Alright let’s get straight to it.

There are a lot of fat loss myths out, dietary and training wise. There is also a lot of methods for fat loss but they all get back to this:

“Principles are few, methods are varied”

The basic principle for fat loss is that you need to expend more energy / calories then you consume. There is no denying this, it has to happen.

The simplest thin gone can do to burn fat is to build muscle. Every pound of muscle you have can burn up to 50 calories a day meaning your metabolism is constantly on the go so you burn more calories for a longer period of time. Alwyn Cosgrove (who I’ll quote many times during this I think) has said that 90% of one’s total calorie expenditure comes from their metabolism.

Now you may be thinking “why don’t I just eat less and do some walking in the fat burning zone of 60% heart rate maximum?” Well none of those methods promote muscle gain and not even muscle maintenance.

Fat Loss also requires a lot of nutrition planning, preparation and discipline which has been touched on in a previous article here.

This article is all about training so let’s get to it.

Hierarchy Of Training

Developed by Alwyn Cosgrove again, this is a very useful tool to know whether your training as efficiently as you could be. The type of training you perform should be dictated by the time you available to perform it.
The 4 foundation’s of the hierarchy of training are:

1. Correct nutrition
2. Activities that burn calories, maintains / promotes muscle mass, elevated metabolism
3. Activities that burn calories and elevates metabolism
4. Activities that burn calories

The 5 Factors of Fat loss are:
1. Metabolic resistance training
2. High Intensity Interval Training
3. High Intensity Interval Training / Aerobic Interval Training (longer but less intensive interval’s)
4. Steady State High Intensity Aerobic Training (simply to burn 300 – 400 extra calories)
5. Steady State Low Intensity Aerobic Training

Time Management
• For 3hrs of training time per week do weights x 3 – 4/week using complexes, supersets, trisets, circuits, escalating density training, combination exercises
• 3 – 5hrs/week do weights +high intensity interval training
• 5 – 6hrs/week do weights + high intensity interval training + aerobic interval training
• 6 – 8hrs do weights + high intensity interval training + aerobic interval training + steady state high intensity aerobic training
• If not losing at this point look at diet
• 8hrs + do all of them and just generally move more

How Does Fat Loss Happen?

This a quick run down from Alwyn Cosgrove and Mike Roussell’s new fat loss manual “Warp Speed Fat Loss” which is my new baby at the moment.

Body fat cells are broken down by hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) which is ramped up by high levels of catecholamines through intense exercise which release fat from the cells which is then eventually burned off in the muscle as fuel. When muscle glycogen levels are high, carnitine is low and vice versa so for this to work we need to deplete glycogen through intense exercise which also increases EPOC.

Energy Post Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) is where you continue to burn calories at a high rate long after exercise. Intense exercise methods such resistance training, sprints and high intensity interval training cause this metabolic shift and is the most important aspect of body composition bar none. Each of these sessions can have your metabolism up and running for up to 38 hours meaning 3 of these sessions a week at a minimum can give you a significant metabolism boost resulting in eventual fat loss.

How To Do Cardio That Actually “Burns” Fat

This blew my mind when I 1st read it as it actually tells why this works.

There 3 major steps in of fat metabolism being:
1. Mobilisation
2. Transport
3. Oxidation (the actual burning part)

Mobilisation – body fat is essentially stored triglycerides plus a small amount of water and mobilising it requires that we 1st break down the triglycerides into free fatty acids. A bunch of stuff happens that even I don’t really understand but by keeping insulin levels low from decreasing carbohydrate calories and performing high intensity exercise, it results in these free fatty acids being released into the blood stream and transported away from the cell.

Transport – now the free fatty acids can’t be burnt in the blood stream so they are transported away from the cell which depends on the blood flow to and from the cell. Visceral fat (which sits around your organs) has much more blood flow and is much more easily mobilised and reduced than abdominal fat which has les blood flow making it more stubborn and it’s easier to store calories in stubborn fat than to get it back out. Women have more blood flow to their hips which is why they store fat there.

Blood flow to cells increase during fasting as your body needs to draw the fat from it for energy purposes which is where cutting carbohydrate calories comes into play so that the free fatty acids can run into muscle tissue and be burnt for energy.

Now to actually burn this fat as energy you’ll use a 5min low intensity period during your interval training which gives the body a chance to draw as many of the triglycerides into the blood stream so fat has been released from the cells but if you don’t actually burn off that circulating fat, you’ll redeposit it which is where…wait for it…steady state cardio comes in.

As steady state cardio uses fat as its primary energy source, it will use the circulating fat as it is readily available.

In a nutshell:

Step 1 - Lower insulin levels from diet higher + intense exercise = fat mobilisation.

Step 2 – Low intensity cardio after it = fat oxidation

Steady State and Repetitive Cardio

In the past steady state cardio has been the most popular mode of energy systems work for fat loss. The one problem here is that this type of low intensity, long duration exercise is energy efficient meaning that the more times you do it, the less calories you burn performing it. Think of someone going through rehab learning to walk again. They take 3 steps and they’re absolutely spent but as they get stronger and better at it from practice, they are able to take more steps with less effort.

Say you are looking for fat loss and you start running 5 times a week doing the same run each time and the first time you did it you were totally spent afterwards. You might have burnt 500 calories doing this on that day as the effort you put in was extremely high as you haven’t been running for years. After a week of doing your 5 sessions, you now may only be burning 475 calories each run. Continue this for 6 weeks and without knowing, you’re only burning 350 calories per run except you kept your calorie intake the same so now you’re burning 150 less calories per day than you think you are which could put you above your predicted energy expenditure, thus thwarting any fat loss you were expecting.

Steady state cardio also doesn’t provide the metabolism boost as the intensity is not high enough. It is true that you’ll burn calories actually performing this then high intensity interval training, but the EPOC calorie cost overall can be as much as 9 times more so it is a very inefficient ay to go about your fat loss.

Program Design and Exercise Selection

Most people miss the boat here with their training, getting stuck in the ways of bodybuilders rather than athlete’s. Athlete’s train with full body sessions (although in the off season with more time available some may use a lower/upper body split) using compound exercises only. These types of sessions use more overall muscle mass, thus requiring more calories and also providing the aforementioned EPOC effect. Heavy weights are also required to at least maintain current strength and muscle mass levels because as soon as you start decreasing muscle then you’re metabolism decreases too and you’re fat loss efforts will all be in vain.

Training Density

Training Density is what you should be aiming for while training for fat loss meaning your aim is to try and pack in as much work as you can in a short amount of time. This would usually result in one using light weights and short rest. The problem with this again it does not promote muscle gain or maintenance. If your muscles are accustomed to lifting 80% while you’re trying to gain strength and muscle, then lifting anything below this for extended periods of time will result in a loss of both. Remember, “Use it or lose it.”

Escalating Density Training

This the brain child of Charles Staley and involves performing PR Zones for a prescribed time period pairing exercises trying to get as many total reps as you can.

A sample training day may look like this:

PR Zone 1
Dynamic Lunge x 5 reps each leg
5secs rest (just enough time to switch exercises)
Seated Row x 5 reps
5secs rest
x 10mins

5mins rest

Pr Zone 2
DB Squat and Press x 5 reps
5secs rest
Chin Ups
5secs rest x 10ins

The best way to do this is to pair lower and upper body exercises which really get the oxygen demand up more so than pairing muscle in close proximity to each other such as chest and back (this works great for muscle gain though)

You would do 3 workouts of this a week with a schedule such as this:

Day 1 – EDT
Day 2 – Cardio
Day 3 – EDT
Day 4 – cardio
Day 5 – EDT
Day 6 – Cardio
Sun - off

Lower and Upper Body Supersets

These work much the same as EDT really but you may use a more traditional set up such as this:

Deadlifts x 6
No rest
Handstand Push Up x 6
30 – 60secs rest
x 3 – 5 cycles

You would have 3 – 5 such pairings of these which leads us into the next method….

Density Training

This is a lead on from Lower and Upper Supersets and involves decreasing rest each session to create a higher metabolic demand as you’ll be doing the dame amount of work in less time progressively each week.

A sample workout may look like this:

Deadlifts x 6
No Rest
Handstand Push Up x 6
60secs rest

Front Squats x 6
No Rest
3 Point DB Row x 6
60secs rest

Reverse Lunge x 6 each leg
No Rest
Chin Ups x 6
60secs rest

Each session you would decrease the rest between pairings by 5secs but keeping the weight the same like this:

Session 1 – 60secs
Session 2 – 55secs
Session 3 – 50secs
Session 4 – 45secs
Session 5 – 40secs
Session 6 – 35secs
Session 7 – 30secs

At week 7 you’ve basically cut your workout time in half and doubled your total training output.

The same principle can be used for Lower and Upper Body Pairings too like this:

Deadlifts x 6
45secs
Handstand Push Up x 6
45secs rest

Again each session you would decrease the rest between pairings by 5secs but keeping the weight the same like this:

Session 1 – 45secs
Session 2 – 40secs
Session 3 – 35secs
Session 4 – 30secs
Session 5 – 25secs
Session 6 – 30secs

Your work capacity will determine which one will work best for you.

Resistance and Conditioning Exercise Pairings

I will refer to “cardio” as conditioning exercises throughout as cardio is more thought of as low intensity, long duration activities such as jogging, bike riding etc which don’t really create much of a metabolic disturbance.

This method was made popular by Nick Neilson and involves pairing a heavy weight exercise with a conditioning exercise.

A sample workout may look like this:

45secs of Burpees (see how many reps you can do in 45secs and simply perform the same number if that makes it easier)
Rest only long enough to change exercises
Deadlifts x 6 – 8 (keep 1 – 2 in the tank though)
x 6 sets

Rower Sprints x 45secs
Rest only long enough to change exercises
DB Bench Press x 6 – 8 (keep 1 – 2 reps in the tank
x 6 sets

Flying Step Ups x 45secs (see how many reps you can do in 45secs and simply perform the same number if that makes it easier)
Rest only long enough to change exercises
Chin Ups x 6 – 8 (keep 1 – 2 reps in the tank)
x 6 sets

Each session should take 45mins max.

Undulated Periodisation

Another favourite of Alwyn Cosgrove and Chad Waterbury and it involves using multiple rep ranges and rotating the different exercises throughout a training program so you hardly ever repeat the exact same workout, using the muscle confusion principle.
A sample weekly set up may look like this:

Strength Options (S)
1. Deadlifts 6 x 3
2. Front Squats 6 x 3
3. Chin Ups 6 x 3

Metabolic Circuit Options (M)
1. Hang Cleans x 6 / Bench Press x 6/ Burpees x 20
2. Waterbury Rows x 15 / Shoulder Press x 8 / Flying Step Ups x 15
3. Renegade Rows x 10 / 3 Point Row x 6 / Swings x 20

Energy Systems Work Options (E)
1. 1min on / 1min off x 4 cycles
2. 30secs on / 90secs off x 5 cycles
3. 2mins on / 2mins off x 3 cycles

Week 1
Mon – S (strength) option 1, M (metabolic circuit) option 2, E (energy systems) option 3
Wed – S2, M3, E1
Fri – S3, M1, E2

Week 2
Mon – S2, M3, E2
Wed – S3, M1, E3
Fri – S1, M2, 31

Week 3
Mon – S3, M1, E1
Wed – S1, M2, E2
Fri – S2, M3, E3

The more options for each you have, the longer you can stick with the same exercises for the same program without repeating the exact same workout.

Combination, Hybrid and Complex Sets

All 3 of these methods basically involve using multiple lifts in the same set. Combination sets are when 2 or more lifts are performed together with a distinct pause between each rep (Hang Clean / Shoulder Press), hybrids sets have no pauses and flow from 1 movement to the other (Squat / Shoulder Press) while complex sets are 2 or more exercises completed for reps each before the next.

A sample complex may look like this:

• Bent Row / Hang Clean / Front Squat Push Press / Jump Squat / Good Morning
• Stiff Leg Deadlift / Hang Clean Front Squat Push Press / Reverse Lunge
• Deadlifts / Hang Clean catching while Squatting / Shoulder Press / Jump Lunges
• Jump Squat / Squat/ Squat Hold x 10secs / Shoulder Press / Push Press / Squat Press

There are plenty of ways that you can make these up bit it’s always good to go from the weakest exercise to strongest to keep each exercise as “even” as you can. It’s also a good idea to group exercises together that you can handle substantial weight for. These would be used with a combination of the undulating periodisation and density principles.

The beauty of all 3 is that they allow you to move a lot of weight in a short time, increasing efficiency and above all density. They can either be performed as a stand alone resistance training workout session or used for the metabolic portion of a workout and / or training program.

Compound Circuits

These are used with the density principle. They are simple but effective if you use the correct exercises. A sample session might look like this:

Deadlifts x 6
Rest 450secs (decrease rest 5secs each session)
Push Press x 6
Rest 45secs (decrease rest 5secs each session)
Chin Ups x 6
Rest 45secs (decrease rest 5secs each session)
Hang Cleans x 6
Rest 45secs (decrease rest 5secs each session)
x 5 cycles

Bodyweight Circuits

Bodyweight circuits are a great option to replace steady state cardio; especially for 2 a day sessions for a fat loss boost which Craig Ballantyn advises this in his Turbulence Training program. These bodyweight circuits elicit a solid metabolic response and actually promote muscle gain and maintenance unlike steady state cardio which promotes muscle use. If you can get 2 metabolic boosts in a 1 day, you will see tremendous fat loss with the right nutrition plan to support it.

Plyometrics

I’m not why jumps are great for fat loss but I know they work. About 3 years ago I was in decent condition physique wise but a little extra layer of fat was always evident. I bought a vertical jump orientated program off the internet (for you vertical jumps buffs it was one of the “big 2” which wasn’t as good as advertised for mine) which included plyometrics 4 – 6 times a week. It was at this time I saw some decent abs coming through without no conscious effort to cut calories or increase activity. The ability to propel your body in the air time and time again will get you breathing heavily as you just can’t jump “easily”. You jump hard and fast or you don’t get off the ground, simple as that. It can also build up lactate which releases Growth Hormone which sends a signal to your body to burn fat for fuel as well as burning calories during and after workouts.

That being said not everyone is ready for plyometrics, especially if your carrying a lot of extra weight or have past or present lower body injuries or restriction. In any case you should start with some low level exercises such as:

• Ankle hops
• Lateral hops
• Low box jumps
• Basic skipping

Performed for 15 reps per set is a good start but don’t keep going if the quality of your jumps starts to decrease as injury risk can be high when trying to jump on or over things when you’re too fatigued to do so. Also start with 1 jumping exercise per session.

Sprints

All I should have to say is look at Linford Christie’s body in his sprinting hey day compared to any long distance runner that ever lived, but there’s still too many people using out dated, long duration, low intensity cardio activities as the focus of their weight loss programs which all, as stated above, promote muscle use rather than muscle gain or maintenance.

Yes sprinting is harder than jogging but fat loss wasn’t meant to be easy and unfortunately is easier to get fat than it is to get skinny.

Now sprinting speed is all relative and what’s a fast sprinting speed for you may only be a jog to me but as long as your “intent” is to go as fast as you can then you’ll be fine. The distance you sprint will also be determined on how long you can keep at your top speed. A good indication to go buy is to stop each set when you feel your pace has slowed to below 80% of your top speed. Initially you’ll need some good rest between these sprint sets but you can use the Density raining method for this where you decrease rest each week. Initially 1 session a week is way to go and probably no more than 2 sessions a week after that once you throw some resistance leg training in the mix. 1 of the sprint sessions may also be used as a lower body day depending on what training split you’re using.

Different ways I’ve used sprints include:

• 6 x 50m with 30secs rest
• 6 x 45m with about 1min rest (jog/sprint/jog the length of a football oval turn around and repeat
• Shuttle Sprints where you have 4 cones set up in a line about 5m apart and you sprint to 1, touch it sprint back to start, touch the ground until you’ve touched all the cones much like suicides.

You can use sprints over 100, 200 or 400m depending on your work capacity but remember that the further your sprints are, the less sets you’ll do and it’s good to limit your total distance to a maximum of 400m.

How Can I Attain Abs Without Training Them?

Don’t worry folks, you’ll probably find yourself with a more defined mid section using these methods then performing your 200 Crunches everyday. Everyone has abdominal muscles. Yes some are developed more than others but they are there but most of us have a layer of fat (or 2) covering them. These methods will strip that layer away, giving you a more defined appearance. The compound exercises tax the core musculature from a stabilisation standpoint which has been backed by numerous studies to be far more effective than training them in isolation for flexion, extension and lateral flexion.

Principles Are Few, Methods Are Varied

These are just a few of the methods you can use to train for fat loss but if you look at each one you will some common themes. They each use heavy weights, compound exercises and descending rest (density) to promote muscle maintenance and growth.

Couple these programs with a clean and consistent diet plan and you can easily achieve the body you desire.

Any thoughts on this article are most welcome here.