fat loss Archives - X-REP.COM

Fast Fat Loss, More Muscle-Building Testosterone

Q: Summer is here, so I’m psyching up to try the intermittent-fasting that Steve used to get more muscular and ripped [Super-Size Crash Course e-book, Chapter 8]? I need to get ripped fast. I thought I would try it once a week, and if it works well for fast fat loss, increase to two nonconsecutive days a week as Steve did. Any insights on muscle loss during IF?

No question, we bodybuilders are extremely paranoid about losing even an ounce of muscle. But don’t worry, you won’t lose muscle with intermittent fasting–you will gain more… [Read more…]

Fat Loss With NO Cardio?!

Q: I read that you guys got super ripped without doing any cardio. I also saw that Arnold had incredible fat loss with no cardio, relying on weight training only. Is that true?

A: According to John Balik, Publisher of IRON MAN magazine and Arnold’s friend and one-time training partner, the only thing close to real cardio that Arnold did was occasional walking or running on the beach… [Read more…]

More Key Fat-to-Muscle Tips

Q: In The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout routines, you have short cardio sessions as optional after the workouts. Can I do the quick cardio before my weight-training workout to warm up instead of after?

A: You must’ve jumped right to the workouts without reading the text. No problem. We realize lots of trainees do that because they’re anxious to get started; however, there are important points in the text that can help you understand and get the best results from the workouts. The optional postworkout cardio session is a good example… [Read more…]

Fast Fat Loss

Q: Do you think I could lose 15 to 20 pounds in a month? I have a reunion coming up, and I want to be in a somewhat healthy looking condition. I was 250 last night. I want the fat off. It’s killing me to see this gut—you have no idea!

A: Yes, you could technically lose that much weight, but most of it would be water and muscle—and you probably wouldn’t look much better or feel healthy. We all want fast fat loss, and we’re all impatient when it comes to changing our bodies, but the best strategy is slow and steady…

You’d be better off shooting to lose about 10 pounds of fat and lifting hard to build muscle. You’ll be amazed at what losing some ugly fat and gaining some rock-hard muscle will do for your total look and how you feel (from health and self-confidence standpoints).

And remember, if you do it right you’ll be adding muscle and losing fat, so the scale isn’t something you should pay attention to very closely. In other words, if you lose 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle, you’ll look completely different (so much better), but the scale will read exactly the same. Always keep that in mind. [For more fat-to-muscle tips, meal-by-meal diets, and training programs geared for growth hormone release, see the X-treme Lean e-book]

Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.

—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com

The Best Exercise for Fat Loss

Q: I keep reading that interval cardio is better than steady-state aerobic exercise for fat loss. Should I be doing intervals instead of ending my workouts with 30 minutes of medium-intensity fast walking?

A: Interval cardio, which is going all out for 30 seconds alternated with slower, steady-state work for one minute, has been shown in research studies to burn more fat postexercise than medium-intensity steady-state work. The reason? Muscle damage. Running or pedaling a stationary bike all out for 30 seconds brings in the fast-twitch fibers, just like a weight workout, damaging them. The repair process is what boosts the metabolism and fat loss. It’s been shown that fat is used as an energy source during the muscle-repair process.

In our X-treme Lean e-book we use the example of running on a track for interval cardio—you sprint the straight-aways and walk the curves. As we explain in that e-book (the Q&A section on page 87-88), interval cardio is very similar to an intense leg workout with weights. Because of that, if you choose to use it, you should not use it the day before or after a heavy leg workout. You can, however, use it as one of your weekly leg workouts or in conjunction with a leg workout. For example, you could do your normal leg workout, but reduce the volume so you can end the session with interval work on a treadmill or stationary bike.

The main point about interval cardio is that it can trigger overtraining if you simply use it in place of your steady-state cardio. It takes more thought to implement it correctly because you are damaging muscles—essentially adding another high-intensity workout to the mix.

If you have a lot of fat to lose, steady-state work at the end of most of your upper-body workouts is a good idea—that is the 30 minutes of medium-intensity walking you’re now doing. After weight training, all of the sugar is out of your bloodstream, so your body is primed to burn fat almost as soon as you hit the treadmill.

If you want to do interval cardio, use the above recommendations—as part of your leg workout or as a separate leg workout during the week. It will add up to a faster fat-to-muscle transition rather than no-gaining overtraining.

Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.

—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com

Fat-to-Muscle Facts and Photos

Q: I saw before and after photos of Steve’s wife, Becky, on your site. Amazing transformation! My girlfriend would like to know what type of program she used. Did she use X Reps, or should women not use that type of intense training?

A: Becky’s transformation took a few months (she kept having to restart due to motivation issues—so much fat to lose was overwhelming to her—and she didn’t use X Reps because we hadn’t developed that technique yet; however, she did use static holds, which we call a Static X. At the end of a set to exhaustion, she would drive the weight up as far as she could and hold for a five count or so to extend the tension time. That had a similar muscle fiber-activation boost as well as occlusion effects. She added muscle and lost fat quickly, as you can see from her before and after photos… [Read more…]