Nine top tips from top experts

Interviewing the top fitness experts in America on my ftns.co radio show is always a learning experience for me. Hearing the best advice and the latest from the world of exercise science first hand is always exciting. Here are nine powerful tips I've garnered from some of our favorite guests.

 1. A great way to burn off excess fat is to walk or jog for as little as 15 to 20 minutes first thing in the morning. Performing a calorie burning activity right when you wake up is more effective since your body is depleted of calories, and is forced to pull energy from fat stores.


2. During your workouts, do exercise that incorporates compound movements rather than simple ones. This will not only help in burning more calories, but will also tone more muscle at one time. A few good compound movement exercises include: squats, clean and press, dead lifts, bent-over rows and lunges.

3. Want to effortlessly drop 30 pounds in one year? Millions of people drink an average of two regular soft drinks a day, which is a total of 300 calories. When you add these extra 300 calories up over a year, it result in over 30 pounds of weight gain. Say no to soft drinks, and say good-bye to your unwanted pounds.

4. Fat-free foods, when eaten in excess, will still be stored as fat. Fat-free cookies and crackers are made up of a whole lot of sugar. Yep, the secret is out. Sugar is just as fattening a substance as fat itself, when eaten in excess.

5. Set fitness goals for yourself, write them down and post them where you will see them everyday. Your goal may be to lose 5 pounds, to lose 5 inches off your waist. Make sure that you are very specific with your goals. Vague goals will get you nowhere.

6. Pump some iron. One pound of muscle burns 30 to 50 calories per day, while 1 pound of fat only burns about 9 calories per day. The more muscle your body contains, the more calories you burn each day. Resistance training has been called the fountain of youth — and it really is.

7. Eat a small meal and wait 20 minutes before deciding if you need more food. This will give your stomach and brain time to communicate. If you have eaten enough food, your brain will alert your body and you will find that you don't desire anything more. If you are still hungry after this period, eat a small amount more and wait another 20 minutes.

8. Make a habit of weighting and measuring yourself monthly and tracking your gains and losses. This will prevent gradual weight gain from creeping up when you least expect it.

9. Drink a large glass of water before every meal. It may seem like a chore, but drinking a large glass of water before eating is a great way to partially fill you up and prevent you from overeating.


The experts agree. These are great tips. Adopt them today, and benefit immediately.

 

Chad Smith is a Hagerstown personal trainer. Read more, and get his new e-book "Best Of Fitness Answer Man: Volume One" at his blog, www.hometeamfitnessblog.com.