John Berardi - The Metabolism Advantage: An 8-Week Program to Rev Up Your Bodys Fat-Burning Machine---At Any Age

The information in this book is meant to supplement, not replace, proper exercise training. All forms of exercise pose some inherent risks. The editors and publisher advise readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the exercises in this book, be sure that your equipment is well-maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and fitness. The exercise and dietary programs in this book are not intended as a substitute for any exercise routine or dietary regimen that may have been prescribed by your doctor. As with all exercise and dietary programs, you should get your doctors approval before beginning.

Mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book does not imply endorsement by the author or publisher, nor does mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book, its author, or the publisher.

Internet addresses and telephone numbers given in this book were accurate at the time it went to press.

2006 by John Berardi

Photographs 2006 by Rodale Inc.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Berardi, John.

The metabolism advantage : an 8-week program to rev up your bodys fat-burning machineat any age / John Berardi.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN-13 978-1-59486-322-6 direct hardcover

ISBN-10 1-59486-322-9 direct hardcover

ISBN-13 978-1-59486-323-3 trade hardcover

ISBN-10 1-59486-323-7 trade hardcover

ISBN-13 978-1-62336-031-3 ebook

1. Weight loss. 2. Reducing diets. 3. Metabolism. 4. Nutrition.

5. Exercise. I. Title.

RM222.2.B446 2006

613.2'5dc22 2006018552

Distributed to the trade by Macmillan

2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1 direct hardcover
4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 trade hardcover

We inspire and enable people to improve their lives and the world around them
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Contents

Acknowledgments

In the book Every Second Counts, Lance Armstrong and Sally Jenkins note that anyone who imagines they can work alone winds up surrounded by nothing but rivals, without companions. The fact is, no one ascends alone.

In the case of this book, never was a truer statement put forth. Without the expertise, insight, hospitality, care, support, friendship, and good humor of a virtual army of generous clients, colleagues, and friends, there would have been no ascentand, of course, there would have been no The Metabolism Advantage. For all of their contributions to me personally and professionally, Id like to acknowledge the following individuals for helping to make The Metabolism Advantage a reality.

To my good friends and Science Link partners, Phil Caravaggio and Carter Schoffer, its been quite a ride! Dont for a second doubt that without you there would be no Science Link, no JohnBerardi.com, no Gourmet Nutrition, no Scrawny to Brawny, and no The Metabolism Advantage. Certainly dont doubt the fact that without you the thousands of people weve touched would have remained confused within the minefield of todays health, nutrition, and fitness industries. In fact, dont even doubt that without you I wouldnt be in a white padded room rocking back and forth right now.

John Lennon said, I get by with a little help from my friends. Me, I get by with a lot of help from my friends. Thanks for picking up the slack when there was some to pick up, thanks for lending ideas when mine had dried up, thanks for providing encouragement when Ive been ready to give up. Thank you also for being ever-present examples of dedication, discipline, integrity, and uncompromising quality. They say that the company we keep determines who well be in the future. If this is true, the future looks bright indeed.

To the amazing clients of Science Link, my warmest thanks for becoming the very platform from which books like this can be created. Without your trust in our methods and systems, without your patience, and without your appreciation for the process of trial and error that accompanies the consulting relationship, translating research into real, measurable, and teachable results would never have come so easy. This book springs forth from your own successes and is just as much yours as it is mine.

To my colleagues at Rodale Inc.without your support of my ideas, confidence in my writing, and faith in my ability to help people change the way they live, books like this would not be available to help so many. Thanks for making my vision a reality.

Finally, Id like to acknowledge the researchers whove made it their lifes work to uncover the mysteries of the human body. As Isaac Newton once said, If I have seen further, its only because Ive stood on the shoulders of giants. To the aforementioned researchers, it is upon your shoulders I stand. Without your countless hours in the lab, Id have no advice to givethis book is a tribute to your efforts.

PART 1

METABOLISM ADVANTAGE SCIENCE

I remember the day I got the bad news. I was 20 years old, and I was in the middle of a great leg workout. I was breathing hard and resting between sets when an older personal trainer (he was probably in his thirties) came over and offered some adviceunsolicited, of course.

Ya know, he said, I used to look like you. Just you wait. After 25, the metabolism slows down, and its all downhill from there, buddy. Youd better enjoy it while it lasts. Then he turned and walked away.

I wasnt sure what to make of this guy. After all, he didnt look that great. Sure, he was a trainer, and he did look better than most folks his age, but just barely. And he had a lot less muscle and a lot more fat than I did.

So I wondered if he was right. Does metabolism come to a grinding halt after age 25? Was I doomed to lose the youthful body that I was working so hard to develop?

I had to find out. After all, if middle-age spread is an inevitable consequence of aging, why bother? Why work so hard to maintain this fit, hard body? I might as well just throw in the towel right then.

So I asked around. I spoke with personal trainers, gym owners, and nutritionists, who all confirmed what I had heard. I talked to some instructors at my local community college. They said the same, although with less certainty, since at that time, not much research had been done on the subject.

I looked around, studying the physiques of people I ran into at the gym, grocery store, mall, and elsewhere. The evidence was all around me: Younger people were leaner and seemingly had faster metabolic rates than older folks.