Continuing in the Faceless Fat Loss program…
The HUGE importance of exercise…short duration, intense, fast and almost “easy” results
One of the more frustrating experiences I have had with my program over the years has been the small percentage of folks who I discover will not exercise under much of any conditions, despite being physically able to do so.
Note the Raw Whey Protein I use post-exercise for muscle recovery, weight loss enhancement and immune system building. The highest bio-available, clean, no additives, nutritious whey protein on the planet, over to the right——————————–>>>
Let me impress upon you this idea, in the event you are one such person. This is so so important…read and seriously consider:
I have known professional competitors in the Natural Bodybuilding leagues, both men AND women, who could literally eat what ever they wanted to eat, while they were in their pre-contest and EVEN in their off-content times.
How could they do this?
They maintained a consistent and on-going plan of taxing their muscles, giving their muscles resistance to work against, such that enough energy was being expended for them to be able to make full use of pretty much all the food they wanted to eat.
Now, for the record, most of these people are not junk food eaters. But for the majority, their diets are definitely not as clean as mine, with all sorts of added grains and tons of processed supplement products that are little more than disguised junk foods that they believe benefit them in some way (containing soy, artificial flavors, preservatives, loads of extra sugars, etc).
The video below demonstrates the Hi/Lo/Hi/Lo tactic. I used to get razzed by my friends for using this technique, as everyone said “you’ll never get results doing THAT! You have to do extended cardio for like 45 minutes to even BEGIN to get fat burning results!”
We all know now the science proves this incorrect. I was doing it right the whole time…and, by the way, was always slimmer than my friends.
Combining this technique along with a weight resistance exercise plan such as suggested below, and the dietary adjustments I explained in the last sub-chapter, simply FORCES the body the utilize fat reserves as an energy source, causing the fat to just about literally melt off:
MY EXERCISE ROUTINE:
Below is the resistance-exercise plan I followed, and have followed with minor adjustments for years. I have tailored it to specifically what I would do as part of this program to produce results, especially in the beginning stages. Note that less sets can be done in many cases, as long as we’re striving for a solid two sets to failure for each muscle group. Any resistance applied to the muscles will always benefit us, because sugars are utilized. If I had time for even only a mere one set per muscle group…I’d still do it! But two sets to failure with a third to 80% as described in the video at the top of this page should provide superior results.
I have had men AND women utilize similar workouts to the below, as a means of hitting almost all of the major muscle groups. What I would suggest is that everyone tailor how they workout each muscle group and body part based on the results they are looking for.
If I was in the initial stages of fat loss, I would incorporate the below into my lifestyle, along with using the Hi/Lo/Hi/Lo tactic above on an eliptical such as Morgan is using, or any form of sprint-type exercise, on the off days, and likely even on my weight-resistance workout days, such as at the END of the weight resistance workout. I would never utilize the Hi/Lo/Hi/Lo BEFORE weight resistance, since it is too taxing on the body and will deplete energy reserves.
Keep in mind that if you do not have access to weights or resistance bands right now, the Hi/Lo/Hi/Lo on its own…one to three times a day…can be sufficient to produce dramatic results. But bear in mind that I personally would also be using the resistance exercise; the results can just be too awesome not to!
I always-always remember to warm-up before doing any kind of resistance exercise, preferably with one warm-up set at a much lighter weight, to help the body prepare for the movement. Injury is very common when people do not warm up first…such a simple way to avoid injury that works exceedingly well. Then I like to save the stretching for AFTER the workout (never before, since the new research has shown that stretching causes minute muscle breakage that reduces our ability to handle resistance).
If I am having a day where my joints or tendons may be a little “off,” I will also lower the weight or opt for a resistance band instead of weight resistance, and I will also slow the movement way down. The burn achieved by slowing the movement down is profound, indicating lots of blood flow and lactic acid build-up (a normal side effect of exercise) and makes this much easier on my joints. This can be especially useful for older folks.
MONDAY:
CHEST (14-18 reps, always with elbows in close to body for rotator cuff protection)
2 sets lying bench press or seated press
1 set incline OR decline press
OR:
3 sets seated flys or lying flyes
OR: 3 sets of resistance band presses
BICEPS (14-18 reps)
2 sets freeweight/dumbbell or resistance band curls
1 set barbell curls
OR:
2 sets standing cable curls
1 set exercise of choice for biceps
OR:
3 sets resistance band curls (my current method since early 2012)
FOREARMS (18+ reps)
dumbells OR gripping clamps OR barbells, two sets
ABS
2 sets of abs, 14 to 18 rep range (Options: leg lifts, seated oblique exercise)
WEDNESDAY:
LEGS (14-18 Reps)
2-3 sets of leg extensions for quads
2-3 sets of seated legs curls for hamstrings
2 sets inner thigh machine
2-3 sets outer thigh machine (occasionally skipping this exercise)
2 sets of full range-of-motion calf raises (18-35+ reps each set…my calves require more work to match my upper legs proportionally)
2 sets of partial calf raises (half motion) immediately following the 2 sets above (as many VERY quick reps for each set as possible)*
*vary pointing the toes in, out or straight depending on what area I want to focus on
ABS
2 sets of abs 14 to 18 rep range (Options: leg lifts, seated oblique exercise)
FRIDAY:
SHOULDERS (14-18 reps)
2-3 sets lateral raises (either dumbbells or cables)
2 sets front-raise dumbbells
2 sets on seated reverse fly machine (for delts)
2 sets dumbbell shoulder shrugs
TRICEPS (14-18 reps)
2 sets single-arm triceps cable pulldown
2 sets whole-body-weight press up with parallel bar
FOREARMS (see above)
ABS
2 sets of abs (Options: leg lifts, seated oblique exercise)
SUNDAY:
BACK (14-18 reps)
2 sets seated pull-back (single arm or both)
1 set pull-down (Options: seated wide grip / close grip, standing straight bar pull down wide grip)
1 set lower back hyperextensions (very carefully)
ABS
2 sets of abs (Options: leg lifts, seated oblique exercise)
SIDE NOTE ON CALVES and FOREARMS: I will often do calves and/or forearms randomly if I’m consuming more sugar. I have found that if I have to indulge my sweet tooth, that just two sets worth to failure on calves or forearms seems to completely compensate for eating an extra rice flour cookie that I occasionally crave. So I technically exercise my calves and forearms up to three times a week. Two sets will take me about five minutes or so? The time is well worth it to compensate for my occasional need to indulge in “healthy junk food.” 😉 AND provide me with more defined and toned forearms and calves. Win-win.
The video above explains how I will go two sets to failure, then a third set to 80% of failure when three sets are used. Please note that the second set is often a lower-rep set by default; if we’re training to failure on our first set, at a specific weight, for 18 reps, chances are very high that we are not going to be able to do another 18 reps at that same weight, for a second set! Far too difficult!
So I will either decrease the poundages (weight used) on the second set, OR, decrease the number of reps to compensate. I personally usually choose to lower the weight; if I’m using say 120 lbs for an exercise, I’ll bring it down to 100lbs or slightly lower and still shoot for the same number of reps or close to it. I like the higher reps as an alternative due to all the extra blood flow.
NEAT-O NOTES:
Most people can decrease the amount of exercise needed to maintain results at a certain point in the Maintenance Phase. The beauty of using the Hi/Lo/Hi/Lo tactic is that the body seems to become far less accustomed to the exercise to the point of adjusting the metabolism, the way it does in the other programs with extended cardio. I certainly do not want to be exercising myself to exhaustion every day the way those expensive infomercial programs promote that we all know by name. Nor do I want my body adapting to that kind of workout such that I gain weight when I stop doing that crazy level of activity every day. I remain dumbfounded at why anyone wants to do that. Not only do I not want to do all that work, I don’t have the time for it!
If we do 45 minutes of cardio every day, the body seems to NEED that much time or we will gain weight if we stop that routine.
And it gets even better:
Starting in 2011, I began experimenting with extended periods of just about NO ab work.
YUP.
When the diet is adjusted, and become used to, less and less ab work is necessary to maintain a tight mid section. I will do iso-tension-style ab work…tightening my mid section randomly for a minute or two, such as at the grocery store in the check-out line…and find that to literally be sufficient to produce the results in my videos. Countless of my “progress videos” starting back in 2011, with my abs featured, showed abs that utlized no more than this form of ab exercise for MONTHS at a time.
Indeed: “ABS ARE MADE IN THE KITCHEN.”
“Yes,” the resistance exercise is crucial to our fat-burning body machine. But it’s what we’re eating, above all else, that gives most of us our chiseled abs. I have heard many other fitness models state the same thing.
SPECIAL NOTES FOR WOMEN:
Everyone can use the Hi/Lo/Hi/Lo technique to their advantage. With some women, they burn fat in a slightly different way from men, and I wanted to offer them an alternative with both the Hi/Lo/Hi/Lo as well as the weight resistance efforts:
If you are a woman and are new to working out, please feel free to ease your way into the Hi/Lo/Hi/Lo tactic, by doing a modified, but lengthened version of the Hi/Lo/Hi/Lo. Instead of a mere 5 to ten minutes of ulta-high intensity with lower intensity mixed in, longer sessions of 20 minutes at a reduced intensity can be experimented with. This technique seems to work well for some women, so I wanted to make this alternative available to those who would prefer experimenting with this type of Hi/Lo/Hi/Lo first. In general, men tend to universally benefit form the Hi/Lo/Hi/Lo exactly as I do it and present it here in the materials.
On the weight resistance side of things, a well-known and somewhat older female athlete has long used a specific form of weight resistance during her off-season specifically, as a way of maintaining something very close to her near-perfect contest shape. A woman could take my workout above, and omit any arm and chest workouts, using moderate weight on all upper back exercises with higher numbers of reps (in the 18 and above range, no matter which form of middle-upper back exercise you choose and is most comfortable for you) and the isolation exercises for the shoulders at the same lower-weight, but higher repetition for each of the three heads of the shoulder (front, lateral and rear shoulder).
The back exercise seems to incorporate in enough of the arms for most women to be happy with, and the shoulders do enough for what minimal chest muscle activation you may want.
For the record, I do have another female friend with a very slim and toned frame, who does do bicep curls and tricep extensions, just at a very low weight for a mere one set worth of perhaps 30 or more repetitions. This gives her no muscle building effect, but does offer her a nice burn and muscle tone, that looks absolutely terrific and not even remotely masculine (at ALL).
The general notion has been that the legs, back and chest are the most fat-burning-activating muscle groups. Legs for women are a given, tone enhances their appearance, but back development also lends itself to giving the waist a smaller appearance.
I personally like to see women incorporate in all of the exercises that I do…they can simply modify the arms and chest into much lighter weights and much higher repetitions, and for only a mere one set each until the burn is felt. Muscle strength only serves to help us, not only in fat burning, but also in overall quality of life, as we age and utilize our developed muscles to help our body move as well as protect itself from injury.
CLICK HERE FOR INFO ABOUT THE WAY-AWESOME RESISTANCE BANDS I USE AS SEEN IN THE VIDEO ABOVE.
NEXT UP: A RADICAL DEPARTURE!! (Brace Yourself)…;)
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