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8 Rules for Fat Loss Trainingby Andrew Heming | 07/29/14
Tags:Fat Loss TrainingBodybuilding
Here's what you need to know...
If you're serious about stripping off body fat, you must make
time for proper nutrition. If you don't have timefor this, make
time.
Too often people trying to lose body fat just use intense
metabolic resistance training and HITT (high intensityinterval
training). With fat loss programs, you need to switch as needed to
different strategies such as metabolicresistance training, strength
training, bodybuilding, and strength plus conditioning.
When designing a weekly plan for your training, consider how
different styles of training affect differentsystems and thus
affect recovery. You need to allow for some "space" between
different kinds of stressors such asnervous system stressors, joint
stressors, spinal compression, and metabolic stressors.
When trying to burn fat, you should rotate between different
types of alactate (without lactic acid) conditioningthat consists
of short, intense work and lactate (produces lactic acid as a
byproduct) conditioning that consists oflonger duration work.
Want to lose body fat quickly and keep it off? Stop following
those mainstream fitness workouts designed foryour granny. Real fat
loss training should build calluses on your hands. Here are eight
rules for effective fat losstraining, plus a sample workout plan
that puts them all into action.
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8 Rules for Fat Loss Training
1.Prioritize Nutrition
Yes, this is a training article, but nutrition is the single
most important thing for fat loss. If you're serious aboutstripping
off body fat, you must make time for grocery shopping, cooking,
meal prep, doing dishes, and keeping afood journal. If you don't
have time for this, make time. Cut down on time wasters like social
media, web surfing,playing on your cell phone, or TV.
If you truly have eliminated every possible time waster and are
still pressed for time, train less to have the time totake care of
your nutrition. That's right, train less! For example, in my fat
loss programs, I have Tuesdays andSaturdays as shopping/meal prep
days. You can still train on these days, but if you're truly
pressed for time,sacrifice your training on these days to take care
of your top priority for fat loss your nutrition.
As far as what to eat, there's no rule that says you have to
perfectly follow a particular diet. You probably alreadywhat foods
are getting you into trouble. However, certain aspects of certain
diets are worth emulating. Forinstance, you can take aspects of the
paleo diet (natural, single-ingredient foods, meats, fish, whole
eggs andvegetables) without unnecessarily restricting other foods
that are not paleo but still support your training goals,like
quality supplements such as fish oils, BCAA's, protein,
peri-workout nutrition and some starchy carbs suchas rice).
2.Pick Big, Hard Exercises
Regardless of your goals, effective training starts with picking
the right exercises. The best exercises for fat lossare the best
exercises for almost any goal. The big, hard compound movements are
the ones you should be doing.
3.Get Stronger
While most people understand that getting stronger is important
for building muscle and enhancing performance,its relevance for fat
loss is often overlooked. When your goal is fat loss, you want to
burn as much fuel aspossible. To do this, you want your body to be
as fuel inefficient as possible. One of the huge problems
withcardio for fat loss is that the more you do, the better you get
at it and thus the more fuel efficient you become.With resistance
training the opposite is true. The better you get at strength
training, the more weight you can liftand the more it takes out of
you. Spending some of your training time getting stronger allows
you to do all yourother forms of training (e.g., metabolic
resistance training, conditioning) at a higher/faster level and
this makesthem even more effective for getting rid of unwanted body
fat.
4.Build Muscle
Virtually everyone trying to lose body fat should gain some
muscle. Most people know this, but it bears repeatingagain and
again. Even a few extra pounds of lean muscle means a lot more
calories burned each day.
5.Jack Up Metabolism Post Training
Years ago exercise scientists told us to do long, slow cardio in
order to burn fat. However, this answer was aresponse to the wrong
question. Fat loss training isn't about what burns the most amount
of fat during a trainingsession, it's about what burns the most
amount of fat in a 24 hour period. Short, high-intensity exercise
creates anoxygen debt (known in geekspeak as E.P.O.C., or excess
post-exercise oxygen consumption) and this results in ametabolic
boost long after the training session is over.
6.Schedule Wisely
When designing a weekly plan for your training, consider how
different styles of training affect different systemsand thus
affect recovery. For example:
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Joint stressors:sprints, high impact jumps, heavy barbell
trainingSpinal compression:heavy squats, deadlifts, farmer's
walks.Nervous system stressors:speed/power training, heavy, low-rep
training (especially >90% 1RM), training tofailureMetabolic
stressors:lactate work (i.e., doing things that last about 30
seconds to 3 minutes and produce a lot oflactic acid. Great for fat
loss, but harder to recover from).
Allow for some "space" between different types of stressors. For
example, if you stress something one day, do alighter session or
work a different type of stress the next day. The sample plan at
the end will show you how toprogram this.
7.Rotate Strategies
As with any goal, following an effective program will only work
for so long before you hit a plateau. Too oftenpeople trying to
lose body fat just use intense metabolic resistance training and
HITT (high intensity intervaltraining). While these are excellent,
they won't work forever. With fat loss programs, switch as needed
todifferent strategies such as the following:
Metabolic resistance training:Use moderate weights for moderate
reps while alternating upper/lower bodyexercises or doing whole
body circuits.
Strength training:Use more traditional strength training methods
to allow you to lift more weight when youreturn to metabolic
resistance training.
Bodybuilding:Focus on building lean muscle to raise metabolic
rate and doing brisk walking to burn a few extracalories.
Strength plus conditioning:Focus on getting stronger in the
weight room and doing challenging forms ofconditioning to boost
EPOC (that after-burn effect).
The trick is to not only periodize your training, but to
periodize your diet, too. When some people try a lower-volume
strength training program, they find they gain fat. This isn't
because of the training. Obviously, strengthtraining doesn't cause
fat gain. However, if you switch from higher volume training (think
typical fat lossmetabolic stuff) to a lower volume training (think
powerlifting program) and don't drop down your carbs andtotal
calories, you'll gain fat.
8.Get Outside
We're made to be outdoors. While it's not always practical to
haul a whole barbell set outside or train at MuscleBeach, look to
do something physical outside. Run sprints at the track, find a
hill and do sprints, push a Prowleror pull a sled. Grab a
sledgehammer and try to beat an old tire to a pulp. Also, consider
bringing minimalequipment like kettlebells to a park and having an
outdoor session. Or, do what I do, which is train with barbellsin
my basement gym and then do farmer's walks up and down the
sidewalks of my neighborhood. Also, doingsome other activities such
as sports or outdoor recreation is great to not only burn a few
extra calories, but also tohave fun, reduce stress, and enjoy the
benefits of the finely conditioned machine you're building in the
gym.
The Workout Plan: Putting It All Together
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Warm-Up
Do what you need to do to get warm and ready. Foam rollers,
dynamic mobility, and corrective exercises are allfine here, but
don't get carried away with these. Five to ten minutes should be
fine for most, unless you're a realmess. Including a few short
sprints, jumps, or medicine ball throws to excite your nervous
system is also a goodidea.
Monday
Exercise Sets Reps RestA Deadlift (Dead-Squat Bar, regular or
rack) 2-3 3-5 2-3 min.B1 Dip or Close-Grip Bench Press 5 3-5 1
min.B2 Weighted Chin-Up 5 3-5 1 min.C Farmer's Walk* 2-4 30 yd. 2-3
min.
* use Dead-Squat Bar, farmer's walk implements, or heavy
dumbbells
Alacate Conditioning (Alactate means you're using the ATP-CP
energy system that doesn't produce lactic acid.This consists of
short, intense work that won't cause a burn.) Do this later on in
the same day after your weightworkout. Sample options (choose
1):
40-60 Meter Sprint: 5-10 sprints, 90 sec. to 2 min. rest.Hill or
Stadium Sprints (short
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your max speed to the opposite corner. When you get there, walk
across the width of the field to the corner on theother side. That
is one set, repeat for 8-15 sets. This will help improve your
conditioning while facilitatingrecovery so you're ready for the
next day's hard training. If you don't live in Brazil where there
are soccer pitcheseverywhere, improvise. A park will do. Pick two
trees instead of corners.
Wednesday
Exercise Sets Reps RestA1 Dumbbell Bench Press or Weighted
Push-Up 3-5 8-10 45 sec.A2 Kettlebell Swing 3-5 8-10 45 sec.A3
1-Arm Dumbbell Row 3-5 8-10 45 sec.A4 Prowler Push or Heavy Sled
Pull* 3-5 30-40 yd. 45-60 sec.
* if you don't have a Prowler or sled, do walking lunges for 20
yards
Lactate Conditioning (Lactate means you're using an energy
system that produces lactic acid. It consists of longerexercise
that will create a burn.) Do this later on in the same day after
your weight workout. Sample pptions(choose 1):
400 meter sprints: 2-4 sets, 2-5 min. rest between sets.Battle
Ropes: 45-75 sec., 4-6 rounds, 1-2 min. rest.Prowler Push or Sled
Pull (walking or running): 4-6 sets (use a 30 meter course, 1 set =
there and back twice),rest 2-5 min. between sets.
Thursday
Tempo runs (same as Tuesday) or 30-60 minute brisk walk.
Friday
Exercise Sets Reps RestA1 Front or Back Squat 4-5 3-5 1 min.A2
Pull-Up (Neutral-Grip or Pronated) 4-5 3-5 1 min.A3 Clean and Press
4-5 3-5 1 min.
Alactate Conditioning Same idea as what you followed Monday, but
you can use a different option than you didthe previous time. For
example, if you did 40-60 meter sprints on Monday, do Prowler
pushes, stadium sprints, orsledgehammer.
SaturdayYour Choice and Shopping/Meal Prep Day
You get to pick your poison today:
Option 1SportsOne great option is to play (not watch) an intense
physical sport.
Option 2Outdoor recreationHike, mountain bike, rock climb, etc.
Just make sure it's decently intense.
Option 3Track StarDo some lactate training as described in
Wednesday's workout. You can add a few more sets since you're
notdoing resistance training first.
Option 1Strongman Day
Grab some friends and load up your trucks with whatever training
gear you have: sleds, Prowlers,sledgehammers, big tires,
kettlebells, farmer's walk implements, etc., and head to a park or
field. If you do this
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only occasionally, you can plan things on the fly. If you're
doing this regularly, write-up a program based onthese
guidelines:
1.Move from higher-skilled to lower skilled exercises.2.Use
shorter than 10-second sets for alactate training and sets of 30
seconds to 2 minutes for lactate training.3.Keep your sessions
under an hour in length.4.Seek weekly progression on your main
exercises.5.Occasionally, try adding a "that was a dumb idea"
finisher. This means that one person in the group comes upwith an
original idea for the group to try. The goal is to come up with
something that won't injure anyone, makeyou vomit your protein-rich
breakfast, or cause rhabdomyolysis. It should just be something
challenging that willhave all of you (including the person who came
up with it) saying, "This was a dumb idea." This gives you amental
challenge so you can learn that maybe you're tougher than you
think.
Option 5Beach Muscle DayIf you've done all the other training on
the previous days, feel free to enjoy a day of some "pretty"
bodybuildingwork.
Exercise Sets Reps RestA1 Standing Dumbbell Press 3 8-10 10
sec.A2 Side Dumbbell Raise 3 12-15 90 sec.B1 Barbell or Dumbbell
Curl* 3 8-10 10 sec.B2 Dumbbell Hammer Curl 3 8-10 10 sec.B3
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 8-10 2 min.C1 EZ Bar Skull Crusher with
Pull-Over* 3 8-10 10 sec.C2 Weighted Close-Grip Push-Up 3 8-10 10
sec.C3 EZ Bar Skull Crushers with Pull-Over 3 8-10 2 min.
D Standing Calf Raise 3-5 8-10 90 sec.E Suspension Strap Fallout
3 8-10 60 sec.
* These tri-sets are based on Charles Poliquin's method. The
third exercise in the tri-set is a return to the firstexercise,
only you use less weight when you come back to that exercise.
SundayLight Activity
A brisk walk or leisurely bike ride.