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Combat the Fat Week 7 Update

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I just completed Week 7 of the Combat the Fat training program.  I lost another 2 pounds this past week, so that is 5 pounds total in the last 2 weeks.  I personally think that is a good accomplishment considering that I am more than halfway through the program.  By now my body is more adapted to the exercises and the routine I am on, so losses like this are more difficult.

Further Tweaks to Cardio Program

This coming week (Week 8) I will be adding another tweak to the cardio portion of this program since the other tweaks are holding steady.  I am going to add 2 Tabata cardio sessions—one on Tuesday and one on Thursday—each week until the program is finished.  I will be doing Front Squats in interval style—20 seconds for as many reps as possible followed by 10 seconds rest—8 intervals total for a total of 4 minutes of interval training.  I will report back next week on how that went.

Nutrition

I am not seeing the changes I’d like here.  I did cut back on the carbs, but I am going to add more protein and more fibrous carbs to the nutrition plan this week.  As I always preach the Experiment of One, the one thing I’ve learned the past 2 years is that my body likes high protein mixed with fibrous carbs.  The best losses I’ve seen to date came when I was doing the nutritional aspect of Metabolic Surge.  I am going to mirror that program in the coming weeks.  If it continues to work, that will be how I eat from now on.  One thing I may need to do is go back to counting calories.  I think I might not be taking in enough calories with my current eating plan.

Accountability

In addition to the methods previously mentioned, I have ramped up accountability by sending out a message to over 100 Facebook friends letting them in on my goals and asking them to hold me accountable.  Whether they do that or not is up to them, but just knowing they are there and watching is helping my focus.  I am more focused than I’ve ever been.

Massive Push Continues

I am continuing my massive push.  I now have 5 weeks left on the program and I am going to maximize my returns.  Keep checking back here every Monday for an update on my training.

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    Combat the Fat Week 5 Update

    Combat the Fat Week 6 Update

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Linking Logically

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As a fitness guru wannabe, I spend alot of time reading books and websites on fitness.  This article is going to be nothing but book recommendations and links.  Enjoy!

Books to Read

books1

The New High Intensity Training: The Best Muscle Building  System You’ve Never Tried by Ellington Darden

Great book about High Intensity Training.  Darden gives you the science behind it and some specifics regarding workouts.

A Flat Stomach ASAP by Ellington Darden

A plan for getting you to a flatter stomach. Incorporates some High Intensity Training principles.

Bigger Muscles in 42 Days by Ellington Darden

A 42 day plan for growth using High Intensity Training.

Massive Muscles in 10 Weeks by Ellington Darden

A case study in body part specialization using High Intensity Training principles.

Everything  You Need to Know about Fat Loss by Chris Aceto

The Bible of Fat loss science.  A must read if you are serious about understanding nutrition as it relates to fat loss.

Understanding Body Building Nutrition & Training: Practical, Quick Reference, Answers to Common Bodybuilding Challenges by Chris Aceto

A wonderful book on body building nutrition and training.  Another must read if you are serious about this topic

Web Sites

Web_Development

Discuss Bodybuilding

A great forum site where people ask questions and get answers regarding many different body building topics.

RTP Blog

Adam Waters’ blog site that launched accountability blogging to the forefront.  Not much on information, but extremely high on inspiration.

Bodybuilding.com

A wealth of articles on the topic of bodybuilding.

The Fitness Herald

The blog of my mentor, Carlos DeJesus.  Carlos is a former World Champion Natural Bodybuilder.

Bodybuilding Secrets Live

The blog of my good friend and inspiration, Marc David.

 

This is something I will do monthly.  I will post a list of books that I recommend along with websites that I recommend as well.  All you fitness guru wannabes should take note!

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M8:D47 (D664) What about pain?

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The Muscle Building Fat Burning Video Blog #105
August 20, 2009

 

         

 

What's on my mind today?

I’ve been doing some thinking lately and have come up with a few interesting conclusions regarding pain.  I am not talking about the debilitating, unable to walk  type of pain.  I am talking about the type of pain you get from an intense workout or how your lungs burn during an extreme cardio workout.

How long?

When you walk barefoot in your house and stub your toe, how long does the pain last?  Generally it passes rather quickly.  You might be left with a bruised toe, but the pain itself subsides as fast as it started.  It is the same way with the pain you get during a lift.  Yes, it hurts to push yourself past the burn, but that pain subsides.  It goes away quickly.

How much?

You obviously need to pay attention to the intensity of the pain you are feeling.  There is the pain of going past the burn during a lift and there is the pain of an injury.  Both are different kinds of pain and they are obvious as to which is which.  Pay attention to pain from an injury because it is an indicator that you need to stop what you are doing.  However, the pain you get while taking a lift to failure is something you want to go beyond.  Push yourself hard and you will see gains.

How often?

Each time you do a lift you are going to feel pain if it is done correctly.  Your job is to push beyond that pain.  Working at this level of intensity is required to get good, consistent gains.  Yes, you are going to be sore after pushing your body this hard, but the results should be worth it to you.  If they are not, maybe this isn’t the right thing for you to be doing?

What is failure?

Finally, you are trying to take the set to failure.  What is failure anyway?  I strongly believe the point of failure is completely influenced by your mental attitude.  Yes, the muscle has a point where it will be unable to move the weight another repetition, but is that where you quit every time?  I am suggesting that most of us quit sooner than we should.  We let our brain stop us before our body does.  Do me a favor.  The next time you are in the gym, do not pick a stopping point (ie. 8 repetitions).  Just pick a weight and do the exercise until you can’t move the weight any more.  I call this “doing all the repetitions.”  That’s right, do them all.  Don’t stop until you can’t move the weight another repetition.  Don’t let your brain stop you, let your body stop you.  You will have to be ready to go beyond the pain that you feel, but it will be worth it.  Give me this favor for the entire workout and then let me know what you think.

 
Find out what I'm doing to my body!

 
Today was an extremely intense 1 hour cardio session from CTF. 
 

 
 

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

Follow the Muscle Building Fat Burning Machine on Twitter!

 

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M8:D46 (D663) Tabata: Not for the weak of mind

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The Muscle Building Fat Burning Video Blog #104
August 19, 2009

 

        

 

What's on my mind today?

With many people looking for fat burning strategies that don’t take a long time to do, I thought I’d introduce you to a forgotten art form-the Tabata Protocol.  This is an extremely intense 4 minute cardio workout that burns fat.

You might be wondering how 4 minutes of cardio can help.  Think about everything you’ve read about High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).  How many people are actually practicing true HIIT?  In order to be doing true HIIT you need to have a period of extremely intense activity followed by a period of recovery.  This means sprinting all out for 30 seconds and then resting for 30 seconds and then repeating that a prescribed number of times.  By “all out” I mean just that—hold nothing back, go as fast as you humanly can. Most people do not do that at all.  They set themselves up with a faster and slower interval, but they don’t go as fast as they humanly can.

The Tabata Protocol involves using an exercise (front squats, body weight squats, etc.) and doing a set of as many repetitions that you can do in 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds and repeat it for a total of 8 times.  This is true HIIT and really burns fat.  It is not something you can do daily because it is a brutal workout and really hits your body hard. 

 
Find out what I'm doing to my body!

 

Today was a CTF interval training day.  Weights combined with cardio make for a truly intense workout experience.  I kept my heart rate steady at 140 BPM.
 

 
 

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

Follow the Muscle Building Fat Burning Machine on Twitter!

 

Get the Cure for Fitness Information Overload Now!

Feeling overwhelmed by the information you get on the web?  Not sure if that guy is a "guru”?  The answer is finally here!
Free eNewsletter and basic fitness eCourse just for visiting!

Fitness Expose Banner

https://www.fitnessexpose.com

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New Workout or Old Idea?

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HITImage Lately I see alot of these new, intense workouts being peddled on the internet.  As I have suggested to each of you, I went ahead and purchased a couple and found out some interesting (but not surprising) information.

It seems that people are now jumping on the High Intensity Training bandwagon all over again.  While this training regimen has been around for 40+ years, it is still extremely effective.  It was a technique that was definitely ahead of its time.  What is bothersome is that these internet gurus are selling you things that you can get for free doing a simple Google search.  It frustrates me to see things like this happening.

I’ve read the sales pitches and they make me sick. 

“New techniques that will spur massive muscle growth!”

“A new approach to intensify your workouts!”

“Hit your body in a different way and see your results skyrocket!”

These claims are not true.  There is nothing new about High Intensity Training.  In fact, most people today would laugh if you suggested they try a H.I.T. routine, but the results speak for themselves.  People today are into high volume body split workouts where they hit a muscle group once a week.  H.I.T. would have you doing lower volume workouts where you hit the entire body three times a week with extreme intensity.  As I’ve learned through my own experiments, this is a recipe for wonderful changes in your body.

The best way I can describe it is with a ditch reference.  When you train your muscles hard you are basically digging a hole with every set you do.  With standard high volume training you dig a huge hole and then have to wait for the muscle to completely recover (fill in the huge hole) before you can continue training that muscle.  With High Intensity Training you blast the muscle as hard as you can, taking it to failure, but with just one set.  You cause another not so large hole that has be be filled in before you can continue training that muscle.  You will recover much faster and you will be able to hit the same muscle 3 times a week using this method. You will see greater growth because each time you dig the hole and fill it back in, your muscle grows bigger.

There is no new technique to spur massive muscle growth—it is just High Intensity Training in a different wrapper.  There is no new approach to intensify your workouts—it is just High Intensity Training in a different wrapper.  There is no way to hit your body in a different way to see  your results skyrocket—it is just High Intensity Training in a different wrapper.

Save your money.  If you buy a program and determine that it is just High Intensity Training in a different wrapper ask for an immediate refund of your money, then hit up Google and get all the information you will need. Give High Intensity Training a try.  It works.

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