Torch The Fat

All Rights Reserved 2012- Mike Strobel MaximumAfterburn.com

All Rights Reserved 2012- Mike Strobel http://MaximumAfterburn.com

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Ultimate Fat-‐loss is Within Your Grasp Hi there. My name is Mike Strobel. You are about to be empowered with information that will forever change how you think about fat-loss and health for the rest of your life. There is so much of conflicting and misguided information in the fitness industry that it’s no wonder over 65% of people in industrialized nations are obese. I believe we are intentionally kept in a perpetual state of confusion by an industry that profits by selling us the latest pill, potions and ridiculous equipment. But this guide will change all of that. I’m about to share with you the secrets to losing fat and finally getting in the best shape of your life. Some things you may have heard of before and some may go against everything you ever thought you knew about fitness. But to be completely honest with you, none of what I am about to tell you is really a secret. Most of the information is out there if you know where to look. The problem is that it’s been buried so deep under a mountain of confusing and conflicting information that it may as well be a secret. Now, before I reveal the truth about how to finally torch fat and get a lean body, let me tell you a little bit about why you should pay close attention to what I say when it comes to fat loss and fitness. I am just your typical 42 year old guy who used to spend 5-6 hours per week in the gym getting frustrated over my lack of results. Looking back now, I realize I should have been grateful that I even had the time to work out. But all that changed in 2009 when the recession hit and I was forced to downsize my business. This meant I had to cut my staff in half including management. This left me as “the guy” who had to do everything at the business.

A recent photo of me and my wife at the beach


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I began leaving the house before 6am, commuting an hour to the office and then returning home in the dark after a stressed out day of dealing with employees who didn’t show up for work and a dwindling customer base. When I returned home in the dark, I was totally drained both mentally and physically. The last thing I wanted to think about was going to the gym. To make matter worse, my diet was horrendous. I usually ended up skipping meals during the day and then sitting down to a carbohydrate- rich meal at night which left me feeling overly full and actually prevented me from getting a good night’s sleep which I desperately needed. I knew I was on the road to disaster but I felt powerless to stop it. It wasn’t long before I could see the effects taking its toll on my body. I was getting soft and pudgy and my energy levels were less than zero. And for the first time in my life, my joints began to ache. To be honest, I’m not even sure where I was finding the energy just to get through my day. But as much as I knew that I needed to get back to working out and eating right, I just couldn’t seem to find the time. I even bought the P90x program thinking that it would save me time but the routines were 45 minutes long and even that was more time than I had to spare. I knew I needed a workout program that could work my entire body but was short and efficient enough that I could complete the entire program before work. So like a madman, I began researching and testing all types of training programs any chance I got, looking for the most efficient methods to get the best results in the least amount of time. I poured myself into books on nutrition and training methods and how they affected the body’s hormones and chemical balances. I became my own guinea pig as I began applying what I learned to my body while meticulously tracking my energy and fitness levels. The results I was getting were beyond amazing! I was actually able to cut my workout time in half while losing fat and building lean muscle. This went against everything I had ever heard or read in fitness magazines.


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It is these specific techniques that helped me get in the best shape of my life at the age of 42. I was able to drop my fat to an unheard of 9-10% body fat while building lean muscle, strength, and endurance. And while I've finally attained the build that I always wanted, much more importantly, I've been able to maintain it easily and still eat the foods I love in moderation but without having to live my life in the gym or even going to a gym for that matter. There is not a shadow of doubt in my mind that you too can have a lean, strong, healthy body, even if you work long hours, or sometimes lack motivation by following the same simple strategies I’ve outlined in this guide. I want to show you that getting fit and staying lean doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your happiness. You just have to follow the right strategies for the right goal. With the right mindset and approach, I know you will succeed. Your Friend,


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Disclaimers You must get your physician’s approval before beginning this exercise/nutrition program. These recommendations are not medical guidelines but are for educational purposes only. You must consult your physician prior to starting this program or if you have any medical condition or injury that contraindicates physical activity. This program is designed for healthy individuals 18 years and older only. The information in this report is meant to supplement, not replace, proper nutrition/exercise training. All forms of exercise pose some inherent risks. The editors and publishers advise readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the exercises in this book, be sure that your equipment is well-‐maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training and fitness. The exercises and dietary programs in this book are not intended as a substitute for any exercise routine or treatment or dietary regimen that may have been prescribed by your physician. Don’t lift heavy weights if you are alone, inexperienced, injured, or fatigued. Don’t perform any exercise unless you have been shown the proper technique by a certified personal trainer or certified strength and conditioning specialist. Always ask for instruction and assistance when lifting. Don’t perform any exercise without proper instruction. Always do a warm-‐up prior to resistance training and interval training. See your physician before starting any exercise or nutrition program. If you are taking any medications, you must talk to your physician before starting any exercise program, including any training in this guide. If you experience any lightheadedness, dizziness, or shortness of breath while exercising, stop the movement and consult a physician. You must have a complete physical examination if you are sedentary, if you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, if you are overweight, or if you are over 30 years old. Please discuss all nutritional changes with your physician or a registered dietician. If your physician recommends that you don’t use this No-‐Excuse Fat Guide, please follow your Doctor’s orders.


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rop The Cardio

I know shocking right? Everyone has a hard time digesting this piece of advice because main stream media has been brainwashing us since the Richard Simmons days. But the truth speaks for itself. Gyms everywhere are full of overweight people huffing and puffing on treadmills and elyptical machines. If doing long steady cardio worked then why does their body composition rarely seem to change? The truth is that the “Fat Burning Zone” of 60%-65% of max heart rate is just a myth and is not really optimal for burning fat.

It may work initially but your body will easily adapt to your cardio sessions within a short couple weeks of starting by lowering your metabolism.

That’s why you hear so many people complain about gaining weight even though their doing tons of cardio on a restricted diet.

And to make matters worse, your appetite will increase with all the extra activity making it almost impossible to stay on your diet.

There is a better solution to fat loss then slow boring cardio which I will go into specifics a little later on.

Why Cardio is not Optimal for Burning Fat 1. Our bodies are incredibly efficient. After 2-3 weeks you will reach a fat loss plateau no matter how much cardio you do. Results will be slow to nonexistent.

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2. Excess Cardio will eat up your hard earned muscle mass especially when combined with dieting (ultimately leading to a slower metabolism) 3. Excess cardio can decrease fat-burning hormones and enzymes making it harder for the body to burn fat (we’ll get into that later) 4. Excess cardio increases the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is a major culprit of belly fat.

ift Heavy

Ok, so this isn’t groundbreaking news but I think it’s overlooked as a way to lose fat. When we think of lifting heavy weights, we naturally think of building size but we often forget that muscles, and increased muscle tone, burn more calories even at rest. Heavy lifting will promote a hormonal response in your body to increase your body’s metabolism. Many studies conclude that adding heavier weightlifting to an exercise routine will be more effective in burning fat than just doing cardio. One study from the University of Alabama in Birmingham showed that dieters who lifted heavy weights lost the same amount of weight as dieters who did just cardio, but all the weight lost by the weight lifters was fat while the cardio group lost a lot of muscle along with some fat. Heavy lifting really puts a ton of stress on your body forcing it to recover for hours after your workout is over. That means you will continue to burn fat even as you sit on the couch later that night. While medium reps (6-12) and high reps (12-15+) can be beneficial for fat loss, if you really want to build muscle and strength for long term fat loss then you need to be lifting heavy for a max of 5-8 reps.

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At Enough Calories

With most fat loss diets you typically lose 1-2 pounds of muscle for every lost pound of fat. So what you end up with is looking soft and flat or worse yet.. skinny-fat.

Or metabolically obese as I like to call it.

Call it what you want, it’s unattractive in any language. And it’s usually looks worse on women then men due to the fact they naturally hold less muscle.

That’s because usually in an effort to lose weight as fast as possible most people cut their calories too drastically and end up losing the beautiful contours that muscle provides.

Your muscle is extremely metabolically active. It takes a lot of calories to maintain so it’s critical that you’re eating enough calories and getting enough protein to maintain it.

Plus when you reduce your calories too low, for too long of a period you will can seriously lower you metabolism which means once you go off your diet, you will gain fat back at a faster rate.

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A Simple Calorie Baseline First you will need to find out the calories needed to maintain your current weight. A quick way to calculate your maintenance calories is to multiply your current weight first by 15 then by 16. Your maintenance calories will fall somewhere between those two numbers.

Now take the estimated calorie maintenance level you got in the previous step and multiply it by 80% to create a 20% calorie deficit. This is the ideal amount of calories you should be eating assuming you are working out 5x a week.

Because 20% is neither too big nor too small, it will allow you to maximize fat loss, minimize muscle loss, and do it all in a way that is easy for you to manage and sustain your physical and mental wellbeing.


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Sample Menu (2100 Calories) The following is a sample menu designed for a man who is 180lb who wants to lose fat and is exercising 5x a week. Breakfast 2 Whole Eggs plus 2 additional Egg Whites 1/2 Cup Quinoa Mid Morning Snack-Protein Shake Pea, Hemp or Rice Protein Powder (recommend Sun Warrior Products) 1 Tbs Flax 2 cups Spinach ½ berries 1 cup Almond Milk Lunch 5-6 ounces of grilled chicken, or turkey breast 1/3 avocado 1/2 Yam Large Salad or 2 cups Steamed Vegetables Mid-Afternoon Snack ¼ cup of almonds 1 Apple Dinner Baked Fish 1 cup of spicy Black Beans 2 cups of steamed vegetables Snack-Protein Shake 1 Scoop Pea, Hemp or Rice Protein Powder 1 Cup Almond milk **Total Calories: Approx. 2100


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On’t Count Calories Counting calories everyday can be very tedious and most people won’t do

it for long. Quite frankly, who has the time or patience? I’m not saying you shouldn’t know how many calories you’re eating on a daily basis because you definitely should. I’m just saying that you need to simplify the process. I’m going to give you a simple calculation that will allow you to get a baseline of your daily calorie requirements. Once you know this, measure your portion sizes for a week until you can eyeball the correct portion size for your daily calorie requirements. The rule of thumb is that a serving of lean protein should be the size of your open palm and for your low glycemic carbohydrate it should be the size of your clenched fist. You can have unlimited amounts of vegetables as long as they are prepared in a low fat manner. I am not a big believer in measuring out all my food and I really don’t think you need to after you have an idea of the calories per portion. Once you have your total calorie requirements for the day, break it into 5 or 6 meals that you will eat throughout the day. I usually will have 3 main meals and then the additional calories will come from the snacks. So if you determine that your total calorie intake is 1500 calories, you would eat 3 main meals of 350 calories and then 3 snacks (protein smoothies can be snacks) approximately 225 calories. You can adjust the calories and frequency of meals/snacks to fit your schedule. Now that you have your calories figured out, you can create different meals by simply replacing your proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

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You will probably find that you mainly eat the same foods over and over. I have about 10-12 favorite foods I eat on a regular basis and I know their nutritional makeup so I simply swap them out at different meals to create a new menu. For instance, I will swap out 4-5 oz of white fish for 4-5oz organic chicken or 1 tbs. of olive oil for 1 tbs. of coconut oil or or 10 almonds for 1 tablespoon of natural organic peanut butter. Keep it simple is my motto.

itch The Whole Wheat

This one might be a hard one to swallow since we’ve been hammered over the head for so long about how healthy whole wheat is for us. Sure it provides a little bit of fiber but not nearly as much as you may think and certainly not worth the havoc it plays on your body’s hormones. If you are serious about your health and want to lose fat forever then I urge you to go into your kitchen today and donate all your whole wheat bread, bagels, cakes, crackers, cereal, pretzels, cookies, and pasta to someone who doesn’t care about their health. These foods are the nemesis to health & fat-loss. When these foods are consumed they cause your blood sugar (glucose) to rise rapidly; to get this back in line your body sends out a flood of insulin to get your blood sugar back in check, this causes your blood sugar to drop quickly. Any extra glucose floating around in the body that was not used to refuel the glycogen in your muscles is stored as fat. This astronomical spike in insulin production causes chaos with our hormone production in the body.

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Even though insulin production is an important process for storing nutrients and processing glucose in the bloodstream, our bodies simply can’t handle the insulin requirements we throw at them with the kind of carb load we consume these days. And if our carbohydrate consumption is excessive the body throws in the added bonus of cortisol another fat storing hormone to handle the extra load. Plus the gluten found in wheat products can cause a whole host of other hormonal issues that will keep you sick & fat. Suffice to say when you begin replacing wheat products with healthy high fiber foods that don’t spike you’re your insulin like quinoa, beans, low sugar fruit and green leafy vegetables, you will be simply AMAZED at how great you feel and how fast your body begins to shed the fat.

top Drinking Your Calories

This should be a no-brainer but I feel like it still needs to be said. In order to keep your fat burning fire going you need to cut out all sodas (diet included), fruit juices, and energy drinks. These beverages are full of empty calories and have the same effect on your insulin levels as any other high glycemic foods. One regular size 12oz. soda has 140 empty calories full of high fructose corn syrup which will skyrocket your insulin levels. Remember all fat loss stops in the presence of insulin. Same goes for diet drinks. They may have zero calories but research shows that the sweet taste and combined with zero nutrition increases your cravings more than then if just ate real sugar. Plus they are sweetened with artificial sweeteners which are just plain bad news. Just stay away.

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Other studies have suggested that artificial sweeteners can actually make you fat. In the past, I’ve worked with people who complained they weren’t losing much fat despite a calorie deficit. When I had them remove all artificially sweetened beverages, the fat began melting off again. Many studies have also proven that artificial sweeteners are highly toxic. So do your body a huge favor and cut them out and your fat loss will go into overdrive when your liver has less toxins to deal with.

ave A Cheat Day

I know this sounds counterintuitive but having a cheat day is incredibly effective in the fight against fat. The idea is to trick your body into releasing fat by convincing it that you are not starving. The basic premise behind cheat days is that as the body becomes drained of energy and mentally and physically exhausted then a well planned cheat day will shock the metabolism and kick start the fat loss process. The science behind why it works has to do with another hormone you may not have heard of called Leptin. Leptin is “the anti- famine / anti starvation hormone” which is created in our fat glands and it regulates our hunger and energy expenditure. It basically tells the body if it is starving or not. When your leptin levels become low after prolonged dieting your body will hang onto fat and excessive body weight as a means of protecting itself. When you eat more and your body feels fed, your leptin levels will increase once again allowing your body to shed fat.

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To me, cheat days are necessary to not only emotionally calm your cravings, but to jump start your metabolism and provide extra energy but they have to be done in a smart well-planned way. CAUTION: Cheat days are not a license to eat all the junk food you can stuff into your face. Junk food is very addictive. The more you eat, the more you want. It’s a tough cycle to break and will test your willpower every week. Your best bet to successful cheat days is to eat more of the healthy carbohydrates that you’ve been avoiding. Eat until you are good and full but not overly stuffed.

igh Intensity Resistance Training (HIRT)

HIRT is often called “fat loss” resistance training and for good reason. HIRT are full body workouts that focus on the largest muscle groups. However, unlike standard weight training, you are encouraged to push through the lactic acid “burning sensation” that comes with the increased intensity. The key to getting great results is pushing your self into your anaerobic threshold zone. This means you want to be working at a level that has got you breathing heavy (7-8) on a scale of 1-10. This type of fast paced training will burn a tremendous amount of calories not only during the workouts but after as well. Intense training creates a bump in your metabolism that’s often referred to the AFTERBURN EFFECT. That means your body will continue burning calories up to 24-36 hours after you have completed the workout. HIRT workouts usually consist of compound strength movements combined with plyometric type movements in a very fast paced workout. The concept is to do more work in less time.

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These workouts are not easy and take some mental as well as physical conditioning but the results are simply phenomenal. And best of all they can be done with very little equipment-just your body weight and some dumbbells to get a great fat blasting, conditioning and muscle building workout. HIRT Workout Example DO the following exercises for 3 rounds 15 Burpees 15 Dumbbell Squat Press 15 Jumping Knee tucks 10 Alternating Plank Rows

igh Intensity Interval Training (HITT) I can’t say enough about the effectiveness of high intensity interval training

on fat loss. Numerous studies in both the science and fitness world conclude that high intensity interval training is superior to long slow cardio in regards to burning fat. HIIT is basically cardio but it’s performed at such an intense level that your body will spend the next 24-36 hours to recovering from the ass-kicking you gave it. When you do this like in a sprint or an intense circuit, your body can’t supply oxygen at a rate fast enough to fuel the muscle. That’s when your body switches to an anaerobic state and your body creates what’s called oxygen debt. The larger the oxygen debt created by your workout the longer it will take to repay it…with the benefit of more calories burned for a longer period of time after you are done exercising thus raising your metabolism.

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High intensity training is another way to create the “Afterburn Effect” or EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) and it means that your body will be burning up to 3X more calories then regular cardio. Another benefit is that high intensity intervals are shorter so not only do they get you out of the gym faster, but they can be accomplished in a greater variety of training methods then just traditional cardio where you are mostly limited to the treadmill, elyptical or stair-stepper. With HITT you can add in some fun stuff like jumping rope, bodyweight exercises or tabata training.

ut The Alcohol

I know for some of you this is going to throw a wrench in your social life but if you are really serious about turning your body into a fat burning machine then you need to kick your alcohol consumption to the curb- at least while your goal is to lose fat! Believe it or not, the calories in alcohol aren’t the biggest problem. It goes way beyond that. There are three other factors to alcohol consumption that will impede all your fat loss progress. #1 Alcohol Makes You Insulin Resistant There have been many of studies over the last few years seem to link alcohol consumption to insulin sensitivity. When you become insulin resistant, you will tend to easily gain weight, particularly abdominal body fat when you take in processed carbs. #2 Alcohol is a Potent Appetite Stimulant When researchers looked at the effect of alcohol calories over an entire day, rather than just for a few hours, they find that alcohol increased fat storage because people ate more carbohydrates especially in the evening.

There was a study in 2005 by the European Journal of Endocrinology that showed a clear connection to alcohol intake and ghrelin inhibition. Ghrelin is a key hormone involved in signaling hunger. In other words, drinking gives you an insatiable appetite!

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#3 Any Fat Calories consumed get stored immediately as fat!

When you take a drink of alcohol, your body converts into a substance called acetate. This acetate is then quickly released into the bloodstream and used as the body's main source of energy. So, your body is using the acetate as energy before it burns any other calories you consumed. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a report in 2004 that the conversion of alcohol to acetate stops fat burning in its tracks. So in effect, when you drink alcohol, any extra calories consumed over your maintenance level get immediately stored as fat usually on your belly.

et Your Mind Right

The people who tell they need to 30 pounds but can’t tell me why it’s important to them are usually the people who fail. Saying you just want to lose weight for a reunion or to fit into your old jeans isn’t going to cut it. You have to have a true driving reason to make this change. It has to be a burning desire or you’ll end up quitting when times get tough. Success starts with your WHY. Sit down and get really clear about what YOU want. No one else can tell you what your motivation is. Only you can find your motivation. There’s no one else that lives inside you so no one else knows exactly what you can or cannot accomplish. It’s up to you to take that journey and discover exactly what you are capable of and who you are capable of becoming.

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Start by asking yourself these questions:

Now write out your perfect day as the new incredibly fit, healthy new you. The trick is to imagine your day in vivid detail. You should be able taste, smell, hear and feel what your life will look like when you reach goals. Then every morning before you get out of bed read your perfect day and visualize it as if it were really happening. Now when you hit roadblocks (and you will) and your mind starts telling you that your weak and it can’t be done, you can dig deep into your WHY and it will provide you with a vast reservoir of strength that will drive you to go beyond all temporary pain and discomfort.

1. What is your true burning desire behind wanting to lose weight?

2. How will you feel when you achieve your goal?

3. What do you stand to gain?

4. How will your life look when you reach your goal?


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ongratulations!

I'm so happy you made it through this guide. Now you are on your way to attaining the lean sculpted body you always knew could be yours if only you weren’t so confused and overwhelmed by so much poor and ineffective information While I understand there are many ways to lose weight and burn fat I tried to only focus on the strategies guaranteed to give you the most bang for you buck and I left out methods that offer only mediocre results but can really make your life miserable. If you benefited anyway from this guide, I would appreciate it if you would please “Like” my Facebook Page www.facebook.com/MaximumAfterburn where you will get the most effective fat loss, muscle building and healthy eating tips and also be able to participate in our fun fit challenges. Feel free to share this e-book with anyone you feel can benefit from this guide. I sincerely hope that this information was helpful for you and wish you the best of luck on your journey to better health and a leaner body! Your Friend,

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Health & Medicine

Torch The Fat