I have attempted P90x twice so far, the longest of which I lasted about 20 days. I won’t lie, it’s a hardcore program and the p90x workout schedule is pretty intense. You need to dedicated between one and two hours a day, but the benefits definitely outweigh the inconveniences.

I have purchased the p90x program, including an indoor pull up bar to put around my door frame. If you are thinking about doing p90x and are asking yourself, do I need a pull up bar to do p90x? The short answer is yes.

Update: I’ll admit I’ve only been attacking this with half the effort I should be – I miss many days. That said, I have been picking things up over the past couple weeks and am planning on restarting the program properly soon. On another note, BeachBody recently released P90x2 in time for the Holidays. Although I won’t be getting to it right away, I did preorder a copy so I could try it out in the new year.

p90x classic workout schedule

The p90x workout schedule is broken down into three main categories – the classic, lean and plan p90x workout plan. Click on the image to the right to buy your own copy of P90x. The p90x workout schedule for the classic program looks like this:

Day 1: Chest & Back, with Ab Ripper-X.
Day 2: Plyometrics (intense leg workout)
Day 3: Shoulders & Arms, with Ab Ripper-X. (in my opinion, this is the easiest of the resistance workouts)
Day 4: Yoga-X (get ready to sweat)
Day 5: Legs & Back, with Ab Ripper-X
Day 6: Kenpo-X
Day 7: Rest or X-Stretch (although you’ll want to rest – the stretching is only 30 minutes and well worth it)

Day 1: Yoga-X
Day 2: Core Synergies (love this workout)
Day 3: Kenpo-X
Day 4: X-Stretch
Day 5: Core Synergies again
Day 6: Yoga-X again
Day 7: Rest or X-Stretch again

This week is very important to follow. The whole key to the p90x workout plan is muscle confusion. This week gives your muscles a chance to relax before you confuse them even more with the upcoming weeks.

Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps with Ab Ripper-X
Day 2: Plyometics (you’ll have a love-hate relationship with plyo-Tuesdays)
Day 3: Back & Biceps with Ab Ripper-X
Day 4: Yoga-X
Day 5: Legs & Back with Ab Ripper-X
Day 6: Kenpo-X
Day 7: Rest or X-Stretch

Day 1: Yoga-X
Day 2: Core Synergies (love this workout)
Day 3: Kenpo-X
Day 4: X-Stretch
Day 5: Core Synergies
Day 6: Yoga-X
Day 7: Rest or X-Stretch

Day 1: Chest & Back with Ab Ripper-X
Day 2: Plyo Tuesday!
Day 3: Shoulders & Arms with Ab Ripper-X
Day 4: Yoga-X
Day 5: Legs & Back with Ab Ripper-X
Day 6: Kenpo-X
Day 7: Rest or X-Stretch

Day 1: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps with Ab Ripper-X
Day 2: More Plyo Tuesday!
Day 3: Back & Biceps with Ab Ripper-X
Day 4: Yoga-X
Day 5: Legs & Back with Ab Ripper-X
Day 6: Kenpo-X
Day 7: Rest or X-Stretch

Day 1: Yoga-X
Day 2: Core Synergies
Day 3: Kenpo-X
Day 4: X-Stretch
Day 5: Core Synergies
Day 6: Yoga-X
Day 7: Rest or X-Stretch

—

There you have it. Your p90x workout schedule. There are additional p90x workout plans that include the classic, lean, and plus versions of the above schedule. They usually begin the same and either add cardio exercises or have more cardio and flexibility exercises worked in during the second and third months. These are all available in pdf format if you purchase the product.

Why learn how to lose weight in 2 weeks?

I want to start by answering the question of why would you want to do or learn this. I very much promote a healthy lifestyle and developing ways for long lasting results and health benefits. That said, I know I’ve been in situations where I would have loved to lose that extra 5 pounds before going down south, or on a trip. This is the reason why people want to learn it, in my mind. So, if you are looking to learn how to lose weight in 2 weeks, here is a bit of information that might help.

Keep it Healthy

This is a no-brainer in my mind, but a lot of people think that in order to lose weight in 2 weeks you need to drastically cut calories, start fasting, or do something potentially harmful to your body. This is false. The quickest way to lose weight in the least amount of time, in my opinion, is to change your diet considerably. I don’t mean restrict how much you eat, but you will need to change what you eat.

What does it take to lose weight in 2 weeks

Needless to say two weeks is not a lot of time. Odds are you are trying to lose weight in 2 weeks because you have some sort of event or function to attend where you need to look your best. Losing weight is a fairly simple process when broken down – simple maybe, but definitely not easy. It is going to take a lot of determination and dedication to lose the weight you want. Without the desire and want to lose weight, you will likely not succeed.

3 quick tips on how to lose weight in 2 weeks

No matter what your goal – 10 pounds, 20 pounds, or simply to begin your weight loss adventure, these quick tips will be sure to help:

Avoid drinking calories

Cut out pop, sodas, and all sort of fruit drink from your diet. Stick to water as your drink of choice for the two weeks you will be losing weight. Coffee and unsweetened tea are acceptable but water is the best choice. Update: We’ve been asked a lot if diet sodas and pop are okay. The answer is No. Even though these claim to have 0 calories, it is very important that if you are following our guide, to stick to our recommended list.

Stick to whole wheat and avoid white foods

Wherever possible cut out any sort of food that is or could be white. This includes bread, potato, and rice among many other things. The reason for this is because these foods are what is referred to as fast acting carbohydrates. They are broken down much quicker, which will leave you hungry sooner and store fat quicker.

Get a Big Healthy Breakfast

The rule of thumb is 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up. This is very important to ensure that your metabolism gets a kick start in the morning. This is the best tip for figuring out how to lose weight in 2 weeks.

What to avoid when losing weight in 2 weeks

Stay away from any cleansing or fasting diets.

Cleansing and fasting is not a diet plan to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks. These will just leave you hungry and risk binging and will completely ruin any work you put into losing the weight. There are a variety of cleansing diets that claim to be successful, such as the

Don’t restrict calories

We aren’t saying you can eat 24/7 and expect to lose weight, but try to restrict your diet to under 1000 calories or other popular myths to lose weight. These restrictive diets usually just end up with you being cranky and irritable. Every time I try to restrict my diet, I end up ordering a large pizza 3 days into the diet.

Don’t forget that muscle weighs more than fat

Our guide focusing on losing fat weight, but it is important to remember that if you are someone who spends a lot of time at the gym that it’s possible you may replace some of your fat weight with muscle weight. Losing 5 pounds of fat and gaining 5 pounds of muscle is no small deed, even though your total weight change would be nothing.

How to lose belly fat in 2 weeks

Targeted weight loss is near impossible. What many people get confused about when trying to lose belly fat in 2 weeks is that they believe working the abdominal muscles will help lose weight in that area. Unfortunately, this is not the case. In fact the best way for people to lose belly fat in 2 weeks is to follow our Day by Day Guide for 2 Week Weight Loss.

Instead of focusing on crunches you should be eating healthy and burning calories through light exercise and running. Some people will lose fat from around the waist quicker than others, and genetics does play a small role in the process, but the best way to lose belly fat is to lose weight altogether.

Fastest way to lose weight in 2 weeks

Losing weight in 2 weeks can be done by optimizing one of the following three things: your diet, your exercise, or supplementation. If you only change the way you eat you will likely see a decrease in your weight. On the same note, if the only thing you do is increase the amount of exercise you get, you will also likely shed some unwanted pounds. There are some popular and controversial weight loss supplements that will also help burn fat without changing anything else.

The Cleanse

If you are trying to learn how to lose weight in 2 weeks, you probably have stumbled upon a cleanse diet. There are a variety of types, such as the lemonade diet, which some claim to work and are still fairly healthy. The major problem with using this type of method when figuring out how to lose weight in 2 weeks, is that the weight you lose is typically water weight and will usually come right back after the cleanse.

When it comes to eating right, the one thing most people fail to do is get a large variety of food and nutrients that the body really needs. Some people will diet, but eat only one or two kinds of either a fruit or vegetable – most often the only kind they actually enjoy eating. The problem with dieting and only eating one or two different types of healthy food is that the body is not getting what it needs to survive. Sure, it’s great to cut out the soda and chips and start eating apples and carrots. Perhaps grapes and brocoli is what you fancy? The problem is that people just aren’t getting enough of what they need. If you plan on dieting or simply want to lose a little weight, a healthy meal replacement is essential.

Meal Replacement Diets

A great meal replacement diet will ensure that your body is getting everything it needs on a day to day basis. A meal replacement is great not only for weight loss as it cuts out any unwanted extra fat and calories and sticks to only what the body needs, but it is great for the people on the go. A lot of people are too busy to take the time to cook a large variety of healthy meals a

There are a variety of options when it comes to meal replacements, and they can all prove to be very effective; it simply depends on the kind and form that works for you. No time to prepare meals, even mix a drink in the morning? No matter what your lifestyle or what you have access to on a daily basis, there is a meal replacement option that will suit your needs.

Best Meal Replacement Shakes for Weight Loss

When it comes down to it, a nutrient rich meal replacement shake is often the ideal route for people to take. They have a lot of what the body needs and come in a variety of flavors. Meal replacement shakes are most commonly found in vanilla or chocolate, but personally I prefer the vanilla. Another great feature about the shakes are that they are usually re-sealable if you feel you don’t need a whole meal and only a little boost of nutrients either, especially in the morning.

I have tried a few different brands, but the product that I have used for a while now is called Boost. In my opinion, Boost is one of the best meal replacement drinks on the market today. The brand named speaks for itself in the context in which I use it. I don’t usually drink one everyday or skip many meals with them; however sometimes I don’t get a lot of time in the morning to make a big breakfast so instead I drink a Boost.

Best Meal Replacement Bars

Meal replacement bars are especially good for those busy people that just can’t find the time to cook or that can’t even get to a fridge to keep their drink cold. Bars are great because they can easily slip into a purse or pocket. For those of you that are up and out of the house in no time, meal replacement bars are great because there is zero preparation and it can be eaten in the car on the way to work.

Vector Meal Replacement Energy Bars are a great choice when it comes to picking a good meal replacement bar. They come in a wide variety of flavors, including chocolate! They all have ingredients that your body needs such as rolled oats, sugars, soy ingredients, fruit pieces and so much more! There is a great balance of energy from calories and carbohydrates with the healthy ingredients found within.

Best Meal Replacement Protein

Taking protein is not essentially a meal replacement, as it is a beneficial supplement to any meal. Experts will always tell you to take protein immediately after a workout – which is definitely a good idea; however for those that are simply doing cardio exercises or that don’t have a lot of time to work out, there is another option. Take your protein in the morning when you wake up. Breakfast is important, but a lot of people are not getting enough protein to start their day. The protein will help increase memory and brain function for your day’s tasks.

Adding a bit of whey protein powder to a drink (thick blended drinks such as smoothies are often the drink of choice when adding protein as they are thick enough to mask the taste and it is quite easy to add protein to something that is blended together) can be a great way to get a little boost of energy and have you feeling fuller longer. The added protein will keep your muscles going just a bit longer making it that much easier to make it to your next meal without any unwanted snacking. For those of you taking great meal replacement shakes in the mornings, if there’s time, adding a little protein to a fruit smoothie will leave you feeling fantastic for the rest of the day.

When it comes to choosing which protein will best suit your needs, it does not matter a whole lot, especially if it is only for taking in the morning. Any whey protein isolate such as one from MuscleTech, Rivalus or even a no name brand would work great. Simply find one that is a reasonable price and a flavor you think you’ll like (we recommend peanut butter with fruit smoothies and soft serve vanilla with white milk). Keep an eye out for ones with a lot of calories though! A trick I use for the mornings is to take half the recommended dose of protein because I am not using it to restore muscle after a workout, therefore I will only need about half as much. Lasts twice as long!

Great Meal Replacement Shake Recipes

My girlfriend loves her shakes and has one every morning for breakfast because she’s out the door quickly and never liked eating so early. This is what she uses for her shake:

1/2 cup mixed frozen berries
1 small banana
2 tbsp low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup of skim milk
1/2 scoop whey protein

Simple and tasty. You can easily add a small amount of frozen vegetables, and a couple ice cubes if you’d like.

My meal replacement shakes were usually made up of the follow:

1/2 cup frozen spinach
1 small banana
2 tbsp of peanut butter
3-4 large ice cubes.
1 scoop whey protein (peanut butter flavored)
Dash of cinnamon

This shake was great for breakfast or lunch. I found I could add as much as a cup of frozen spinach without even tasting it. If you love bananas and peanut butter together, you’ll die for this shake. Also, a little cinnamon is great as an anti-oxidant.

There are many great meal replacement products out there and if you are looking to either lose weight or trying to eat better due to lack of preparation time, there is no doubt a product for you. Two key pointers would be to first double check with your physician to see if there is ample nutrients in the product you are wanting to use to replace an entire meal. Secondly, choose one that you like and tastes good; if you struggle to get it down, you will never end up drinking it and might not even bother eating anything at all. Never eat nothing, it is far to unsafe. Enjoy the meals!

I’ve had a ton of shoes growing up, from basketball sneakers and cross trainers to running shoes and hiking boots. The one type of shoes that lasted me the longest, let me do the most, and were absolutely comfortable were my asics trainers.

Asics is a Japanese company founded in 1949 and have recently exploded in North America with their trainers, including asics gel trainers such as the asics gel kayano 15. (This was my favorite shoe, ever).

I’m not an expert at product or shoe reviews, but if you are looking for a comfortable shoe that you can do pretty much anything in, (I toured Europe for 10 days, ran a half marathon, and even got away at the clubs with these things) I can’t recommend asics trainers enough.

I purchased my first pair of asics trainers when I was in grade 11 and abused the hell out of them during track and field and cross country. I bought the exact same pair when I was in first year university that lasted me easily 3 years of tough use. I would have purchased another pair of asics trainers then, but I couldn’t find the same pair, and the sale prices got the best of me!

Versatile and Dependable

This is one of the main things I look for in a shoe or sneaker. I don’t like changing shoes all the time between activities. The same shoe I wear to play a pick up basketball game, I also want to be able to run a 5k jog in. I was able to do all that and more with my trainers.

I didn’t think twice wearing these shoes downtown to the pubs and bars with a nice pair of shorts in the summer, and where other people might have been weary of wearing trainers for a basketball game, I played both pick up and highly competitive games while wearing these shoes.

Comfort

Very important aspect of a shoe is how comfortable it is. It can get all the great reviews it wants, but if it doesn’t fit your foot well, it’s worthless. My trainers fit extremely well and were very comfortable. When it comes to an all-purpose shoe, I haven’t had a more comfortable cross trainer or running shoe.

That said, I don’t have wide feet, nor flat ones. I have slim size 10s with high arches. I’m not sure how asics trainers would feel if I flat or wide feet – so if you do, I’d recommend trying a pair on before purchasing.

They don’t smell any worse than others

I sweat a lot, so naturally, my feet stink. I have a pair of vibram five finger shoes that stink worse than anything. The one thing I did enjoy about my asics was that they didn’t stink too much (I’m not saying they smelt like roses, but I didn’t have to keep them outside at night).

Finding cheap asics trainers

I hate buying shoes. I think it’s because I hate shopping though. That said, I love buying things, shoes included. Once I found my size and fit, I decided to buy all my shoes online. I typically check out manufacturer websites for the latest models and reviews, and then order from Amazon or another trusted site with a return or replacement guarantee if they don’t fit, etc. I’ll stress that it’s important to know how your feet fit in a brand’s shoe before you decide to buy online. My feet fit differently in my asics trainers than they did in my Nike basketball sneakers.

It wasn’t long after starting yoga that I realized I was going to need a good pair of yoga pants. Now, men and women view exercise pants very differently. Mens yoga pants are typically loose and baggy, something similar to what you’d find with a pair of jogging pants. There are some pants for men that are tight – but those left too little to the imagination for my liking. Yoga pants for women on the other hand, are usually much tighter. Needless to say, a tight pair of pants is much more attractive on women than men, at least in my opinion.

Tight vs. loose

This is a personal preference more than anything. I like loose fitting clothing when it comes to working out and exercising, and my girlfriend prefers a closer fit. I know many guys who like to wear tight clothing as well. It comes down to whatever feels most comfortable to you.

What I would recommend is to try both without purchasing either right away. If you have an old pair of tight exercise pants, or a loose pair of jogging pants, give each a shot during a one hour session of yoga to see which is more comfortable.

When doing yoga, you’ll be in poses that you didn’t realize were possible, and loose baggy clothing and pants can often get in the way a little. I’ll sacrifice that for not showing my junk any day though.

Choosing a color

Black or white yoga pants are typically the most popular, with black being the first. Black is a slimming color and because of this, is often the choice for most people, both male or female. There are a ton of colors to choose from – any color under the rainbow (or that manufacturers make I suppose) – and getting on that matches is important for most people. This is another reason why black and white are the most popular – they’ll go with just about anything.

Where can you get cheap yoga pants and great brands

It’s not hard to find expensive pairs of pants that you can easily pay $100 – $200 for. Brands such as Under Armour and Lululemon. These two brands are probably the most popular when it comes to exercise pants, yoga included. Although these brands are typically more expensive, you might be able to find a cheap pair of yoga pants online at Amazon or Ebay. If you know your size, I would consider checking out these sites if you’re looking for a pair.

You’re here because you are looking for the best fat burning foods. You aren’t alone. I have had many people ask about the best ways they can use natural foods to burn fat. Through much reading, research, and testing I have found a great group of foods that can be used together or alone to help keep you health and burn fat.

It’s important to know that although most of the fat burning foods I’ll mention are natural fat burning foods, there are always risks of over-consuming anything. Most of these foods are very healthy for you in small doses – like anything, be sure to do anything in moderation.

Here’s a list of fat burning foods that are great during your meals or on snacks. I will also include very healthy foods that may not alone contribute to weight loss but are great for an all around healthy diet. I’ll comment on them after as well.

• Black beans
• Lentils
• Eggs
• Cinnamon
• Green Tea
• Coffee
• Flaxseed oil
• Water

I will continually add to this list as I learn about and test more great fat burning foods. If you know of or have a secret fat burning food that works great for you, please comment and let us know. It’s also important to note that fat burning foods for women and for men are both the same. Don’t think you can’t lose weight because of your sex.

You might have noticed that some of the fat burning foods listed above are also in my guide on how to lose weight in 2 weeks. That’s because they work.

I have completely changed my eating habits by replacing any fast, white carbohydrate (rice, potato, bread, etc.) with either black beans, kidney beans, or lentils. These are huge secret weapons to weight loss but only if you replace your quick carbs with these slow carb alternatives.

I used to have two or three cups of green tea throughout the day which is great to help with weight loss. Green tea is a great antioxidant and I found it the only type of tea I really liked drinking. Recently, I’ve switched to adding a dash or two of cinnamon on my cup of coffee. Cinnamon is also a strong antioxidant that will help burn fat and keep you very health. I sometimes will have a glass of grapefruit with my coffee to extend the half-life of the caffeine effects (a little gem I learned in Tim Ferriss’ book, The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman – highly recommended if you haven’t already read it).

I also start my day with a couple hard boiled eggs. When it comes to fat burning foods for breakfast, eggs are it. They are a great source of protein and very easy to choke down in the morning when you might not really want to sit and eat. I have them with a few veges and some black beans – don’t knock it until you try it.

That’s my list of foods I eat to help with weight loss and fat burning. I will add to it as I discover new and awesome foods that help keep you healthy. Feel free to leave a comment if you think I should include something else.

The first time I ever encountered a cleansing diet was when my mom got back from a trip to Europe and was introduced to a detox diet after attending a Tony Robbin’s seminar. I’m not sure if it was because of the seminar or not, but that’s when I started investigating what my mom used to call “a cleanse.”

After researching more about detoxification diets and ways to cleanse the body through short-term dieting, I often came across the lemonade diet over and over again. The lemonade diet is another name for the master cleanse diet that was created by an alternative medicine practitioner, Stanley Burroughs in the 1940s.

What is involved with the lemonade diet

So what’s involved with the lemonade cleansing diet you might ask? It is essentially a liquid diet on which you consume only a combination of lemonade (it is suppose to be freshly squeezed lemon juice), cayenne pepper, and maple syrup. This ingredients are to be mixed together and consumed for each meal or snack. No solid food is involved in this diet.

I tried looking for the answer to the question: why would you use the lemonade diet?

Why would you use the lemonade detox diet?

I have encountered many cleansing diets where the framework is built on whole foods, water intake, and eliminating processed junk. This diet is not quite like other cleansing or detox diets. Although I have never actually attempted to do this diet, from what I can tell, the weight you lose – typically water weight – is put back on shortly after you return to regular eating.

It has been shown to help reduce the cravings of alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs, but not a great weight loss diet.

Is the lemonade diet dangerous?

Short answer: yes. I am not claiming to be a professional in any way, but from my research it does appear that this diet would do more harm than good to the average person. Its weight loss traits come from the fact that it dangerously reduces calorie intake far under a recommended amount. It also lacks protein and essential vitamins for a healthy diet. Many people on the diet have complained of common side effects including severe headaches and fatigue – likely from the lack of calorie intake.

My final thoughts of the lemonade diet

I would never attempt this diet. Out of curiosity I did attempt to create a lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper cocktail and let me tell you it was far from delicious. Between the sheer taste and the unbalance of this diet I’m not sure why anyone would want to give it a shot.

So in a final word, after reading through a ton of lemonade diet reviews, – some of which the people claimed to have gone through it successfully while others recommending to stay clear of it. – reader beware. I would strongly against attempting this lemonade or master cleanse diet.

Home gyms are a great way to get yourself into shape and lose some extra weight. I had someone ask me the other day whether or not I’ve ever worked out with a home gym. I had a smaller version of a home gym that provided a couple exercises when I was in high school, but thought I would investigate and review a few options.

I noticed the maxxus home gym when I was looking for the less popular home gyms – we’ve all heard of the total gym and all the ones in the media. I was looking for a cheaper alternative that could be useful in the home. Was the maxxus home gym the option?

What sort of exercises can you do with a maxxus home gym

There were two types of maxxus gyms that I looked at, the BodyMaxx 6000 and the BodyMaxx 8000.

There were some similarities and differences, however their designs are stood out as being quite different. The BodyMaxx 6000, priced at about 850 Euros, seemed to have a more solid framework. Its design reminded me of a supported bench press machine that allows you to lock the bar into a height with the turn of the bar. Its barbell-like design also gave it a much nicer feeling in my opinion.

The BodyMaxx 8000, priced at 1500 Euros is a much longer machine and provided a wider range of exercises, including many back exercises that weren’t available (comfortably at least) in the 6000 model. There were also more options for each exercise as it provided many different handles and bars – unlike the standard barbell in the other model.

Benefits of owning a maxxus home gym

The benefits of getting your hands on a maxxus home gym are plentiful. Both models truly are almost everything you will find in the gym or need to stay healthy and fit. This alone will save you the recurring cost of a gym membership – not to mention the countless headaches of actually having to go to the gym.

Another great thing about this system is that it really does provide a full body workout. I remember the gym I had at home as a kid and it was merely an upper body workout. This incorporates workouts for all areas of your body in an easy to use machine.

Conclusions and thoughts

Although the maxxus home gym seems to be an excellent all around option for a home gym solution. It has almost every exercise you can find in a gym in one piece of equipment, it’s somewhat easy to store (at least the 6000 model wasn’t too bad), and its rock solid German craftsmanship makes it an excellent investment. However, when it comes to whether or not it was a cheaper alternative to the other popular brands – not really. They are quite expensive – not just due to their price tag, but the fact that they are brought in from Germany and are considerably hard to find in North America.

Although the maxxus home gym seems like a great product, I doubt I would ever want to have one in my house.

Fasting to lose weight is unfortunately a popular weight loss method. The framework for this “diet” – if you really want to call it that – is to withhold food or drink of any kind, with the exception of water, for an extended period of time in hopes that your body will burn your stored fat.

I have never tried a fast diet, nor would I ever choose to do so. You miss out on so many nutrients and put your body under so much stress that to me, it definitely is not worth it. If you are wondering if fasting to lose weight is an option, my short answer is no. Here’s my long answer.

Why fasting to lose weight is a horrible idea

It’s easy to think – well if I don’t eat anything, I will surely have to lose weight. While this is true, let me explain why fasting to lose weight is an extremely unhealthy and horrible weight loss option.

When you withhold nutrients and fuel from the body it will use what you have stored in your body to survive. At first glance, you might think – this is excellent, it will just use my fat to fuel itself and I will continue to not eat. That however, isn’t the case. It’s the sugars – glucose – that fuels the brain and body. When you begin to fast, the body will switch to getting its fuel from the liver. If you continue to withhold nutrients, the body will turn to muscle fiber to get its fuel. Only after this will your body begin to convert fuel from fat tissue – long after you began your fast, and if left too long you could enter starvation.

So, to recap, fasting does not burn fat. Although it might make you lose weight – this is usually due to loss of muscle.

What are the side effects of fasting?

Fasting to lose weight, like any calorie-restricting diet can result in fatigue, crankiness and extreme irritability. You will eventually begin to have an extreme craving for food – which is your brain’s method of survival in telling you that you need to consume some more fuel.

If you ever reach this feeling during a fast, it is likely that it will result in binge eating and weight gain, defeating your entire plan of fasting to lose weight. Extreme fasting has been shown to be linked to long term eating disorders.

So why do people fast?

It’s evident that fasting to lose weight is not a healthy option. So then why do people fast? There are many religions that promote fasting during certain seasons. Fasting appears throughout the bible within Christianity, and happens within Islam during Ramadan. This is a discussion for another day and place, however.

I never could have imagined how much of a workout climbing stairs really was. I suppose I do remember living on the 20th floor having numerous fire drills – it almost got to a point where we thought risking it out weigh the hike up those 20 floors. All of that came rushing back tonight as I stepped on the stairmaster 4000pt.

There was nothing too fancy with this machine, but I thought I would comment on a few things about it.

What’s included in the stairmaster 4000pt?

It doesn’t have anything too fancy. Almost every machine you step on at the gym will be able to give you your calories burned, the distance completed, and offer a variety of courses and difficulties. The stairmaster 4000pt is no different. This model seemed actually quite basic – I’m not even sure if it even had a heart rate monitor on it although there may have been – and I suspect they were a popular older model from stairmaster, but that in no way took away from its ability to offer a mean workout.

Does stair climbing provide a good workout?

I have a feeling many people ask themselves this question when deciding what to choose for a cardio workout. Time is of extreme importance to most people in the gym and they hate feeling like they wasted it on a workout that doesn’t provide great results.

I would definitely have to say that the stairmaster 4000pt offers a great all around workout. It provides an ample cardiovascular workout (at least I assumed as much, I wasn’t monitoring my heart rate when I used it) and it also feels as if you are getting a decent resistance exercise for your legs and butt.

Could the stairmaster 4000pt be a good at home alternative

This is a question I found asking myself tonight as I climbed over and over again what felt like the same set of stairs. I definitely think this machine would be a good addition to a home-based gym. It really doesn’t take up that much room – less room than a treadmill and many people purchase those for their homes.

The stairmaster 4000pt runs upwards of $1200 but I suspect you could find a decent used one in your neighborhood. I quick search on my part found several going for as low as $600 used.

I definitely enjoyed the time spent on this stairmaster. I’m not much for a treadmill as I would much rather run outside (although that’s a little bit of a pain in the winter months) so having some variety at the gym keeps me going.