Many times this season I've found my butt on an airplane, something I look forward to with the same enthusiasm as a dental appointment, traveling to and from various personal appearances. Since I'm a spokesmodel for a supplement company they fly me around to fitness, bodybuilding, and nutrition expositions to sign photos, answer workout/meal plan questions, and basically represent them to industry members and the general public. Usually these conventions are spaced apart throughout the year so they're a nice break in my routine. This year, however, they came in a schedule-shattering, cross country cluster from Atlanta to Los Angeles. My first concern…and the inspiration for this article…How was I going to stay in shape during the hectic travel schedule? I'm sure this thought has entered the minds of more than a few of you frequent flyers out there. It might also have passed right through them once you realized solving the dilemma requires a little bit of thought and planning. Fortunately, I can now share my personal experiences in the form of a few tips to help you stay fit while on the go.

TIP #1 - Prepare a "carry-on" meal for your travel day

If you're looking for lots of sodium, sugar, and saturated fat, airline food might be the way to go. I think the buttery sauce on the "sautéed chicken nasty" they almost served me could actually have equaled my daily allotment of fat grams. Add that to the salted peanuts coupled with the high glycemic piece of cake and I'd be nicely bloated by landing time. Thanks to a little pre-planning, however, I brought a plastic container with a grilled chicken breast and mixed vegetables to keep me from resorting to airline cuisine. I even heard an envious passenger a couple of rows behind me breathe a sigh of regret as he said to his seatmate "That looks a (heck) of a lot better than what we got." If you're not into cooking, as I'm usually not, you can also simply pick up a healthy meal, like a chicken/turkey breast salad or pita, to go from the drive thru window of many popular fast food restaurants. You'll notice just about all the major franchises are now catering to fitness folk with special high protein, low fat food options.

Bringing my own food on the plane has two benefits. First, it helps me stick to my nutrition plan. Second, it helps me mentally stay in control of the situation and keeps me focused right from the start that this trip doesn't have to interfere with my fitness program.

TIP #2 - Make sure your hotel has a gym

This one is very important. The first thing I do when I get my itinerary from the supplement company is to call the hotel they've booked me in to make sure it has some sort of workout facility. It doesn't have to be fancy. Just a lifecycle or treadmill for my morning cardio and a multi-station universal gym for some basic weight-training suits me fine for short trips. I get to stay in the exercise mode while getting a break from my normal routine. Surprisingly, I sometimes return home in better shape, tighter and more defined, than when I left. Since I have a tendency to over-train a bit I guess this abbreviated travel routine gives my body a needed rest and my muscles a chance to fill out.

If your hotel doesn't have a gym, like the one I stayed at in Columbus, OH didn't, you still have a couple of other training options. Number one, check out local gyms in the area, some of which usually have deals open to fitness-oriented hotel guests. Ask someone at the front desk for details. Number two, use your room. Remember, exercises using your own bodyweight, like push-ups and stomach crunches, can help you stay pumped and get blood flowing to those working muscles. Of course for cardiovascular activity, there's always walking and jogging. These are also great ways to see the area where you're staying…a feat that's otherwise difficult for me considering I'm stuck inside convention halls most of the day.

I'd also like to recommend that whatever exercise you're planning make it a priority. Try to do a good portion of it first thing in the morning to make sure you get it in. Too many times the days tend to get away from us when we're traveling and if we put off working out until the later hours it often gets left out completely.

TIP #3 - Eating healthy while traveling is no more difficult than eating poorly

Listen - If even the fast food places offer low fat, low calorie food options there's no excuse for straying from your nutrition plan while you're away. As I always say, eating well takes no more time than eating badly. It just requires that you take a moment to think about what you're putting in your mouth.

If you're dining in restaurants don't just accept food as is. Remember you're paying not only for the meal but the service as well. Don't be timid about asking for special requests like "sauce on the side," "steamed" instead of "fried," or "cooked without oil." For example, when I'm going out to breakfast I commonly request egg white omelets cooked with "calorie-free no stick spray" (like Pam Cooking Spray) and no cheese. If I watch out for the hidden sources of fat and calories that I don't even enjoy I'm then able to incorporate some very palatable "cheat" foods, such as a piece of dark chocolate cake or a brownie, into my meal plan every once in a while without noticing any negative effects on my muscle definition or body fat level. In phone consultations I often tell people who've ordered my Fitness Made Simple video that "it's not the piece of cake that makes you fat - it's all your other daily sources of excess carbs and fat combined with the cake that makes you fat."

Two other important points about eating out…#1. Watch the bread and chips prior to your meal. Most people don't mentally count these as part of the meal. They may be cost-free but they're sure not calorie-free. #2. Don't worry about being considered "a pain" or "picky" by your friends or the restaurant staff when you're making a special order. Once again remember you're paying for this service and, as for your friends, after they see the results of your efforts they'll probably start following your lead.

TIP #4 - Don't forget your supplements

We've already established that traveling doesn't have to translate into a vacation or deviation from our fitness lifestyles. So if you're currently using any supplements there's no reason not to bring them with you. I generally group these products into two main categories - food/meal supplements and muscle building/fat burning supplements.

Two members of the latter category I made sure not to leave home without are Creavescent and Thermogen, both created by Genetic Evolutionary Nutrition (GEN), the company I'm a spokesperson for. As my regular readers know, I'd never represent a company whose products I didn't actually use myself. Considering how many times I've been disappointed in the past by misleading claims and ads featuring models who never even used the products they endorse, I just wouldn't feel right about joining in the industry deception at the expense of well-intentioned consumers.

I had recently started a cycle of Creavescent, which is basically creatine combined with an effervescent delivery system to maximize absorption, prior to my trips and I was very impressed with the results after only a few days. My muscles were fuller and harder, I felt stronger and more energetic, plus I didn't have the stomach upset and bloating I sometimes get from creatine powder. These initial gains are probably due to the fact that Creavescent provides up to 90%-100% absorption as compared to the 30%-40% absorption of regular creatine. Interesting stats aside, I liked what I was seeing and feeling with Creavescent and, since it comes in convenient 5gm foil packets, it's very "travel-friendly."

I brought Thermogen, a synergistic combination of various fat fighting factors, with me simply because it's the single best fat burning supplement I've ever tried and I knew I'd need all the help I could get in that area while I was away. Two capsules per day prior to my morning cardio is my fat cells worst nightmare and cuts me up like no other product.

The second category of products, food/meal supplements, are also extremely beneficial while traveling. These include protein and meal replacement powders and bars. A plastic shaker and water is all that's needed for the powders. I have one in my small carry-on bag. The bars are even more portable. Both are quick, convenient ways to keep hunger at bay and ensure I get calorie-compact, quality nutrition while on the go. On a personal note, I really like two nutrition bars in particular. First, the new Lean Machine Meal Replacement Bar by GEN has a great muscle building, fat burning combination of nutrients which really maximizes lean musculature. The peanut butter crisp flavor is delicious and the bar is a very satisfying meal replacement that saves me from having to cook and prepare every meal. Second, Worldwide Sports Nutrition's line of Pure Protein Bars and new "Protein Cookie" are high in protein, low in carbs and sugar, and unbelievably tasty. They also carry the Low Glycemic Seal Of Approval indicating they don’t overly elevate blood sugar or stimulate Lipoprotein Lipase, an enzyme responsible for increasing fat storage. Worldwide and GEN were exhibiting their products and offering samples at the conventions. Like a hoard of locusts, or in this case just one large hungry locust, each day at lunchtime I descended upon these booths and feasted on every flavor they created. Fortunately, I work with GEN, the people at Worldwide are my friends and, even more fortunately, my overindulgence in their protein-packed treats didn't ruin my definition.

So there you have them…four helpful tips I used and you can follow to stay fit on the go. Now I don't want to hear any more excuses for falling off the fitness wagon while traveling.

NOTE: If you'd like to try GEN's Creavescent, Thermogen, or Lean Machine Meal Replacement Bars you can order them by calling the number below..

Have you ever had one of those conversations where you felt you were speaking to a wall? Well, today I certainly did. It’s an unbelievably frustrating experience. I was doing a personal phone consultation with a guy I’ll call "Eugene" who said he reads my Natural Muscle columns regularly and also has the "Fitness Made Simple" video I host. Eugene, who represents "the wall" in this story, started the conversation by saying he was "a big fan" and that his current goal is to get as defined as naturally possible. You know, the ripped sixpack of abs, eye-popping striations, and razor-sharp cuts. We all dream of them and their images are what fuels our passion to pump iron. A lean, muscular physique similar to the ones we see gracing the pages of this magazine is an admirable goal to shoot for. My frustration, however, grew from how Eugene was attempting to get it.

To make a long story short, Eugene’s definition-enhancing fitness program consisted of a high carbohydrate diet coupled with long periods of painfully low calorie, near starvation days to help him "lose fat," minimal water intake so he "wouldn’t retain water and appear bloated," and as little fat as possible since, as he told me, "eating fat makes you fat, right?" I think the only way Eugene could have devised a worse nutrition plan would be if he just ate lard straight out of the can for 3 meals a day. Please keep in mind that I have never recommended any of Eugene’s "cutting-up" strategies and, if he had really read the columns he claimed to be such a fan of or if he’d actually put the video in his VCR and pushed "play," he should have known that. Needless to say, Eugene’s nutrition plan wasn’t producing the results he desired. What a shock!

Ironically, Eugene’s workout program was remarkably well-constructed. But since I believe what we eat is most important factor when it comes to seeing the muscle definition we’ve worked so hard to build, proper nutrition has to be the cornerstone of any successful cutting-up program. When I went over a few meal plan guidelines, which I’ve preached about before and have used to slash my body fat percentages, Eugene acted like he had a revelation and thanked me repeatedly. I guess you can say something over and over again but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee it gets heard. Maybe I haven’t put these fat-fighting insights into a single, "user friendly" format before. So, as a well-needed aid to all the other "Eugenes" out there who are dedicated to redefining their physiques but going about it in all the wrong ways, here’s a brief rundown of some nutritional keys I’ve found necessary for opening up the door to a ripped physique.

Simply put fat gains and losses are mathematical events. You’re not going to look like a sleekly defined racehorse if you eat like a pig. It’s important to eat enough good foods to maintain lean muscle mass but not overindulge to the point of increasing fat storage. Since this line is an easy one to cross I recommend writing down in a small notebook the calorie content and macronutrient breakdown (grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fat) of what I’m eating. This technique also keeps me more focused on my goal.

When I’m cutting-up for a photo shoot I try to eat my "Bodyweight X 10" in total daily calories. For example, if I weigh 195 lbs, consuming around 1950-2000 calories a day is a good start to my fat burning program. Since people differ in metabolic rates and exercise levels you might use this formula to begin with and then, after a couple of weeks, adjust it by 200-300 calories/day depending on your results. While I’ve been very successful with this practice I don’t advise staying on a low calorie meal plan for an extended period of time because our bodies are smart and they can adjust to the "starvation condition" they’re facing by lowering metabolism and catabolizing muscle tissue. Since muscle burns fat, losing the precious mass we’ve worked so hard to build would be very detrimental to our fat loss efforts.

Unlike Eugene’s string of "painfully low calorie days," which puts the body in a fat storing mode since it has no idea when it will be fed next, eating several small meals every 3 hours keeps our muscles in a fat burning mode since they’re receiving a steady but not excessive flow of nutrients. This practice also helps increase our energy levels and fight the hungry feeling that often leads to cheating with fat building between meal snacks. Eating only 2-3 large meals a day like most people do, however, can overwhelm our bodies. Since they can only use a certain amount of food at a time the remainder will usually be stored as fat.

If you’re trying to keep fat off and muscle on, increasing protein intake is the way to go. Protein sources, like chicken/turkey breasts, tuna, egg whites, and whey powders, help build muscle and are the least likely macronutrients to be converted to body fat since they’re the most metabolically costly for our bodies to process. Protein has also been shown in scientific studies to be a potent appetite suppressant and it has a mild diuretic effect, causing us to lose some definition-limiting water weight. To get really ripped on a short term fat burning meal plan I raise my protein intake to around 40% of total daily calories.

On the flip side of the coin are carbohydrates. They’re notorious for holding water and can interfere with our body's ability to tap into body fat reserves for energy. Diets high in simple and highly processed carbs, like Eugene’s, cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin levels that not only decrease fat burning but even promote fat storage. That’s another reason Eugene has yet to see his abs. Simple sugars also increase our cravings making it harder for us to stop with just one cookie. I’m also very careful of fructose (fruit sugar) when cutting-up. Though fruits may be beneficial healthwise, unlike other sugars, fructose has limited uses in our bodies. It’s not used to fill muscle glycogen reserves and, once liver glycogen reserves are full, excess fructose can be easily stored as fat. From my experience, high fructose diets are second only to high saturated fat diets in ruining definition.

While TV and Eugene tell us "eating fat makes you fat," the reality of the situation is that since the "fat-free" craze began studies are showing Americans continue to get fatter and fatter. While limiting fat intake is a good idea, eliminating it totally is not. Besides being necessary for healthy skin and hair, fat is involved in the production of many hormones, including testosterone. That’s why it’s almost impossible to build muscle mass when on an extremely low fat diet. Fat also lowers the glycemic index of many high carb foods so we don’t get that huge fat-producing insulin surge commonly associated with eating fat-free goodies by themselves. And, most relevant to this article, we need a certain amount of fat to process body fat metabolism. In other words, eating too little fat makes it harder for us to burn fat.

To stay toned and defined, I eat good fats in moderation…about 15%-20% of my daily calorie intake. "Good fats" include essential fatty acids, like flaxseed oil, and monounsaturated fats, like all-natural peanut butter, olive oil, and avocados.

Drink water…lots of it. I try to drink a gallon a day with and between my meals. Muscle is comprised of 70% water. A high protein diet and intense exercise require more water since these are dehydrating activities. Water is needed to transport vitamins, minerals, supplements, and even foods throughout our bodies. If our water intake is too low, muscle fullness decreases and a toxic build-up of ammonia, urea, and other waste products can result. Contrary to Eugene’s philosophy, restricting water intake can actually lead to more water retention than providing the body with a steady supply.

To prevent unwanted fat storage I eat my biggest meals early in the day when I’m most active. I particularly limit my carbohydrate foods in later meals. I’ve found eating too close to bedtime is a good way to lose definition since my body doesn’t burn the same level of calories during the sleeping maintenance mode as it does during the waking hours.

Once I have the nutritional foundation in place, the addition of a fat burning supplement can increase my definition in record time. The most effective product I’ve come across is Thermogen. I’ve found it to be a fat cells worst nightmare. I particularly like it for reducing those "last-to-leave" fat deposits in trouble-prone areas, like the belly and lower back in men ("spare tire") and the waist, hips, and thighs in women. Thermogen is a powerful thermogenic agent that attacks fat with a variety of weapons, turning calories into heat rather than storing them as fat. By combining Ma Huang, caffeine, naringen, white willow bark, and a few other ingredients in precise ratios to maximize their effects, Thermogen is believed to increase metabolism, reduce lipogenesis (the process by which carbs are converted to fat), and, most importantly, preserve lean muscle mass. Many traditional diet aids lead to as much, if not more, muscle loss as fat loss…and no one wants that.

Note: To order Thermogen you can call 1-800-283-4230.

Have you ever heard the saying "the only constant thing in this world is change?" I actually never have so I felt quite proud of myself when I thought of it. A friend, however, recently told me that I might not be the originator of this maxim, as she believes it’s been around for some time. Well, regardless of its initial discovery, I experienced "change" in a very positive way. As many of my regular readers have written and emailed me my Fitness Made Simple Columns have been absent a bit from time to time in some publications lately. It’s a common phenomenon for fitness/bodybuilding columnists to come and go and I’m just glad to see that my "break" was even noticed.

The reason behind the brief respite relates to the changes I mentioned. Fortunately, they were all good. Not to go into too much detail but, with the introduction of commercials for my "Fitness Made Simple" workout/nutrition video (now a bestseller-yeah!) and my "Awesome Hour Upper Body Home Workout" and "Sixpack Abs" videos to the TV marketplace, sales and requests for personal appearances have soared and I’ve honestly been overwhelmed for the first time in my life. While the past several months have been amazing they’ve also rocked my world. Keeping up with "being in demand," something I always wanted, obliterated my usual schedule, leaving less and less time for my daily staples of regular workouts and mealtimes…not to mention sleep.

That brings me to the purpose of this article…getting back on track. It’s intended for those of you who fall victim to the "too busy to workout" mindset and woefully accept the idea that you’ll never have the time to create the body you desire. It’s also designed to provide a refreshing jolt for people who’ve reached a plateau and have become stagnant with their current routines. The following are a few tips that I learned and found invaluable while I was "getting back on track."

Prioritize…I don’t think a more important word was ever created. If you’re always finding time in short supply my advice is to take a couple of days off from your usual regimen and actually THINK about what you’re spending that vital time doing. Chances are, if you’re like I was, a good portion of your day is spent doing habitual tasks that don’t add to your happiness. Think about these tasks, write them down, and eliminate them. If building a better body will make you feel more fulfilled, as it does for me, then incorporate a result-producing workout and nutrition program in their places and make improving your physique a priority. It’s that simple. It’s a mental commitment more than anything else.

Another helpful tip I can offer people on the go is to invest in a minimal home gym set-up. I got some adjustable dumbbells and a bench…a minor cost of under a hundred dollars since I found a barely used set advertised in the local paper. This was one of the best investments I ever made. The small amount of equipment didn’t take up much room and allowed me to stick to my training program even when the gym was closed I just didn’t have time to go.

I’m used to "eating by the clock"…you know, the standard daily fitness/bodybuilding cuisine of 4-6 evenly spaced, high protein/moderate carb, muscle building, fat burning meals consisting of chicken breasts, egg whites, tuna, whey powders, oatmeal, rice, vegetables, etc. Once my usual schedule became filled with ever-increasing commitments my nutrition plan was nuked. I had less and less shopping and kitchen time and neither of those options were ever that appealing to me anyway.

Desiring to keep my abs and avoid potential embarrassment at personal appearances I made adjustments. The first thing I learned is that "good eating" takes no more time than "bad eating"…so forget the excuse of not having time to eat right. It sometimes just requires a little more planning. Taking a few minutes one day I wrote down a list of all the foods I wanted to keep in my nutrition plan. I shopped for them one day each week. Items that needed to be cooked, like chicken/turkey breasts, I prepared on Sundays. Since I’m a Costco and Sam’s Club (wholesale bulk discount stores) kinda guy, I got the jumbo chicken breast packages and cooked two of them weekly, storing serving size portions of the tasty morsels in my refrigerator for use throughout the week. When needed I’d take them out, add some brown rice or a sweet potato (previously cooked) and/or vegetables, pack this nutritious meal in a plastic container, and carry it with me to eat later in the day. This practice benefited both my muscle definition and my wallet when compared to the saturated fat, sugar-filled fast food fixes I might have succumbed to.

Speaking of fast food, nowadays it can be a help rather than a hindrance in keeping our physiques lean and muscular. Just select healthy alternatives. Most major franchises offer low fat fare…and it doesn’t take any more time to select the chicken breast salad combo over the bacon double cheeseburger or to opt for the chicken soft taco with sauce on the side instead of the deep-fried cheese tortilla. If you just think about what you’re putting into your mouth eating on the go doesn’t have to translate into eating badly.

Of course there are also many high nutrition, calorie-compact, low carb meal replacement shakes and bars on the market which can fill fitness needs in our fast-paced society.

TIP #4 – DON’T FORGET YOUR SUPPLEMENTS

A busy life is a balancing act. More demands bring on more stress. More time commitments can result in less sleep. These two factors alone made me realize the importance of keeping a couple supplements in my training program to tip the fitness scales in my favor.

Since I’m often asked which products I actually use I’ll tell you a couple I make sure never to run out of. The first is glutamine. I use a product called Glutamine Express by GEN since it’s the only one I know of that combines the amino acid glutamine with Plasmologen Lysophosphatidyl Choline (LPC) to radically increase its absorption.

Glutamine is widely known as the "anti-overtraining" or "anti-stress" supplement because of its ability to preserve muscle mass even when on a calorie-restricted, cutting-up program. Glutamine has also been shown to increase growth hormone levels, muscle cell hydration, protein synthesis, immune system function, and even decrease body fat deposition. Glutamine supplementation therefore should, theoretically, results in bigger, stronger muscle cells. This eventuality, however, wasn’t the case when I tried other versions of the product. The reason for my result-free past experiences was probably due to the fact that a lot of the commercially available glutamine supplements get destroyed during the digestive process. That’s why very high (and expensive) amounts are often needed to notice any visible improvements. By combining glutamine with LPC a far greater amount of the supplement is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, leading to a larger portion reaching the bloodstream and muscle tissue. This ingenious formulation allows the remarkable potential benefits of glutamine to be realized at much lower (and affordable) doses. Hence, more bang for my supplemental buck.

For an added edge, I also use Adipokinetix, a thermogenic supplement that I consider to be the best fat burner on the market. I first used this product to prepare for my newest video, SIXPACK ABS. Two capsules prior to my morning cardio sessions are my fat cells worst nightmare and help my abs stand out like six cobblestones.

So there you have them…a few basic tips to put to rest all those excuses about being too busy to build a lean, muscular physique. Follow them and, like me, you’ll be back on track to creating the body of your dreams.

NOTE: For more information about trying the supplements mentioned in this article you can call 1-800-283-4230.