Secret 1 – Long, slow, boring cardio is NOT the best way to burn fat
Day after day I see the same people in the gym lumbering around on their bike or elliptical reading a magazine while “training” and day after day they don’t see the results they want and wonder why. This is why the commercial fitness industry makes me nervous. I see health and fitness professionals recommending 90 minutes in the gym doing mostly long, slow, boring cardio when the reality is that they would get better results doing 3 x 45 minute workouts a week with SMASH Training. SMASH Training workouts are specifically designed to burn fat and tone muscle in the most efficient time possible and some of the workouts don’t even require a gym.

Secret 2: Green tea is good but it won’t help you burn as much fat
Green tea has now been shown to help you burn a little more fat during moderate exercise. My point is this though, the amount is so small that if you look at the big picture, is it worth it? If you like green tea, keep drinking it, but I used to drink 6 cups of green tea a day because I thought it helped me burn more fat. When I evaluated this behavior, I discovered that I was not enjoying it. Just because a magazine says you should eat or drink something doesn’t mean you have to. Enjoy what you put into your body and you will feel better for it.

Secret 3: No matter how many sit-ups you do a day, you won’t get a 6-pack
Please, if you’re doing a lot of sit-ups in your workout, STOP! Doing a lot of crunches won’t give you a six pack, having low body fat will give you a six pack. If you’ve seen any pictures of me, you’ve seen that I’m in great shape and I’m here to tell you that I don’t do sit-ups or a lot of ab exercises. I focus on keeping my body fat low and staying in good shape during exercises so my abs pop.

Secret 4 – Eating at night or skipping breakfast does not make you fat
This is probably one of the most ridiculous old wives’ tales about nutrition. The truth is that it doesn’t matter when you eat, what matters is what and how much you eat. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. Sometimes I eat right before bed because that’s the only time I eat dinner. I don’t skip breakfast, but I know plenty of very fit people who do. It is only recommended that you do not skip breakfast so as not to overeat later in the day.

Secret 5: high repetitions and low weight do not tone muscles
This is one of the biggest myths of all, which is why I find it the most annoying! I see a lot of people in gyms doing low weights for about 15 reps. They could do more, but “15 reps seems about right for muscle toning.” For body composition to change, you have to put your body under good old-fashioned stress. To tone your muscles, even a little bit, you need to have the weights you lift, which makes you struggle with 8 reps. Anywhere between 5 and 10 is a good rep range. Just remember that if you can lift more than 10 weights, make sure you maintain good form throughout the exercise or do a different exercise that works the same muscles.