High Frequency Fat Loss

 

Some “Easy Strength” Methods, Tips, and Ideas for Easy Fat Loss

     I have written a lot—and will continue to write a lot—about high-frequency training.  I have sort of an ever ongoing series, in fact, dealing with different ways to use and incorporate HFT based on your goals and needs.  In this essay, I want to discuss some ways that you can use HFT for fat loss.

     I believe that a lot of lifters, and regular gym-goers in general, don’t achieve their fat loss goals because they train too hard and they diet too strictly.  That might seem as if it’s an odd statement at first.  After all, do we not get the best results when we are regimented and serious about our training and eating?  In some ways maybe, but not so fast.  When you eat very little and train with a lot of intensity—even if it’s just “intense” cardio—you quickly burn out, you don’t feel good, and you don’t stick with it.  You may get good results at first, but the gains won’t last.

     I have written elsewhere that you have 4 choices for how to eat and train: You can train a lot and eat a lot.  You can train a lot and eat a little.  You can train a little and eat a lot.  Or you can train a little and eat a little.  If you want a more in-depth discussion of these factors, click on the link at the start of this paragraph, but for our discussion here, you just need to understand the correct choices in brief.  The only two that will really work for the long haul are the first and last options.  You can either train a lot and eat a lot or you can train a little and eat a little.  The reason the 2nd option doesn’t work was touched upon in our previous paragraph, and the 3rd option is quite obviously doomed to failure, especially when it comes to fat loss.

     I think the best way for most lifters to approach fat loss is to train very frequently, not with hard workouts but, rather, with “easy strength” methods, and then to diet strictly.  In this case, the training is easy and the dieting is tough, but it’s an approach that your body, and your mind, can handle with relative aplomb.  Using this approach, I want to discuss some workout, dieting, and lifestyle strategies to make this as effective as possible.

     First, let’s look at the training.

     I’m going to give you two example programs that will work well depending on whether you want to train heavy or light.  The selection may depend upon what you have access to, or it could depend upon what kind of training that you most enjoy.  It must be noted that you are not likely to stick with a program if you don’t enjoy it, and since consistency is the most important factor in any program, make sure it’s one that you know you’ll be consistent with.

     If you want to train with heavy weights or if you want to increase your strength along with losing fat—which certainly can be done; my powerlifts used to go up as my bodyweight went down—then try using my 30-Rep Program.  If you’re not familiar with this form of training, here’s a description for how to run it:

Parameters of the 30-Rep Program

    Select around 8 to 10 exercises.  These are the only exercises you will perform for the entirety of the program.  These should all be basic, compound exercises.  Here’s my list when I run the program:

• Barbell squats (back squats, front squats, or bottom-position squats)

• Bench presses (including bottom-position bench presses and board presses of various heights)

• Weighted Dips

• Barbell overhead presses

• One-arm dumbbell overhead presses

• Deadlifts (sumo, conventional, deficit, rack pulls)

• Power cleans

• Power snatches

• Chins (wide-grip, close-grip, undergrip, etc.)

• Barbell curls

     Yes, I know, that’s technically more than 10 movements if you include the variations of squat, bench press, deadlift, or chins.  If you’re new to power training, then you may want to not perform any variations, but if you’re an advanced lifter, then the variety will be a welcome break and it will ensure that your lifts continue to go up-and-up so long as you're focusing on your weak points.  By the way, you can also combine two of the exercises and count that as one lift.  In other words, you could clean and press or you could do something such as a deadlift curl.

     At each workout, pick three of the exercises to train.  (Make sure that your workout session is balanced—i.e., it works your entire body—so don’t just select, for example, bench presses, dips, and chins.)  For each exercise, do no more than 10 reps.  Set/rep ranges could include 2 sets of 5 reps, 5 sets of 2 reps, 3 sets of 3 reps (I know it’s not 10 reps, but it’s close enough), or 3 sets of 5, 3, then 2 reps.  This works out—pun intended—to 30 reps total for the workout.

     Train at least 5 days-per-week, but no more than 6.  Most of the time I like to run a 3-on, 1-off, 2-on, 1-off training rotation just so that I train on the same days each week.  For instance, you might train Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, with Thursdays and Sundays off each week.  You could also just train 3-on, 1-off constantly, or even 2-on, 1-off if you know that you respond best to a little less training.  (On a side note, however, as I’m fond of saying, more is not always better but it usually is!)  On the flip side of that, there’s nothing wrong with training six days straight, then taking off for the Sabbath.

      Perform more squats, quick lifts (power cleans, snatches, etc.), and overhead work than chins, curls, bench presses, or deadlifts.  I look at it this way: you can train the squats, the quick lifts, or the overhead lifts anywhere between 4 and 6 days-per-week.  The bench presses, chins, and curls can be trained between 2 and (occasionally as much as) 4 days-per-week.  And the deadlift variants can be trained between 1 and 2 days-per-week.  The “Bulgarian method,” for example (where you max out on the same lift every single training day), works when your exercise selections are squats, snatches, or clean-and-jerks (which is why it is so great for Olympic lifters) but not so much when it’s bench presses or deadlifts.  The exception to this rule could be if you’re doing a lot of thick-bar work on your heavy pulls.  You could do more frequent thick-bar deadlifts simply because of your inability to use a really heavy load.

     Slowly increase the weights you use over the course of running the program.  You should go heavy “naturally” as John says in his easy strength programs.  No need for getting psyched up or using any pre-workouts.  You will find, oddly enough, that you get stronger without even trying to get stronger.

     This is a good option for anyone who can get to the gym frequently or has an extensive home gym.  If you train at home with less exercise options, or if you go to the gym but you want to utilize lighter weights or higher reps, then do the following program instead.  (This one is also ideal for us older lifters.)  I call it the 3-to-5 method for repetitions:

Parameters of the 3-to-5 Method for Repetitions

     This one’s simple.  Use all the parameters of the “typical” 3-to-5 method, but increase the reps to 10 or more on each set.  Here are the “rules”:

• Train 3 to 5 days each week.

• Perform 3 to 5 exercises at each workout.

• Perform 3 to 5 sets of each exercise.

• Keep your reps at 10 or more.  If you are including bodyweight exercises—which are good for high-frequency, high-rep training—then you can do sets of as high as 50 reps on things such as bodyweight squats or walking lunges.

• Unlike the “regular” rule of resting 3 to 5 minutes between sets, here you can keep your rest to a minimum.  As soon as you’ve recovered your “oxygen debt,” or slightly before, you should do another set.

     This is the best of the two options, as well, if you need some flexibility into your schedule.  If you can only make it to the gym 3 days per week a lot of the time, then this is probably your best bet.  While I’m on the subject, if life gets in the way some weeks, and you find that you only train 2 days that week—heck, maybe crap gets so stressful or work has you working overtime and you can only make it to the gym once that week—then that’s fine.  We tend to be all-or-nothing creatures, and I’ve seen several people give up on their fitness goals because they don’t stick with their routine “perfectly.”  But if that happens to you, don’t worry about it.  The most important thing is to get as many good training weeks as you can over the long-term, so don’t let minor setbacks in your life set your training back.  If you have a bad week of training, or an inconsistent week—and they will happen—then shrug it off and get back to it the next week.

Turning These Programs into Fat-Burning Machines

     The two above programs are both good examples of the kind of training that I want you to perform, but in order to turn those workouts into fat-burning programs (and your body into a fat-burning machine), you need to do a few other things at the end of the workout sessions.

     First, when you complete the “regular” portion of your workout, do a weighted finisher of some type.  These should be whole-body lifts done for high reps.  When your anaerobic exercise turns into an aerobic movement, you will experience more fat loss from that exercise than almost anything else you can do.  This exercise could be something such as kettlebell swings, it could be a “complex” such as the squat and press or the clean and press (done with barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells; doesn’t matter), or it could simply be one compound movement such as squats or deadlifts done for high reps.  The reps, no matter the movement, should be anywhere from 20 to 50 reps, just make sure that you leave a little something “in the tank” so that you’re not completely gassed.  Think hard but not all-out.

     Second, after the weighted finisher, add a second finisher of some sort of loaded carry.  Farmer walks, sled drags, stone or sandbag carries, wheelbarrow carries, or tire flips are all good choices.  Only do one set, and, once again, make sure that you’re not completely winded or wore out when it’s over.  You may be a little tired, but you should also feel almost refreshed when you are done with the 2nd finisher.

     Third, and finally, do some sort of steady state cardio for 30 minutes to complete the workout.  This should not be hard.  Walking, for instance, is the correct answer here.  As an example, I train in my garage and I live in the woods, so as soon as I finish my workout, I just go for a nice, leisurely 30-minute walk with my dog Kenji through wooded trails.  If you train at a gym, the stairmaster or the elliptical would also be good choices.

     Dan John has a theory—which he borrowed from someone else, but I can’t remember for the life of me who it was, and I can’t find where I read this in the first place—that the weight training frees up fatty acids, and then the finishers and walks at the end of the workout burns the fatty acids that have been freed (I think that’s how he put it).  I’m not sure, personally, about the exact science of it, but I do know that doing the cardio at the end makes a difference.

Diet and Lifestyle Strategies

     As the saying goes, you can’t out train a bad diet.  You also can’t out train poor sleeping and rest habits that aid in, not just muscle recovery, but fat loss itself.  And for these workouts to, well, work then the very first thing you need to do is get your diet in check.

     I’m fond of simple but hard approaches when it comes to diet—as I often am with training.  I actually think a lot of people can handle hard as long as the diet is not too complex.  If you have to weigh your food, track your exact macronutrients, and so on and so forth, you’re less likely to stick with it.  Now, don’t get me wrong, you do need to track a couple of things, at least at first: your daily protein intake and your daily caloric intake.  I would start off with trying to get at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily, and by consuming around 10x your bodyweight in calories on a daily basis.  This is pretty easy to calculate, too.  If you’re 200 pounds, you need to consume around 200 grams of protein daily, and no more than 2,000 calories.  The exception is if you are obese or very overweight.  In this case, you probably don’t need 200 grams of protein if you’re 200 pounds.  150 or so would suffice, as what you really need is 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass.

     Along with getting enough protein, and tracking your daily calories, you also need to cut out either fat or carbohydrates from your diet.  The reasoning is simple: your body can’t use both of them for fuel.  So pick one.  Most people should eliminate carbohydrates, as one of the reasons that the majority of folks have a hard time losing weight is they are metabolically compromised and insulin insensitive.  However, there are people who do function better, and lose weight better, by eliminating their fats and sticking with carbs as their body’s primary energy source.  As an example, back in the ‘80s, when I first started working out, almost every single bodybuilder on the planet ate a diet of 60% carbs, 30% protein, and 10% fat… and got shredded.  But that kind of diet works best for one who is metabolically healthy, so keep that in mind.  Bottom line: pick one to eliminate and that one should probably be carbs.

     The last thing I want you to do is fast (and train fasted).  This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to practice intermittent fasting and only eat within a certain time frame.  You most certainly could, don’t get me wrong, and that would be a pretty good strategy if you decide to go that route—intermittent fasting was a game changer for me, personally, but I understand that it’s not necessarily meant for everyone.  But you do need to fast between meals without any snacking or any form of liquid calories.  Even if you don’t take up intermittent fasting, I think most people do well on just two meals a day while following this program.

     Train in a fasted state, and then eat whenever you feel like it afterwards.  For fat loss, unlike with strictly muscle-gaining, I don’t think it’s as important to make sure you get a post-workout meal.  If you train first thing in the morning, then you can have a meal right afterwards, but you don’t have to.  Eat another meal a few hours before bed.  If you want to practice intermittent fasting and see how long you can go without eating, and you like to train in the evening, simply hold out on eating until you’re finished with your workout.  The only problem I really see with this latter approach is the fact that you may not sleep quite as well if you train and eat a late meal.  But for some people, they don’t have a problem with it.  Oh, and make sure you’re drinking plenty of water.  You want to fast from food, not water, so stay hydrated.  Also, feel free to drink non-caloric beverages.  I start my day with a few cups of black coffee.

     Make sure you get plenty of sleep at night, and try your best to take a nap during the day.  The more sleep you can get, the better.  That’s a truism not just for getting big and strong—as I’m always emphasizing it for those qualities—but also for burning bodyfat.  Along with the sleep, you need to try your best to relax and take it easy as much as possible.  I’m not saying to not stay active.  You do want to be active, but you need to do your activity with as much relaxation and ease as you can.  Take advantage of things such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, saunas, hot and/or cold baths, and other such things that improve recovery, aid in cellular repair, and promote relaxation.

     To give you an example of what this might actually look like, here’s how one of my days might go when I use this program: I roll out of bed around 7AM, make a cup of coffee, and, while drinking my coffee, check my email, write down what I’m going to work on for the day, etc.  After about 30 minutes, I go to my garage gym, get in a 30 minute workout, then head to the woods for a 30 minute trail walk.  On a couple days each week, I push my walk to an hour and a half or even 2 hours, and get around 5 to 6 miles.  (I tried doing that every day for a while, and it was a little too much.)  Once I’m finished with my walk, I have my breakfast usually between 10AM and 11AM, which will either be, most often, some kind of meat (pork chops, steak, occasionally a processed meat such as bacon or sausage) and eggs or a smoothie made with berries, raw eggs, and heavy cream.  The point is that I typically eat a low-carb breakfast.  It leaves me satiated, and I don’t eat again until around 6 or 7PM.  For dinner, my most common meal is a protein (steak or chicken, most often) with a high-fat salad.  If I feel as if I need some carbohydrates, then I will have a meal with rice or sweet potatoes.  I then read, meditate, pray, and try my best to feel rested and rejuvenated by the time I go to bed around 11PM.  A few days each week, I also take a really hot bath before bed, as it aids not just in recovery but deep sleep.

     My daily routine is just one example of how you might incorporate the principles and ideas within this article.  Find a schedule of both training and eating that you can adhere to, and that doesn’t drive you crazy.  The more enjoyable you find it, the more likely you are to stick with it.  So if you’re after fat loss, try my advice here, stick with it for 8 to 12 weeks, and you will be pleasantly surprised with your new lean, hard, and strong physique!