The Hierarchy of Fat Loss
http://www.T-Nation.com/...c.do?id=1526539
by Alwyn Cosgrove

I enjoyed the article, but I'm a bit confused about the major difference between Fat Loss Factor #2 and #3.

Would anaerobic interval training be something like sledgehammer work while aerobic interval training would be cycling hard for 30 seconds and then resting for 30 seconds?

Alwyn,

I enjoyed this article because it reinforced things I have learned here but laid it out more specifically. Every time I have tried to cut fat I have screwed it up except for this time.

So far it's going well thanks to finding T-Nation and finding articles like this. I think this will help alot of people figure out part of the mysteries of fat loss while maintaining strength.

Thanks.

AC: Great great stuff as usual. I find that often times the simplest solutions are the ones that most people often times miss.

For fat loss, something everyone struggles with is diet, but this is the no. 1 important thing as you've stated..

You mention the time mangement aspect, i fall into group 1, 3 hours or less a week. You mention, several options for training, circuts, edt, complexes, etc.

My question: Do you recommend if one were to do 3 sessions a week of around 1 hour you could do all complexes one week and the next week switch it up? Can you be more specific with an example of a program that one could use for this effort?

Thanks in advance,
AAP

Great article. I'm a bit confused by the difference between no. 2 and 3 as well. Could you explain?

also, this article seems to be just pointing at Thib's recent fat loss program as a great combination of all the elements.

Thanks Alwyn. This was a very good recap of your presentation at the Perform Better seminar in Boston. It's good to have it in article format as well.

I'm curious by the way, what do you recommend in terms of post-exercise food intake following the #1 resistance training protocol? If a client's main goal is to reduce bodyfat and they are a beginner, I'm assuming you'd have them consume primarily protein?

Thanks.

-Matt

Fantastic article.

I'd just like to say that I think HIIT, complexes and all of the other hard stuff is really, really fun & enjoyable. Maybee, I'm just a masochist who can't spell.

apuraja: in order to save Alwyn the need to shamelessly plug one of his products, I will direct you to New Rules of Lifting. In this book Alwyn (with Lou Schuler) outlines various programs for fat loss (and strength and hypertrophy), with everything explained in detail.

And at a mere $17 (in hardback!) from Amazon.com, it's great value for money:

http://www.amazon.com/...e/dp/1583332383

Love this article AC, I just bought Afterburn and I can see the principles you mention in the article appear in your program.

Great article. A few questions:

What would be an example of HIIT? I tried searching for some examples here without luck.

When doing barbell complexes do you use the same weight throught the different exercises. Would the heavy lifting examples you gave be done at the beginning of a workout?

Would the anabolic Diet be ok for this type of training, if not what else could I use?

Coach,

1. Could you provide some parameters for the difference between HIAnaerobicIT and HIAerobicIT? Presuming there is a 1:2 ratio to work in both protocols, I'm thinking anaerobic would be 10-20 seconds of sprint (20-40 seconds recovery) and aerobic would be 45-90 seconds sprint (90-180 seconds recovery). Or is it simply more about effort and not really related to these time protocols?

2. If this represents your latest thoughts on fat loss, is this the same as reflected in your Aferburn program?

Alwyn,
Great article! The timing couldn't have been better for me. I needed a change up in my routine and this will be great. This is one old boy in Montana that really appreciates the range of things that you guys do. Keep up the great work!

I liked the quote from Dan John. He seems nice.

Coach,

Great article, and obviously with the summer coming up, the timing couldn't be better.

I always find your articles to be well thought out and informative. I, too, would second or third the question regarding aerobic vs anaerobic HIIT, and where exactly you would consider the cut off point. Thanks for another great one.

Alwyn,

I really enjoyed this article. This information coupled with your teleseminar last evening were quite educational.

I can attest to the benefits of raising EPOC. I used to do a lot of steady state aerobics, but after switching to your fat loss programs in the NROL book I've burned off about 25 lbs. This is despite eating slightly above maintenance. It is very true that 'calories out' is affected greatly by metabolic disturbance. The results are exponential.

Hello Alwyn,

Question: What is the difference between "high intensity interval training" and "aerobic interval training?"

Great article. I've been waiting to read something like this for sometime now. You recommendation of not trying to do two things hits home with me as I try to accomplish several goals at one time.



Cheers
GuavaLove

Good point, Mike. I think following the hierarchy in its entirety is actually a great way to STAY lean while still eating a nice amount of calories. Maybe moreso than trying to do all that while on a earnest diet. I'd like to hear Alwyn's thoughts on this. Hope he jumps in.

I was wondering about the circuit training protocol he talks about. He didn't really give a good example of it unless the PL-BB exercises was it? I'm confused about that and was wondering if someone could explain the layout of it a little better.

I recently found out I'm allergic to dust mite.

Also, I'm struggling to lose fat without much success.

Someone told me the allergy would hinder weight loss. I've been googling for a couple of hours now, but haven't found anything useful. You think there's some truth in it?

Great article.

I wish I knew this stuff a few years ago.

Alwyn,

Quick question for you. I'm about 2 weeks from finishing your Afterburn II. What next? Rest, restart, etc. if focus is still to get to a ridiculously low bodyfat%. Thanks.

Nick Radonjic

Is the first picture in the article a tongue-in-cheek? The guy has some serious love handles.

Great article for the season!