One of the most common excuses that I hear from time to time from people who want to get into shape is that it's just too damn expensive. To me, this excuse is almost as lame as the "I Don't Have Time" or "I'm Too Tired" excuse. You don't have to break the bank to become more healthy and fit, and you don't need to go into massive amounts of debt to develop a great looking physique.

Listed below are just a few of the cost effective strategies that I use and implement into my own fitness budget to help keep my costs low and the return on my investment (which in this case is my health and my body) high.

Diet is like religion. Therefore I don't offer my opinion unless I'm asked.

Training is like politics. Therefore I don't give my views unless requested to do so.

And the fitness industry is like a ponzi scheme. Therefore I don't get involved with the fad diets and workout gimmicks unless I've been provoked.

Unfortunately this bear has been poked far too many times lately. The gas has been poured on my fire and I'm ready to ignite. I need to unleash on these fitness phonies. I have to release on these diet gurus. I must expose these fads and the gimmicks for what they truly are. And I probably should do it quickly before my blog gets swiped, deleted or scrolled through in your newsfeed.

Contrary to popular belief, carbs DO NOT make you fat. And despite what the food labels might tell you, "Low Fat" DOES NOT necessarily mean healthy and nutritious. And regardless of how many muscle meatheads swear by it, you DO NOT need a surplus amount of protein to build and maintain solid lean muscle.

I know, I know, why should you believe me? After all, I'm just one of those muscle meatheads myself, what do I know about diet and nutrition?

A common question that I tend to receive from clients on a regular basis is how often is it okay for them to cheat on their diets. I've never really quite understood all the confusion surrounding this topic as in my opinion cheating on your diet on a regular basis will only hinder your progress and dilute your results. Yet for some reason, most people seem to be under the impression that consuming a cheat meal every few days or even an entire cheat day each week, is actually beneficial to both their bodies and their minds. In which my response is - BULLSHIT!