Too Hot To Handle: 7 Steps to Looking and Feeling your Best in Just 4 weeks!
1.) 5 Day Cleanse/Fast
Option 1: Water/tea/BCAA
Wake up
1.5g BCAA
1-2 c. Black tea
32 oz. water
Intra - workout
3g BCAA
Mid-day
32 oz. water with 1 airborne tab, 1 Nuun tab,
Evening
As much bone broth as you like
32 oz. water with lemon
Throughout the day - herbal teas at least 2 c. Daily detox.
Option 2: Liquid only
We have one that we provide for our HIIT Me Up Transformation
challenge folks.
Collagen cappuccino/latte
Blueberry shake
BCAAs, teas, bone broth
Celery when hungry
Benefits of Fasting
Reduces and in some cases eliminates cravings
Increases energy
Reduces inflammation
Improves gut health
Lose abdominal bloat
Lose subcutaneous water retention
If you do not have cancer and do a therapeutic fast 1-3 times/year, you could purge any precancerous cells that live in your body.
Fasts of 3 days or longer can effectively “Reboot” your immune system via stem cell-based regeneration.
If over 40, cancer is 1 of the 4 types of disease that will kill you with 80% certainty.
2.) Consume 1 gallon of water daily
These are exceptions to this. A small percentage of the population (myself included) do not perspire much and can get hyponatremia if they consume too much water but the majority of the population does best with lots of water.
Benefits
Cushions joints
Protects organs/tissues
Normalized BP
Prevents constipation
Aids digestion
Flushes bacteria
Carries nutrients to cells
Regulates temperature
Wards off hunger/cravings
Lowers down inflammation
3.) Eat Predominantly Lean protein and veggies with some healthy fat
Why Low Carb Works?
1. Low carb diets lead to quick reductions in H20 weight
Why? each 1g carb = 3-4 oz fluid that the body holds onto…some is used and the rest spills over into the subcutaneous tissue
2. Reduces fat in the abdomen and around organs and liver
3. Eating a low-carb diet helps stabilize blood sugar
4. Reduces cravings
Other Benefits
1. Lowers down triglycerides
2. Protects your brain
3. Less bloat
4. Regulates metabolism
5. Can increase energy labels
4.) Fasted cardio daily
The main benefit of fasted cardio is increased fat burning.
Research shows that exercise in a fasted state induces higher fat oxidation than in a fed state.
Essentially since you haven’t eaten through the night you will wake up with low glycogen level and body will be forced to burn fat.
Keep in mind that doing fasted cardio often may impede any ability to put on muscle if that is your goal.
5.) Intermittent Fasting
We all do intermittent fasting every day because we sleep and when we sleep, we are typically not eating.
Our HIIT Me Up folks will be doing a very simple 12 hr Intermittent Fasting which many do regularly…If your last meal ends at 8 pm, breakfast isn’t until 8 am or after. It is just basically a means to control the night-time food monger!
Some people literally fast 20 hours per day. I won't get into the pros and cons of longer Intermittent Fasting intervals because that is beyond our scope today but we subscribe to a 12-hour which seems to be feasible for most people.
6.) Do HIIT Training
What is HIIT?
Short bursts of intense exercise alternated with low-intensity recovery
10-30 min
Need 24 hours minimum of rest between so it’s ideal to do 2-4 days/week with strength training between
Bodyweight exercises
Sprinting
Cycling
Rope (battle of jump rope)
4-6 rounds is typical example of 1 round
20-30 sec on 10 sec off
Jumping jacks
Push up taps
Squat hops
Tuck ups as fast as possible
1 round
All out
Sprint 20 seconds
Walk 40 seconds
1 round
Benefits of HIIT
Burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time.
Metabolic rate is higher for hours after HIIT
Studies show that HIIT could shift the body’s metabolism from using carbs for energy to using fat.
HIIT can help you lose fat (with a smaller time commitment than steady state)
You may be able to gain muscle using HIIT (typically in people less active to begin with not
currently active population)
HIIT can improve oxygen consumption (muscles ability to use O2)
HIIT can reduce heart rate and blood pressure
HIIT can reduce blood sugar
HIIT improves BOTH aerobic and anaerobic performance
7.) ECA Stack
What is it?
Ephedra - bronkaid
Caffeine - coffee or caffeine
Baby Aspirin 88mg pill
When taken together, these ingredients are said to promote weight loss and boost athletic performance
Ephedra stimulates CNS through norepinephrine which gets your body ready for action/activity
Caffeine is also a CNS stimulant and can increase feelings of alertness and therefore reducing fatigue
Aspirin is a pain reliever. When taken as part of an ECA stack, it prevents norepinephrine levels from decreasing, maintains the stimulation effects of caffeine and ephedrine
Does it work?
A review of 20 trials, found epinephrine to be an effective tool for weight loss
Studies show a short-term effect (1-2 hours) on athletic performance. Longer-term has yet to be studied.
How do I get it?
2004 - the US FDA banned the sale of Ephedra containing dietary supplements, but it is still legal
Go to a local pharmacy and ask for Bronkaid pills, show ID (approx $6-$8)
Warnings
Ephedra raises heart rate and may have adverse effects to those with anxiety
Ephedra can cause constriction of blood vessels and lead to high blood pressure
Caffeine in large doses can cause
Insomnia
Increased heart rate
Elevated BP
Tremors
Anxiety
Long-term use of aspirin, even in small doses, has been associated with an increased risk of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract
ECA has not been shown to have serious adverse effects but can cause
Nausea
Vomiting
Anxiety
Change in mood
Hyperactivity
Heart palpitations