Ok, I know there are many articles on the subject of fat loss on T-Nation, but I want to know what type of WORKOUT has gotten the best real-world results from T-Nation members.
I’ve got approximately 4 weeks to lose the maximum amount of fat possible. I’m hoping to drop about 15 lbs., give or take.
There seems to be 2 schools of thought on weight training while dieting. High volume, low to moderate loads, low rest periods to increase energy expenditure; or lower volume, high loads, and longer rest periods to retain muscle mass.
I would like to retain as much muscle mass as possible, but my primary concern for the next 4 weeks is rapid fat loss. Also, I don’t want to end up looking soft and flat if at all possible.
I guess maybe I want my cake and eat it too. At least by the end of these 4 weeks I will!
u cant lose that much in 4 weeks, even if u do lose 15 pounds of weigh, running 5 hours a day, the maximum fat u can lose is around 3-4 pounds, rest would be either water or muscles (according to Michael Colgan, read from is book, i’m trying to get cut too)
I’d suggest Alessi’s Meltdown Training combined with the new HOT-ROX to help you retain muscle. I’ve only tried Metldown Training One but it worked great.
If you are going extreme, buy some prohormones (MAG-10) and use them to keep you from dropping muscle. I’m not sure on the right protocol, but HOT-ROX and M will probably figure in there too as you come off your cycle. Maybe earlier to help liberate fat.
Anyway, with this type of support you can drop fat faster (eat less calories) than usual and hold onto more muscle while you do it. Maybe someone who has actually used prohormones will offer some advice.
It can be done…I’ve seen it done…but it’s certainly not going to be easy.
First, training. Meltdown II from Don Alessi…I’ve seen it work wonders, even for trained athletes. You might add one day of high-intensity cardio (sprint intervals).
Second, diet. Increase protein (both in amount and as a percentage of your daily calories). 1.5g - 2g per pound bodyweight. Easy on the carbs…150g per day is about right. Oatmeal at breakfast, vegetables and your PWO shake. Also important: no carb + fat meals. As for total calories…stay in a mild caloric deficit (200 kcal below maintenance) 6 days a week.
Third, supplementation. A fat burner will help if used intelligently…both for fat loss and to maintain energy while in a caloric deficit. A prohormone will help you hold muscle as you try to drop fat and harden up quickly. Definately take an anti-estrogen.
Thanks all. I think I’m going to go with Meltdown I, but alternate workouts 3 x’s/week, instead of 4. Then I’ll throw in high-intensity cardio 3 x’s/week. And finally do 5-6 30 minute sessions of powerwalking a week.
This all might sound like overtraining, but I’m desperate. I think I’ll throw in a prohormone and the new HOT-ROX too to help on a very low calorie diet.
I went from a no-pack to a six-pack in about four weeks using a modified german body comp programme 3 times a week and 2 hard interval sessions per week.
A1 Power cleans
A2 Dips
B1 Squats
B2 Bent over rows
C1 Lunges
C2 Push press
D1 Deadlifts
D2 Chin ups
No rest between pairings, but 1 min or so between sets.
I have three different sessions I use in rotation but basically each one will contain 4 compound leg exercises and a hor. push/pull and a vert. push pull to give a balanced work out - albeit with a leg bias. The oly lifys work really well - get your HR real high in to time flat, then it’s just hang on in there for the following upper body exercise.
I used 3 sets of 12-15 reps and deffinatly put on muscle while dropping a fair amount of fat.
On days between weights did High Octane Cardio as described by Mike Mahler (cheers Mike you sick bastard!)
Hope that helps and good luck.
PS eat nothing but meat/fish/poultry/eggs and veg/low GI fruits in every meal except post workout when simple carbs are a must.
From my own expereince and that of others (whatever was mentioned on the forums), I’ve had most success with high-intensity and low-rep training.
It helped me keep most of my muscle mass while helping me loose fat. Now, I didn’t quite loose as much as you’d like in a month. However, if you eat well (reduce carbs, low-GI carbs, increase protein etc), you can see good results. Like already mentioned, HOT-ROX will be a good choice.
You also might want to consume fats in the range of 0.5-0.6 /lb of LBM, that is, not too high or you wouldn’t be in a deficit.
Okay, it’s been damn near two weeks and I’m making very good progress(if anyone cares). Tonight is my cheat night and I’m going to try to do it in moderation. Two more weeks and I’ll be posting some pics on the “Photos” forum, fat or not.
Can anybody give me an example of interval training? although I have one already, each session i had only lasts 10 minutes, 15 the most after serveral weeks or its the way it should be, I did them in the mornings 2x a week for a month then i stopped doing it cuz i was focusing on strength after that.
check out the “Fat Fast” articles. Yes, you can do this with an extreme ketogenic diet. With the use of pro-steroids and a good protein powder with ample amounts of casein in it, as well as EFA’s, you can also retain or even gain lean mass, at least for relatively short periods of time (4-6 weeks). This is especially true if you are starting at over 10% body fat.