Alexa Ranking - CardioTrek in the Top 5000 for Toronto

Here is a bizarre yet interesting bit of news...

According to Alexa.com (a website which tracks the popularity of every website on the planet) Cardio Trek is in the Top 5000 websites for Toronto by popularity.

And the vast majority of those sites have nothing to do with exercise, which likely places Cardio Trek in the Top 100 Exercise websites for Toronto. Basically what it means is that for all websites everywhere, Cardio Trek is in the Top 5000 when it comes to Torontonians - and that is competing against YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, p*rn websites, etc.

I call that "successful local marketing".

Here is the actual text from Alexa:

Cardiotrek.ca is ranked #1,064,646 in the world according to the three-month Alexa traffic rankings. The site is relatively popular among users in the city of Toronto (where it is ranked #4,915). Visitors to the site spend roughly two minutes on each pageview and a total of four minutes on the site during each visit. About 68% of Cardiotrek.ca's visitors are in Canada, where it has attained a traffic rank of 20,861. Visitors to the site view an average of 2.3 unique pages per day.

So as exercise websites go Cardio Trek is becoming pretty popular - and I've only been working on it for 13 months. Initially I wasn't working on it much at all, but in September 2012 I started posting more often and it really took off in a hurry. For reference many competitor websites will have been up for years and would be jealous of the sheer number of visitors I get.

eg. I know of a rival company in Toronto that only gets 3 to 5 visitors per day (which is pathetic and shows a complete lack of advertising on their part), whereas Cardio Trek is currently clocking over 700 per day.

I chalk that down to two things:

#1. I give free exercise advice on the site. And everybody likes free advice. Including Americans, who are my 2nd biggest source of visitors and make up roughly 30% of my visitors.

#2. Before I was a personal trainer I was a SEO expert (and still am a SEO expert), which means I know how to promote things online. I still do SEO work for the real estate industry and a select number of clients. So not to brag, but I like to be good at my job.

So now I just need to set myself a higher goal and get in the Top 2500 for Toronto. Goal setting is a big part of both SEO and exercising and its good to know you can achieve it when you set out to do it. So to accomplish that I am going to make an effort to write more blog posts on the topic of exercise activities you can do in Toronto.

Making this blog I will admit does take a fair chunk of work. Finding ideas for regular blog posts, researching the topics, finding graphics or making fresh graphics... its all a lot of time sitting at the computer. But thankfully I have lots of exercise equipment in my home office so I regularly get up and exercise whilst churning out these awesome exercise oriented blog posts.

But not everyone has lots of exercise equipment (and footballs) laying around in their office so here is an amusing graphic showing a series of exercises you can do at your desk.

Update, January 8th 2013

Alexa.com has updated Cardio Trek's ranking to:

Cardiotrek.ca is ranked #974,612 in the world according to the three-month Alexa traffic rankings. The site is relatively popular among users in the city of Toronto (where it is ranked #3,449). Visitors to the site spend roughly two minutes on each pageview and a total of five minutes on the site during each visit. About 68% of Cardiotrek.ca's visitors are in Canada, where it has attained a traffic rank of 18,311. Visitors to the site view an average of 3.1 unique pages per day.

Update, January 17th 2013

Cardiotrek.ca is ranked #898,330 in the world according to the three-month Alexa traffic rankings. We estimate that 64% of visitors to the site come from Canada, where it has attained a traffic rank of 17,484, and it is relatively popular among users in the city of Toronto (where it is ranked #3,396). Visitors to Cardiotrek.ca spend roughly two minutes on each pageview and a total of five minutes on the site during each visit. About 10% of visits to the site are referred by search engines.

So already part way to that goal of 2500!

Update, January 28th 2015

So it has been two years since I have updated this post, but here is the good news:

1. As of yesterday Cardiotrek.ca has surpassed 750,000 visitors.
2. The website currently enjoys an average of roughly 1,450 new visitors per day. (43,697 visitors in the last 30 days.)
3. In the 2014 calendar year Cardiotrek.ca had 385,952 visitors. Avrg. 32,162.67 visitors per month or 1060.31 visitors per day.
4.  I no longer track Cardiotrek.ca's ranking in Toronto because Alexa.com has changed what free users can see. According to Alexa the website is now more popular in the USA, likely because of several posts which have gone viral in terms of popularity.
5. The top 3 most viral posts on Cardiotrek.ca are: 10 Ways to Trick Yourself into Burning Extra Calories, Nose Exercises Vs Rhinoplasty , and 20 Ways to Tighten Skin after Weight Loss
6. The most popular service provided by Cardiotrek.ca is archery lessons. Archery lessons in Toronto is currently so popular that it dwarfs all of my other services combined.

20 Ways to Tighten Skin after Weight Loss

The most popular blog post on this website thus far is one titled Weight Loss + Loose Skin, even though my later post Preventing Loose Skin During Weight Loss has more information on the topic.

I also wrote How to get Rid of Fat Lines as an expansion on that topic, as it goes hand in hand with loose skin.

The post below (are you listening up Toronto?) is the most expansive list of ways to get rid of loose skin that I've compiled thus far. Some of them I have already covered in the older posts mentioned above, but sometimes it is necesary to beat a dead horse (metaphorically, not literally!) in order to get your point across.

There are lots of ways to tighten skin after you lose weight, and many reasons to do so - mostly because its embarrassing and it looks bad. The real issue is that you've lost all that weight and you want to strut your stuff on the beach etc, but your loose skin is so unsightly after losing weight that you are too embarrassed to do so. You might even still feel bulky, and the culprit is that dastardly loose, sagging skin. So how do you tighten skin after weight loss, so you can fit into the clothes you want, and look as gorgeous and healthy and toned as you know you are?

Well keep reading because here are 20 Ways to Tighten Skin after Weight Loss!

#1. LOSE WEIGHT NOW!

If you haven't already lost the weight or are still in the process of losing weight, then keep at it. As we age, our skin naturally loses elasticity, but if you lose weight while you are younger you can prevent this problem from happening later. This means that the younger the age at which you lose weight, the faster your skin will rebound and reshape itself. So if you have a weight issue, lose weight now! The sooner you lose weight, the better the chances your skin will tighten on its own.

#2. SAY NO TO YO-YO DIETING

Yo-yo dieting is a big no-no. If you’re always gaining and losing weight, more than 25 pounds up and down each time, that’s ol' fashioned yo-yo dieting, and it is stretching out your skin like crazy. The constant growing and shrinking puts stress on your skin, so stop the yo-yo dieting. It is time to make some PERMANENT lifestyle changes, hire a personal trainer, hire a nutritionist if you have to and make permanent changes. Otherwise this problem will likely just continue since the only solution is kicking the habit and doing it long term.

#3. DON’T LOSE WEIGHT TOO QUICKLY

Slow and steady wins the race, and helps tighten your skin during weight loss. Aim to lose 2 lbs per week. No more! Your skin tightens slowly, so help the natural tightening process by losing weight safely and slowly, too. Losing weight slowly using permanent lifestyle changes also helps prevent yo-yo dieting. So #2 and #3 go hand in hand.

#4. SCRUB AND SCRATCH

The reason using sea salt scrubs (or other body scrubs) helps tighten skin after weight loss is that they encourage increased blood flow, which in turn encourages healthy, elastic skin - and elasticity = tight skin! Which begs the question, would scratching and massages also help? Probably! Whatever the exact reason, it works for many people so try using a good scrub in the shower several times per week, up to twice per day, and see if it helps you!

#5. COLLAGEN CREAM

Another way to tighten skin and improve elasticity after weight loss is to keep it nourished with a collagen cream, one designed specifically to cope with loose, sagging skin. They can be expensive however, but well worth the expense if they work well. Some collagen creams won’t work for everyone, so ask family members or friends for recommendations before you invest any products. (And don't pay attention to paid reviews online. Look for first hand reviews.)

#6. MASSAGE THERAPY

Remember what I said about massages and scratching? A weekly massage therapy session can help tighten skin after weight loss - or the DIY solution, get your partner to scratch you all over once per week and see what happens. Why not give it a go? At best, it will help tighten your skin… at worst, you get an invigorating massage - and quality time with your partner. ;)

#7. SEAWEED WRAP

You can also get a seaweed wrap at a local spa, and maybe go back every 6 to 8 weeks to enjoy its other benefits. Find a spa near you and check out the online reviews. Are their clients as happy or do they have negative reviews? If they don't have a single negative review they are probably worth the try.

#8. WEIGHT TRAINING

You may have used weight training to help you get to your goal weight, but if not, it’s time to add weight training or increase the amount of weights you are lifting. The extra muscle girth will help give your skin a tighter appearance. If you are still losing weight doing weight training 3 times per week will help keep your skin tight and you won't end up looking overly buff or masculine (that only happens with steroids). Simply add weights to your workout three times a week, because building toned, lean muscle under your skin will help you look tighter and sexier!

If weight training isn't your thing you can also do exercises or sports that use either your body weight or use resistance training - such as getting archery lessons or taking up boxing.

#9. DRINK WATER + COLD SHOWERS

Healthy skin is hydrated skin. Some people even argue its best to drink 64 ounces of water per day to help keep skin healthy and happy. Plus if you’re drinking that much water, you’re not drinking soda or coffee. Caffeine dries out your skin and prevents proper sleep (and sleep increases your skin's softness / elasticity). While you are it you should also avoid hot baths or hot showers. Hot waters robs your skin of moisture, whereas cold water moisturizes your skin. Ever noticed how your fingers look like prunes after being in a hot bath too long? That is the hot water stealing moisture from your skin and stretching out your skin in the process. Whenever possible try to take cold showers. Hot water strips away natural oils which moisturize and nourish your skin.

#10. PRACTICE YOGA OR STRETCHING

Yoga will help you relieve stress, be more flexible, lose weight (at 175 calories per hour!) or maintain your current healthy weight, and even help your skin rebound after weight loss. Being more flexible will stretch your skin out and give it more elasticity, encouraging your body to tighten up that skin in the process.

There are plenty of yoga studios in Toronto so you have no shortage of places to choose from, or you can even do yoga at home by subscribing to various yoga channels on YouTube.

#11. BE PATIENT

A lot of these things require patience. It won't happen overnight. Maybe you've had significant weight loss and your skin will take up to six months to tighten to the new, slender you. If you lost a LOT of weight it is going to take awhile. Be patient and if your skin doesn’t rebound immediately, keep in mind that it may take a little time. Set realistic skin loss goals, encourage your skin to tighten up by treating it well and pampering it and your skin will return the favour.

#12. DO CALISTHENICS

Calisthenics are great for building lean muscle, great for your heart, and they’re also good for tightening skin after weight loss. Add calisthenics to your weekly routine, up to three or four times a week, and enjoy jumping jacks, push-ups, windmills, etc. Combined with stretches or yoga and you will see faster results.

#13. EAT LEAN PROTEIN

Adding lean protein to your diet will also help tighten skin after weight loss. How? First of all, it helps build lean muscle, which will make you appear more toned (and goes well with weight lifting and calisthenics). Lean protein also contains the collagen and other nutrients your skin needs to stay elastic. Consuming lean protein or whey protein after a workout will help boost the muscle-building effect.

#14. AVOID HIGH-FAT FOODS

Foods that are high in fat are a dieter’s worst nightmare. First they can wreck your diet. Second, they do your skin no favors and threaten you with yo-yo dieting. Try to avoid foods that are high in fat and only treat yourself on rare occasions.

#15. FIVE SERVINGS OF FRUIT AND VEGGIES

The USDA recommends we eat five servings of fresh fruits and veggies every day, to give us nutrients we need, and to help us maintain healthy weights. However fruits and veggies have a high water content and lots of nutrients, which your skin needs to rebound. So its a bit like taking a multivitamin. If you are getting enough water and vitamins your skin will rebound faster.

#16. AVOID SULFATES

Sulfates are used in lots of body washes, soaps, and shampoos because they’re good, cheap cleansers and they make for lush lather. However sulfates can also over-dry and irritate skin, stripping it of vital moisture and making it less elastic. Shop around for sulfate-free products. L’Oreal, Oil of Olay, etc. Look for quality moisturizers.

#17. DON’T TAN

The tanning process is horrible for your skin and dries it out, especially when using a tanning bed to boost your melanin. You might think it makes your skin look smoother and healthier, but it doesn’t. Wear sunblock with moisturizer in it when you’re outdoors, and be patient about getting a tan. (Besides, loose skin will create funny looking tan lines...)

#18. RINSE AWAY CHLORINE

Excess chlorine from swimming pools and hot tubs can dry out your skin, making it less elastic, and less likely to rebound after weight loss. A quick solution is to wash your hair and skin with club soda. I know, weird, but it apparently works really well against chlorine. If you swim to keep fit, be sure to shower immediately after, and use cleaners designed to remove chlorine and moisturize your skin. Also, remember that you don’t need HOT water to rinse chlorine away, use warm water or even cold water instead, which will also help keep your skin hydrated.

#19. DRESS THE PART

Even the skinniest girl can have a "muffin top" out the top of her pants if the jeans she’s wearing are too tight. Wear clothes that fit better and don't try to squeeze into pants that pinch your skin. You will still be the same size, but at least you won't look ridiculous by trying to wear clothes that is too small for you.

#20. CONSIDER SURGERY

This should always be your absolute last option.

If all of the above tips fail to tighten your skin after severe weight loss (eg. losing 200+ lbs) and you’ve waited six months since you dropped that last pound, you may want to consider surgery to remove the excess skin. Losing an extreme amount of weight can often mean you have a lot of excess skin. With surgery, there are risks, but for some, those risks are outweighed by the benefits. Talk to your doctor before deciding anything.

Cold Showers Burn Calories

Q

"Hello! Do cold showers really burn calories? I've heard that drinking ice water burns calories and someone told me that cold showers burn calories too. Is that for real or is it a myth?"

- Victoria W.

A

Hello Victoria!

Yes, you are correct cold showers DO burn calories. In order to maintain a core body temperature your body uses up energy by burning brown fat to keep your body warmer and ultimately boosts your metabolism. When burned brown fat, aka brown adipose tissue or BAT, boosts your metabolism and energy levels and you end up feeling more energetic. It then kick-starts burning other kinds of fat in your body in order to maintain energy levels.

For reference see the 2008 study: "Human Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Uncoupling Is Associated With Cold Induced Adaptive Thermogenesis" which explains how it works.

However a better question is how much calories is being used?

While we are at it, since fat is also a good insulator, what difference does body fat make on the amount of calories being burned?

Lastly, what is the best way to get the full benefits of cold showers?

Well lets answer these questions one at a time.

#1. How much is the calories burned by cold showers?

A shower at 60 F (16 C) burns 75 calories in 5 minutes*. Initially that doesn't seem like much, but lets put it another way: That is 900 calories in one hour!

* Based on the flow of an average shower head, approx. 5 gallons per minute. Modern low flow shower heads use roughly half of that.

However being in a cold shower like that for 60 minutes will likely give you pneumonia and could even kill you since pneumonia can be deadly if your immune system is weak. So my official advice is that you limit your cold showers to 25 minutes or less.

#2. What difference does body fat make?

Because fat is a good insulator it really depends on how much fat a person has. There hasn't been any research into this topic, but what is known is that people with large amounts of brown fat won't feel the cold or start shivering very easily. Their bodies will activate the brown fat more easily and burn it at a faster rate, which implies that they are actually burning more fat than the average person would.

A fit person has a body fat percentage of approx. 12.5% (11 to 14%). A professional athlete would have a body fat percentage of around 8.5% (7 to 10%). Body fat percentage of 25% or more is considered obese.

Knowing this we can hypothesize that an obese person likely burns twice as many calories than a fit person because they have twice as much brown fat, and thus would get more of a benefit from taking cold showers than a fit person.

#3. What is the Best Way to have a Cold Shower?

You want to slowly adjust your body to the colder temperature. If you just hop straight into a freezing cold shower your natural desire will be to scream and get back out immediately.

Start with a warm comfortable shower and then turn the knob slightly to a colder temperature and wait for your body to adjust to the new temperature, wherein it doesn't feel so cold.

Then keep repeating this process until you reach a point where you start to shiver. Then back off the temperature a bit so the temperature is just above the point where you start to shiver.

If you buy and keep a thermometer in your shower try to aim for 60 F (16 C), this way you can try and accurately predict how many calories are being burned during your showers.

Also remember that since this kick-starts a fat burning metabolism boost that you will feel more "invigorated" and energetic after the cold shower, which means you will burn a lot more than the calories you burned in the shower. Thus a good time to go exercise is right after a cold shower.

For improved results you could try and take cold showers 3 times per day. Limit your cold showers to 25 minutes or less.

In theory, three 60 F showers per day at 25 minutes each can burn 1125 calories per day, plus kick-starting a calorie burn that will boost your metabolism dramatically.

In a week, assuming you have a healthy / balanced diet, you should burn 7,875 calories - just over 2 lbs of fat. Possibly more due to the metabolism boost.

However I should warn you that losing fat more than 2 lbs per week can cause loose skin, so I don't recommend doing the whole three cold showers at 25 minutes per day thing.

My recommendation would be two cold showers at 10 minutes each - 300 calories per day, or 2100 calories per week. Its just under two-thirds of a lb and it should sufficiently boost your metabolism so you can lose the remaining 1.33 lbs via exercise.

If you decide to experiment with weight loss via cold showers I recommend you err on the side of caution. I wouldn't want to start an epidemic of cold shower addicts.

OTHER BENEFITS OF COLD SHOWERS

#1. Boosts the Immune System - Increases white blood cells: monocytes and lymphocytes. While certain lymphocytes are instrumental in eliminating bacteria, viruses, and toxins; monocytes are indirectly responsible for the engulfing and consuming of pathogens and foreign materials.

#2. Improves Blood Circulation - Causes vasoconstriction, prevents hypertension, prevents hardening of the arteries, and prevents the appearance of varicose veins.

#3. Regulates Temperature - If you suffer from chronically cold hands and feet, or feel that you sweat an abnormal amount, try a cold shower.

#4. Alleviates Depression - Cold water has a stimulating effect on the brain's “blue spot”, the main source of noradrenaline for our bodies. Noradrenaline is a chemical that might be used to help alleviate depression.

#5. Boosts Lymphation Circulation

The lymphatic system is a system of tubing separate from our blood vessels that is responsible for carrying away waste from your cells as well as help fight pathogens (disease). Unlike blood vessels, the lymphatic system does not have blood, it has lymph, which carries away waste products and white blood cells which handle infection.

#6. Deeper Oxygen Intake

The stress of the cold water, vasoconstriction and the overall need for oxygen to respire and keep oneself warm opens up the lungs much like strenuous physical exercise does and results in a higher average intake of oxygen, which is good for your energy levels and overall health.

#7. Better Hair and Skin

Cold water can make our hair look shinier and our skin look healthier by tightening cuticles and pores, preventing them from getting clogged, thus reducing blemishes like acne. Cold water also contributes to detoxification which results in the squeezing of toxins and waste products out of the skin. This detoxification has a good effect on the skin which appears more clean and young. Additionally, the cold water closes the cuticle which makes the hair stronger and prevents dirt from easily accumulating within our scalp. Stronger hair, of course, prevents hair from easily falling out and it helps in slowing down overall hair loss.

#8. Higher Hormone Levels

Many different hormones are boosted by cold water, including testosterone levels, which increases muscle building. Also increases sperm count. Men who take cold showers will be more muscular and have higher sperm counts.

For fun I also tried researching "cold shower negatives". Apparently there aren't any negatives beyond sometimes shouting "Damn that's cold!" and the risk of pneumonia if you stay in there too long.

On the plus side if you ever get to bathe in a waterfalls you will be used to cold water and not that bothered by it.

Motivational Quotes for January

Before and After: Proof that you can do it.

If you look like the girl on the left remember that she eventually became the girl on the right. If she can do it, why not you?


"Life is exercise. We do it every day without thinking about it. The challenge is for people to get outside and do it more for fun instead of focusing on how difficult and painful life can sometimes be."
- Charles Moffat

"Even when the going gets rough, you can keep going. After all, you've been doing it all your life."
 - Ralph Marston

"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one."
- Elbert Hubbard

"I failed my way to success."
- Thomas Edison

"Go back a little to leap further."
- John Clarke

"Every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success."
- Napoleon Hill

"We learn wisdom from failure much more than success. We often discover what we will do, by finding out what we will not do."
- Samuel Smiles

"Keep going, and allow your efforts to build upon one another. Keep going, and transform the disappointments into achievements."
- Ralph Marston

How to Ween Yourself Off Sugar in 30 Days

Sugar addiction is very common amongst people who are overweight and obese. Even fit people have difficulty with their sweet tooth and sugar cravings.

But what can you do about it? Well one solution is to ween yourself off sugar slowly, over a 30 day period.

Days 1 to 6

Make a list of high-sugar foods that are on the "do not eat" list. Avoid those foods and fast-food places that offer tempting high-sugar foods. Inform friends and family that you are trying to avoid sugar. Ask them to encourage you and to avoid tempting you with sugary treats. (Avoid hanging out with people who ignore this request. They're not helping you by deliberately providing temptation.)

Days 7 to 12

Clear your home of any high-sugar foods. Keep only healthy foods in the home. Get rid of high-sugar cereals, desserts, ice cream and other sugar-laden treats. Inform the family or others in the home that high-sugar foods are now banned and that they should not bring them into the home. Locate a suitable place where you can donate all those high sugar foods.

Days 13 to 18

When shopping avoid aisles in the grocery store filled with junk food and sugary treats. At home keep the place stocked with healthy snacks such as chopped-up vegetables and fruits. When purchasing canned fruits, go with those with natural juices, no sugar added. Air-popped popcorn is another easy-to-make snack to replace sugary treats.

Days 19 to 24

To quell sugar urges, go for a walk when the urge to nibble on sweets arises. Build healthy habits such as exercising while watching TV instead of sitting around snacking on unhealthy, sugary treats. When in doubt walking helps soothe and calm the mind.

Days 25 to 30

When eating out, avoid desserts and other high-sugar items. Portions in restaurants are often over-sized. If temptation arises, split a dessert with someone. Do not consume an immense amount of sugar in one dessert.

Tips and Warnings

Focus on the positive goals for a healthier life. Give yourself rewards (not food) for lessening the amount of sugar consumed.

Talk to your doctor before making any modifications to the diet such as decreasing sugar intake. Start any new health program gradually and give the body time to adjust.

Naturally weaning off sugar will provide many health benefits for the body. The American Diabetes Association cautions that type 2 diabetes is on the upswing in America, even among youngsters. A focus on natural foods such as grains, fruits and vegetables will help the body maintain health. Since high-sugar commercial foods can cause the blood sugar to spike, if you can wean yourself off sugar, you'll be improving your chances of a long, healthy life.

How to Walk Yourself Fit

Walking burns a good chunk of calories. Indeed a 1 hour walk in hilly terrain will burn approx. 350 calories depending on your weight. Do that every day for a year and you've lost about 40 lbs of fat.

Some people struggle to find an exercise that they enjoy, or if they’re not fit enough to try a more strenuous activity like jogging or running because it hurts their knees. Walking is the perfect solution for people who want to improve they're fitness without the added stress on their joints. Many people write off walking as a daily task that everyone does anyway rather than as a fitness activity, those people who walk regularly have been scientifically shown to have lowered chances of developing certain illnesses, including diabetes and many different kinds of cancer.

So how do you make sure you walk more often?

#1. Take a Camera with you!

Having something fun to do while walking, such as a crossword puzzle, listening to music, doing photography, gives you a reason to go walking more often. You forget your goal is exercise and instead you may even lose track of time and your hour long daily walk may turn into 90 to 120 minute forays into wilderness photography.

And take the dog with you!

#2. Switch Car Journeys for Walking

How often do you drive somewhere when its only a 5, 10 or 20 minute walk away? It could be 30 minutes there and 30 minutes back, and you've just got your 1 hour of walking done.

If you do not have much spare time in your life right now, you can easily increase your walking by taking journeys on foot rather than using your car. There are many people who drive for journeys which would take no more than ten minutes to walk, and if this sounds like you then you could make the most of these chances to start walking. You should always ensure that you’re walking at a pace that allows you to talk but wouldn’t allow you to sing.

#3. Buy a Pedometer

As a general rule, you should try to take 10,000 steps per day. To measure these, you can purchase a pedometer for $5 to $10, which you can attach to your belt or waistband. These steps are not made up from your scheduled walks alone; they include all of the steps that you take during the day. If you have a busy job that keeps you on your feet daily, you may find that it is easier to get to this number than you might have thought.

#4. Make Waking Your Routine

If you have the time, you should try to include scheduled walks into your lifestyle at least once each week. Soon, you should find that you are able to notice an improvement in your general health and fitness. Walking is one of the most effective exercises possible, because you can walk for a long time before having to stop, so it doesn't require much endurance at all. So don’t make any excuses, and simply start walking!

#5. Make Sure That You Have The Right Shoes

If you become a serious walker you should ensure that you have a good pair of shoes. If you wish to walk in the countryside, you may find that walking boots or hiking boots are a good investment, however for the average person simply walking through the streets a pair of trainers will probably suffice. You can visit a specilaist walking or running shop to be professionally fitted for walking or running shoes. With regards to what else you should wear whilst walking, it is best to wear several thin layers rather than just one thicker one, as this means that you’re able to remove them if you get too hot. You should also wear comfortable trousers that are not too tight.

#6. Take a Backpack!

Looking for an added challenge when you go hiking? Take a backpack and load it up with water and healthy snacks. Even if you don't eat it all the extra weight works a bit like weightlifting over a long journey.

Imagine if you were a commando during WWII, carrying a 60 lb backpack across rugged terrain for 10+ miles at a time. That is some serious marching! Don't believe me? Watch the documentary film "The Greatest Raid of All Time" produced by the BBC.

I know its off topic, but its a really good film.

Exercise Motivational Quotes for the New Years

Happy New Years!

Here is some great quotes to help get you motivated to exercise in 2013!

"When you set yourself a goal and decide to do it, make certain you also make a plan. Think of it like a Mission Impossible episode and plan out every detail and then follow that plan. Know what you want to be doing in terms of exercise. Know how many calories you want you to be eating. Keep a journal of everything. Before you know it you're making progress and are already half way to finishing your goal."
- Charles Moffat

"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity."
- John F. Kennedy

"There’s no easy way out. If there were, I would have bought it. And believe me, it would be one of my favorite things!"
- Oprah Winfrey

"Early to bed and early to rise, makes a person healthy wealthy and wise."
- Benjamin Franklin

"The body is like a piano, and happiness is like music. It is needful to have the instrument in good order."
- Henry Ward Beecher

"You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be."
- David Viscott

"You suppose you are the trouble, but you are the cure. You suppose that you are the lock on the door, but you are the key that opens it. It’s too bad that you want to be someone else, you don’t see your own face, your own beauty, yet, no face is more beautiful than yours."
- Rumi

"To lose confidence in one’s body is to lose confidence in oneself."
- Simone de Beauvoir

"Is ‘fat’ really the worst thing a human being can be? Is ‘fat’ worse than ‘vindictive’, ‘jealous’, ‘shallow’, ‘vain’, ‘boring’ or ‘cruel’? Not to me."
- J.K. Rowling

"Even the models we see in magazines wish they could look like their own images."
- Cheri K. Erdman

"You are not your buttocks."
- Kaz Cooke

Two Alternative Models for Predicting Muscle Growth

See my older post How Fast Can You Grow Muscle for more on this topic.

There is a lot of different theories in the bodybuilding industry as to how quickly someone can build muscle. Below are two different theories of how quickly muscle can be built.

The McDonald Theory

This theory was created by fitness writer and author Lyle McDonald who also coaches bodybuilders on nutrition. He came up with the following equation for how fast you can build muscle:

His theory is based on the concept that the longer and harder you train the more difficult it becomes to build additional muscle mass. In theory your body can only support so much muscle depending on your height and bone structure, however his theory emphasizes years of training instead. It amounts to roughly the same thing as after 4 years of training you've probably reached a point where its very difficult to add extra muscle mass - and frankly, unless you are a professional bodybuilder, why would you want to?

Note how in the chart above the estimated 2 pounds per month is only roughly 0.5 lb per week, which is not a very fast pace. Over a year that 2 lbs per month adds up to a solid 24lb of muscle. Certainly other factors may also affect the pace of muscle gain, but the concept is sound.

Also the values in the preceding chart apply to male weightlifters. Lyle estimates that females gain muscle weight at roughly half of these values (e.g. 10-12 pounds in the first year of proper training).

The Alan Aragon Theory

The esteemed Alan Aragon is an exercise physiologist who loves constantly staying on top of the latest exercise and nutrition research. Awhile back he addressed the issue of rates of muscle gain in terms of percentage gain for natural lifters.  Here’s the theoretical model he came up with:

Using this theory a 130 lb teenager who never has lifted weights might gain 1.3 - 1.95 pounds of muscle per month (15-23 pounds per year) in a year with a great weightlifting program and a protein focused meal plan.  After a year, he’s now at around 155lb and might be capable of gaining 0.77 - 1.55 lbs per month (9-18 pounds per year) or he might still be a considered a Beginner since he is still a teenager and still growing...

After another year of proper training and smart eating, he’s now at 170lb and is in the Advanced lifter category. Or is he? He might still, depending on his exact age be considered to be in the Beginner or Intermediate category.

The flaw in Alan Aragon's theory is that it supposes a precise 1 year - 2 year - 3 year approach, almost like years of university or college. Which is a very simplistic approach and doesn't factor in age or the fact the person might still be growing in stature.

Nevertheless lets continue to follow his model...

From here on out, the teenager may only gain 0.5-1 lb per month, at which point the closer he approaches his maximum muscle potential, the slower the rate of muscle growth. To be fair that is why most of the really big guys at the gym have been lifting for a good 5 to 10 years and have peaked at a point where its difficult for them to get any further results.

The Moffat Theory

The following theory was created by Charles Moffat and follows the mathematical formula below using a series of acronyms to represent different factors that effect muscle gain.

H X SW X MR X DS X G X TC = RMG
H = Height Modifier, above or below average, wherein 100% = 70 inches tall, the average height for a male. The female average is 65 inches tall, but use the male average height for calculating the percentile. Thus if a male or female is 60 inches tall, the percentile to use is 85.7%. If the person is 74 inches tall the percentile is 105.7%.

SW = Shoulder Width (measured from the outer tips of the shoulder blades) above or below average, wherein 100% = average. Average for males is 15.5 inches, for females it is 14.0 inches. Like above use the male average for determining the percentile.

MR = Metabolic Rate, which is based on your age and other health factors. This rate is measured as a percentile wherein 18 to 24 is 100%. Subtract 2% for each year over 24. Thus a 44 year old person has a base Metabolic Rate of 60%. Various health factors such as a history of obesity and other factors may lower this metabolic rate by an additional 10% or more.

DS = Dietary Sufficiency or Insufficiency, wherein 100% = Sufficient protein/nutrients to support lots of muscle gain and a lesser percentage indicates a shortage. If you are not eating properly follow the assumption that this percentile is 50% or worse. 100% would only be possible if you have the help of a nutritionist and are following a strict high protein structured diet, involving daily consumption of 150 mg of whey protein in addition to a balanced meal plan.

G = Gender Modifier, wherein 100% is an Alpha Male. 80% for Average Male or Alpha Female. 60% for Low Testosterone Male or Average Female. 40% for Low Testosterone Female. If in doubt, assume the average for your gender.

XR = Exercise Rate, wherein 100% indicates you are maximizing your muscle gain via 120 minutes of daily weightlifting on a strength gain program. If doing less than that calculate the percentile based on the total number of minutes done weightlifting. eg. 30 minutes of weightlifting indicates an XR of 25%.

TC = Training Category. The year of your weight training. Year 1 - 36; Year 2 - 24; Year 3 - 16; Year 4 - 11; Years 5 to 10 - 8; Year 11+ - 4 or less. Eventually a person would reach a Hypothetical Maximum Weight of bulk muscle and will be unable to add any more.

RMG = Rate of Muscle Growth, for that year. Remember to adjust the TC for each year.

1st Example

Jake is 6' (72 inches) tall, making his H is 102.9%. His shoulder width is 16 inches, making his SW 103.2%. He is 30 years old and has a past history of weight problems, giving him a MR of 80%. He tries to eat healthy, but is actually pretty average in his eating patterns so his DS is 50%. He is an average male and not terribly high in testosterone so his Gender Modifier is 80%. He only does weightlifting for about 20 minutes per day so his XR is 17%. On the plus side he has only been weightlifting a short period of time, so he is in the Year 1 category.

H (102.9%) x SW (103.2%) x MR (80%) x DS (50%) x G (80%) x XR (17%) x TC (36) = 2.08 lbs of muscle per year.

What this tells us is that Jake may be trying a little, but he is being held back a lot by his poor diet and low level of exercise. Lets run the numbers again, but this time lets say that he is taking whey protein and vitamin supplements to boost his DS to 80% and that he doubles his weightlifting regimen to 40 minutes per day.

H (102.9%) x SW (103.2%) x MR (80%) x DS (80%) x G (80%) x XR (33.3%) x TC (36) = 6.52 lbs of muscle per year.

Obviously he is gaining a lot more muscle by improving his diet and how much weightlifting he is doing, but if he maximized his diet as best he could and did weighlifting 120 minutes per day he could improve his results even more dramatically.

H (102.9%) x SW (103.2%) x MR (80%) x DS (100%) x G (80%) x XR (100%) x TC (36) = 24.47 lbs of muscle per year.

The following year, assuming he kept the same routine as above he could add an additional 16.31 lbs of muscle.

2nd Example

Sara is 5'2" (62 inches) tall, making her H 88.6%. She is petite and has small shoulders, 12 inches, making her SW 77.4%. She 26 years old and has no history of health problems, so her MR is 98%. She is a vegetarian and eats healthy, but she doesn't consume a lot of protein so lets assume her DS is 50%. She is an average female so her Gender Modifier is 60%. She is new to weightlifting and is only doing it 30 minutes per day, so her XR is 25% and her TC is 36.

H (88.6) x SW (77.4%) x MR (98%) x DS (50%) x G (60%) x XR (25%) x TC (36) = 1.81 lbs of muscle per year.

So Sara isn't going to be adding much muscle with her weightlifting routine. For her it is more like cardio. Like the 1st Example above, she could also increase her weightlifting regimen and start eating more protein. If she maximized both she could increase her muscle gain to 14.52 lbs in the first year, but maybe she doesn't really want to because she might have different priorities.

Notes

The average male's Skeletal Muscle Mass is 42% / the average female's is 36%.

The average male who is medium frame and 5'10" tall has 65.94 lbs of Skeletal Muscle Mass, with an overall weight of 157 lbs

The average female who is medium frame and 5'5" tall has 48.24 lbs of Skeletal Muscle Mass, with an overall weight of 134 lbs.

10-Minute Fat Blaster

The beauty of the "10-Minute Fat Blaster" is that you can do these exercises basically anywhere, you don't need any equipment so its frugal and it only takes 10 minutes to do. Thus if you do it in the morning right after waking up you can burn calories before you jump in the shower with this aggressive bodyweight circuit.

Perform this circuit without rest between exercises. Then rest 1 minute and repeat the circuit. Do as many circuits as you can in 10 minutes.

When you consider a day is 1440 minutes, a mere 10 minutes is less than 1% of your day. A mere 0.69%. And if you can't exercise for 10 minutes daily, something is wrong with you.

For reference 30 minutes is 2.1% of your day, and an hour is 4.2%. Exercising less than 5% of your day doesn't seem horribly unreasonable.

Jumping Jack

Start with your feet hip-width apart and hands at your sides. Simultaneously raise your arms above your head and jump so you can spread your feet shoulder-width apart. Then jump again to lower your arms and bring your feet together. Do 20 reps.

Prisoner Squat

Stand with your hands behind your head, your chest out and your elbows back. Sit back at your hips and bend your knees to lower your body as far as possible without losing the natural arch of your spine. Squeeze your glutes and push yourself back up to the starting position. Do 12 reps.

Pushup

Assume the classic pushup position: legs straight, hands beneath your shoulders. Now brace your abs. Keeping your body rigid, lower yourself until your chest touches the floor. Then push back up until your arms are extended. Do 15 reps.

Forward Lunge

From a standing position, take a large step forward with one leg. When your front thigh is parallel to the floor and your back knee is off the floor, hold for 1 second. Then return to the starting position and repeat with your other leg. Do 12 reps with each leg. (Make it harder by holding the lowered position for 5 seconds.)

Stickups

Stand with your back to the wall and feet about 4 inches from the wall. Place the back of your arms against the wall, with upper arms parallel to floor and forearms at 90 degrees. Raise your arms overhead while keeping them against the wall at all times. Slowly return to below the starting position, tucking your elbows into your sides and bringing shoulder blades together. Do 10 reps.

50 Snacks that are Under 50 Calories

Did you know that snacking reduces cravings and is actually healthy for you? 

Studies of primates (apes, chimpanzees, etc) have determined that they eat 6 to 8 times per day, and much of that eating is best described as snacking. The same is true of humans. We are supposed to be snacking multiple times per day and we're not meant to gorge ourselves on 3 large meals every day.

If you divide up your daily 2,000 calories into six meals instead of 3 you are looking at approx. 333 calories per meal. However since most people are used to eating 3 meals per day making the transition is more difficult.

That is where snacking comes in. A mid-morning snack, an afternoon snack and an evening snack so your daily diet should look something like this:

Breakfast 550 calories

Mid-Morning Snack 100 calories

Lunch 550 calories

Afternoon Snack 100 calories

Dinner 600 calories

Evening Snack 100 calories

TOTAL 2,000 calories

You may discover however that once you get adjusted to snacking that you don't need 2,000 calories per day. In which case, depending on your body type, you might drop to 1,800 calories per day, but you really should not go below that because it isn't healthy. Likewise going above 2,000 is really only recommended for athletes and people who exercise a lot as part of their occupation (eg. construction workers, arctic explorers, deep sea divers, firefighters, etc).

In which case how do you decide what to snack on 3 times per day? Well in the list below are 50 Snacks that are Under 50 Calories, so you can pick a choose, double up on 2 or more snacks (not that some of them below are only 10 calories or even zero calories) and no shortage of variety. If you read labels in stores you can find more things to add to this list.

Satisfy your sweet tooth

1. 1⁄2 medium apple, baked, topped with 1 Tbsp lowfat yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon (45 calories)

2. 1⁄2 small banana, frozen (45 calories)

3. 4 oz unsweetened applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon (49 calories)

4. 1 miniature box of raisins (45 calories)

5. 2 sugar-free ice pops (30 calories)

6. 1 sugar-free fudge ice pop (35 calories)

7. 12 cherries (48 calories)

8. 1 individual serving sugar-free gelatin with 3 Tbsp light whipped topping (40 calories)

9. 1⁄2 cup strawberries with 21⁄2 Tbsp nonfat yogurt (47 calories)

10. 14 seedless red grapes, frozen (48 calories)

Indulge a salt craving

11. 11⁄2 cups salted air-popped popcorn (46 calories)
12. 1⁄4 cup shelled edamame with sea salt (37 calories) 
13. 8 oz miso soup (36 calories)
14. 1 pretzel rod (37 calories) 
15. 1⁄4 small bag of Glenny's lightly salted soy crisps (35 calories) 
16. 1 medium sliced cucumber mixed with 1⁄4 cup sliced onion, 1⁄2 cup chopped celery, 4 Tbsp vinegar and salt to taste (45 calories)
17. 6 oz eight-vegetable juice (39 calories)
18. 1 kosher dill pickle (10 calories)

Crunch and munch

19. 1⁄2 cup jicama with 4 oz salsa (49.5 calories) 
20. 11⁄2 cups sugar snap peas (40 calories)
21. Small celery stalk smeared with 1⁄2 Tbsp natural peanut butter (49 calories)*
22. 1⁄2 small apple with 1 tsp soy butter (46 calories) 
23. 1 brown rice cake with 1 Tbsp sugar-free jam (44 calories)

* NOTE:  Celery by itself has almost no calories. Its the peanut butter that adds the calories. Some people argue that celery is actually calorie negative because it takes more energy to digest it than it actually contains.

Smooth and creamy

24. 1 Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb wedge spread on cucumber slices (35 calories)
25. 1 tsp almond butter (34 calories)
26. 1⁄2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt with 1 tsp sugar-free strawberry jam (43 calories)
27. 1 oz avocado (about 1⁄8 of an avocado) squirted with lime (45 calories)
28. 8 grape tomatoes dipped in 1 Tbsp light cream cheese (46 calories)

Cheesy whizzes

29. 6 pieces of endive filled with 1⁄2 oz reduced-fat feta cheese (49 calories)
30. 1 slice fat-free American cheese (30 calories)
31. 1 large tomato, sliced, topped with 1 Tbsp Parmesan, broiled (44 calories)
32. 1 oz fat-free cottage cheese on 1 slice caraway Finn Crisp Crispbread (38 calories)
33. 1 oz fat-free mozzarella dipped in 1 tsp marinara sauce (46 calories)

Power up on protein

34. Turkey rollups: 2 slices white meat turkey rolled in 2 lettuce leaves (46 calories)
35. 1 oz smoked salmon (about 1 slice) on 2 Wheat Thins crackers (Multi-Grain) (48 calories)
36. 1 tofu dog with 1 Tbsp sauerkraut (48 calories)
37. 1⁄2 cup plain fat-free yogurt sprinkled with 1 tsp sunflower seeds (49.6 calories)
38. 1.3 oz water-packed tuna with 1 tsp Dijon mustard (48 calories)
39. 2 large hard-cooked egg whites with 1 cup sliced cucumber (48 calories)
40. 1 slice Wasa Fibre Crispbread with 2 tsp hummus (45 calories)
41. 1 medium water-packed sardine with slice of red onion (35 calories)

Solid standbys

42. 1⁄2 cup melon with 2 Tbsp 1% cottage cheese (47 calories) 
43. 1⁄2 small grapefruit (32 calories)
44. 1⁄3 cup blueberries with 1 Tbsp light sour cream (47 calories) 
45. 1⁄2 cup carrots with 1 Tbsp light ranch dressing (45 calories)

Thirst quenchers

46. 1⁄2 cup nonfat milk with 1 Tbsp Walden Farms calorie-free chocolate syrup (40 calories)
47. 1 packet of sugar-free hot chocolate made with 1⁄4 cup skim milk and 3⁄4 cup hot water (47 calories)
48. 3⁄4 cup almond milk (45 calories)
49. 3⁄4 cup seltzer with 1⁄4 cup cranberry juice and a lime wedge (33 calories)
50. Homemade iced green tea (with artificial sweetener if desired) (0 calories)