i’ve read several articles on t-nation dealing with different workouts and exercises. I liked Christian T____'s(can’t spell the last name) OVT idea, but somewhere I read that doing the OVT program isn’t ideal for fat loss. Do you think doing the OVT program would help shed off fat, or do you know of another workout that does the job better?
I’ve heard that it’s better to lose the fat and then gain muscle, but i’ve also heard that it’s better to gain muscle first so that your metabolism will increase and your fat will burn at a faster rate. If the latter is true, then the OVT program would work. But if not, then i’m stuck :-/
Check out Christian’s “The Mutation Series.” I paid SwoleCat $200 for a very nearly identical program. You will lose fat, and you will gain muscle. I’ve gained 14 lbs and lost fat since the original article was published. The only thing I do different than the article is I power walk 45 min every morning and I take Metamucil twice a day.
I had a great experience with Fat to Fire I and II by Coach Davies! I did three weeks of Fat to Fire I, 3 weeks of OVT by CT, and then five weeks of Fat to Fire II.
I think OVT would result in gross overtraining for the average trainee on a caloric deficit. I like the looks of the Mutation Series setup, and I have two other personal faves: EDT for fat loss, and Meltdown I. Both will yield great results when followed to the letter, but you’ll likely lose a little off your one rep maxes after Meltdown due to the lower weight used.
I’ve done EDT for a six-week cycle before with great results and I am also using a variation of it now for bulking with Mag-10. I modified it by adding in a fourth session with an extra core exercise and keeping the same two circuits, alternating them as per the 3x/week routine. My four core exercises are squat, bench, dead and cleans.
Waterbury’s Outlaw Strength & Conditioning program is badass. Not only will you decrease bodyfat but if your diet’s in check you’ll also gain some muscle. I like this program because it is a real challenge to complete the workouts in the required time frame.
This program reminds me of an atomic dog column TC wrote in that every workout your essentially lifting a heavy load and placing tension on your spine. Every workout includes either squats, deads, overhead presses, good mornings, ect. Overall just a badass program.
I’m currently doing the Mutation series by Christian, and it’s rocking my body!
In the past I really gave Meltdown a shot (more than one shot), and it didn’t produce the results I liked. Although I was fried after every workout, the only thing I lost was major strength.
[quote]jo3 wrote:
I’ve heard that it’s better to lose the fat and then gain muscle, but i’ve also heard that it’s better to gain muscle first so that your metabolism will increase and your fat will burn at a faster rate. If the latter is true, then the OVT program would work. But if not, then i’m stuck :-/
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is it better to lose fat first and then gain muscle, or gain muscle first and then lose fat?
[/quote]
One thing you failed to mention here that you put up on another thread is your current condition. You said you were 5’7, 17yo, 155lbs and overweight. This information will influence how people respond.
You need some muscle dude. Seriously. If you were 250 lbs. and 25% bf, I think it’s safe to say that we’d all be screaming Cut, Cut, Cut! But you’re a skinny bastard… or, more like, you’re a fat skinny bastard.
Let’s say you’re 20lbs. overweight (if you think you’re overweight I’m guessing there’s at least 20 extra). You lose all that fat, and you weigh 135lbs. I GUESS that’s better than being fat at 155, but I think many here would be hard-pressed to say Oh Yeah, what an improvement, a ripped 135, awesome! Not to take away from the acheivement if you go that route- It would be a great accomplishment. But since it sounds like you are just getting started with training and making plans to change your body, think about how you want to look in 1 year, at a minimum, not a few months. You absolutely need more meat on you, and I would say at your present condition you need it more than you need the fat off.
You also mentioned in the other thread that you have the will to train but you tend to overeat. Go with what you can handle, and start making the gains that you are capable of right now. Once you see results you will have the will to be stricter.
now that I think of it, “fat skinny bastard” is a good way to describe me. What program would you recommend? I started CT’s The Mutation Series but I can change programs any time
Check out my HOC article here at t-mag. I have tons of testimonials from people that achieved great results with the program. The heavy bag combo is my favorite one.
now that I think of it, “fat skinny bastard” is a good way to describe me. What program would you recommend? I started CT’s The Mutation Series but I can change programs any time[/quote]
The most important thing for you is to find a program that you like and can stick to. Any program on T-mag is written by someone who has way more training experience and knowledge than I do, so look for something that you can have fun with.
You mentioned in the other thread that you have the will to train, but you overeat. If this is a dealbreaker for you, then you need to work with yourself as much as possible. Personally I think with your stats you need muscle ASAP, so use your will to train to ensure that your body uses everything you put in your mouth for constructive, positive growth. ~135lbs. lbm doesn’t give you much of a calorie budget before you’ll put on weight, so work with this as if it were a strength, not a weakness.
A huge part of sticking with and having success with a training program is psychology. You have to work with yourself and psych yourself out if necessary. You gotta have some discipline and control, but it’s best to find a balance of what works for you physically and what works for you mentally.
My take is, if you can find a program that gives you 75% of the results you would get with a “better”, “scricter” program, but it works with you so you can stick with it forever, you will end up with better results than if you burned yourself out of the “better” program in 4 months.
