Currently I’m 183lbs with 14-15% b.f. I’ve been looking for a good fat loss training routine to follow for the next four weeks. The time is an essence here and I cannot spend more time on this particular goal. For this reason I would like to maximize my fat loss results and of course spare as much muscle as possible. I would like to use only free weights and bodyweight exercises if possible.
I have found plenty of interesting routines however I find them a bit confusing. On one hand we have routines based on circuit-like fashion (GH/lactic acid training, lots of reps, slow tempo, almost no rest), on the other hand other routines are based on heavy weight lifting (lots of series, low reps) - I hope you know what I mean.
Is there any routine which combines these two?
Would it make sense to do circuits every other training and heavy lifts in between (Days 1,5,9,13 etc. - circuits, days 3,7,11,15 etc. heavy lifts).
I was thinking of choosing 4-5 compound movements for each training and doing them in such fashion :
‘circuit’ days - A1,A2,A3,A4 for 3-4 circuits with nearly no rest between exercises
‘heavy’ days - simple 8 x 3 for each exercise, straight sets
Does it make any sense? If not, could you recommend any routine suitable for me? many thanks !
you can give this a try. If you follow it I will assure you, you will be leaner in three weeks.
First thing is on Monday start the morning off with 10 sets of sprints attempting to beat your time every day.
In the afternoon perform a full body routine and don’t leave out the squats, leg press doesn’t tax the system enough. Keep the reps up between 12 to 15 for 2-3 sets with 1 min. rest interval. 12 to 15 reps on all movements except squats, try to hit 20 with them. Upon finishing up the weight training hit the treadmill, bike, it doesn’t really matter as long as you are pushing the heart rate to 80% of your Vo2 max (220 - age is 100%).
Do this for 15 minutes and don’t start counting until the heart rate is up. That will be your routine on Mon, Wed, and Fri. Tuesday Thur and Sat you will be hitting the cardio in the am for 15 mins @ 80% Vo2 and in the evening 20 mins @ 80% Vo2. Sunday take the day off and relax, you’ll need it.
With all this volume you will have to pay attention to your diet. This is how it works out, on T-day 1 start your calories @ 3000 and drop 100 calories off each day so by Sunday you will down to 2400 calories. T-day 8 you will bring the calories up to 2900 and drop 100 a day again until Sun and repeat the following week starting at 2800 cals.
Now it sounds complicated and sure it’s a pain in the ass to figure out where the 100 calories is coming from but if you want it bad enough you’ll fid a way.
What I did was just dropped a half a cup of rice, oatmeal etc to drop the cals off. Don’t worry if it isn’t exactly 100 just drop it and get back to work.
I have tried this in the past and it works like a charm.
Very interesting plan strnglkbull. I have a couple questions about the sprints. How far are you sprinting each time and how long are you resting in between sprints? A set period of time or as long as it takes to catch your breath?
I’m not really a runner so if I were to wait to catch my breath it’d take me all morning to finish.
Sorry,
10sets x 10secs with 1 min. rest, of course as one conditions the sprint time can be pushed up 10 x 15secs, 20secs etc. It is kind of like the running man routine. If you are sweating in the shower you did your job.
Also, I have done different variations of this cardio routine with a lot of success. For instance, Days 1,3 & 5 stay the same but days 2,4 & 6 in AM do only 60 to 65% of Vo2 for 30 mins, afternon also stays the same (15min @ 80% Vo2). This will allow for recovery and I always feel I have more energy for my afternoon session.
Another note, one can only keep up this pace for a short time, 3weeks max, but afterward one will have the matabolism of a 10yr old boy.
Give it a shot and let me know how it works out.
Strglkbull, many thanks for your advice, all is clear, although it is not exactly what I’ve been asking for. Mostly I’ve been interested in explanation of the influence of low reps/high load vs. volume/circuits training while on cut.
However, I find your routine very interesting and worth trying
I guess I will incorporate some sprints Tabata style (20/10 sec. x 8) - I hope it should be fine.
And as I said in my first post, I use only free weights, so no chance for leg press
I might be not on the right track, but I have chosen to do TBT combined with low-moderate intensity cardio. One can argue whether TBT is optimal choice while on a fat loss diet, but I simply love this particular program and I want to give it a try. Anyway, so far after first week bf has dropped almost 1% which is good.
I will try the Velocity Diet as soon as Biotest will start shipping to Poland Getting small things like some Carbolin 19 through my US friends is quite easy but getting a good supply of Grow! and Surge would not be easy and too expensive
I have been out of the iron game for a year due to a car accident. I put on some fat and just started back to the gym. I am doing the T-Dawg 2.0, but need advice on the workouts.
right now I am doing high sets/low reps but only these exercises: clean&press, flat bench, and then 5 pullup/dip super sets. I am also grappling three days per week. i was wondering if i am doing enough to preserve muscle while dropping the fat. any advice?
