Build Muscle, Burn Fat, Get Ripped
Originally posted: 1/27/10
Updates:
2/1/10 updated routine, added Excel spreadsheet workout logs)
3/8/10 added example HIIT routines for days 2, 4, and 6.
 Fat Loss for Men |
Many of you are asking for a full body workout routine to burn fat, so here you go.
I have even customized the program for both men and women.
You can skip the details and go straight to the routines if you wish:
The Program
We are integrating 3 full body training sessions with 3 HIIT routines and taking the 7th day off. Since the goal is fat loss, we are striving to add some muscle mass, maintain strength, and burn as many calories as possible.
This is accomplished by staying in a slightly higher rep range than we would normally use for strictly strength training, while using super-sets for most of our exercises. We add an optional set to the end of each workout in case you are able to finish the workout early.
Major compound exercises are rotated to prioritize a different muscle group on each of the 3 training sessions each week.
Volume, Frequency, and Overtraining
HIIT sessions on off-days are designed to melt fat and stimulate muscle growth, but the sheer volume of work should not force you into overtraining. If you do feel the symptoms of overtraining, you should take either the 4th or 6th day completely off instead of performing a HIIT workout.
Some of the symptoms of overtraining:
- elevated pulse
- trouble sleeping
- nagging muscle soreness
- sore joints
- inability to recover from the previous workouts
- decreasing strength
- decreasing muscle mass
- increasing fat storage
This routine can be used for 6-10 weeks before switching your focus to a new set of goals. When progress stalls and you can determine that the plateau is not a result of overtraining, it is time to take an active recovery week and start a new routine.
Rest
You should rest 60-90 seconds between super-sets, and 180 seconds (3 minutes) at most between exercises.
Warm Up
Initial Warmup – small, light exercises possibly including dynamic stretches to warm up the muscles
Feeler Sets – use feeler sets only if necessary, with 40-50% of your 1 rep max for 3-5 reps to warm-up before each new exercise
Recovery
You should engage in some form of recovery on a daily basis.
Here are some of your recovery options:
- foam roller
- deep tissue massage
- ice massage
- alternating hot and cold showers
- dynamic stretching
Nutrition
You know the drill.
- Calories = 12 x your goal bodyweight, adjust weekly according to progress
- Protein = .8-1 gram per pound of bodyweight
- Carbs = 100-150 grams per day, more on weightlifting days, less on HIIT days, and even less on rest days
- Fat = the remainder of the calories once you’ve subtracted protein and carbs from total calories
The Routines
Click here to see this workout routine customized for women.
Full Body Routine For Men
Day 1:
5 minute initial warmup
a) Quads – Barbell back squats
reps: 5/5/5/5
b1) Chest – Incline dumbbell press
reps: 7/7/7
b2) Calves – Standing calf raise
reps: 7/7/7
c1) Hamstrings – Stiff leg deadlifts
reps: 7/7/7
c2) Abs – (Weighted) decline sit ups
reps: 7/7/7
d1) Back – (Weighted) wide grip pull-ups
reps: 10/10
d2) Shoulders – Seated dumbbell shoulder press
reps: 10/10
e1) Triceps – Dips
reps: 5/5
e2) Abs – Reverse crunches
reps: 2 x As Many As Possible (amap)
f) Stretch all your muscles for 10 minutes while sipping your post-workout drink.
Day 2:
25 minutes of full body HIIT (push, pull, calisthenics, jumps, sprints, kickboxing, etc…)
Example:
- 3 sets – 30 seconds of push ups as fast as possible, 90 seconds of moderate-speed jump rope (6 minutes)
- 60 seconds rest
- 3 sets – 30 seconds of rowing as fast as possible, 90 seconds of squat thrusters (6 minutes)
- 60 seconds rest
- 3 sets – 30 seconds of skipping lunges as fast as possible, 90 seconds of kickboxing drills (6 minutes)
- 5 minutes of stretching
Day 3:
5 minute initial warmup
a) Chest – Flat bench press
reps: 5/5/5/5
b1) Quads – Step ups onto a bench or box holding dumbbells
reps: 7/7/7
b2) Abs – Lying leg raises, get your lower back and butt off the floor, try to touch the ceiling with your toes
reps: 10/10/10
c1) Back/Hamstrings – Standing bent over barbell rows
reps: 7/7/7
c2) Calves – Seated calf raises
reps: 7/7/7
d1) Shoulders – Standing dumbbell raises to the side
reps: 10/10
d2) Biceps – Standing alternating dumbbell curls
reps: 10/10
e1) Hamstrings – Glute-ham raise
reps: 10/10
e2) Abs – Fold ups
reps: 2 sets x amap
f)Stretch all your muscles for 10 minutes while sipping your post-workout drink.
Notes:
the glute-ham raise – lock your heels under something with the instep of your foot facing down and, starting upright with your thighs perpendicular to the floor, lower your upper body forward and down towards the floor then use your hamstrings to pull yourself back upright.
Day 4:
25 minutes of lower body HIIT (jumps, sprints, etc…)
Example:
- 5 sets – 30 seconds of sprinting, 90 seconds of jogging/walking (10 minutes)
- 60 seconds rest
- 2 sets – 30 seconds of rapid squat jumps, 90 seconds of moderate-speed bodyweight squats (4 minutes)
- 30 seconds rest
- 2 sets – 30 seconds of sprinting, 90 seconds of jogging/walking (4 minutes)
- 30 seconds rest
- 2 sets – 30 seconds of jumping rope as fast as possible, 90 seconds of jogging/walking (4 minutes)
- 5 minutes of stretching
Day 5:
5 minute initial warmup
a) Hamstrings – Deadlifts
reps: 5/5/5/5
b1) Shoulders – Standing overhead shoulder press
reps: 7/7/7
b2) Abs – Standing side bends holding dumbbells
reps: 7/7/7
c1) Quads – Alternating barbell lunges
reps: 7/7/7
c2) Chest/Triceps – Decline close grip bench
reps: 7/7/7
d1) Back/Biceps – (Weighted) close grip chin-ups
reps: 10/10
d2) Calves – One leg standing calf raise on a 2 inch block or plate holding a dumbbell
reps: 10/10
e1) Chest/Triceps – Clapping push ups
reps: 2 sets x amap
e2) Abs – Sit ups with straight punch
reps: 2 sets x amap
f) Stretch all your muscles for 10 minutes while sipping your post-workout drink.
Day 6:
25 minutes of full body HIIT (push, pull, calisthenics, jumps, sprints, kickboxing, etc…)
Example:
- 3 sets – 30 seconds of bodyweight rows as fast as possible, 90 seconds of jumping jacks (6 minutes)
- 60 seconds rest
- 3 sets – 30 seconds of bodyweight step-ups as fast as possible, 90 seconds of kickboxing drills (6 minutes)
- 60 seconds rest
- 3 sets – 30 seconds of explosive push ups (clapping, up onto a box, etc…), 90 seconds of moderate-speed walking lunges (6 minutes)
- 5 minutes of stretching
Day 7:
Completely off, no exercise at all.
Men’s Full Body Fat Loss Workout Log
Now you can print out your workout log using this Excel spreadsheet:
Men’s Full Body Fat Loss Workout Log
Tags: Conditioning, fat loss, full body, hiit, lose fat, lose weight, weight loss, Weight Training, weightlifting, workout routine, Workout Routines
Hi Steve
Just finished my 4th week doing this routine and I’ve lost 4kgs. Pretty sure I’ve put on some muscle cause I feel stronger than ever. Thanks for the advice. It really helped. Going to do this for another 8 weeks before I do another routine. Thanks Steve… You the man.
That’s totally awesome! Thanks for sharing your results, and here’s to another 4kgs of fat lost and 4gks of muscle gained! 🙂
Hi Steve
I’m 32 years old, 130kgs and about 5’9. Am I able to do this routine or am I too unfit? I showed my trainer and they told me I was too unfit to do it. I know there are a few exercises I can’t do eg. chin ups, pull ups but I’m pretty sure I can give it a fair go with the rest of the routine. So I guess my question is am I too unfit to do this routine?
You are probably not too unfit to do this routine, but I wouldn’t know unless I met you and evaluated your fitness. What is more likely is that you’ll have to work up to this full routine. If you are starting from scratch, you might need to switch some compound exercises for machines for the first 2-3 weeks, and you might need to tone the HIIT cardio down a bit for the first 2-3 weeks. Essentially, it shouldn’t take you more than a month to work up to being able to do this full routine, although at a potentially lower intensity than someone who is say 5’9 and 90kg. Just be careful and stay within your personal limitations. You don’t want to get burnt out or injured. However, don’t manufacture fake limitations. You’ve seen those folks on the biggest loser – they push it hard from the start and end up losing like 20+ pounds the first month. You can do it too.
Hi Steve. Greetings from the UK. This has been one of my go to pages for the last year – recommended it to a lot of people!
If I could get your thoughts quickly. I’m and have been training 3-4 times in consistent cycles for the last 4 years, gradually improving my knowledge to be at a stage where I class myself as experienced. I’m 6ft I believe it takes me a lot to put on muscle (food, intensity etc)which is my natural ectomorph coming out – on the positive side it forces me to be diligent on slight improvements in each session for form and training failure. Good news is I went from 177lbs to 185lbs in 3 cycles of the werewolf muscle training (currently finishing 3rd cycle in the next few days)and have managed to stay fairly lean, looking bigger and quite a bit stronger on my compounds. I want to try and maintain this new mass and lose some body fat over the next few months as I have been so near a good six pack over the years but I am always at that 4-ish level when at my peak, and if I am honest, I plateau and don’t quite make it. Could you give me some reassurance/additional pointers about losing body fat and not losing muscle size; I don’t want to undo the hard work in the last few months. All the best
Hey I have been at the same weight for about 5 years and cannot really cut. I count all my calories and weight out all my food, my wife hates it. I am pretty strict and have a “cheat meal about every 2-3 weeks to keep my sanity. I have gone by several diets for cutting and I do HIIT and HIRT routines within my workout routines but i cannot seem to shed. I am about 6’7 and 235lb. I am currently on a 225g protien, 210g carb and 109g fat (mostly all my fats come from almonds and natural PB). I do a full body routine three times a week (M,W,F) and HIIT and HIRT routines on the other days and then a couple of recovery days which consist of active stretching and yoga. What am i doing wrong?
Hi Jared. If you are 6’7 235lbs, I can’t believe you are doing anything wrong. But, based on what you said, you are consuming about 2850 calories a day, give or take. I can’t imagine what your goal weight is, at 6’7…. 225? 220? If your goal weight is 210 lbs, I recommend starting at 2700 calories a day and subtract 100 calories after the first week, if you haven’t lost a pound. Continue this process until you lose 3-4 pounds a month, 5 at the most. At that rate you’ll be down to 210 in 5 months. You can probably do some extra training or dieting to hasten that milestone, but you might sacrifice muscle mass if you try to lose too quickly.
If you are looking for a new diet to try, try the Project Shred diet for 3 weeks, then gradually wean off of it onto a healthy eating plan.
I lost 16pounds just by eating less than I did. Now at 178 pounds without exercising just eating less, sometimes achieved by skipping lunch or dinner.
Going to try this out, hope it works!
Did it work?
hey, i think this is a great work out. i added a 20 min bike ride at the end of what i suppose you would call the ‘gym’ sessions. i do around 7 miles each time. i was just wondering your thoughts on that? also how long should i be doing this. im currently 98kg and trying to get back down to about 85-90.
I am looking at starting this routine. I have 2 questions. do you do all the A, B1, C1, D1,E1, F as a superset. Then take 90 seconds off and do all of the A, B2, C2 etc.. until finished? also what do you mean by 7/7/7?
Thanks
You have it right with a1, b1, c1 and a2, b2, c2. 7/7/7 means 3 sets of 7 reps with rest in between.
I am 50 years old and have been involved in bodybuilding, martial arts, and general exercise since I was 21. I’ve built numerous workouts for others and was one of the first personal trainers in North Dakota (1990). With all that said, I’m overweight, have chronic tendonitis (due to an adverse effect of an antibiotic) and want to get back into fighting shape.
I saw this website and think the routine looks really efficient; however, I am confused by the a,b,b,c,c,d,d,etc.
Am I to assume this means all letter which are similar are supersets? I would appreciate any/all information you feel like communicating and thanks so much.
Consecutive letters like a) b) c) d) are a superset or giant set. You perform all of these exercises once each in succession, then start over at a) again. All of the letters which are similar, for example all of the c)’s have no relation to each other and are not in the same giant set.
lose weight while running…
Fat Loss for Men: A 7 Day Full Body Routine Plus HIIT | Project Swole…
Do you increase weight for each set or use the same weight for each set in the exercise?
It’s your choice really. I tend to increase weight for each set unless I’m doing 5×5, in which case I use the same weight for all 5 sets.
Hi Steve, just a quick question. I do a small bit of running, about 20-30 miles a week that I would like to keep up (as I run a 5K or 10K every month). This really helped me in the past (went from 295 -> 235, back up to 244 after doing some strength training this summer), but I still have a good belly, even tat 6’5”. I’m wanting to lose fat, but not lose my endurance and flexibility. Would it be alright to also run in the evenings if I do this workout in the morning? Furthermore, would it be acceptable to do some light yoga on the day off? If not to the yoga, what if I alternated the yoga and running so that it would be
1. Running
2. Yoga
3. Running
4. Yoga
5. Running
6. Yoga
7. Rest
in addition to this full workout.
Thanks!
Hi Steve just a quick question about the HIIT days, when you say 3 sets of bodyweight rows for example for 30 seconds per set. How long do i rest between the sets? Thanks, ive got 2 weeks left of the Werewolf training with dumbbells and want to use this program to switch it up when the 3rd cycle is finished for a few month to shed some body fat.
Rest 30-60 seconds between sets, depending on your personal level of conditioning.
I think I see what your asking, no offense Steve, but I think he’s confused about the superset. He’s asking about rest periods but he’s thinking he’s doing the 30seconds of bodyweight rows 3x in a row and the second exercise 90 seconds 3x in a row instead of alternating exercises. Nath, you’re supposed to do 30 seconds of BW Rows no rest, then go into 90 seconds of Jumping Jacks no rest,then back to 30 seconds of BW rows no rest,etc. repeat until you finish with 90 seconds of Jumping Jacks. If you add it up you’re going non-stop for like 6 minutes and THEN you rest for 30-60 seconds and start the next (pair of exercises)superset. Dude, the intensity is CRAZY, I honestly hate life beyond measure when I’m doing HIIT. Huffing, Panting, Sweating, Muscles Burning, Feeling like I need to throw up. It double sucks since you’re probably sore from the weightlifting routine the day before if you trained at the right weight and intensity. Good signs you’re burning fat and not losing muscle on a low calorie diet is that you’re lifts all get stronger(keep track, it helps) and you’re improving intensity and endurance on your HIIT days. Honestly I’ve improved strength on all my compound lifts over 50% and over 100% on my BB Back squat which I’ve trained very hard on. I would throw in some shrugs somewhere though since all my muscles are developing but my traps seem to be falling behind. Good Luck!
Thanks guys for the replies, yeah i should’ve worded it better, i couldnt understand the order of exercise for HIIT when i read it thats all. I know it sounds strange but i love doing the HIIT style workouts, i like pushing my body to its limits and when you get past something you feel real good about yourself, only thing im worried about is keeping my diet in check, but ill get there eventually. Thanks for clearing it up though and good job on the Werewolf routine Steve, i used it after not working out for a good two years and have seen a big difference after my first 3 cycles. Gonna take a weeks active recovery, get on the fat loss for men routine and then go back to Werewolf for another 3 cycles.
Ran into a few good questions in a conversation regarding this routine. I was asked if the best time to do HIIT workout was first thing in the morning on an empty stomach? With my understanding of the effects of cardio in a glycogen depleted state, the body would turn to other sources to burn energy such as fat, but I also started to think that it may turn to breaking down protein as well. So another question arose as to whether to take a serving of whey some odd minutes(not sure how long) before the HIIT workout. Then another question asked if it is better to take some carbs+whey before the HIIT workout, but this I figured would defeat the purpose of morning cardio if your body is burning the carbs you ate instead of the fat on your body. So, I was a little confused and said I’d get back to him. I checked various websites and there was plenty of average joes giving their opinions on the matter but they were all over the place. I value your opinion since you do the research and I appreciate that.
The thing about eating before HIIT in the morning, is that your body will burn whatever nutrients are currently in your bloodstream for energy. That includes any carbs and protein you consume before training. I’d say limit your intake to coffee or tea if your sole goal is to burn stored body fat. Immediately after training be sure to drink a post workout shake to limit muscle catabolism, and enjoy a day of increased metabolism and efficient fat burning.
what do you recommend to measure body fat percentage? the electrical stuff, digital calipers, or old school calipers?
I just recommend using the same method for repeated testing. A handheld electrical tester is way easier to use than calipers, but calipers are more accurate if you know how to test the sites properly, which many people do not. Even better would be a hydrostatic analysis, but you usually have to pay someone to do that or find a university with the right equipment.
Steve, I’ve been weightlifting for 2 years or so now, and 2 months ago i stopped, and last month i took up running because im playing a summer sport in a league. My main goal is to gain speed, by building endurance and loosing fat. My upper body is a lot weaker than it was 2 months ago, and I want to know if this routine will help me keep my hard gained muscle but not hinder my cardio and endurance gains.
I’ve been doing this 5 day routine on Muscleandstrength.com and I was wondering, if in you’re unbiased opinion, is fat loss or the 5 day high def better for me to loose weight?
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/24-doug—s-5-day-high-definition-routine.html
I need a good opinion, I’ve been afraid to choose one because i’ve gotten a lot faster and have already lost some weight, and I dont want to slow that down.
I don’t know man. That doesn’t look like the most effective routine I’ve ever seen. I mean it has a dedicated arms day which is pretty lame. You don’t need all those sissy isolation movements IMO. I’d stick to a routine that uses more compound movements and doesn’t recommend 1 hour of endurance cardio twice a day. I think if you try the fat loss for men routine you might like it. Fat loss is 75% diet and only 25% exercise and lifestyle, so if you want to lose fat get your diet in check.
Hi Steve, I’ve been doing this workout for a month but don’t seem to be losing any weight. What are the common mistakes that people make when doing this routine and I can see if I am doing it wrong?
The 2 common mistakes are eating too much and not using enough intensity with your training. But you seem to own a personal training website so you probably already know that.
Yeah, the diet on paper is actually considerably less than what you’re actually eating. You have to bring out the measuring cups and spoons to truly adhere to the diet. The trick I used it to aim for a lower calorie diet which gives you some room to compensate for over-portioning. Honestly a 1600 calorie diet for me consists of a serving of whey in water first thing in the morning. A couple hours later I eat breakfast of 1 cup high protein, high fiber cereal “Eating Right” brand,with 1 cup of 1% milk, 1 slice of whole grain, whole wheat bread, with 2 tbsp of natural peanut butter “with healthy oils”. For lunch I eat a chicken sandwich with 2 slices of whole grain, whole wheat bread, 1 leaf of romaine, 2 slices of tomatoes, and 2 slices (2 oz) of deli-style chicken breast, 1 slice of american cheese, and 2 tbsp of “light” mayo. For dinner I keep it simple with a medium plate of salad (spring mix and baby spinach) and chicken breast about the size of your palm and thickness of a deck of cards. Then before I sleep I take a serving of casein. If it’s a workout day it obviously includes a post-workout shake of your choice, I personally use 2:1:1 Recovery by Optimum Nutrition since it was the closest I could find to the Biotest Surge Recovery since that isn’t available to me. This honestly has been working for me since it adheres to a low-carb philosophy Steve mentions in another article of most carbs in the morning, moderate complex carbs at lunch, and little to no carbs at dinner. I also take into consideration the teachings of guru Steve in regards to spreading out protein servings and maintaining maximum muscle retention during a cutting phase. I currently weigh 162 lbs. since starting 5 weeks ago from 166 lbs. Just gotta experiment with what works as you can tell I did from my previous post up there. Hope this helps, take care.
Oh and I’m around 18-19% bodyfat now since my original 21%.
Hey Steve, your my hero. Quick question, is it possible to be gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time? I started out at 166lbs with 21% bodyfat. I’ve been on a strict 1600 calorie diet that is a slightly modified version of a TLC Heart Healthy diet that basically switches out some carbs for more protein to make it to my 1g per pound of weight quota. It’s been two weeks and I’ve been on the routine religiously with no cheating on the diet besides the post-workout drink which is about 240 calories. I’ve weighed myself everyday first thing in the morning at the same time with the same clothes and I’m currently at 165.7 lbs with the same bodyfat percentage.
See my recent article on losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time. It is possible and highly likely.
hi steve I’m working out for last 1 year but there is no improvement in my back. And my belly’s fat is not reducing. My dimantions are
hight-5’6″, weight-76Kg, waist-34
please suggest me somthing
Use my fat loss workout for 3 months and then report back to me. Make sure you have your diet right too, or you won’t make good progress.
Hey Steve, I was wondering if I should be hitting failure by the last rep of the last set for each exercise, if at all…
Yeah you should definitely hit failure on the last rep of the last set. Honestly, I usually hit failure before that because I tend to push myself to always lift heavier.
Quick question…reference “Fat loss for men”. When you list Calories = 12 x your goal bodyweight, adjust weekly according to progress…does that means calories you need to burn or take in. Example: 12×165=1980…I’m assuming it means the amount of calories you need to take in to get to your goal weight…thnx in advance.
that number is calories you need to take in
im 10% f and i want to get shredded fro summer but i also want to build some more muscle im currently 5’8 49.5 inch shoulders, 42inch chest and 30inch waist… do you thing i should do the fatloss workout then bulk up once i get ripped or do the werewolf bulk up and add some cardio to build muscle and loose fat slowly?
Have you considered combining Intermittent Fasting with Werewolf Muscle Training? You really don’t need very much cardio to lose fat. It’s all about the diet.
I’m currently 13% bf and I wanna reach 8%… do you think a 500cal (was on a 2.5k maintenance diet) deficit while running an eca stack will be too much?
Sounds like a good place to start.
Im a little confused on the way the excersises are lettered. For example you have on day one, BB back squats, the excersises listed below are lettered a and b. Does this mean I do BB back squats on its own and then supersets of the rest?
Yes, that is what it means.
Hello, I recently reached the heaviest weight I have ever been(315). So my whole family switched to a vegetarian lifestyle. We started out with a 3week detox,and just realized we didn’t miss the meat. I’m just having trouble figuring out how to meal plan for weight loss & training on a vegetarian diet. We are Lacto Ovo so we can eat eggs & limited dairy products. I have loss 15lbs currently at(300lbs). I’m 5’7 and prob need to get down to about 200lbs at least.
I once addressed the issue here: https://www.projectswole.com/your-questions/how-to-build-muscle-on-a-healthy-vegetarian-diet/
Hey Steve, first off i’d like to thank you for your workouts! So far I have only done the Muscle and Strength gain workouts but have been alternating those for nearly 4 months. I know you would enjoy feedback. I started at about 5’10 earlier this year, 180 lbs. I began with the strength gains, then moved to muscle gains and am sitting around 192 lbs currently but much much leaner than when I began. I have had significant gains in both numbers and size, some exercises have nearly doubled in weight. It is now approaching summer and I have delayed the fat loss workout for long enough, my main problem now is that through the extra muscle mass and training I eat constantly and am worried this will hinder a fat loss program. Is there any tips you could give me in certain types of foods that really bring this calorie count down? If i follow your program I need to cut nearly 1500 calories a day which is needless to say A LOT. Thanks!
First of all, don’t cut 1500 calories all at once. Knock off about 500 calories and switch to the fat loss routine. Then cut 100-200 additional calories a week until you start to notice some fat loss. If you do it right, your strength should barely decrease, if at all. Ideally you’ll take it slow and steady, continue to lift heavy, eat plenty of protein, use some supplements like Xtend, and before you know it you’ll start to lean out, but you should be able to keep most of your muscle mass and possibly add strength. When people jump into a fat loss diet too hastily after a lean bulk, that is when they lose muscle mass and strength, and end up back at square one.
I love this workout. It is refreshing to see someone put out a proper workout and not regurgitate the usual “high reps for toning” and all that nonsense.
It might be hard for some men to do a 6 days week schedule, but no pain no gain right?
Hello Steve! I’m using this routine for quite some time now and I see great improvements. My diet is really strict, I give 120% on every workout, I am really motivated to lose fat which I did ( I have 6 pack now ) but the main reason I’ve started this routine is to lose fat, but not only because of abs, but mainly from my chest. I’m a man and I have man breasts which I got in puberty and I still cannot lose them. If you could please give me some advice… I really don’t know what is the problem, why cannot I lose fat from my breasts. It destroys my self-esteem and I’m hiding my chest with larger clothes but I can’t do that whole time… I want to wear white t-shirts without people making fun of me 🙁
Thank you!
Man boobs are a major problem with men. I’ve had a fat chest since childhood as well, and the only way to combat it, is to drop body fat or undergo surgery. I wish I had better news for you. Working on your upper chest and shoulders can help fill that area out and ‘lift’ the pecs, and working on hard on your back with lots of rows will help keep your chest up and shoulders back, which helps the pecs to appear less saggy. That’s the best advice I can give for moobs.
Steve do i super set the B1 and B2 workouts?
Yes, super set them.
xtreme no, whey protein, or both? What are the differences, which should I get, and how should I take it? Thanks
Xtreme NO is a nitric oxide booster. It should be taken pre-workout. You will have more stamina and strength, and your pumps will be fuller. The best protein shake is called Shakeology. It contains a million great nutrients including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, prebiotics, and more. Get more info here: Shakeology. If you just want a cheap, plain protein, choose Optimum Nutrition protein powder.
Steve, would monster be an okay energy drink or no>
Low carb Monster is probably OK, otherwise you’ll end up drinking 50 or more grams of sugar in one can. Some energy drinks are pretty tasty; I think Monster is OK.
Hey steve i have come down from 248 on this routine to 192 but i am so used to the routine and need to switch up what would be the best way to loose my lower belly fat that fat seems to stay and sags i would like to have it gone and maybe a 6 pack by the summer help any suggestions?
Thank you
You could give P90X a try for a couple months. You could switch to Werewolf Training but maintain a Fat Loss diet strategy. You probably need to decrease calories or somehow alter your diet somehow to increase fat loss. Have you tried my article about 10 tips to get shredded? If not, you should. Click here if you want to give P90X a try.
Hi
My self naushad i am from india …. From past 6month i am not going gym… I have gain weight n fat my current weight is 87kg.. height – 5.11” from monday i am starting my workout please help me to loss weight n fat… Please give me exercise & schedule …. I have hydroxycut hadrcore hardcore pro series.. & syntha-6 whey protien how to use them? N what else i have to use…
Thank you!
Please follow the Fat Loss for men routine linked at the top of the page in the menu system.
Hi Steve. I have a question about the diet part of this routine. My calorie target is 2040g, Protein is about 170. When I subtract the protein and carbs from calories, I get 1740g of fat. Is this right, or am I doing something wrong?
If protein is 170g, then protein calories = 170 x 4 = 680 cals.
If calories is 2040, then 2040 – 680 = 1360 cals to be divided between carbs and fats.
If carbs is 100g, then carb calories = 100 x 4 = 400 cals.
If calories is 1360, then 1360 – 400 = 960 cals for fats.
Since 1 g fat = 9 cals, then 960 / 9 = 106.7 grams of fat in your diet.
Hi Steve,I am 15 years old and I broke my wrist a few months ago and was recently cleared to workout again. I lost a lot of muscle and gained fat while my hand was healing,so I have been looking for a good workout to lose the fat. I am going to begin this workout soon, but I wanted to know what protein should I use? I was thinking about using the GNC Total Lean-Lean Shake, but what are your recommendations? Since I am still young, should I just try to get the protein from foods? And will protein shakes get rid of the muscles aching and soreness the day after working out? Also, my doctor told me that I should not push myself really hard working out because it will mess up my growth. Will this workout do that?
I think your doctor doesn’t know much about fitness. Working out hard will only be good for you, not bad for you. Consider a post-workout shake after exercising, but try to get most of your calories from whole foods. I recommend Biotest Surge Recovery for a post-workout shake, and Optimum Nutrition protein powder for regular protein shakes. I also highly recommend XTend to get additional amino acids each day. The links to everything I recommend are on this site, either in the post or on the sidebar.
Hi Steve-
Awesome info on your site- thanks for doing all of this! I’ve got a question about post HIIT training. I’m currently doing this fat loss for men routine and I’m wondering if you recommend consuming a post-workout protein shake after the HIIT sessions, or just leave that for after the weight-training sessions? I’m currently intaking my bodyweight in grams of protein on weight-training days, but would fall about 25 grams short if I didn’t do the protein shake after the HIIT session. Thanks in advance!
Yes, consume a protein shake after the HIIT session.
Thanks Steve! One last question, if you will: I live in Colorado at 6700 ft. above sea level- oxygen content in the air here is between 15% and 18% lower (depending on the day) compared to sea level. I’ve been doing the HIIT sessions with very high intensity and I find that I can barely complete the 3rd set for any given exercise, as I struggle with breathing and muscle fatigue- my third set is usually much slower/lower rep compared to the first two. I’m usually fine after the one minute rest period between exercises. Do you recommend that I just suck it up and continue with the routine as written, or should I reduce the work set time slightly, or even make the recovery set longer? I’m not feeling any symptoms of over training, and I lost 6 lbs. my first week doing this routine. Thanks!!
If endurance, stamina, and fat loss is your main goal, then push through it and your body will adapt. If performance in terms of increased strength, speed, and power is your priority, or if increased mass is your priority, then I’d rather see you increase the rest between sets so that your don’t slow down or under-perform for your final work set. If you start to see symptoms of overtraining, then you can alter set or rest duration instinctively as necessary, after taking an active recovery week off.
I have a question in regards to the ‘Nutrition’ portion…so when it says:
•Fat = the remainder of the calories once you’ve subtracted protein and carbs from total calories
So I take my goal weight x 12 = (number of calorie intake/day) – (weight x [grams of protein x current body weight]) – (number of carbs)= (number of fat/day)? Because when I do the caculations, the number for fat comes out hight, like 250. I’m wondering if that sounds like a standard/correct outcome? PS, I hope my attempt at typing out the formula was not confusing.
Hi steve. I checked this out for inerests sake and it seems like what im looking for. I just have a question about how much weight to use on these exercises. Do you use % of your one rep max for everything? if so what percentage and should it go up after a few weeks?
Test each rep range to see what you can handle. For example, find out exactly what your 5 rep max is on a certain exercise, then add 5-10 pounds and use that weight for your workout. Once you meet the required reps one week, add 5-10 pounds the next time you use that exercise.
Hey Steve, just wondering, I’m 16, 6’1, and 180 pounds with 20% body fat, and I follow a 1500-2000 calorie diet. How many sessions do you think it would take to reach 10% body fat because I leave for Florida in April and want that bod
I think you need to workout hard and diet hard until you leave in April and you might be able to get down to 8-10%.
Hi Steve, just a question about nutrition which i cannot get a straight answer from on the internet with different opinions. Would you take a post workout protein shake (with carbs and protein[within 30 mins post workout]) if you’re trying to lose body fat? Would the body take energy from the fat to feed the energy you require for your muscles? or would the body break down your muscles to feed this and hence require a post workout meal? Especially when you do exercises like HIRT training which utilise many of the bigger muscle groups. This same question applies if i decide to do HIIT (sprints) will i require post workout nutrition to reduce the body fat?
Hi I’m 5″6″ and weigh 210lbs I want to lose weight but I also want to turn most of it into muscle should I do the werewolf training or the fat loss routine
You should lose fat first, then gain muscle. Chances are you can do a little of both at the same time, but focus mostly on losing fat until you are at a comfortable body composition.
Hi I have a question about the letters/numbers in front of the workout,
When it says b1 and b2 does that mean do 1 set of b1 and go to b2 without rest and do 1 set of b2 then rest and repeat?
I am looking to lose fat but mainly gain muscle at the same time. Will i be better of doing werewwolf for mucle with my own added HIIT incorporated to the routine rather than this Steve?
Thanks
If you care more about gaining muscle, choose Werewolf and add HIIT. If you care more about losing fat, choose full body fat loss and eat slightly more than prescribed.
Hi Steve,
Just starting this full body routine and so far so good except for a question on diet. I find that half way through I get pretty shaky and sometimes head achey. I assume this is related to blood sugar. I have to work out in the morning and usually have a bowl of oatmeal or the like before workout. Wondering if I should eat more prior or eat during, or if I am simply doing something else wrong to get these symptoms.
Thanks
Sounds like low blood sugar. Either eat more prior to eating, or sip a beverage like Gatorade during your workout. I prefer to mix water with my Gatorade in a 50/50 ratio. There are more scientific ways to solve your problem, but this is the easiest and cheapest.
It doesn’t say how much weight to start with. How much is good? Do I use whatever makes me struggle?
Yes, whatever makes you struggle. It’s different for everyone. Sometimes you need to take a couple workouts to discover which weight to use on different exercises, especially when switching to a new workout routine.
I’m 5’9″ and I weigh 195 lbs. What would be a good body weight goal and how much weight should I start with on this routine?
You are looking to lose fat? If so, you could probably stand to lose 15-20 pounds judging by your height and weight. Of course, I know nothing else about you so I can’t really give you an accurate goal. Consult with your doctor to find out how much fat you should try to lose.
Is it good to supplement my diet with protein powder on this routine? I’m still going to have a lot left over when I’m done with muscle gaining, but I feel like I can get enough protein in my regular diet anyway. I just don’t want to leave the powder sitting there.
Sure, it’s always good to use protein shakes.
Hello there, I have another question about this workout. Would yoga be a good addition? Say on the HIIT days? I’ve been looking around the internet and everywhere I’m reading that working on flexibility is important, that strength gains aren’t as helpful without the flexibility to support them. I’m just concerned about over training, however, that perhaps 3 days of yoga in addition would be too much? Thank you very much.
Hey there, I’ve read this workout and it seems perfect for my purposes, but I wanted to ask to make sure. I’m a little more than 5′-8″ and weigh about 240 pounds, and am 19 years old. I’m trying to lose weight and fat while toning the muscle I have and building up my upper body. Are there any alterations to this workout routine you could perhaps recommend? Thank you so much, this website has been a huge help for me as I’m trying to get in shape.
I started this routine yesterday. And on the Day 1 routine and got really tired and felt like puking at the gym. Is this because of what I ate or maybe not getting enough water?
Or is it because Im not used to this routine?
And btw love your site!
Thanks. It could be any or all of those reasons. Give it another try.
Love the site, I’ve used the routines and information from here frequently. Question though, this program has three weight training sessions and three separate HIIT sessions. In your description of HIIT, you say that HIIT is not for people who are overzealous i.e. doing 3-4 weight training sessions and 3-4 HIIT sessions in a single week.
So do you recommend that people starting this Fat Loss program ease slowly add the HIIT sessions in or do them all from the start? For example, do only one HIIT session for the first few weeks, then two, and then finally three if you haven’t burnt out? Thanks.
There’s no reason anyone can’t start with 3 weight lifting and 2 HIIT sessions a week. Depending on how they feel at that point, they can add the third HIIT session. The HIIT sessions are pretty short at 25 mins and the 3rd session is limited to the lower body, so wear and tear shouldn’t be too excessive. In the last year or so I’ve changed my opinions slightly about how much exercise a person can handle, especially when their only goal is to lose fat. When trying to gain muscle, 4 workouts a week with maybe a 5th light day, is the max. When trying to lose fat, most people can tolerate 6 workouts a week, as long as 2-3 of those workouts are shorter in duration and do not involve any serious compounds lifts like squat, bench, deadlift, and overhead press at maximum intensity.
i am 18% body fat and i wanna get down to 10 to see my abs will this full program help
Yeah if you eat right.
Steve thanks for your Fat Loss for Men posting i really try that tips in my lifestyle. Thanks again.
Thanks Steve, I have bookmarked and one day soon will come back to it once I’ve mastered the vacuum. Hey has anyone ever told you this – the hanging gut sometimes goes numb, especially while working long periods of time, and continuously, i find myself hunched over close to the screen, which is strange, because its not to see, i have better than 20/20 vision.
Hi, thank you for your articles.
Just one question: I’m a beginner (5’7” and 132 pounds) and I want to lose body fat and gain muscles (and strength!).
My idea is to start with the “Fat Loss for Men” for about 3/4 weeks and so prepare myself for next Routine: “Werewolf training”.
Is that a good idea?
Thank you very much in advance,
Mike
Sounds good to me.
Hello,
First of all, I would like to say that this is my favorite website for fitness and nutrition.
I noticed that the heavy lifts (4×5’s) are all on legs and chest, and that (at least to me) the back muscles appear somewhat neglected.
My question is, will your back lose strength/size at a faster pace than your chest and legs by doing this? My knowledge of how muscles function is rather limited, so I would appreciate any advice.
Thanks!
You might have a point. I seem to be neglectful with back training in my routines lately. Not quite sure why though. I even had to go in and patch the Werewolf routine with extra back work.
Know what you can do? Choose one day, maybe squat or deadlift day, and add some pull ups, chin ups, or rows as a superset with the first exercise of the day.
hi, i have been working out for 3 years . last year i was walking 35 minutes everyday and lifting heavy weights , and eating white rice and chicken breast 2 meal a day. This diet worked well on my muscles but i couldnt get rid of my belly. i have a fatty belly , even though i lose weight the fat on my belly still the same. Now since 3 months i stopped eating sugar taking grean tea fat burner pills and running 30 minutes every day and lot of abs exercises. I want to get rid of my belly and meantime i want to gain more muscles. Which supplement do i need to use ?. would whey protein lead me to gain weight? cuz i dont wanna gain weight.
It might benefit you to replace a meal or a snack with a protein shake, but don’t add a protein shake to a diet that is already not working for you. The problem must be with what you are eating. I’d suggest you keep a food log for at least a month; record food, portions, calories, carbs, protein, fat, and anything else you want to monitor. You will be surprised by how much you learn when you keep a food log.
Hello! I’m just curious… 2 sets of 10 reps is enough for fat loss? I mean, I did like 6 sets of 12 reps before with supersets and I would like to switch on this routine but my question is that enough for fat loss. I have really strict diet and would like to get 150% from this routine, thank you Steve!
6 sets of 12 reps is overkill. You need to go heavy when losing weight, in order to maintain muscle mass and strength. It is the diet and HIIT that will contribute most to the fat loss.
MY QUESTION IS WITH THE DIET!
WHEN YOU SAY SUBTRACT EVERYTHING TO GET THE QUANTITY OF FATS IS THAT THE AMOUNT WE INTAKE?
Steve… im 5′ 11” 164lbs (according to my digital scale, right about 12% body fat)…. I did the werewolf training for a month and added 8lbs (gave it up due to a back injury that nags me in all i do)….. my question is should i try this workout for a month or so to get below 10% (i would like to one day see something that resembles my abs) or go back to werewolf for a few months then this?? or does it matter?
as well just want to make sure my numbers come out right…. im looking to get to 160 (may not seem like much of a drop but its hard plus hopefully some muscle gain) so i should get about 1900-2000 cal…. 160-170g protein, 100-150g carb and 75-100g fat (pending the days with carbs and fat) (if i did the math right from the werewolf) just want to double check because fat seems a little high
Focus on losing fat for a while to give yourself a break.
hi. i’m 6″ and 14 stone. i got some good mucels in my arms but i’m a little chubby round the stomach. i just want to lose some weight. would this do the trick?
This will do the trick, but you also need to eat healthy and train with intensity.
I need some helpwhat would be the best time to eat carbs on each one of the days
Before and after a workout is the best time to eat carbs. If you are trying to lose fat, avoid carbs before bed and don’t overeat carbs for breakfast either, unless you workout in the morning. Also avoid carbs on non-workout days, keep it under 100 grams.
i am a beginner in lifting weights and cardio and i looked over all these exercises and i cant do a lot of them. should i just keep working out until i can or do something else?
Hi, I want to lose body fat, im 5’11” and weigh 13 stone, do you recommend this program, my main goal is muscle and definition ( like everyone i guess) but more than anything want that 6/8 pack.
Any Tips would be greatly appriciated 🙂
Regards,
Ant
Losing weight takes dedication to diet.
jw why is it the one customized for women has more reps?
Women typically respond better to a slightly higher rep range, and they are more likely to adopt a routine that uses higher reps, only because they think they will get too big if they lift heavy weights. This is a myth, but many women refuse to believe that it is not true.
Thank you. And how many weeks would you say this should be done in a row? Because in the werewolf workout you say that every third day should be taken off so you aren’t overworked. this one is 6 days a week and i dont want to overwork myself too much to where it does more damage than good.
With this workout, you’re only doing half hour HIIT sessions every other day, which are not as taxing as the upper body and lower body workouts in Werewolf Training. That being said, you can probably use this routine for 6 weeks or so, then maybe do one week with only the resistance training workouts, or only the HIIT workouts, or just take a full active recovery week. Then repeat.
Thanks. I started on friday and im going to do it for at least 6 weeks and maybe longer if I’m not quite at the weight I want to be by then, and after I’m going to start there werewolf workout. I did notice today that the print out and the workout on the site are different on day 3. On the print out it says sit ups and bicycle for the second and third, and on the site it says step ups and leg raises. Are one of them updated or are they just 2 different things you can do that day?
Better off going with what the web page says rather than the spreadsheet.
So is this the program for me if I want to loose fat and gain some muscle? I’m tempted to just do the werewolf for muscle and do some cardio on my own, what do you think?
Go for it. Either option should work.
Steve, for two years now, i have been working out without a plan or idea what i was doing, I’d lift when i felt like it, and curled om some days. then i found your routine for gaining strength, and now I’m wondering if i can still gain muscle mass by just following your routine. i also want to try out for the running back position, would this program help me?
if you are 10 pounds under weight and have more fat than muscle, would you still reccomend this program
Depends on your percent body fat. If you have high bodyfat of more than 20% then you could stand to get down to 15% bodyfat if you want, but if your bodyfat is less than 20% now and you are under weight, then maybe you should work on adding some muscle first.
what is a alternative for the HIIT for jump roping if you dont know how to jump rope, and what is an alternative to the kickboxing drills , because there isnt space at the gym for this
please help
Choose any cardio exercise. Sprints, tabata squats, or any other exercise that you can do really fast with a lighter weight. As an alternative to kickboxing drills, simple use explosive plyometric movements like clapping push ups, box jumps, squat thrusters, etc…
Hi Steve
Do you think it is a good idea to do 20 mins of cardio the days of full body routine and the days of cardio to do tabata training for 16 minutes?
I want to loss weight as much as possible. 🙂 i’ve got last 20 pounds.
So, thank u!
Hi! I have got a question!
The HIIT part is just the cardio day? (I mean, day 2, 4 and 6)? or I have to do the super-sets in an interval of time? (like the intermediate program that has to be done in 10 seconds and then you have to do 2 giant-sets)…
Thank you! The plan looks very good, and this site is the one who has helped me a lot!
Regards.
All the time constrains are on the page. Just do the 3 sets of each super-set with the prescribed rest, then move onto the next super-set.
Hey Steve,currently I am involved in a summer weights program at my local school. I am 17, 5’11” and 195 lbs. I am not overweight as it may seem, I just have very big legs. 🙂 The weights program I am on now is working quite well, and I have been adding in some sets that will tone me up to make me look bigger. But one thing that I dont have, and have not really been working on are my abs. I have plenty of time to do a nice ab workout, even if it involves going on a long run. I already have a little bit of a definition on my stomach, but not near what i want. Even though i hate to say this, i want them to be more like Taylor Lautners. And im willing to do just about anything to get there to. Any advice on how?
Thanks a million, Nathan.
Pick 3 different exercises from the best ab exercises articles and then do as many reps as you can of each exercise. Move from one exercise to the next without rest. Once you’ve completed one set of each exercise, rest for one minute and start over at the first exercise again. Do it 3 times. If some exercises are too easy and allow you to get more than 20 reps, try to find a way to add weight to the exercise. An example might be:
1) fold ups
2) ab wheel rollouts
3) windshield wipers
Ok I will do that. I lift for about an hour and a half every day, five days a week. So should I do these excercises every day? or three times a week? Thanks again, Nathan.
I have been following this routine for the past 7 weeks and i have noticed alot of gains and strength Thanks steve am down to 212ibs from 228! What can i do to burn more fat i am trying to walk 5k every other day too the HIIT days ….. whats best for me now seem to be plateauing now
Two things:
1) Exchange the 5k walk for 25 minute HIIT or HIRT sessions.
2) Lower your total daily calories to lose fat faster.
hey steve when i use this workout for the 3 months is it ok if i only do jumpw rope for the hiit days instead of all the other exercises?and if yes how do u suppose i do it like?
Try tabata jump roping: jump as fast as you can for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, repeat for 5 minutes.
Steve, first of all I would like to thank you for all the hard work you put into this web-site, it is greatly appreciated. My question is concerining the amount of chest excercises in one week, is it too much to be doing: flat,incline, and push ups all in the same week some even a day apart?
Hi Steve! Is it possible to have som link to the different exercises? Im not from america, so i have some problems understading different words of what equipment and exercise to use. A picture or something to show the exercise would be realy helpfull.
Many thanks
Yes, I’m working on it.
ok i am 345 pounds, 30 years old, i go to the gym every morning now!!at 4am and get on the tread mill. i warm up for 2 min at lvl 3, 0 incline and then i go to 4.5 till five min mark then 5.5 till i hit one mile. i then slow down to 4.5 for 2 min and then 5.5 for 2 min then warm down at 3 again for 5 min. i get about half hour in for cardio and my heart rate stays around 145-165.
my meal plan is this
before i go to the gym i drink 20 oz of No plasmacore and right after my work out i drink a protien shake .
then i go for 5:30 breakfast and eat i guess if you put it in a measure cup roughly 2 cups of vector cereal with skim milk
one glass of oj and one glass of apple juice, i put about a cup of yogurt on my cereal as well. i get one piece of rye toast and put one condiment of peanut butter on it.
10:00
1 serving cucumbers raw not peeled
3 8 0z of water
1 orange med.
3 hard boiled egg whites
12:00
2 slice of multigrain bread
one slice cheddar cheese
2 slices of pastromi
lettuce
one condiment size mayo
3 glasses of water
1 apple not peeled
1 cup salad with one condiment of ranchers choice\
3:00
1 serving of carrots raw not baby carrots
1 serving of colliflower
3 glasses of water
7:00 is when i get back from work
1 serving of lasania
1 serving of rice white
1 serving of peas
1 serving of salad
2 glasses of water
i have a ipod with pedometer and it says at the end of the day i average from 9000 to 12000 steps a day.
i have to piss like a race horse all the time. but i want to lose weight am i on the right track and how much protien should i eat ???? i dont lift weights alot i am strong and have a big build. i am not morbidly obese i have a gut i am 6’2 and my measurements are chest 51 waist 50, hips 49.5 any help would be awesome
Sorry, one last question: is there any harm in adopting the use of the four supplements recommended in your Muscle Gain program while using this one?
One other thing: how do you go about determining the number of calories derived from Proteins, Carbs, and Fats (again, in my case, my goal weight is 180 pounds).
Also, when you talk about the amount of calories needed on training, non training, and rest days, do the words ‘less’ and ‘more’ apply to the 100-150 carb range? That is, when you say you need more carbs, does that mean to be eating at the higher end of that range, and then on the lower end of that range when fewer carbs are required?
Hey Steve,
This appears to be a sound and thoroughly well developed program, one which I am looking forward to trying. I do have a question on the recommended sequence of different workouts, though. I notice that, in some of the comments, you suggest Muscle > Strength > Fat Burning as the different workouts to pick up once you have reached your goal with each respective workout, and in other cases, you’ve recommended Fat Burning > Muscle > Strength.
Which one would you recommend starting with? In my particular case, I already have a decent amount of muscle mass, though am still overweight (205 pounds, am attempting to hit 180). I’d like to lose fat while adding some moderate muscle gains, and it seems like this is the type of workout ideally suited towards that goal, but is this what you recommend I start with before moving on the Muscle building workout?
Also, is it possible to stick to this precise routine for a period of three months without plateauing, or do there need to be some slight variations made to the rep range and exercises?
Many thanks.
I recommend Fat Burning > Muscle > Strength > Repeat for people who are not currently comfortable with their current body composition. Always lose fat first before attempting to gain anything. Alternately, I recommend Muscle > Strength > Fat Burning > Repeat for those who are completely satisfied with their current body fat content.
hey steve, im 18 and 155 abt 5ft 11 and i want to lose belly fat and get ripped since i havent done much weightlifting at all…what kind of program do u recommend i use and how long?
Follow this routine for 3 months.
Hi Steve:
Thank you for your efforts on this wonderful routine, I’m 5’7 and 141 pounds, I want to lose fat and get ripped and then build muscle, I’m thinking this routine should go first and once I’m a little ripped the werewolf building muscle one next, I’ve been running for two weeks, daily and lost 5-6 pounds, so what do you think? Any Help is appreciated.
I’m on a diet maybe you know it, the zone diet, my daily intake is 99 g of carbs, 77 g of prot. and 33 g of fat. Should I change it? Hopefully at the end look as close as Taylor Lautner ( So I can fill my shirts 🙂 )
Sounds like a good plan man. Let me know how it turns out.
I am a novice and while I have been in shape enough to do wide grip pulls ups in the past, right now I am not. Is there a good substitute or a good way to make gains in that area.
Thanks,
Eric
Increase the number of pull ups you can do by 50% in one day.
How to use the 20 Pull-Ups program with a standard weightlifting routine.
Steve, I apologize if your reading this question for a second time
but i have somehow lost track of where i asked you this question
before.You suggested i work out with “fat-loss for men” training
a little while back and i was wondering why the routine combined
upperbody and lowerbody workouts on the same day? I always thought
and have heard that you should keep those two seperate?? Also i
would like to know how much rest should i take in between sets on
those very same weight lifting days?
Hey steve, I currently train in MMA and i was looking for a workout routine with weight lifting in it. Do you recommend using this workout routine. Does this routine have a good carry over to MMA and i was wondering on switching day 2 and day 4 for cavemen training instead?
Thanks,
Cole
I recommend this routine, but it may not be the very best routine for MMA. MMA training should focus more on conditioning than fat loss, and should train you to perform optimally in 3-5 minute intervals. Strength and power are important, but so is endurance. I’m not 100% sure what is involved with Caveman Training, although I think I once knew. Crossfit is actually a pretty tight training routine for MMA fighters.
If you took this routine and added some serious HIRT sessions nearly every day, you would have something similar to Crossfit training.
Hey Steve, just wanted to update you with my progress. After starting off at 155 in January I gone through 3 cycles of werewolf muscle gain training, 2 cycles of werewolf strength training, and I have just finished my recovery week and now I am on day 2 of this fat loss routine. I currently weigh 170 pounds, which was my goal weight before I started all of this. I would just like to say thanks and I will continue to keep you posted.
Hey Melvin, that’s super sweet dude. How have your strength gains been? Muscle gains? Fat gains and fat loss? Keep it up bro.
im considering trying biotest surge, but its pretty pricey…$58 for 24 servings. are there any other PWO supplements you would recommend as an alternative?
You could always drink a Boost or some other meal replacement protein shake. One way or another you should focus on getting about 25 grams of protein and 40 grams of carbs within 20 minute of finishing a workout. Biotest Surge is the best post workout supplement I’ve used, that’s all I know.
hey steve i’m 17 i am 148 but over weight.I have been working out since i was 15 but no results at all,im still 148.I’ve tried bowflex,free weights,and no results!Do you have any advice i can use
So, is your goal to lose fat or to gain muscle? You will probably say ‘both’, but you really need to choose one or the other. Since you say you are overweight, I recommend you follow the full body fat loss routine for 2 months. Make sure you use max intensity when you lift and eat healthy food. As long as you are eating and training properly, you will make progress. The fact that you haven’t made progress means you are not doing those things right. Therefore, you should read some nutrition posts and try the Project Swole routine I mentioned above. Let me know how it goes.
Steve, How much weight should I use on this program. Do I use a weight that causes me to fail on the last rep? Thanks.
Choose a weight that causes you to fail on the last rep of the last set. You don’t want to hit failure before the last set on any exercise, because that makes it difficult for you to hit a PR on your last set.
Thanks! Since 1 Jan 10, I have lost 35 lbs through cleaning up my diet/tons of cardio and want to start weight lifting. I want to lose about 10 more lbs and build muscle so I was doing the fat loss workout, then werewolf muscle and then werewolf stength programs. Does that sound like the right order to do the workouts for my situation? If so, how long should I do each plan. Thanks alot.
Try using each routine for about 2 months before switching. Muscle > Strength > Fat Loss > Repeat is a good plan.
Would it be ok to switch deadlifts on day 5 for rack pulls? and if i do should i add a hamstring exercise to that day?
Yes you can switch, and no you shouldn’t add a hamstring exercise that day.
Thanks once again steve for helping me out . Im gonna start with fat loss routine from today and take a before and after photo to post it here. Another question that i have is am i supposed to drink protiens shakes during this routine and what should my diet consist of for losing fat?
You’re not supposed to drink protein shakes, but you can drink them, and if you do it can only help. For losing fat, multiply your goal bodyweight by 12 and adjust from there based on whether or not you lose fat after the first two week. Keep protein around .8-1 gram per pound of bodyweight. Carbs should be 70-120 grams a day, 120 on workout days, 70 on days when you get no exercise. Healthy fat should make up the rest of the calories – consider eggs, nuts, seeds, flax oil, extra virgin olive oil, and salmon.
Hey steve im gonna start this routine from today and then when i lose my fat i will start with the werewolf routine as you recommended to me. Now which werewolf routine should i start with? strength or gain muscle. As i would like to be ripped and as well as have strength for playing rugby.
Thanks and hope to get a reply from u.
I’d go with the strength gains routine first I think. You aren’t really looking to add muscle, but instead you want to lose fat and gain strength, so I think Werewolf Training for Strength Gains is for you.
hi, how do you do the rowng?? and also can i replace sprinting woth something else( my gym doesn’t have enough space for me to run) thanks
Does the gym have a rowing machine? Can you run outside? What about jumping rope or kickboxing? There are a million conditioning exercises you can do, and most of them don’t need to be done in the gym at all.
Thanks so much for posting this workout. It has really helped me in shedding fat & maintaining muscle. My question is now I’m almost finishing this 2month phase & I’m not sure where to go from here with my training regiment.
Want to gain muscle, gain strength, get conditioned, lose more fat? What’s your next goal?
I definitely want to continue to burn fat & build lean muscle. I started out the week after thanksgiving @ 275lbs.I did an all dumbell workout using a 4day split upperbody tues/thurs & lower body wed/fri for 8wks than I rested for 1wk. Than I did your fat loss workout for 8weeks. I actually used heavy weights for your workout & actually saw great gains in strength as well as burning fat. I’m just doing hiit cardio this week (weighted cardio,weighted sit-ups,jump-roping,sprints,as well as elyptical work this week mixed with some high rep training in circuits because I’m going on vacation next week & i don’t want to start a new phase until I get back. I weighed myself monday & i was @ 248lbs. what do you think?
I think if you want to continue to gain strength and lose fat, you should keep doing what you’ve been doing. If you want to focus more on building muscle for a while, switch to Werewolf Training for Muscle Gains for 2 cycles, hit Werewolf Training for Strength Gains for 2 cycles, then go back to the fat loss workout for 2 cycles. Nothing like getting big and strong, then shredding it up.
Thx, I will keep u posted on my progress!
I was wondering if you could make me up or know any good meal plans for a person trying to lose weight however it would have to be suitable for muslims. Also what supplement should i take if i am trying to loose weight
Not quite sure what a Muslim diet would entail. Try supplementing with protein shakes and restricting your diet to vegetables, fruits, lean meat, fish, nuts, and legumes. Try Biotest Hot Rox Xtreme for weight loss.
Ok, so say your doing
b1) Chest – Incline dumbbell press
reps: 7/7/7
b2) Calves – Standing calf raise
reps: 7/7/7
first you do 1 set of 7 reps of incline dumbbell press, then without rest go to standing calf raise and do 1 set of 7 reps then rest a bit, and then go over it as many times sets there are?
True.
hey steve, i was jsut wondering how many months you can use this routine for?
Probably 2 or 3 months before switching over to something different, or at least changing some things up.
Thanks so much for posting this workout. it has really helped me in shedding fat & maintaining muscle. My question is now I’m almost finishing this 2month phase & I’m not sure where to go from here with my training regiment.
Hey Steve, what does the letters mean in each exercise? like the a) and b1 and b2?
Those are supersets. If someone has a number 1 then the exercise with the number 2 should be executed immediately after the 1, without rest. Then rest a minute before starting over at 1 again.
Hey Steve, I’m just wondering, how long should i used this workout? Would 2 months be the maximum before i should change to another routine?
2 months isn’t really the maximum, but you’d probably want to at least change some exercises, reps, or your goals just to keep the whole atmosphere from getting stale. Consider spending 2 months on fat loss, 2 months on muscle gain, and 2 months on strength gain. Do that twice each year and you’ll be golden.
Hey Steve,
I just read your article, I’m going to give it a shot for two weeks and see how it goes. Looks . . . exhaustive, in more ways than one!
thanks for the tips!
How is it going so far?
for super sets ie b1 b2: do you do the reps for b1 and b2 then rest or do you go through all the sets before resting?
B1, no rest, B2, rest, repeat.
Is this effective for an 18 year old, or would you not recommend it?
I would recommend it.
And in your opinion, would you recommend doing this for about 6-10 weeks then switching to the strength training plan of yours?
Yeah that sounds like a great idea. Or just do 1 month of fat loss, 1 month of muscle gain, 1 month of strength gain, repeat.
I’m on creatine right now, should I continue to take it even if I go on a fat loss program like this?
You can stay on creatine while trying to lose fat. It’s good take a break from creatine for a month or so a couple times a year anyway.
Haha I was hoping to hear that.. creatine works well for me, but yea I go on month cycles and take all the precautions like drinking a gallon or two of water a day
actually I just wanted to ask one more thing, if i do this workout after trying to put on muscle weight, will the body workout be enough to keep me from losing the new muscle i gained from the fat loss days?
In my opinion, you should be fine.
Thanks Steve!! You gear so many different things. I appreciate the advice.
Steve,
I am a novice and while I have been in shape enough to do wide grip pulls ups in the past, right now I am not. Is there a good substitute or a good way to make gains in that area.
Thanks,
Eric
Steve,
When doing my HIIT I enjoy doing sprints. I usually use the treadmill.I was told for a reall HIIT you go hard for a certian amount of time and then need to bering your heart rate back down to a resting pace. Now on a treadmill you have the variableof having to lower the speed and that does not get you to intense to the resting. I have beenn doing 30 second sprint and then step off let the treamill get back to my rest pace then get back on. The same way for when I speed up. I get off to the side speed up and then get on for the sprint. Is that ok. Does it matter if you stay on the treadmill as the speed is decresing or incresing. Help??
You can stay on the treadmill when the speed is increasing or decreasing. You don’t need to get back down to your resting heart rate between sprints. You can walk, jog, jump rope, use jumping jacks, or whatever; the point is to rest just enough for a couple minutes that you can exert maximum effort when you sprint again. Lately I’ve been sprinting, walking back for 1/2 the lap, jogging back for 1/2 the lap, then I prep myself to sprint again for about 20 seconds and GO. At no time does my heart rate get back to resting.
It is my opinion that if you aren’t still getting some moderate intensity exercise between sprints, you are just wasting precious calorie-burning minutes, and you might as well just use 45 minutes of boring endurance cardio if that’s the case, because at least you continue to exercise for the full session.
Hey Steve, two quick questions. One, on the Day 1 workout, would it be ok to switch pull ups and shoulder presses? And in general is it ok to switch two exercises in the same super set?
The other one is for the HIIT I’ve been just doing sprints instead of mixing it up with jump rope, rowing, etc. Are sprints fine or would it be more beneficial to mix it up a bit?
You can switch the exercises on some super-sets. If the super-set was chest and calves, then I wouldn’t switch because chest is far more important than calves.
You can stick with just sprints. I only change it up in my example workouts so people can see that it’s pretty easy to be creative by coming up with a HIIT routine that is effective and also not boring.
Hey Steve, I was wondering which routine will be more effective on fat loss (with maximum muscle retention. Would it be this? or the HIRT workouts?
Either HIIT or HIRT is effective for losing fat and retaining muscle. HIIT is a little better for cardiovascular conditioning.
This looks like a great work out Steve. I’m still confused on the full body HIIT. Can you post an example of a 25 mintute full body HIIT? Is it HIRT?
Robert: An example full body HIIT routine? OK, here goes:
Answering this question has prompted me to start a Workout of the Day category and occasionally post some ideas for HIIT and HIRT routines. You’ll see this one posted first, but I’ve gotta whip up a header graphic for it. =) For now I’ll just publish it here in the comments.
steve, is it ok to do fully body instead of half body HIIT only?
and is it ok if i do only 2 exercise only? for example jumping jacks and push ups only?
All of those things are perfectly fine as long as you use maximal intensity.
what do you mean by using maximum intensity?
can u give me some examples of full body HIIT?
Hi steve
my query is not yet answered, please let me know the reason
Regards
Paul
Because I have been busier than you can imagine, Paul. I’ll try to get to all the older comments ASAP.
Hi Steve
thanks, will wait for your response
Regards
Paul
Great website very informative. I was wondering if you would recommend any supplement that would help me burn fat with this routine
V: You can try Biotest Hot-Rox Extreme or Nutrex Lipo 6 Black.
steve is it ok if we do full body HIIT instead of upper/lower body HIIT only? and is it ok if we can only do 2 HIIT exercises? e.g. jumping jacks and push ups only?
i am 49 year old man working for more than 5 years, can i use this routing to make gains, since the reps are in the lower side, was worried about injury
regards
Paul
HI Steve
let me add details
right now i am on this schedule
week one
Monday(2sets 25-40rep), wednesday(3sets 8-10reps), Friday(2sets 25-40reps) totalbody workout three days cardio cycling, walking running 20 min
week two
Monday(2sets 15-25rep), wednesday(3sets 8-10reps), Friday(2sets 15-25) totalbody workout
three days cardio cycling, walking running 30 min
Regards
Paul
If you are going for endurance and fat loss you are on the right track. If you are looking to build muscle, then not so much.
Hi Steve
thanks for the answer
let me know routine to build muscle,
for next cycle i can use it
can i try the below routine
A 7 Day Full Body Routine Plus HIIT”
or generic full body workout
Regards
Paul
To build muscle, I recommend Werewolf Training for Muscle Gains.
steve is it ok doing full body HIIT 3 times a week? and is it ok if doing 2 different exercise only?
i.e jumping jacks and jump rope only? or should i add more exercise?
That’s fine if you don’t get bored.
Wow Steve another great routine set up. Thanks again, and I will be hitting this routine after my last cycle of werewolf training for muscle gains.
It’s a month later now. Any luck?
Robert, Fran, Sputnik, and everyone else:
I modified upper HIIT to include full body HIIT. To do upper/full body HIIT simply use exercises like cable/machine rows, push ups, kickboxing, jump rope, and calisthenics like squat thrusts, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, various lateral drills, or any other exercise you can think of. The goal is to go hard for 30 seconds, moderate for 2 minutes, and repeat for like 10 minutes. Do that two or three times to complete a HIIT workout. Mix and match exercises if you want.
Hey Steve,
Good looking out….that’s what I needed…you the man…but what is upper HIIT
Steve, that’s a simple, well laid out program that should show results. Very nice.
Thanks Todd!
Hey steve, seems like a great routine. My question is, how doy you do HIIT for the upper body, ie push ups and pull ups??? wouldnt it be more like a HIRT routine.
what is an upper body HIIT? how do you do it?
I’ve got to say Steve, this routine is sexy. As soon as I finish my 3 cycles of your Muscle Gain program I’m going to hit this for 8 weeks or so. One question: On the Weighted Block step ups, it says 7 reps, that for each leg right? Your too good man.