It never fails. As spring quickly approaches people start thinking about getting in shape for summer. And every year the number one question I get asked is “How can I get a flat stomach?”

If you’ve been reading my blog you’ve probably have pondered this question yourself. Maybe you’ve given up on your abs after doing dozen of crunches. Quite frankly I don’t blame you because I’ve been there!

Right now forget everything you heard about how to sculpt your abs. Crunches simply won’t give you a nice toned, flat- 6 pack stomach!

You’ve probably probably heard that spot reducing is a myth, but most people still train as if it was true. Doing crunches won’t magically make your waist shrink. It will not cause your muffin top to disappear, and it will not give you a 6 pack.

Only a drop in body fat will do that for you!

So what is the secret to getting great abs? Its combination of the following:

*Fat Burning Cardio

*Resistance Training

*Proper Eating

It is possible for YOU to get a flat stomach! Yes YOU! Weight loss is just for those you see on the biggest loser, diet infomercials etc. You can do it do especially if you want a flat stomach that badly!

Here is a simple NO B.S fat burning cardio & abs routine:

*Run at 6mph on the treadmill starting 0% grade. Every min increase the grade by 1% until you reach 15%.

Perform 3-4 sets of the following w/ a 30 second rest period!

Hanging Leg Raises:

(Perform 10-15 reps)

-Bring your knees up slowly & hold for a second before bringing back down.

Oblique Twists:

- Lean back and bring your heals off the floor slightly w/ toes pointed up.

- Slowly rotate from side to side (perform a total of 30 reps)

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Be sure to sign up for your FREE 3 Min Workout because I have a huge announcement coming Wednesday!

P.S: If you want a truly flat stomach w/ New York’s Top Personal Trainer Click Here

Hey There The Fitness Demon & New York’s Personal Trainer here again for rare weekend post.

Super Bowl Sunday is officially upon us as the Colts vs The Saints (I’m personally a Jets fan so I’ll be rooting for the Saints) get ready to battle it down in Miami.

One thing that’s great about the Super Bowl (other then the funny ads) is groups of people gathering together to have fun, watch the game and enjoy a few snacks. One major down fall to this is most people end up getting lost in the excitement that leads to over eating and making unhealthy choices.

In fact most people will end up in taking over 2,000 calories in just 4 hours!

It doesn’t have to be this way for you! This doesn’t mean you have to start having TOFU and Ezekiel bread (not even I would have that). However you can make smart choices without feeling like your missing out.

Here are 3 healthy ways you can enjoy Super Bowl Sunday:

*Shish Kabobs:  They are the perfect super bowl treat and most importantly are extremely healthy, fun and easy to make. You can also let your children get involved as way to make them feel part of it.

Here’s the exact recipe I use:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup red wine
1 lemon, juice only
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 lb. lean lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
24 cherry tomatoes
24 mushrooms
24 small onions

Putting it all together:

1. Combine oil, broth, wine, lemon juice, garlic, salt, rosemary, and pepper. Pour over lamb, tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions. Marinate in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

2. Put together skewers of lamb, onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Broil 3 inches from heat for 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings   Serving size: 1 kabob, with 3 oz of meat

Nutrition Totals:

Calories: 274
Total fat: 12 g
Saturated fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 75 mg
Sodium: 207 mg
Total fiber: 3 g
Protein: 26 g
Carbohydrates: 16 g
Potassium: 728 mg

*Quaker Rice Snacks:

These are my personal favorites to snack on during a game.

They are very healthy and taste great.

1 serving of the Rice Snacks (which is 6 snacks) is only 70 calories & only 2.5 grams of fat!

To Drink or Not To Drink?

While I know it’s going to be pretty difficult to say no to drinking alcohol I highly advise you not to drink (water is a perfect alternative) and if you do make sure to use a designated driver or take take a taxi.

However if you much drink alcohol there is 1 beer that is low is calories & that is Natural Light - Anheuser Bush.

Natural light is only 95 calories and contains 3.2g of Carbohydrates which make its the perfect choice if you must drink.

There you have it 3 Healthy Ways to eat and drink healthy during the Super Bowl.  Enjoy the game everybody!

Hey There, Bryan “The Fitness Demon” Ortiz here again with another post to help you lose the weight and keep it off!

I’ve been a personal trainer (mostly in New York & South Fl) for over 6 years now and I can’t tell you how many times people come to me looking for short cuts to losing weight.

Often after 1 month of starting new years resolutions most people start to slack off on their routines and some even end up quitting all together thus reverting back into their old selves(sometimes even worse). If that sounds like you then what I’m about to tell you is going to change your life!

The biggest key to losing weight & keeping it off is visualization!

When you start off on an exercise program you often have that 1 main goal in mind. It could be:

*Trying to lose weight for your wedding

*Being healthier so you can have more energy for your kids

*Disease prevention

*Build lean muscle

*Overall weight loss to fit into that bikini

*Just want to be healthier!

Whatever your weight loss goal is you should always visualize the end result when you wake up every morning and most importantly when you are in the gym!

This is essential to achieving your goal and will push you to workout harder when you are in the gym instead of  letting your workouts slack.

Try this tip the next time when you are in the gym working out and just fill in the blank:

“I will workout hard because I want to ______”

“Every workout will bring me 1 step closer of my goal of _____”

“By eating healthy today I will improve____”

Just by asking yourself those 3 simple questions before, during, and after your workout you will achieve your goal in no time! I guarantee it!

P.S: Click here if you want to lose the weight & keep it off!

“Eat more to lose weight” sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? However it’s more a fact then a fiction. If your trying to lose weight it’s essential that you eat at 5 time per day. Sounds absurd right?

What if I told you that you could eat 5-6 meals a day and still come in at  1,700 calories for the day?!  Sounds even more crazy? I’m going to explain how this works.

If you’ve had 3 big meals a day you’ve probably found yourself hungry and then end up either over eating or reaching for something unhealthy.

Now if you have 6 small meals here are some of the benefits:

• Your body metabolism will still be up thus burning more fat

• You’ll be full: So you won’t have to worry about over eating.

• Less likely to have something unhealthy or give into cravings

Now you should remember that at least 2  of the small meals are not meals per say. They are merely snacks such as a banana, Kashi bar, yogurt etc.

One thing you should never do is NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST!

Remember when your mother said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Well there’s a reason for that.

If you skip breakfast your setting yourself up for failure because your going to be hungry throughout the day which is going to lead you to over eating and eating the wrong things.

Below your going to find an easy to follow sample meal plan that is only 1,700 calories spread out over 6 small meals that I have given as an actual guide to my clients and students! Try it out and let me know what you think!

P.S: If your looking guidance from NYC TOP PERSONAL TRAINER w/ a customized meal plan like this included then click here.

If your like most people who started on their new years resolutions you’ve most likely have started to see some results and are still super motivated about it. However some of yall might start to find your workouts a little boring and not likely to stick to it as much as you would like to.

The fact is if you don’t switch your routine up your body is going to stop responding, your not going to see results and your less likely to stick w/ your program

Fear not brave soul. You are not alone now.

I’m going to show you 4 ways that will help keep you motivated and prevent you from having a boring workout!

Take A Group Class:

- There are always tons of group classes within your neighborhood or your local gym. Try to make a habit of trying 1 new class a week to see which ones you really like. With a group class you can ensure that your workouts will never get boring and you’ll be working out the right way that will also be a lot of fun. If your looking for a fun, intense boot camp in New York click here.

Workout With A Buddy:

-By working out with a friend with the same goals as you will ensure both of you hold each other accountable and have a lot of fun in the process.

Invest In A Personal Trainer:

-By having a qualified fitness professional guiding you to help you reach your weight loss goals you can be assured that no 2 workouts will ever be the same and most importantly fun. Beware tho of the Chain Gym Personal Trainers tho. Most of them aren’t certified and/or have little to no experience. If your looking guidance for NYC Top Personal Trainer then click here.

Take Your Workout Outside:

-I know it’s the dead of winter outside especially in most of the north east but it doesn’t mean you can’t workout outside. As addressed in my previous post working outside can really be fun, invigorating and a challenging experience. Just the right challenge that your body needs to start seeing results again!

There you have it 4 simple ways to prevent your workouts from getting boring.

My challenge to you this week is to try at least 1 of those tips I’ve mentioned and let me know what you think! I know you can do it!

So the other day I was teaching my usual jam packed  boot camp and boxing classes in New York and a few of my student’s were telling me they were trying to eat healthy (which I always preach) for lasting weight loss but some of the foods they tried just down right tasted badly.

Look I’m a firm believer if it doesn’t taste good your not going to eat it no matter how healthy it is!

Below your going to find 3 of the healthiest and best tasting dishes that you’ll find!

All of these meals can be made in under 30mins and I’ve personally made so you know it will taste good. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Chicken Caesar Wraps

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 x cup Caesar Salad Mix

2 x 4 oz. Chicken Breasts Cooked

1 x cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

1 x cup Sliced Mushrooms

1 x tablespoon Light Mayo

2 x Tortilla Wraps (whole-wheat)

Directions:

1. Heat tortillas

2. Chop chicken and toss with salad

3. Mix mushrooms, cheese and a spoonful of mayo in with the salad and chicken

4. Roll up mix in heated tortillas and serve

Per Serving:

Calories: 385

Protein: 31.6 g

Carbohydrates: 26.5 g

Fat: 15.5

Cholesterol: 75.5 mg

Sodium: 674.5 mg

Ham and Pasta

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 Cups Cooked Pasta

1 Cup Lean Diced Ham

1 x tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 x cup Chopped Onion

2 x Garlic Cloves

1 Medium Tomato

6 Oz. Spinach

Black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in skillet and add ham, cook for about 6 minutes

2. Add onions to skillet with ham for another 2 minutes

3. Next add garlic (minced)

4. Chop tomato

5. Just before serving add tomatoes and spinach

6. Toss with pasta and season with pepper

Per Serving:

Calories: 456

Protein: 29.7 g

Carbohydrates: 50.7 g

Fat: 14.6 g

Cholesterol: 63.5 mg

Sodium: 111 mg

Fiber: 5.7 g

Salmon Teriyaki With Pineapple

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 x 4 oz. Salmon Fillet

2 x tablespoon Sake

1 x teaspoon Sugar

1 x tablespoon Soy Sauce

8 x Pineapple Chunks

Water

Directions:

1. Sear salmon fillet in skillet (couple of minutes for each side)

2. Remove salmon from skillet and add a splash of water, sake, a little sugar and soy sauce

3. When mixture is thick return salmon to skillet with pineapple chunks and turn until done.

4. Serve

Per Serving:

Calories: 290

Protein: 26.3 g

Carbohydrates: 10.5 g

Fat: 14.1 g

Cholesterol: 71 mg

Sodium: 357 mg

Fiber: .5 g

Remember eating healthy is essential for an overall healthy and active lifestyle. Even if you just try 1 of these recipes this week then you are on the right track to an overall healthy & fit lifestyle.

Hey there hope you are having an awesome week. I’m going to keep this post very simple but very effective.

If you are trying to lose weight but are lacking the space and equipment here’s a simple fat burning workout that you can do right now with no equipment required.

Perform these exercises together for 3 sets of 20-25 reps.

Squats

Push ups

Jumping Jacks

Crunches on the floor

Rest for 30 seconds

Now here’s how you perform each of these exercises safely and effectively.

Here’s how you do a squat:

1.    Stand up with your arms by your side. Feet about one foot apart.

2.    Now sink your butt to the floor, bending at the knees. As you go down pull your arms up, so they’re straight out in front of you

3.    When you go down as far as you can, hold for a second. 

4.    Now use your legs to stand up straight again, moving your arms back to the side of your body

5.    Repeat

It’s important to try and keep your back straight as you squat.

Squatting is great for adding strength to your legs and working your core too.

Push ups:

Here’s how to do a proper push-up, step-by-step…

1.    Lie face down on the floor

2.    Put your palms on the floor, just about level with your breast and fairly tight to your body

3.    Then push up. Try and keep the rest of your body rigid.

4.    Stop pushing up just before you lock your elbows. Hold for a second and then lower yourself back down slowly. Go until your nose is almost touching the floor.

5.    That’s one. Just repeat.

While you’re doing push-ups you are working your arms, chest, core, legs… You name it! So if you can spend just 5-10 minutes per day doing push-ups you’ll see AND feel amazing results in a very short time indeed.

Best of all, you can do them anywhere and there’s no need for any expensive gym equipment.

Here’s how to do a crunch…

1.    Sit down on the floor and lock your toes under a desk or other weight you can find.

2.    Lie down on your back, with your arms crossed on your chest and your knees bent at about 45 degrees.

3.    Sit-up so that the bottom of your elbow touches your legs.

4.    Then sit back into lying position. Just so your shoulders are flat on the floor then start sitting up again.

5.    Repeat.

It’s important you keep your arms crossed over your chest. Although it’s popular practice to have your arms behind your head, this is actually dangerous because it strains the neck and bends the back.

Two things you don’t want to do:

• Make sure the strain is always on your core.

• When you get to the point where you need to “throw” your upper body to sit-up you should stop.

Crunches of course, tighten and tone your abdominal region.

Try this program out and let me know what you think. P.S If your looking for a real fun fat burning workout that only takes only 30 mins go here

Winter is in full bloom throughout most of the country and if your like most people you have started on your new years resolutions. However after awhile your going to find that working out inside can get pretty boring and for some people this will lead to them falling off their fitness programs just for that reason alone.

Some people love to workout outside during the spring, summer and fall months but often pack it in during the winter because it gets too cold and don’t think they could still workout during this time.

If your one of those people that stop working out outside then your missing one of the best seasons to workout!

The fact of the matter is that is that their are many benefits to exercising outside during the winter months- even more then in the summer.

Here are just a few of the benefits to exercising outside in the winter:

• The air is actually more fresh & crisp which makes it easier to breath
  

• There’s less people exercising outside which makes it easier to run without the crowds (esp the ones that hang up their running shoes in the winter)

• You feel way more invigorated. There’s nothing like starting the day with a routine outside knowing that most people are still hibernating inside.

Now I know what your thinking “Bryan that sound’s great but how do I workout without freezing my a$$ off!”. The common mistake most people make about exercising outside is by wearing too much layers or the wrong type of clothing. If you wear too much layers it actually is counter productive and you won’t be able to workout as effectively.

Here are some easy to follow tips about dressing right for your outdoor winter workout:

• Start off with a base layer that wipes sweat away from your body so it can retain heat. Always look for clothing that is made up of Polyester.

• Avoid wearing cotton at all cost as your base layers! Cotton doesn’t wipe away sweat the same way Polyester does which can lead you being colder then when your 1st started out.

• For the next layer wear a fleece like layer (jacket for upper body) or something that is wind resistant. This will insure you  stay warm throughout the workout without being effected by the wind

• Always wear a hat (non cotton) and  hood. By wearing both a hat and a hood this will insure your head stays warm and avoiding a nasty head cold from all the sweat as well as inhaling too much cold air into your lungs.

• Wear MITTENS not GLOVES! With mittens you keep your hands closer together and retain a lot more body heat.

Now that I covered exactly what to wear you want to make that you follow these valuable tips to make sure your workout in the winter is a complete success!

• Warm up for at least 10 mins to get the blood flowing & your heart rate up.
  

• Stretch out every major muscle group before & after your workout.
  

• Stay hydrated
  

• Wear sunglasses if your working out during the day. Remember the sun is closer to the earth during the winter months so you want to make sure that your eyes are protected

• Wear sunscreen

There you have it a complete guide to exercising in the winter months. Now go out and enjoy it!

P.S: Want a real, fun, challenging workout in the winter? Register now for Brooklyn’s Top Fitness Boot Camp

Are you one of those people who just get on the treadmill and run?

Are you one of those who just people who just jump on the elliptical with their headphones for about the entire hour?

If that sounds like you then you are one of those people that put me to sleep just by even the sheer thought of it.

Truthfully Cardio can be very boring if your doing the same thing over and over. Another reason is your body will stop responding positively and you’ll just plateau very quickly.

Here’s a fun and intense cardio routine that isn’t boring. Try it and let me know what you think!

• Set the treadmill to a 15% grade/incline (yes 15%!) then run at 6.0mph for 30 seconds!

• Reduced the speed to 2.0-2.5mph(this will be your active recovery period) for 2-3 mins

• Bring your speed back up to 6.0mph for another 30 seconds

• Reduce your speed again to 2.0-2.5mph

Do this 3-4x. This will total anywhere between 10-16 mins.

Try this to really give your cardio routine the spark that it’s been lacking.

Looking for a personal training program with a cardio routine that’s never boring? Check out my fun, fat burning fitness program

Do you want to lose 6 pounds fast? While many diets are geared at people who want to lose 20 pounds or more, the plan I’m presenting here will help you lose 6 pounds quickly and perhaps in just 1 week!

The first thing you want to do right now is clear out your pantry of all the foods that make you fat.  Clean out your refrigerator and throw things away. Donate the packaged food in your pantry to a local food bank.

Then, go to the grocery store and buy the following 16 things only:

1.    Whole wheat bread

2.    Tuna

3.    Any and all fruits

4.    Any and all vegetables

5.    8 oz. steak

6.    Two chicken breasts

7.    Salad vegetables

8.    Balsamic vinegar

9.    Special K Cereal

10.    Skim milk

11.    Brown rice

12.    Instant oatmeal (not the sweetened packaged kind though)

13.    Sliced turkey breast

14.    3 servings of fish

15.    Low fat yogurt

16.    Eggs

Using these foods as the basis for your diet, write out a meal plan for the next seven days.

After that, you will be fully committed to sticking to it.  Part of the motivation for clearing out your kitchen ahead of time is that there will not be any food that you can cheat with.

Next, you want to get a pedometer and make sure that you walk at least 10,000 steps each day.  That may seem like a lot, but here are some ways that you can get extra steps in.

1.    Park far away from the front door of your work or a store.  Not only will you get extra steps in, but you will have a much easier time parking.

2.    Take the stairs instead of the elevator.  If you work above the fourth floor, get off of the elevator at least two floors early and walk the rest of the way.

3.    When you have to contact a colleague at work, don’t phone or email them, walk over to their office or desk.

4.    If you take the bus or other form of mass transportation, get off a stop or two early and walk.

5.    Walk the dog.  If you don’t have a dog, volunteer to walk the neighbors dog.

6.    Take a walk before dinner.  Not only will you increase the number of steps you take that day, but a walk before dinner will reduce your appetite.

Finally, try to drink at least eight, 8 ounce glasses of water each day when you are trying to lose weight.  You can do this by drinking one liter of water at work and another liter at home.

If you don’t like water plain, it is okay to substitute unsweetened iced tea or sugar free lemonade or punch.

It is possible to lose 6 pounds in a week.

Try radically altering your diet, walking more, and drinking a substantial amount of water.

It’s not a lifetime that you will be restricted to this plan, it’s just a week.  And, you’ll be able to lose 6 pounds in that time!