So, I've had a good week of training, and I picked up a new personal training client, which is always good, most especially in this rough and tumble economy.  The photos above I took immediately following my training session last weekend.  I'm really pleased with how I've been able to be disciplined since the start of the New Year, and for the most part have adhered to the changes that I wanted to add into my fitness routine, namely more vegetables into my diet as well as doing a bit more cardio.

I've been really using the Nu Wave oven this week as well, and have been doing some 'Power Pizzas,' using whole wheat pitas, which I will probably do as a cooking video sometime in the near future.  I plan to do Turkey again this weekend in the Nu Wave for the Super Bowl.  I'll be cheering for the Cardinals even though they beat my Eagles, because I've always loved high-octane offenses, and theirs is definitely exciting to watch. 

Here is an article that I stumbled upon in my research that I think would benefit many of you, especially those of you who are struggling with that 'last 10 lbs' that everyone states is the hardest to lose.

-Peter


"You’ve been a good boy (or girl). You eat small, frequent meals made of things that grow and things that cluck. You lift weights and imbibe the right ratio of carbs to protein afterward. You’re on the elliptical so much you’re well into the “Matlock: The Complete Second Season” on DVD.

But those beach trunks and bikinis reveal one nagging truth: You’re still a little soft around the middle. Under the jaw, too. And now that you think about it, you’ve never gotten that neat little vein running down your biceps.

In short, you may be fit, but genetics and lifestyle choices are conspiring to hide your hard work under a layer of persistent flub. While body composition varies, it’s generally believed that a body-fat percentage of 10% or less — roughly 16% for women — is when muscles begin to ripple and abs begin to display those “300”-style crevices you could hide a quarter in.

If you’re following the basics — good diet, proper exercise, sleep — but still feel like a William Baldwin wrapped in an Alec, check out these 10 solutions for making the cut, so you can achieve your “perfect 10%.”

Most fitness buffs only pay attention to the scale, but it’s body-fat percentage that determines whether or not you see striations.

1  /// Know Thy Enemy ///
Most fitness buffs only pay attention to the number on the scale, but it’s your body-fat percentage (the amount of fat relative to your entire weight) that determines whether you’ll see striations on your deltoids. Before changing your approach, get a baseline estimate that will allow you to chart your progress and make tweaks as needed.

“I use a bioelectrical impedance scale that gives a percentage of body fat,” offers Julie Upton, MS, RD. “If you’re doing that at home, do it at the same time every day. If it’s before your workout, always do it before your workout. And hydration really impacts it. If you’re underhydrated, it reads your body fat as being much higher.”

Perfect Solution ›› If you don’t have access to a bioelectrical scale, skin-fold calipers that pinch and record blubber are another option. Because of the wide margin for error, Upton recommends getting it done by a health-care professional; some consumer-use models, like the Accu-Measure Fat Track II ($50), can be a handy alternative.

2  /// Portion Control ///
Our experts agree: The number-one reason behind persistent body fat is miscalculation of how much we’re really eating.

“People think they’re following a good diet, but they actually aren’t,” bemoans Upton. “When you ask them to keep a log of what they eat, they suddenly realize, ‘Oh, I’m snacking here, snacking there. I’m eating double portions.’”

Common foods that are easily overconsumed, says Upton, are peanut butter, olive oil and cereal. “People can have four servings and count it as one serving,” she points out of the latter. With dressings and oils, “we just tend to pour it over our food and don’t account for those calories.” (Olive oil has a whopping 120 calories per tablespoon.)

Perfect Solution ›› Investing in a measuring cup and some tablespoons for the more egregious food offenders can help shave off excess consumption (keep them on your counter and pay attention to volume). You may discover your 200-calorie snack of high-fiber cereal is really a 400-calorie meal unto itself. And remember to eat unprocessed food as often as possible; if it has a mascot on the box, it’s probably not for you.

3  /// The Long Walk ///
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) — steady cardio punctuated by bursts of all-out effort — is all the rage, but too many fitness buffs ignore the fat-burning benefits of low- or moderate-intensity cardio. By alternating approaches, the body is less apt to get bored, or simply give up entirely.

“Interval training is better, but it’s hard,” says Ryan Andrews, MS, MA, RD, CSCS. “Whether it’s a walk in the park or a jog on the treadmill, mix it up.”

“If you walk for two hours a day and do that all the time, your body will adapt to it,” says celebrity personal trainer Bobby Strom. “And you’ll just plateau. That’s why you do sprints and different kinds of cardio.”

Perfect Solution ›› Keep using HIIT — it’ll stoke your metabolic fires throughout the day — but mix in one or two days a week of walking or hiking.

4  /// Move It ///
You may be busting your hump in the gym after work, but those nine hours sitting at your computer are going to catch up with you. Researchers at the University of Missouri recently showed that prolonged periods of sitting leads to the body substantially decreasing production of the enzyme lipase, which helps break down fat.

Being a desk ornament is “something the body is not used to doing,” says Andrews. “It accommodates by storing fat and becomes very efficient at storing calories. Your metabolism just drops. Any time you can get up, move around, take some stairs, or get out and take a few deep breaths, do it.”

Perfect Solution ›› Unless you’re a pilot on a transatlantic flight, get up, get out and get your blood moving on a consistent basis.

5  /// Take a Stand ///
Any equipment that gets your body moving is good, but studies indicate that weight-bearing set-ups like treadmills, ellipticals or pounding pavement have a greater effect on fat loss.

“Any activity where you’re going to be supporting your body weight is going to recruit more muscle,” says Andrews. “And when you recruit more muscle, you’re working harder and expending more energy.”

Perfect Solution ›› It’s not just for cardio. Andrews recommends experimenting with the “no sitting” workout for weights to wake up your core and get more of your body involved in the effort. Doing a seated dumbbell press? Opt for a standing military press. Biceps curls on the preacher rack? Get on your feet.

6  /// Sporting Chance ///
Believe it or don’t, but ballroom dancing will improve your chances with the opposite sex on multiple levels. “[Pro footballer] Jason Taylor was on the last ‘Dancing with the Stars,’” shares Strom. “He told me that his body fat was lower than it ever was, even in training camp: 8% from dancing four hours a day.”

You don’t have to cut a rug, but endless sessions on stationary equipment can bore both the body and mind. Taking up a regular sporting activity can have a big impact on your physique.

Perfect Solution ›› Try to schedule twice-weekly tennis or swimming sessions, or anything that involves a moderate amount of effort for a sustained period of time. You’ll have more fun, too.

7  /// Age Appropriate ///
If you’re 45 and find that fat is creeping on despite maintaining your usual workout routine, blame Father Time. The effort that was suitable for your 35-year-old self no longer applies.

“As you age, you become less physically active,” says Cris Slentz, PhD, physiologist with the Duke University Medical Center. “That’s going to be at least part of why we have lower metabolic rates. The less active you are, the less lean body mass you’re going to have. If runners want to maintain their body weight, every year they have to run more than they did the year before.”

Translation: You can have the same body you did 10 years ago, but it’ll take more dedication.

Perfect Solution ›› Work in another cardio session or make that cheat meal a little less decadent.

8  /// Iron Will ///
It’s hard to resist the temptation to go hard and heavy on the weights, but if you have a base level of mass, you may want to consider switching to an endurance (or circuit) weight regimen.

Strom, who trains actor Ryan Reynolds (“Blade: Trinity”) for action roles, knows something is working when his client marvels at the intensity level of the workout. “I usually just train him for movies, and then he does his own thing in between. He said to me, ‘Man, we did more in 40 minutes than I’d do in 90.’ It’s about how serious you are. If you go to the gym to socialize and exercise for 40 minutes and talk for 45, then that’s what you’re going to get out of it.”

Perfect Solution ›› Strom recommends shorter rest periods in between sets. The weights will get lighter, but so will you.

9  /// Supplements: Go Green ///
Strom likes glutamine because it helps muscle recovery and boosts growth-hormone levels, supporting lean muscle that constantly works to burn fat.

Upton points to emerging evidence that green-tea extract and its polyphenols can have a positive effect on fat.

And if you’re not crazy about popping open can after can of tuna, consider an omega-3 fish-oil supplement. Research indicates greater fat loss by supplementing with 6 g a day when compared to exercise alone.

Perfect Solution ›› Use the following dosages: glutamine, 15 g spread throughout the day; green-tea extract, 300–600 mg daily; multivitamin, one per
day (or follow label directions).

10  /// The Rest of It ///
Sleep is crucial. Says Slentz: “Those who get nine hours of sleep or more are more likely to be overweight, and people with less than seven hours are also more likely to be overweight.”

Also, be patient about your progress. “I usually give people the 12-week benchmark,” advises Strom. “It’s not something you can do for two weeks and say, ‘I’m not where I want to be.’ Your body doesn’t respond that way. It has its own system of checks and balances. The body needs that time before it realizes, ‘I get it. We’re not eating 2,000 calories any more. We’re eating 1,500.’

“You gotta hang in there to see the results.”

Perfect Solution ›› Try to get eight hours of sleep every night, and give your program at least three months to gauge its success.

03/13/2009

Abert Ruiz: peter you`re the best of all!!! oh my god I admire you all the time and ofcourse your amaizing body, so I just want to say how proud I^m of this web page It`s so great and `with all the advices you give us It`s so great,and because of It that makes you be so nice person `cause some people that got a great body don`t say what they do ot eat because they `re selffish or something like that but any way we got you thank god!! so congratulation and continue with this please It`s so helpful for us so wish you the best BYe take care!!....

02/01/2009

Jake: You are really getting big Pete! Awesome work!

02/01/2009

Norman: Looking great, bud

01/29/2009

Lilliana: I really like the casual, behind-the-scenes photos like this! Keep posting them!