What’s up everybody and welcome back to the quest for the V-tapered trunk.

So, how did your ratio measurements turn out?  (see V-Taper ratio)

Does your upper body resemble a funnel, a cylinder or, even worse, a pear?

Remember, we’re shooting for a shoulder to waist ratio of 1.6 for the athletic, lean muscle look that has the ladies rubber-necking as you walk by.

A good example of the numbers that would satisfy this equation would be to match a 30-inch waist with a shoulder circumference of 48 inches.

We’re not shooting for a meathead body builder ratio of 1.8, like some of the cartoon characters who flex and pose their way across the stage while sporting a spray-on tan and teeth so contrastingly white that you need UV 400 protection sunglasses in order to look directly at them.  But, I digress...

For those of you in the minority who already have the 1.6 ratio in check, time for you to move on to another post.  But, for the rest of you, here’s a look at 3 movements that you should be incorporating into your weekly routines to sculpt the V.

Keep in mind that these movements should be supplemented with the dozens of other lean body workouts and nutritional information on this site to address your waistline and allow tapering from your shoulders down to take place.

Also, the movements below are not the only 3 that can be utilized to achieve this look.  They should serve as a push in the right direction.

So, let’s get started...

Wide-Grip Dead Lift

The bent-knee version of the dead lift is arguably the best exercise for overall muscle recruitment.  The lower body will be taxed heavily, causing the release of muscle-building and fat-burning hormones throughout the body.

The core is called upon in a big way to perform this movement.  If not, you’re asking for back problems.

And, more specific to our V-tapering quest, the trapezius muscles of your upper back will be recruited.  Adding size and strength to your traps will create the look of a wider and thicker upper back.

Start the movement with the bar near your shins and over the front of your feet, which should be in a hip-width stance.  Grab the bar with an overhand or alternating grip at one and a half to two times your shoulder width.  Push your hips back, lift your chest, and pull your shoulder blades back and down to ensure a flat back position.

Next, activate your core as if you’re about to be punched in the gut.  This MUST be maintained throughout the entire lift.

With all these checkpoints covered, stand as you pull the bar up the front of your legs, while maintaining a flat-back, chest-up position.  Push through the heels to recruit the glutes and finish the movement by “shooting” your hips through at the top and pulling your shoulders back and down again if they had been displaced at all.

To descend, push your hips back while maintaining a flat back.  This hip dominant movement will create a forward tilt in your trunk, which is okay as long your back doesn’t round.

Once the bar reaches your knees you can begin flexing more at the knees while continuing to push your butt down.  Throughout the process, the bar should be sliding down your legs and, yes, this will often cause some scrapes along the way.  But, take that as a good sign as it means you are not allowing the bar or your body to get out in front.

Dumbbell Incline Chest Press

The incline press develops your upper chest and the front part of your deltoid muscles, in addition to hitting the triceps.  This movement will add width to the upper body.

I’d suggest using different bench angles for variety, but start with the standard incline position of 45 degrees.  The alternative would be to decline the bench to a position between 45 degrees and flat.  The flatter you set the bench, the more weight you will be able to do.

Your hand position is significant relative to the health of your shoulders.  Your palms should be facing in with a neutral grip at the bottom of the movement to allow the humeral head to rotate naturally in the shoulder socket.  As you press the dumbbells up above your shoulders, your hands will rotate so your palms are facing out at the top.

Your shoulders should be set back and down just like the dead lift, or any other movement for that matter.  This shoulder setting will raise your chest and set your scapula (shoulder blade) in a stable position and allow it to glide naturally through movement instead of winging out, as long as your elbows are tucked by your side as the weight descends instead of flaring out.

For a greater challenge and variety, alternate your presses instead of doing them at the same time.  This will require more trunk and shoulder stability as you won’t be able to counter-balance the weights.

Pull-up / Chin-up

These two similar movements are great for training the trapezius and latissimus dorsi.  The lats naturally take on a V-shape form when trained properly.

The differences between the pull-up and chin-up are often exaggerated.  The pull-up is performed with an overhand grip and will hit the lats and traps a little bit harder than the chin-up which utilizes an underhand grip and recruits the biceps for more assistance.

A wider grip will recruit the lats more, but don’t overdo it as there are diminishing returns.  Going too wide will cut down on the range of motion and also potentially compromises the rotator cuff.  You’ll also find that a wide grip chin-up will strain your wrists if you are using a straight bar.

A good rule of thumb would be to grip the bar slightly outside shoulder width and mix up your hand positions, even throwing in a neutral (palms in) grip if possible.

I’m not much for the CrossFit version of a pull-up where you swing your body around as if in convulsions so as to build momentum for assistance and tempo.  I’d rather see an individual control his body weight in a linear plane of motion and accelerate up in a 1-count, while decelerating down in a 3-count.  If you can’t execute this, ask someone to assist you at your feet or use a lat pull machine instead.

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I would suggest you perform 3 to 5 sets of each lift and cycle them throughout the week by performing heavy, moderate, and light days to keep the muscles stimulated.

Now, let’s get to it and start expanding the upper torso and diminishing the waistline until we hit that magical 1.6 ratio!

Your Coach,

Brian Utley

Related Post: Workout Routines To Build Muscle

I went over some theory the other day, mapping out how to build lean muscle and lose fat at the same time.  From that post, you should have learned that it'll take a highly strategic balancing act, that teeters between balls to the wall fat loss and meathead-like muscle building, all within the same day (or week, depending on which method you choose to follow).

Assuming your workout isn't first thing in the morning, you should have also realized that, contrary to popular belief, breakfast is NOT the most important meal of the day.  At least not when it comes to changing your body composition.

No sir, the post-workout meal trumps breakfast like the ace of spades, since it's virtually impossible to build lean muscle without getting this right.

You saw the carb-filled buffet I scarfed down post weight workout in that last post.  Plus, I talked about the importance of the pre-, during and post-workout carb/protein shake...all of which collaboratively set the stage for maximum muscle building and preventing muscle breakdown during that crucial window of opportunity.

Today, I want to focus on another part of the day, so you can get a better picture of how your meals should be structured to achieve this feat.  So let's talk breakfast...

Admittedly, I'm a little harsh on the pathetically lame, #1 most used, generic as hell nutrition tip that most sites give out in their "groundbreaking" articles...

You know, the whole "a balanced breakfast is the most important meal of the day...it jump starts your metabolism...never skip it and try to eat something within 20 minutes of waking up" garbage that everyone likes to rehash...

Well, I'm not saying breakfast isn't important-- hell, every meal is important if you want to make extreme changes to your body.  It's just not as important as all the literature would have you believing.

Soapbox aside, I should get back to the original point of the post...

When you're aiming to burn fat and pack on rock hard muscle at the same time, what type of breakfast is best?

Simple.  You need lots of protein, but without many calories...to promote muscle sparing/building, while operating at a caloric deficit throughout those morning hours.

Here's what I had this morning for my lean body breakfast, which of course, meets the criteria above...

You may have noticed that there were no bagels loaded with cream cheese on my ultra classy paper plate.  Actually, you probably can't tell what that mess is...

We have leftover 99% lean ground turkey topped with salsa and fat free cottage cheese.  I also drizzled a small amount of extra virgin olive oil over the top.  I washed it all down with 2 large glasses of green tea.

You can see I had a crap-ton of protein, a small amount of healthy fats, only a few grams of carbs and plenty of antioxidants.  I like to show you pictures so these concepts really resonate.  It takes sacrifice to build an exceptional body.

Sure, I would've preferred a ginormous bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but instead ate a plate of ground meat for crying out loud.

Most of your meals and snacks throughout the day should resemble this setup-- lots of high quality protein, minimal carbs (load up on veggies), some healthy fat and lots of water.  Then, the carb overfeeding comes into play right before, during and after your strength training workouts.

So that's just another look into the the day of someone who's trying to build lean muscle and lose fat at the same time.  Make sure your breakfast is lean body certified if you're trying to do the same.

Take it easy.  But not too easy.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

Speaking of building lean, shapely muscle... check out these advanced bodybuilding workouts: Lifting Routines To Build Muscle

My favorite weekly holiday, "Fat Hater Friday," is upon us once again.  As if I needed any more reason to be giddy, I just got done with a Tacfit Commando bodyweight workout, plus 15-minutes of 'throwback intervals' (I'll explain in the next post).

So I'm sitting here, dripping with sweat, waiting to cool down before I hit up an ice cold shower.  I can't stand weeks where I enter the weekend in a fitness funk.  Fortunately, this was definitely NOT one of those weeks.  Hope it wasn't for you either.

Okay, what's on tap for this blog post?  Wait, speaking of tap, I could really go for a tall Dos Equis with two limes later tonight.  On one hand, I deserve it... but on the other hand, it's not my cheat day.  What to do, what to do...

I'll continue that internal struggle in my head.  Told ya I was borderline ADHD.

Right now, I wanted to share with you one of my fat loss diet go-to snacks...

You already know that an awesome lean body snack has to be high in protein and low in carbs.  It's gotta be quick, convenient and portable.  And if it tastes good and contains healthy fats, these are major bonuses as well, right?

You got it, dude.

One snack that meets this criteria that I use constantly is tuna.  But not just any tuna-- I buy the flavored tuna packets.  My favorite is the Starkist Tuna Creations Hickory Smoked.  You can also rock the following flavors:

* Herb & Garlic Tuna (a little strong for my liking)

* Sweet & Spicy Tuna (this stuff is bomb as well)

* Zesty Lemon Pepper Tuna (I hate pepper, so my opinion doesn't matter)

* Tomato Pesto Albacore Tuna (kinda strange, I'm not gonna lie)

* Mango Chipotle Salmon (also a little different, but good in a salad)

As you can see, I'm kind of a tuna junkie.  But these 'packet thingies' make it SO much easier to take this with you...no can opener necessary.

These things make it a lot easier to choke down tuna too, since the plain stuff is like eating stale socks.

If you don't like tuna, I'd still recommend giving these a chance.  Just grab a spoon and eat it right out of the pouch for an easy snack that'll promote lean muscle building, fat loss and a ripped physique.

I like to eat half for my morning snack and finish the other half for my afternoon snack.  Notice the theme here...I'm always preparing meals or snacks that I can eat multiple times throughout the day, or even a couple days in a row.  The only way to succeed with a strict and extreme fat loss diet, is to make it convenient to put the right things in your trap.

Seems obvious, but I can't believe how many times I've heard:  "But I had to get fast food, I didn't have time to make anything healthy..."

Seriously.  Plan ahead and remove all obstacles from your path to hard body success.

Two last things:

---> Yes, this will contain more sodium (it's always gonna be something), so don't scarf down seven packets per day or anything crazy like that.

---> No, this still won't taste as good as pizza.  If you want a great body, it's not about eating for pleasure or doing only what your taste buds command you to do.  At some point you're gonna have to suck it up and eat for fuel, performance, repair and to look HOT.

I've got more lean body snacks and advanced fat loss diet tips on deck.  Batter up...

I almost forgot, you might want to have some gum handy if you're getting tuna-rific on the go.  No one likes fish breath.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS - Free diet plans and workout videos for anyone who sings up below.  I'm just sayin'...

I just finished watching a new episode of the Fantasy Factory, starring crazy man Rob Dyrdek.  How can you not like that guy?  What I admire about him is the fact that he's always having fun.  It never looks like he's working because he's always screwing around, picking on his cousin, Drama, and making some sorta scene.

But the guy is a serious entrepreneur making some serious coin.  It's awesome to see someone who's so laid back and a little immature like myself...but who's still killing it doing what he loves--skating and being a goofball.

Anyways, that has nothing to do with this blog post, although Rob did shoot a not so serious fitness infomercial in this episode...which was flippin' hilarious by the way...and that got me thinking that I should go blast my blog and check in with my fat haters.  So in a way, it had a lot to do with this post.

Glad I thought that one out...

So check it, I've talked a ton about building a lean body on this blog.  I've given you one lean body workout after another.  You all know my preferred ideal body type for guys is lean and ripped...and for girls, lean and toned with some curves is just gravy.  I think we can all pretty much agree on what defines a lean body, BUT what constitutes a "lean body workout?"

That's actually a great question I just got asked after writing this post:  extreme fat loss workout.  So what is it about a workout that produces a lean and ripped look that's so special?  How's this different from, say, a muscle building workout?

To be honest (like I always am), it's pretty tough to answer that question.  Sure, there are some fundamental differences in terms of the kinds of exercises used, the amount of weight, rep ranges, rest periods, etc...but the main difference has to do with mindset.

Someone with a burning desire to get completely shredded has to be willing to go above and beyond during their workouts AND in the kitchen.  They have to create an entirely new lifestyle--the lean body lifestyle, if you will.

After all, it's pretty easy to become a big muscular meathead who lacks symmetry, proportions, definition and athleticism.  Anyone can gain muscle mass, but still look soft and round.  On the other hand, lots of people lose a bunch of 'weight,' but still look like sh*t afterward, because they simply turn into a smaller version of their old self (the "skinny fat" phenomenon).

What's truly challenging though, is putting on 'just enough' lean muscle and maintaining it, while STILL being able to torch enough body fat to highlight that lean muscle mass.  It's a pretty complex process, especially since most people need to lose a lot of fat, but also add some muscle mass to their frame to achieve this ripped look.

And because the amount of leanness I'm referring to is in the single digits for guys and in the upper teens for girls, we 'lean body lovers' have our work cut out for us.  Before I get too far off track (focus, Brad), let's bring it back to the original question of what is it about the WORKOUT that makes it an official lean body workout?

Well, that's why I went off on my tangent.  See, it's not so much about the specific strategies I sprinkle into each lean body workout...but more so about the mindset and attitude you need to have.  Because this will translate into the appropriate lifestyle adjustments that are necessary for creating a lean and chiseled body, like Rain or Jessica Alba.  The most important of which, is diet.  And a much distant second, is workouts...

So why would I call it a lean body workout if it has more to do with proper mindset and dieting?  Well, because...assuming you have the right mentality and are focused like a lens on your lean body diet plan, workouts can then have a significant impact on the way your body looks (but only after the first two aspects are squared away).

When they are, here's some characteristics I think really puts the LEAN in my lean body workouts:

---> Emphasis is on maintaining (or slightly adding) muscle mass, despite having a primary goal of torching every last ounce of unwanted body fat (this differs from a general weight loss workout that simply tries to get pounds off, and usually ends up stripping muscle along with the fat).

---> Usually performance-based, since I strongly believe that the best way to look like a lean, ripped, highly athletic, cover-model worthy stud or hottie, is to BECOME just that (as opposed to trying to look like that, but without ever pushing yourself or working to become more athletic).

---> Incorporates ALL areas of fitness, from strength, to speed, recovery, flexibility, stamina, etc (again, rather than just a workout program that has you simply trying to bench more weight and nothing else...all that does is get you better at benching more weight...not being more functional in everyday life)

---> Takes into account proportions and symmetry, where you're always striving to chip away at that last layer of lower stomach fat...or broaden your shoulders to enhance your v-taper...or sculpting the booty to look just right in those skinny jeans and stilettos (can I get an amen?)

---> Uses consistent progression and undulating periodization, which is just a fancy way to describe the process of mixing up set and rep schemes in a 'strategically random' way.  I'll admit though, that nearly any decent workout program uses these tactics as well...so this is less specific to a lean body workout.

So, the lean body workouts I design take all of these things into account and then some.

This makes them specifically targeted to producing the lean and ripped physique you're going for, rather than a generalized fat loss or muscle building workout that'll produce general/average results.

But as I said at the beginning, the main difference is in your way of thinking and your way of eating.  I could give you a lot of bogus workouts that could make you look shredded as long as your lifestyle and diet were both ideal for building a ripped body.

The workouts can definitely play a big role, but only when everything else is already in place.  And I don't want you guys forgetting that, since most people tend to overlook the "big things" and assume that it's all about the workout.

Did that help clear things up?  The next clarification I should probably do is what makes an extreme fat loss workout "extreme?"  To be continued...

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

When it comes to achieving extreme fat loss, how does traditional carbohydrate cycling stack up to my cheat day (followed by a fast day) method?  That's the topic of today's post, but before I tell you which dieting strategy takes the cake (get it?), I'm going to make like the maid I wish I had and do some housekeeping...

If you haven't downloaded your FREE bodyweight workout videos yet, make sure to get on that before the offer expires.  Check out this post for details:  Get Ripped Without Weights and learn more about this hardcore bodyweight-only training system right here:  Tacfit Commando Review.

Next up, I received this email the other day from a relatively new TopFatLossTrainer reader and thought it was straight fire (that's Brad talk for:  it made my day)...

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I'm not sure if these messages actually get to you Brad, but I want to say thanks for publishing this blog.  I have only recently discovered it and what I like most is the fact that you speak (or write) plainly and bluntly.  You don't try to overwhelm us with science, and you clear out the BS and hit us with the facts.  You write in a conversational tone as opposed to a text book.

Anyway, I have found your tips refreshing.  I was beginning to succumb to information overload from all the misinformation out there but I like your no-nonsense approach best.  I'm 42 and my journey began just this year 1/1/10.  I was 6' 0" and 265 lbs with 40% body fat.

As of today (7/6/10) I have cut that to 223 and 21% using virtually all of the techniques you describe.  I still have a long way to go but I have accepted that patience is the key.  Once I get lean, I'll try your tips for adding mass.  I'm looking forward to it.  Thanks!  Kraig

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Just wanted to say congrats to Kraig for his impressive transformation so far and I hope you keep that momentum going until you reach your end goal.  The reason that made my day was because he hit the blogging nail on the freakin' head--everything he pointed out is exactly what I set out to do when I first created this puppy.

I know that my bluntness, less than professional atmosphere and laid back personality won't vibe with everyone, but I'm cool with that because (in my opinion) the last thing the Internet needs is another prim and proper boring-a*s weight loss site, where the author lectures to his/her readers and spits out the same old safe and rehashed crap that's been known for decades.

Okay, so most fitness knowledge has been known for a long time, but hopefully you get my point.  I guess that was just a really long-winded way of saying that it's satisfying to know that my decision to be a little more unique and real is being noticed and is being appreciated...so GRACIAS to Kraig and others who've left similar comments.

Okay, now that the place is looking spotless, let's see if I can focus on the original topic long enough to spill some fat burning knowledge.  Here's the exact question I received...

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Hey man, I absolutely LOVE the site and your dedication to helping people out.  Truly awesome and inspiring!!

I have a quick question about the cheat day, I've read up quite a bit on carb cycling and it seems somewhat different to your notion of the cheat day, yet you likened the two.  Others seem to talk about carb cycling, spread out over a week with high carb days, medium carb days and no carb days.

I much prefer your idea of the single cheat day followed up by the full days fast, which I did for the first time the other day, no problem.

What I was wondering was is there much difference between your "cheat day" and conventional carb cycling?  As I can't seem to find out much else regarding the cheat and fast day apart from your site.  Sorry to be so long winded.

Thanks again for all the great work!!

-Grant

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Carb Cycling for Fat Loss...

Alright, so another good question there from Grant.  As you probably guessed, carb cycling is just that--simply varying or rotating the amount of carbohydrates consumed throughout different days of the week.  You've probably heard the terms refeeds, carbing up, zig-zagging, etc--all of which are used to describe carb cycling.

There are many different ways to use carb cycling in your fat loss diet plan.  For example, some plans alternate between high carb, medium carb and low carb diet days, while others use only two 'types' of days.  From there, you can obviously use different intervals in terms of how often you cycle carbohydrate intake, plus specific dieting days can be paired strategically with certain workouts to enhance desired results.

Carb cycling is generally thought of as strictly a weight loss tactic, but can also be used for muscle building or to promote maintenance of lean muscle mass during a fat loss phase.  For the purposes of rapid fat loss, it's effective (and I'd go so far as to say essential) for the exact same reasons the cheat day is so clutch:

1) High carb days boost slipping leptin, thyroid and other hormone levels that have fallen due to consecutive lower carb days.  This hormonal bump is KEY to keeping metabolism high during a weight loss diet.

2) By cycling days of lower and higher carbs, we can manipulate insulin levels and maximize muscle building and muscle sparing (preventing lean muscle breakdown) effects according to your overall body transformation goals.

3) Because higher carb days follow several days of lower carb intake, most of the added carbs consumed will be put to good use by refilling glycogen stores in liver and muscle, rather than being stored as fat.

4) Carb cycling offers a huge psychological upside as well.  Besides all the internal benefits, you get to look forward to days where it's not only okay to eat more carbohydrate-rich food, but it's required by the diet plan.  This scheduled 'break' from lower carb dieting can be a game changer when it comes to staying on track the rest of the week.

This should all sound very similar to the benefits I've talked about with using the cheat day/fast day approach.  However, the carb cycling method generally has two major differences:

1) Carb cycling usually calls for higher carb days that consist of complex (healthier) carbohydrate foods, whereas the cheat day recommends you enjoy any of your favorite not-so-healthy carbohydrate foods.

2) The intervals and magnitude of the high and low carb days are much more extreme with the cheat (then fast) day diet strategy...meaning you'll go longer without cycling and when you do cycle, both the high and low carb days are much more exaggerated, as compared to carb cycling protocol.

Hopefully that points out the similarities and differences between standard carb cycling and the cheat day, fast day madness.  So which one works the best?  The politically correct answer is that they both work well and it depends on who's asking and what their goals, preferences, habits and experiences are...

Assuming the person asking has no preferences and just wants to shed fat as fast as possible (and assuming they have no underlying conditions that would make them a poor candidate for an all-out cheat day and a 24-hour fast day), I'd give the edge to the cheat day, followed by a fast day.

It takes extreme measures to achieve extreme results and this is far and away the best game plan for torching body fat quickly, without sacrificing lean muscle mass (and in many cases, allowing you to make small GAINS in lean muscle) and without forcing you to give up all the foods you love to eat.

My main beef with the traditional carb cycling method is that it basically calls for 100% clean eating and it's just not likely that the average person is going to avoid temptation each and every meal for the duration of the diet, let alone forever.

The Xtreme Fat Loss Diet allows you to indulge strategically, so you don't have to feel guilty about giving in to 'forbidden foods' or worse yet, become that antisocial person who has to make excuses every time an event or activity revolves around tasty food.

That's just my preference though.  Although I do think tit for tat, this approach is more powerful and more capable of lending greater weekly fat loss results...as I said before, the major determinant of which approach is best has to do with WHO we're talking about, as no single diet strategy or workout principle is generalizable to everyone.

The ironic thing is, after copying and pasting that email about how my site is less scientific fluff and more in your face "meat," I just realized that was probably the most serious and bland post I've written in a long time.  Sorry, hope I didn't geek out too much on you guys...

See ya on the flip side.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS - See my top rated diet plans for fat loss, muscle building or both right here: Diets

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

So yesterday was my birthday and I just wanted to say THANKS to everyone for the e-cards and Facebook messages...really made my day...you guys and girls are da bomb.

By the way, is there some type of condition where your actual age progresses as normal, but your personality and outlook remains stuck at the level of a thirteen year old?  If so, I've totally got that condition.

You should see the "are you freakin' kidding me" looks my girlfriend is constantly giving me when I say the most random, childish, completely off the wall things...I'm not sure what my deal is, but I really don't take anything very serious (as you can probably tell from reading my blog).

Scratch that, I do take one thing very serious - fitness.

I want everyone to be able to lose fat and get a lean body without hating the process.  Because of that, here's another lean body smoothie recipe that I think you'll dig - this is possibly one of my "favoritest" of all time, since I'm a HUGE peanut butter lover.

Here goes...

Lean Body Smoothie:  Peanut Butter Pimpin'

--->> 1/2 banana

--->> 1 cup of skim milk

--->> 1 tbsp of natural peanut butter

--->> 1/2 scoop of Prograde Lean Chocolate Meal Replacement

--->> Ice cubes for desired consistency

--->> Blend and slam

Here's the nutritional breakdown for this ultra tasty dessert (I mean lean body meal):

Calories:  304
Fat (grams): 9
Protein (grams): 19
Carbs (grams): 37
Fiber (grams): 5

I like having this in the morning or a couple of hours before my scheduled workout (I don't generally like to include any grams of fat with my pre- and post-workout smoothies, as this could slow down the absorption of much needed protein).

If you need a good whey protein or meal replacement powder, I recommend using my partner's high quality supplements over at Prograde Nutrition.

Also, I've received everyone's questions and blog topic requests and will be knocking them out, one by one.  Stay tuned for more awesome diet and nutrition posts coming up.

Your Older (but still very immature) Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS - Is this lean body smoothie BIG PIMPIN' or what?

PPS - Just added this new category for bodybuilding workouts: Workout Routines To Build Muscle

To lose fat, build muscle, get a lean body or accomplish any other goals (including non-fitness related goals), it all starts with one simple component that's almost always overlooked - developing the proper mindset.  To be frank (even though I'm Brad...), the average person is so self-sabotaging it's not even funny.  The tricky thing is that most people will never discover just how limiting their own thoughts truly are.

If you don't know what's wrong, it's kinda hard to fix it, right?  If you're having troubles achieving your ideal body, most often times it has nothing to do with you selecting the wrong workout or diet plan and everything to do with you not having the correct mindset.  So if you're dying to get a lean body and wondering why you're not getting anywhere, I encourage you to start spending some time on that big brain of yours.

Whether it's reading just ten to fifteen minutes a day of an uplifting book or watching a motivational video or speech...or just spending more time around positive, successful people and less time around negative, energy-zapping complainers...you'll begin to notice almost immediate changes in your thought process.

This is BIG, because once you start to think differently, you start to act differently.  And guess what happens when you start acting differently - you got it, you start to see different (better) results.

If you're tired of carrying excess body fat and really want to sculpt a hard body that belongs on the beach in as skimpy of a swimsuit as possible (can I get an eww-wee?), then sure, you need to start doing things differently.  The problem is that most people skip the most crucial step of reprogramming their thoughts and jump right into switching things up (e.g. starting a new cardio workout or xtreme fat loss diet), but without changing their outlook.

This leads to a temporary improvement (at best) with an end result that's always going to be the same...because in the end, your mind is going to direct your behavior to match your thoughts, beliefs and whatever negative crap you're absorbing from the environment around you.

I'm going to make it easy for you to complete your "mindset homework" I assigned you, by posting some highly motivating blog posts from time to time, so that you start to open yourself up to new ideas, better ways of thinking and greater opportunities.  Here's one from the ultra successful actor Will Smith.  This guy gets it.  Start thinking like the former Fresh Prince and you'll get a lean body, make more money or accomplish any other goal you may have.

Will Smith - Reprogramming Your Mindset For Success:

I loved how Will says we generally make things more complex than they really are.  Everyone wants to find that special secret.  Nobody thinks it really can be that easy.  This really holds true in fat loss and changing your body.

And that analogy he gave about not being afraid to die on the treadmill was straight fire.  Whether you want the best body, the biggest bonus or whatever else, you've simply got to be willing to outwork everyone else.  The average person is just too damn willing to step off that treadmill and accept defeat.

Now if you watched this video and thought it was dumb and are wondering what it has to do with you getting a lean body, then you're probably one of the people that needs a change in mindset the most.  Successful people think differently than everyone else - they think better.

Like Will Smith says, it pays to be irrational and unrealistic when you're thinking about your life goals...because if you're thinking realistically, you're going to act realistically, and if you act realistically, you're going to end up with very mediocre (average) results.

I'm not sure if you knew, but we don't do average on this blog.  We do exceptional.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

I just filmed this quick video showing my current favorite (and most hated) metabolic exercise.  This compound super movement is the combination of several metabolism-boosting exercises all rolled into one long, gut-checking exercise.

For the guys who want to be ripped like Cam Gigandet and the gals who want a toned body like Jessica Alba, this is where it's at.

Choose to use this highly metabolic exercise by itself for an entire workout, or combine it with other exercises for a longer, hybrid-like workout.  Either way, you'll see why this exercise is so powerful after a set or two.

As you can see, I included a few pics I snapped right before doing this workout, "attempting" to showcase the v-taper and devil's horns that I think really makes or breaks the male's body.

Like a dummy, I didn't take any a month or so ago when I was at my all time lowest body fat percentage (thinking I was still peaking)...but with all the traveling and visitors I've had lately, what can I say...I've put a few pounds of fat back on.

I'll take some more after I hit it hard for another month, just to show that I practice what I preach and I'm all about living the lean body lifestyle.  You should be too.

Metabolic Exercise for a Cam Gigandet or Jessica Alba Body:

If I were a betting man, I'd put a lot of money on you getting a lean, ripped body if you incorporate this metabolic exercise into your overall workout program.  Why not look exceptional like Cam Gigandet or Jessica Alba?  Set your goals sky high and don't settle for anything less.

By the way, don't be hating on my pants (which almost ripped when I was filming an Inner Circle workout) or my total lack of ability when it comes to posing, lol.  Can you tell I've never competed before?  Next year perhaps...

Remember to hop on that VIP list and get your diet plans and workout videos (blue box below)... it's free and it rocks like gravel.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

After signing up to my VIP list, try these out: Navy SEAL Workouts

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

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