Is a Lack of Sleep Killing You?

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That's a bold question but it may very well be true.

You may have heard it before, "The earlier you get to sleep the better it is for you."

Now apart from the obvious that more sleep, the better, the actual act of getting to sleep before midnight is so KEY!

Want your exercise and diet to work? Want to prevent cancer? Acute illnesses?

Each hour of sleep before midnight equals two hours after midnight.

Think about that.

Sleeping during the hours before midnight are twice as important as the number of hours after midnight, due to the synchronizing of the meridians of the body and various organ systems.

Also, sleeping less than 6-8 hrs will create problems with your insulin levels which increases your risk for diabetes among other things. [note: for those trying to lose weight this is NOT what you want as it makes it harder on your body to utilize fat from your fat stores for energy]. Try to sleep in complete darkness, as any light will disrupt your sleep.

Lets take a look at a natural sleep-wake cycle








A few points to consider from this:

1. As the sun rises, cortisol levels rise.
2. Remain at moderate levels throughout midday, supporting daily activities.
3. In the afternoon, cortisol levels begin to fall as the sun begins to set.
4. This decrease allows melatonin and the growth and repair hormones to increase.
5. If we follow this cycle, we should fall asleep around 10pm to 10:30pm as this is the time most physical repair occurs and at around 2am is when most mental repair occurs.

Now lets look at a disrupted sleep-wake cycle








A few points to consider from this:

1. This shows what happens when cortisol levels are elevated above normal due to such things as TV, fluorescent lights, working late in the evening, etc.
2. Since cortisol takes hours to clear from the blood, this will disrupt the release of melatonin and other growth and repair hormones.
3. If you go to bed after midnight you’ve already lost 2 hours of physical repair time as it begins around 10pm.
4. This can lead to adrenal fatigue and can manifest for instance as chronic fatigue syndrome, viral infections, bacterial and fungal infections and headaches.
5. To prevent this, get to bed on time by 10:00pm or 10:30pm at the latest.

Good sleep is at THE FOUNDATION of good health. You could be exercising, eating the right foods, have low stress levels and STILL succumb to acute illnesses because of a lack of good sleep.

For information about how to improve your sleep, click the link below:

33 Secrets to a Good Night's Sleep
http://www.mercola.com/article/sleep.htm

Video by Dr. Mercola
http://v.mercola.com/qa/why-is-it-important-to-go-to-bed-early-1445.aspx

Articles on the importance of sleep
http://search.mercola.com/Results.aspx?q=sleep%20before%20midnight&k=sleep%20before%20midnight

OR read:



Look your best!

Tyron

http://www.MakersBody.com
http://www.LookBetterNakedBootCamp.ca Tweet This

Total Body Fat Loss Workouts to Prevent the Holiday 5-10 Pound Gain

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Come Christmas (or presently Thanksgiving for my American readers) I know you're gonna do your thang and get your grub on come Turkey Day (either Thanksgiving or Christmas), so why not crank it with some total body med ball workouts so that you can actually earn the feast!

Remember, your body best handles sugary and starchy carbohydrates and higher calorie meals within 3 hours of intense exercise.

A colleague of mine, BJ Gaddour, owner of GetSexyBootCamps.com in Milwaukee, WI, has put together some done-for-you workout videos below so check them out. If you feel you really go overboard with the turkey meal, feel free to do the second med ball workout later in the day after the big meal ;)

5-Minute Total Body Fat Burning Workout #1- Med Ball

- You will alternate between 50 sec of work (max reps or max hold) and a 10 sec rest and transition for each exercise in the following 5-minute circuit

- Perform this 5-minute circuit 1-4x for a 5-20 minute total body workout based on your schedule (20 minutes for optimal results!)

Exercise# Exercise Category Exercise Variation
1. MB Sumo Deadlifts
2. MB Chest Passes
3. MB Alternating Lunge + Twist
4. MB Alternating Rows
5. MB Upper Body Twists

Click the link below to view a complete done-for-you workout video demo @



5-Minute Total Body Fat Burning Workout #2- Med Ball

- You will alternate between 50 sec of work (max reps or max hold) and a 10 sec rest and transition for each exercise in the following 5-minute circuit

- Perform this 5-minute circuit 1-4x for a 5-20 minute total body workout based on your schedule (20 minutes for optimal results!)

Exercise# Exercise Category Exercise Variation
1. MB Back Squats
2. MB Kneeling Shoulder Passes
3. MB Single-Leg Hip Extensions*
4. MB Alternating Bicep Curls
5. MB Leg Raises

*switch sides half-way unless alternating or performing an even number of multiple sets

Click the link below to view a complete done-for-you workout video demo @



Look your best!

Tyron

http://www.MakersBody.com
http://www.LookBetterNakedBootCamp.ca Tweet This

How To Create Healthy, Fat Blasting Meals Using Your Thanksgiving or Christmas Turkey

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It’s about that time of year again, when that big old bird will come out of the oven for Christmas (and just a few weeks ago - Thanksgiving). Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners get associated with excess and horrible holiday weight gain.

But really should turkey be blamed? Nope!

You can, if you want, to blame stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie for that, but leave the turkey out of it! After all, turkey is packed with lean protein that simultaneously elevates metabolism and promotes fat burning and lean muscle growth.

Regular protein intake is crucial in accelerating the repair that occurs in muscle due to high-intensity activities like strength training and cardio interval training. In addition, adequate protein intake every two to four hours is essential in maintaining your current levels of lean muscle mass. Very important because the more muscle you have, the larger your metabolic engine, thus the more calories (and fat) you burn on a daily basis since muscle tissue requires lot of energy to sustain itself.

When it comes to fat storage, protein is also the least likely macronutrient to be stored as body fat and the mere act of digesting the protein you eat requires more than double the energy to digest than carbohydrate and dietary fat. So, live it up this Christmas season and enjoy your turkey without guilt.

Another key benefit to eating turkey is that it is easy to prepare in bulk and thus will save you much needed time in meal planning and preparation during the busy holiday season. You can roast a big old turkey and then have tons of meal options for days. Just think of what you can do with all those Thanksgiving leftovers! To inspire your turkey consumption efforts I’ve put together some awesome better body recipes that you can create with turkey as your lean protein foundation. Enjoy!

1. Turkey Salad

Ingredients:

- 6-8 oz. Turkey Breast chopped into small cubes
- 1⁄4 red bell pepper
- 1⁄4 green bell pepper
- 1⁄4 red onion
- 2 Tbsp olive oil mayo

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy over a bed of greens.

Makes one male serving and two female servings.


2. Turkey Cranberry Cream Cheese Roll-up

Ingredients:

- 6-8 oz. Sliced Turkey
- 1 Tbsp Fat Free Cream Cheese
- 1 Tbsp Dried Cranberries 1⁄2 Clove of Roasted Garlic Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 Whole Grain Tortillas

Directions:

Soak cranberries in water for 20 minutes or microwave until soft if you are short on time. Mash the 1⁄2 clove of garlic. Mix cranberries, garlic, and cream cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread the mixture into the inside of the tortilla(s). Add turkey breast. Fold up sides, roll up, and enjoy!

Makes one male serving and two female servings.


3. Turkey Medallions With Cranberry Glaze

Turkey Medallions:
- 6-8 oz. Turkey
- Turkey Seasoning

Cut Turkey Breasts into small medallions, sprinkle lightly with seasoning. Reheat in a pan of either butter, olive oil or coconut oil on medium heat until lightly browned on both sides. Drip Cranberry glaze (below) over the medallions.

Cranberry Glaze:
- 1 Cups Dry white wine
- Turkey or chicken stock, as needed
- 1 1⁄2 Cups Dried cranberries
- 1⁄4 Cup of Pine nuts, toasted
- Pinch of Salt

Add 1⁄2 cup of white wine and 1⁄2 cup of turkey stock to pan. Add other 1⁄2 cup of turkey stock, cranberries, pine nuts and pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat until reduced in volume by half, about 4 cups.

Makes one male serving and two female servings.


4. Turkey Shepherds Pie

Ingredients:

- 2 cups cubed cooked turkey
- 3⁄4 cup turkey gravy
- 1 small can whole kernel corn
- drained 1 cup of chicken stock
- 1 cup of water
- 3 cups steamed cauliflower
- 2 cups celery, chopped 2 carrots
- chopped 1 onion chopped 2 cloves garlic
- minced 1 bell pepper, any color
- chopped Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. First you must make the gravy. Take the garlic, 1 cup of celery, carrots, onion, bell pepper, chicken stock, water, vegetables, salt and pepper to taste. Add to a pot, boil until vegetables are soft and blend in a blender or food processor.

Next, you will take the steamed cauliflower and mash it, or place it in a food processor until the consistency is like that of mashed potatoes.

Next, in a baking dish, layer the turkey, gravy, corn, remaining celery and mashed cauliflower. Bake, uncovered at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Makes one male servings and two female serving.


5. Turkey Florentine

Ingredients:

- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
- 2 tablespoons smart butter
- 1 cup cooked whole grain fettuccine
- 2 cups diced, cooked turkey
- 1 cup turkey or chicken stock 1
- (8 ounce) package fat free sour cream and onion dip
- 1⁄2 teaspoon onion salt
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- olive oil for pan

Directions:

Cook spinach according to package directions; drain. Stir in smart butter. Place noodles in a baking dish with olive oil drizzled on dish; top with spinach. Combine turkey, stock, onion dip and onion salt and spoon over spinach. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 25 minutes or until bubbly.


6. Turkey Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

- 1 bag of frozen green beans
- 6-8 oz. of cubed cooked turkey breast
- 1 can of organic cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cups Kraft all natural fat free cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients into a casserole dish and bake for about 30 minutes or until completely hot.

Makes one male serving and two female servings. Tweet This

Want Rapid Fat Loss and Lean Muscle Gain? Try These Exercises On For Size

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In my years of helping people lose body fat and build lean muscle, I know how important exercise selection is what and how key it is to pick exercises that are going to work the most amount of muscle, burn the most amount of calories, in the least amount of time.

Lets keep this simple. The best exercises for losing weight and body fat are the ones for lean muscle gain and visa versa. As mentioned above, these exercises all have one thing in common: they provide a UNIQUE challenge to your body AND involve as many muscles in your body as possible.

Real world case studies and scientific research have shown that total body workouts are superior for maximal fat loss and muscle gain than single joint, isolation exercises such as tricep kickbacks (which I see MANY women doing). But let’s take this one step further…

Let’s dramatically accelerate results by selecting TOTAL BODY EXERCISES within each TOTAL BODY WORKOUT! For example, squats are well known for being one of the best muscle-builders with a serious fat-shredding effect. However, the squat goes from great to UNSTOPPABLE for changing your body for the better when you make it a combination movement by adding a row or press to each squat rep. It’s obvious that you can reap more benefits this way since you have now involved your upper body into the king of lower body exercises.

It’s as simple as the Dream Body Equation below:

Performing Total Body Exercises Within Each Total Body Workout

More Muscles Involved =

More Calories Burned + Greater Muscle-Building Stimulus =

Greater Fat Lost + Greater Lean Muscle Gain

Isn't that what everyone wants? Then why are we constantly selecting exercises like tricep kickbacks? I'm guessing because they are easy.

To be honest I can understand because these Total Body Exercises can be loved and hated at the same time. Love because of the unparalleled fat-melting, muscle-building results they provide to help maximize you looking and feeling better. Hated because they break you every single workout by leaving you in tears while in a pool of your own sweat. Not for those who are looking for the easy way out, but definitely for those who want to change the way they look and feel.

Without further adieu, here is the official top 10 list of exercises in the world for fat loss and lean muscle gain:

Exercise#1- Power Clean + Squat to Overhead Press Combo

Exercise#1- Any Squatting Combination Exercise- Squat Thrust/Burpee Variations, Squat to Overhead Press, Squat to Row, Squat to Chest Press, Braced Core Squat, Single-Leg Squat plus Curl to Press, etc.

Exercise#2- The Swing- Dumbbells, Kettlebells, Med Balls, or Sandbags

Exercise#3- Any Lunge Combination Exercise- Alternating Lunge plus Curl to Press, Alternating Lunge plus Twist, Alternating Lunge plus Chest Press, Alternating Reverse Lunge plus Row, Split Jump plus Jerk, Split Jump plus Curl etc.

Exercise#4- Any Push-Up Combination Exercise- Push-ups plus Knee-Ins, Push-up Rows, T-Push-Ups, Spiderman Push-ups, Squat Thrust Push-Ups, Four-Way Push-up Crawl, etc.

Exercise#5- The Chop- Dumbbells, Kettlebells, Med Balls, Bands, or Sandbags

Exercise#6- Olympic Lifting Variations: Dumbbell or Kettlebell Cleans, Snatches, High Pulls

Exercise#7- Dynamic Back Pillar plus 1-Arm Dumbbell Chest Press

Exercise#8- Rear Foot Elevated Deadlift plus Curl to Press

Exercise#9- Med Ball Snatch-Slam Combo

Exercise#10- Dumbbell or Kettlebell Single-Leg RDL plus Row

Here are some great videos of some of the above exercises so that you can add them to your own training routines for better results:







Well I hope you take my expert advice and jack up your training with these 10 total body combination exercises. I guarantee you better results in less time by regularly employing these movements into your workouts. Of course it’s now up to you to take your workouts, and your body, to the next level.

I’ll be sharing some more great exercises for those specific trouble spot areas (e.g. legs, butt, abs, chest, arms, etc.) that are holding you back in the days to come ;)

Resurrect your body back to life!

Tyron

www.MakersBody.com
www.ResurrectYourBodyBootCamp.com Tweet This

Building a Simple, Effective Rapid Fat Loss Circuit Workout

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Back in the early days of resistance training, the heart of most exercise programs revolved around performing exercises in a straight set format. Basically what this means is that you perform a certain number of reps for a given exercise or you perform as many reps as possible for a given exercise and then you rest anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes based on your training goals before repeating this set two or three times. Shorter rests for a fat loss goal and longer rests for a strength or power goal.

So, what’s the problem with this format? Well, though straight sets are extremely easy to comprehend for people new to fitness, they are also an extremely inefficient way to order your exercises. In most commercial gyms you’ll typically see someone perform three sets of 10 reps for let’s say the bench press. They pump out 10 reps, go to the water fountain, talk with some buddies, watch a couple of highlights on ESPN, and then gingerly walk back to the bench area to hit up their second set. In general, most people, guys in particular, tend to take about 3-5 minutes between sets. In the case of three sets of 10 on the bench that means it would take up to 15 minutes to complete only one movement pattern (a horizontal push). That means you’d need at least in hour to perform four different exercises!

Want to save time? Perform your exercises in the alternating set format. Here you’ll perform one exercise, rest for a short period of time, then perform another non-competing exercise, rest for a short period of time, and so forth. The key with this approach is it allows you to work different areas of your body when you would otherwise be resting with the straight set format. Plus, there's also a bonus in that while you are exercising one muscle, you're encouraging further recovery of the area worked by the previous exercise - it's called reciprocal inhibition for those sciency ones out there. Ultimately you get more work accomplished in less time, who wouldn't want that? See below for some ways to incorporate alternating sets in your program:

1.) Supersets: Alternate between two different non-competing exercises (e.g. upper body and lower body such as push-ups and lunges)

2.) Trisets: Alternate between three different exercises (e.g. push, pull, and lower body such as push-ups, rows, and lunges)

3.) Circuits: Alternate between four or more different exercises

Though supersets and trisets are excellent alternating set options, circuit training may just take the cake. To demonstrate why, let’s examine one of my favorite circuit training template using timed set intervals:

The 50-10 Five Exercise Circuit: You will alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for all five exercises in the following 5-minute circuit:

Exercise#1- Squats

Exercise#2- Dips

Exercise#3- Single-Leg Hip Extensions

Exercise#4- Pull-ups

Exercise#5- Leg Raises

Perform this circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body fat burning workout.

Basically, in the same 15 minutes that it took to get in three sets on the bench you could have gotten in three sets of five different exercise for a staggering total of 15 work sets! Plus, the intensity on each exercise will be just as high as in the straight set format because in this five exercise circuit you will have full recovery with over four minutes before you return to any given exercise (just as you did with the straight set format described earlier).

To recap, the key to generating a jacked up metabolism for hours and hours of fat loss is to perform each exercise with maximal intensity while separated by brief rest periods as you want to do as much work as possible in the shortest amount of time. Use the following template I use with my many boot camp clients for some killer, yet simple fat loss circuits:

Exercise#1- Double-Leg

Exercise#2- Push

Exercise#3- Single-Leg

Exercise#4- Pull

Exercise#5- Core

Here’s a workout video showing you a great circuit you can perform anywhere:

Fat Loss Circuit

I’ll be sharing some more great circuit training workouts from my boot camps in the weeks to come ;)

Look fit. Look healthy. Look better naked!

Tyron

www.MakersBody.com/BootCamp.html

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1st Annual Pumpkin Fat Loss Workout Video

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I've got something special for you today...actually two things.

First, just last Saturday, Nov. 1, I held my 1st Annual Pumpkin
Fa.t Loss Workout where the entire workout revolved around using
just a pumpkin!

You may be thinking, "Oh that I have to see."

No problem.

I filmed part of the event so if you want to see how a workout can
revolve around a pumpkin click the link below.

Pumpkin Fat Loss Workout



Don't miss out next year as we're going to crank it
even more!...however with more costumes and pumpkins though.

Second, a colleague of mine, BJ Gaddour creator of Workout Muse,
audio cardio interval soundtracks, put together a FR.EE audio on
how to survive the holiday bulge.

Some of us are dangerously on track for the typical 5-10+ lb weight
gain that the average American faces during the post-Halloween
months of November and December.

So what he decided to do was gather some of the best fa.t loss
experts from around the world to do a no-holds barred holiday
survival roundtable to help YOU save your waistline this holiday
season!

Click the link below to listen to this amazing F.R.E.E podcast
where we spill the beans about the training and nutrition
strategies that we have collectively used with thousands of people
to maintain, if not lose, weight during the holidays:

Holiday Survival Roundtable Podcast
http://www.topherfarrell.com/Site/Podcast/Podcast.html

There is simply a ridiculous amount of f.r.e.e content here.

And please be sure to forward this email to any friends or family
members to whom you feel may benefit from it ;)

Tyron
Look Better Naked Boot Camp

Your Look Better Naked Solution...Guaranteed!
http://www.MakersBody.com/BootCamp.html

P.S. Keep a look out in your email inbox as there may
be a Christmas event coming up that you won't want to miss...think
weighed candy canes!

P.P.S. Oh by the way, we raised $120 for the Water for Life Foundation! Tweet This