By John Alvino

It has been stated that a non-chemically enhanced lifter cannot get stronger while on a fat loss program.

The popular justification for this claim is that in order to lose fat, you need to create a caloric deficit through dieting and higher volume training. And caloric deficits are NOT conducive to gaining strength or building muscle.

This is why when most people want to get stronger and/or bigger, they go on a high calorie diet and reduce their training volume. Unfortunately, this usually results in unwanted gains in body fat. It’s a classic catch 22 scenario.

Then, when they try to drop their recently gained body fat, they usually follow a typical fat loss protocol (low carbs/low calorie diets, high intensity cardio, high volume resistance training), and although they may lose some fat, they can kiss their strength gains goodbye. And then they are right back where they started.

Does it have to be this way? Or can you lose your unwanted body fat while INCREASING your strength simultaneously? The good news is yes: you can (and should) increase strength while decreasing body fat.

In order to accomplish this, you must focus on three different aspects. Here they are:

1) Target the nervous system with your training - To a large degree, your strength is a function of the efficiency of your nervous system. This is because your nervous system is responsible for synchronizing and activating your motor units. For those of you who don’t know, a motor unit consists of a bunch of muscle fibers and a motor nerve cell.

Increased synchronization and activation basically means you will be able to utilize more motor units per contraction. This phenomenon will increase your strength dramatically.

How do you target the nervous system? Well, there are two ways to make significant neural gains.

The first is to lift heavy weights. In fact, the weights must be 85% or more of your 1 rep max. This will result in performing sets of 1-5 reps each.

The second way is to move the resistance at high speeds. Any type of explosive movement will do the trick here. Examples of explosive movements are jumping, plyo pushups, Olympic exercises and various med ball drills.

It is important to note that the nervous system can take up to 10 times longer to recover than the muscular system can. Therefore, in order to maximize this training technique, you should be sure to get near full recovery in between sets. For an experienced lifter, this could result in up to 4-5 minutes between sets.

2) Maintain or increase your lean muscle mass. This is critical, because even if you make neurological gains, you can still compromise your strength if you lose muscle tissue.

There are two things you must do to increase muscle mass during your fat loss program.

The first muscle boosting trick will involve your nutrition. The key is to NEVER stay sub caloric (below maintenance level of calories) or carb depleted for more than 3 consecutive days. Obviously you will need to reduce calories in order to lose fat.

Just don’t keep them low every day. Keeping them low everyday will result in losses in lean muscle mass. Instead, lower your calories and carbs on light training or off days and then INCREASE both carbs and calories on HEAVY training days.

The second trick is to include some hypertrophy sets in your routine. Hypertrophy sets involve using a weight which allows you to get 6-10 repetitions. The key is to keep the volume low on these sets.

Do not exceed more than 4 total hypertrophy sets for each movement pattern. More than that can result in overtraining and/or muscle loss.

Additionally, these sets should ALWAYS follow your heavier neural sets.

3) Stay hydrated and nutrient loaded. Training at high intensities while dieting can result in dehydration. This will decrease your strength and thus negatively impact your workouts and future gains.

The obvious way to try and combat this is to drink plenty of water. Be sure to drink a daily minimum of half of your bodyweight in ounces of water. Although drinking a sufficient amount of water is important, it is not enough all by itself to maintain a high level of strength performance.

Additionally, 30-45 minutes before your heavy workouts, consume a liquid meal consisting of 30 grams of protein, 500 mg of magnesium, ¼ tsp of salt, 5 grams of glutamine, 5 grams of BCAA’S and 60 grams of carbs.

This will help jam nutrients into the body, thus improving workout performance.

I have used this protocol with great success with many of my clients. But just recently, I put this protocol to the test on myself for 6 weeks. Here are my results:

Starting weight – 211lbs

Finishing Weight - 202lbs

Starting Body Fat% – 13%

Finishing Body Fat% – 8 ½ %

Trap Bar Deadlift Starting Max – 505lbs

Trap Bar Deadlift Finishing Max – 545lbs

I also did a Trap Bar Deadlift rep test. The test was simply 405 for max reps. At the beginning of this program, I was able to get 11 reps. After just 6 weeks, I was able to pull 20. Here is the video:

405lb Trap Bar Deads for 20 Reps!

I also performed a similar before and after test using a Military Press.

Standing Military Starting Max – 175lbs

Standing Military Starting Max – 205lbs

Those were the only two exercises I took maxes on. These are very good results. For strength athletes, the benefits of this protocol are obvious. But this is incredibly beneficial to anyone who looking to lose body fat as well. Give this protocol a try, You’ll be glad you did!

About the Author

John Alvino is a strength And Conditioning Coach, Fat Loss Coach, Vegetarian, Fitness Author, MMA Junkie, Ex Convict and Pit Bull Advocate from Morristown, NJ

Get his killer new FREE report at www.johnalvino.com

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"I want more weight, I want to beat him"

Lou Ferrigno probably had one of the biggest, best backs in bodybuilding back in the 70′s.  He was just a massive dude all around.  Here is a pic of him doing some bent over rows.  One of the best mass builders for the upper back, along with pull-ups.

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THIS KILLER POST AFTER THE JUMP

I’ve always loved back training because it is one of my “good” areas.  I’m naturally a skinny guy (and getting skinnier ) but I’ve had a solid set of arms and a good back.

Here are two awesome exercises that are linked together in a power combination (two compound exercises done in succession).  They could be called a “power” combination for two reasons:

• they have a powerful impact on your muscle growth, activation or strength
• the 1-2 exercise could be high mu (motor unit) activation, high intensity movements

If you are short for time, and need a fast muscle building workout, try a power combination.

Loaded Pull-ups

Any version of pull-ups is a good thing when you are trying to build up your arms, back and grip all at the same time.  There are many ways to overload pull-ups, here we are using chains.  On the last set, I drop chains off as I fatigue.  You can do a similar technique with a dip belt and unload the weight as you progress.

See Also:  ULTIMATE PULL-UP VIDEO

Ab Roll-Outs

If you’ve purchased the best core training DVD or core training system on the NET, Combat Core, then you know there are many categories of core training that you can rotate into your workout or program.  This category is a static core training posture where the upper body is moving.

Again, the movement is overload with chains.  Key coaching tips are:

• brace the abdominals, back and glutes prior to moving
• create tension in the lats during the entire exercise

PS.  For a complete muscle building system, check out AMD

PPS.  For a killer core training DVD, check out Combat Core

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We just ordered a bunch of new Diesel Shirts with our classic Diesel Skull design.

They are available in Military Green, Red, Orange, and Gray.

They are available from Medium to multiple XL.

The price is $20 plus $5.95 for shipping within the United States and$11.95 Internationally.

You can send the money with Paypal to jedd.diesel@gmail.com, or to the following address:
(please make the checks payable to Jedd Johnson)

Jedd Johnson
PO Box 806
Wyalusing PA 18853

I know a lot of you have written about the shirts, so sorry for the delay.

We are also looking into tee shirt sizes for the children, if there is enough interest. Please leave a comment below if you’d like to get one for your kid(s) so we can see what the interest is. Thanks!
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I wanted to show you a quick exercise that I’ve used over the years to not only build muscle but to strengthen the shoulder complex. You have to see this!

Full Range Front Raises

How to Execute:

1. Grab a barbell with a double overhand grip
2. Raise the barbell from the start position to a position locked overhead.

Benefits

• Building the shoulder through a complete range of motion (ROM)
• Improves decelerative extension strength

Recommendations: For those with shoulder issues, perform this exercise by grabbing the outside of an Olympic plate.  This will allow you to keep your hands in a neutral position with is an easier position for the shoulder (less irritation to any pre-existing rotator cuff issues).

Try this killer Upper Body Workout this weekend, focusing on building massive shoulder muscle.

1)  Barbell Military Press, 4×8

2a)  Barbell Full Front Raises, 4×10

2b)  Barbell Shrugs, 4×20

3a)  Pull-ups, 3×10

3b) Posterior Flyes, 3×12

Leave a comment with your favorite shoulder exercises!

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I was walking by this lady’s cubicle the other day and I saw a sign that read:

Think Thin

I thought about it for a second and it really pissed me off.

Think thin is such a cop out.  Think thin all you want, it doesn’t make that hamburger and fries that you ate for lunch go away.

To have a sign like that in your office means that you hope that by thinking thin, it will help you be thin.  Or it will help you reach your goals.  Whether it be building muscle, losing fat or fitting into that dress.

Those types of signs and that type of mentality are what’s wrong with society.  People want excuses.  They want the easy way out.  I will think thin and magically I will be thin.

WAKE UP!

It is time to start taking responsibility.

No more BS.  Get off your ass and start doing something!  Anything!  Quit blaming others, quit using the “I have no time” excuse, quit “thinking thin”.

Because you know what works?

• Hard Work
• Consistency
• Dedication
• Ownership
• Focus
• Real, attainable short term / long term goals
• Planning
• A good program
• Support from friends and family
• Keeping track in a lifting / diet journal

What is NOT Important?

MATCHING YOUR OUTFIT TO THE SWISS BALL YOU ARE USING AT THE GYM – Sorry Diddy!  (Is he even sweating?)

So, to get you started the right way, I want to dispel some common fitness myths and give you some essential tips for optimizing your fitness workouts.

Top 7 Tips for Build Muscle and Losing Fat

1.  Get Moving…Consistently!

Like I said, you have to do something…anything!  Get off the couch, get out from in front of the TV and move yo’ ass.  Do I sound harsh?  I’m trying to be!  I am sick and tired of people making excusing and then complaining all the time.

When you get home from work, go outside and take a walk.  Do some push-ups, do some lunges – just get moving.  And it you think you need hours and hours each day, you’re wrong.  10-15 minutes of moving, stretching, doing bodyweight exercises will add up very quickly in a week.  Start slow and do 3 times a week and as you progress, do 4 or 5 times a week if you want.  Now do this each week over the course of a month, 3 months and a year.  Be consistent!

2.  Progression

After you start moving again on a consistent basis, you will hit a plateau.  Remember, ALL PROGRAMS WORK UP UNTIL A CERTAIN POINT.  Then, they stop working.  That is when you either look for a new program, or learn how to create your own programs.  If a muscle building program is good, it teaches you have to make informed decisions based on your individuals needs.  It also teaches you moving forward how to adjust your program to continue to make progress.

The Most Common Ways to Increase the Intensity of Your Training Session:

• Modify Rest Periods
• Varying the Load
• Increasing the Speed of Movement
• Progressing from Isolated to Compound Movements

All of these components can be grouped together into a principle called the Principle of Progressive Overload.

3.  Keep a Training / Diet Journal

The only way to stay consistent with your diet is to monitor exactly what you eat everyday.  If you record this in a journal, you will be very surprised how much you are eating or NOT eating.  Eating a good quality protein source every 2 hours and having the majority of your complex carbs for your first meal and the meal immediately following your workout is a great, very basic way to start being consistent with your diet.  Also, setting a goal to drink a gallon of water a day and elminating sugary drinks will pay off big time.

On the other side, also keeping a training journal for your training is priority one.  If you don’t know where you’ve been, how can you know what your destination is.  A training log allows you to lay out your microcycle (short term periodized succession of workouts).  It also shows you immediately what weights (load) and exercises you did for your last similar workout.

A cool thing to use for a training journal is a calendar. The dates are already there and you can get one with lots of space for each day.  It is laid out for you in weekly blocks.

4.  Get Your Balance On

This is something that was driven home by Alwyn Cosgrove’s Periodization Design Bible.   In it, Alwyn really teaches how to design a sound program on the foundation that movements and movement patterns should be balanced.  The volume for a push movement has to be balanced with the volume of the pull movements.  This will ensure that muscle groups and joints (kinetic chain linkage) are antagonistically strong and the body creates appropriate tension when presented with the opportunity to overcome a weight.

I’ve been very fortunate to have many mentors.  Alwyn Cosgrove, Jim Wendler, Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson, James Smith, Ross Enamait and many others.  These guys have influenced me and shaped my training style.  The idea is – read every thing that is reputable.   I used to tell trainers always read everything and never STOP LEARNING.  But now, I tell them read everything from reputable resources.  It is very important who you read and what you apply. All trainers are NOT created equal.

5.  Do Not Specialize

Try many different sports, not necessarily your best one

Olympic weightlifters specialize for Olympic weightlifting.

Powerlifters specialize for powerlifting.

Girevoy (kettlebell) sport specialize for kettlebells.

If you are talking about building muscle and strength, you have a variety of options.  The problem is lifters stay on a program too long or without progressive overload and they plateau.  Always challenge yourself!

When talking about athletes of all ages, they need a wide variety of training adaptations and protocols.  Sometimes those who “specialize” think that their training is the ULTIMATE TRAINING and everyone should be only doing that.  Well, they’re wrong.

Yes you can get strong with kettlebells, yes you can get strong with barbells, yes you can get strong with dumbbells….it ALL WORKS!  These are tools but it is all dependent upon how you use these tools.  When training athletes, you must make a choice on how to choose the right training protocols (yes plural) after and only after you analyze the following:

• the training maturity (how long they’ve been training) of the athlete / lifter
• the sporting age (how long they’ve been playing their sport(s)) of the athlete / lifter
• the metabolic, physiological and neurological demands of the sport
• the movement patterns of the sport
• the athlete or lifter’s ability to adhere to the prescribed training and restorative modalities (sleep, massage, foam roller, good nutrition, etc.)
• the athlete / lifter’s current injuries and / or stage of recovery
• many others – this is just a short list

Side Note to all You Trainers Out There:  Your training is NOT FUNCTIONAL.  It is NOT FUNCTIONAL if you are talking about athletic performance and you are NOT PLAYING THE ACTUAL SPORT.  Remember that.

6.  Recovery

Ever sat on a lacrosse ball?  No, not THAT WAY!  I’m talking about using lacrosse balls to improve your soft-tissue quality and extensibility.

You should!

They can be very effective (because of their density) at removing scar tissue, adhesions and trigger points.

In ACS, one of the foundational manuals in the AMD muscle building system, I talk at length about the importance of foam rolling (and LaX balls) every workout or during your non-training days.  The improvement to your strength and overall movement will be huge.

Other forms and self myofascial release or SMR are:

• the Stick
• foam rollers
• tennis balls
• golf balls

7.  Dedication

You have to be dedicated to the program…any program.  Without this dedication and support system (friends, twitter, facebook groups) you will never follow through.  If you are serious about changing your life, finally, then you must dedicate yourself everyday.  Tell people about your goals, this gives accountability.

Even when you’re tired.

Even when the kids are driving you crazy.

Even when work sucks.

Even when you have absolutely no time in the day, find the time.

Even when no one thinks you can do it.

Even when everything has failed.

Try again.

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Here are some new muscle building videos I just uploaded to the AMD Youtube channel.

Each one is unique in that they develop a different aspect of strength.  Card tearing is brute strength endurance, curl to press develops the upper back by linking two exercises together and zercher back extensions develop the posterior chain.

Card Tearing

Curl-to-Press

Zercher Back Extensions

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