Since exercise starting becoming mainstream (not something solely reserved for weightlifters, bodybuilders, gymnasts, etc), there have been a million different training methods developed, implemented, discovered, or discredited. Hell, Joe Weider alone is responsible for a whole harem of training methods that have been used over the years. Many of these are extremely effective, some are less effective, some are only effective at certain times or for certain types of training. Of all those methods, the one I want to talk about today is called Perpetual Motion Training, or PMT.

What is PMT?
Perpetual Motion Training is a training method that involves constant movement throughout the entire duration of a workout. Where traditional methods contain rest periods, PMT does not; instead, a user will "rest" with an exercise of lighter intensity, but remains in constant motion throughout the entire workout.

The advantage of PMT is that it can be incorporated seamlessly with any other training method, and its reliance on nonstop motion make it extremely effective. The whole idea behind PMT is to vastly increase the intensity of any workout. Where normally routines typically require rest periods between sets or circuits, PMT allows no rest at all. Instead of resting, one would simply engage in some exercise of lesser intensity "as a rest period" and then transition back to the higher intensity exercise when ready. This might sound heinous and cruel at first, but it's really not. Like anything, the intensity can be scaled, and it's really still a matter of how hard the individual wants to push themselves. The point of PMT is to burn more calories, and in its "purest state"--one of high intensity--it would significantly increase the difficulty of the event. Some people attempt to maintain a certain level of heart rate throughout the entire workout using PMT.

Some examples of how PMT differs from, say, circuit training, would be how during a circuit, the idea is to move quickly from one exercise set to the next, nonstop, but you would rest in between rounds. Or, depending on how you're doing it (such as with FFitness or CF), one would be given the list of required repetitions and exercises and rests whenever needed. In PMT, rather than rest, one would simply maintain movement with another exercise. The prime example of the best use of PMT is probably ptossing, where the exercises are interjected into a run. Rather than rest, the individual (called a ptosser) simply resumes running. Like I mentioned previously, it is possible to jog at a slow enough pace that it's essentially the same as resting, however, the object of PMT is rather to resume exercise at a pace "just above what's comfortable" during rest periods.

Other advantages of PMT include increased cardiovascular endurance/VO2max/muscular stamina, and more calories burned, especially when done at higher intensities. To use PMT in your normal workout program, simply substitute rest periods with another exercise and go just above what's comfortable, never stopping.

For more on ptossing, read here.

You can't go anywhere without being inundated with crap articles, blogs, or headlines about how you should be eating this or that or how you need this diet or how you need to count and keep track of all this crap or eat only x percentage of this crap. One article will tell you how you should avoid such and such while the next month in the same best-selling health magazine another article will tout the many benefits of that same product. You're supposed to know that a serving of grilled chicken is the size of a deck of cards. Thanks, whoever invented that analogy. I wouldn't have grasped that concept had it not been for you. And you're supposed to just heed all this and somehow remember everything. Well, I've got news for you, friends, I'm going to tell you a little secret: you don't need to know all that.

All these things are meant to make your life easier, but the truth is, we can simplify everything using a little something called the 80-20 rule, otherwise known as the Pareto Principle. It pretty much states that, as it pertains to this case, only 20% of the info will yield you 80% of the results. You need to think big to little here. All you need to know about nutrition can be pealed down into just a few easy-to-remember principles.

Too Much Sugar Really is Evil 

That's not just a stereotype. We've known this all along, yet we continually consume crap that's loaded with sugar (damn near everything has sugar in it). Does this mean you should avoid sugar altogether? No, unless your doctor tells you to. The thing is, going to such an extreme would most likely cause you to go crazy. Cut down on a lot of the crap that is loaded with sugar (how about dessert? soda is probably the number one culprit these days, but don't rule out most normal foods, too. Trying Googling high frustose corn syrup). This is a common piece of advise, but people would rather take "the only pill approved by the FDA" rather than LAY OFF THE SNACKS. Taking diet pills after gorging yourself on junk is like getting a weekly shot after unprotected sex.

Fat is Not All Bad

But come on.  Knock it off with the deep-fat fried everything.  If you're eating a lot of crap like that you have no excuse to be asking me what you're doing wrong.  In addition to that little tidbit, the amount of fat you eat isn't as important as what type you're eating.  I can tell you one thing, fast food isn't the right type of fat.  Here is what you need to know: saturated fat and trans fat = not so good.  By virtue of reasoning alone, we are now able to consume good fats without even needing to know what they're called.  The process by which we did that is called "elimination."  Limit trans fats and saturated fats, dammit.  But just because they're "good" fats doesn't mean you should eat as much as you can.

Carbs Are Not Horrible

Forget all that crap about carbs being terrible. Your body needs carbohydrates just like it needs fat (to absorb, uh, fat-soluable vitamins) and protein. The solution to all this garbage is to eat a balanced diet, which contains everything--protein, fat, and yes--carbohydrates.  The truth is that calories are what makes you gain weight.  The only formula you need to know right this instant is this: caloric intake < calories used = weight loss.  Caloric intake > calories used = weight gain.  You should be eating some of everything.  But yeah, too many carbs can lead to unwanted girth because when your fuel tank is full, the only place to go is to store it.  As fat. 

Diet Garbage is Still Garbage 

Food labels are meant to be misleading--a product is still a product. Companies must advertise. The fact is, a lot of diet foods are crap in disguise. Which ones, you ask? Don't get hung up on that. You're trying to focus on the 80% here. Forget about memorizing whether or not you should eat diet this or avoid diet that. If you focus your efforts on getting rid of the very worst crap you can eat--fried, fast food, soda, etc., you can lessen your worry about unimportant crap. My advice is to get the basics down and then broaden your knowledge. Detailing which diet foods are harmful is beyond the scope of this article.

Food Labels Can Be Hell

They are meant to help you, but most food labels just confuse you more than anything.  A couple things that might serve you well are to check the calories, calories from fat, the saturated/trans fat amounts, and the amount of sugar.  It's good to check the label against any claims listed on the product--Low Fat!  Pay attention to the serving sizes because those can be misleading as well.  Don't think that the numbers apply to the whole bag of chips.

Losing Weight

The only thing you need to know about losing weight is this: eat less, exercise more.  Consume fewer calories than you expend.  You need to put forth some physical effort if you want to facilitate a positive change in your health or figure. 

Calories

For all that I've said about consuming fewer calories than you expend, calories are still a pain in the ass to keep track of.  If you're having trouble in the first place, chances are you're not gonna want to track and process a slew of numbers.  The good news is that if you kick yourself into gear, you don't need to worry as much about the details.  Everything gets lost in the details, and this article is about simplifying.  The good thing is that mathematics is predictable, so you can either a) decrease calorie consumption, b) increase activity, or c) do both, which is the ideal option for those looking to lose fat.  My advice is to increase activity--a lot--to help counteract any aversion to processing numbers.  And forget about fat-burning zones and long, tedious cardio sessions.  Work out with more intensity. 

Portions and Servings

The simple answer to the big question of trying to make sense of the servings and portions you're supposed to have is this: don't eat as much as you can.  Eat until you're satisfied, not until you're full.  If you think a portion might be too much, it probably is.  Eat a diverse selection of fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, dairy, and fats.  

Exercise

Exercise and nutrition go hand-in-hand.  They are not mutually exclusive.  Increase your activity levels in any way you can.  Work out.  Get outside.  Anything you can do that's physical will benefit you, and the more you can get around to doing the better.  Involve others in your exploits.  Going hiking with the family is a much better option than watching television.  Get off your ass.  Again, I'm going to resort to simple mathematics here: you get what you put in. 

In closing, I want to iterate that common sense and intuition play a valuable role in nutrition.  If you know something is bad for you, you can get away with not eating it.  Use your brain and take control of your life.  Lastly, it's human to indulge once in a while.  Going to extremes, no matter which end of the spectrum you're on, is usually not the ideal.  Eat a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates, and fat.  Diversify your food.  Don't eat too much of anything.  Fast food < processed food < home-cooked processed food < all-natural food.  It's really not that difficult if you focus on the important stuff.

The fitness industry is inundated with promotional crap targeting people for the purposes of stealing their money. It has nothing to do with whether or not something helps you. This is how it is in any industry. Most people buy this stuff because they think it's necessary, a means to an end. Plus, it's easier to sell stuff to somebody who's excited about what they're about to engage in--people don't buy on intelligence, they buy on emotion. Pay attention to how most people conduct themselves when "working out" and you'll start to notice that most people don't like to be uncomfortable. They don't like to apply themselves, to push past any limitations they have put on themselves. That's what this list is all about. These are things that don't belong in Fatal Fitness, because we're about getting the job done, and most of the time, the job doesn't require a whole lot of extra luxuries. This isn't a health "club". It's a torture facility. It is through adversity that a man or woman discovers him/herself. You should discover yourself every day.

5. Reading Material

If you have the ability to read a magazine or newspaper while working out, you're not really working out. Knock it off.

4. Weightlifting Gloves

You don't need these. The only real purpose they serve is to make you look like a tool.

3.Supplements

There's no end to these gimmicks. I see guys relying on these to get jacked, pumped, shredded, ripped, cut, huge, buff, and energized, and most of the time they have no idea what they're doing. Unless you're a championship bodybuilder, chances are you don't need these. The human body produces enough crap on its own--spurred into action by what you do--that you'll be able to reach your goals just the same. If you absolutely must use these, test them out to see which ones work and which ones don't (a lot of them don't work, so don't continue wasting money on them if they don't). How can you test them to see if they work? Pick one. Use it exclusively for 6 weeks. Document your progress. Try another one and do the same thing. You'll either see a pattern or you'll notice that one works better than others. But don't rely on these over hard work and dedication.

2. Music

Vince Gironda, otherwise known as the "Iron Guru," didn't allow any music in his gym. He wanted people to get serious, without any distractions. (Other distractions include talking too much with other people.) Portable electronic musical devices are probably the single most utilized fitness "accessory". While they do have their benefits--getting you pumped, distracting you from any discomfort you might be experiencing, these things also have a tendency to cause you to be dependent on them, which is the last thing you need. Some people can't work out without them. Don't let something like this prevent you from reaching your goals if you find yourself without one. Figure out how to motivate yourself in other ways and you'll not only be training your body but also your mind, which is what this Autopsy is all about.

1. Exercise Mats

The number one thing you do NOT need is an exercise mat to do abdominal exercises on. This is the single largest piece of bullshit exercise equipment you can use, and I'll tell you why. First off, as I said before, you don't need one to do ab exercises. Once you get hooked on these things, if you have to do abs on any other "hard" surface, such as, say, a gymnasium floor or outside on the sidewalk, the only thing you'll be thinking about it how much you wish you had one. If you do the exercises correctly in the first place, there should be no reason why your spine should be digging into the ground. Plus, if you rely too much on these, odds are you'll forego ab exercises altogether should you find yourself without one. So don't even use them. After a while, you'll find that you don't even want them anymore, which makes you more hardcore than anyone else at the gym.

If you ever find yourself thinking you need something to work out, you should stop for a minute and think again. If the item is a piece of equipment, find an acceptable substitute. If the item is an accessory--suck it up and get your ass in gear. You'll be much better off.