SWAT teams are elite tactical units within the law enforcement community. They are called up on to defuse high risk, volatile and dangerous situations such as hostage rescues or terrorist incidents. Not just anybody can be a member of a SWAT team–it requires a high degree of skill and demands physical prowess. SWAT team members need to be strong, quick and agile with endurance too. Developing all of these skills calls for a specialized approach to training–just ‘going to the gym’ isn’t going to cut it. Building a body capable of fulfilling the tough physical requirements of the SWAT team requires an extreme level of knowledge, commitment and dedication.

When it comes to knowledge of ‘SWAT-worthy’ workouts, Mike Gillete is among the best of the best. He overcame terrific odds, bouncing back from a broken back and severely damaged ankles to become a Martial Arts Masters Hall of Fame inductee and among the most highly respected strength and conditioning minds in the industry. Military and law enforcement personnel, executive bodyguards and competitive fighters regularly enlist Mike to help them train to elite levels of fitness. His latest work, The Savage Strength Training System, chronicles Mike’s unique integrated training strategy to not just ‘pump iron’ but ‘become iron.’

Mike opens Manifesto with an excellent and thought-provoking discussion about the various aspects of strength and what it means to be ‘strong.’ You might be tempted to skip over this part and dive right into the training stuff but if you do, you’ll be selling yourself short and you will miss out on the most fundamental elements of the program.

The Savage Strength program is built on a functional training foundation. If you’re not familiar with this term, it refers to complex movements that incorporate multiple muscle groups and essentially mimic real-world activities. In other words, no machine-based, isolation exercises. One of the advantages of this approach is that it doesn’t chain your training routine to the gym. In fact, Mike says that he does most of his training in his garage or backyard with a very limited selection of equipment.

In Section 2, Mike presents an overview of his Savage Strength Secrets: Toughness; Understanding Movement Patterns; Repetition Speed; Goal-Specific Rest Intervals; Load Manipulation; Fatigue Movement; Overcoming Fear; and the Technique of Tension. He provides a nice explanation for each of these concepts, providing useful information in an easy-to-understand format. I like the fact that understanding his concepts doesn’t require a degree in kinesiology.

Mike discusses the science behind Savage Strength in Section 3. The training concepts he uses in the program emerged in the 1970s and are credited with spawning a new breed of stronger, bigger and faster college football players. In this section he also provides specifics about the Savage Strength training approach.

The program is comprised of groupings of five sets of a particular exercise, performed for five repetitions. Because you’re only doing five reps, you will use a heavy weight. If you can’t perform at least 14 total reps during a combined set of five, then you know the weight was too heavy. Your goal of course is to work up to 25 total reps and then increase the weight.  He provides a few variations of the 5 x 5 approach that enable you to mix things up a bit. They are all equally challenging so don’t think one is ‘easier’ than the others.

The Savage Strength program also incorporates what Mike refers to as ‘System-Shocker’ Century Sets. A Century Set is 100 total reps of a single movement, such as pull-ups. To perform a Century Set you first perform as many reps as you can. For the next set, you perform one-half the number of reps as you did in the first round. So if you did ten reps in the first round, you would do five in the second. You stick to this number of reps, repeating until you reach 100. So if you do 10 reps for the first set and five reps in the second, you would perform 17 more sets of five reps.

The base program is five sets of five reps per movement. Rest periods between sets are limited to 30 seconds.  You train on alternate days, three days a week. Mike provides a suggested 16-week training routine. The program includes the Savage Exercise Library, which lays out the various movements that comprise Savage Strength.  He provides clear descriptions of the movements and includes photos, which makes it easy to understand what you need to do.

One of the things I like about this program is that it works whether for guys of any age. A word of caution though—if you’re a casual, ‘weekend warrior’ type of guy, Savage Strength probably isn’t for you. But, if you are serious about ramping up and taking your strength and conditioning to an entirely different level—and are up to the challenge—then you should definitely take a look at Mike’s Savage Strength program. This is one tough program but if you follow the directions and stick with it, the results will be amazing and well worth the effort.

You’ll never believe it.  The other day I started private messaging with pro powerlifter Andy Bolton on Facebook and rattled off this mini-interview for us.  Andy Bolton has a 755lbs competition Bench Press, he’s one of only 6 men to squat over 1200lbs and the very first man to Deadlift 1000lbs.

Doberman Dan:  Andy the very first time you maxed out on the deadlift how old were you and do you remember how much you pulled?

AB:  I was in my late teens and I pulled just over 200kg, weighing about 17 stones. I was always a big guy and quite strong. But my pull is now 457.5kg so I certainly had to work hard to get to the top of powerlifting.

Doberman Dan:  Um…1 stone = 14 lbs so that’s around 238 lbs.  You were bigger than me now when you were a teenager!  A lot of the readers here at DFBB struggle to add muscle mass.  Do you think that performing the 3 powerlifts (Squat, Bench & Deadlift) could help hardgainers put on some size?

AB:  For sure.  Many guys waste their time doing fancy exercises that won’t do much for building mass.

For example, I see guys all the time who say they want to add mass to their arms.  So they do tricep kickbacks.

Now let me ask you a question – which do you think will add more mass to your tricpes… kickbacks with 20 pound DB’s or a Bench Press with 225lbs, then 275lbs, then 315lbs.  I think you get the idea.

To add mass you need to get stronger and to get stronger there are no better movements than the squat, bench press and deadlift.  All the best bodybuilders could put up good numbers on the powerlifts.

Want proof?  Just watch Franco Columbo Deadlift over 300kg with crappy leverages or Ronnie Coleman pull 800lbs for a double.

Doberman Dan:  Can you explain how strength relates to muscle size?  For example the most built guy is not always the strongest.  But on the other hand training for the goal of strength can often lead to gaining muscle wouldn’t you agree?

AB:  Agreed.  Most average gym rats need to get stronger but it is true that the biggest guys are not always the strongest.

To get bigger you need volume. In other words, lots of sets and reps.  However, some people can build strength without much volume.

If you combine strength training and decent volume – that’s when you really build strong guys. Like me   At my best I was 13% bodyfat and that meant I was carrying over 270lbs of lean body mass.

Doberman Dan:  Tell us something personal about Andy Bolton that not many people know about.

AB:  I am married to my beautiful wife Stacey and we have a 5 year old daughter Madison.  Regarding sports – I’m a huge fan of MMA and watch every UFC when it’s on television.

Doberman Dan:  If you had a gun to your head and you were tied up and someone asked you to share you number 1 deadlift tip or die, what would you say?

AB: Work on your technique, the most important things being:

Stay tight

Squeeze the bar as hard as you can

Keep the bar close all the way to lockout

Doberman Dan:   What is the top reason that most people fail to add weight to their lifts in the squat, bench press and deadlift?

AB:  There are many reaons, but number one is bad form.  Bad form will stop somebody getting stronger and it will lead to injury sooner rather than later.

Excellent technique will improve strength and minimize injury risk.  What’s not to like about improving your technique? The answer is nothing!

CLICK HERE to Add Hundreds Of Pounds To Your Bench, Deadlift & Squat By Mastering Your Technique

Guest Post by Nick Nilsson Author of the “Best Back Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of”

You want big arms…thick, solid, powerful-looking big arms.  I can’t think of a single person who has said to me “no, I actually want smaller arms…mine are just too big and muscular.”  Never happens.

But are you actually GETTING big arms from all the direct bicep training you’re doing?

Or are you stuck in a rut, looking at pictures of big arms in magazines and a tape a measure that’s going nowhere.

If so, I can tell you exactly what’s wrong with your training even without having any clue what kind of training you’re doing…you’re not training your back heavy enough.

This is one of the biggest “unsecrets” of bodybuilding…isolation training on the smaller muscles of the arms is not nearly as effective for building size and as compound exercise training on the big muscles of the back and chest.

This is not to say that targeted biceps or tricep training is a waste of time…just that it’s MOSTLY a waste of time if you truly want BIG arms and you have average genetics for building muscle mass.  I cringe when I go to a gym and I see teenage boys with pipe-cleaner arms doing set after set of barbell curls, dumbell curls and preacher curls.

TRULY big arms (biceps specifically) are built on a foundation of heavy training with basic back exercises like chin-ups, rows and yes, even deadlifts.

There are ways you can make your back training target your biceps more specifically, with just a few simple adjustments in body positioning and paths of movement.

For example, when doing chin-ups, if you want to focus on your back, puff your chest out, lean back as you come up and inhale on the way up.  If you want to focus on the biceps, keep your body as vertical as possible, exhale on the way up and keep your chest “unpuffed.”  This simple change in body position focuses more tension onto the biceps.

That being said, I actually find the BEST way to build the biceps is to not try and focus on them directly in back training but to focus on moving as much weight as you can with good form in your normal back training and make your back training a PRIORITY. The bicep gains will come naturally from there.

The biceps are an integral part of the kinetic chain in pulling exercises and will be involved to a large degree whether you try to involve them or not.  When you use exercise variations that focus on the back over the biceps, you’ll be able to use more resistance (or do more reps, if it’s a bodyweight exercise) and the biceps will get more stimulation overall.

And that HEAVY stimulation is what will send your bicep growth through the roof.  Think of it this way…what do you do think will give you more growth…curling with 25 lb dumbells or rowing with a 250 lb barbell?

That, and heavy back training such as deadlifting produces a MUCH greater overall growth response in your body, setting the stage for greater arm size even if the arms aren’t worked directly.

Now, when it comes to exercises, the standard exercises, such as chins, rows and deadlifts, work great and are the perfect place to start.  Just working these exercises harder (or even something as simple as doing them first in your training routine rather than going straight to the barbell curls or bench press) will help.

When you’re ready to get MORE from your back training and really kick your arm size into overdrive, that’s when you need to start incorporating more unique exercise variations into your training…exercises that use novel movement patterns, hitting the back and biceps in ways they’re not accustomed to.

The bottom line is this…if you want big arms…and I mean REALLY big arms…direct arm training is NOT the fastest way to do it.  You have to train your back hard and you have to train your back heavy. Because when you can do weighted chin-ups with 100 lbs hanging off your waist, I can PROMISE you will have big arms.

Click Here for 145 Unique Back Exercises That Will Stimulate Massive Arm Growth!

An Interview With Vince Delmonte of 21 Day Fast Mass Building

You don’t have to look far to see some pretty outrageous claims about building muscle quickly. In fact, you’ve probably seen the 21 Day Fast Mass Building program that promises 12 of muscle in 21 days and thought, “Impossible!”

When you skim the muscle mags you’d be forgiven for thinking that building muscle is easier than anything. It’s not! Even if you have great genetics and taking steroids, building muscle is still a challenge.

So what is all this marketing hype based on when you see programs boasting 12 pounds in 21 days? I decided to interview Vince Del Monte, one of the authors behind the ground-breaking bodybuilding program, 21 Day Fast Building to get you the ENTIRE STORY behind their fast-acting muscle system. I think you’ll find this interview extremely enlightening.

Doberman Dan: What is your definition of “muscle”?

VD: FAT FREE MASS. The human body can manufacture (under optimal training, nutrition, supplements and recovery) anywhere from .25 to 1.0 pounds of dry muscle tissue a week. So we’re talking 2 to 4 pounds per month and this can be higher or lower based on the individual.

Understand, when you increase muscle size (Dry Muscle), you’ll also be able to increase glycogen AND water storage in those new muscles. More muscle equals more water and glycogen. This is all considered FAT FREE MASS and it’s weight that will make you look awesome.

So when we say you can gain “12 pounds of muscle”, we’re NOT referring to 12 pounds of dry muscle, we’re referring to 12 pounds of dry muscle AND glycogen AND water. Fat free mass!

Doberman Dan: So the premise of the 21-Day Fast Mass Building is to increase FAT FREE MASS (also known as “lean body mass”)?

VD: Correct!

Doberman Dan: In many muscle building programs, the traditional”bulk up” and then “cutting down”approach is the “gold standard”. Do you endorse this method?

VD: Yes! It’s simply ANOTHER road map. When I wrote No Nonsense Muscle Building in 2005,I was simply unaware of the concept or science behind cyclical bulking. Just like actors sills evolve with time, my knowledge evolves too. I always caution NNMB users the DEGREE of the bulk. No where in NNMB do I tell users to bulk to the point of getting fat. I always recommend adding muscle while maintaining a four pack.

Doberman Dan: So how is 21 Day Fast Mass Building different then your typical muscle building program where you just bulk up?

VD: Essentially, instead of bulking up for 16 to 48 weeks and then cutting for 8 to 16 weeks, the 21-Day FMB uses CYCLICAL BULKING which consists of shorter bouts (2 to 12 weeks) of bulking, mixed with shorter (1 to 4 weeks) of cutting.

Doberman Dan: What the hell is the point of that?

VD: By cycling your bulking, and cutting protocols into shorter bouts, you can take advantage of various metabolic swings that occur in response to bulking and cutting — and optimize your body’s response to each.

Doberman Dan: Give us an example.

VD: Okay. Recall the time you wrapped up a long bulking cycle and started cutting. Wasn’t it amazing how fast the fat was stripped off your body? It dropped away quickly, and with little effort. But after time, the rate of fat loss slows dramatically — and ends in some cases.

Doberman Dan: What causes this to occur?

VD: Adaptation is the cause. Once you start your cutting phase after the bulk phase, your body is in a prime state to strip of unwanted fat as there are several factors working in your favor.

Doberman Dan: What are those factors?

VD: Your metabolic rate is cranked as a result of the surplus of calories — your levels of T3, leptin, and other hormones which contribute to metabolic rate and fat oxidation, are all cranked as a result of the surplus of calories, in response to handling all the calories you’ve been crushing!

Once you drop calories during a cut phase, you quickly experience fat loss because of all these factors working in your favor. Your metabolic rate is higher than ever, and burning up calories like a wildfire tearing through a dry forest; however, as all good things must come to an end, the body begins to adapt to the drop in calories by reducing T3, leptin and other factors — which will, in turn, cause the metabolic rate to decline, and that’s when your fat loss comes to a screeching halt.

Doberman Dan: What happens when you cut for a long time and then start bulking?

VD: The opposite! Recall the time you wrapped up a cutting phase (or maybe you even did a photo shoot or competition) and started increasing your calories again. You rapidly put on size. Much of this is due to the fact that calorie restriction will increase insulin sensitivity. Increased insulin sensitivity in muscle tissue will help partition calories toward muscle and away from fat, thus making it easier and faster to gain muscle relative to fat.

Doberman Dan: Any more info to gain muscle without fat?

VD: It’s critical that when you transition from bulking to cutting (and vice versa), you will want to take advantage of the metabolic swings we discussed above — before your body is able to adapt to the change. So, when going from a bulking to a cutting phase, we’ll literally cut your calories in half, which will allow you to burn more fat than if you cut your calories slowly, as your body will simply lower your metabolic rate to match your slowly-dropping calorie intake…and vice versa.

When transitioning from a cutting phase to bulking phase, we’ll double your calories to take advantage of the increased insulin sensitivity. I DO NOT recommend doing this after a really, really long cutting phase (12 to16 weeks) because your metabolic rate will be so depressed that you will be primed to store more body fat. Short cutting cycles, as prescribed in the 21-Day Fast Mass Building, will not depress one’s metabolic rate enough to cause any fat gain.

Doberman Dan: What is the optimal cutting and bulking cycle in your system?

VD: We’ve named our brief “cutting phase” the primer phase, and it lasts 7 days. We have named our brief “bulking phase” the overload phase and it lasts 14 days. This is the nutritional premise of the 21-Day Fast Mass Building and then we have a specific workout protocol to accompany the nutrition.

Doberman Dan: Do you recommend experimenting with the length of the cycles?

VD: We give our users permission to experiment with the length of each phase AFTER they have done one 21-day phase as we prescribe. Pay close attention to how your body responds.

Doberman Dan: How many 21-day cycles do you recommend?

VD: I strongly believe that MULTIPLE cycles back to back will produce better results than just once through. At least 2-3 cycles (42-63 days) will make your body more responsive to the metabolic swings.

Doberman Dan: How much muscle do you think someone will gain?

VD: I have no idea! I can only say what other users have experienced. Implementing the nutrition and training to the letter can result in anywhere from 5, 10, 15 and even 20 pounds of FAT FREE MASS in 21 days. As with ANY program, it’s up to the individual to make the most of the info and give it an honest effort. What I CAN say, I’ll be shocked if you do not gain muscle faster than you’re currently doing right now.

Doberman Dan: Thanks for the interview Vince. If any readers have additional questions post them below and we’ll do a follow up interview if there’s interest.

VD: Perfect, I’m all for it. Thanks for letting me share this info.

CLICK HERE To Bulk Up Your Muscles, Not Your Waist Line

If you’re anything like me you look forward to the weight training aspect of your workout. Typically this portion of the workout takes less than an hour. Once you’re done though you still need to hop on the treadmill or elliptical machine for another 30-45 minutes in order to burn some fat and work those lungs right?

Not so fast!

Have you heard of “Workout Finishers“?  Here’s how they work.

Finishers are 5-10 minute resistance cardio workouts that you can add to the very end of your weight training session to replace steady state cardio.  The simple movements will keep your heart rate pumping like crazy without burning any of the muscle you’ve worked so hard for.

These quick and intense finisher workouts will increase your:

• Muscular Density
• Muscular Definition
• Strength & Power Endurance
• And Your Resting Metabolic Rate Allowing You To Burn More Fat

Give this TIME-SAVING full body finisher below a try and let me know how it goes in the comments section.

Guest post by Ben Pakulski creator of the MI40 System

I know it sounds like a silly statement, but hear me out.

We all have our “strong” body parts. You and I both have body parts that just seem to grow much more easily than the rest of our parts: the part that we really don’t have to think about when we train: it just sort of feels natural and grows easily. Isn’t this so true?

Look at your training buddies and you’ll see how real this is. You and your training partner use the same weight and same exercises and same intensity and his arms are huge, and yours are small. Or perhaps it’s another body part this resonates with.

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself WHY this is true?

The truth of the matter is that it’s what you DON’T SEE that is making all the difference in the world.

Is it just because maybe I did a few extra calf raises in my mother’s tummy? Or, maybe I knocked out a few extra pushups in there?

What does “genetics” really refer to? Does it mean that some people just have more dense muscle then I do?

Possibly, but people typically have the same muscle density all over their bodies (at least proportionally). So, out goes that theory.

So then, what does this umbrella term “genetics” actually refer to?

After having extensively studied biomechanics and observed more athletes than I care to remember, the answer is actually pretty simple.

Genetics refers to the “mechanical advantage” some muscles have, and other muscles do not.

To explain this in simple terms, it means that some people’s structure is just set up to develop certain body parts quickly.

Some people might have short arms, or slouched shoulders. Some might be double-jointed in their knees. Maybe they have a particular pelvic tilt to make their butt bigger, or certain spinal curvature that allows them to build their lat muscles much quicker. The list goes on!

What do all of these things have in common?

I’m not going to leave you hanging, here’s the solution.

Break Crappy Lifting Technique & Retrain Movement Patterns

They allow the person to keep the greatest amount of TENSION in a muscle over the longest RANGE OF MOTION (ROM), without having to think about it.

Think about your strongest and best body parts. For most of us, it’s the muscle and we just picked up a weight and went to work. You didn’t have to think about it; you just did it, right?

Well, no doubt, some muscles will always be easier to feel from day 1. Does this mean that we can’t make it so every other muscle feels this naturally, too??

YES WE CAN!

Do your best to stay with me here…

The body moves in a series of predetermined patterns stored in the brain as something called “engram”. Basically, your brain remembers certain movement patterns and knows exactly which muscles to fire, and in what sequence, to produce that desired movement pattern.

So, every single movement you make is stored in your brain as an engram. (The only exception is a reflex -like pulling away when touching a hot stove).

The COOL thing is, every single one of these engrams can be CHANGED!  It’s the amazing discovery called neuroplasticity! (Science geeks read up— fascinating stuff).

Basically, we just need to overwrite these old crappy movement patterns with the right ones!

This does NOT mean that everyone can relearn the engram for sprinting and kick Usain Bolt’s butt; sorry peeps, we still have to deal with muscle fiber composition.

BUT , it does mean that YOU can bring up ANY “lagging” body part and BLOW RIGHT PAST YOUR GENETIC POTENTIAL!

As many of you know, I do a lot of work with high-level athletes and I also get to work with many pro bodybuilders. The amazing advantage to being able to work with bodybuilders and athletes as my “test subjects” is that they are typically very “in tune” with their bodies and are able to apply my teaching very quickly.

The benefit of this, for me, is that I can quickly test any theory for validity. The true test, once the athlete understands what I’m trying to tell them, is how long it takes to see results. If the results I’m after are not quick enough, out the door they go, and on to the next theory.

A great example of this RELEARNING MOTOR ENGRAMS is with a client of mine– Mark. He came to me wanting to become a pro bodybuilder but he just couldn’t develop a certain part of his legs (vastus medialis or “tear drop muscle”).  So, I had Mark demonstrate a few leg movements for me and it was clear to see  that he wasn’t obeying a few basic rules of muscle- building.

1) Not maintaining tension – he was bouncing.

2) Not maintaining “straight lines”- his hips, knees, and ankles did not line up properly during the movement.

3) Not achieving a full ROM during his exercises.

Long story short, we made Mark take a step back. We had him relearn the proper motor engram for legs, applied the other principles set forth here, and he put 3 inches on his legs in 3 months doing the exact same movements and workouts he had done before.

Mark was blown away with how simple it was, and amazed by his results.  I wasn’t surprised in the least. Actually, I expected it.

OK LISTEN UP! THIS IS HUGE…….

The TRICK when applying this principle is to NEVER use forced reps during the learning phase. When the set is done, it’s done. Forced reps will reinforce BAD movement patterns.

We want your brain to remember the ideal movement and NOTHING ELSE.  So when it comes time to train, you don’t have to think about it!

LEARN it now, grow FOREVER… exploit your will!

Take it from me! I went from a guy who was all legs, and am now well on my way to being one of the world’s most balanced and symmetrical pros.

Pretty cool, huh!?

I think so, too

So to summarize:

The key is to overwrite old crappy movement patterns with new ones. For any lifter, especially serious bodybuilders, this is the number one reason you’re unable to grow. Knowing the OPTIMAL range of motion – how to fully lengthen (extend) and fully shorten (contract) a muscle – is the key to growing.

A muscle is weakest at the extreme points of the range of motion; i.e., when it is fully lengthened or fully shortened. Putting your muscle into these full ranges where we are most unfamiliar is critical to develop untapped and untrained muscle fibers. Strengthening these weak points of the muscle will strengthen the maximal ability of the entire muscle. It’s like when the worst player on the team gets better, even if it’s a small increase, the whole team benefits.

In my new MI40 System I’ll teach you the proper anatomical function of each muscle so you can learn how to manipulate everything from shoulder position, hip orientation, spine flexion or extension, wrist position and elbow position in order to isolate „weak” body parts and say goodbye to them FOREVER.

It is important to realize that it is just as easy to learn the RIGHT technique as it is to learn the WRONG one. So why not choose now to learn the right way and say goodbye to crappy results?!

CLICK HERE For 5 Tricks To Double Your Gains Immediately

Guest Post by Mike Gillette author of the Savage Strength Training System

What About Body Weight Training? It’s The Latest Craze…

Sorry to burst your bubble but these hyped up bodyweight exercises are just “calisthetics” and will do very little to build any real strength… or at least not the way most people teach them.

Don’t get tricked into thinking “work capacity” or muscular endurance is strength. It’s not.

For example doing 500 pushups in a row doesn’t mean you are strong (it means you have good work capacity)… doing a 500lbs bench press on the other hand is real usable strength.  (Being able to do 500 pushups in a row will help you push a wheelbarrow all day long.  Doing a 500lb bench press will help you push a mack truck from a dead stop!)

Traditional bodyweight exercises provide no effective strategies for varying the resistance. If you don’t place more demand on your muscles, how are they ever going to get stronger?

The fact is they won’t get any stronger.

It violates exercise physiology 101 and a basic tenant of progressive strength training… the body adapts to the stresses placed upon it.

And more repetitions aren’t the answer if you want to improve strength. Low intensity work (like normal bodyweight routines) combined with high volume (more repetitions) only improves muscular endurance. It does nothing for the strength of the muscles.

Are you just going to continue adding repetitions until you’re doing pushups for half the day?

It may sound ridiculous when taken to that extreme but without the ability to increase resistance and therefore intensity, that is the road that normal bodyweight routines are headed down.

Strength is the ability to move heavy things, lift heavy things or even bend heavy things. That is true strength.

Very few people realize this but you can transform these endless repetitions of low intensity exercises into exercises that deliver the same demands as lifting heavy weights and sends your strength sky rocketing through the roof… you just have to know how to tweak them.

Click Here To UNLOCK 4 Keys To Super Human Strength

WTF is MRT-MCT-MFF?
Guest Post by Craig Ballantyne c0-creator of 24/7 Fat Loss

Seriously, what’s up with all the acronyms?

Well, laziness for one. Who likes writing out long words? Not me. Not when I need all my energy and focus for MRT-MCT-MFF workouts.

So listen, let me explain, because it’s really important to get a full understanding of these terms if you want to lose fat faster than you are with your boring cardio program or even with traditional interval (which is good, but my client’s results are starting to show there’s an even better way to train for fat loss).

While a few people, usually 21 year old guys with nothing to do but workout, can get a sexy beach body and low body fat with long, slow cardio, most people need to bring in Metabolic Resistance Training (MRT), Metabolic Conditioning Training (MCT), and Metabolic Fat Loss Finishers (MFF) into their workouts to burn stubborn fat.

There, I wrote them all out. Probably for the last time, too.

After 17 years – yes, 17 years! – of studying fat loss (it’s crazy to think it’s been that long since I became obsessed with finding the ultimate workout that burned fat and built muscle at the same time), both research and experience have shown me that long, slow cardio doesn’t cut it.

Instead, if you want to lose fat in a short amount of time – while gaining muscle, there’s no better way to do it then with resistance training. It works in older folks, it works in women, and I guarantee you it works for men.

In one study performed at Purdue University (go Boilermakers), men and women with an average age of over 60 performed resistance training three days per week for a total of 12 weeks. The results? An average fat loss of 4 pounds and an average increase in lean mass of 4 pounds.

(Reference: Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Apr;85(4):1005-13.Resistance training and dietary protein: effects on glucose tolerance and contents of skeletal muscle insulin signaling proteins in older persons.Iglay HB, Thyfault JP, Apolzan JW, Campbell WW.)

So if nice folks who are the same age as your mom and dad can lose fat and gain muscle with basic resistance training, just think of what you can do.

In the next study, two groups of young, college-aged girls performed a 5-day per week lifting program. They didn’t do any cardio, but get this, one group drank a liter of a carbohydrate placebo while the other group drank a liter of milk per day (half before and half after the workout).

The workout program was intense, frequent, and had lots of volume. That’s good and bad, as you’ll see. The girls trained with weight machines, five days per week for 12 weeks. Unfortunately, this caused a few overuse injuries (which is why the MRT-MCT-MFF system is only 3-4 days per week).

But more importantly, the results were amazing, and best in the group that consumed the milk each day. Those girls gained 4.2 pounds of lean mass and LOST 3.5 pounds of fat in just 12 weeks.

Gain muscle, lose fat. Do so at the SAME time. And that’s just in women and older folks using GENERIC resistance training programs.

If you throw in some higher levels of male hormones – that guys just naturally have – PLUS you use more advanced training methods, just think of the results that YOU can achieve.

(Med Sci Sports Exerc. Body Composition and Strength Changes in Women with Milk and Resistance Exercise. Josse AR, Tang JE, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM.)

Finally, just to prove the power of resistance training in guys – and to show you that my programs work – let me tell you about a study I was involved with back in the summer of 2001 at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

We recruited 24 young men and gave them an 8-week resistance training program designed by yours truly, good ol’ CB. One group was given a carbohydrate placebo and the other group was given carbohydrate and creatine

NOTE: We didn’t give them any extra protein or any other diet advice…so consider how much better the results could have been, even though you’re about to see the gains were pretty amazing.

In the group that supplemented with carbs and creatine, the average subject gained 9 pounds of lean mass and almost NO body fat in 8 weeks. I know that doesn’t sounds like 42 pounds in 6 weeks (like some supplement ads), but I’ve looked all over and have yet to find a research study (in a reputable scientific journal) that has yet to beat the 9 pounds of lean mass in 8 weeks results.

(Reference: Creatine-dextrose and protein-dextrose induce similar strength gains during training. Tarnopolsky MA, Parise G, Yardley NJ, Ballantyne CS, Olatinji S, Phillips SM. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001 Dec;33(12):2044-52.)

So here’s what we’re going to do. We’ll take the biggest lessons from those programs and then combine my 17 years of training experience to give you the best fat loss workouts ever.

First, MRT is metabolic resistance training, characterized by moderately heavy resistance training with incomplete recovery. You’ll train at an intensity that can you leave you sore if you do too much volume, but I’ve discovered just the right amount that puts “turbulence” on your muscles and boosts your metabolic afterburn.

Second, you’ll use MCT (metabolic conditioning training). MCT is something that was inspired by a call I had with Alwyn Cosgrove. He mentioned his clients performing metabolic workouts on back to back days, with one day being heavy MRT workouts and the next day being a higher-rep, conditioning-style group workout (similar to a bootcamp).

So I started designing programs like this for my clients and the response was incredible. In fact, the first workout I designed using the MCT has been my most popular this year. My clients want to train hard, work up a sweat and burn calories and fat, and the combo of MRT and MCT workouts is almost the perfect plan.

I say “almost”, because recently I’ve stumbled across one more piece to the fat loss puzzle, and that was adding metabolic fat loss finishers (MFF) in place of regular interval training. The biggest benefit is simply that my clients can now get maximum results without traditional interval-cardio equipment like treadmills or bikes. You can use dumbbells, kettlebells, or just your bodyweight for metabolic finishers as you’ll see in a moment.

That’s how the 24-7 workouts go:

MRT
MCT
MFF

All in under 40-45 minutes, three times per week.

Here’s what it looks like when it all comes down to the real results.

Phase 1 – Day 5 – Workout C

• Do 1 warm-up set with 50% of regular weight for exercises 1A-1B.

1A) DB Incline Press – 8 reps (2-0-1)

1B) DB Split Squat – 8 reps per side (2-1-1)

1C) Cross-Body Mountain Climber – 12 reps per side (1-0-1)

• Perform the above circuit with no rest between exercises.  Rest 1 minute after completing the circuit.  Repeat the circuit twice more for a total of 3 rounds, resting 1 minute between each.  After completing all rounds rest 1 minute and move on to below circuit.

2A) DB Lunges – 40 seconds

2B) Spiderman Push-up – 40 seconds

2C) DB Chest-Supported Row – 40 seconds

• Perform the above circuit with no rest between exercises.  Rest 1 minute after completing the circuit.  Repeat the circuit twice more for a total of 3 rounds, resting 1 minute between each.  After completing all rounds rest 1 minute and move on to below circuit.

3A) DB Biceps Curls with Palms-up – 40 seconds

3B) DB Triceps Extensions – 40 seconds

3C) DB Rear Deltoid Raise – 40 seconds

• Perform the above circuit with no rest between exercises.  Rest 30 seconds after completing the circuit.  Repeat the circuit twice more for a total of 3 rounds, resting 30 seconds between each.  After completing all rounds rest 1 minute and move on to below exercise.

4) Bodyweight Squat – 20 seconds squats followed by 10 seconds rest

• Perform the above exercise for 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds. Repeat the exercise eight more times for a total of 9 rounds. End workout.

That’s it. The MRT is in triset 1, with timed MCT in trists 2 and 3, and finishing off the workout with MFF.

Boom goes the fat burning dynamite!  Click Below For The 24/7 Rapid Fat Loss System….

The fitness industry is full of fads that make it hard for guys build a lot of muscle, really fast. Especially on a hormonal level.

Oddly enough, there’s something we can learn from the movie Thor about building a warrior’s physique. And I’m not talking about the lead actor’s awesome transformation either.

Let’s say for a second that Thor was an actual human being…

What Would Thor Do?

Well, the real Thor eats a lot. He’s not concerned with fat content. He doesn’t scrape the skin off his chicken, nor does he cut the fat from around his steak.

He sleeps a lot too. He doesn’t have an alarm, and he loves to nap.

His training includes a lot of heavy lifting, and a lot of hard work. He’s preparing to kill, and to avoid being killed – need more motivation than that?

What Does He Get?

He’s huge. He has a ton of muscle, he gets the ladies, he drinks his beer, and he thoroughly enjoys life.

How many of us can say that we thoroughly enjoy life when we’re following an uber strict muscle-building plan? One filled with bland foods that we don’t want to eat, and are actually diminishing levels of testosterone in our bodies.

What can we take from this?

For one, fat isn’t bad.

When we think about building muscle, we’re told to eat lean proteins and lot’s of whole carbohydrates. Fats are seen as a “no-no” whether you’re after fat loss or lean gains.

What effect does this have on our hormones? Well, saturated fats help increase testosterone levels in men, especially when consumed upon rising or before bed. We need fat.

It’s primarily when they’re paired with a carbohydrate that’s higher on the glycemic index that we store fat for future use. Fat itself isn’t bad for us; rather, we need it. We just need to consume it the right way and at the right time.

The higher our testosterone levels are, the faster we recover, and the more muscle we are going to build. What’s funny is that higher natural testosterone levels also result in the release of pretty powerful pheromones. Which means women are going to be attracted to us without really knowing why, and in ways that they have no explanation for. I’m not complaining about that.

Sleep also helps us hormonally as well. Naps result in the release of human growth hormone, which really aids in the recovery process. A nap after a workout is great for the body.

Heavy lower body exercises like squats and deadlifts (done at 6 or lower reps) result in, again, the release of testosterone and growth hormones. This results in more muscle gains for the entire body, not just our legs and hips.

How to Build Muscle, The Manly Way

I say the manly way because testosterone is ‘the man hormone’. Most of us think you need to take dangerous drugs to increase our levels of this powerful hormone, but this simply isn’t true.

In this ebook and free program you’re given a meal guide that will show you how to eat in a way that tastes great, is healthy, and will help you increase levels of this very powerful hormone.

You’re also given a very unique program that combines heavier lifts, with warrior-like training that will help you build slabs of ripped muscle. The way the sets are set up also help us increase testosterone and human growth hormone levels.

So here’s “The Real Thor Workout: How to Build Muscle The Manly Way”,
It’s FREE. Enjoy!  by Chad  Howse

Download Link Below:
The Real Thor Workout – Click Here To Download PDF

Guest post by Chad Howse

What’s so great about muscle?

I can think of a million different things that are a lot worse than being too skinny. At least we’re alive, breathing, and living life. But are you living your best life?

Having been way too skinny for the majority of my life wasn’t hell by any means, but it was limiting. It limited my willingness to put myself out there, to try new things, and it limited my confidence, more specifically in how I looked.

Confidence is the greatest byproduct of building muscle mass.

Had I not met my mentor, who showed me how to pack on muscle after having failed for my first 7 years of training, I wouldn’t have the life I have now. I wouldn’t have the confidence in who I am and what I can accomplish either.

Muscle can be a great thing, but the knowledge that you can accomplish something that even you thought was unrealistic is priceless.

So how to skinny guys get muscle?

Here’s a simple fact: hard-gainers can’t train like everyone else.

We can’t follow the routines of guys who pack on muscle easily because we don’t have the same body types as they do, and they don’t have the same struggles as we do.

We actually end up burning muscle when we train like a bodybuilder or mesomorph (naturally muscular body-type).

Here are 5 things we need to do if we’re going to start seeing the muscle mass that we want to see in the mirror.

1. Training sessions that last less than 60-minutes.

At about the 60-minute mark of an intense training session, our bodies release a hormone called cortisol. A hormone involved in our ‘fight-or-flight’ response. Cortisol takes fuel (burns) our muscle and bone in an effort to supply more energy to our vital organs.

It’s great for our survival, but not for our muscle.

2. We need more variation than the next guy.

Our bodies are actually pretty smart, they are able to adapt to the stresses that we place upon them. That is, if we start a new training routine, we’re going to see results for the first month to 2 months. After that, we adapt and our gains decline or disappear all together.

To avoid this, we need to change up our splits, reps, sets, and even the tempo of our exercises every 3-4 weeks.

3. No more than 4 days a week of training.

Mesomorphs – naturally muscular guys – can do 5-6 day a week training routines. We see bodybuilders do them all the time, so we think that if these massive humans are doing this, then obviously we should be doing the same.

Wrong! We need to focus on recovery as much as training. We need at least 3 days a week to recover from our workouts. That is when we build our muscle – not in the gym.

4. Take care of the 3 most important meals of the day.

Before, during, and after our workout is when our bodies need fuel and nutrients the most. Having meals 90 minutes before, and 90 minutes after our training sessions that are high in good carbs, lean protein, and vitamins and minerals feeds our muscles.

Actually, it provides our bodies with a fuel source so we don’t burn muscle. Add a shake that is high in the same kinds of calories within 15-minutes after completing a workout.

Carbs = fuel. Protein = tissue regeneration. Protein is what is going to help us repair our broken down tissues, but carbs are what will help us avoid burning muscle, and add mass.

5. Get your 8 hours.

Sleep is so important to us reaching our goals. We need to be getting our 8 hours a night to let our bodies repair themselves. I’d also throw in a 20-30 minute nap after a workout as well.