Real Fast Fat Loss
by Alwyn Cosgrove and Chad Waterbury
05/30/07

This is a no bullshit fat loss article. There will be no motivational tips, no psychological analysis, no complicated nutritional plan, and no puny-ass exercises. In fact, just one of the exercises in this plan is probably more demanding than your entire, out-dated fat-loss training program. And that's a good thing.

Shoot, if my wife and I did happy-go-lucky jump squats like that together we'd get laughed out of our gym. lol. Great article though!

Cool article. Who's the hottie in the videos? I call dibs. : )

I just completed the NROL Fat Loss III program. It was a bitch, but the results were definately worth it. Until today I thought you were merely sadistic. Now I know that you're just plain evil.

Looks like a good program, I'll be keeping a copy in my files for future reference.

T-Nation (and authors); the video clips are an excellent compliment to the articles. Thanks.

Also, thanks for not allowing Alwyn to demonstrate the chin/knee tuck, the last thing we need here is an "up kilt" shot!

That article just gave me the beat down I needed. Awesome, no-nonsense instructions by Waterbury and the vicious Scot himself, Lord Cosgrove!

As far as looking funny while doing exercises go, suck it up and burn off the fat. I'd rather look goofy for a 30 second set than fat and pudgy on a beach for a weekend.

Good article. Does anyone know if the general recommedation to lose 1-2lbs a week applies when doing complexes?

I have always wondered if one could lose more than 2lbs a week of fat without sacrificing muscle.

Just wondering what you guys think of the renegade row. Seeing your Waterbury row got me thinking of how much I hate renegade rows and fighter cleans. Oh good god will those burn fat, or make you throw up.

Simply Awesome and well thought out.

The swing depicted in the article is horrible.

The knees, spine, and deltoids are in trouble.

The heels should never lift.

Very good gentlemen. Videos are incredibly helpful.

I think it is time for me to bring the pain

This looks simply awesome. I may have to change my name if I do that workout. But it would be worth it.

For Alwyn or Chad,

I'm not sure I'm going to articulate this post very well, so please bear with me :)

There are three main features of this program that immediately struck home to me: 1) undulating periodization, 2) hybrid/combination exercises, and 3) heaviest load you can lift for all sets.

With respect to 1) and 2) I understand the rationale but would appreciate your thoughts on the following:

I know that many people simply tweak their diet for fat loss and continue using the same program regardless. This has always seemed a flawed approach to me; I mean, if you are following a hypertrophy or strength orientated program, with a diet to match, then if you continue using the same program but cut back on the calories then something doesn't seem right, but I'm not sure what exactly :)

It seems to be an approach that many people do use and it seems to work, so perhaps it does work for two possible reasons, 1) the program is still generating a lot of metabolic disturbance and muscle growth (always a good thing) due to using the basic compound exercises such as squats, deads, chinups, rows, bench press etc, and 2) they may slighty reduce volume and/or reduce intensity (relative to 1RM) to compensate for lower calories.

Maybe the above approach does work but it just simply isn't OPTIMAL, or just not as FAST in comparison with the effect that your program would achieve because your choice of exercises are generating more metabolic disturbance.

I was going to simply ask "Is there a need for fat loss programs?" knowing full well that such a simple question probably has a lot of potential for discussion :)

With respect to 3) - lifting the heaviest load for all sets - can you clarify if you are advocating choosing a load that allows you to complete the prescribed number of reps for each set, and that this may require a slight reduction in load in latter sets for the same exercise?

I recall coach Remedios suggesting this approach in a post I read of his some time ago on another site and it transformed my training enormously.

I found it easier to judge the load to use and even though I lowered the load slightly for subsequent sets I made sure I completed all the reps so that I continued to achieve the required time under tension and consequently got then training effect that was wanted. I used to find it difficult choosing a load that led to near failure on the last rep of the last set and found that my earlier sets were "junk sets" because I didn't load them enough.

I hope some of that made sense.

Would adding any HIIT or aerobic work into the plan be OTT?

So when would you do the HIIT the days that you have off or on the days that you lift?

HUH? So what are you saying.....
You think it doesnt work

Someone please shed some light on what exercises get counted in the number of sets x reps.

For example: Day 1, Workout A = 5x5. I assume that I do five sets of five reps for Exercises 1 and 2, but I'm little confused with Exercises 3 and 4.

Exercise 3: Do I do five sets of Exercise 3 as it is written (for a total of thirteen minutes with rest)?

Similar question for Exercise 4. A single set of Exercise 4 (as it is written) is 13 minutes. Do I do this five times, or is this exercise a single set follow on to the previous exercises?

Thanks for any clarification you can provide!

-Fred.

What if you can't do 15 chins for exercise 2 workout B? Just do as many as possible then do squat jump/knee raise? Or something else?

In regards to the HIT, would you do it the same way it was implemented on the Waterbury summer program, on the off days?

This program is nothing new.It's called CrossFit training.It's been around for a several years and made popular from the movie 300.

If you can do 15 push-ups, do you still do 5 on the 5x5 days or should I find some way to add more resistance?

Nice. I mean Evil. I mean Effective. Oh heck, it's all three. Good work you two.

I've got a question--

Over the recent months I've read a couple articles that EPOC isn't all it's cracked up to be, and that it doesn't lend a very significant increase in total calories burned. Now, it's obvious to me that the huge metabolic demand of whole body routines and exercises does in fact create a massive metabolic demand.

Question is, does it really come from EPOC itself, or is it the after effects/afterburn of the muscle trauma created that does the major metabolic work?

It seems to me that the duration of EPOC is too short to account for most of the increased metabolic demand these exercises create over the next 48 hours.

Nice!