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The #1 Secret to Break Your Plateau www.FatLossAccelerators.com

© 2012 – Outback Fitness LLC and fatlossaccelerators.com. All Rights Reserved. 2

The #1 Secret

to Break Your Plateau

SPECIAL FREE REPORT

By

Kate Vidulich, BSc, ACSM HFS

Copyright © Outback Fitness LLC and FatLossAccelerators.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the author. The information presented in this report is for education purposes only. Always consult your physician prior to the commencement of a new exercise and nutrition program. It is essential to obtain physician clearance, diagnosis and treatment of illness and injuries, and for advice regarding current medications. The advice in this report does not replace that of your physician or other health care professionals. Kate Vidulich, BSc, ACSM HFS, CTT Exercise Physiologist FatLossAccelerators.com


© 2012 – Outback Fitness LLC and fatlossaccelerators.com. All Rights Reserved. 3

Thank you for downloading the free report on the #1 Secret to Break Your Plateau. In this FREE 15 page report, you will discover: - The main reason why you are not getting results - Important fat burning hormone you want to optimize (you can’t ignore this) - The number one method for breaking any plateau Plus, I love surprises. There’s a FREE mystery bonus for you at the end. Ready to take over the world with me? Let's get straight into it!

The #1 Secret to Break Your Plateau Are you frustrated and not seeing results for all your hard effort? Is your body stuck on a plateau, and it seems like forever since you made any progress? The last pounds of stubborn fat just won’t seem to budge. It’s not your fault. I should have warned you about this sooner. First, let me tell you about my frustrating experience. I have met the stubborn plateau in person, on my adventures with weight loss. It was big, mean and ugly. My motivation plummeted. It stole my confidence. We randomly bumped into each other early on a Monday morning. I woke up before my alarm, ready for action and feeling positive energy for the coming week. Before jumping in the shower, I had very important business to take care of. It was a weekly ritual. The weigh in (this was not televised live on national TV, thank goodness). You know, on this particular morning, I was almost CERTAIN the number on the scale would be lower. There was no other option. My diet had been clean for weeks, as much as I really hate dieting. Had I been skipping workouts? Weeks had gone by since I even thought about passing up a sweat session. I stepped on with anticipation and excitement: BOOM! The same number appeared.



W.T.F??!! That’s me. Frustrated. It was three weeks already, and my weight hadn't budged an inch. The ugly fat was clinging onto love handles, like a stalking ex-lover who I’d broken up with ten times already and wouldn’t stop calling me. I don’t yell often, but I was screaming. This was driving me insane. It was only breakfast time. How could I survive the day, let alone another week of this? All I could think about was stuffing myself with Nutella and ice cream. This story may sound familiar to you (OK perhaps without the yelling, screaming and Nutella hunt). I’m sure you have your favorite go-to splurge substitutes. In case you’re wondering, I didn’t eat Nutella that particular day because there wasn’t any in the house. Strategic move… Too often I hear these horror stories from new clients and friends. Despite weight loss plateaus being very common – it doesn’t soften the fact it is an extremely frustrating and upsetting situation. Before you down your sorrows with junk food and destroy your hard work - stop for one moment. Consider the progress you have made already. Is it really worth throwing in the towel? Of course it’s not. The first, most valuable lesson here is DO NOT give up. Ever. Now, with my help, you can break free and say goodbye to clingy fat without wasting time or money. You can win the war against plateaus and get the amazing fat loss results you deserve. What is This Ugly Roadblock? You can see your progress has stalled, but what the hell is going on? Just a few weeks ago the pounds were flying off you. And SLAM. The numbers came to a screeching halt. Fat Loss Plateau vs. Weight Loss Plateau These guys are different characters, even though it appears they are wearing the same outfit. A weight loss plateau is where your body weight remains at the same level for a period of time. So if you haven’t lost any weight in two weeks, does that mean your progress has halted? Hell no!



“Weight loss” technically doesn’t differentiate between muscle, water and fat. Using the scales to measure your progress is only good for:

1) Keeping you accountable 2) Rough measure of progress

When the scale goes down a pound, we just hope this is fat, not water or muscle. First of all, give the scales a breather. If you are weighing yourself everyday, you really need to stop. The number on the scale cannot determine your self-worth. You have probably noticed your body weight can fluctuate between 3-5 pounds within a few days, and all this does is lead you on an emotional rollercoaster. This unpredictability is due to water retention.

Let me explain… If you eat a diet high in salt and carbohydrates, and drink little water, you will retain loads of water and your bodyweight will increase. On the other hand, if you drink tons of water, eat moderate carbohydrates and low salt foods, plus add in a sweaty workout, your bodyweight can decrease by several pounds. The big message here is hydration. Even though it may seem counterintuitive, the more water you drink, the less you will retain it. A weight loss plateau, or more specifically a fat loss plateau is defined as no change in body composition for three weeks. The first two weeks can be due to water retention, but the third week indicates perhaps your body is not changing despite your hard efforts. Aim to weigh yourself once a week maximum, and make sure it’s at the same time. First thing in the morning is best.



The Main Reason You Are Not Getting Results Like I said, it’s not your fault. A weight loss plateau can strike out of nowhere, destroying your confidence and questioning your self worth. The main reason you are not getting results is due to this one factor: Homeostasis. Unsure what this fancy science term means? This is defined as "the property of a system that regulates its internal environment and tends to maintain a stable, relatively constant condition." Yeah, so simple to understand...;) Your body loves to maintain a state of equilibrium. It hates change. It loves efficiency, not like the New York transportation system. So your body works to keep you in the comfort zone. Listen, your body is working against you. Yes that's right, every move you make your body works "in opposite direction" to try to maintain homeostasis. WTF??! I know it's not cool. But now you understand what is going on... we can strategize to beat it. As I mentioned just before, here's an example of how homeostasis works in your body:

• When you workout, muscle tissue is broken down - your trusty body responds by building new muscle

• If you take a supplemental hormone - the body shuts down production of its own to maintain homeostasis

• Drink more water - your body will excrete more water to maintain balance

• Drink less water in the short-term - your body will respond by retaining more water

Homeostasis and Fat Loss So let’s get back to the plateau situation.



The more weight you lose; the more weight loss slows down. As you lean down and get closer to your goal weight, your body works harder to hang onto the fat stores. You probably know by now long cardio workouts are not the best way to burn fat, if you’ve been reading any of my stuff. In relation to exercise, low intensity cardio burns fat primarily. Awesome, if you have 3 years to reach your goal and 20 hours a week to spend on the elliptical. A LOT of people add more low or moderate intensity cardio to their program, and make this big mistake in an attempt to break their plateau. Higher intensity exercise burns more carbohydrates than fats as fuel. So why do so many studies show higher intensity exercise actually burns more FAT than low intensity aerobics? Proven scientific studies show high intensity exercise burns a lesser percentage of fat stores during the session. However, burning carbohydrates (glycogen) as a fuel during exercise will result in burning more fat after you workout, due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). So in terms of homeostasis, let me explain… When you deplete your carbohydrate stores and use glycogen as fuel during high intensity exercise, your body responds by using the fat stores as the primary fuel to keep your body functioning post exercise. Plus, pushing yourself to higher intensities each time you train creates serious metabolic disturbance, which prevents your body from adapting to the exercise stimulus. This forces you body to continue working hard, and mobilizing stubborn fat stores. Your body adapts to moderate exercise, particularly if you do the same workout every week = bad news for fat loss. Anyone telling you 30-60 minutes of continuous cardio is good for fat loss is pulling your leg. So, a lack of progression in your training program is a big factor contributing to a halt in results. What does this mean? Each time you train, you need to do something a little different. I’m not saying completely change every exercise in your workout and “confuse your muscles” (and yourself) – but you need to lift heavier, go faster or take less rest time between sets.



Other possible factors contributing to your plateau include: - You are starving yourself (calorie deprivation) - You don’t get enough sleep - Hormonal deficiencies or imbalances - Vitamin/mineral deficiency from poor nutrition Hormone Optimization Your hormones control fat loss acceleration and building lean muscle tissue, so it is essential to focus your efforts on optimization. The most powerful hormone driving fast fat loss is:

Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Without this guy working optimally in your favor, you don’t stand a chance in the battle against stubborn plateaus. Growth hormone is produced by the pituitary gland. It is considered “the” hormone that builds lean muscle tissue and blasts fat. It’s awesome as it keeps bones strong, boosts energy, and helps to control blood sugar and insulin levels. Research shows growth hormone release is at it’s highest during the first 30 minutes of exercise. (See Diagram VI-6 below). On the flip side, workouts longer than 45 minutes are associated with an increase in cortisol levels (aka the evil stress hormone) and raises insulin production to a level that impairs growth hormone function. In the presence of insulin, fat burning is limited.



Is this hormone optimization only relevant to the guys? Surprisingly, women get a slightly higher growth hormone response from high intensity exercise, compared to men. Leading researchers concluded, “Genders comparisons revealed that women had greater production rate, and a trend for a greater mass of GH secreted per pulse than men.” (1) Awesome news for the ladies! How can you naturally increase HGH Levels? No powders. No pills. Absolutely NO injections required. Drugs are bad kids. The results you get are minimal anyway. Boost your hormones the old fashioned way with hard work, without any side effects. Short, intense workout sessions with minimal rest breaks will naturally ramp up your HGH levels. Aim for 3-4 sessions of high intensity training every week. Recovery is just as important. Make sure you get 8 hours of quality deep sleep every night to maximize growth hormone production. The Best Way to Smash Your Plateau There are many different ways to get past your plateau – but I’m here to give you the number one way forward. I think I’ve already given it away but this is the official announcement. The most superior method for smashing through a fat loss plateau is... Intensity. It’s time to push the envelope. You have to take control and power through the plateau. Like physically manhandle the bastard. A lack of intensity is the biggest mistake I see people make in their training regimen. I discovered the secret of intensity as I faced my own fat loss plateau situation. I was following a program and working out regularly, but my intensity was WAY off. I was simply going through the motions. This is embarrassing to admit, but my version of high intensity training was lame. I had to be challenged to step it up. My self-limiting beliefs were holding me at ransom. The thing is, the idea of high intensity training is simple and makes sense, but most gym goers struggle (just like I did) when putting it into practice.



Why? It’s hard. To get the awesome benefits from this type of exercise, it has to hurt. Burning muscles, lungs gasping for air, all round short-term suffering. Hmmm sounds fun right? Sarcasm. This style of training is NOT for everyone. Many traditional approaches to interval training involve a period of high intensity (i.e. all out effort) for 20-30 seconds followed by a short rest period. Here is my interpretation of the general classifications of exercise intensity: - Low: Proven useless for accelerating fat loss and breaking plateaus. Consider sitting, eating, watching TV, general walking around low intensity. Don't ever be fooled into thinking this is real exercise. - Moderate: While there are health benefits associated with this type of exercise, it's also useless for speeding up fat loss results and breaking plateaus. You will sweat, but it's time consuming. Elliptical, light jogging, bike riding, any exercise you can comfortably do for 30-60 minutes. You'll feel tired, but it won’t do a damn thing to transform your body. - High: This is what I’m talking about. Let’s turn it up. Spend less time training. Accelerate fat loss. Like I said, it's not for everyone. You want to get fast results? You got it. Understand Exercise Intensity. Know Your Body. Beat The Plateau. To understand exercise intensity, you need to be in tune with your body. There are two ways to measure your workout intensity: (1) Perceived exertion: this is a subjective measure, which is based on how you feel while working out. Your perceived level of exertion may different from somebody else, even though you are doing the same activity. For example, you may feel a run is easy, compared to an unfit person who is trying to keep up with you. When you are doing high intensity training, you should rate your perceived exertion as “I feel like I could possibly die”. Of course, I don’t want you to actually die.



(2) Heart rate: this is objective measure of your exercise intensity. As you increase the intensity of the workout, your heart rate also increases. This equates to 90% of your maximal heart rate. High intensity training should make your heart should feel like it’s jumping out of your chest. Several studies show perceived exertion correlates well with your heart rate, so if you feel you’re working hard – there’s a good chance your heart rate is high. Should You Use a Heart Rate Monitor? It can be a useful device, especially if you love numbers and stats. However I don’t feel it’s necessary. Get in tune with your body and focus on improving your performance – move faster this will guarantee a heart rate increase. How can you tell if you’re doing it right? These are the signs you should look for:

• Sweat is pouring off you after a few minutes of exercise • You are gasping for air and your breathing is rapid and deep • You can only say a few words and can’t hold a conversation with your

friend • You can only hold this intensity for up to 30 seconds

This is stealth mode. You are in the acceleration zone and working at the level that gets fast results. Also, notice that feeling of nausea creeping in? Embrace it. Sure, it’s challenging and downright tortuous at times, but it's a cool sign you're training at the right intensity. To function optimally, your body needs high quality fuel. Processed anything is not ideal for energy. Feeding your body clean nutrients will enhance your performance and burn more calories. However, avoid eating anything at least an hour before you do any high intensity training. No one likes to throw up! What Type of High Intensity Training is Best? The key to getting fat loss results is variety. You need to play it smart to avoid burnout. So before you run off and buy a 2 million pack of spinning classes, consider the following point.



Why is Variation So Important? Doing the same type of traditional interval training workouts can lead to overuse injury. Biomechanically speaking, if you have any muscle imbalances, doing repetitive movements will eventually lead to an overuse injury. By the way, majority of people have an imbalance to some degree. Perhaps not today. Or tomorrow. But one-day injury will strike. I love to run. Actually, I’m obsessed so naturally sprinting was my favorite high intensity activity. When I initially increased my running interval sessions, I started to get a weird tweaking feeling in my left hamstring. It wasn’t a tear, but a nagging inflammation of the tendon. I had developed an overuse injury. Fortunately, I quickly indentified a muscle imbalance in my hip as the source of the trouble and programmed a corrective exercise routine – PLUS incorporated unique, varied interval training workouts. More reasons why traditional interval training is not the absolute best:

- It is boring – this explains the low stick rate on such programs - Really, it’s so boring. 30s on, 30s off. Repeat this for the next 20

minutes on the sweaty-laden treadmill or bike. Oh, that’s if you can actually get ON the cardio equipment. If the gym is peak hour busy, you’ll spend more time waiting than working out.

- Your upper body is missing out. What about your poor arms? Don't you want them to look awesome?

- You need stellar motivation. Even elite athletes struggle with this some days.

How Can You Vary High Intensity Training? One of the coolest things is the unlimited possibility of high intensity training. Let's just forget traditional cardio intervals. Treadmill? Bike? Elliptical? Repeat after me “No, thanks.” Intervals of bodyweight training, complex training and metabolic resistance



training are the new way forward. Burn a ton of calories, accelerate fat loss and build muscle at the same time – while spending less time at the gym. Sounds awesome right? And… it’s way more fun! The complex exercises are total body moves, that don’t neglect your upper body. How Many Times Per Week Should I Train Hard? Never do more than 4 sessions a week. Pro athletes don’t overdo it, so why should you? Signs of over training will creep in: fatigue, irritability, loss of motivation, inability to finish normal workouts, lack of energy, illness. FREE WORKOUT: FAT LOSS PLATEAU BREAKER I mentioned to you at the beginning about a bonus at the end of this report – I always keep my promises so here we go! Here is one of my favorite fat blasting, plateau breaking workouts you can do today. Time: 20 minutes Warm Up: Dynamic (No cardio equipment required) Perform each exercise in order for 45 seconds, with no rest between movements. 1A: Jumping Jacks 1B: Walk outs to T rotations 1C: 4 Point Kneeling Hip Flexor stretch 1D: Crab crawls 1E: Bird/Dog Plank The Main Event: Metabolic Mash Up Select a weight (dumbbells) you can lift 10 times overhead. Perform each exercise in order, with no rest between the movements. 2A: Push Up to Renegade Row x 8 2B: Cross body mountain climber x 8 2C: Reverse Lunge to forward lunge x 8 (each leg) 2D: Squat Thrust to Overhead Press x 8 2E: Front Loaded Squat x 8 Rest for 60 seconds and repeat once. Grand Finale: Bodyweight Blast Perform each exercise in order for 50 seconds, with 10 seconds rest between



the exercises. Try to do as many as you can with correct form. This is it for today’s workout, so dig deep and give it all you’ve got. 3A: Plank Jacks 3B: Bulgarian Split Squats (25 seconds each leg) 3C: Decline Push Ups 3D: Jump Squats Summary Fat loss plateaus are so frustrating. Despite a halt in progress, this is only final if you throw in the towel. The most important thing you must keep in mind is: Do not quit. Giving up certainly won’t help you break a plateau, and to be frank, why waste all the hard work you have already put in? Simply boosting your intensity and tweaking your workouts will transform your body. Here is What You Need To Do 1. Cut down on cardio volume and up your intensity. You need to train hard with complex total body movements, which create a metabolic disturbance. 2. Change your resistance training program: make sure you are doing total body workouts. Be different. Young, intelligent looking folks, sitting on machines in between sets playing on their iPhone does not help you bust through any plateau. 3. Ensure you are getting enough recovery. Sleep is essential for accelerating progress. Make sure you get a quality 8 hours. 4. Train with real intensity. Nail your workouts, set short-term goals and reward yourself – not with beer or chicken wings. Online shopping is a cool choice. 5. Looking to accelerate fat loss results? Simply plug a Fat Loss Accelerator into your current training program. It’s done-for-you workouts, so you don’t have to start all over again. Grab the workouts here: www.FatLossAccelerators.com/fatloss-workouts I know you will succeed. Step out of your comfort zone, focus on intensity and achieve the results you deserve.



About The Author Kate Vidulich is New York’s Premier Fat Loss Expert. She is an experienced Exercise Physiologist and Certified ACSM Health Fitness Specialist with a passion for excellence. Kate has an extensive research background, completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Health & Exercise Science from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Kate specializes in designing and implementing personalized, effective, results-oriented training programs. Her unique approach, combining movement rehabilitation and fat loss, has helped thousands of people across the world achieve their goals, at all ages. A resident of New York City, Kate operates in the Upper East Side of Manhattan and consults with clients in a one-on-one and group setting, and online coaching with clients worldwide. Kate’s writing has been featured in some of the most widely read and respected fitness publications, such as Reader’s Digest and Shape magazine. She regularly updates her blog at FatLossAccelerators.com Services offered extend to customized nutrition planning for maximal results. An avid marathon runner, Kate leads strength training groups specifically designed for women who want to improve their speed, efficiency and reduce the risk of injury. To learn more about Kate Vidulich, please visit FatLossAccelerators.com References: 1. Pritzlaff-Roy CJ, Widemen L, Weltman JY, et al. (2002). Gender governs the relationship between exercise intensity and growth hormone release in young adults. Journal of Applied Physiology. May 92(5):2053-60.

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