Tomorrow I’ll be starting The Evil Scot’s Fat-Loss program from The New Rules of Lifting. I was wondering if anyone out there had done this program (or any other from NROL) and might want to share some advice.
I’ll be lifting 3 days a week, and doing cardio on 2 of the other days. One day will be steady state (probably rowing) and another day will be HIIT/afterburn (probably stationary bike). Before anybody suggests that I sprint, let me say that a) Everything is covered in snow in this part of the country, and b) I have patella tracking issues that don’t get any better with running.
I’ve never followed any of Alwyn’s programs, so I’m looking forward to this. Plus, after a couple months of following my own prescriptions, it feels good to just do something “because coach said so” (to quote Dan John).
I’ve done FL3…It does exactally what it says on the tin.
I’ve worked my way through Hypertrophy I and am on II right now. I’ve prescribed variations on the Fat Loss programs to clients (the volume is a little high for most of my more novice clients to get through in an hour).
Personally I’ve gotten great strength gains out of the Hypertrophy programs, also packing on a few pounds of beef while leaning out a bit as well. Plus with the differing rep schemes I never get bored. Leg workouts (Squats+DL+ a superset of Bulgarians and Step Ups–yowch) are particularly fiendish and effective.
Good luck–DF
I’ve only used Hypertrophy I myself. I liked it and made gains while using it for four weeks. I went from that to Joe DeFranco’s WS4SB program and continued making gains in size and strength.
I haven’t used the fat-loss workouts but a young lady friend that I’m training will be using them in the near future (I have her following The Metabolism Advantage plan at the moment but will transition to NROL once she completes the program).
Thanks for the input, lads.
I thought there’d be more people who would have done his programs…hmmm…
I haven’t gone above 8 reps in any exercise in…I can’t remember! I know that this program is going to kick my arse if it starts with 15 reps. The only thing I don’t like is the deadlifts for reps; I don’t like going above 5 reps, and I’m finding 5 too high as it is. We’ll see…
Did my first session this morning. It was challenging, but not puke-in-the-bin hard. That said, I’m sure I’m going to be feeling those 15-rep squats tomorrow.
I’ve noticed that there is much more back work than chest. Anyone know why? I don’t want to come across as a frat boy, but my chest has always been a very weak point and I was just starting to get it to grow by working it every day, and now it will only get 1 workout, while my already strong back gets more.
Oh well…I’ll have to trust Alwyn on this.
Remember Shugart talking about picking one goal and knocking it out? If your goal is fat loss, do that. Once the goal is accomplished, you can make building your chest your next goal.
This is something I am finally “getting” myself 
[quote]Miserere wrote:
Did my first session this morning. It was challenging, but not puke-in-the-bin hard. That said, I’m sure I’m going to be feeling those 15-rep squats tomorrow.
I’ve noticed that there is much more back work than chest. Anyone know why? I don’t want to come across as a frat boy, but my chest has always been a very weak point and I was just starting to get it to grow by working it every day, and now it will only get 1 workout, while my already strong back gets more.
Oh well…I’ll have to trust Alwyn on this.[/quote]
I’m sure the reason why Alwyn put more emphasis on the back musculature compared to the chest is because the majority of trainees have imbalances. You’re different though.
I suppose you can specialize on your chest after you’re finished Alwyn’s routine.
Plus, when you lean out your chest will be looking more defined. I say don’t worry too much about it.
-Kev
I’ve noticed that there is much more back work than chest. Anyone know why?
I happened to run into the redoubtable Mr. C at a conference a few weeks ago and picked his brain on this very subject.
Essentially, Cosgrove equates the shoulder joint to a wheel whose spokes need equal tightening in all directions, 360 degrees. Meaning that overhead press work is balanced in volume and intensity by pulldown/chinup work, and horizontal pressing (bench pressing) is balanced by rowing exercises. In most of the NROL upper-body programs, he supersets these two different movement patterns: vertical press with vertical pull, horizontal press with horizontal pull.
In traditional bodybuilding lingo, that amounts to more ‘back work.’ But if you think not in terms of back/chest/shoulders but in terms of balancing the shoulder “wheel” over its full 360 degrees, it makes sense.
It’s an attractive idea–though I have to confess that like you, I’ve been throwing in a couple extra sets of chest on the vertical press/pull day, too. Score one for vanity over science.
[quote]dynamicfitness wrote:
It’s an attractive idea–though I have to confess that like you, I’ve been throwing in a couple extra sets of chest on the vertical press/pull day, too. Score one for vanity over science.[/quote]
Ha ha ha
Chest workout is on Thursday, and I have decided to even the scoreboard by sticking to science and doing whatever Alwyn says. As I’m working out 3 days a week, his 3 fat-loss programs should take me 3 months to complete. After that, I should look like a shredded shrimp and I can start specialising on chest.
Did Workout B this morning.
Kicked. My. ARSE!
I’m not a fan of high rep deadlifts, and there I was, with normal and Romanian. Half way through the workout I had to start concentrating very seriously on not throwing up breakfast.
I made it to the end, and completed every bloody rep, but I couldn’t manage the short rest periods.
Now I know why he’s called the evil Scot!
…wait till you get to the lower body workout for Hypertrophy I.
Back to back squats and deadlifts for 3X15 with 30 measly seconds between sets, followed by the Bulgarian/step-up superset for the same rep scheme. Hang on to your potatoes on that one, mate.
[quote]dynamicfitness wrote:
…wait till you get to the lower body workout for Hypertrophy I.
Back to back squats and deadlifts for 3X15 with 30 measly seconds between sets, followed by the Bulgarian/step-up superset for the same rep scheme. Hang on to your potatoes on that one, mate.[/quote]
Yeah, I saw that one in the book and thought “let’s take this 1 program at a time, lest I quit right now!” LOL
At least when I start the hypertrophy programs I’ll be eating more than I am now. Then again, that also means I’ll have more to throw up…
So, how did Alwyn’s programs work for you? Have you done the strength ones?
Workout B this morning…and again, it kicked my arse. Right now my hips are killing me, probably from the split squats.
And to say I’m hungry is an understatement.
I’m so glad next time I do Workout B I will be doing lower resp.
I"m still doing HYPER II for about another month or so. Haven’t attacked the strength stuff yet, though it looks good.
As a weight room junkie, 3x/week doesn’t feel like enough to fully satisfy my craving for iron. In the past, moreover, working each muscle group just once a week hasn’t felt like enough. Still, I can’t argue with the results: I’m putting on some size, staying very lean (even cutting up a bit it would seem) and adding strength faster than ever.
I’ve found using the journal pages included in the book very helpful. As dorky as it can feel toting a clipboard around in the gym, it’s a great tool and keeps you very much on track.
Good luck
DF
[quote]dynamicfitness wrote:
As a weight room junkie, 3x/week doesn’t feel like enough to fully satisfy my craving for iron.[/quote]
I don’t have much more time than that. I also try to squeeze 2 days a week of cardio before lunch. Plus, these workouts are leaving me so tired, I don’t see myself being able to do more than 3 days/week.
I’ve made my own workout sheets, as I didn’t like the ones in the book. I have all the workouts of Fat-Loss I on one page, so I can see where I’ve been and where I’m going at a glance. I’ll make one for each program as I go along.