It seems to be written by someone who buys the calories in = calories out mantra. Which is somewhat bogus. Calorie counting is a waste of brain matter. So I urge you to check your rhetoric, stop browzing bureaucratic junk science.

The short version is, fats vs. carbs. Fats cant be stored in fat tissue, carbs can. Eating fat forces your body to get its energy from fat, in turn makes it a fat burning machine. Limiting carbs amplify this effect. Even moreso, limiting your fats to short and medium chain triglycerides lessen the burden on your liver.

Consider your mind = blown. Stop poisoning the collective conscious.

Calorie counting is for people who dont understand metabolism.

One other point- The fear of bulking up- It is impossible to "Bulk" up with the INTENT to bulk up. No body accidently turned into a Hulk freakazoid. Relax.

I was wondering if resistance training has to be weight lifting? I don't have a whole lot of time to do an hour of cardio + weight training. I like the way it feels to do an hour of cardio and I wanted to continue on this path. On the other hand, I still know that I need resistance training. I was wondering if doing a variety of push-ups and pull-ups counts as resistance training for my upper body? It does feel like I get a good pump, yet I don't think i'll bulk up with this method which is good because i'm not looking to bulk up. What do you think?

I'm all for seeing exact numbers and factual data of what DOES and DOESN'T work. Good job.

However…

… people with more muscle find doing things relatively easier. They're more capable so they tend to do more. Therefore they generally burn a lot more calories.

Aside from the fact muscular people are just generally more active, pretend a fat and a strong person both ran for 30 minutes of pure cardio. The strong person would go faster and further… burning more calories.

Plus people who build strong muscles are usually more in touch with their body, I think, as a rule with plenty of exceptions.

Very insightful post! I couldn't agree with you more here, there's such an emphasis that trainers put on building your lean muscle mass to burn more fat. Showing the numbers of how many calories you actually burn is really smart. I linked over to this post on my blog. Let me know what you think!

http://earnyourcheatday…rapid-weight-loss-not-so-fast/

Thanks bud,

Andrew

Thanks for the compliment…I appreciate it! You will look better if you add in resistance exercise at least 3 times per week. Do it before cardio and focus on getting stronger in the 3-5 rep range. Don't lift to failure, etc. Just aim for increasing performance without blitzing your muscles.

Rusty

ps, would it be beneficial to add a weights routine on alternate days….and if so before cardio or after ?

Sounds like you have a simple, focused, and effective plan. You will definitely look leaner in 9 weeks. Great job on giving yourself enough time to look great. The biggest mistake people make is to start too late.

What I would recommend that last 2-3 weeks is to try and go low carb without a break. If your event is just a one day event, eat moderate levels of carbs 3-4 days right before that day. If you are going on a week vacation, don't touch the carbs until you reach your destination.

Rusty

I haven't tried that diet, but if I was to attempt it…I would eat protein for meal one…workout 4-8 hours later…eat carbs one hour after lifting and then protein an hour later. Maybe try an approach like that. The best time to eat carbs is after working out…they are less likely to be stored as body fat.

niki,

Maybe keep on them for 2-3 weeks while beginning a strong cardio plan. Do cardio without any type of calorie in your system…don't touch any type of calorie 4 hours before going to the gym (if you are dying, an apple is fine…but nothing else). Drink a few cups of green tea and do intense cardio for 10-15 minutes followed by steady moderate cardio for 20-30 minutes. If you want to look your best, incorporate a weight lifting routine before hitting the cardio.

Chris,

I have also heard that muscle gain does not require a large calorie surplus at all. The amount of gain is so small, day to day that very little protein is required. Mike Mentzer was an "old school" bodybuilder who didn't believe in bulking at all. I don't like his lifting philosophy, but the guy was a true pioneer as far as bodybuilding goes. Another good example of large muscle gains without eating a massive amount is prisons…some of these guys are huge and they are eating a really low to moderate amount of protein (not that I have any prison experience).

Keisha,

Do you have access to a bike or exercise bike? I got ripped one summer by hitting the exercise bike hard. This used to be the exercise of choice to lose body fat back in the 80's.

Sawyer,

I believe you can workout every day of the week for about 21 days. It is an awesome short term way to get massive results. For the long term, I think 4-6 days a week is ideal. For the record, I have been doing between 4-5 days per week. I only do 6 days per week, right before a trip or before summer for a short period of time.

Julian,

Thanks a bunch for the compliment, it makes this worth the effort. This is building into a nice resource for people…the comments are just as valuable as the posts.

Baz,

Over time your forearms will get stronger. Just keep at it and you will be able to hold the bar for a longer period of time. You may want to do some direct grip work for a while. Why don't you hang on a chinup bar as long as possible after you are done working out. It will decompress the spine as well as strengthen the forearms. Whatever you do, don't use wrist-wraps…this will just make this a bigger weakness. I'm 100% against the use of wrist-wraps!

Randi,

I agree 100% with you sister…brief lifting and a focus on intense cardio…this is a recipe for a great body. Everyone has their opinions on the best fitness approach. There are tons of ways to reach the same goal. He is probably good at what he does.

Rusty