Adrenaline High Exercises

Doing exercises that involve an adrenaline high can speed up weight loss, and if you become addicted to the adrenaline high, it encourages you to keep exercising and doing the activity more often.

Here's a list of exercises that can give you an adrenaline high:

1. Rock or Tree Climbing: Scale indoor or outdoor rock walls or trees, challenging yourself both physically and mentally as you navigate the route and overcome obstacles. The sense of accomplishment and the thrill of heights can trigger an adrenaline rush.

2. Whitewater Rafting: Navigate fast-moving rivers and rapids in an inflatable raft, working together as a team to maneuver through the whitewater. The rush of adrenaline comes from the unpredictable nature of the water and the excitement of the adventure.

3. Extreme Sports: Engage in extreme sports such as snowboarding, skiing, surfing, skateboarding, or parkour. These activities involve speed, agility, and calculated risks, providing an adrenaline rush through the thrill of performing daring maneuvers and pushing your limits.

4. Paragliding: Soar through the skies with a paraglider, using air currents and thermals to stay afloat. The combination of the breathtaking views, the sense of freedom, and the adrenaline rush of being suspended in the air can provide a thrilling experience.

5. Martial Arts: Engage in martial arts disciplines such as kickboxing, Muay Thai, or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The intensity of the training, the physical challenges, and the adrenaline rush from sparring or competing can create an exhilarating experience.

6. Adventure Park/Obstacle Course: Visit an adventure park or try an obstacle course that includes elements like zip-lining, rope courses, or challenging obstacles. The physical and mental challenges, combined with heights and speed, can deliver an adrenaline rush.

Remember, when engaging in high-adrenaline activities, always prioritize safety and follow proper precautions. It's important to receive proper training, use appropriate safety gear, and follow the guidance of professionals to ensure a thrilling yet safe experience.

8 Ideas for Adrenaline High Weight Loss

Adrenaline Highs are powerful and can be used to boost energy levels / burn calories in an effort to lose weight. But attaining that adrenaline high while exercising can be tricky. So here are 10 ways to possibly attain an adrenaline high by doing something exciting.

Please note that all of the activities listed below are things you can do in Toronto. If it isn't possible to do it in Toronto, I am not listing it.

#1. Axe Throwing

Honestly, this is a really good sport for getting rid of some calories and get rid of some of your aggressive feelings while you are at it too.

In Toronto there are several locations that can help you if you want to try axe throwing:

BATL Axe Throwing | The Home of Axe Throwing
batlgrounds.com

Bad Axe Throwing | Where Axe Throwing Lives
https://badaxethrowing.com

Please note that I have no affiliation with either of these companies. I cannot speak to the quality of their service or safety standards.

#2. Mountain Biking

To do this you will need a mountain bike - preferably a good one, so don't go to any Canadian Tire or a store that doesn't specialize in mountain bikes. Instead go to a store that actually specializes in mountain bikes.

Below is a list of the Top 10 Mountain Bike Stores in Toronto, listed alphabetically:

Broadway Cycle / The Bike Depot
Cyclemotive
Cycle Solutions
D'Ornellas
Dukes Cycle
Gears
Liberty Street Cyclery
Silent Sports
Sporting Life Bikes
Sweet Pete's

#3. Rock Climbing Indoors

With safety harnesses you might not feel that this is too dangerous, but with a healthy fear of heights you will still get a shot of adrenaline. Below is a list of indoor rock climbing gyms in Toronto:

The Rock Oasis
Boulderz Climbing Centre
Joe Rockhead's Indoor Rock Climbing
Toronto Climbing Academy
True North Climbing Inc.

#4. Dancing + Music!

Combine music with dance, and regardless of whether you do this at home or at a dance studio, or at a dance club you can get that extra boost of adrenaline.

#5. LARPing (Live Action Roleplaying)

Okay, hanging out with nerds who fight with sponge swords may sound like over-the-top geek to you, but running around with swords is surprisingly good exercise and really burns a lot of calories in a hurry. There are numerous locations / organizations in the GTA that have LARPing events, usually on weekends. Pick one and get involved.

#6. Archery Tag

Similar to LARPing, Archery Tag offers teenagers and people in their 20s / 30s a chance to run around and shoot their friends with foam tipped arrows. Toronto has multiple locations that offer archery tag. The location I recommend is Battle Sports in North York. See http://battlesports.ca/

#7. Play Zombie Tag

Hire a makeup artist (or a friend who is awesome with makeup) for a day, invite lots of friends to a large park, and then run around and bite your friends. [No actual inviting involved, instead you are supposed to "hug" them without tackling them.]

Toronto also has lots of zombie survivalist groups, the Toronto Zombie Walk, and other events / organizations you can join to meet more people who are interested in zombies.

#8. Parkour and/or Freerunning

Last but not least, Toronto also has various organizations (clubs, schools, etc) devoted to the arts of parkour and freerunning. You can basically just pick one and get into the sport of running, jumping, hurdling over obstacles.

I was hoping to find several locations, but the following was the only one I could find that has its own website.

The Monkeyvault
themonkeyvault.com

Adrenaline High Exercise and Motivation

Some people love adrenaline highs.

But the great thing about them is that they make you super active and they burn through calories (3500 calories per lb of fat) like CRAAAAAAAZZZZY!

So doing things that give you an adrenaline high can help you lose more weight in a hurry.

However HOW you find ways to get an adrenaline high is really up to the individual. So what I want you to do is to think of a list of things that get you really excited - and possibly even scared - and eliminate any from the list that might end in bodily dismemberment, death, etc. What remains can be used to help you exercise - and run faster than you normally would.

Sometimes you only even need to simulate or pretend that the thing is happening. Children do this all time while playing, pretending to be running from explosions, flowing lava, etc. (Adults even do the equivalent for fun sometimes, things like LARPing, Paint Ball Warfare and even contests like Tough Mudder. Something for everyone.)

The last one below is my personal favourite. :)

10 Exercise Tricks that Help Burn Fat FASTER

Want to learn how to lose weight faster? Well then you need to learn how to burn calories FASTER!

#1. Move faster when doing cardio activities - including daily activities like running to catch the bus. The faster you move the more calories you burn.

#2. Try harder - The harder and faster you do an activity - whether it be yoga, jogging or even sex - it burns more calories!

#3. Angry? Upset? Want to key your boss's car? Time to exercise! Exercising while angry or upset is a great way to burn more calories faster and it relieves stress.

#4. When weightlifting do the exercises SLOOOOOOOWER. Cardio exercises you want to do fast, but for weightlifting you get better results if you do things slowly. Lifting a weight slowly takes more energy and burns more calories - and it builds more muscle, faster! Seems counter-intuitive, but it works!

#5. Music makes you burn more calories faster - especially if it fast paced music that gets you excited. More excitement equals more calorie burn.

#6. Try to do everything - exercise wise - perfectly. It takes more energy, but you reap more rewards. So if you're doing yoga - try to do each pose perfectly instead of being lazy about it. If you are weightlifting, use perfect form while lifting - which means lifting slowly and watching your form carefully, sometimes even in a mirror.

#7. Exercise with a friend. You lose track of time, you exercise longer, you help motivate each other, you even compete with each other, and you burn more calories overall. No exercise buddy? See trick #10 instead.

#8. Stay hydrated. You burn more calories if you can try harder while properly hydrated. Don't bother with the energy drinks (they're mostly a waste of sodium which will give you more "water weight"), good old chilled water works wonders.

#9. Eat before you exercise. Not after. Helps burn more calories and you won't feel hungry afterwards. Sometimes people binge eat after they exercise, and it ruins what they were striving for.

#10. Hire a personal trainer. Me. Someone else. It doesn't matter. We can teach you a much longer list of ways to burn calories faster.

The 2% Workout

If I was to write an exercise book I think I would call it "The 2% Workout".

Why?

Because 30 minutes is 2.08333% of your day.

The idea of the book essentially would be to that people should exercise for 30 minutes per day and burn as many calories as they can during that time period.

And since 30 minutes is only a little over 2% of your day there really isn't any excuses for why people cannot use 2% of their day to get fit.

Ask yourself:

"Are you willing to use 2% of your day to get fit 

and get the body you've always wanted?"

And if you answer yes, then it is time to start using that 2% to achieve your goals.

SCHEDULING

Once you say yes the next thing you need to is schedule the time.

That means you need to find 30 minutes in your day to exercise and do nothing but exercise (and maybe listen to music or watch TV while you exercise).

EXERCISES

It also doesn't matter so much what exercise you pick - as long as it is burning lots of calories it is going to be beneficial. The list below is some popular / fun exercises that you can choose from or come up with your own.

Notes - I listed the moderate versions of various exercises because some people may not be able to do the vigorous exercises for 30 minutes. All calorie calculations below are for an 191 pound individual, which is the average weight of an American Male - since 67% of American men are overweight or obese, the average number should be closer to what many people are in weight. If you want more accurate calculations there are many calorie calculators available online and also apps for your SmartPhone.

Archery - 149 calories in 30 minutes.

Boxing Punching Bag - 258 calories in 30 minutes.

Calisthenics, Moderate - 195 calories in 30 minutes.
 
Cycling, 12-14 mph - 378 calories in 30 minutes.

Cycling, Leisurely - 172 calories in 30 minutes.

Fencing - 258 calories in 30 minutes.

Hatha Yoga - 120 calories in 30 minutes.

Hocky or Road Hockey - 350 calories in 30 minutes.

Jogging - 304 calories in 30 minutes.

Pushups/Situps/Etc - 206.5 calories in 30 minutes.

Swimming, Moderate - 264 calories in 30 minutes.

Weight Lifting, General - 149 calories in 30 minutes.

What this tells you is that if you want to do something more aggressive you might to choose activities like boxing and road hockey, because they burn a lot of calories because they are heavy cardio activities. Cycling, swimming and other cardio exercises also burn lots of calories and this will make a fundamental difference in burning fat.

THE AFTERBURN EFFECT

The Afterburn Effect is a metabolic condition whereby your metabolism is raised far above its normal rate and your body burns roughly 500 calories more over the next 24 - 48 hours and you end up feeling really energetic and positive about yourself.

It is caused by raising your blood pressure up to roughly 85% of its maximum potential - which is more easily done through cardio exercises that get your blood pumping fast. Thus the really high cardio exercises like running, vigorous swimming, boxing a punching bag, sports like road hockey, soccer, etc... they can vastly increase your calorie burn because they are more likely to trigger the Afterburn Effect.

Thus lets pretend you spend 30 minutes every day boxing a punching bag. Each time you do this you put some serious effort into it and get your heart rate up to 85% roughly.

Math wise for someone who weighs 191 lbs, this will mean they burned 258 calories and will burn an extra 500 calories over the next 24-48 hours.

In a week they will burn 5,306 calories - or roughly 1.52 pounds.

In 30 days 22,740 calories - or roughly 6.5 pounds.

In a year (364.25 days), 276,101.5 calories or 78.9 pounds. Possibly more if you are eating healthier as you progress. (Less if you aren't eating healthy, or if you are doing exercises that build muscle through strength training or endurance-strength training because you will gain muscle weight during the same time period.)

Don't worry about your weight so much - go based on how you are feeling physically. Your weight can deceive you if you are gaining muscle weight while losing fat at the same time. If you want to measure progress use a tape measure around your middle.

STAYING MOTIVATED

Find ways to have fun while exercising. Sports like tennis, cycling, boxing, archery, fencing, martial arts - these are all great ways to exercise and have fun at the same time. You will not lack for motivation if you are doing an activity that you love.

Attaining the Beach Perfect Body using 6 Minute Cardio Sessions

How long can you exercise at your top speed before you need to stop and rest?

Maybe 5 or 6 minutes?

Aim for 6 minutes if you can.

Lets pretend that your goal is to get a "Beach Perfect Body" by shedding some unwanted fat around your middle. Spot training doesn't work losing fat (it will actually bulk up that area with added muscle) so your only real choice is cardio - running, jogging, swimming, cycling, etc.

So you really need to burn lots of calories doing cardio. But maybe you don't have a lot of time in your day (or at least that is the excuse you keep telling yourself).

It is true that 1 hour is only 4% of your day... and that 30 minutes is only 2% of your day... And 15 minutes is only 1% of your day.

But every percentage of your day that you spend exercising - especially at your top speed - boosts your metabolism, kickstarts the Afterburn Effect, releases adrenaline into your blood, and burns calories.

6 minutes is only 0.4% of your day. It is a TINY percentage of your daily activities. But imagine if you use those 6 minutes to do vigorous jumping jacks you will burn 60 calories* right there.

* calorie estimate based on a weight of 165 lbs.

Do that 6 minutes of every day for a month and you've lost 1,800 calories - a little over half a pound.

If you are in an hurry you have to realize that you are not going to get a "Beach Perfect Body" by doing only one 6 minute session of jumping jacks every day. But what if you did them 10 times per day, spaced out evenly? Three times in the morning, twice during your lunch break, twice when you get home, and three times between 7 and 9 PM.

Well then you'd lose "at least" 18,000 calories - a little over 5 pounds. I say "at least" because you might burn a lot more if you managed to kickstart the Afterburn Effect multiple times during the day.

The Afterburn Effect is a heightened metabolic state which causes your body to burn through fat in an hurry in order to replenish your body. It is often triggered following periods of intense exercise - preferably a period of at least 5 minutes during which time you raise your heart rate dramatically.

Which means doing 6 minute cardio sessions - intense bursts of exercise - multiple times per day can give you multiple Afterburn Effects which will really burn calories fast and leave you feeling invigorated and wanting to do more because you will be on a bit of an adrenaline high.

So lets pretend that every year you wanted to lose weight for the swimsuit season... say 15 pounds. Then hypothetically you could go jogging for an hour every day for 3 months and you would shed the weight. But jogging might not get your heart going fast enough to kickstart the Afterburn Effect, which is why you can actually get better results by using the same amount of time to do high intensity exercises like sprinting, vigorous jumping jacks, basically any kind of high intensity exercise.

The adrenaline combined with the Afterburn Effect will leave you feeling very energetic and after a few days of doing the exercises you will want to do them more often - and even look forward to them.

In which case you won't lack for motivation as you shed the pounds and aim to get that Beach Perfect Body.

Liven Up Your Workout

Here is 5 ways to Liven Up Your Workout!

#1. Try Adrenaline High Weight Loss

Why? Because doing something scary like mountain climbing (or rock climbing inside with a harness) is both fun and the adrenaline kickstarts a huge energy burn.

#2. Take Up a Competitive Sport

It doesn't have to be anything special or super competitive. Just road hockey is still competitive because its you vs them.

#3. Hire a Personal Trainer

A personal trainer (*cough* like me, if you live in Toronto) can help make your daily workout more interesting by giving you additional challenges.

#4. Browse Exercise Blogs, Magazines and Books

Find new ways to spice up your exercise routine with a variety of different exercises.

#5. Try a New Activity with a Friend

Take up archery, boxing, swimming, ice skating or something you've never done before. Eg. White water rafting.

Kicking and Kickboxing as Exercise

Not all exercises have to be cardio or weightlifting or yoga / stretching (which reminds me, I need to write more posts about proper stretching)... Sometimes activities can just be fun.

#1. Dancing - Yes, technically its a cardio, but you forget that it is and just have fun exercising without realizing it.

#2. Sex - Again, its a cardio... and it can also be weightlifting, depending on what you are doing. *wink*

#3. Martial Arts...

The simple act of kicking as high as you can kick does two things:

#1. Its cardio. So you can get a decent workout by doing 100 high kicks with each leg per day.

Note: If you have a sedentary lifestyle don't start with 100 per day because you could injure yourself since your legs aren't used to it. Start with 20 per day and work your way up gradually. (See the comments near the bottom about patience.)

#2. Its stretching. You feel it especially in the back of your leg, where your muscles aren't used to being stretched like that. Stretching helps to increase and maintain flexibility.

So if you're exercising at home and you want to add some flexibility exercises to your routine, kicking is a good place to start. Just make sure you have plenty of room to practice your kicks.

If you get really into it you may be tempted to get into Kickboxing, which as the name implies, combines boxing with various kicks into a martial arts-based sport.

Note: I did kickboxing back when I was in high school and later I did Taekwondo when I was living in South Korea (Taekwondo is focused on kicking and tripping opponents), so I feel confident speaking on the topic of kickboxing and Taekwondo even though I don't formally teach either of them. And frankly I prefer traditional boxing.

Kickboxing, is also sometimes referred to as "cardio kickboxing" or "boxing aerobics", because it is often employed as an exercise routine combining a mix of boxing, martial arts and aerobics that really packs a workout wallop.

Because Kickboxing uses both the muscles of the upper and lower body, as well as the core muscles, you get a great all-around workout in a short amount of time. You may discover that many sports have a tendency to do provide a full body workout, with several exceptions (eg. golf is a lazy man's game).

A typical martial arts class begins with some stretches and a light cardiovascular warm-up including push-ups and jumping jacks. The remainder of the class is usually comprised of a series of repetitive punches, alternating hand-strikes and kicks - typically switching between all three -- followed at the end by some kind of cool down/floor work/stretching combo.

Unlike other cardio exercises like running, cycling, etc which focus on only your legs, martial arts training (boxing, kickboxing, judo, karate, etc) requires a full body workout and also fuels an adrenaline rush, making it an adrenaline high workout too - which burns added calories in a hurry and helps tone muscles. And its good for developing functional strength, balance and coordination.

According to the American Council on Exercise, a kickboxing workout will burn about 350 to 450 calories/hour. That is a huge number when you consider its recommended that you only eat approx. 2,000 calories per day.

HOWEVER!


Because kickboxing is such a strenuous exercise the risks for beginners are also higher. People with back or joint problems (eg. arthritis) should avoid this kind of workout. Beginners are always wanting to learn something in a hurry. They have no patience and no commitment.

Kickboxing is very strenuous and the problem with a sedentary person trying to get into a kickboxing program is that they end up in over their heads very quickly. They're trying to do something that's too hard for them and they don't have the patience to practice just a little bit daily and instead they are trying to do a lot daily, which results in muscle fatigue and injury.

An hour of kickboxing for someone new to the sport is too much. 30 to 45 minutes is more recommended and then after 10 or 20 lessons they can work up to an hour. They have to build up gradually and be patient about it otherwise they will either injure themselves or give up due to lack of patience.

This perhaps explains why so few people get into any of the martial arts. They simply lack the patience and determination to keep at it and learn gradually. Learning patience and humility are arguably the two biggest steps.

Note

If you live in Toronto you can hire me as your personal trainer and we can add kickboxing lessons to the list of things to do if you are interested. Kickboxing (and boxing in general) is a lot of fun and makes a great cardio exercise.

Six Pack Abs - The Final 5 Lbs

Lets say for a moment that you used to be obese. You've lost 100 lbs since then, and its been a long process of exercise, maintaining your diet, and you may have even fallen off the horse a couple times on your quest to have Six Pack Abs, but now you're almost there.

You can FEEL your ab muscles underneath a tiny layer of fat and skin. You are so close you can literally feel the muscles, but try as you might you cannot seem to shed that last 5 lbs and attain the Six Pack Abs you've been dreaming of.

After succeeding at a long term weight loss program many people like Jim find that they can't firm up the final few few pounds around their midsection. It is a common problem, but there is a solution.

Here are four techniques to try (possibly in combination):

1. Stress Management

On the wellness side of things, stress makes it difficult to shed fat. Especially if you are too stressed to eat properly or keep to your exercise routine. Stress makes you do two things: #1. It makes you want to relax, pig out and let yourself go. #2. Stress releases hormones that will make your body try to store fat - starting with your midsection.

Thus when you are feeling stressed here is what you need to do: Take a nap, do yoga and/or meditation. Sleep and time to think will do wonders for your stress levels and you won't feel the need to relax and binge on food.

2. Focus on Diet

Nutritionists always tell people that if they are exercising to their full potential, and not seeing the results that they want to achieve, then they need to be looking at their diet. The last few pounds around the waistline is notoriously toned with a cleaner diet. This should include eating plenty of vegetables, raising protein and lowering carbs. It also helps to drink plenty of water and avoid sugar.

A more extreme version might be to try a lemonade detox diet for 10 days. Or at very least cutting out carbs for 1 month (no bread, no pasta, no potatoes, etc) until you've lost those last 5 lbs.

3. Core Training

Sometimes putting on extra muscle helps to firm up the skin that is covering the abdominal. In addition to isolated abs training, focusing strength sessions on compound exercises (using more than one muscle at a time) and exercise that combines balance, plyometrics and stretching. Yes, stretching helps to develop muscle!

4. Marathon Training

Or at least a 5 km run. If you aren't doing it already, try training for a long run like a marathon or half marathon. Start jogging/running every day for 1 hour.

A 125-lb. person burns 283 calories running 4 mph for one hour. Increasing to a 5-mph pace burns an additional 227 calories per hour.

A 150-lb. person burns 340 calories running 4 mph for one hour. Increasing to a 5 mph pace burns an additional 272 calories per hour.

A 175-lb. person burns 397 calories running 4 mph for one hour. Increasing to a 5-mph pace burns an additional 317 calories per hour.

Over a period of a month such a regimen will burn approx. 4 to 10 lbs depending on your size and speed. You may discover it will work faster than that thanks to the After Burn Effect - calories being burned after doing high intensity exercise due to your cell's energy being replenished and muscle tissue being repaired  / new tissue created.

Long distance running also produces "Runner's High" - a cocktail of addictive hormones in your system - which will lower your stress, but beware of the dangers of addiction because some runners become so addicted they lose friends and family because they're outside running 100 km+ per week.

Combined these four tips will help to achieve a lean and hard midsection and get you those Six Pack Abs you've been dreaming of.

Maximum Results + Minimum Time

A lot of people in North America really only exercise for one reason: To Lose Weight.

But they don't want to work hard to do it. Exercise? That sounds too much like work. It is that kind of pessimistic and lazy attitude that causes people to become paralyzed by "I'll do it later."  It is therefore no surprise that America has an obesity epidemic when you considered a combined lifestyle of bad diet and lack of exercise. Also to blame is all the nutritional / exercise misinformation being pushed at them by the food industry and even people in the exercise industry who really just want to sell you something.

Well to be fair, I am selling something too. Personal Training. But I am also a strong believer in giving away free information so that people can go the Do-It-Yourself route.

One of the things people are always looking for is ways to maximize their weight loss... but they want to do it in the minimum amount of time required.

This to me is the typical male approach to getting a task done. If you give a guy three boxes and tell him to carry them upstairs one at a time he will look at you funny, stack all three boxes together and then try to carry them up the stairs all at once. Its not lazy, its male logic. "I can carry all three at once and therefore accomplish the task in one shot."

Part of it might be male ego and testosterone, that is for psychiatrists to decide, but the analogy is good.

So how do we apply this to exercise?

#1. You want to maximize calorie loss per minute.

This means you're going to have to compare exercises and pick one that burns a lot of calories in a hurry. The obvious choice is running because that burns the most calories more than any other exercise, but depending on your goals you might also choose weight lifting, a specific sport, skipping rope, jumping jacks or even yoga.

#2. At the same time you want to be able to keep up the activity for the stated length of time.

So for example if your plan is to only exercise for 15 to 30 minutes per day then you ideally want to be burning a lot of calories during that time period and not stopping to rest. So you want to pick an activity that you're certain you can do. eg. Jogging for 30 minutes.

#3. You want to push your limits in order to maximize results.

One way to do this is via Interval Training. So to take the example of running and jogging you could do the following:

Sprint 1 minute, jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 10 times. Total time 30 minutes.

And if you're still not tired after the 30 minutes, sprint for an additional amount of time until you're ready to quit.

The same method can also be used for weight lifting and mixed cardio.

30 lb bicep curls 2 minutes, jumping jacks for 2 minutes.
Pushups 2 minutes, jumping jacks for 2 minutes.
Chin-ups 2 minutes, jumping jacks for 2 minutes.
25 lb bicep curls 2 minutes, jumping jacks for 2 minutes.
Pushups 2 minutes, jumping jacks for 2 minutes.
Chin-ups 2 minutes, jumping jacks for 2 minutes.
 20 lb bicep curls 3 minutes, jumping jacks for 3 minutes.

Total time 30 minutes.

#4. The Fun Factor.

Running and weightlifting can be pretty boring however. That is why it is important to mix it up with music and other things to make them more interesting. Try and pick music that makes you feel invigorated.  Eye of the Tiger, Super Trouper, Hungry like the Wolf, TV theme songs... whatever gets your heart and mind racing.

If that still isn't enough fun for you my recommendation is to take up a sport every day for 30 minutes (or longer). If its truly fun you will lose track of time and want to do it every day. (This is why I got into archery and boxing in the first place. They're sports I never get bored of.)

If you can find an activity you enjoy that you can do every day for 30 minutes and it doesn't feel like a chore or work, awesome. Then all you have to do is push yourself to your limits in an effort to maximize your results / calorie loss.

Eventually you will hopefully lose track of time and your worries over "minimizing time and effort" will disappear.

#5. Variety.

Always try new things.

If the only things you are doing is running or weightlifting, your body will stagnate. You will reach a plateau where you can't cross an endurance barrier. To get around that you need to try new things and use muscles you aren't used to using. Yoga is good for this, but you can find many other activities which can activate those rarely used muscles. Once you do so you will be able to push your "maximum" to new heights by awakening muscles you never knew you had.

The Adrenaline High Weight Loss Program

First you need to understand what Adrenaline is.

Adrenaline and noradrenaline, the main catecholamines, act to break down fat stores and burn them in a hurry to provide energy to your blood (and your muscles) very quickly so you can put the most into whatever you doing.

eg. You and your lover get caught by a police officer doing something illegal in public and the two of you make a run for it, jump 5 fences, run around some corners and lose him.

Note: In my effort to find a photo for this I thought of the film The Adjustment Bureau. Oh well. At least its family friendly.

The adrenaline high of getting caught gives you the edge the police officer doesn't have. The police officer might be good physical shape for his age, but if you have youth and adrenaline on your side its pretty much a guarantee you can outpace him.

Unless the cop has a bicycle or a car, in which case you're screwed. (Pun intended. Go find a less public place to have sex next time.)

Now here is the benefit:

That adrenaline high can last a long time. Once its released it can be in your blood for hours. Everything you do for the next couple of hours will have a heightened amount of energy being put into it. (Pun NOT intended that time, happy coincidence.) That means you are burning fat at a faster rate that you would normally, plus getting the added benefit of adrenaline being a natural pain killer.

Now here is the catch:

How do you get an adrenaline high while exercising? After all you can't just run around doing illegal things all the time and then running away. You would, eventually, get caught. That means you have to think of alternative ways to get an adrenaline high. Finding different (and legal) ways to get an adrenaline high requires a bit of research:

#1. Sky Diving.

#2. Bungee Jumping.

#3. Marathon Running (because you think you're going to have an heart attack).

#4. Flying (think aerial acrobatics).

#5. A Bicycle Race (similar to running a marathon, but the added danger that you might crash).

#6. Roller Blading (but try not to get yourself killed).

#7. Play Video Games (high octane action games can trigger an adrenaline rush).

#8. Sex in Public (sadly illegal, but still on the list).

#9. Flirting with Strangers (yes, some people get really excited just doing that).

#10. Public Speaking (if you are terrified of speaking in front of large numbers).

#11. Confronting your Fears (and then running away).

#12. Nightmares (the next time you have a nightmare that scares you get up and exercise afterwards).

#13. Exciting Music (and then dance naked to it).

#14. Be Sneaky / Trespassing (again, this is something that is potentially illegal).

#15. High Intensity Cardio (see the video below as an example).

How to Lose that Last 10 Pounds

Losing that last 5 to 10 pounds can be the hardest of all.

When we first start our weight loss journey, and stick to the plan, weight sheds off at lightning speed and you start to feel ever more amazing. For many people who have lost weight they can't believe that they're buying smaller clothes every month and their old "fat clothes" just doesn't fit them any more. They achieved 90% of their goals so quickly that when they get to the last 5 to 10 lbs which are the most stubborn they become mystified at to what they are doing wrong.

Basically everything is going perfectly and then suddenly the weight loss stops and stabilizes. We can only reduce our caloric intake and exercise so much before it becomes unhealthy. So now what do we do? Being so close to the goal and not easily obtaining it can become frustrating. But not to worry, you can do it. It may take longer but with determination and persistence it DOES happen!

Tips to Shed the Last five or ten pounds

1. Is there room to be more regimented?

When we lose weight the plan may have started out by simply adding exercise and quality nutrition into the daily program. Usually this change is enough to lose weight. When it becomes harder to lose weight then a more carefully devised meal plan could be the answer. If you are eating 5 to 6 mini meals approx. 3-5 hours a part at about 2-300 calories each will keep the metabolism revved up. The meals should contain lean protein, vegetables and whole grain / complex carbohydrates. A lot of people lose weight but stick to the same diet they were eating right from the start but as more pounds are lost, less calories are needed to fuel a smaller person. If calories can be cut safely, this is an option to try.

2. Increase Weightlifting / Endurance Training

Sometimes you just need to change your exercise routine every so often to give your body an extra push. Training for a marathon or strength training could be the extra push your body needs to shed the last few pounds.

3. Avoid Toxins and Bad Bacteria

Your body stores toxins in fat as a health precaution, so your system doesn't get overloaded with toxins. If you smoke, cut back on the smoking or quit entirely. If you drink alcohol, cut back on your alcohol consumption. If you are eating blackened toast (which is carcinogen, FYI!) stop eating anything that is obviously burnt. If you are eating a lot of red meat (which is rife with bad bacteria) try cutting back and eating more yogurt instead because yogurt has good bacteria in it which will help you lose weight.

4. A Leptin Boost

Leptin is a metabolism burning hormone which decreases as calories are reduced. After following tip number one all week, you can get a leptin boost from having one day of high calorie foods. It takes about a week for leptin levels to decrease but only one day to get levels back up. This doesn't mean to go all out, but calorie dense foods will "reset" your metabolism and get it back into high gear. When choosing what high calorie meal you want to eat aim for something healthier that is low in toxins and bacteria. eg. Pasta might do the trick. The following day you should feel really energetic and your goal then is to push yourself even harder when exercising.

5. Are you getting enough Sodium?

While you are exercising you might often hit an energy wall wherein you stop feeling energetic and you need a boost. Its possibly you are only dehydrated, but if you've been sweating a lot you may also be low on sodium. Drink more Powerade or Gatorade while exercising and you can reduce this problem, give yourself the extra needed sodium and you will be able to exercise for longer.

6. Break up your Exercise Routine

If you have been doing cardio and weights at the same time (for an hour combined) break up the workout and add a little more time to each. 40 minutes of cardio in the morning, and 40 minutes of weights at night (or reverse) will burn more calories and you will be better rested in between workouts to add more intensity to each. Plus, the cardio will increase your metabolic rate for up to 24 hours, while the new muscle will burn more calories throughout the day. Both forms of exercise will be working for you around the clock!

7. Adrenaline High Weight Loss

Get your heart pumping more by doing more activities that will get your adrenaline pumping. Adrenaline burns fat like crazy and a little bit of fear (even though you're perfectly safe) helps a lot. Take up activities like indoor rock climbing, while running pretend you are being chased by zombies (even though its not real, your brain can still trick yourself into pumping more adrenaline), have more spontaneous sex with your romantic partner and seek out other thrill seeking activities that will get your adrenaline pumping but without putting yourself at any real risk.