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Brian Copeland's
Core Fitness Newsletter

Issue #49 - 11/11/2010

1. Announcement: "New Website & Newsletter Coming Soon"
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2. Sneak Peak of New Website: "Free Article on Pain"
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3. Announcement: "New Q&A Section"
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4. Questions from the Readers: "Long Intense Cardio for Fat Loss or Insanity Workout"
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5. Hall of Achievements:
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6. Training Tip: "Sleep More for Fat Loss"
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7. Nutrition Tip: "The Twinkie Fat Loss Diet???"
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8. Featured Product: "Seriously Strong Hands ebook"
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9. Self-Defense / Martial Arts Tip: "Like a Razor!"
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10. Recommended Products: "Gymboss, Z-Health, Dragon Door, more" .
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11. Denver Metro Area: "Kettlebell & Self-Defense Classes in Aurora"
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12. Personalized Program Design: "Tired of Not Reaching Your Goals?"

Hi Everyone... Lots of exciting things going on... Let's see:

1) Happy Veteran's Day! Thank a Veteran for your freedom!

2) People losing fat on the Hostess Twinkie diet, I'll analyze this and give you the insider tip

3) A new study conducted by sleep researchers shows that night owls have higher I.Q.s and are more intelligent... What time did I send this out? Yeah, that's right :-) Although it does not seem to help with grammar and spelling.

4) The new website is almost done!!! So close I can taste it. Have to get a few kinks worked out.

1. Announcement:
"New Website & Newsletter Coming Soon"


In a continuing effort to bring more value to all of you, I am redesigning my website from scratch.

I will keep all of the best elements such as lots of free information on nutrition, fitness, etc. But I will now make it easier to read, easier to navigate, add a new expanded Articles section with a lot more content, more products, more videos, more everything.

In addition my newsletters will evolve as well which should make them look cleaner, easier to read, easier to find what you want to read without having to scroll through a bunch of stuff.

The only thing you have to do to continue receiving my newsletters is confirm your subscription when you get an email asking you to opt-in to it. This will likely happen this or next month and I will send out a reminder.

Stay tuned!

Brian

2: Sneak Peak of New Website and Free Article on Pain

http://www.bccorefitness.com/Articles/zhealth-where-is-not-what.html

3. Announcement:
"New Q&A Section"


I get a lot of questions from readers all over the world about fitness, nutrition, etc. So I've decided to start a new column where I answer these questions and everyone can benefit from them

If you have a question about fitness, training, nutrition, etc. then just reply to one of my newsletters or send me a new email with your question. I will pick the top 1 or 2 questions to answer in my next newsletter.

I will keep your name anonymous by just putting your first and last initials or just first name and last initial.

4. Questions from the Readers:
"Long Intense Cardio for Fat Loss or Insanity Workout"

Hi Brian,
 
I read your article on steady state vs. interval cardio that was published on dragondoor.com. I understand that short, high-intensity cardio bursts will build up my lungs and heart. If one was to perform long, high-intensity cardio (like Shaun T's insanity 'beachbody' workout) would this still develop the heart and lungs or would it cause these organs to shrink like regular cardio.
 
Thanks in advance,
 
H. L.

Hello H. L.,

I’m not sure how long the insanity beach body workout is but as a general rule 5 to 15 minutes is the range I recommend for most of my clients for heart healthy cardio. The only exception is for certain athletes who have certain demands such as a boxer who would might do intervals for the length of a boxing match or someone interested in fat loss. But even someone interested in fat loss who might do 20 or 30 minutes would vary the intervals around so they are not super intense as that is just too hard on the body. And in reality a mixed martial arts fighter or other professional fighter really does not need to do cardio for the length of their competition, there are other smarter ways to improve stamina for athletes.

I don’t know that an hour of intense cardio would cause the heart to get weak or small as it can with regular lower intensity steady state cardio but certainly it would be very hard on the heart especially for a new person to fitness and could cause chronic inflammation if sufficient rest and recovery are not followed. Chronic inflammation is really really bad, it causes the afflicted area to begin decaying. Can you imagine chronic inflammation of the heart? Bad bad news! A lot of marathon runners die from this every year.

Any type of exercise that promises to “kick someone’s butt” or even calls itself “insanity” tells me it is a really smart marketing ploy that appeals to people’s ideal of what they think they will get from the product. The truth is that successful fat loss folks 99% of the time do not get there through exercise alone but from changing what they put in their mouth; this is validated through the National Weight Loss Registry which tracks successful weight losers. When people change what they eat then exercise can become performance goal oriented instead of calorie burning oriented. Much better from an athletic development model, keeping the athlete healthy in the long-term and for more fun and progress in training.

Best,
Brian

Send me your questions and I'll answer them in future newsletters.

5. Hall of Achievements:

Our newest updates:..

• Rebecca Jennings - Military Pressed a 44 lb kettlebell
• Rebecca Jennings - 1-Arm Row with a 63 lb kettlebell
• Rebecca Jennings - Deadlift with 2 x 88 lb kettlebells (176 lbs)
• Desmond McNeal - Military Pressed a 62 lb kettlebell
• Andy Cassaza - Military Pressed a 70 lb kettlebell for multiple reps
• Brian Copeland - Tore 80 pokers cards (that is a deck and a half plus 3)

6. Training Tip: "Sleep More for Fat Loss"


Ok, I know sleeping doesn't really sound like a... training tip... but it will help you achieve the same goals.

According to CNN Health, researchers from the University of Chicago showed that dieters who slept for 8.5 hours per night lost 55% more body fat than those who slept for only 5.5 hours per night!

"The dieters who slept less reported feeling hungrier throughout the course of the study," CNN said, even though "they ate the same diet, consumed multivitamins and performed the same type of work or leisure activities."

The study authors concluded that "Lack of sufficient sleep may compromise the efficacy of typical dietary interventions for weight loss and related metabolic risk reduction," CNN said. The study was released October 4 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The researchers said that lack of sleep may affect a hormone called ghrelin which increases hunger. Ghrelin typically increases hunger for fatty foods and is typically released in higher quantities in the evening hours. However neuropeptide Y is more likely the cause of the increased hunger and fat storage. Neuropeptide Y is typically released in higher quantities in the morning and makes you crave carbs/sweets.

In addition to carb cravings, another bad side effect of neuropeptide Y is that it tends to make you decrease physical activity. Neuropeptide Y and ghrelin are both part of your homeostatic control system, a complex system of hormones, neurotransmitters and other physiological components that your brain uses to maintain the status quo.

If you are trying to lose body fat, maintaining the status quo means keeping that body fat! So we want to change the status quo. For most people that means decreasing levels of neuropeptide Y and potentially ghrelin as well.

Whether the actual cause of fat loss in people who get more, and better quality, sleep is a decrease or regulation of neuropeptide Y or ghrelin is irrelevant. The evidence is clear. GET MORE QUALITY SLEEP!

While you sleep your body also releases several hormones such as growth hormone which plays a role in healing, repair, fat loss, bone strength, brain health and so much more. Plenty of sleep also keeps levels of fat storing cortisol lower which once again aids in fat loss.

As you can see, there really is no single factor in the game of fat loss... eat less, move more, sleep and rest better and keep stress at healthy levels and fat loss should be an automatic consequence.

Everyone knows this but everyone also makes excuses for why they can't get more sleep or better sleep. Well excuses are worth exactly what they get you... crap.

Strategies for better sleep:

• Sleep in a pitch black room. Get blackout curtains, use an eye mask, get rid of night lights, get an alarm clock that is not illuminated while you sleep. Light blocks the release of natural sleeping hormone release and can even be bad for your eyesight... your eyes only truly get to rest when there is total darkness.
  
  
• Relax before bed. Stop working at least an hour before bed. Find a relaxing activity, read, watch comedy, mutual massage with your spouse... that could lead to additional fun... which apparently helps guys fall asleep quick... I'll leave that up to your imagination.
  
  
• If watching TV before bed, keep the volume lower and don't look at the TV during commercials... remember light in the eyes releases wake up hormones and total darkness releases rest, repair and sleep hormones.

7. Nutrition Tip: "The Twinkie Fat Loss Diet???"


If you have not heard yet, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University lost 27 lbs in 10 weeks by eating Hostess Twinkies and other junk food.

In fact, for the entire 10-week period all Haub ate was Twinkies, Doritos, Oreos and sugary cereals. He did supplement with a multivitamin and ate a vegetable every day along with a protein shake for minimal nutrition.

His premise he was trying to prove was that fat loss is all about counting calories and does not depend on the nutritional value of the food.

Well he was right. Not only did he lose 27 lbs of fat in 10-weeks by eating junk food but his bad cholesterol (LDL) decreased and his good cholesterol (HDL) increased. His triglyceride levels also decreased.

This has astounded many in the nutrition community as well as doctors and fitness professionals alike.

I must say I was not surprised. You see, for most people keeping your caloric intake below what you expend is actually the key to fat loss.

During this 10-week junk food fest, Haub ate 1,800 calories per day, his normal diet before was around 2,600 calories per day.

Haub does not endorse his terrible eating, because while counting calories was his key to fat loss and it did not matter that all he ate was junk food, it certainly was not healthy as he did not get enough vitamins, minerals, protein, etc. to be healthy. He could not have maintained that type of diet very long and stayed healthy, lean yes but healthy is another thing.

So what can we learn and apply from Haub's experiment?

Losing weight, specifically body fat, is all about calories in vs. calories out at least for most people. It can get more complicated in people who have poor ability to process carbohydrates and have poor insulin stability.

While nutritional content of food may not matter much for fat loss, it still matters for healthy, energy, disease prevention, muscle tone, bone health, eye health, brain health, etc.

If your goal is to get lean you can still enjoy your favorite naughty foods as long as you count their calories into your daily plan.

In fact I have been doing this for a month and a half, I have not stopped eating anything bad (Double Stuffed Oreos specifically) and have lost several pounds of body fat, gained a 1/4 inch of muscle on my chest, shoulders and arms and have lost 4% +/- body fat.

My approach is a little different than Haub's. I actually eat lots of healthy vegetables and organic meat every day but then I won't deny myself a little junk food if I crave it, I just count it towards my daily calories and when I reach a certain point, 1,900 for me currently, I stop eating.


Counting calories is not as hard or intimidating as it may seem. You just need to start slow, small and make cheat sheets of calories in favorite and common foods to make it easy.


One of the services I offer my private and online clients is coaching in how to begin counting calories, managing nutrients and building and keeping motivation to stick with it.

You should never have to deny yourself your favorite foods to be lean and healthy.

8. Featured Product:
"Seriously Strong Hands ebook"


If you are interested in Grip training you owe it to yourself to get Brian Copeland's Seriously Strong Hands - it will guide you through building a Grip you can be proud of - because remember - the stronger your hands are the stronger your body can be!
This is the grip book I should have written a few years ago.

- Brett Jones CSCS, Master RKC, certified Red Nail bender


"In his ebook Seriously Strong Hands, Brian Copeland has put together a no-nonsense guide for the aspiring gripster. Filled with useful tips and no fluff, it is a valuable resource for the beginning grip enthusiast."

- David Whitley, Sr. RKC (tearer & terror of many phone books!)


I purchased your ebook about a month ago. Your ebook very much summarizes all aspects of strength training for bending/tearing. You also give a great plan for improving strength; following this plan leads to success for sure. I just tore a full deck of cards (wrapped in duct tape) in half, so I know what I am talking about... :-)

- Peter Lakatos, RKC Team Leader
Hungary, Budapest



If you are ready to get grip, here is the tool to get you there.

Learn more about it here

9. Self-Defense / Martial Arts Tip:
"Like a Razor!"


Whether you are involved in martial arts for self-defense, sport, tradition or combative applications, everyone can appreciate it when they see an amazing athlete, especially an amazing combat athlete.

Often you hear talk about sluggers vs. boxers in the sport of boxing. Where would you say Mike Tyson fits? Of course you would say a slugger. But does that mean he wasn't crisp, sharp and highly skilled?

Watch this video and you tell me...

Here is another favorite of mine, Roy Jones Jr. had such amazing speed and finesse in his style when he was in his prime. The kind of speed and timing that only comes from getting in lots of perfect reps.

Regardless of your martial arts style, you can apply the principles of the world's greats in your training. The secrets are:

1) Drop the ego, effort and train with precision. When you learn to be precise, calm and collected you actually need less cardio conditioning so that your cardio conditioning goes further. I can't tell you how many people I see spend tons of time on conditioning and suck wind during sparring and others who do very little and never huff or puff.

2) Focus on how you perform your strikes, chokes, throws, etc. Not just throwing them.

3) Get your reps in. It is well documented that the best in the world at anything have at least 100,000 to 300,000 perfect reps in. Now lots of people may have that many reps if they have been training long enough, but that does not mean those reps are perfect. See # 2) focus on how you perform the reps and now # 3) get lots of perfect reps in.

4) You will never be your best if you don't challenge yourself to grow. Find someone who is better than you and train with them.

If you want to be a razor you must train like a razor.