Speed Up Your Metabolism

Don't bemoan the fact that you were born with a sluggish calorie-burning system. Turbocharge it with these tips—some even work in your sleep!

Here's a secret: slaving away inside your body—right this minute—is your very own personal trainer working tirelessly to help you burn calories and shed fat. It's called your metabolism, and it's the sum of everything your body does. Each time you eat, enzymes in your body's cells break down the food and turn it into energy that keeps your heart beating, your mind thinking, and your legs churning during a grueling workout. The faster your metabolism runs, the more calories you burn. The more you burn, the easier it is to drop pounds. And get this—you can make your metabolism work harder, a lot harder, 24 hours a day.

To some degree, our bodies hum along at a preset speed determined by gender and genetics, but there's still plenty of wiggle room. "You have a huge amount of control over your metabolic rate," says John Berardi, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., author of The Metabolism Advantage. "You can't affect how many calories it takes to keep your heart beating, but you can burn an extra 500 to 600 calories a day by exercising properly and eating right." And by making a few changes to your routine.

To make those changes simpler, we enlisted the help of leading experts and came up with a round-the-clock, turn-up-the-burn plan complete with new moves that will throw your metabolism into overdrive.

1. When You Roll Out Of Bed

Eat (a good) breakfast Every. Single. Day: If you don't, your body goes into starvation mode (it's paranoid like that), so your metabolism slows to a crawl to conserve energy, Berardi says. And the heartier your first meal is, the better. In one study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, volunteers who got 22 to 55 percent of their total calories at breakfast gained only 1.7 pounds on average over four years. Those who ate zero to 11 percent of their calories in the morning gained nearly three pounds. In another study published in the same journal, volunteers who reported regularly skipping breakfast had 4.5 times the risk of obesity as those who took the time to eat.

What should you be having? Morning munchies that are slow to digest and leave you feeling fuller longer. Try a mix of lean protein with complex carbohydrates and healthy fats, like this power breakfast, recommended by Berardi: an omelet made from one egg and two egg whites and a half cup of mixed peppers and onions, plus a half cup of cooked steel-cut oats mixed with a quarter cup of frozen berries and a teaspoon of omega-3-loaded fish oil.

Sip java: Sisterhood of the traveling spill-proof mugs, rejoice! A study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior found that the average metabolic rate of people who drank caffeinated coffee increased 16 percent over that of those who drank decaf. Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system by increasing your heart rate and breathing, says Robert Kenefick, Ph.D., a research physiologist at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine. Honestly, could there be a more perfect beverage?

Guzzle your water cold: Chase your morning joe with an ice-cold glass of H2O. Researchers at the University of Utah found that volunteers who drank eight to 12 eight-ounce glasses of water per day had higher metabolic rates than those who quaffed only four glasses. Your body may burn a few calories heating the cold water to your core temperature, says Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph.D., founder and director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Weight Management Center. Though the extra calories you burn drinking a single glass doesn't amount to much, making it a habit can add up to pounds lost with essentially zero additional effort.

2. When You're At Work

Pick protein for lunch: Cramming protein into every meal helps build and maintain lean muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat does, even at rest, says Donald Layman, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois. Aim for about 30 grams of protein—the equivalent of about one cup of low-fat cottage cheese or a four-ounce boneless chicken breast—at each meal.

Brew up some green tea: "It's the closest thing to a metabolism potion," says Tammy Lakatos Shames, R.D., author of Fire Up Your Metabolism: 9 Proven Principles for Burning Fat and Losing Weight Forever. The brew contains a plant compound called ECGC, which promotes fat burning. In one study, people who consumed the equivalent of three to five cups a day for 12 weeks decreased their body weight by 4.6 percent. According to other studies, consuming two to four cups of green tea per day may torch an extra 50 calories. That translates into about five pounds per year. Not bad for a few bags of leaves, eh? For maximum effect, let your tea steep for three minutes and drink it while it's still hot.

Undo damage with dairy: Hey, it happens. There are days when no salad on earth can possibly overcome the seductive power of French fries. But you can make up for it with a calcium-rich afternoon snack, like eight ounces of milk or six ounces of low-fat yogurt. Calcium helps your body metabolize fat more efficiently by increasing the rate at which it gets rid of fat as waste (yes, that kind), reports a study from the University of Copenhagen. Sorry, supplements don't have the same effect.

3. When You Go Food Shopping

Choose organic produce: You wouldn't fill your car engine with pesticides, right? Hell, no. Researchers in Canada found that dieters with the most organochlorides (chemicals found in pesticides) stored in their fat cells were the most susceptible to disruptions in mitochondrial activity and thyroid function. Translation: Their metabolism stalled. Can't afford a full organic swap? Go to foodnews.org/fulllist for the most (and the least) contaminated foods, then adjust your shopping list accordingly.

Seek heat: It turns out capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their mouth-searing quality, can also fire up your metabolism. Eating about one tablespoon of chopped red or green chilies boosts your body's production of heat and the activity of your sympathetic nervous system (responsible for our fight-or-flight response), according to a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology. The result: a temporary metabolism spike of about 23 percent. Stock up on chilies to add to salsas, and keep a jar of red pepper flakes on hand for topping pizzas, pastas, and stir-fries.

Grab some metal: Women lose iron during their period every month. That can throw a wrench into your metabolic machine, because iron helps carry oxygen to your muscles. If your levels run low, muscles don't get enough O2, your energy tanks, and your metabolism sputters, Shames says. Stock up on iron—fortified cereals, beans, and dark leafy greens like spinach, bok choy, and broccoli.

4. When You Work Out

Mix things up with intervals: You're always looking for a way to shorten your workout, right? Well, step up your intensity and you'll burn the same number of calories or more in less time. In one Australian study, female volunteers either rode a stationary bike for 40 minutes at a steady pace or for 20 minutes of intervals, alternating eight seconds of sprints and 12 seconds of easy pedaling. After 15 weeks, those who incorporated the sprints into their cardio workouts had lost three times as much body fat—including thigh and core flab—compared with those who exercised at a steady pace. Bursts of speed may stimulate a fat-burning response within the muscles, says lead researcher Ethlyn Gail Trapp, Ph.D. Whether you ride, run, or row, try ramping things up to rev your burn: Start by doing three eight-second all-out, can't-talk sprints with 12 seconds at an easy pace between each effort. Work your way up until you can do 10 sprints over 20 minutes.

Take it slow: This isn't easy, but when you strength train, count to 3 as you lower the weight back to the start position. Slowing things down increases the breakdown of muscle tissue—yeah, it sounds bad, but all that damage you're incurring is actually a good thing. The repair process pumps up your metabolism for as long as 72 hours after your session, according to researchers at Wayne State University. But pass on those featherweight dumbbells—you need to use weights that are heavy enough that you struggle to complete the final few reps.

Pop pills: Combining regular exercise with fish-oil supplements increases the activity of your fat-burning enzymes, reports a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Volunteers took six grams of fish oil daily and worked out three times a week. After 12 weeks, they'd lost an average of 3.4 pounds, while those who exercised exclusively saw minimal shrinkage. Look for brands containing at least 300 milligrams of the fatty acid EPA and 200 milligrams of the fatty acid DHA per capsule. Pop two of these two hours before your workout.

5. When You Get Home

Eat Nemo's pals: Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines are loaded with hunger-quashing omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats help trigger the rapid transfer of "I'm full" signals to your brain, according to the National Institutes of Health. Bonus: A 3.5-ounce serving of salmon nets you 90 percent of your recommended daily value of vitamin D, which will help preserve your precious calorie-craving, metabolism-stoking muscle tissue.

Skip the second mojito: Another reason not to overimbibe—knocking back the equivalent of just two mixed drinks (or two glasses of wine or two bottles of beer) puts the brakes on fat burning by a whopping 73 percent. That's because your liver converts the alcohol into acetate and starts using that as fuel instead of your fat stores, report researchers from the University of California, Berkeley.

Hit the sack—early: When you sleep less than you should, you throw off the amounts of leptin and ghrelin—hormones that help regulate energy use and appetite—that your body produces. Researchers at Stanford University found that people who snoozed fewer than 7.5 hours per night experienced an increase in their body mass index. So make sure you get at least eight hours of rest.

Race against time: Beat the downshift in metabolism that comes with aging.

With each passing decade, a woman's metabolism slows by about 5 percent. Hormones play a role, but mostly it's because as you get older, you typically become less active. As a result, you lose muscle mass, a major consumer of all those calories you scarf down. So by the time you hit 35, you'll burn 75 fewer calories a day than you did at 25; by age 65 you'll burn 500 fewer, says Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph.D., director of the Weight Management Center at the University of Pittsburgh. You can outsmart Mother Nature with the tips on these pages. Here's what happens if you don't:

* 20s—Your muscle and bone mass are at their peak.
* 30s—Your mitochondria—cellular powerhouses that fuel muscles to use more oxygen and burn more energy—become less effective.
* 40s—A drop in estrogen production further slows metabolism.
* 50s—Sharp decreases in activity reduce the levels of hormones responsible for maintaining lean muscle mass and bone density.

Is Losing Weight Harder As You Get Older?

'I used to be able to drop weight fast. Now, it’s a struggle. Why?'

Q: I’m 39. I used to be able to lose weight very easily. All I would have to do is diet for a few weeks and I could lose 5 or 10 pounds. Now it’s a struggle and I find it hard to even lose a couple of pounds. Is it difficult for me to lose now because of my age?

A: Many things seem to slow down with age including the metabolism—or how much energy is expended—of all the organs in the body. As a result, your body needs fewer calories to maintain its weight. Since how much you eat corresponds directly to your ability to lose, maintain, or gain weight--assuming that you are eating the same amount as you always did--if your metabolism slows, then by definition, you’d have to eat less (or burn more) than you used to lose the same amount of weight.

Couple that with the fact that even active people gradually gain weight over a period of years, usually due to becoming less physically active and eating more, and the energy balance equation gets tilted even farther towards making it easier to gain—and so, harder to lose—weight as you age.

But 39 is not really “old,” so unless you're a total sloth and existing solely on high-calorie junk food, you’re probably not experiencing all these effects very dramatically. More likely, you're a victim of your past approach to weight loss.

You suggest that you used to diet frequently and drop big chunks of weight quickly. The fact that, years down the line, you are still trying to lose weight suggests that all those frequent bouts of fast weight loss were never permanent (otherwise you wouldn’t have to repeatedly drop weight.) So, each “successful” weight loss effort also resulted in subsequent weight regain. The downside? Typically this pattern results in more body weight and/or body fat gained each time. So, it sounds as if you were on a rollercoaster ride when it comes to your weight. Your history of yo-yo dieting, rather than your age, is probably making it more difficult for you to lose weight now.

You don’t provide any information on your current body weight, shape or exercise regime, but if you are currently overweight, it may take more effort than it used to not just to lose weight, but to maintain the loss. And maintaining the loss is key, because as you’ve already experienced, what good is dropping 10 pounds if you gain it back (and maybe more) and then have to re-lose it repeatedly?

The 2009 position paper on weight management from the American Dietetic Association provides an analysis of weight loss and weight regain prevention recommendations along with an evaluation of evidence to support the guidelines. What is now understood better than ever before is how complex weight management really is. There are not only long-term and short-term physiological mechanisms that affect your level of hunger, fat-tissue storage, satiety and other factors involved with body weight regulation. But hedonic variables factor in, too, such as the effects of taste, social aspects of eating, and the unpleasurable aspects of getting in shape (exercise that you may perceive to be boring or depriving yourself of desired foods)—all of which can affect your ability to control how much you eat, or to be more or less active.

Generally, eating fewer calories than your body uses will result in weight reduction. The 2009 ADA position paper acknowledges that many strategies to reduce daily caloric intake can work—whether it's by counting calories, reducing carbs or fat, or using meal replacements for easier portion control. So, depending upon your preferred approach, with a well-structured plan and discipline you can lose some weight, ideally aiming to create a caloric deficit of anywhere from 250 to 1,000 calories per week to create a loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week. For example, if you normally eat 2,600 calories per day and are maintaining your weight, you might burn 300 to 500 through exercise and shave off another 300 to 500 by making smarter eating choices.

If you’re overweight, you may very well have extra fat cells that will yearn to be filled once you’ve lost some body fat. So, once you lose weight, however, you do it, it’s imperative that you embark on a lifelong strategy to maintain that loss.

The 2009 position stand on weight loss and prevention of weight regain in adults emphasizes the importance of regular, daily exercise to offset the tendency to regain lost weight. While more research needs to be done in this area to determine exact exercise prescriptions, it appears that doing at least 60 minutes per day of moderate-intensity physical activity (brisk walking, running, using a cardio machine, for example) is crucial for maintaining weight loss and/or preventing weight regain. People who are not used to doing that much exercise need to start with small amounts, such as 10 to 15 minutes per day, and work up to longer periods until they are regularly meeting the quota.

Since regular exercise has benefits that surpass simply staying lean, including maintaining balance, strength and cognitive abilities as you age, it’s crucial to start exercising regularly now, and keep it up for the rest of your life.

So, if you embark on a weight loss program, this time, rather than see it as a short-term, impermanent solution, look for ways to think about revamping bad habits permanently so that you get healthier, stronger and leaner not just in the next few months, but over the rest of your life.

A Diet Pill That's Safe and Effective?

Q: Is there a diet pill available that is safe to use and really works?

A: I wish we had a pill that could help people lose weight easily. None of the medicines on the market are worth using, if you ask me.

Drugs for weight loss that are sold over-the-counter, such as dietary supplements and appetite suppressants don't have a strong effect on weight loss. And using these drugs can cause side effects.

Prescription weight loss drugs have drawbacks, too. They include orlistat (sold as Xenical and Alli), sibutramine (sold as Meridia) and phentermine (sold as Adipex and Ionamin). In some European countries, you can buy rimonabant (sold as Acomplia). It is not sold in the United States.

In November 2007, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) looked at the benefits and of prescription drugs for weight loss. The article summarized the weight loss results and side effects for orlistat, sibutramine and rimonabant.

The findings in this study closely matched a report on rimonabant that came from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2007. It also is similar to FDA testimony about sibutramine at a Senate hearing in 2004.

How do these weight loss drugs "size up?" They are not very impressive. According to the BMJ study, after using the drugs for 1 to 4 years, people lost:

* 6 pounds on average with orlistat
* 9 pounds on average with sibutramine
* 10 pounds on average with rimonabant

Previous studies have found an average weight loss of 2 to 13 pounds with phentermine.

Most patients would need to spend more than $1,000 a year on the drugs in order to see these results. Cost is one reason that a lot of users don't stick with these medicines. A Canadian study showed that fewer than 10% of people who use sibutramine or orlistat stay with it for at least a year. Fewer than 2% of people stay with it for two years.

Another problem with weight loss medicines is their side effects:

* Orlistat causes oily stool, grease spots on underwear, and uncomfortable urges to have a bowel movement in up to one-third of people who take it. It also may decrease the absorption of vitamins from your diet.
* Sibutramine raises blood pressure and pulse rate. In up to 1 out of 5 patients, it can cause insomnia, nausea, dry mouth or constipation.
* Rimonabant was associated with symptoms such as depression and anxiety in up to 1 out of 4 users. At usual doses:
o
+ 9% of patients developed depression
+ 5% needed to start medicine for depression
+ 9% had to start an anxiety medicine or sleeping pill
+ The suicide rate doubled
+ Phentermine can cause a rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, restlessness, anxiety, or diarrhea

Phentermine formerly was used along with the drug fenfluramine. This combination was known as Fen-Phen. In some people, it led to heart valve damage or abnormal artery pressures in the lungs. Fenfluramine is off the market. But similar problems might occur if phentermine interacts with drugs that are like fenfluramine. This includes antidepressants such as Prozac. These drugs can't be safely combined with phentermine.

Surely, there must be a better way to lose weight.

As old fashioned as it sounds, modest daily calorie intake and regular exercise are still the cornerstones of weight control. Weight loss drugs certainly can be a part of treatment for a person who is severely overweight. However, they are not good enough to substitute for other strategies. I don't recommend them for most people who need to lose weight.

Mary Pickett, M.D., is a lecturer for Harvard Medical School and an assistant professor of medicine at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, OR. At OHSU, she practices general internal medicine and teaches medical residents and students.

13 Road Trips Every Man Must Take

Enjoy the Ride

Whether you're heading cross-country or just across one state line, using these strategies can make your trip much more pleasant--and much safer.
Lose the junk in the trunk

As long as you can secure them, put the heaviest items in the backseat for better balance, says Tim O'Neil, owner of Team O'Neil Rally School in Dalton, New Hampshire.
Forget your schedule

Trips usually take 10 to 15 percent longer than planned, says Leon James, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii and the author of Road Rage and Aggressive Driving. Accept this before you set out.
Put down your Corn Nuts

Keep your blood-sugar levels under control by eating fiber-rich apples and pears, says Monique Ryan, R.D., author of Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes.
Don't sip for a buzz

The caffeine in soda or coffee can overstimulate--causing you to crash (perhaps literally) later on. Drink water instead.
Stretch when you stop

Grab a pole about waist high and stand with your feet 18 inches away. Bring your head between your arms to stretch your upper back. Hold for 20 seconds, says Frank Fischetti, personal trainer for NASCAR driver Mark Martin. Next, stand on one leg. Once you're stable, reach down and touch your toes, with the raised leg going up and straight back behind you. Do 20 to keep your hamstrings and lower back loose. Switch sides and repeat.
Keep your focus

Glance at a road sign. Do your eyes focus quickly? If not, it's time to rest, O'Neil says. And remember: Even if your eyes (and bladder) don't need it, pull over at least every 3 hours.
Exit the Sandman

Even Metallica can eventually make you drowsy. The key is mixing up the music you listen to. Check radio-locator.com before you leave so you'll know what's on.

Three Steps to Strength and Stamina

Sets and reps get old. This routine from Jim Liston, C.S.C.S., founder of Catz Sports in Pasadena, Calif., builds muscle and endurance through pyramid repetitions.

After the warmup (No. 1), do one rep of exercise pair No. 2, then two reps, then three, then four, and then work back down to one rep. Repeat with exercise pair No. 3. Do as many rounds as you can in 15 minutes.

1. Boxer's Punch + Dumbbell Squat

With a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand, throw 32 punches, alternating lefts and rights. Then let your arms hang loosely at your sides and place your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Bend at the hips and knees to lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor, and then press back up. Complete 16 squats. Repeat the sequence once.

2. Push-Up + Prone Row

Push-up: Place two six-sided dumbbells on the floor and grip them while you do a full push-up. (Lower in two seconds, push up in one.)

Prone row: In the up position of the push-up (still holding onto the dumbbells), bring your right-hand weight up to your armpit and squeeze your shoulder blade back. Lower the weight and repeat the move with your left arm. (Take one second to raise the weight and two seconds to lower it.)

3. Jump Squat + Curl

Jump squat: Assume a squat position as you hold dumbbells at your sides, your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Press through your heels to explode up quickly. Then land softly on the balls of your feet and sink back onto your heels.

Curl: After landing, let the dumbbells hang at your sides. Without moving your upper arms, curl the weights up. (Take one second to raise them and two seconds to lower.)

Fast Track to Flex Appeal

"Man's got to know his limitations." Spend enough time in the gym and you gain an acute appreciation of what Clint Eastwood meant with that immortal line. Eventually, we all run up against the limitations of whatever workout system we're using. Some help make us bigger, some help make us stronger, some help make us leaner, but none seems to do all three at once.

While I agree that it's often more efficient to pursue one goal at a time, the workout system I created for my new book, Huge in a Hurry, allows you to multitask. You'll build size and strength, thanks to the intense challenge to all your muscle fibers from the high-speed reps. And you'll get leaner, thanks to the maximum-effort sets. Try it for four weeks, and you'll see that your limitations aren't really all that limiting.

Your 4-week flex plan

In just three workouts a week, you'll build bigger, stronger muscles while whittling your waist down to size

Directions: Do each workout once a week, with at least a day (48 hours total) between workouts. Instead of performing a specific number of sets, do the total number of reps designated for each exercise—regardless of how many sets it takes you.

Here's how it works: For each exercise, follow the guideline for the amount of weight you should use, which includes a repetition range for your first set. For example, suppose it prescribes four to six reps. You want this to be a challenging weight, of course, so choose what you think is the heaviest weight that allows you to lift at least four reps but no more than six. Then simply do as many sets as you need to complete the total number of reps for that exercise. (If you do fewer reps in subsequent sets, that's fine.)

One more guideline: Perform every rep of every exercise as fast as possible with good form, without pausing at any point. Stop the set if you're slowing down or if your form changes—for example, your range of motion shortens or you need to cheat to finish a rep.

Workout A

• 25 total reps per exercise
• 4-6 rep range, first set
• 45 seconds of rest between sets

1. Chin-Up (or Underhand-Grip Lat Pulldown)

Using an underhand, shoulder-width grip, start the set from a dead hang with your knees bent and ankles crossed behind you [A].

Pull yourself up as fast as possible until your chest touches the bar [B].

If you can't do that many chinupsor don't have access to a chinup bar, do underhand-grip pulldowns on a straight bar with your hands about shoulder-width a part.

2. Dumbbell Bench Press

Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie on your back on a flat bench. Start with your arms straight, holding the weights directly over your chest [A].

Lower them to the sides of your chest [B], and then immediately push them back to the starting position.

3. Front Squat

Grab a barbell with a shoulder-width grip and place it in front of you across the tops of your shoulders. Now raise your upper arms until they're parallel to the floor, allowing the bar to roll back onto your fingertips [A].

Without letting your elbows drop, lower your body by pushing your hips back and bending your knees until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor [B]. Push your body back to the starting position.

4. Barbell Lying Triceps Extension

Grab an EZ-curl bar or a barbell with an overhand grip, your hands a little less than shoulder-width apart. Lie on a flat bench and hold the bar over your chest with your arms straight [A].

Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows to lower the bar until your forearms are past parallel to the floor [B]. Pause, and then lift the weights back to the starting position by straightening your arms.

Workout B

• 40 total reps per exercise for each arm or leg
• 10-12 rep range, first set
• 60 seconds of rest between sets

1. Dumbbell One-Arm Row

Stand in a staggered stance, your left foot in front of your right. Hold a dumbbell with your right hand and bend at your hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. Let your right arm hang straight down from your shoulder, your palm facing your left leg [A].

Pull the weight to the side of your torso [B] and then lower it. Do all of your reps, and then switch to your left arm.

2. Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell with your right hand just above and outside your right shoulder. Your palm should be turned toward your head [A].

Push the weight straight up over your shoulder [B], lower it, and repeat without pausing. Do all your reps, and then switch arms.

3. Barbell Reverse Lunge

Hold a barbell across your upper back and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart [A].

Keeping your torso upright, step back with your left leg and lower your body until your right thigh is parallel to the ground and your left knee nearly touches the floor [B]. Push yourself back to the start. Do all your reps with your left leg, and then repeat with your right leg.

4. Standing Calf Raise

With a dumbbell in your right hand, stand on a step and put your left hand on something for balance. Cross your left foot behind your right ankle, and balance yourself on the ball of your right foot.

Lower your right heel as far as you can [A], and then lift it as high as you can [B]. Do all your reps with your right leg, and repeat the move with your left leg.

Workout C

• 50 total reps per exercise
• 20-22 rep range, first set
• 75 seconds of rest between sets

1. Cable Standing Face Pull

Attach a rope handle to the high pulley cable and grab the ends with an overhand grip. Stand back so your arms are straight and the cable is taut [A].

Pull the rope toward your chin as you rotate your forearms toward your ears [B]. Reverse the motion as you return to the starting position, and repeat without pausing.

2. Push-Up

Assume a pushup position, with your hands slightly wider and in line with your shoulders and your body aligned from ankles to shoulders [A].

Lower your body as far as possible [B], and then quickly push yourself back to the start. If traditional pushups are too easy, elevate your feet using a bench or Swiss ball.

3. Romanian Deadlift

Stand holding a bar at arm's length with a shoulder-width, overhand grip. Your knees should be slightly bent [A].

Keeping your back naturally arched, lower your torso until it's nearly parallel to the floor [B]. Immediately raise your torso back to the starting position.

4. Standing Hammer Curl

Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders, and turn your palms so they're facing each other [A].

Curl the dumb-bells up as high as you can without moving your upper arms forward [B], and then lower the weights to the starting position.

For more workouts and training advice, pick up your copy of Huge in a Hurry, by Chad Waterbury, available anywhere books are sold.

Abs in No Time

Get ripped fast

In these days of bogus infomercials, fat-burning concoctions, and fitness contraptions that promise incredible abs, there's something reassuring about a workout with a medicine ball. The heft of a vintage medicine ball makes us want to put on gray sweats and start heaving it around with the fellas, grunting contentedly. On the other hand, you can take the vintage thing too far. Leather is out; vinyl is in. Medicine balls now have easier-to-grab surfaces, and they come in many sizes and weights. (They still need a new name, though. Medicine?!)

What are you waiting for?

Here's a leave-me-alone, in-a-hurry, 21st-century set of exercises that uses the weight of a medicine ball to blast your belly from top to bottom, and your obliques on the sides—those all-important muscles you use when doing twisting, turning moves in sports. The workout was designed by Jacqueline Wagner, C.S.C.S., a strength coach in New York City. The added weight of the medicine ball will give you a more intense workout than you'll get with conventional crunches.

Use a ball that's light enough so you can do one set of each exercise without straining or arching your back. A good weight for ab workouts is a 4-kilogram medicine ball (just shy of 9 pounds). Start with one circuit and build up to three sets of the circuit. Use a slow, controlled movement for the Double Crunch and Reverse Crunch.

Double Crunch

Starting position: Lie on your back, with your hips and knees bent as shown and your feet off the floor. Rest your hands lightly on your chest. Position the ball between your knees.

The move: Exhale as you lift your shoulders off the floor and bring your knees toward your chest. Grab the ball with your hands and bring it to your chest as you inhale and ...

The finish: Return your shoulders and legs to the starting position. Transfer the ball back to your legs on the next repetition, and keep alternating ball positions for the entire set.

Seated Twist

Starting position: Sit on the floor, your back straight but leaning slightly toward the floor, as if in the "up" position of a sit-up. Your knees should be bent 90 degrees, your heels about 15 inches apart and resting on the floor.

The move: Hold the ball close to your chest, rotate your torso to the left, and place the ball on the floor behind you. Rotate around to the right, pick up the ball, rotate left, and place it behind you.

The finish: Repeat eight to 12 times, then do eight to 12 more starting with a rotation to your right; that's one set.

Hint: Keep your head in line with your torso throughout the movement. Perform this move as quickly as possible.

Reverse Crunch with Knee Drops

Starting position: Lie on your back, hands resting on the floor at your sides, hips and knees bent 90 degrees, and feet off the floor. Position the ball between your knees. Keep your lower back on the floor throughout the exercise.

The move: Contract your abdominals and pull your knees to your chest, then return them to the starting position.

The finish: Lower your knees to the left and return to the starting position. Drop your knees to your right on the next repetition, and alternate sides for each rep.