab Rolls (upper abs)
2. Ab Tucks (lower abs)
3. Crunch, Reach, Pass (upper and lower abs simultaneously)
4. Oblique Crunch (obliques)
5. Stability Ball Crunch (upper abs)

These 5 stability ball exercises allow you to target all of the main sections of the abdominals.

You can find a description of these exercises on our stability ball exercises page.

So, how do you incorporate these exercises into a complete 6-pack abdominal routine?

Well, I have done that for you too!

Check out this exercise ball workout routine for 6-pack abs.

This all, of course, begs the question…

What is your favorite stability ball exercise for 6-pack abs?

3 Easy Ways to Get a Jump Start on the New Year

Today is Monday, December 1, 2008. The first day of a new week. The first day of a new month. The first day of… well, okay, it is not the first day of a new year.

But why does that mean you have to wait another 30 days to get started on your muscle building or fat burning goals?  Are you waiting to put on a few extra pounds?  Maybe trying to make it that much harder to get the body you want next year?

You don’t have to wait.  It is easy to get started today!

Here are 3 easy strategies you can put to work now. So, stop procrastinating until the new year and get motivated!

Make a Small Nutrition Change

Can you find a way to cut 100 calories or so from every meal today?

Maybe add a serving or two of lean protein to help build muscle?

How about adding an extra side of a green vegetable or a delicious fruit?

Instead of having candy bar and soda at break time today, try an apple and a bottle of water.

Add a post workout shake to feed your muscles following that intense workout.

Speaking of which…

Add a Few Minutes to Your Exercise Routine

If at all possible, add 5 minutes (or more!) to your regular workout routine.

What’s that you say? You don’t have an exercise routine?

Funny thing about that.

I didn’t have one either until I started one.

And it all started with a 5 minute walk.

Start a Journal

One of the most important things you can do, when building muscle or burning fat is to keep a good journal.  A record of what you ate, what you did in the gym, and how you felt about it.

Even if you don’t change anything in your diet or workout plans immediately, starting a journal allows you to baseline where you are now, so that you know what changes to make in the new year.

When i started my journey a few years back, I understood that getting a good baseline of what I was currently doing would help me make the changes in the long run that would lead to my new body.  I wrote down everything I ate and how many calories it contained.

This process is what opened my eyes to the number of calories in a can of soda, and how big a serving of ice cream really was (hint: it was much less than I put in my bowl).

So keep a record of where you are now, because if you have no idea where you are, how in the world will you ever know how to get to where you are going?

Bonus: Reward Yourself

Make it a goal to implement one of the tips above and stick to it through the holidays. Then, think of that big holiday meal as your reward for a successful month of a new lifestyle!

These are some easy ways to get a jump start and to get some momentum heading into the new year.