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The Question: Twelve weeks is a good time frame to set some short-term fitness goals. It's just enough time to be able to notice a positive transformation to one's physique. What is the best 12-week fat loss transformation workout for men? Be specific. How much weightlifting should be included in this fat loss program? How much cardio should be included in this fat loss program? How much fat can you expect to lose on this plan? Bonus Question: Have you used this program and was it successful? Who would you recommend it to? Show off your knowledge to the world! The Winners:
2nd place - 50 in store credit. To use your credit, e-mail Justin @ justin.podzimek@bodybuilding.com for more info.
From personal experience I have found a total body workout to be the most effective way to lose fat but not at the expense of muscle. This is especially true for either the 1st timer, the seriously overweight (over 40% BF) and/or someone returning to a healthy lifestyle after years of apathy. This session should incorporate all aspects of general fitness - cardio, strength training, core training, etc. Within those perimeters it should also embrace the various styles of each, such as both LISS & HIIT for cardio, weight training, resistance band work & bodyweight work for strength, as well as static & dynamic work for the core & support muscles.
Keep in mind that most likely you are in some sort of beginning or returning stage to fitness and that your priority is to lose weight, specifically unwanted body fat. Do not get hung up on any various inabilities you encounter. It's not how many times you get knocked down, it's how many times you get back up. Set small, reasonable personal goals. If you were only able to do 10 forward lunges before you had to stop, next time make it a goal to do 11. Then 12, and so on. Just make forward progress every session, make each & every workout a new Personal Best. No one can ever ask more of you than that.
A good routine could be the following (in order) to get a great 60 minute workout:
  Click To Enlarge. BOSU's are Great For Core Work, But Not Heavy Lifting. This session should be done 5-6 times/week religiously. Always give yourself one day to just relax and rest, but initially it's not asking much to devote 60 minutes of a day to your overall health. And a lil' tidbit - I found that the right music helps IMMENSELY when training! Make a custom playlist that fits the session. When doing LISS have some good, steady beat music. When HIIT(ing) it crank up the tempo! When doing strength work make it thunderous, beat heavy tunes.
Also, for the over 35 fat loser, try a mix of tunes from "back in the day" when you had that body you are now trying to dig out from under years of apathy and blubber. Its amazing how turning back the clock on the MP3s can help those muscles "remember when" and really fuel a great session!
This is not complicated. If you take nothing else from this article, take this: DON'T DIET! That's right. Do NOT diet. Make a lifestyle change. Diets are NOT the solution. They are typically bordering on some sort of radical macro-nutritional deficiency of some sort. Follow These Tips:
 Click To Enlarge. Do Not Diet. Make A Lifestyle Change.
If you mean utilizing actual weights, not much if any. That said, I am a huge believer in strength training being an overall metabolic enhancer that will burn fat, but as you get started your own body weight (which to be honest is probably a good sized load to begin with!) will provide ample resistance.
I cannot begin to convey enough how a few thousand bodyweight squats & lunges (especially lunges) will work your total body, really burn fat and allow you to start to develop your muscular & connective (ligaments & tendons) system to the point that you will be ready to - once you have, "torn your house down to the bare studs" - "remodel & add on" with some serious weight training.
A good deal. I would say at least 50-66% of it should be cardio in one way, shape or form. Keep in mind that body weight & resistance band work can be very cardio intensive if done intensely and correctly. It's easy to work the body out of an anaerobic form of exercise into an aerobic one via effort & repetitions. Remember - you are trying to lose weight & burn fat. Always keep that in mind & make it your goal.
Also, make the cardio portion goal oriented. Say you could only go 15 minutes on the rower or could only make it 17 minutes into that DVD, or could only last 1:45 into a 2:00 cardio interval. Next time make it a priority that you WILL go at least 16 minutes on the rower, 18 minutes into the DVD and you WILL make it those last 15 seconds into that interval. Every session do your absolute best to set a new Personal Best.
Using this approach I was able to lose, from a starting weight of just under 270 lbs, 57.5 lbs of body weight in 11 weeks, but also lost almost 78 lbs of fat (based on pre & post body fat readings taken with the same device) as well as over 36 inches of body measurements. I lost a YARD of me!
 Click To Enlarge. I Was Able To Lose 57.5 lbs Of Body Weight In 11 Weeks. Check Out BuckSpin's BodySpace Here.
I would NOT recommend anything I have not done, or would be willing to do, myself. I lost 70 lbs in 13.5 weeks doing this. It works.
Treat all eating activity as a meal, do not waste calories on things that you really don't need. The key to this diet is that you are supplying your body with good amounts of protein (120-160g / day) and still providing it with carbohydrates which are necessary to give your body energy and the ability to process and regulate your protein use and fat metabolism. Calories will have to be increased as weight loss progresses, but this is a good starting point to build off of.
Protein shake with 8 oz. of milk and a half or whole banana. A good start to the day to bring yourself out of the fasting phase you are put into while you sleep. This contains sucralose, which will spike your insulin levels and in turn spike your metabolism. Insulin indirectly stimulates accumulation of fat in adipose tissue. With a good amount of protein your body can slowly digest until your next meal (25-30g) and a very good carbohydrate count (a banana contains a surprising carb count of 32g). Related Insulin Articles:
Protein bar or Fiber-One bar (12 oz. of water) By the mid-morning, your body has started processing the protein you have taken in for breakfast, which make a protein bar a good (and sustaining) option. The fiber in a Fiber-One bar is also helpful, as soluble fiber slows the speed of digestion and can curb your appetite and help you feel satisfied.
Sandwich (lean ham, turkey, fish, or chicken mainly - steer clear of roast beef, salami, bologna and the like) on pumpernickel, rye or multi-grain. A large apple or other fruit and 12 oz. of water. For a sandwich, pack it with as many cold cuts as you'd like (within reason) to achieve a good protein content. Mustard is a good option of condiment, while steering clear of butter and mayonnaise. If you'd rather have a wrap, Joseph's Flax Seed & Oat Bran Lavash Wraps are extremely good for you and for losing weight, and besides that, they are very big and satisfying.
4 oz. of tuna or 3 egg whites and one whole egg or an array of cold cuts (12 oz. of water) Something sustaining and low in calories is great for before your workout or just for the mid-afternoon. A somewhat recent study at UConn has showed us that the group eating whole eggs with egg whites rather than just egg whites had a decrease in body fat percentage and an increase in lean muscle gain. Tuna is always a good option for a snack also.
Scoop of protein powder and 12 oz. of water. Post workout is one of the most important times to get protein and BCAA's into your system, as it goes straight to supplying your muscles and thus leading to lean muscle gain. It won't taste great, actually, it will probably taste pretty bad but it will invigorate your body with protein after your workout. Chugging is an easy way to get by this.
Chicken breast, any (baked) fish especially tuna, salmon, or tilapia, or turkey. Any vegetables you please, and a half or a whole sweet potato. More lean protein, ensure your ground meat is lean, and that all your meat is skinless. While red meat, pork, lamb, and ham can be quite fatty, it is okay once every so often. Vegetables will provide you with more dietary fiber that will satisfy you until your next meal and get you detoxified to some extent. The reasons to eat a sweet potato with this meal are endless. Sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbs, which will provide your body with energy to develop muscle and burn fat, have many vitamins, and are high in fiber content. Sweetpotatoes are also a good source of chromium picolinate which is essential in the body's insulin production.
Anything that was for mid-afternoon, or yogurt with a scoop of whey. Yogurt with one scoop of whey (strawberry-banana whey with this tastes very good) and a little bit of milk is about 220 Calories and coming in close to 40g of protein. If you can't get yogurt I would stick to something from the mid-afternoon plan. Yogurt is rich in probiotics which can aid fat loss. Depending on how your variation of this diet goes, you should be taking in around 1700-1800 calories, 120-160g of protein, and 50-75g of carbohydrates. Your daily dietary fiber needs should be attained, and your vitamin intake is fulfilled.
For optimal fat loss results, you should do cardio every day, but this is unlikely and hard to achieve. Setting goals you can't achieve is setting up for failure. Build up your cardio. Experiment in the first week. Try something that you do for 25 minutes and it doesn't leave you completely depleted but still worked out. Slowly build this up to 40 minutes a day on days you don't weight train, and 15-20 on days that you do. Take the weekends off if you want to, as long as you aren't binging or excessively cheating on days that you take off. Any cardio machine that you find fitting is suitable, if you wish to try alternative methods of cardio like kick boxing, or punching bag work go for it, just make sure it is constantly elevating your heart rate. Try something like this:
Try starting out weight training with high reps and low weight to get and keep your heart rate up. Progress and by the 6th week be using weight in the first set that will fail you at 10 reps, 8 for second set, and 6 for third. Keep it fast paced and challenge yourself. Lift under control, don't throw the weight around. Be sure to rest at least 1-2 minutes in between sets, especially on sets that bring you to failure because your muscles will be expending their stored ATP and since you won't be taking anything like creatine because you're cutting, you have to restore it as fully as possibly.
Chest:
Shoulder:
Biceps & Triceps:
Legs:
Back: After the second or third week assess your weakest body part, and do bodyweight exercises throughout the day to increase your strength for over time, do this especially on days when you don't go to the gym. For Example: Your bench press is lacking and your chest isn't very strong. Start out doing 15-20 pushups at a time and get at least 100 in every day. Be doing 150 per day about 2 weeks into this, and 200 at about 5 or 6. Bodyweight squats are good for legs, pullups (if you have a bar or something you can use) for back, sit-ups for abs, etc.
I have tried this, and am currently using this diet. I have lost nearly 60 pounds and nearly doubled my lifts in about 6 months. I lost about 25 pounds in the first 12 weeks. I started at 255 pounds with very little muscle, and am at 195 with decent lifts right now. I would recommend this diet to a truly dedicated person, who will push himself to his limits in order to achieve what he wants. The long-term pleasure of being in shape and not being fat far outweigh the short-term pleasure of eating things that are detrimental to your health and not having women take a second glance at you. This workout and diet plan is probably best for someone who needs to lose fat rather than tone down or cut.
To maximize fat loss and maintain muscle mass in a twelve-week period, you must utilize all three components of weight loss:
All three components must be given 100% of your focus and attention if you want to make a truly amazing transformation.
I believe the best nutritional approach is dependent on body type. If you are an endomorph (gain fat easily), a low to moderate carb diet works best.
If you are natural it is important not to eliminate all carbs because this will inhibit your body's ability to produce the proper testosterone and growth hormone needed to achieve maximum results. A better option is to time your carbs to immediately upon waking and pre and post workout. All other times eat only protein and fat. Macronutrient breakdown for a 200lb male would look like this: If you are an ectomorph (fast metabolism) you will definitely need more carbohydrates to maintain your size. Your macronutrients should look like this:
Mesomorphs can also handle a higher carb load as well:
You need to choose the best options of food available during this twelve week period.
I believe the best approach to maximum fat loss without muscle loss it a combination circuit-style training and heavy lifting. The purpose of the circuit training is to produce an abundance of lactic acid buildup in the muscle. The body responds to lactic training with a surge of growth hormone. Growth hormone is the body's most potent fat burner! A side effect of this workout is also a great cardiovascular workout. Related Growth Hormone Articles:
The second method of weight training is designed to help maintain your muscle mass while being in a caloric deficit. Many people make the mistake of doing lighter weight and more repetitions when on a diet. When you lighten the load you are telling the muscle, "you don't have to stay as big anymore, as I am only requiring you to lift lighter weight". Rep range in the 5-8 range is best!
Upper Body: *Repeat 4 times Lower Body: *Repeat 4 times
Superset with
Superset with
Superset with
I believe the body adapts very quickly to cardio. Your body becomes more efficient the more cardio you perform. Therefore, it is necessary to steadily progress either time or intensity of your cardio. The best way to do this is to combine high intensity intervals along with steady pace aerobic work. Here Is An Example:
I know from experience you can lose one-percent body fat each week. This equates to approximately 24 lbs in a twelve week period for a 200 lb person. I started this program at a bodyweight of 205 lbs and at the end of the 12 weeks I was 183 lbs @ five percent body fat. I competed at the Washington State Natural Bodybuilding Championships and took 2nd in my class. I recommend this program to anyone who has set a goal with a specific time frame in mind. It is very critical to set a date for achieving your desired results. Whether you are preparing for a show or getting in shape for a wedding, as you long as you stay focused and consistent you will make an amazing transformation!
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