I’m alive.  Barely.  I survived a much needed vacation to Sin City (aka Las Vegas, Nevada) and am just now remembering how to use a computer…

I’m sure you know the saying:  “What Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas.” Therefore, my lips are zipped when it comes to the details of our Vegas vacation, but don’t worry…it was nowhere as epic as The Hangover, haha.  Here’s a pic of me and the lady friend that we can’t stop laughing at–notice my Houdini-like vanishing arm trick…

The thing I freakin’ love about Vegas is that you can just walk up and down the strip and be entertained, just by looking at all the lights and crazy people.  It’s cool when you can go somewhere and completely lose track of all stresses and responsibilities and just sorta zone out and live in the moment.

Most of the time I try to not miss a beat when it comes to traveling and keeping on top of my diet and workout routine.  But on this trip I decided I deserved a total fitness fast sine I’d been taking it to the “tip top” the past 8 weeks.  I recommend you do the same after a long period of hitting it hard with no slip-ups.

Allowing myself the freedom to eat whatever I wanted made the trip even better, but to be honest I didn’t overindulge too much – at least not when it came to food.

Gambling and boozing were a slightly different story.  What can I say?  It’s Vegas for crying out loud.

As you can see in this photo, I’m a little excited to get the night started.  Looks like I met all the criteria on my pretty boy checklist too:

Purple shirt…check

Collar popped…check

Half a bottle of extra firm hold hair gel…check

“Balla” watch…check

“Stunna” shades to wear when gambling, despite it being dark as hell (not shown)…check

What’s not to be pumped about?

Warning:  living the lean body lifestyle can give you uber confidence and may lead to you just not giving a damn.  Just wanted to throw that disclaimer out there.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Seriously though, you wouldn’t believe the “attire” people were sporting around Vegas.  It was insane.  My girlfriend referred to some of these girls as a hot mess, but I argued that they worked hard on their body and simply wanted to flaunt their efforts…you can guess who won that argument, lol.

Anyways, we finished off our Vegas vacation by lighting up this black jack table, making some “money fans” and then watching a very entertaining show called Zumanity.

An awesome last night in one of my all-time favorite vacation spots, indeed.

If you’ve never seen Zumanity before, I highly recommend checking it out.  Besides the fact that it’s got very attractive and very naked performers doing amazing acts…I found the show to be really inspiring…

Both the guys and girls are completely lean and ripped and it’s crazy to see the types of acrobatic tricks their athletic bodies allowed them to do.  After seeing that I couldn’t wait to get home and start training again.

Hope you guys are enjoying life and finding the balance between fitness and lifestyle.  Don’t settle for one or the other–do both and do them like an absolute rock star.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS – VIP email subscribers can download your free gifts right here:  Advanced Fat Loss Meal Plans and Workout Videos

Sup guys and gals?  You ever had one of those weeks where every day feels like the weekend?  I swear everyone I know had a birthday this week, which meant a lot of good eats, great beverages and even better laughs.  Plus, I’ve got another birthday to celebrate at my all-time favorite restaurant tonight.  I’m so pumped it’s not even funny…

That’s me getting my last bit of hydration before we went out for Sushi and more Sake Bombs than I could count on Thursday night.  No worries though, because I planned a strategic “depletion day” that’ll ensure all these calories are put to work filling out the guns, rather than widening my waist.  More on this extreme fat loss tactic coming at you shortly…

Anyways, ADHD aside, today’s post is about guaranteed fat loss and how to ride that guarantee like a pony (or something).  Here’s what’s up – I’m having a blast working one-on-one with clients in my Platinum Personal Training program.  Up to this point, I’ve only been accepting 5 people at a time, to make sure I can offer them the time and attention they deserve.

Some clients had to wait up to 5 weeks for an opening, before they could get in.  Not cool if you’re ready to rock and roll right now.  So I finally broke down and hired an assistant to help me out with some of the email and behind-the-scenes type of work that’s had me overwhelmed for the past few months.

How does this affect you?

More QT with yours truly.  This will free me up to spend more time interacting with and helping out Platinum clients, Inner Circle members and blog readers.

In fact, I’m opening up the doors on my Platinum Personal Training program AND giving a discount.  I’ve already signed up two new clients this week, before I could get this announcement posted…and I’ve decided to accept 5 more “fat haters”  into the coaching program.

I normally charge $497/month, but am offering a $200 discount until all the new spots are filled.  This means the next 5 people who apply can lock in their rate at just $297/month.

If you don’t think that’s an absolute steal, consider that even the worst in-person personal trainers are going to run about $50/hour, totaling about $600/month.  And this gives you NO access to them outside of the training sessions.  Not to mention, you hardly ever hear of anyone getting results.  I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, I’m just suggesting that it’s usually the exception, rather than the rule.

What’s missing? I think the in-person personal training model is broke.  You see your trainer for a few hours a month and then get absolutely no guidance, support, motivation or accountability outside of those workout sessions.  That’s a recipe for failure.

Fat loss is an easy concept, but very difficult to achieve.  It takes 24/7 support from someone who knows what the hell they’re doing…and who sincerely cares about your results…without this around the clock care, there are just too many instances where discipline can waiver.

For anyone looking to change their life and accomplish goals that almost seem unreachable, I think it’s SO crucial to invest in a coach who can guide you every step of the way.  Let’s face it, when we want something and aren’t quite sure how to get there, we naturally want to be TOLD exactly what to do.

Think about it…does Michael Phelps have a swim coach?  Do you think Stevie Wonder ever took piano lessons?  Hmm, I wonder if Will Smith ever paid for acting lessons?

Absolutely.  You can bet your right butt cheek that anyone who’s achieved great things in life has at some point in time hired a coach to guide them, train them, instruct them, encourage them, support them and so on and so on…

This is the same reason that I spend thousands of dollars investing in a business coach.  If you even knew how much I’ve spent for a single 30-minute phone consultation from my multi-millionaire mentor, you’d probably spit your protein shake out your nostrils, lol.

Bottom line is, that’s how much I value what he has to say and I know that I’m 100% more likely to follow through and take action after hearing it from his mouth, as opposed to not investing any money, not having a game plan and just winging it, hoping to someday land somewhere near my lofty goals…

We all know where the second (and most common) approach usually gets us–not very far.

Okay, that was my pitch for why it’s important to have a coach or mentor when you desperately want to achieve something difficult…something that you’ve never been able to do by yourself before (in this case, fat loss).

Having said that, my Platinum Personal Training program is certainly NOT for everyone:

For example, if you’re not absolutely committed to reaching your fitness goals – whether it be fat loss or getting totally lean and ripped – this is not for you.

Also, I’ve got a “no lame people allowed” policy, because the last thing I want to do is work one-on-one with someone who I’m just not “vibing” with.  Basically, don’t apply if you’re extremely uptight and don’t like to laugh and enjoy life once in a while.

Lastly, if money is tight or if you don’t feel that the value delivered would FAR outweigh the monetary investment…then absolutely, do not apply.

Agreed? Good.  So if you happen to be in the small percentage of TopFatLossTrainer readers who feels as though you’d be an ideal candidate for the Platinum Personal Training program, go ahead and send me an application email right here:  Sign Up Now

Remember, I’ll only work with awesome people who’re willing to do whatever it takes to achieve extreme results in the shortest amount of time possible…

If this is you and you’re wanting to lock in the discounted rate of $297/month, I’d suggest acting fast because those 5 spots won’t last long.

++++++++ Click HERE to apply for the Platinum Personal Training 1-on-1 Coaching ++++++++

Oh, and don’t worry…I’ll have some wicked food and a “Dirty Monkey” (<— ridiculously good drink they make at this restaurant)…or four…on your behalf tonight.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS – Like I just told my newest Platinum client, get ready to become my new BFF ‘cuz you’ll be hearing from me a lot if you make it into the program.

Hey guys and gals, just wanted to write a quick post to say thanks for all the excellent emails and feedback I’ve been getting.  I know sometimes I get buried in emails and don’t always get the chance to address each one – at least not as in-depth as I’d like to, but I DO read everything and it really is cool hearing everyone’s success stories and kind words…

In fact, here’s an email I just received the other day that I thought was pretty rad:

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

Hey Brad.

Im a college student in Florida. I play soccer and I have always wondered how to have the perfect body (between the regular bulky guy  and the skinny ripped twig) like CR9 (Cristiano Ronaldo) who is my hero and idol.

So today I started my online search on how to achieve those results and out of all the websites that i found with info about cr9 and his work out an diet, I have to admit that yours was the best one; very specific and you were not asking for any money in within 5 minutes.

Not only that, after browsing to your site; checking out all the sections and posts, I developed such a good vibe for it that within 5 minutes i couldnt help to subscribe.

Im going to begin the work out you have outlined for Ronaldo starting tomorrow with a buddy of mine, also going to complement it with a healthy diet, and some good sleep.

I want to thank you for what you have done for me in less than 1 day, your site is great, and everytime i watch your videos or read ur emails, and i get to the part where you say Your Coach, Brad; I actually feel like your my coach and that i know you and that you actually care about people, which is something that even physically at your local gym is hard to find from a personal trainer.

Once again, Thank you for giving me all the tools to become what i want.

Hope we can keep in touch through the site.

Your Student,

Christian (FL)

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

That’s what it’s all about right there – Christian hit the nail on the head…I really am here to help and I actually do care about your success, so whatever you guys need, just let me know.

It’s been awesome getting to know so many of you from all around the world and I look forward to helping as many people as possible in the future.  Thanks again to everyone for showing your TopFatLossTrainer luv, haha.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

Im a college student in Florida. I play soccer and I have always wondered how to have the perfect body (between the regular bulky guy  and the skinny ripped twig) like CR9 (Cristiano Ronaldo) who is my heroe and idol.

So today I started my online search on how to achieve those results and out of all the websites that i found with info about cr9 and his work out an diet, I have to admit that yours was the best one; very specific and you were not asking for any money in within 5 minutes.

Not only that, after browsing to your site; checking out all the sections and posts, I developed such a good vibe for it that within 5 minutes i couldnt help to subscribe. 

Im going to begin the work out you have outlined for Ronaldo starting tomorrow with a buddy of mine, also going to complement it with a healthy diet, and some good sleep.

I want to thank you for what you have done for me in less than 1 day, your site is great, and everytime i watch your videos or read ur emails, and i get to the part where you say Your Coach, Brad; I actually feel like your my coach and that i know you and that you actually care about people, which is something that even physically at your local gym is hard to find from a personal trainer.

Once again, Thank you for giving me all the tools to become what i want.

Hope we can keep in touch through the site.

Your Student,

Christian (FL)

Just for laughs, I had to upload this YouTube video I saw today that pretty much sums up how I act when I get outta the shower…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Was that my left bicep?

Building kick!

That’s hilarious, great work Old Spice.

Hope everyone absolutely annihilated their workout today.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS – pa pa pa pa pa pa POWER! 

I’m still laughing at the ridiculous title I gave this workout, haha…”it’s like a fat chisel.”  But it really is.  I thought I was going to either puke or faint after the first exercise alone.  It took a lot of heart to keep going, plus I didn’t want to wuss out on film.  I know all you Inner Circle rock stars are going to hate this metabolic workout, but I also know you’ll love the body composition changes it brings to the table.

This will get categorized under weight training workouts and fat loss workouts, but it’ll probably feel more like a cardio workout.  It’s also a little longer in duration, so lace those shoes up tight, grab your running watch (or just follow my lead) and let’s start chiseling that one thing we all hate – FAT.

*Remember, this is pretty advanced.  Stick to the original lean body workout plan you selected in Step 5 until you’ve maxed that out, then we’ll have you slowly step up to these more challenging workouts.

[Content protected for Inner Circle members only]

What did you think?  Was it so effective that your pants/shorts were starting to fall off halfway through the workout like mine were?  Plus, I almost ripped the back of them out during the second to last exercise (and my girlfriend says I don’t have a butt, HA).  Go ahead and leave your comments, questions and requests below.

I’m here to help you every step of the way, so let me know what else you need to succeed with lighting fast speed.  Wow, I’ve really lost it.

Your Inner Circle Coach,

Brad Campbell

I just got back home from a long business trip to Stamford, CT, where I attended an amazing event put on by my business coach.  I had the chance to network with a lot of really cool people in the fitness industry (and many other industries) who’re doing some BIG things.  We’re talking multi-millionaires…

Here’s Me Networking With Some Entrepreneurial Rock Stars:

The atmosphere was outstanding and I definitely made some new friends and gained a whole lot of inspiration and enthusiasm from this huge group of entrepreneurs.  For you, this means more advanced fat loss coaching coming your way and more opportunities to work with me on a more personal level (more on this in the coming weeks).

One thing I regret is that I didn’t bring my clunky laptop along on the trip.  Sure, the iPhone is great for checking emails, blog comments, etc, but it’s kinda a royal pain in the butt to reply to all my Inner Circle and Platinum Personal Training clients, especially when I needed to write in-depth responses.

But I’m back now and I’ll be catching up on all the requests and questions this week.  And just to let you know I was thinking about my ‘crew,’ here are some quick videos I shot on my iPhone during seminar breaks.  I thought I’d upload them to YouTube and be able to post them onto TopFatLossTrainer right away, but I was having major issues copying and pasting the code (guess it’s not the perfect phone after all), so here they are…a little late…

TopFatLossTrainer Update:  Did You Miss Me?

Lean Body:  How Bad Do YOU Want It?

From those two short videos you should be able to see that a) I’m always thinking bout my fat haters and b) I desperately need to get some sleep (by the way, that second video was shot at like 5 am and it’s now about midnight…so this cat needs a nap).

If I were you, I’d step it up and take what’s yours this week.  You have to want it more than anything.  That’s how you win in the lean body game, that’s how you win in business and that’s how you win at life.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS – get on that VIP list (blue box below) if you’re not already…you’ll be treated like the very important person that you are.

You know I love shorter, harder and more advanced workouts for losing fat, building muscle and sculpting the kind of hard body that could cause fender benders when you’re out running around town.

But the fact of the matter is you can’t go hard every single workout, especially when you’re following an aggressive fat loss diet plan.

So speaking of running, one of the most effective ways to add powerful calorie burning workouts to your weekly regimen without risking overtraining, is to use tempo running.

A tempo run (also called anaerobic threshold runs, lactate threshold runs or just threshold training) is basically a moderate duration steady state run done at threshold pace, which is the effort level where your body’s ability to clear lactate can no longer keep up with lactate production.

You’re probably wondering how you’re supposed to know how hard of a pace this is.  Good question.

If you have access to a heart rate monitor, this would be at about 85% of your maximum heart rate.  I prefer to just go by feel, though.  A tempo run should be done at a pace that is uncomfortable, but not impossible, to maintain.  It’s faster than  you’d like to run, but nowhere near the intensity level used with interval training.  Most tempo runs should last 20-40 minutes, depending on your fitness level.

Tempo-pace running is ideal for maximizing aerobic capacity and increasing aerobic efficiency.  This carries over to your weight training workouts and more demanding cardio workouts, where you’ll be able to perform at a higher output without hitting the wall.

Not only does tempo running increase the fat-burning potential of other workouts by allowing you to train more efficiently, but it’s a pretty solid calorie-burning tool in itself.  The icing on the cake is the fact that tempo training is just moderate enough in intensity that it gives your muscles and nervous system a break from the insanity they’re exposed to in other (more hardcore) workouts.

You can take this a step further and perform tempo runs in interval-like fashion.  This segmented threshold training is also referred to as tempo reps, tempo intervals, tempo cruising or moderate interval training.  The standard protocol is of course longer runs done at tempo pace that last anywhere from 90 seconds to 10 minutes, followed by brief rest intervals of about 1 minute, and repeated for 20-40 minutes.

This longer, but less intense form of interval running allows you to accomplish a higher volume of quality training without adding excessive amounts of stress to an already taxed body.  I really like using a cardio workout such as this when I’m feeling a little drained from fasting.

In fact, I did a 30 minute tempo rep run this morning because I knew I wouldn’t have the fuel to attack a more challenging workout (this morning was the tail end of a 31 hour fast I used to get back on track after a few slip ups the past few days).

After a brief warm-up, I ran 90 seconds at a challenging (tempo) effort, recovered at a slower jog for 45 seconds and repeated nonstop for 30 minutes total.  This was just the right blend of intensity and duration and I felt like a million bucks afterward.

Anyways, that’s the skinny on how to use tempo running to get un-fat.  Make sure you’re using this training tactic to your advantage throughout the week.  I’m off to flex in the mirror for a bit.  Be cool.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS – I just got a new iPhone, in case you’re wondering how I came up with the picture theme for this post.  I must have got screwed ‘cuz my iPhone didn’t come with apps like that.   

I’ve been hearing from lots of readers lately who’re suffering from shin splints, so I thought I’d whip up a post that’ll show you how to cope with this dopey condition.

Shin splints refers to a general condition where pain is felt at the front part of your lower leg(s).  The fancy term for shin splints is called Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome.  I don’t know about you, but shin splints works just fine for me.

The pain that is felt from shin splint sufferers is the end result of fatigue and/or trauma of the tendons that attach your front lower leg muscles to the tibia bone.  So what causes this tendon fatigue and trauma?  Well, there’s many causes and all of them basically fit into one of two categories:

—> Biomechanical inefficiencies:  seen with poor exercise mechanics and often compounded or precipitated by having flat feet and a tendency to over-pronate during walking, running, jumping, etc

• Flat feet – most common cause under this category
• Over-pronation – generally a result of having flat feet; occurs when foot and ankle roll inward, causing a demanding stretch in the muscles of your lower legs
• Tight or stiff lower leg muscles
• Poor running form – leaning forward too much, leaning backwards too much, running with your toes pointed too far out, landing on the balls of your feet and not pushing off through your toes after each stride (too much ‘babying’ of the heel to toe transition)

—> Overload from exercise:  usually seen when muscles and tendons become fatigued (overloaded) and lose their ability to properly absorb and cushion the constant strikes seen with running, jumping, etc

• Exercising on uneven surfaces
• Trying to do too much too soon
• Running, walking or exercising on hard surfaces too frequently
• Working out in inappropriate shoes or shoes that have lost their support/cushioning
• Too much uphill or downhill running

Basically, there’s lots of ways to induce shin splints and the pain that comes with them.  Most people are guilty of committing several of the above, so it’s not hard to see why so many suffer from shin splints.  If you’ve been lucky enough to avoid this condition throughout your training, it’s important that you work to keep it that way.  Let’s take a look at prevention…

—> How to avoid shin splints:  ask anyone who suffers from shin splints and they’ll tell you…the absolute best treatment is to avoid getting them in the first place.  Shin splints can really cramp your workouts, so you’ll want to take these steps to avoid being sidelined…

• Get to a specialty running shoe store (or see a podiatrist) to have your feet analyzed, along with your foot strike during running and walking.  After this, have them recommend the most appropriate style of shoe and/or orthotic insert for your style of training.  This step should be a no-brainer, but I’m always surprised at how many people neglect to do this.  Don’t be stingy when selecting your workout shoes, either.
• Always use an appropriate warm-up routine before starting any training session (cold, tight muscles with limited blood flow will be much more susceptible to injuries).
• Stretch the lower leg muscles (and total body, for that matter) as often as possible – flexible muscles are much less likely to be over-stretched and over-worked during your fat loss workouts.  I’ll admit, stretching sounds boring and it’s definitely not very “sexy,” but it’ll make you feel, look and perform SO much better.
• Strengthen the lower leg muscles and correct imbalances.  Most people work their calves, but fail to work the front lower leg muscles, making them weak and prone to being overloaded during your workouts.  You’ll want to work the muscles responsible for lifting your toes up towards your shins.  Try these lower leg strengthening exercises while you’re at work or watching TV… 
  • Spell the alphabet with your big toe of each foot, while feet are raised off the ground slightly
  • With heels on the ground, flex your toes up and back as far as possible (towards your shins) and hold for 30-60 seconds.  Take small breaks and repeat as often as possible.  Can also do for reps (up, down, up, down as fast and hard as possible for a certain time period or number of reps)
  • Drop random items on the ground and pick them up several times with your toes
  • Walk short distances on your tip toes
  • Walk short distances on your heels
  • Walk up and down steep hills
  • Get creative – anything you can do to mimic the exercises I mentioned will help strengthen the front lower leg muscles

Okay, so those are some pretty hip tactics to avoid pesky shin splints altogether.  Now let’s take a look at how to treat shin splints when you already have this nagging condition.

—> How to treat shin splints:  if possible, try to identify which of the factors listed above (under biomechanical or overload issues) is most likely causing your shin splints, then fix or remove it.  Next, immediately after noticing the onset of shin splints, make sure to use the Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (RICE) method.

Getting on this right away (rather than trying to train through it) will help to give you the best chance for quick and full recovery, with lower incidence of recurrences.  If severe enough, go ahead and schedule an appointment with a professional specialist, who can offer even more direct recommendations.

The next phase of treating shin splints (after 3-4 days of implementing the RICE method) should include the application of heat and massage over and around the shin area.  This is useful before, after and in between workout sessions.  Plus, it’s a good excuse to treat yourself to a massage (just tell ‘em to focus on the shins).

By now, the pain should be under control and you should be able to start easing back into your regular training routine.  However, at this point in time, it’s super important that you start incorporating the shin splint prevention strategies (listed above) into your overall lean body workout plan.

There you have it…that’s the down low on coping with the dopey condition known as shin splints.  Whether you’re currently suffering from them or have been fortunate enough to avoid shin splints thus far, I think everyone can learn something from this post.  I’d like to see everyone doing more stretching and more injury prevention – these are two elements that no one thinks about until it’s too late.

Coming from a guy who’s experienced major setbacks due to multiple stress fractures in my feet, I’m telling ya…it’s no fun to be sidelined with injuries and have to sit back and watch your hard work and progress slowly slip away while you wait to heal.  SUCKS.

A much better path is to take some extra time (stretching, strengthening weak muscles, doing specific drills, etc) and spend a little extra money (buying the appropriate running shoes and I also use an insert to support my high arches) to prevent these nagging injuries from occurring in the first place.

Be healthy so you can keep training hard, without setbacks.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

“Get In Shape Without Setting Foot In a Gym.”  That’s the slogan I’m reading off the front page of this advertisement for the new Skechers Shape Ups…

Are you serious?  How can they claim this shit?

Those were my initial thoughts when I first saw the brochure my mom brought home from the mall last night (the p’s are visiting on vacation and they’ve been getting their shop on during the day, while I get my grind on with TopFatLossTrainer, as usual).

Back to Skechers Shape Ups and the brochure that instantly made me a little heated.  In case you’re wondering what the hell I’m talking about, I’m referring to the shoe company, Skechers, and their new shoe line that apparently does everything but cure cancer.

According to this clever little handout for Skechers Shape Ups:

Shape Ups feature a unique soft kinetic wedge insert and dynamic rolling bottom to simulate walking on a soft giving surface like sand.  With the comfort of Shape Ups, you will feel your heel sink to the ground as you step, roll forward as your weight shifts to its center, and push off with your toes.  This movement will result in stronger leg, back and abdominal muscles as you stabilize your steps.

Shape Ups are designed to enhance the benefits of walking by stimulating muscles not utilized with standard walking shoes.  They also reduce the impact on joints by providing a more natural, forgiving walking surface.  Walking on a soft surface may seem awkward at first, but your body will compensate by activating muscles in your legs, back and stomach to center your body, resulting in improved coordination and posture, stronger muscles, and increased blood flow.

Shape Ups will have a positive impact on you physically.  Regular use of Shape Ups help you sleep better and can play an important role in combating stress.  It’s as easy as walking in Shape Ups.

Also according to this infomercial on paper, Skechers Shape Ups are designed to:

Promote weight loss

Strengthen and firm the back muscles

Tone and tighten leg muscles

Firm calf and butt muscles

Tighten abdominal muscles

Relieve muscle tension and fatigue

Increase cardiovascular health

Improve posture

Reduce cellulite and tone your thighs (on the women’s brochure, of course)

Alright, so here’s my two cents, for what it’s worth.  The theory behind this new Skechers shoe makes sense.  I don’t disagree with the thought that this design could have many benefits over the traditional shoe design.  In fact, I have to admit it’s pretty freakin’ creative, so kudos to the nerd who came up with the Shape Ups concept.

However, the marketing campaign is where I start to have serious issues.  It really aggravates me because the FTC has just recently cracked down on how online marketers can advertise (probably a good thing, because there’s way too many shade balls out there trying to steal your money and then run and hide, making it impossible for you to figure out why there are mysterious charges on your credit card statement)…

Notice how I don’t show any before and after pics or testimonials on my TopFatLossTrainer Inner Circle sales page?  That’s because I’m scared to put any up, because your entire business could get shut down thanks to these new rules.

Like I said above, I’m glad they’re starting to protect the consumer and weed out the scammers, but it does make it hard for the few honest people left (like myself) to show any of their greatest success stories (the FTC is really strict with weight loss testimonials, due to the ridiculous amount of supplement and gimmick scams that show misleading results and prey off peoples’ hopes of finding the “magic bullet”).

Well, apparently, they didn’t tighten up the offline marketing, because I see the advertising for these Skechers Shape Ups as being equally misleading.  This brochure is implying that you buy a pair of these Shape Ups and go about your normal walking and standing…and all of a sudden you’re going to lose cellulite, get a booty like Fergie, improve your posture and sculpt a 6-pack like Cam Gigandet…all from walking in a pair of shoes.

What’s that smell?  Oh yah, that’s the B.S. that’s plastered all over this flyer, lol.

Once again, you have a “miracle product” that says nothing about hard work or diet, that’s going to supposedly turn all buyers into lean fitness models that are the epitome of optimal health…

Other than the claims of improving joint health and posture, I just don’t see how they’re getting away with saying the rest of this crap.  It’s very misleading and I know thousands of people are rushing to the stores as I type, to throw their hard-earned money across the counter and into Skechers’ corporate bank account.

These people may very well love the feel of the Shape Ups and they might even notice an improvement in their joints, but I guarantee they aren’t going to turn into a ripped Ryan Reynolds from walking in a pair of Skechers – no matter how cutting-edge the design.

Another negative that you’ll notice immediately, especially if you’re fairly stylish like myself, is that the Shape Ups won’t be winning any “best looking shoe” awards.  The things look like a bloated, broke down pair of clodhoppers (but that’s just my take).

I will say that my mom was pretty hot on these things – I guess she tried on a pair and said they’re really comfortable, so they do have that going for them.  My final take is this:  if you do a lot of standing or walking, especially at your job, and you could benefit from taking some of the stress off your joints and lower back, give them a shot.  Hell, you may even burn a few more calories throughout the day.

BUT, if you’re looking for a way to lose fat, build muscle and firm and sculpt your trouble spots, please don’t get reeled in by the tricky advertising used to promote the new Skechers Shape Ups.  You should know by now that there’s no magic bullet and if a fitness product is claiming amazing things without stating that there’s lots of effort, discipline and motivation involved, then it’s probably a gimmick.

I wouldn’t go so far as to call the Skechers Shape Ups a gimmick, but I would say their advertising is totally misleading and preys off our inherent desire to find the easy way out.

I’d like to hear your feedback – has anyone bought a pair of Shape Ups yet?  If so, what’s the verdict?  Ladies, did the cellulite jump right off your thighs and guys, did you notice a dramatic tightening of your abs?

For anyone who hasn’t bought a pair, what do you think about this shoe design and about the benefits Skechers is claiming the Shape Ups will provide?

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS – If I hear a ton of great reviews about how comfy these blimps are, I may have to buy a pair to wear around the house, but I doubt you’d ever see me rockin’ these in public.  I’m pretty particular about my shoes…maybe sometime I’ll upload some pics of the shoe collection, as it’s starting to get pretty deep these days.  Having said that, does anyone actually LIKE the look of the Shape Ups?

I’m in a challenge workout type of mood this week, so get ready to be tortured.  I’m going to put your body through the fat loss ringer…hope that’s cool with you.  Unlike past challenge workouts I’ve posted, this one’s straight up cardio.  It sucks pretty bad, both physically and mentally…but with a solid effort, you’ll get a decent post-workout metabolic bump.

What’s gnarly about this challenge workout is that there’s not much thinking involved.  Okay, there’s no thinking involved.  Lace up your running shoes and let’s get jiggy.

Challenge Workout – Treadmill Torture:

—> After a light warm-up, hop on a treadmill, raise the incline to 6% and turn the speed to 6 MPH.  Next, suck it up and run as far/long as possible, without adjusting the speed or incline.

—> And that’s the extent of this challenge – just see how far (or how many minutes) you can make it before stopping.  Simple enough in details, but kinda torturous when carried out.

*Just don’t let me catch you holding onto the top of the treadmill with your hands.  Nothing is more annoying than seeing people do this.  Don’t be lazy and don’t destroy the effectiveness of your cardio workouts by holding onto (or even resting your hands on) the cardio equipment.

Alright, I’m done preaching.

Go test your mental toughness and cardiovascular endurance by trying this 6/6 treadmill torture challenge workout.

How long did you make it?  Shout it out below in the comments section.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS – Have you tried my Jason Statham Workout or Megan Fox Workout yet?  Make like Nike and “Just Do It” if you haven’t already.