Month: December 2013

Get a Body Like Christian Bale in American Psycho: Diet and Workout

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Christian Bale takes his roles very seriously, as can be heard on the tape of his famous rant on the set of one of his movies.  As a part of the serious nature of his craft, Bale will often have to undergo serious physical changes to get into the role of a character. In the Batman movies, he bulked up to a more muscular weight in order to play the superhero. What is interesting is that before the first Batman movie he had a role in The Machinist that required him to get down to a dangerously low weight and he then had to pack a ton of mass on for the role of Bruce Wayne. In 2000, Bale starred as Patrick Bateman, in the movie American Psycho. American Psycho was a novel by the writer Bret Easton Ellis about a wealthy serial killer.  In that film, Bale had a physique that was quite impressive, though smaller than he had to be in the later Batman movies. To get a body like Christian Bale in American Psycho, it takes plenty of work but following the right workout routine and diet it is very doable.

Hollywood actors when preparing for a role have all of the advantages at their disposal. First, they have the time to train hard and recover. They have access to fantastic trainers and they also can eat whatever food is prepared for them by a chef. While yes, that is the ideal training circumstances, most of us don’t have that luxury so it will take a bit longer and a bit more dedication to get the Patrick Bateman look than it did for Mr. Bale. So how can we get an American Psycho physique?

Diet

The absolute most important aspect of changing your body whether you are trying to shed extra far or pack on muscle mass is diet.  Exercise alone will produce some results, especially if you currently don’t do any, BUT your results in the medium to long run will suffer. Simply put, if you’re diet isn’t on point you will not achieve the body you want. Especially, not one like Mr. Bale’s.

If you’re like me, you’ve been bombarded by so many different crazy diet ideas and various do’s and don’ts of getting into shape, that it just gets confusing. What I eventually started doing and what got me the best results, was to break things down to the basics. I came to understand that I didn’t always have to eat perfect but I did have to change the way I ate. Here is a cool video from trainer Rusty Moore on changing the way you think about calories to lose weight:

 

 

Like I said above, I like to keep my diet basic and simply alter certain things to help meet my goals. If I want to gain muscle, I add more calories (slowly) and more protein to my daily intake. If I want to lose fat, I will cut calories (again, slowly, by a few hundred each week and adjust as needed) and I will also cycle my carbohydrates.

There have been a lot of advocates over the years for following a strictly low carb diet to get into shape or lose fat fast. You can shed a lot of weight going low carb and it’s a method bodybuilders use to ‘cut’ before contests (very special cirumstances) Going low carb does produce results, however, it does have some drawbacks that I absolutely hated when I tried this method:

  • Completely tired for the first week and feel hungry because of the lack of carbs.
  • Ended up losing too much muscle mass.
  • The weight came back fast as soon as I stopped.
  • Looked skinny and flat, not muscular and ripped.

Not cool, right?

Experimenting with low carb diets did however lead me to the idea of carb cycling for fat loss. Essentially, on certain days you eat more carbs and on other days you go low carb. For me, the best method was to go higher carbohydrates on workout days and low carb on my two rest days each week. That way, I could match my carbohydrates to my activity level and have all the energy I needed to get through the tough workouts.

I laid my complete diet out in this post, with sample meal plans for both high carb and low carb days.

Keep it basic, basic, basic! Here are the simple diet rules I follow any time I need to burn fat:

-No Fast food or sweets

-Low Sugar

-On low carb days substitute grains for greens. Also, bump up the protein and fat intake.

-Stay away from liquid calories. Water and skim milk (on high carb days for protein shakes) are what I will be drinking.

-Stay away from heavily processed foods

That’s it. Pretty simple stuff. Those rules alone gets the ball rolling and from there I only need to adjust certain things, if I feel my results are getting stagnant. Diet doesn’t have to be a miserable experience!

Workout

How you will train depends on your current physique. There are at the most basic level, two paths you can follow, bulking (gaining muscle mass) or cutting (losing fat).

If you’re currently skinny: You should put on muscle mass and then cut down the bit of fat you will gain. More weight lifting, less cardio, More calories.

If you’re currently overweight: You should work on shedding that fat. Of course, you would still lift weights and gain muscle (to some extent) but ramp up the cardio and change the diet.

Weights

Weight training is essential for building muscle, if you just do cardiovascular workouts, you will lose fat but just up being skinny. Remember, in American Psycho, Christian Bale had a muscular foundation and a low body fat percentage.

I like to do 3-5 days per week of weight training. Scheduling each muscle group to ensure the maximum amount of rest and recovery. Remember, that more isn’t always better, your muscles need to rest in order to grow.

Here are some great resources for weight lifting:

Cardio

When you have a significant amount of fat to lose, diet is a major factor in trimming down. Sometimes, though, diet isn’t enough and cardio exercise is needed to get really sharp. It can take a lot of experimentation to figure out what kind of cardio works best for fat loss.

Some people advocate doing slow, steady-state cardio exercise. This would be walking on the treadmill for an hour. Or doing 30 minutes on an elliptical machine at a moderate pace. Is it good for fat loss? Sure. Is it optimal? Well, not every day.

Other people swear by doing high intensity interval training (HIIT). I’ve had success with this method as well but it wasn’t always enough to completely shed all the fat for me.

Nowadays, my cardio workouts come from three options:

1. Basketball

2. Gym Cardio

3. Home Workouts

I have to admit, basketball is my favorite of the bunch but it is hell on the joints. Now, you might be asking isn’t gym cardio, just a treadmill? Well, yes, a treadmill and any other piece of gym equipment you prefer (I like the elliptical and exercise bike, myself). The difference is the specific program I use to help melt the fat off of my body as quickly as possible. When I don’t have access to a gym, I use another program for my workout purposes that I have found to be completely effective as well. Just two different methods depending on what equipment I have at my disposal.

The Best Cardio Workout Plan for the Gym

Rusty Moore (the guy from the video I posted above), has an awesome cardio workout program called, Visual Impact Cardio. It is designed to teach people how to ‘master the skill of losing body fat’. It’s a pretty neat skill to have as well. Included in the ebook are three separate programs for beginners, advanced, and one for special occasions when you really want to be ripped (beach trips, photo shoots).

In this program, you get to use whatever piece of cardio equipment you prefer, the difference is Rusty lays out specifically how long, how intense, and what to do differently in each workout. Let me tell you, it can get pretty damned intense at times. I have reviewed the program here but I’ll give you the benefits in bullet points:

    • No more guess work. Specific workouts you can tailor to your own fitness level.
    • Intense workout to help build stamina and endurance.
    • 3 separate, 8 week cycles, which can be repeated and modified as you get stronger.
    • The reasoning behind everything is explained in simple, easy to understand terms.
    • Can be downloaded instantly, you start right away.
    • Fairly inexpensive at $47. Hell, that’s about what it costs for one measly session with many personal trainers.

Click Here to Check Out Visual Impact Cardio

 

Best at Home Cardio Workout

I own Insanity: The Asylum from Beachbody and actually just got done with a workout prior to writing this post (Vertical Plyo is no joke).  Asylum is more than a mere cardio workout and is best suited for those with a solid workout experience. Beginners would best be served by the original Insanity.

Asylum is an athletic training program that includes jumping, cardio, speed, agility, and strength training. Quite frankily, it’s a great overall workout program. I just happen to mostly use it as an extra cardio resource since I like to lift at the gym on most days. However, if you’re the type who like to workout at home, Asylum is worth a look. Here are some of the benefits:

  • Step by step instruction and motivation from Shaun T.
  • Program is laid out and easy to follow.
  • Challenging and can be really fun once you’re into it.
  • Save a bunch of money versus a gym membership each month.
  • Minimal equipment needed. Dumbbells or resistance bands is it. Everything else is included.

Click Here to Try Asylum with a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee

 

Getting a body like Christian Bale in American Psycho is most definitely a challenge for the average guy. However, if you have a plan of attack and focus on diet, weights, and cardio, the results will come. Adjust things as progression occurs and keep challenging your body in different ways. There are plenty of resources available online to help guide you along but having a plan laid out can save you a lot of time, energy, and lackluster results towards getting the body you want. Whatever path you choose, learn to be consistent and not give up after a few weeks. Results in fitness are mostly about sticking with it over time, you don’t have to be perfect and you shouldn’t expect to be but you can most certainly. keep at it.

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Get Over Your Ex-Girlfriend Fast: Tips to Move On

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She may have been your first love, she may have cheated on you, or she may be seeing someone else immediately after the break up. Hell, maybe it’s all three in your situation. It’s rough, I know and it’s something that every guy has to deal with. Break ups are the price you pay for stepping on to the dating field and some of those relationships just sting way more than others. It’s not necessarily about ‘forgetting’ your ex-girlfriend (although you will hardly ever think about her at some point), it’s more about how you will move on and get over the current pain and heartache you are feeling. Letting go of this girl is the only way you can get on with your life and have a happy future because if you clutch to the past (and it is the past now!), you’ll be stuck there mentally and it’s never really the happiest place to be. With that in mind I want to present some tips to you about how to get over your ex fast. These are some of the things that I have done after old relationships ran their course and I needed to get myself out of that crappy mindset. Also, I’m going to link other relative posts that I have written, that go into greater detail and should prove helpful…so read up on those as well.

 

An important thing to understand after a break up is that although your ego and pride is hurt right now, you value is not determined by a relationship. If she broke up with you, yes, you probably have some fault in it. Sometimes, you simply grow apart and can’t keep going on the same path together. If she cheated, maybe the other guy excited her in some way that you didn’t. At your core, however, none of this should ultimately affect how you view yourself. I wrote about this before (How to Have Confidence with Women) but I want to reiterate that if you are dependent on external validation you will always end up miserable. Meaning, if you feel like you ‘can’t’ get over your ex-girlfriend, it is because you placed your feeling happy on her and her actions. As such, because you weren’t truly happy and content on your own, you’ve developed an addiction to the way she makes you feel. Once she took that away, your mood went into the toilet. Anyhow, you now find yourself in this situation, so I will tell you how I’ve personally gone about getting over my own past relationships.

 

Take Some Time to Just Feel Bad

During the initial period after the breakup it is perfectly normal to feel bad about it. Embrace the pain and let yourself feel it for at least some period of time. It is hard to move on from something if you never accept it or just try to numb or ignore it. Do what you got to do but don’t involve her in it on any level. So, if you’re lying in bed and allowing yourself to experience those emotions, keep your phone or other device away from you. You don’t want to get caught up in emotions and start to think about sending her a message or begging for her to come back. It might be a good idea to consider putting some amount of time aside each day, where you can be alone and just feel bad about your ex-girlfriend not being there. At least for a little while. (See: Deal with Loneliness after A Break Up)

Don’t Let the Sadness Wallow

The first tip was to allow you to really feel the pain and sadness, so that you can accept it and move on. However, this does not mean that you are going to stay in that mode forever. In fact, if you stay in that mode, you’ll end up being one of those sad old guys pining for the one that got away instead of going forward in your life and meeting new women.  Focusing on the sad is good for accepting that things are different now but it also will put you in a negative mindset, which sucks long-term. What I like to do is to start setting aside time, where I can feel positive energy for at least a little while each day. I might read some articles to help me cope, listen to motivational podcasts or speeches, go for a walk, lucid dream, or just go to the gym and tear it up. It seems like a little thing, but having some amount of positive time each day, can really help to point you back in the right direction.

Stop Idealizing the Relationship

It might have been a great relationship, she may have been your first love, but it’s over now. All failed relationships had some kind of problem, whether you were aware of them or not. Maybe she needed to go in a different direction in her life. Accept that as her choice. You can remember the good times but don’t idealize them. She wasn’t perfect, as great as you think she was. If you know that she cheated or she treated you poorly, this is especially important, to get rid of that notion that she was some sort of angel, she wasn’t. I know it can feel like she’s the only one for you…the truth is she isn’t. I’ve felt that way about girls too and you know what? Other girls came along and were either better or worse than the previous one but they all served a purpose in my life. Understand that you will have lots of relationships in life, if you so choose, but no matter how great they are, time passes and things change and that relationship can end as quickly as it began. (Signs a Relationship is Over)

Happiness for You

Dependency is what makes you no longer feel happy because she is gone. Like I said earlier, if your happiness is dependent on external influences and not rooted within yourself, then it’s just a matter of time before things go awry. Relationships should enhance your life experience, not become a dependency that brings you down into a long funk or depression. Focus on making yourself more secure and content within your own life, girls will always be around, but if you’re not happy with you why would anyone else be? (Understanding the Journey)

You Can’t Help Her Feelings towards You

Your ex-girlfriend is a person with her own thoughts and feelings. You cannot totally control whether you get back together or not (see: Do You Really Want Your Ex-Girlfriend Back?). Acting pitiful by calling or messaging her all the time is either going to gain you her disgust or her pity. Things have changed and in most cases these changes cannot be undone, yes, occasionally there is a reconciliation but even most of those don’t work out. The feelings you once had for each other are different now, at least on her part, so understand and accept that but don’t whine to her about it.

Bitterness is a Stinky Cologne

Is she seeing someone else? Pisses you off, right? Why should it? Don’t let your ego control your emotions. Stop the comparisons to the other guys that she will inevitably date and sleep with. You are not in competition with them. Women are not a scarce resource, let go and realize that there are literally billions of them to meet and possibly date. If she cheated on you, she certainly broke your trust, but is holding a grudge going to make anything better? Isn’t it great that you found out she was untrustworthy so that you don’t waste any time on her in the future? As bad as it sounds, she did you a favor by revealing her true nature. Now you’re free to explore any number of options or opportunities with other women who will fit what you want your life to be like. If you remove the idea of competition towards her or the other guys she is dating then it is pretty hard to feel upset about it. You haven’t necessarily lost anything, it is merely a change, a chance to set a new course. This is reality, so stop living in your bitter fantasies.

Learn from This and Move On

Life lessons can be painful but they serve a purpose. What have you learned from this experience? Perhaps, this will make you more selective with the women or type of relationship you want. Maybe you have learned that not all relationships (most won’t) work out in the end. Change and break ups are a part of life, you lose people and other things, and then you gain other people for a time. It’s just the way this whole thing works. You probably made plenty of mistakes, recognize them, and don’t do it again in the future. (How to Get a Girlfriend in College)

No Contact Rule

I just wrote a whole post on this topic, so I’ll keep this section brief. It is hard to move on from someone if you are in contact with them every single day. Stop calling and texting them when you don’t need to, she isn’t your girlfriend anymore! How do you expect to move on from someone if you are constantly trying to engage them in conversation? Now, you might have no choice in the matter, and you have to see her for some reason. That’s fine. Be friendly and keep the interactions as short as possible, whatever her reaction towards you is. If she’s acting childish, let her do that, but don’t stoop to her level. Brush it off. You keep an even keel, throughout this process around her, don’t let her bother you and don’t you act like a bitter child either. This is part of the healing process, sometimes you just need space away from the person to get over them. Yes, it hurts, there is naturally a withdrawal period because of that dependence you’ve built on them but you must go through it in order to get to the other side.

Here are the quick bullet points for getting over your ex-girlfriend:

  • Allow yourself to feel bad (for at least a short period)
  • Just don’t wallow in the sadness and let it keep you down.
  • Don’t remember the relationship as better than it actually was.
  • Learn to be truly happy with yourself, she can enhance your life, not complete it.
  • Her feelings are her feelings
  • Stop being bitter
  • Learn life lessons from the experience and move on
  • No contact helps you with clarity about what actions to take

If You Still Want Her Back After This….

This is my personal process for getting over a girl. Once I feel, I’ve accomplished these steps, I generally like to start completely fresh. However, some guys find that even after they’ve prepared themselves emotionally to move on and had other women in their lives, they still believe that she was the right fit for them.

If it’s the case that you’re in a good spot emotionally and you still feel like she is the one, perhaps you consider a program to help rekindle things between the two of you. The Magic of Making Up is a full ebook program designed to assist in mending broken relationships. Over 50,000 people have given it a try, visit here to read successful user testimonials and further information about making up with your ex. Here is a brief  video presentation from the book’s author:

 

Conclusion

It does take time to get over an ex-girlfriend but you will do so if you take the steps toward growth and moving on to the next chapter of your life. If you wallow and constantly make yourself sad about a situation, then you’ll be haunted by it for years and your life will stagnate and eventually worsen as a result. You must accept and embrace change in your life, that sort of make lemonade out of the lemons that life gives you.  Ultimately, you are the one who decides how you feel about yourself and your life, and if you accept that it sucks then that’s all it ever will be. Believe me, you have the power to change your life for the better and time will heal old wounds but you must be willing to go through the process.

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Best Smelling Perfumes for Women: Top Sellers and Fragrances for Your Girlfriend

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The holiday season is upon us and whether you’re a guy who is looking for a gift for his girlfriend or a woman who has stumbled onto this page, fragrances make great stocking stuffers. The right perfume can make any woman more attractive and when purchasing a scent it is important to consider her own lifestyle and personal style. There are thousands and thousands of fragrances out there which smell great and others are just flat out terrible (but there are always people who seem to enjoy them) and amongst the masses it can be difficult to choose the right one for you or that special someone. A perfume should be subtle, unique, sexy but not overpowering, something that commands attention and makes people want to draw closer. In essence, it should encompass all that a woman wants to present herself as. In this post, I want to cover the best-selling perfumes on the market as well as some of the best smelling eau de parfums for women. With all these types of fragrances listed you should have no trouble finding the perfect scent.

Also check out:

 

What are the Best-Selling Perfumes for Women?

 ***Get FREE SHIPPING  on your order at Fragrancex.com by using coupon code: F123***

Angel by Thierry Mugler (Sample size available)- Vanilla, sandalwood, and patchouli with other notes consisting of aromatic fruits. Angel is one of the most popular fragrances for women on the market and for good reason.

Euphoria by Calvin Klein– Calvin Klein is known for having great unisex scents and this one is no exception. A sexy and versatile fragrance that can be used for any occasion.

Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana– Love the men’s version of Light Blue. Dolce & Gabbana always seems to create beautiful fragrances.

Lolita Lempicka (Available in a mini EDT for under $10)- Unique, clean, and not overpowering.

Burberry Brit by Burberry(Available in a mini EDT)- I have tried a few Burberry cologne’s myself including Burberry Brit for men. Obviously, the women’s fragrance is a different scent but Burberry always has amazing fragrances.

Pink Sugar– This inexpensive fragrance has a sweet yet sexy smell to it. Great for those on a budget.

Oscar by Oscar de la Renta– A classy, more mature fragrance with notes of basil, jasmine, lavender, and sandalwood.

Bright Crystal by Versace– A sweet, flowery fragrance that will gather complements.

Opium by Yves Saint Laurent– I have this in the men’s cologne and it’s a nice, soft fragrance with a hint of spice to it.

Burberry– Another Burberry entry.

Diva by Ungaro– A woodsy fragrance that seems to have similar notes to some men’s fragrances yet still retains its femininity.

What are the Best Smelling Fragrances for Women?

Chanel No. 5– The classic perfume. May work best for older women, but it smells great, and has been around for the longest time.

Marc Jacobs Daisy– Pretty expensive scent. However, it is an absolutely gorgeous perfume.

Viva La Juicy– Juicy Couture’s fragrance is a fruity/floral scent that is really pleasant.

Coach Poppy Flower– A sweet perfume that is long-lasting and smells delicious.

The One by Dolce & Gabbana– I also have this in the men’s cologne. Dolce fragrances are amongst the best and I really dig this one in particular. Sexy.

Escape by Calvin Klein– One of Calvin Klein’s hit fragrances from the 90s. Still amazing.

Paris by Yves Saint Laurent– Another classic scent from YSL.

Bvlgari Pour Femme– A clean, floral fragrance that is highly feminine. Great stuff.

Gucci Guilty– Probably not for every occasion, best for a night out. Sexy and will capture attention.

Conclusion

This is by no means an exhaustive list but should point you in the right direction towards some of the best smelling women’s fragrances available. There are plenty of different options here to fit many different lifestyles and tastes, so give them a try.

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Following the No Contact Rule with Your Ex-Girlfriend after Break Up

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Men aren’t always the most emotional creatures, so when we do experience a flood of emotions, we don’t particularly know how to deal with them. Time helps to heal the pain, if you allow it to do so, and don’t wallow in your own self-pity. Know that there are 4 billion or so women on this planet and while I’m sure your ex-girlfriend was cool, there will be others that you will be happier with.

Time to Heal

Giving yourself time away from the ex and all of your habits (calling, texting, hanging out) that you had with her, is a really good idea to help move on emotionally. For younger guys especially, if you haven’t had to deal with much heartache before, know that no matter how bad it hurts, it does get better. I’ve been in the same spot you are now when I was younger and quite frankly, I don’t even think about those girls, they are just memories. Also see: How to Deal with Loneliness after a Break Up

Keep the Memories Positive

Speaking of memories, even if things ended badly, focus on the good times you had together and accept them as the past. You gain nothing by seeking revenge, it is only a waste of energy on your part, and makes you an asshole. Never burn bridges, don’t contact them unless there is a legit necessity (kids are involved or you still need to maintain a professional relationship), and if they contact you then be cordial but don’t linger and start venting.

Helps You Grow the F Up

Change is an opportunity to grow and mature. Calling your ex all the time is not maturing or growing, it just gets sad after a while. You might be sad and/or angry right now, but the only way to move on with your life is to remove the stimulus for those feelings as much as possible. Meaning, if you expect your life to stay the same or don’t grow as a person, then you’ll end up as one of those guys who goes on for years crying about the ‘one who got away’. Do you want that to be your future? Just giving up because some chick dumped you? (see: How to Get Over Your Ex)

If you’ve had other girlfriends before this, do you still miss them all that much? Probably not. Why? You’re a different person then you were at that time. I know none of my exes would be a good fit for me now but they worked (‘worked’ is a questionable word here) for that time in my life. At some point, enough time has passed and your two paths have forked enough, that she won’t even be on your mind and it won’t hurt at all. My best advice is to make this time after breaking up about you. Focus on getting better, taking on new challenges, and having new experiences (How to Lucid Dream Instantly). Yes, it will take time to not feel like crap all the time but that time comes faster when you don’t dwell on the past and focus on the now. (When to Break Up with Your Girlfriend)

Clear Your Head

It is easy sometimes to go a few days or weeks without contact and then suddenly something happens. Either you crack and send a text or she calls you out of the blue and don’t know how to react. The No Contact Rule is designed to help you clear your mind without their influence. In essence, learn how to live without them in your life. Trying to carry on as if nothing changed is a poor bet and you’ll probably just end up feeling lousy about everything. This strategy helps you come to terms with how things are now and lessens the pain with time.

Best Chance to Get them Back

Calm down. I know you really want them back right now but you need to leave things alone for the time being. No contact not only helps to make you seem less desperate but it also helps you to decide your next move once the pain starts to fade away. I would advise not getting back together with an ex once you’re broken up because it never really is the same. There is a reason or many reasons why the relationship is over and a majority of the time it is a good thing that it is finished. See: Do You Want Your Ex-Girlfriend Back?

If You Really Still Want Her Back…

Some guys find that even after they’ve prepared themselves emotionally to move on and had other women in their lives, they still believe that she was the right fit for them.

If it’s the case that you’re in a good spot emotionally and you still feel like she is the one, perhaps you consider a program to help rekindle things between the two of you. The Magic of Making Up is a full ebook program designed to assist in mending broken relationships. Over 50,000 people have given it a try, visit here to read successful user testimonials and further information about making up with your ex. Here is a brief  video presentation from the book’s author:

The Magic of Making Up, comes with a full 60-day money back guarantee. So, if you are so inclined  to try it out, there’s nothing to lose!

Conclusion

Keep the contact to a minimum as possible to let yourself heal. Undertake efforts to grow as a person and meet other women (Get a Girlfriend in College). It’s funny because not only do those things help you get over your ex faster but it’s the best way to get them back. It doesn’t always happen but sometimes she does come back but usually by that point you have moved on with your life and don’t want her. It’s happened to me where No Contact got a girl to come back (I didn’t want them) and it’s also happened that she never did come back. Either way it gave me the opportunity to meet other girls and more time to focus on my growth and things I wanted to accomplish, neither of which was happening while I was in those doomed relationships.

Following the No Contact Rule is hard. Take it day by day and do what you need to in order to stick with it. Block her number, change your number, be chill if you can’t avoid seeing her. You are trying to wean yourself from this addiction to her you have developed and having constant communication is only going to serve to keep your wounds open. It is a process that can drive you crazy but if you can stick with it you will get results and get back to living a good life again.

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Visual Impact Cardio Review: My Experiences with the Program

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I have been working out at home for the past few months or so and my workouts consisted of dumbbells and doing Insanity: The Asylum for my cardio needs. However, I wanted to get back into the gym and since my alma mater offers memberships for so cheap, I took the plunge and just bought one a few weeks ago. The first few weeks were spent doing a moderate amount of lifting to get my muscles back (push ups don’t prepare for the soreness after the first chest workout) and getting acclimated to the cardio workouts found in Visual Impact Cardio. Visual Impact Cardio is a fat loss program designed by Rusty Moore who has been involved in the fitness industry for years and has put out great men’s and women’s programs in the past few years. Visual Impact Cardio, on the other hand, was specifically written to achieve fat loss quickly through 8 week cycles of cardiovascular exercise.

Testing out the workouts in this program has been tough but in a weird way they have been fun. It has been a Thanksgiving holiday schedule at my gym this week, so I’ve had to make due with home workouts, but I am already looking forward to my Visual Impact Cardio workout tomorrow night. Yes, I am looking forward to getting on a treadmill tomorrow, I find myself loving the challenging lactic threshold intervals. Also, I like the specificity of the workouts because when left to my own devices I may come up with some random cardio workout, if I do any at all. This way I have a set workout that I know going into the day I must get through and so I just put in my headphones and get to work. For this post, I want to lay out what information is included in Visual Impact Cardio and what to expect if you are considering undertaking it.

Contents

After a brief introduction, Rusty breaks down two heavily cited studies that people often use as evidence that shorter cardio sessions are more effective at burning calories than steady state cardio. The first study, Rusty writes, called the Tabata Study, wasn’t even a measure of calories or fat burned. The Tabata Study was a measure of VO2 max (aerobic capacity), and while it increased a participants VO2 max, it was not the most effective way to burn fat. (He breaks the whole thing down in the book, much better than my short attempt).

The second study, Rusty cites, presents a measure of the so-called “afterburn effect”. Simply put, the amount of extra calories your body burns after you finish exercising. The point being, that the people who subscribe to doing  only the short interval cardio training, are misinformed about how many extra calories they are really burning. He says that the participants in the study who did these high-intensity intervals for short periods of time, only lost 0.2 lbs in 15 weeks!

Also, while high-intensity exercise does produce a greater afterburn effect, it amounts to roughly 14% of total calories burned during a workout. Meaning, a 30 minute high-intensity workout burning 400 calories, ends up with a 56 calorie post-workout burn versus roughly 49 extra calories burned for an hour of steady state cardio.

While this program certainly uses and advocates high-intensity interval training, Rusty is pointing out that the afterburn effect and short cardio craze are both overstated. Visual Impact Cardio utilizes a multitude of intensity levels and time intervals.

The next few chapters introduce the idea of the lactic acid threshold and what Rusty likes to call the “Average Intensity Level”, which is extremely important for understanding the amount of calories burned during steady state cardio versus high intensity intervals. He does a great job at explaining these concepts in layman’s terms but they do serve as the basis of the thought behind the program so it will be important to really understand them. He introduces more information on how fat is burned and the role of glycogen. Rusty also explains that this program is designed to fit as a lifestyle and not simply a quick-fix diet, which is why you get to have the weekends off to have fun.

After laying the foundations and introducing the thinking behind the program, Rusty, introduces the day by day guide of the beginners cycle. Followed by the 8 week cycle at the intermediate level, and the special 8 week hell (haha) of the advanced workout cycle.  You get to choose the type of cardio you do (I run some days and use the elliptical on others) but the program presents to you the amount of time spent total on that days workout, the interval timing, and the intensity in terms of lactic threshold you need to do. Each day in the schedule is accounted for, you get rest when there needs to be a rest day and you push harder when it’s called for.

Here is a breakdown of the chapters found in Visual Impact Cardio:

1: Calories Burned After Exercise Don’t Amount to Much

2: Focus on Calories Burned During the Workout

3: Calories Burned: Intervals vs. Steady State

4: A 1 Page Interval Training Summary

5: How Interval Training Actually Works

6: Calorie Deficit, Calories Burned, and Fat Loss

7: Burning Stubborn Body Fat

8: Calories, Food, and Workout Timing

9: Improving Popular Fat Loss Programs

10: Separating Fat Loss and Resistance Training

11: Visual Impact Cardio Preparation

12: The Beginner’s Cycle

13: The Intermediate Cycle

14: The Advanced Cycle

15: The Maintenance Plan

16: Final Thoughts

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Answers to Some Possible Questions About Visual Impact Cardio

How Long Does it Take to Receive Visual Impact Cardio?

It’s an ebook program so once you’ve paid it will be emailed to you. You can start the program, immediately, if you want to.

Is This Program for Advanced Trainers or Can it be Done by Beginners?

The ebook features three workout cycles: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Each of the three cycles lasts 8 weeks. So, any level of experience can take on Visual Impact Cardio. The advanced cycle is an 8 week cycle to take someone who is already lean and get them really cut for a special event. You can use the intermediate cycle consecutive times to get leaner if the first go round wasn’t enough. The beginning program gets you shedding fat fast and building up the endurance necessary for the intermediate program.

Does it Include a Diet Plan?

Visual Impact Cardio also goes into some detail about how you should eat but not necessarily what you should eat. While Rusty does gives some examples of dieting schemes and principles behind them, this program is not a diet plan. Visual Impact Cardio is a program designed to teach you how to lose fat and its three 8-week cycles certainly delivers on that.

Do You Need Access to a Gym for Visual Impact Cardio?

Not necessarily. However, cardio equipment is important for this program so whether that is at the gym or in your home, won’t make a difference. You can still do this program without cardio machines but it won’t be as effective because there is a need to keep track of intensity levels and measuring your lactic acid threshold. I think you’d still get good fat loss without machines though.

Does It Actually Work?

Yes, it works. All exercise burns calories, the key is burning enough calories, in an efficient way to promote fat loss. Even those abdominal machines you see on TV probably work (at strengthening abs) but they don’t burn the necessary calories to get rid of that belly fat. What’s the point of developing your abs if a layer of fat is covering them up? Also, any reasonable exercise plan will work based on the amount of effort and consistency a person puts into it. Some exercise plans will work better because they are based on science and are undertaken in an effective manner. Visual Impact Cardio lays out the reasoning behind the entire program and then offers you 24 weeks of workouts and how to maintain your results after whatever cycle you finish with.

How Many Workouts per Week?

The program is on a Monday-Friday schedule, so either 4 or 5 days per week depending on that week’s level of intensity. Each workout last from 30 minutes to an hour.

Can You Lift Weights Along with Doing Visual Impact Cardio?

I don’t see why not. I’m still lifting weights three or four days a week but I’m not going crazy with it either. Rusty Moore also has the original Visual Impact Muscle Building program, which could be stacked with the cardio. You’d probably have to re-configure the workouts though. If you have your own weight training routine, I doubt you’d gain very much muscle while doing Visual Impact Cardio but you would probably get great definition. If you want to gain mass, you might consider doing a bulk using something like the original Visual Impact, and then follow that up with Visual Impact Cardio to get really cut.

Conclusion

There you have it guys, a basic introduction to the Visual Impact Cardio program.  Like I said before, the results you get will reflect the level of dedication you had during the program. These 8 week cycles will definitely help to shed the fat and after that you can easily maintain your results with a decent diet and a few workout sessions per week. Rusty says in the book, if you slip up after you’ve finished the program and gained 10 pounds, then simply start a new cycle to get back to where you want to be. If you are looking for a challenging workout that will burn off the fat fast, then you should definitely consider giving Visual Impact Cardio a try.

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