Program Design - Factors effecting Fat Loss

The first step in designing a fat loss program is to establish all the variables

Exercise selection
Selecting the right exercise is a key factor in the fat loss equation. Exercises such as bicep curls and abdominal crunches are going to get you nowhere fast. Choose multi-joint exercises that work lots of muscular fibres in one hit, such exercises include squats, deadlifts, lunges, push-ups and pull-ups to name a few.

Reps
The amount of repetitions you choose will elicit the response you get from your program;
1-6 reps will focus more on the neurological effect and lead to greater strength
7-12 reps will lead to more hypertrophy (an increase in muscle mass)
12-20 reps will increase your endurance capacity

So what is best for fat loss?

This isn’t a straight forward answer. You may have heard the phase ‘there are many ways to skin a cat’. I don’t plan to go into this too much as I think it is beyond the scope of this article. But know this; all three effects have there place in a fat loss program however the 8-15 reps range tends to be favoured by many fat loss experts.

Sets
This goes hand in hand with the amount of repetitions you choose
Strength training 5-8 sets
Hypertrophy training 3-5 sets
Endurance training 2-3 sets

Resting time
This is possibly the most overlooked factor and one of the most important factors in the fat loss puzzle. In order to get the most out of your fat loss program you must have incomplete rest intervals and accumulate an oxygen debt from set to set. During a fat-loss program, you should feel out of breath and almost nauseous during the whole workout (the nausea is mainly due to the increase in lactate/lactic acid production).

Progression
Ever heard the saying ‘if you always do what you have always done then you will always get what you always got?’
Every workout must be a progression from the last and therefore not adapting to the training stimuli’s. There are many ways in which you can progress your workouts, for example lifting a heavier weight each time you hit the gym, increasing the amount of repetitions from workout to workout or decreasing the rest time with each session.

Supersets
This is basically two different exercises done back to back for example
A1 – this might be a squat
A2 – this might be a chin up
Supersets are a great fat loss tool as you can get more work done in a shorter time leading to more intensity and ultimately more fat loss

Full body workouts vs Splits
For fat loss I would go with full body workouts every time, the reason is that with full body workout you are able to create a greater metabolic demand by going from a lower body exercise to an upper body exercise. Combine this with the fact that each muscle you use will end up with a greater frequency of training and you will no doubt boost your metabolism and be able to burn more fat calories compared to a split routine.

Putting it all together

Ok so how do you put a program together? Make sure you spend at least 10 minutes warming up with mobility exercises and activation exercises.

Workout A

Superset 1
A1- Squats, 12 reps
A2- Lat pull downs, 12 reps
3 sets, 60 seconds rest between sets

Superset 2
B1- Swiss ball hamstring curls, 15 reps
B2- Shoulder press, 12 reps
3 sets, 60 seconds rest between sets

Superset 3
C1- Alternating lunges, 24 reps
C2- Mountain climbers, 24 reps
3 sets, 60 seconds rest between sets

Workout B

Superset 1
A1- Deadlift, 12 reps
A2- Dips, 12 reps
3 sets, 60 seconds rest between sets

B1- Bulgarian split squats, 12 reps (each leg)
B2- Seated rows, 12 reps
3 sets, 60 seconds rest between sets

C1- Kettlebell swings, 20 reps
C2- The plank, 1 minute
3 sets, 60 seconds rest between sets

Other bits

Week 1
Monday - workout A
Wednesday - workout B
Friday - workout A

Week 2
Monday - workout B
Wednesday - workout A
Friday - workout B

And so on

The progression

Workout 1 A&B – Rest for 60 seconds between sets (as advised on the program)
Workout 2 – Rest for 55 seconds between sets
Workout 3 – Rest for 50 seconds between sets

And so on

Complete a total of 12 workouts, 6 workouts for program A and 6 workouts for program B

After the 12 workouts make sure you change your program!

Good luck