triple-shredded Archives

4 Intense Fat-Loss Tips

Q: I need to lose fat quickly, and I’ve been reading a lot about interval cardio training. I want to try it, so how would you suggest I work it into my program? I just started using the Heavy/Light 10×10 Workout based on one of your recent newsletters that made it sound great.

A: As we’ve said, high-intensity interval cardio is like doing another leg workout, so you must be cautious. For those who don’t know what HIIT is, a good example is sprinting the straight-aways and walking the curves on a running track.

You’re alternating anaerobic work, all-out sprints, with active rest, walking. Studies show that it’s an exceptional way to burn bodyfat for a number of reasons…

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2 Tricks to Get You Ripped—With More Muscle Too

Q: Looking in the mirror, I see that somehow I’ve gotten very fat. I go to the gym, but I guess my eating has been out of hand for too long. Is there anything I should concentrate on during my workouts to help lose the fat? I plan to do cardio after every weight workout, something you’ve suggested. I desperately want to be ripped enough to see abs!

A: First, get your diet under control. You must start eating clean—cut down the junk—and get on an anabolic-meal schedule. Your best bet will be a typical bodybuilding diet, so eat at least 25 grams of protein at six meals a day. Try to eat every two to three hours, and get some carbs too—enough to refill muscle glycogen stores, which is about 200 grams a day. If you need examples, see X-treme Lean; it contains our complete meal-by-meal diets to help you get ripped…

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Planks for Etched Abs? No, But…

Q: I see lots of people doing planks in the gym. I asked a trainer what they were for, and he said to get a ripped six-pack. Do you guys recommend planks for ripped abs?

A: For the uninitiated, planks are getting in a pushup position and supporting your weight on your forearms, not your hands. Your arms are bent at 90 degrees and the entire length of each forearm is on the ground.

That’s become a very popular “exercise” because it’s considered “functional” training. It’s closer to what the abs do in the real world as opposed to crunching. Hmm…

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8 Tips to Drop Fat and Build Mass—Summer’s Coming Fast

Q: The first day of [meteorological] spring slapped me in the face. My abs are gone and I feel “loose,” as in soft. I need to drop fat, especially around my middle, and add some hard muscle—like right now. How do I get it going and see abs?

A: Don’t panic. You still have about 12 weeks until summer. But because fat-loss is a slow process—if you want to hold and even gain muscle—you need to start NOW.

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