"Congratulations! You have found your way to one of the fastest and best ways I know how to lose fat and/or bodyweight. You are in good company. MANY men and women have tried this program and been quite impressed with the results. I love it when a good plan comes together. Read on and enjoy!" - Paul Newt, December 2005
Welcome to the EXTREME FAT LOSS Program!
I WILL NOT spend alot of time here trying to convince you that lifting free weights is the superior method for getting the body you want. I WILL NOT try telling the aerobic and cardio addicts out there that you are ultimately wasting your time. I WILL relate to you a weight training format that will get you MUCH leaner.
Let's suppose you suspect that using free weights in a specific format will allow you to achieve the lowest bodyfat percentage in the shortest amount of time with the highest degree of retention (you will stay lean). "What would such a format look like?". You might ask questions like "Shouldn't I do more cardio?" , "I heard that if you want lose weight you should only do high reps - because low reps are for only for bulking up, right?" , "You just have to eat more protein; my cousin is a bodybuilder, he said...", and it goes on. "People" say lots of things. "They" do this. "They" do that. Who cares what "they" do!?! What are you doing? IS IT WORKING? Because if it isn't working, what is the point of dedicating all that time to it? Are you happy with your body? Are you confident that you know how to take off any extra bodyfat anytime you want to? Or have you become frustrated or even depressed because your body is a complete mystery to you? You think you just need MORE cardio and LESS food, and then, finally, you will get that flab off. You exercise "all the time" and hardly cheat on your diet at at all and you still have that extra flab you can't get rid of. Why isn't it working? I happen to know WHY and I am here to offer you one possible solution to your problem. But, first you have to do me a favor...
FORGET WHAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD AND WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW!
If you had the answers you would be lean already.
The following program flat out WORKS like nothing you have seen before. It works better than your 1 hour of cardio everyday. It works better than the Atkin's diet. It works better than trying to quickly lose 30 lbs by cutting off your arm. To dismiss it and not even try it is, frankly, your loss (or should I say lack of loss, bodyfat loss, that is).
With that said... let's get down to outlining this weight training program so you can start ripping the fat off fast!
Here is the short version first:
1) 4-6 weight training sessions per week.
2) Each session lasts 60 minutes.**
3) You will do 30 sets per session.
4) Each set will take about 60 seconds to complete.
5) You will rest 60 seconds between each set.
6) Cardio is NOT recommended and can actually reduce the effectiveness of this training program.
**Why does each weight training session last almost exactly 60 minutes? Because, (30 sets x 1 minute per set) + (30 rest periods between each set x 1 minute per rest period) = 60 minutes.
This general format was first presented to me by Charles Poliquin in a Canadian Strength Seminar in 1997. Charles refers to this system as "Body Composition Training". In recent years, this system has been copied, renamed, and promoted by various individuals under new names such as "Meltdown Training" and "Fat to Fire". These systems seek the same goals and utilize the same general loading parameters.
I will provide a similar version here that I have developed through trial and error. Although many incarnations of this training format are possible, I extend credit to Charles Poliquin to being the first to introduce "Body Composition Training".
This kind of weight training can take a woman from 20% bodyfat to 12% bodyfat in 12 weeks when properly applied to a motivated trainee.
MORE SPECIFICS
For Body Composition Training (BCT), I like to use the following 3-day split routine (the whole body is worked in 3 training days):
3-DAY SPLIT ROUTINE
Day 1 - LEGS AND TRICEPS
Day 2 - CHEST AND BICEPS
Day 3 - BACK AND SHOULDERS
This is a very "bodybuilder-ish" training split. Both male and female trainees are generally satisfied with the "look" it promotes.
So, training 2 bodyparts per day means you need to perform 15 sets per bodypart (15 x 2 = 30 sets per workout).
Using 3 exercises per bodypart, with 5 sets per exercise gives us the desired 15 sets. However, you may decide you would like to do more exercises and less sets per exercise (5 exercises of 3 sets each) or more sets and fewer exercises per bodypart (one exercise for 15 sets).
There is an optimal combination here based on the desired training effect within BCT parameters and the trainee's personal disposition and psychology. Feel free to experiment as long as you maintain the 15 sets lasting 60 seconds each per bodypart. I am sure you can begin to see that there are quite a few ways to arrange this system. Let's say I want to train 3 bodyparts per session; that would give me 10 sets per bodypart. But, let's say that I need more work on one of the muscles; maybe I do 20 sets for that bodypart and 5 sets each on the other two. Get the idea?
With that in mind, I provide the following version as an EXAMPLE. You can use it, I have. I like it, but I have created other versions as well. Here are the EXAMPLE WORKOUTS of an example 3-day split routine.
DAY 1 - LEGS AND TRICEPS
A Full Squats (all the way down!) :warmup, then 2 sets x 10 reps.
B Split Squats 3 sets x 6 reps EACH LEG.
C Extra-Wide-Stance Box Squats 3x15 or Hack Squats 3x8
D Bent-legged Deadlifts 1x20
E Standing Calf Raises 3x15
F Pullovers 2x10
G Closegrip Bench Press 4x6
H Lying Triceps Dumbbell Extensions 3x8
I Overhead Triceps Extensions with EZ-Curl Bar 3x8
J Rope Pushdowns 3x10
Not familiar with these exercises? You need Arnold's Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding.
DON'T FORGET! Make each set last 60 seconds. It doesn't matter if you are trying to complete 6 reps or 20 reps; make the set last 60 seconds using the most weight you can handle.
FEMALE TRANSLATION - IF YOU CAN COMPLETE EVERY SET, THE WEIGHT IS TOO LIGHT!!! USE MORE WEIGHT. It is okay if you don't complete every rep of every set. Make adjustments to keep challenging your strength.
MALE TRANSLATION - IF YOU CANNOT COMPLETE ANY OF THE SETS TO 60 SECONDS, THE WEIGHT IS TOO HEAVY!!! LIGHTEN THE WEIGHT. It is okay if you can complete almost every rep of every set. Move up next time. If it is too easy make the form harder and stricter.
If you don't think you can get ripped without doing cardio, try this routine for a week and let me know if you change your mind.
DAY 2 - CHEST AND BICEPS
A Incline DB Press :warmup, then 4 sets x 6 reps
B Flat Dumbell Flyes 5x5
C Flat Barbell Press 4 sets x 6 reps
D Incline Dumbbell Flyes 2x12
E Standing Barbell Curls 4x6
F Reverse Curls 4x6
G Incline Dumbbell Curls 3x8
H Standing Hammer Curls 4x8
DAY 3 - BACK AND SHOULDERS
A Wide-Grip Overhand Pulldowns:warmup, then 4 sets x 6 reps (squeeze/pause at chest for 2 seconds each rep)
B Medium-Grip Overhand or Crescent Bar Seated Cable Rows 3x8
C Rear Lateral Raises 3x8
D Underhand grip Pulldowns 3x8
E Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows 1x8 EACH ARM
F Single-Arm Side Lateral Raises 2x10 EACH ARM
G Upright Rows 3x10
H Rope Rows to Chin 2x12
I Overhand Closegrip Pulldowns 3x8
J Seated Dumbell Military Press 3x8
There you have it! Try this routine for the next 4 weeks. Three or four weeks is a reasonable time frame for evaluating almost any training program. Keep in mind that there is NO PERFECT ROUTINE. This means you CAN'T stay on this or any other routine FOREVER. In the short term, you will feel the benefit of any routine. In the long term, you will feel the shortcomings of any routine. Think "new stimulus, new adaptation". Charles Poliquin frequently says, "a training routine is only as good as the time it takes your body to ADAPT to it", and, "the only constant in your routine should be CHANGE". Think carefully about these statements.
If you give this routine an honest shot, I am POSITIVE you will really like the quick and dramatic results it gets you. After 4 weeks, switch to one of your own old programs or grab another routine somewhere. Use an alternative routine for 1-2 weeks. Then return to EXTREME FAT LOSS for another 4 week block. Repeat. It may look like this.
Weeks 1-4: XFL (eXtreme Fat Loss)
Weeks 5-6: Alternative Routine (Try "PHASE II" Program)
Weeks 7-10: XFL
Weeks 11-12: Alternative Routine (return to PHASE II)
Weeks 13-16: XFL
Weeks 17-18: Alternative Routine (return to PHASE II)
ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS: Try to keep "surprising" the body with this workout format. Take the example workouts I have described above and try changing the order of the exercises or substituting similar exercise where you see fit. For example, on Chest and Biceps day, maybe you want to do biceps first and chest second - FINE! Maybe you want to change the order of the chest exercises, performing dumbbell flyes first - FINE! Do it! Try not to let yourself get bored. Switch things around if you want; just remember - each set lasts about 60 seconds and each rest period lasts about 60 seconds (or less!). As long as you maintain the basic principles and keep plugging away with good ol' common sense and you will reap the rewards.
Or you could just keep doing what you're doing now (all that cardio).
You're happy with the results, RIGHT?
