What contributed to these exceptional results? I can summarise the answer to that question with 2 points.
- Carb reduction. He dropped carbs almost completely, using a 5-day off, 1-day on cycle. This meant he had to increased his protein intake and regularity of meals. Most people don’t realise you canlose [fat] weight by eating more, IF you spread your food out over 5 or more meals in the day. On a workout day, 2 of those meals may be pre- and post- workout protein shakes.
- He trained a total of FOUR times per week during that 12 week period – twice with me, twice by himself. Did you know that moving from 2 x training per week to 3 x will increase your results by 50%? Now you won’t be surprised when I tell you that’s true of proper weight training rather than other “training methods” (i.e. cardio).
- Look forward to your next hard weights session?
- Have a strong image about what you want your body to look / feel like / be able to do?
- Push yourself hard when you train alone?
- Know what your weaknesses are and consistently work on addressing them?
- Listen to your trainer and do everything he tells you to?
Training
I’m sure by now you’re asking the question, “What type of training do I need to do to get these results?” I use a specific set of workouts which become progressively more difficult and intensive, but they’re always tailored to the individual. Here’s the short version of what a fat-loss program like the one above typically contains:
- Training centres around developing strength in some key moves: Deadlifts, Squats, Presses and Pulls of all varieties
- Full body workouts, often supersetting upper and lower body work – this is inefficient for the body to do. By the way, inefficiency is good when it comes to fat loss.
- Frequent Metabolic Circuits - a series of complementary exercises, often timed and in sequence, which raises the heart rate, and challenges the muscles and cardiovascular systems in as many ways as possible
Food, Sleep and Muscle
After 3 hours of no food, your body becomes depleted of nutrition and energy and starts looking around for protein and energy. It finds an abundant supply — stored in your muscles. The body starts to break this protein down so it can perform its various repair and cleansing functions. This state of the body is called a catabolic state and things like lack of sleep (less than 8 hours a night), prolonged stress (more than 20 minutes a day) and infrequent feeding will get you there FAST.
Metabolism slows down. Fat storage becomes highly likely. However, if you feed your body regularly, it will use the food and get rid of what’s not needed. If you let it get into a starvation mode, it’ll try and hold on to anything it can get its hands on.
So, even if it’s a protein shake, a pot of cottage cheese, a boiled egg, a few sausages, a handful of nuts and dried fruit, a few spoonfuls of peanut butter, etc., get some nutrition in, every 2.5 hours!!
Poliquin says:
“Multiple studies on employee productivity or on children’s attention patterns have demonstrated that a high protein breakfast does not only impact on the energy and productivity levels of morning till noon, but extended its positive way in the late afternoon.”
