How they lost 100 lbs or more is a topic that always gets a lot of attention and is very popular in the media. Whenever someone loses a lot of weight, there is always buzz from those who were inspired by hearing about these huge body fat losses and before/after transformations. I was inspired, too.

But sometimes I think we focus too much on the almighty scale and body fat percentage and forget about something even more important…

Your Health.

Health is what psychologist Abraham Maslow called a deficiency need, which means that when you’ve lost it, getting it back is the only thing in the world that matters.

Unfortunately, two corollaries to this theory of human motivation are:

1. Most people won’t lift a finger to improve their health until something bad happens (they have to hit “rock bottom” to change), and

2. When you’ve got your health, you tend to take it for granted.

That’s why we need constant reminders to keep our focus on health and keep health right on top of our list of life values.

As you remind yourself of the importance of your health every day, it also pays to consider how you define it.

Fitness and transformation icon Shawn Phillips, author of Strength for Life, says that if your definition of health is merely the absence of disease, then subconsciously, the mere absence of disease means you’ve achieved your “goal.”

Therefore, you feel no motivation and no need to move above and beyond that and strive towards…

“A life of ABUNDANT energy, vitality and strength.”

We NEED these reminders.

That’s why I get such a thrill when people send me success stories that are not just about the scale and body fat percentage, but ALSO about health and what that new-found health has done for a person’s life.

A Before and After Success Story You Don’t See Every Day (But Should)

For example, this success story comes from Burn the Fat reader Craig B:

“Tom, I visited my Dr. today and he was stunned at the change in my blood results. Check out this before and after: Cholesterol/Total
232 before
121 after
Triglycerides
185 before
87 after
HDL (good cholesterol)
32 before
41 after
VLDL (bad cholesterol)
40 before
17 after
Total cholesterol/HDL ratio
5.63 before
3.0 after
(I dropped from 2X average risk to less than HALF average risk!)
TSH
4.8 before
2.1 after
CRP
3.90 before
1.02 after

(I moved from High risk to Low risk.)

I have burned 34lbs of fat and put on 7lbs of lean muscle.
I have moved from 40% body fat to 32.9% (My scale may be off, but I am hoping to verify those body fat % measurements with a dunk test during my next visit to S.F. or Portland.)
The doctor, in short, was blown away with the results.

I have tried Atkins, Protein Power, Lindora (medical weight control), each of these over the years and probably too many others to mention. Never have I felt this empowered and well armed with information and insight.

When I was not getting the results the math would have me believe, I had the tools and community support to explain what Beta Blockers do to cardio and metabolism then took that insight to my doctor and he has reduced and changed those meds.
I am now off statins all together as of today!

I have a ways to go to reach my final goal of 10% body fat, but I have the tools and I can accomplish it. I am, as you suggested, putting the date when I achieve it in pencil, but the 10% BF is in ink. I will get there.

It is amazing how empowering feeling good and controlling your blood chemistry through nourishment (both physiological and physical) and being consistent with the hard work in the gym and changing to a new lifestyle.

Thanks Tom - you are helping a lot of people, clearly. I will be telling anyone about the book and the Burn the Fat website that has any questions or looking for answers.”

Gaining muscle and losing fat is nice, but what could be better than gaining muscle, losing fat AND feeling your health, energy and vitality skyrocket!

As Craig shows us, tracking your health improvements, not just what you weigh, gives you another source of tremendous motivation and a feeling of empowerment.

You realize that you are in control of your body. You are the maker and master.

One final thought: It’s a misconception that the “bodybuilding” lifestyle is in some way not healthy or doesn’t dramatically IMPROVE your health

Nothing could be further from the truth, as Craig’s results prove. Craig was not just doing aerobics - he was pumping iron and feeding the muscle, not starving himself.

If you do ANY kind of resistance training, you ARE a “body-builder” and a “health-builder.”

When you do NATURAL bodybuilding, it’s about looking great AND getting healthier. That’s how I do it - naturally - and that’s how I encourage others to do it in my Burn the Fat programs.

One of the most overlooked aspects of bodybuilding is the importance of a bodybuilding diet plan. If you put junk in your body you can retard your overall progress. Having the right balance in your diet ensures that you get adequate nutrients to provide energy for training and recovery.

If you don't consume sufficient food you also run the risk of slowing down your metabolism which can cause your body to store fat reserves instead of burning them for energy. This article will investigate some of the keys to a healthy bodybuilding diet and provide some sample bodybuilding diet recipes.

On top of the list of essential foods to consume is protein. A good rule of thumb is to consume 1 1/2 grams of protein for each pound of your body weight. As you build muscle you burn fat and build muscle. Prime sources of protein include red meat, lamb, chicken, eggs and tofu. Consuming your protein with a green garden salad or green vegetables is a good combination. If you are on the run or want a meal replacement you can use a protein powder in raw milk. You can make some great shakes that are highly concentrated in protein and will help you get the necessary protein intake to build muscle.

Sample bodybuilding diet recipes:

Pan Broiled Fish

1 lb. Fish filets

One 14 oz. Can diced tomatoes w/ basil, garlic & oregano

Arrange fish filets in a single layer in skillet. Cover with tomatoes and liquid. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10-20 minutes, or until the fish easily flakes with a fork. Serve plain or accompanied with a side salad, green beans or broccoli.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

1 chopped onion

1 pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and dried

1 egg lightly beaten

8 oz. low fat ricotta cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, slice in half and flattened

Combine the onion, spinach, egg, and cheese mixture in a bowl. Put a dollop of the mixture into each chicken breast. Tie the chicken breasts together with butchers twine, or put toothpicks through them. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Optional: Garnish with lemon slices.

Carbohydrates are also an important part of a body building diet plan because they are an essential source of glucose. Glucose is stored in you muscles and liver as glycogen. Glucose provides energy for your brain and for making blood in your body.

Slow burning carbs promote consistent blood sugar levels which help to offset fatigue. A good rule of thumb for a healthy bodybuilding is to consume your body weight multiplied by three. Great sources of nutritious carbohydrates include: sweet potatoes, potatoes, whole grain breads, oatmeal, pasta and brown rice.

Fats are also an essential part of a bodybuilding diet plan. Out bodies need fats to function correctly and to regulate bodily processes. It is important to distinguish between the different sources of fat. Some fats are considered good whilst others are considered bad. Unsaturated fats are considered the healthy fat forms.

They are found in flaxseed oil and olive oil. A great way to add fats to your bodybuilding diet nutrition plan is to use olive oil on your broccoli or salad in conjunction with a protein source.

Unsaturated fats are considered the detrimental fats. They are responsible for clogging your arteries which can lead to health problems. Animal lard and margarine are prime examples of saturated fats that you should steer clear of.

You should endeavor to work high concentrations of fresh fruit and vegetables into your bodybuilding diet plan. They contain essential vitamins and minerals which are essential to the vital functions of the body, assisting recovery and providing the necessary energy for training and your everyday life commitments.

A healthy bodybuilding diet should consist of five to six smaller bodybuilding diet meals eaten 2-3 hours apart. This helps to provide the energy and nutrients your body needs. Regular food intake stimulates your bodies metabolism which is essential for building muscle and burning fat.

Developing the perfect bodybuilding diet meal plan for you will boost your muscle gains and healthy fat loss by 1000% or more! All the perfect lifting can only get you so far without the right diet plan. Think of it this way: by driving your car properly, you will keep it in good shape. But without putting the right fuel and oil in it, it will never perform as well, and it certainly won't last as long. As you know, working out is vital, but utilizing a solid bodybuilding meal plan is essential to getting ripped. The key here is to work harder and smarter to maximize your results.


Some key points to consider when creating your bodybuilding meal plan:


1. Eat 5-6 small meals per day, about 2-3 hours apart to keep your metabolism and energy up, cravings down and muscles fed constantly which encourages growth.


2. Determine how many calories you should consume each day, and stick to it. You must consume more than you burn to gain muscle!


3. Shoot for 40% protein, 40% carbohydrates and 20 % fat of all calories consumed.


4. Get 10% of your target calorie intake in grams of protein. (E.g. 3,000 calorie diet: 300 grams of protein per day. 6 meals: 50g or protein each)


5. Drink water in ounces equal to 60% of your body weight in pounds. (E.g. 180 pounds: 108 oz. per day, or 3.2 liters)


These are all widely accepted fundamentals of a proper bodybuilding diet plan, so keep them all in mind when planning your meals. It can get really tough to find the time to meet all of these criterion properly, and follow the plan to perfection, but luckily there are pre-made meal plans you can tailor to your specific needs.
Many professional bodybuilders have come up with bodybuilding diet meal plans, but very few have done so for every level of caloric intake. So, you need to first figure out how many calories you're going to consume, then work with a diet plan that will work well for your level.


Typical sample bodybuilding diet plans look something like this:


Meal 1 (Pre-workout): 6 egg whites, 1 cup oatmeal


Meal 2 (Breakfast): Meal replacement bar/shake, high in protein and flaxseed oil


Meal 3 (Mid-morning): 8 oz. lean meat, 2 cups green vegetables, 1 cup brown rice


Meal 4 (Lunch): Tuna in water, leafy salad, whole-wheat bagel


Meal 5 (Dinner): 8 oz. lean meat, 2 cups green vegetables, 1 baked potato


Meal 6 (Snack): Meal replacement packet, flaxseed oil


This type of bodybuilding diet meal plan will greatly increase your muscle gains, but it is difficult to tell how much of each item is right for your caloric intake. It is also hard to know what you can substitute when you're bored of this regimen after a couple weeks of eating the exact same things every day.
Thankfully, there are some programs that provide detailed meal plans that stick to rock-solid diets like the one above, but allow you to mix up the meals as you see fit throughout each phase of your workout plan, all suited to your level.


It is an excellent idea to start by eliminating bad fats and processed sugars from your diet if you have not already. Do not try to jump into your new bodybuilding diet meal plan right away, either. It will take some getting used to, but by steadily building up to your perfect meal plan, and following the system, you'll get ripped and stay that way!


Like the old saying goes:


"Plan your work, and work your plan!"
But keep in mind that it's a lot easier when you can take out the guesswork by following a professional natural bodybuilder's advice when coming up with your bodybuilding diet plan. Either way, once you have your plan, just stick to it, and you'll love the result!

It’s axiomatic that the exercises which give you the best results are always the hardest ones to do. If you want a huge back… you row and deadlift. If you want huge legs, you squat… OR… you do THIS leg exercise – that almost no one wants to do because its one of the hardest of them all.

Which one am I talking about? FRONT SQUATS!

In my opinion, front squats are one of the absolute best quad builders. Back squats are a tremendous mass builder as well, but front squats introduce an additional level of challenge because they require flexibility, technique, and core strength because the bar must be held and balanced on the front of the shoulders. As such, the front squat does everything the back squat does and more.

One great advantage of the front squat, especially for someone like me, having previously suffered a low back injury (herniated L4), is that the torso can be held in a more upright (vertical position). Since there is less forward trunk inclination, this removes some of the stress and shear forces from the lower back. At the same time, this upright position is closer to a bodybuilding squat and throws much more emphasis on the quads and less on the hips. It is truly a superb bodybuilding exercise.

There are two styles of front squatting, the Olympic lifting style and the crossed arm style. I find that most athletes, and of course Olympic lifters, use the former, while most bodybuilders seem to prefer the latter. The barbell should generally be your weapon of choice, but for bodybuilders, front squats on the smith machine are an outstanding alternative.

The Smith machine front squat takes some of the balance issues out of the picture, which allows the physique athlete to really focus on working the muscle rather than worrying about balance and stabilization. Be sure to rotate between both versions, however– barbell and smith machine – because long term overuse or dependency on machines may lead to stabilizer weakness or muscle imbalances and variety is never a bad idea in the physique game. Incidentally, the barbell front squat is an outstanding “core” exercise.

A third version of the front squat worth considering is the dumbbell front squat (especially the sumo or wide stance version). These can be performed holding a single dumbbell with both hands on the front of the shoulders, cupped between both hands (goblet squat) or with two dumbbells, one in each hand, resting on top of each shoulder.

The limiting factor on these front squat variations is often the poundage, as holding heavy dumbbells can become unwieldy. This can be partially overcome by performing the dumbbell front squat last in a leg workout or second in a superset, or by manipulating tempo and range of motion so the exercise is made more difficult. The dumbbell variations are also a great choice for women who usually don’t require as much weight as men for stimulation.

I find that the front squat is particularly effective at developing the tear drop shaped vastus medialis portion of the (“lower”) quads, and you can emphasize this effect even more by elevating your heels on a board or a wedge. Elevating your heels is considered controversial and some say that this is damaging to the knees. I’m not convinced that this is the case with a slight elevation and very strict form and controlled tempo, although I would not recommend this method to anyone with existing knee problems.

There is certainly a risk to benefit ratio of every technique variation, and you have to decide if the added potential benefit is worth the potential risk, depending on your particular situation (consult the appropriate medical or training professional if you’re not sure).

You can also emphasize the medialis and increase overall effectiveness by working FULL squats (breaking parallel) and only coming up three quarters (no locking out). Have you ever seen Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman’s workout videos? I realize that Mr Olympia’s bodybuilding video tapes are not “workout instruction” nor do they really have anything to do with us mere mortals, but I pay attention to everything in the world of bodybuilding, and I did find it very interesting to watch Ronnie front squatting 500+ pounds. I also found it interesting that he went rock bottom and he did ¾ reps without releasing tension for even a single rep.

Although he certainly has some advantages over other bodybuilders, everything is relative and he has some ridiculous quads, even compared to other IFBB pros. Indeed, continuous tension ¾ reps are a tremendous technique to employ with the front squat exercise, regardless of whether you’re a novice or a pro. Be prepared to leave your ego at home, however.

In addition to the ¾ reps, try manipulating your tempo. It will limit your poundage even further, but what you sacrifice in strength you will make up in hypertrophy.  Whereas a regular rep might be 2011 or 3011 tempo, or even a full-out explosive concentric with a controlled eccentric, bodybuilders may want to try utilizing a tempo of 3020, or (even harder) 4030. With sets of 10 -12 reps, this will give you a minimum of 50-70 seconds of continuous time under tension. The lactic acid burn around the 10-12th^th rep has to be felt to be “appreciated.” The only thing more difficult than continuous tension/non-lockout ¾ reps are continuous tension, non-lockout reps with a slow tempo. Truly a quad killer!

Note: 4-point tempo prescriptions are as follows:

3020 tempo =


3 = negative/eccentric action
0 = pause in stretch/bottom position
2 = positive/concentric action
0 = pause in contracted/top position

So if front squats are so good, why don’t more people do them? Simple – because they’re damn hard. Here is what I usually see happen: Someone will start front squatting (or try to), and they inevitably put on way too much weight. Their form is horrible, it feels totally uncomfortable and unbalanced, so our novice front squatter quits and writes off front squats for good after only one try, and heads back over to the leg press machine.

I usually advise them to unload the bar and master the form first with very light weights, but invariably, ego gets in the way, and 315-405 squatters and 1000+ pound leg pressers don’t want to be seen with a single “wheel” (45 pound plate) on each side of an Olympic bar while they patiently master the technique for a new exercise.

Alas, they never learn to front squat, they go back to what is easy and familiar and they never gain all the benefits of this awesome exercise. bodybuilding diet plan