I wish ya'll would split this up. I have been on the AED diet for about 15 months and find that it is the best diet ever. I am a 52 year old woman that is interested in that diet and the exercises that apply to me. I have lost 80 pounds with the help of natural herbs that straightened out my thyroid. I also have hormone issues and have been to a naturopathy Dr. which has me on natural hormone supplements and I can tell that they are already helping me. No more hot flashes. The whole point being is I am not interested in KB, but would be interested in doing yoga, pilates, stretching, etc. Could we have a site dedicated to the AED forum?
This is the best diet, I have fallen off the wagon and platued for a while, until the holidays!!! I walk for an hour a day on my treadmill, but want to add to this after the 1st (2009). And get back on this diet starting with phase 1. I have also thought about fasting too. I would like to lose another 50 pounds with the help of AED.
Please help ladies.
Happy New Year.
I think that we all can and will make this the longest topic in Warrior Diet history!

and it'll be fun. What are the goals that all of us who are on this diet, and or interested in this diet would like to achieve? I think that most of us will answer by saying: to gain, lean muscle mass, stregth, & to burn fat. Well let's look at different exercises, and the facts that we know about how to achieve these goals, and see if these particular exercises are truly the correct ones to be doing, or if we're doing them out of false beliefs, past practices, or because they're easy and we're a little lazy.
(1. Cardio/long distance running. I've talked to a LOT of runners and most will tell you that they "feel great", and that their cardiovascular fitness is so outstanding. Wel, let's look at the facts. It's proven that strenuous exercise that is done continuosly for more than 45 minutes is actually detrimental to your endocrine system for several hours after exercise is finished. It's so negative because your testosterone levels will drop, and your cortisol levels will increase, and not to mention how long distance running is very hard on you knee joints.
So, everyone knows that to build lean muscle, burn fat, and to increase stregth you need your hormones to be in check; therefore if you want to run I would opt. for short distance sprinting(100, 200, 400 yds.) like wolf had said earlier. Atheletes who are sprinters, hurdlers, etc. are obviously in better physical shape than the 6" 140 lbs. long distance runners. In conclusion exercise should be short, explosive, and challenging for a good hormonal response, and to gain lean muscle/ burn fat.
(2.Compound exercises VS. isolated exercises I've read arguments over this topic for over ten years. Some people will say that you should use machines, or free weights that will isolate the muscle to focus more on growth, and hypertrophy. Other people will tell you that the human body is naturally best designed to work in synchronicity, and this is the way that true stregth, and is attained. I happen to believe the latter.
Isolated exercises will cause muscles to grow, and especially if you're a beginner, but the reason that this is happening is because you're using resisitance exercises and tearing/rebuilding muscle; it's a very simple process and function. However, just because you're muscles are larger doesn't mean you're truly stronger. Actually, outside of these isolated exercise most "bodybuilders" are dysfuctional, and will find that they're sore after a game of football/soccer, basketball.
In my opinion compund exercises are the ONLY way to go. I think exercises like the bench press, squats, pull-ups, push-ups, bent-over rows, barbell curls, lunges, etc.while being done in a CFT fashion are the exercise for strength, lean muscle mass, and to burn fat the best; and 30 minutes is about all you will be able to handle if done correctly. Wolf is right about the squats if done by relaxing the quads will be very easy on the back, and won't cause any damage to the vertabrae, and I'll agree with LF365 about the improper use of some exercises like hack squats, good mornings, etc. aren't something you want to be doing either, and I know a lot about back injuries I broke mine in 03'.
(3. How much to train/overtraining I always hear people talking about overtraining, and how many days a week to train. In my opinion there isn't a set amount of days to train. I say this because evryone is different, and there is only one certain way to know what's too much, and that's what you're body is telling you. If you go the the gym for 6 days a week and feel great, then i would say keep it up(FREAK!!); but if you go only four days a week and are feeling fatigued, can't focus, or are unusaully weker than normal then you're overtrained or sick. So, just go with you"Warrior instincts", and don't worry too much about what some muscle magazine tells you.