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Meltdown Training
Forget aerobics, the future of fat loss is GH/lactic acid training
by Don Alessi
Can you lose fat and gain muscle at the same time? Is cardio necessary if you want to get
really shredded? Can manipulating the body’s natural growth-hormone levels through
lactic-acid training be the answer we’ve all been looking for? Read the following article
by Don Alessi and decide for yourself. Better yet, try the program and let us know how it
works for you.
It happens every damned time, doesn’t it? Like a fat chick in front of a Häagen-Dazs,
your progress comes to a screeching halt the last two weeks of your diet. You try not to
squander hard-earned muscle mass and strength, but you gotta’ make weight. What do
you do? Add cardio? Increase exercise volume? E-mail your ‘roid dealer?
Mental stress, nutrient restriction and aerobic exercise drive your cortisol levels sky high.
If you’re not careful, you’ll end up a 98-pound poster boy for the Mr. Punyverse
competition and be so weak in the gym that even the Body-for-Lifers make fun of your
poundages. But it doesn’t have to be that way, not if you apply the recent info we have on
how your body stores fat and give lactic acid training a shot.
Regional Adiposity: A Local Phenomenon
Men have a unique hierarchy of fat mobilization. Basically, men shed fat from the inside
out. Studies with male Rangers after prolonged energy deficit and exercise showed
regional fat changes from greatest to least as follows:
Abdomen > Trunk > Arms > Legs
That means men lose fat first in the abdomen and the trunk, and lose fat last in the arms
and legs. This is what I mean by losing fat from the "inside out." Anyone that’s been
around the iron game has observed this in novice bodybuilders during contest
preparation. The athlete leans out to 10% body fat using a progressively lower caloric
intake and then gets stuck. The legs, triceps, and lower abs are still thick. The usual
marathon aerobic sessions in combo with a starvation diet sucks the gas right out of the
mass. I’ve witnessed men reduce 18-inch cannons to 15-inch peashooters in order to see a
glimpse of leg definition. There must be a better way… and there is!
A better way would be to use a local fat-loss strategy, targeting the extremities (arms and
legs) first and the torso last. But is that possible? Yes! Training programs which release
growth hormone (GH) are thought to be most effective at doing just that. Before I get into
the program, let’s examine why this is true.
Aerobics are a Man-Eater
Remember that fat mass is the enemy, not body mass or scale weight. Body-fat
percentage is a factor of fat-free mass (water, muscle, bone, organs and connective tissue)
and fat mass. Gaining lean mass while shedding fat mass is the fastest means to altering
this percentage in your favor. Let’s examine the two obvious training choices: aerobic
endurance training (marathon running) and anaerobic resistance training (bodybuilding).
Aerobic endurance training will increase calories burned, increase oxygen utilization, and
lower total body mass (scale weight). However, the process isn’t substrate specific,
meaning your body will just as readily burn lean mass as it would fat mass.
Paradoxically, it appears that fat in the trunk is more readily used as the fat source, which
means that aerobic exercise doesn’t even target the problematic fat!
Over time there’s an increased catabolic response and a lowered anabolic response in
aerobic endurance training. This is thought to be the reason for muscle-protein
breakdown (catabolism) and thus the reduction in muscular strength and power over time.
The challenge with aerobic conditioning is that it creates a progressively catabolic
environment, combusting both lean mass and fat mass in order to fuel energy demands.
(See Table 1 below.)
What about the argument that aerobic training uses more fat as its fuel source than does
weight training? This is true, but there’s more to the story. Muscle damage induced by
running and/or jogging doesn’t increase resting metabolic rate (RMR) beyond 24 hours.
Data suggests however, that exercise with a significantly stronger eccentric component
(i.e. resistance exercise) is necessary to evoke large amounts of muscle damage so that
energy required for repair and synthesis may prolong post-exercise RMR.
The energetic cost of this remodeling (anabolism) is enormous, possibly accounting for
up to 20% or 600 calories in the average musclehead. Other studies have proposed that
there may be even greater energy utilization from the muscle damage that weight training
induces. This may account for the increased RMR for up to 72 hours post-workout.
Besides the technical stuff, the practical side of the aerobic thing is that it’s boring, time
intensive and it wears on your joints, especially if you’re a heavyweight. Here’s a table to
help you see the differences between weight training and aerobic endurance training:
Adaptations over Time of Resistance Training
Vs. Aerobic Endurance Training
Resistance Training
Aerobic Endurance Training
Testosterone increases
Testosterone decreases
Growth hormone increases
Growth hormone — unchanged
Cortisol decreases
Cortisol increases
Muscle strength increases
Muscle strength decreases
Muscle endurance increases
Muscle endurance increases
Muscle fiber size increases
Muscle fiber size — unchanged
Bone density increases
Bone density — unchanged
% bodyfat decreases
% bodyfat — slight decrease
Fat-free mass increases
Fat-free mass —unchanged
Volume of oxygen — slight increase
Volume of oxygen increases
Judging by this info, it’s pretty obvious which type of training is better for the
bodybuilder.
Weight Training: The Anabolic Smart Bomb
Due to the anabolic effect, weight training preferentially retains or adds lean mass at the
expense of fat mass, even during caloric restriction. In fact, the T-Dawg Diet (lowcarb/high protein) actually adds to the anabolic effect of weight training.
We know that weight training and supportive nutrition are better than aerobic training for
attaining that coveted single digit, body-fat percentage, but what types of training
progressions produce the biggest bang? Before I answer, indulge me a bit.
Serum anabolic hormones during prolonged weight training (six months) increase in
direct proportion to strength gains. These results suggest the importance of the balance
between androgenic-anabolic activity (i.e. Testosterone and growth hormone) and the
catabolic hormone cortisol.
The best news is that there’s a direct relationship between strength gains and
Testosterone production even in elite strength athletes. Maximum Testosterone output is
generated with multiple-joint lifts (deadlifts, power cleans, squats) performed at a high
percentage of maximum (85 to 95%) and at a high volume (6 to 12 sets). Traditional
powerlifting programs are well suited for greater Testosterone release (i.e. 8-12 sets of 25 reps, 3-6 minutes recovery).
The natural progression of training implies that greater strength is realized and increased
tension time is placed on the muscle fibers. This triggers a second anabolic cascade of
events. The muscle fibers increase in a cross-sectional area and the quantity of muscle
contractile proteins starts to build (hypertrophy). The increase in muscle fiber
hypertrophy is thought to occur by a remodeling of protein within the cell and an increase
in the size and number of muscle cells. Exercise scientists have noted that these dramatic
muscle changes accompany growth hormone secretion (GH). And maximum GH levels
are augmented directly through blood-lactate increases.
In order to elicit GH production, sets of 8 to12 RM — along with short rest intervals of
one minute or less — are best. Exercise selection must also include multiple joint
compound movements that emphasize the leg muscles with a slow concentric (lifting)
component. This anabolic condition is the foundation for many of the effective training
programs such as the "10 x 10" method or German Volume Training popularized by
Charles Poliquin.
To summarize, weight training produces a perpetual anabolic environment, increases
calories burned, and leaves time to pursue leisure activities like re-renting Pumping Iron
for the tenth time.
Lactic Acid Interval Training
With this new understanding and application of GH/lactic acid training, you can soon
experience a dramatically lowered body-fat level. But in some cases this still won’t be
enough; you’ll need to supplement your lactic-acid weight training with lactic-acid
interval training. If you’re in a ballistic sport such as martial arts or boxing, then sparring
each afternoon can be considered your interval workout. If not, a rowing ergometer or a
simple jump rope will work.
How do you successfully use all this jargon for massive fat loss and explosive muscle
gains? The following is a sample progression that forces GH to flood the muscle cells via
the stimulation of blood lactate. By the way, I employed this same progression to cut 60
fat pounds off an aspiring Olympic athlete in just under twenty weeks.
This training has been nicknamed "death circuit" and "projectile speed training" by those
who’ve survived it. This is because blood lactate levels rise to 20 mmol/l. You may want
a partner to manually force you through all the prescribed sets — or help you clean up!
WEEK ONE
(Day 1 and 2 are to be repeated twice per week)
Day 1
A1)* Chin-ups, supinated (palms facing you)
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds up (pull yourself up over a period of 3 seconds), 1 second down
Rest Interval: 0 seconds (after one set, move directly to the next exercise below)
A2) Squat
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds up, 1 second down
Rest Interval: 0 seconds
A3) Push-up
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds up, 1 second down
Rest Interval: 0 seconds
A4) Deadlifts
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds up, 1 second down
Rest Interval: 120 seconds
* The A1-A4 designations mean you do one set of each exercise with no rest in between.
After the last exercise, in this case deadlifts, you’ll rest for the prescribed amount of time
and then repeat the whole circuit two more times. After that, you’ll probably puke, and
then you can move to the "B" exercises.
B1) Hanging leg raises
Sets: 2
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: Hold 3 seconds at the top
Rest Interval: 0 seconds
B2) Decline reverse crunch
Sets: 2
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds down, one second up
Rest Interval: 60 seconds
The decline reverse crunch is performed on a slant board or a Swiss ball where you raise
your legs up towards your face.
Day 2
A1) Push press
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds down, explode up
Rest Interval: 0 seconds
The push press is a shoulder press that utilizes the entire body. Start by standing, with a
shoulder-width grip and the barbell resting on anterior delts. Squat one-fourth of the way
down to initiate the momentum. Next, press the bar straight over the head to a soft
lockout while exploding up on to the toes. Finish by lowering the weight to your
shoulders.
A2) Walking lunge with dumbbells
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds up, 1 second down
Rest Interval: 0 seconds
A walking lunge looks like a regular lunge except instead of stepping back to the starting
position, you step forward with the back leg. You’ll end up walking across the floor 20 to
30 feet.
A3) Dip
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds up, 1 second down
Rest Interval: 0 seconds
A4) Bent over barbell row
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds up, 1 second down
Rest Interval: 120 seconds
B) Twisting crunches on Swiss ball or hanging leg raises with twist
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: Hold 3 seconds at the top
Rest Interval: 60 seconds
WEEK TWO
Same as above. Increase sets to four in the "A" series and three in the "B" series.
WEEK THREE
Day one and two are again to be repeated twice per week. As an alternate schedule, the
lactic acid interval training can be performed on the morning of your off days before your
first meal.
Day 1 — AM (morning workout)
A1) Chin ups, supinated
Sets: 4
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds up, 1 second down
Rest Interval: 0 seconds
A2) Squat
Sets: 4
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds up, 1 second down
Rest Interval: 0 seconds
A3) Push-up
Sets: 4
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds up, 1 second down
Rest Interval: 0 seconds
A4) Deadlifts
Sets: 4
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds up, 1 second down
Rest Interval: 90 seconds
B1) Hanging leg raises
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: Hold 3 seconds at the top
Rest Interval: 0 seconds
B2) Decline reverse crunch
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds down, one second up
Rest Interval: 30 seconds
Day 1 — PM
Perform six "sets" of rope jumping for 60 seconds each set. Rest 180 seconds between
sets.
Day 2 — AM
A1) Push press
Sets: 4
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds down, explode up
Rest Interval: 0 seconds
A2) Walking dumbbell lunge
Sets: 4
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds up,1 second down
Rest Interval: 0 seconds
A3) Dips
Sets: 4
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds up, 1 second down
Rest Interval: 0 seconds
A4) Bent over barbell row
Sets: 4
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: 3 seconds up, 1 second down
Rest Interval: 90 seconds
B) Twisting crunches on Swiss Ball or hanging leg raises with twist
Sets: 4
Reps: 10
Rep Speed: Hold 3 seconds at the top
Rest Interval: 30 seconds
Day 2 - PM
Perform six "sets" on the rowing ergometer (or jump rope again) for 60 seconds each set.
Rest for 180 seconds between each set.
Supercharging the Program
Here are a few tips to get the best results from this program:
• This type of training is best adopted after the completion of a strength phase and would
then meet the intensity-to-volume periodization model.
• Fat-loss products containing yohimbine (like Biotest MD6) may help target lower-body
fat cells and bolsters results.
• If it fits your schedule better, you can switch the AM and PM workouts.
• The anabolic shock of this GH phase is so intense that many athletes gain five to eight
pounds of lean mass while concurrently shedding an equal amount of fat mass, but this
depends largely on nutritional factors. If your goals are weight and fat loss then make the
appropriate caloric cuts. The net result is a massive lactic-acid meltdown.
• While the program can be repeated, it’s best not to do it — at least not without changing
the movements — for more than 6 weeks.
So how’s that sound? An end to stalled-out diets and boring, excessive cardio. Get ready
to experience what "feel the burn" really means!
(A special thanks to Charles Poliquin for his "supercharging" tips.)