CategoriesFat Loss Motivational Strength Training

You Want to Get Leaner. Here’s Why You Should Still Lift Heavy Things

With Avengers: End Game right around the corner it’s inevitable we’re going to be inundated with articles, interviews, and videos on how to get a Thor or Black Widow bod.

Follow “x” routine, and you too can look like a superhero.

To be fair: I have nothing against said routines. Pretty much anything will get someone lean(er) if they stay consistent and not eat like an asshole.

That said, I think one of the biggest mistakes people make when their goal is getting lean, is not placing a premium on strength.

What inevitably ends up happening is someone will crank up their training volume (lots of high-rep sets compounded with endless amounts of cardio) in addition to hopping onto the Keto train.

And while I’m not here to say that that approach is fruitless (<— ha, pun intended1, dumb, or won’t work – it probably will, for a stretch – I’m also a realist, and have seen with my own eyes the same thing happen time and time and time again.

Which is…(?)

A week, or two, or three (hell, maybe several) go by and you feel great. Your body fat is melting off, you can see some abs, and you can sense the inevitable influx of Tinder matches.

And then, you know, you don’t feel so hot.

You’re lethargic, you’re cold, you’re achy, and your motivation to train wanes.

The high volume of training tethered with a low-calorie/low carb diet begins to take its toll. You’re starting to think that the reason Wolverine is so angry all the time isn’t because he discovered some nefarious government conspiracy to turn him into a mutant and control his life.

No, rather, the reason he’s so angry all the time is – despite being ripped and the envy of fanboys everywhere – he’s sick and tired of all the EMOM sets of burpees and he just WANTS…SOME…FUCKING…CARBS.

Again, to reiterate, this is NOT to insinuate that all the popular programs people follow to lose fat and get lean are a waste of time.

However, what I am suggesting is a slight re-frame or paradigm shift.

What Makes Muscle, Keeps Muscle

Even if fat loss and getting lean is someone’s goal, if they hire me as their coach I’m still going to have them strength train.

Maybe it’s the dumb meathead strength coach in me talking, but I strongly feel the bulk of anyone’s fat loss is going to stem from making dietary/nutritional adjustments.

Namely: Figuring out what strategy or approach will elicit a caloric deficit.

This, of course, can be highly individual. Some people do well with Keto (although, I’d argue most people who think they’re doing Keto are really just following a low-carb diet), some do well with Paleo, some do well with Intermittent Fasting, some do well, with, I don’t know, pick something.

The point is, the main determining factor of whether or not a diet will actually “stick” is whether or not someone will follow through and stay consistent with it.

Not to mention it should fit their lifestyle and goal(s).

But I don’t want to go down that rabbit hole of clusterfuckery. Too many mental gymnastics for me to deal with at this stage in the day.

I do, however, want to pontificate and persuade you on the merits of STRENGTH TRAINING with regards to getting lean.

While dieting the idea of strength training isn’t so much to build strength as it is to MAINTAIN as much muscle as possible while in a caloric deficit. It’s important to give the body the stimulus it needs to hold onto as much of it as possible during this time.

What makes muscle, keeps muscle.

And what accomplishes that is low(er)-rep, strength training.

Again (again), I’m not saying incorporating things like density sets, finishers, circuits, HIIT style training, or anything in between doesn’t have its place or serve a purpose; they all, indeed, can help expedite the process.

[But this is also why I feel one’s nutrition is going to be the main determinant when it comes to fat loss].

All I’m saying is, from my vantage point, people tend to place too much emphasis on all of the above protocols and unwittingly end up losing muscle rather than keeping it.

Many people (not all) end up becoming a smaller, weaker version of their original selves.

I do not want this to happen, and I feel there’s a simple way to prevent it.

It doesn’t have to be a complicated “thing” either. The obvious question, then, is how would I go about writing a program for someone in this situation?

Easy.

Have him or her hit a challenging set of 3-5 reps (maybe the occasional heavy single for more advanced lifters) a few times per week using the obvious exercises – think: deadlift, squat, bench press – and carry on with your traditional fat-loss programming self.

Example Muscle Maintaining Program (Not Fat Loss Program)

Day 1

A. Work up to a challenging set of FIVE on a Squat Variation (Front, Back, Zercher, Anderson, Safety Bar Squat)

B1. Same Squat Variation (same load you hit for 5 reps): 3×3
B2. DB Bench Press: 3×8

C1. DB Romanian Deadlift
C2. Push-Ups
C3. Gripless FacePulls

  • 8-10 reps each, 10 Minute Density Circuit

D1. 1-Legged Hip Thrust
D2. DB Curls

  • 10-15 reps each. 8 Minute Density Circuit

Day 2

A.  Work up to a challenging set of FIVE on a Bench Variation (Regular, Close Grip, Decline, Incline, Larsen)

B1. Same Bench Variation (same load you hit for 5 reps): 3×3
B2. 1-Arm DB Row: 3×10/arm

C1. Goblet Squat
C2. Pull-Through
C3. Reverse Crunch

  • 8-10 reps each, 10 Minute Density Circuit

D1. Prone, Incline Reverse Flye
D2. Tricep French Press

  • 10-15 reps each, 8 Minute Density Circuit

Day 3

A. Work up to a challenging set of FIVE on a Deadlift Variation (Conventional, Sumo, Trap Bar, Block Pull)

B1. Same DL Variation (same load you hit for 5 reps): 3×3
B2. 2-KB Racked Carry: 3×30 yds

C1. Chest Supported Row
C2. Goblet Reverse Lunge
C3. Band Reverse Flye Walkout

  • 8-10 reps each, 10 Minute Density Set.

C1. 2-Arm Landmine Press OR DB Push Press
C2. Bodyweight Step-Ups

  • 10-15 reps each, 8 Minute Density Set

See?

Nothing crazy.

This doesn’t need to be more complicated than it has to be. We’re not doing long-division here.

Keep….it….simple.

Work your ass off. But keep it simple.

All these workouts can be completed in less than 60 minutes (including a warm-up).

It’s likely this approach is in stark contrast to what many are used to seeing when it comes to a fat-loss program; no tantric length, more is better, workout palooza.

Assuming one’s diet is in check, this approach is all that’s needed to help keep muscle…which should be the goal in the long-run anyway.

CategoriesFat Loss personal training Program Design

Accelerated Fat Loss

I’m still across the pond in London with Dean Somerset presenting our Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint workshop.2 I have zero plans to do work today, but a good friend (and colleague) of mine, George Kalantzis, was kind enough to pinch hit write for me.

He’s written several articles for this site and he’s a master at writing effective fat-loss programs.

Enjoy.

Copyright: ruigsantos / 123RF Stock Photo

Training For Fat Loss Sucks!

In fact, the cards are stacked against you and mainstream media keeps flooding you everyday promising you with six pack abs shortcuts and seven day cleanses to only leave you frustrated and tired of results.

But Not Today

Over the past 15 years of my life, I have had the chance to train with some of America’s finest men as a Marine, and coach alongside some of the best in the fitness realm. I’ve learned some pretty cool training methods and have helped people lose anywhere from 5-40 pounds in a matter of a few months.

Because you are here to pick heavy things up and see results, you want a training method that will optimize time and accelerate fat loss.

And to be lean and athletic, you need to utilize combination exercises in your training to build more muscle and boost the metabolism so that your body continues to burn off calories well after exercise.

Combination Exercises and How The Accelerate Fat Loss

The common mindset or misconception seems to be that you can shred fat faster by doing two things- lower exercise at a longer steady duration or crush yourself into oblivion with high-intensity training.

While both play a vital role in fat loss and a well-rounded program, no one has time to train multiple hours throughout the week, ( if you do, I applaud you) and if you want to accelerate fat loss and keep burning calories well after your workout, you have to work hard and smart.

That means you have to find a training method that will burn a ton of calories, promote muscle mass, and elevate the metabolism.

One of the best ways to accelerate fat loss is to utilize combination movements in your training program. Combination movements play a huge role in fat loss because they allow for the greatest muscle fiber recruitment and an increase in the resting metabolic rate.

By stimulating a greater amount of muscle fibers during a workout your body will see huge increases in metabolic demand, which in turn will increase EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption). EPOC is the amount of oxygen consumed during recovery in excess than what would have been consumed at rest.

Essentially your body becomes a fat burning machine well after the workout.

Ok, so now that we’ve covered the why combination exercises work, let’s cover how to shred some serious fat!

How To Use Combination Exercises For Fat Loss

Just training hard and fast isn’t usually the answer to a good fat loss program. Or is running for hours on end on the treadmill and Stairmaster going to do the trick.

You need to stimulate the most muscle in the shortest amount of time while finding a sweet spot between failure and easy in order to boost your caloric deficit, a key component to getting shredded.

Combination exercises are great for fat loss because they use compound movement patterns with short rest periods and higher intensity. A must have for shredding that stubborn fat.

But before we get into the circuits, I want to walk about the method behind the madness of combination circuits.

I’m a huge fan of taking what has been known to work and finding out ways to make it better. Density training has been known as one of the best things you can to shred fat fast. The greater the density, the more fat you will burn. You can increase density by cutting rest times and set up circuits like the ones below.

Day # 1

1a) Upper/Lower Compound x12-15 Reps

1b) Push-up Progression 8-10 Reps

1C) Split Stance Progression/Core x6 reps

2) Quad Dominant x 5

2b) Vertical Pull x 5

2c) Core

Day # 2

1a) Upper/Lower Compound x12-15 Reps

1B) Inverted Row x 5

1C) Single Leg RDL Combo x 6/leg

2a) Hip Dominant x 15

2B) Horizontal Press x 5

2C) Core

These circuits are a bit more advanced, so use them as a starting point and make modifications where you can

Pre-Exhaust Method Combination – Then Heavy Equals Accelerated Fat Loss

Not all circuits are created equal. To stimulate the most muscle during a workout and keep burning fat well after the workout, you need to shock the system.

Traditional fat loss programs include lighter weight and higher reps to produce results. And while there is nothing wrong with those programs, I like my clients to maintain muscle while shredding fat.

This is where I like to combine pre-exhaust training with heavier training to accelerate fat loss. Pre-exhaustion is a way to fatigue the muscles before hitting them with compound multi-joint exercises. This method is old school but is a great way to wake up the muscles prior to the larger lifts and stimulate muscle growth. Which means you get to build some more muscle and keep shredding pounds.

Fair warning, just because the reps are higher and the load is lighter, does not mean it will be easy.   You will soon begin to feel what pre-exhaustion meals into your second and third set.

Pre- Exhaustion Set For Fat Loss Looks Like This

A1) DB RDL/Bentover Row Combo x 12

A2) Tempo Pushup x 3-0-3 x 8

A3) Walking Lunge Into Renegade Row 6/side

 

Then You Would Rest No More Than 90 seconds and Get Right Into Heaver Weights

B1) Double Kettlebell Front Squat x 5

B2) Pull-up x 5

B3) Side Plank With Knee Drive 5/side

A second day would look like this

A1) Kettlebell Squat To Press x 12

A2) TRX Inverted Row x 10-12

A3) Single Leg RDL To Reverse Lunge Combo x 6/leg

 

B1) Kettlebell Swing x 5

B2) BB Bench Press x 5

B3) Push-up To Mountain Climber 5/side

 

Accelerated Fat Loss Summary

For most people, when it comes to shredding fat, being consistent with eating healthy and working hard produces results. Sometimes, you will need to think outside of the fat loss box and mix it up with different styles of training.

Harder, shorter training sessions work better than high reps and lower weights because they force you to recruit more muscles than a typical training session. Attack fat loss training with a specific goal and stick to it for at least 4-6 weeks. Use the training methods above at least two days a week and you will begin to see a transformation in your body composition.

Author’s Bio

George is a Marine Corps Veteran of 9 years and was awarded an honorable discharge after deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He is currently a Master Instructor and Personal Trainer at Equinox in Boston and a licensed massage therapist.
Outside of Equinox, George maintains a fitness related blog that can be found at www.sgtkfitness.com.
He and his wife Shawna reside in Manchester, NH with their daughter Melina and fur baby Lola the dog.
CategoriesUncategorized

Fat Loss Forever

Back in the winter of 2009, having nothing better to do than pick the worst time of year to get lean (not many people see your six pack when it’s 15 degrees outside), I took it upon myself to do a little experiment which I appropriately called Tony Gets Sexified.

I’m not going to go into the details here, but little did I know at the time I had inadvertently used a form of intermittent fasting (IF) to help expedite the fat loss process.

You see, at several points throughout the week I’d have “windows” where I’d eat very little which, from a hormonal standpoint, allowed my body to become a fat burning ass kicking machine.

I’d train. Hate life. Fuel my body.  And then repeat the process, giving myself a “cheat” meal on the weekends.

My cheat meal, contrary to most who dream of endless mountains of ice-cream and all-you-can-eat pizza buffets, consisted of 2 lbs of BBQ steak tips, with homemade sweet potato fries and a shit ton of broccoli.  Exciting, I know.

Anyways, it worked. I took my body fat from a fairly consistent 10% year round, to 7-8% in a matter of six weeks, which ain’t too shabby given my starting point.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m NOT an expert on intermittent fasting. The fact that I wasn’t even aware that I had done a pseudo IF experiment on myself back in day should make that abundantly clear.

Still, in the few years since, IF has grown by leaps and bounds in terms of its popularity, and with that in mind, you’d be hard pressed to peruse any fitness blog or website and not see it mentioned in some fashion.

Which is why, today, I’m pleased to introduce John Romaniello’s latest product Fat Loss Forever.

Roman – as he’s more appropriately referred to – has gone out of his way to provide an outstanding product that not only educates, but entertains as well. It edutains!

When was the last time you were told breakfast was NOT the most important meal of the day?

Yeah, that one hurt me too. I heart breakfast. But when you think about it:  our ancestors had to chase down, wrestle, kill, butcher, and cook various small (and large) animals.  They didn’t eat breakfast everyday, and they turned out alright.

Moreover, what’s the deal with ALWAYS being told that you HAVE to eat 5-6 meals per day in order to keep your metabolism up?

Guess what: doing so may be making you fatter.

Fat Loss Forever goes against conventional wisdom, and helps introduce the concept of intermittent fasting in way that’s easy to understand and easy to implement.  But be forewarned: IT IS NOT easy.

You’ll have to do some work along the way.

With that said, Roman was kind enough to answer a few questions I sent his way, so feel free to read the interview below which sheds some light on this very popular topic.

Enjoy!

*** Oh, and since I know a fair share of you won’t make it all the way to the end, on top of the already stellar bonuses that Roman is offering, anyone who purchases Fat Loss Forever from this site and sends a copy of their receipt to my email address – [email protected] – I’ll send you a TG written, Roman approved, FLF strength-based program that will increase your overall level of badassery by at least 156%.

On to the interview!

TG: Roman you’re an NYC native, and I currently live in Boston (and yes, am completely immersed in the sports scene here). The Giants just beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl (again…FML).  This is your chance to gloat. 100 words or less. Go.

John Romaniello:  Ha! No gloating here—was actually rooting for the Pats. As a Jets fan, that’s heretical…but honestly, the last thing I wanted to deal with was Giants fans with an inflated Big Brother complex.

On to next year!

TG:  My apologies. I just assumed everyone in NYC was a Giants fan.  Lets get down to business: If there was ever an app listing what’s “trending” in the fitness industry, intermittent fasting (IF) would be right up there along with LOLz Bosu Ball Fails

Note to Reader:  LOLz BOSU Ball Fails doesn’t exist, but it should.

 1.  Can you provide a Cliff Notes version explaining the premise behind IF?

and

2. Why do you feel it’s gained so much popularity in such a short amount of time? 

Roman: It certainly does seem to be trending.

The premise is simple: IF is essentially alternating structured, pre-determined periods of “not-eating” with periods where you’re allowed to eat.

There are a lot of different styles of IF, the differences between each essentially being the length of the feeding and fasting periods.

IF has a number of benefits, ranging from practical (caloric restriction becomes easy when you are only allowed to eat for a few hours each day) to more physiological (hormonal benefits, including increased secretion of GH).

Each “type” of fasting will allow for each of these, some more than others—but all of them work.

As to why it’s popular recently, that’s simple: once I started talking about it, it became cool 😉

Okay, that’s not true…I can’t back that up.

The real reason it’s reached a tipping point as a result of a few factors: the first is that the research just kept backing it up; that’s a big thing.

More than anything else, it’s really that the “fasting guys” caught the attention of the rest of the industry, and finally forced us to see the truth.

A good example is Brad Pilon, who has been preaching the benefits of fasting for many years.

More recently, Martin Berkhan has been the head of the movement—his clients get incredible results, and Martin isn’t exactly what you’d call a quiet guy; he’s very vocal about his opinions and that he believes his way is the best.

Guys like these catch the attention of magazines with big numbers of followers, and then it just cascades.  We owe those dudes a lot.

TG: Indeed – while they’re not necessarily the pioneers, those two have definitely brought the concept of IF to the forefront.

That said, I know some people reading right now may be under the impression that IF is too radical and that it couldn’t possibly fit into their current lifestyle. What would you say to them?  What are the benefits?  Negatives?  Will it increase their general level of awesomeness?

Roman: I would just say to try it.  Read the research.  Give it a shot.  You really don’t have anything to lose, other than whatever emotional attachment to your particular set of beliefs you have.

The benefits are clear: hormonal optimization, increased satiety.  More than that, you will start to see the difference between “head hunger” and “body hunger” – that is, you’ll realize when you’re actually hungry and stop snacking out of boredom.

The drawbacks are that you might try something new.  This scares the shit out of some people.

Another drawback is that you might be uncomfortable for a little while. Yup. Fasting has the potential to be mildly uncomfortable. This is different from sprinting, deadlifting, squatting, and dieting in general, all of which are incredibly pleasant, right?

TG:  Very true. It’s very similar to a phrase I like to throw out there when people question doing something different to they’re unfamiliar with: 

If you continue doing what you’ve always done, you’ll continue getting what you’ve always gotten.

Pigging back on the question above, can you explain what IF isn’t?  Meaning, people are going to see the word “fast” and automatically assume that it’s a starvation method.  Could you elucidate on this fallacy, as well as any other common misconceptions that you’ve come across?

Roman: Ah, that’s a good one.  Mainly, fasting isn’t starving, because, at the end of the day, you’re still going to get roughly the same number of calories you would on any fat loss plan – just all at once.

Let’s say you maintain at 2400 calories, and you’re dieting; maybe you want to take in 1900 calories per day.

In a traditional dieting model, you might have six meals, each with about 320 calories.  You might be hungry after each one.

With IF, you’ll have three meals, each with ~630 calories. You’ll be fuller, longer, and possibly eat less.

You’re eating the same amount of food, just in less time—the extended fasting period giving you more time to be active and productive, as well as the hormonal benefits.

TG:  Well that makes a whole lotta sense.  Sweet!

So, now that you’ve thrown yourself onto the IF train, what makes Fat Loss Forever different from the various predecessors?

Note:  I only ask this because you know you’re going to get some a-hole who’s a Berkhan or Pilon fanboy (and rightfully so) getting his panties all up in a bunch

Roman: Haha, well, far be it from me to deny the right of a fanboy to hate me for impugning the honor of his guru =)

Here’s the deal: again, all credit to Pilon and Berkhan. I’m fans of their stuff. Which is the lead-in to this answer:

My stuff isn’t radically “different” from their stuff because it’s inspired by their stuff—HOWEVER…

It’s different BECAUSE of that as well.

My program takes a look at all of the best and most effective forms of fasting around, and, after much experimentation, creates a synthesis of all of these things.  It takes the best and makes them better.

FLF is the Frankenstein’s monster of fasting—it’s made up of the parts of other programs, and, in the end, is something that is both exceptionally effective and unique to me.

It’s a lot of fun, and Pilon is promoting, so I’d say we’re pretty solid in that regard.

TG: I’d say so!  Lastly, how “adaptable” is it?  For example, there are people on this site who spend a large portion of their day staring at a computer screen and are lucky to get three hours per week to train.  On the flip side, you have those, like me, who are on their feet for a large portion of the day, coaching. How easily can IF, and specifically, FLF, be implemented?

Roman: That’s that best part—all forms of IF are highly adjustable.  FLF is even MORE so.  All you need to do is NOT EAT…then eat.

The program works well for guys like us, who make our own schedules—but also for people whose time is less their own.  We’ve had firefighters and nurses who work 36-hour shifts have success, as well as entrepreneurs and other trainers.

It’s the most moldable nutritional protocol around; certainly moreseo than those that make you eat every few hours.

Plus, you get a cheat day…so right there, you know it’s awesome.

TG: Okay I lied, one last question: How is training “adjusted” when following the FLF protocol?  I know many reading may balk at the idea of training on an empty stomach, or with very little calories in the tank.

Roman: This is pretty individual.  Personally, I like to train in a fasted state.  But—and you’ve known this about me for years—that’s because training with a full tummy makes me get all…pukey.

I have trained truly empty, though; as in, haven’t eaten for 50 hours.

Anyway, this isn’t about me, it’s about other people—and my clients are mixed.  Some love the fasted training. Some find that some BCAAs are enough to give them the energy and have a great training session.

Others seem unwilling to break away from old ideas and just have a snack before training.  And that’s fine.

As long as you follow the bigger rules, eating 30 minutes before your workout won’t derail you =)

TG:  Thanks Roman!  Jets suck!

And there you have it folks. For more information, and to save $50 off the regular price (not to mention having access to a bunch of sweet bonuses), I highly encourage you to check out Fat Loss Forever HERE.

And remember, if you send your receipt to my email address (see above), I’ll send your my special 2-day per week strength-based program that I wrote specifically for this program!!