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1. For a
super-quick and easy breakfast (hat tip to Tim Ferriss), mix up two or
three eggs in a microwavable container. Fill a second microwavable
container up with your choice of frozen veggies (spinach, peas, pretty
much anything but corn).
Plop into a microwave
for roughly 2 mins (adjust according to your microwave power). When
eggs are firm, plop the contents of both containers onto a plate, then
season the eggs with your choice of topping: salsa, hot sauce, or plain
ol’ salt and pepper (no ketchup, please!). Add a squeeze or two of
lemon juice and (optional) a
tablespoon of fish oil or flaxseed oil to the veggies. Enjoy.
2. Want a
simple way to improve your lifts in the gym? Ditch your lifting
gloves. Yes, this is more uncomfortable than using them, but the
improved contact you get with the bar (read: more friction) will better
allow you to lift heavier. Also, your grip will last longer.
3. Here are 5
nearly pain-free ways to
include more vegetables in your daily diet:
a.
Mix veggies into your
morning egg scrambles or omelets.
b. Use more greens in your toppings
for sandwiches or pizza (and you’re saving these for your cheat days,
right?).
c. Drink a green foods/phyto foods
supplement or add to a pre/post workout shake.
d. Grill a Portobello mushroom with
olive oil and a little cracked pepper.
e. Keep a package of pre-cut
vegetables, washed and ready to eat, in your work fridge (or cut and
package it yourself on a weekend).
4. Forget
grilled chicken and tuna: Novel toppings for salads – ginger glazed
beef, buffalo, ostrich, maple salmon, sardines.
5. Stuck
in-between meetings with nothing to eat but “unapproved and
unauthorized” foods? Head to the nearest deli or grocery and choose one
of the following: prepackaged tuna/salmon, can of sardines (either in
sardine oil or water), bag of walnuts, or bag of almonds.
6. Time your
rest periods between sets. It sounds simple, but no one does it (except
me and Mike). The first time, you will be amazed at how much time you
waste by “resting.” Use an egg timer or beeping timer and set it to go
off after 60 seconds.
7. Get some new
sneakers – ones that actually fit your feet and their contour. If you
have no idea what I’m talking about, head to your nearest sporting goods
store and ask the shoe person for assistance (make sure they know what
they’re talking about by asking, “I over- pronate when I’m running.
What do you suggest?” IF all you get is a blank stare, ask for someone
else).
8.
Carry a water bottle with you at all times and sip from it regularly.
Fill it back up when you drain it.
9. Slow your
negatives and gain more muscle. When
lifting weights, concentrate on lowering the weights slowly.
Studies show that more muscle damage (“microtrauma”) occurs during
eccentric contractions (the lowering phase) and greater microtrauma from
a workout correlates to more muscle built.
10. Oops! Had
no time for a workout today? It’s ok: do our
bodyweight workout before you bed down. Or if that’s too
ambitious, you can do the metabolic conditioning workout from our
Workouts for the Hotel Room series. And don’t worry about your sleep –
recent studies show that exercise immediately prior to bedtime had no
effect on the exerciser’s ability to fall asleep. In other words,
exercising at night won’t keep you up.
11. Do Anywhere
Exercise#1 – Calf raise. Find a raised step (hint: staircases).
Position the balls of your feet an inch from the edge of the step.
Slowly lower your heels until you feel a light stretch in your calves,
then slowly raise your heels until they are above your ankles. Repeat
for a brief set of 10 reps.
12. Push
yourself with this tip: Create an anchor phrase. Visualize
yourself with your ideal body. As you do this, say out loud a short but
positive phrase, such as “Best Life”, “Six Pack”, or “Plus One”. When
performing reps in a given exercise set becomes hard, tell yourself your
anchor phrase (“Plus One”), either out loud or silently, to yourself (it
is more powerful spoken, but if you’re easily embarrassed, you may want
to keep your self-talk to yourself). Repeat it over and over as you
grind out those last, most difficult reps.
We give an extensive list of
powerful weight loss tips
and techniques like these in Black Book of Secrets.
Sign up here for our weekly
weight loss newsletter
(heck, we even GIVE you something to join – our latest Special Report:
The Dark Side of Dieting.
It details 21 things you probably didn’t even realize were keeping
you from losing those inches.)
About the Author:
Eugene Thong, CSCS, was born a weak, skinny,
bespectacled child. Now, thanks to a steady diet of martial arts,
scientific inquiry, and heavy compound movements, he's no longer weak.
His scientific bent, Zen-like demeanor, and efficient but intense
methods have made him one of New York's most sought-after personal
trainers.
 When
not helping clients cultivate their own inner 6-packs, Eugene can be found
arm barring opponents at Renzo Gracie's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy or
sailing through the air on his snowboard. Read Eugene's semi-weekly musings
on exercise, fitness, and fat loss
at his blog
Eugene is Mike's co-author of The Black Book of Secrets. You can purchase
it by clicking
here.
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