Need Advice From Fitness Trainers

I have to agree, a good hard, intense workout is so much fun! I have been reading your posts for a year now, and have tried to comment whenever possible, and always follow your advice. Which has helped my business gain more notariety and has helped me land several clients. I'm no working on my own 100k year between now and next August :O)

My recommendation is to go with Option No. 2. First and foremost, your motivation will keep you flowing steadily until you reach your goal. So while it will take 3 times as long, your chances of plateauing are less than Option No. 1, which is less satisfying for you. You really do maintain a more intense motivating force when your following a program that you enjoy.

Both options do allow you to achieve your goal, with obviously different time frames, and allowances. However, the first option, not being the one you enjoy could actually take you the same amount of time as your second one. Should you lose motivation, because you simply don't enjoy the program you're on, you risk the chance of plateauing because you're not putting forth the effort, and intensity that you would during a more enjoyable workout.

Get to kicking some butt!!

I don't think if you use Kettlebells and Clubbells you will loose any muscle as you lean out and would still lean out quicker. A Tacfit style protocol using different exercises 20 mins a day would work well for you. Its designed for SWAT Fire fighters etc.
AND WHY ARE YOU DOING CARDIO FOR 40 MINS research shows that it such an ineffective use of your effort.
Glad your enjoying it though at that is the most important thing as if your enjoying it you will stick it and go at with intensity.

If you aren't in a hurry…I'd go with option 2. I feel the older ( I mean more mature ) we get…the more demanding it is to replace lean mass.

option: 1

Lean and mean is the only way. But I think you can do both. Cut the carbs and keep working out how you are. Like I tell my clients, you don't need carbs – you want carbs.

Keep lifting the Heavy Tin 3x per week and GET RID OF THE CARDIO i.e. 40mins and replace it with KB 20min circuits or similar etc….

Do this and you will have a 1.5 instead of a 1 or 2 option.

Read this : nakednutritionnetwork.com/fast-safe-weight-loss-how-to-lose-3-6-pounds-of-fat-per-week/

…also has a link to another article on losing wieght while keeping the muscle!

Mike Roussell is a smart guy.

Do This :
Lift heavy 3 days a week & do some form of metabolic resistance training 3 days a week. It's effective & FUN! Higher intensity, shorter duration.

Have been eating more myself (trying to build more needed muscle). Put on 3 kgs of muscle & 1.5 kgs of fat, leaning out again now & have no fears about losing the muscle I gained.

I like being petite & strong!

Enjoy your training

PS. John Berradi's Precision Nutrition is AWESOME! My husband & kids like the food too. (I was a lousy cook before I started using this system & ate really bland boring food) Make sure you get the GN2 cookbook too – The perfect steak is recipie is so delicious!

http://www.nakednutritionnetwork.com/fast-safe-weight-loss-how-to-lose-3-6-pounds-of-fat-per-week/

That's better.

Cut out processed foods, not carbs. And kill the cardio.

Heyy Chris,

I think your #2 option looks solid, though definitely incorporate some High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

Here's some more info: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/richb3.htm

So stay away from the long cardio sessions, and replace them with bouts of 20 minutes where you go 1 minute slow, second minute FAST and HARD, 3rd minute slow, 4th minute FAST and HARD, etc, etc.

This bounces your heart rate up and down so much that you'll burn fat like CRAZY. And you'll reduce the impact of long cardio, thus maintaining more muscle.

I recently told Steve the same thing and he's been loving it.

Oh yeah, and if you do morning cardio on an empty stomach….take in at LEAST 10 grams of Amino Acids to maintain muscle (without taking in too many calories so you're still practically on an empty stomach)

Hope this helps!

I'd go with cutting out the processed foods-which nearly cuts out starchy carbs on its own, keep up with the intense resistance training and do a few sessions of 20-30mins of High Intensity Interval training to torch the fat and improve your fitness levels big time. Do stuff like KB circuits, burpees, short sprints etc instead of slow steady cardio.
Jo

Hey Chris, Id definatly go wit option 2, I loooooove lifting heavy myself so your definatly on the right track, id just cut out the long cardio, id keep it to a MAX of 20 mins and NOT doing the cardio with ur big lift days, do on a separate day or separate parts of the day. i.e morning lift and arvo cardio.

Personaly i love doing sprints, 60-100m SPRINT UR ASS OFF, then walk back, then repeat, this gets the heart BOUNCING like no ones business, raaaaaamps up the metabolic rate and also promotes muscle growth due to it increasing HGH and Testosterone in the blood stream
Just look at sprinters boddies!! ripped, toned, muscly and frigen strong!

Keep killin it mate!

Aidan

I would have to go with option 2, as your main goal, besides stripping fat is retaining lean muscle mass. The 40 mins of cardio does seem a wee bit excessive and I feel that you could still be getting just as good of a workout in a quarter of the time if you implement the Tabata method. Short, intense anaerobic drills to get the heart pumping and the fat burning. The time it takes is minimal and the improvements in overall fitness and endurance are just a couple of the great benefits this type of training offers.

You can also utilize the same protocol with your weight lifting as well, 8 x 20 sec periods of work interspersed with 10 sec rest periods. Give it a try and if you like it and it works for you, even better! Let me know what you think!

hi Chris,
Lets start with, great work so far.. option 2..Have to agree with Dana, maintaining as much lean muscle while loosing weight % body fat at a good rate..You dont want to yoyo. Im an ex-semi pro rugby union player and personal trainer/health consultant, have been doing the same as you. I like to walk into a room with big shoulders with that athletic look…(im 39) I find also using complex combination exercise gets my weight training and cardio in one go. Having a powerlifting background you should know the exercise..clean and jerk, squats,shoulder press , bent over rows, deadlifts and some kettle bell exercise.. Doing these exercises 6-8 rep no rest one after the other 2-4 sets resting for 30 to 60 sec between sets, finishing off with 10-15 push ups and 6-10 burpies 2-4 set. Add a little cardio as Aidan said to blow the roof off, sprints or shuttle runs on the beach or in sand…Im in Australia so we always have beach or sand close by… Keep up the good work..

Regards
Eugene

Funny, we are so much alike. Doing same thing as you except I'm only 5'9" and going down to 230. I am 50 yrs old and I still love being big, and I never want to be weak. I want to be able to bench 500 even in my 70's. I only use the ketogenic diet version and will not lose muscle, but burn the flipping fat off. I haven't done cardio in 18 years. Joshua is right on–we don't need carbs we want carbs.
Randy Woody
http://randywoody.com

Hey Chris…if it feels good, go with that! Fitness should leave you feeling energized and ready to take on the day, not weak and depleted. Go with option 2, just eat super clean

I was gonna say exactly what Duivis said. You don't have to change that much. First of all, you are friggen' dedicated, consistent, and kicking ass in the gym. That puts you light years ahead of most fat loss seekers. Now all you have to do is work smarter vs. harder, and you can do that with high intensity intervals.

It's kind of like how you encourage us to work in our business. Spend our time on the really important stuff– that's what gives you the ability to leverage your time and work less. The same is true of working out. Save your time AND make your cardio sessions a crazy-ton more effective by replacing the 40 minute sessions with 20 minute high intensity ones.

The cool thing about all of this though is that no matter how you do it or how long it takes, YOU ARE GOING TO DO IT. We all know you will– cuz you are an action-taker in every aspect of your life. Keep kicking ass Chris. Can't wait to see less of you in a few weeks. =)

Hey Chris. As a sprinter I usually would suggest sprinting intervals but I am not sure that would be safe on your knees with your weight. But if you do like to sprint this article will help

http://figureathlete.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/training/a_track_athletes_guide_to_great_glutes

I say ditch the long duration cardio. Do metabolic Circuits or Charles Staley's EDT (Escalated Density Training). You should get Smitty's AMD! That program is insane, leaves no stone unturned, and the cardio workouts will keep you jacked while getting you ripped.

Here is something basic from my blog…

Directions: 6 reps of each exercise go back to back for 6 rounds or total sets rest and knock out another 6 rounds

Squat and Press/Romanian Deadlifts

Jack Knife pushups on a ball/ Dumbbell Rows

If you want to get away from weights as your cardio I say jump rope if thats your thing and mix it up with some boxing. Boxing is great interval work and will help develop your shoulders and back. Besides with your size it would be nice to have a "1 hitter quitter" knockout punch.

I am glad you are changing your life. I gotta get back to my military diesel weight also.

peace man

Nii

Hey Chris, Id definatly go wit option 2, I loooooove lifting heavy myself so your definatly on the right track, id just cut out the long cardio, id keep it to a MAX of 20 mins and NOT doing the cardio with ur big lift days, do on a separate day or separate parts of the day. i.e morning lift and arvo cardio.

Personaly i love doing sprints, 60-100m SPRINT UR ASS OFF, then walk back, then repeat, this gets the heart BOUNCING like no ones business, raaaaaamps up the metabolic rate and also promotes muscle growth due to it increasing HGH and Testosterone in the blood stream
Just look at sprinters boddies!! ripped, toned, muscly and frigen strong!

Keep killin it mate!

Aidan
OH! You're my new favorite blogger fyi

S'up Chris! I'd put my $ on option 2 because I'm not a big fan of extreme calorie reduction — it's too hard to manage the energy drops and maintaining your strength is key with you loving to push/pull VERY heavy objects. Knock it out!

Chris,

I was really surprised to see that you're doing 40 minutes of cardio.

As most everyone else has already said, forget that. Go for 20 minutes max and do cardio intervals, bodyweight circuits, or metabolic resistance training. Switch it up. You'll get better results and you won't get bored.

Chris,
I see that you asked us to tell you which option looks better, one or two. Would you consider a possible third option? How about looking at your physique in proportions? No one has the perfect body but you can strive to shape different body parts to create the illusion of actually looking leaner.
Bodybuilders, beauty padgent queens, and models learn these secrets. Have you ever seen the big fat lady models and wonder why they look good even though they are fat? It is because their arms and legs are in proportion to the rest of their body.
I see from the picture above that you have very broad shoulders. You need to make sure that your chest and lats are complimenting that. Another little trick is when you have bigger triceps your biceps look bigger.
There is a lot more information I can share with you that will get you good results for all the hard work you are doing. Remember training smart is the key. Please feel free to contact me, I am happy to support you in any way I can! Good Luck!

Chris
I would cut processed foods out. I would then cut my cardio down drastically and to some interval cardio like stairmaster 20sec on 20 sec off or run intervals same times frame. I would add in some cns intensive training at the beginging of your workout ie. kb swings, prowler, sled walks, tire flips. Things of this nature help people not only drop fat but kepp muscle. Like some mention it is like have a 1.5 option.
kepp working bro
Brad

Hey Chris, bottom line if you're workout is intense enough your getting the cardio weight lifting as well. No need to sacrifice one for the other. Alternate both routines. You already have the muscle mass and want to lose the excess fat. No easy way to get there and unfortunately patience and perception is a virtue we have to impress upon our clients on a regular basis all the time. Don't mean to pontificate but you can only safely and efficiently lose 1 to 3 lbs a week anyway. Otherwise you're more likely to put it back on again and any more you're losing muscle mass and water as well. Throw in some body weight exercises and keep things interesting. I know it's something that you probably don't want to do but hey we all got think outside of the box in this industry. Besides you're less likely to plateau and build more lean muscle mass in the process. Do the math, (and i hate to use this F…cliche' but slow and steady…you know the rest) and in about 6 months you'll be where you want to be. Thanks for putting things out there Chris, Mark

The key! High intensity, explosive, anaerobic, resistance training and cardio.. TABATA style.. I'm not going to go in-depth, but the Tabata protocol is a modality that all fitness professionals( especially those who are serious about their craft) should look into. You may sacrafic some muscle size, but you will also drop a ton of body fat, which will leave you looking even more muscular and not to mention more preportionate than before..

You got the height, size and strength… Now add those last few elements and you will not just be the biggest and strongest dude in the room, but you will also be the fittest..

Branden Collinsworth
CSCS
Core Fit Las Vegas

I agree with most of the above (option 2). You want to keep your cardio at about 20 minutes (anything above would just be for fun). As for your diet, I would suggest that you stay paleo and eat at least five times a day until you aren't hungry (not until you are full). It's fairly simple. Stick with your workout and this diet, and you may see results faster than you expect.

I gotta say Michael Duivis "HIIT" the nail on the head. The 40 minutes of cardio at the constant heart rate is a waste. Interval training is the way to go. Works like a charm for all of my clients, no matter his/her experience level.

I agree with most of the above posts, keep lifting the heavy iron 3X/week, and do high intensity interval training on other days. Alternatively, you could do high intensity weights-based cardio circuits incorporating compund movements such as clean and presses, dumbell or kettlebell snatches, and other such movements. Boxing is also a great way to burn off fat while maintaining strength!!!!

Hey Chris,
40 min cardio at 130 is not the most effective use of your time. I would move to a higher intensity cardio option. I would be pushing you in around the 80-85% of MHR (using the Karvonen formula. This could be cardio machine, KB, multijoint circuits it doesn't really matter but I would want you 20 min in your zone plus warm up and cool down – 30 min total.

You are a big guy so I can appreciate that you might not be up for sprinting yet but you need to pushing your heart rate up into a more effective training zone. Good luck and cut back on the portion sizes

Keep lifting heavy. Fesdlifts squats and power presses if your in good physical shape meaning no curent injuries. Then I would toss in sled and prowler work on your off days. The prowler will shred you up big time!

Chris,

Sounds like your training like a beast and eating like one as well.

Looks like you are eating for size and working out for size.

I suggest Eat 5 meals instead of 7. ( give you more time to make more $$$ ) Eat what the cavemen ate fruits, nuts, veggies, MEAT!

Stick to the basics on your lifts. Push press, squats, dead lifts, (suspended) Push ups, pull/chin ups, and rows.No machines, You are the machine! Stay heavy, go hard. Super set when possible.

Keep the cardio short an intense. Intervals on the revolving stair stepper are awesome!

Good Luck!

Thank you for the all advise! I really appreciate it. Just your newsletters alone have brought me more $$$.

i would keep the muscle….
personally i wound do some circuit training instead some the cardio that way you can do cardio without doing cardio…

As you can tell above, the issues that keep our industry at bay are at work. Maximum of 5 people have even commented on your nutrition. Nutrition is 80% of what any program does for an individual. 400grams of protein is insanely unhealthy. Consult a registered dietician or medical doctor.

Join a Fit Body Boot Camp. I've heard they're pretty good…

Hey Chris,

Have you tried HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) instead of 40 min of cardio? Do that 2-3x per week on days that you're not lifting weights and the pounds will fly off. The good news is that it is extremely effective fat burner that allows you to keep your muscles (and actually helps you gain more muscle by naturally increasing the amount of testosterone in the body). The bad news is that it flat out sucks when you're doing it. The better news is that doing HIIT is much less time consuming (20 min tops) and you can spend those extra 20 minutes doing something you love!

Stephen Boyce
http://www.BoyceFitness.com

Chris,

Call me crazy (actually my clients already do that) but more cardio isn't a solid long term plan for getting AND staying a lean and mean rocked out machine…

You can still maintain and possibly add muscle by switching up to a bit of a higher rep scheme in the 8-12 range but push the intensity by putting together super sets..

I've gotten incredibly fast results myself and with my clients following something similar to what I've listed below:

Make Monday a lower body 'push' and upper body 'pull' day doing 3 different groups of super sets for 2 rounds each at your 8RM

Ex: Repeat this super set 2 times

–DB Squats x 8RM
–DB Bent Over Rows x 8RM

Rest 45-60 sec

Make Wednesday a day to focus on single leg and upper body accessory exercises all in the 12RM range.

Ex: Super set
–Lunges x 12RM @ each leg
–DB Lateral Raises x 12RM

Make Friday a lower body 'pull' and upper body 'push; day doing 3 different groups of super sets for 2 rounds each at your 8RM

Keep Tues & Thurs as cardio days for only 30 mins @ 60%-70% HR Max. You can opt for an additional day on Sat but if you're getting good results use your weekends for recreational activities you enjoy more.

Tips:

–If you want to get ripped seriously fast then rather than doing more cardio add 15 mins of cardio intervals at the end of your Monday and Friday workouts by doing:

3:00 @ 60%-70% Max HR

1 min @ 80%-90% Max HR
2 min @ 60%-70% Max HR

–Stay off all machines

I hope this helps you out.

I agree with #2 this is what I would suggest as a trainer. But I don't think cardio will need to be 40 mins… sticking with HIT (i have seen others mention it above) is awesome and burns way more calories than steady state cardio ever will.

I would tell you to keep lifting 3x a week better if there full body routines, do cardio 5x aweek altnating bewteen lsd and interval cardio program each day.

Option 2 is more likely the one you'll be able to stick with for the long term so go with it. However, cut the cardio to 3 days a week and perform sprint intervals (High Intensity Intervals) for a maximum of 20 minutes. Sprint intervals will max out your metabolic rate (burn fat fastest) and also improve your strength and stamina.

Sprint intervals can start with 30 seconds of all out effort followed by 90 seconds your moderate pace (1-3 ratio, balls-out vs recovery). Do that for weeks, then change up to 30 seconds all-out followed 60 seconds moderate (1-2 ratio). Do this for 4 weeks. Then for the next 4 weeks, do a 1-1 ratio with 30 seconds all-out and 30 seconds moderate. The fat will literally melt away! And ya don't have to restrict calories a whole lot.

For nutrition, check out http://warriordiet.com. I've been following the warrior diet for about 15 months strait so far and I'm stronger than I've ever been and pretty damn lean as well. Anyway, check it out.

Ok Chris-

If you're serious about really getting healthy AND feeling absolutely amazing(cause in reality the workout matter less than the eating) there is really only one way to make that happen and keep it that way…

INTERMEDIATE FASTING

During the day don't eat anything, except if you absolutely have to and if so make it 2 pieces of fruit- no bigger than your fist- 3-4 hours apart and then at night eat a very well balanced meal. Drink half your weight in ounces of water daily. You will be very healthy, feel super energized and have a very lean body.

The body is all about balance. That's what the body needs and craves. It desires to have balance, but with poisonous foods continually being consumed it cannot have that balance. So it fights back.

If you want more email me. Good luck!

-Bob

Chris, screw both of your options, man. Do BOTH.

You want to keep muscle mass AND drop body fat fast. Alwyn Cosgrove and a whole truck load of research shows it can be done.

All you need to do is force your body to keep the muscle it has, even on a low calorie diet. People have GAINED muscle mass on 800 calories per day as they dropped body fat. YOU may not GAIN any, but you can certainly keep what you have… if you FORCE your muscles to do so.

I'll only recommend this since you are already training and very experienced. I couldn't do this with a new client, and it isn't a long term solution. The thing is: you're smart enough to know how to come off of this.

Monday: Squats and Pullups
Wednesday: Deadlifts and Bench
Friday: Bent Rows and Push Press

Each day, work up to 3 sets of 5 reps with a weight you could do 7 times. Then take 1-2 sets to find a new 3-rep MAX on that exercise. At some point, you'll have to micro-load.

Perform all the sets in a superset. (Squats, pullups, squats, pullups, etc.)

After you've done the lifting (since you're supersetting, it won't take but about 15-20 minutes), rest for 5 minutes.

Then, do bodyweight and band-based metabolic circuits for 20 minutes max. (I can send you a 16-week body- and band-based metabolic circuit program if you email me, but it has to stay private.)

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: AFTER a warmup, bodyweight and band-based metabolic circuits for 20 minutes. These should be nasty.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: continue to eat the carbs you're eating

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: NO carbs except for veggies and what is found in the nuts. These days (and Sunday) should be a drastic calorie reduction.

Like I said… not a long term plan, but at the end of this, you will probably actually be STRONGER, have 99% of your muscle, and drop a TON of fat.

Enjoy,

Jeremy Nelms

Hey Chris, I'm a HUGE Charles Poliquin fan. I've noticed you've studied him as well. Honestly, I think he is the best trainer on the planet. So, cardio is obviously out. Lowers testosterone and increases cortisol. (Unless you like Michael Bolton playing on your Ipod).
I've had tremendous success with my clients using German Body Composition and lactic acid training workouts(Lactic acid training can stimulate up to 9x more GH than a body builder would inject, GH stimulates fat loss). Also, eat like a caveman. Two books that I've found very helpful on the subject are The Paleolithic Diet for Athletes and Nourishing Traditions. Also, you're getting just over 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight. I'd increase your protein to 1.5-2 g/pound, eat more veggies and less oats, yams, etc(If you're of Northern European decent, which you are, there is a 3 out of 4 chance you can't handle grainy carbs….stresses the body and produces more cortisol and of course the dreaded insulin spike). Oh, and increase your fish oil to 45g+ per day. (3 tablespoons). That will decrease as your BF comes down, but really helps the body lose fat. WATER, WATER, WATER. 0.6ounces/lb of body weight. The body will use a hydrated fat cell much more readily than a dehydrated one.
Hope that helps!

Good work and keep it up Chris!

I'm getting pretty lean but still a good deal of muscle, I'm 6' 4" and I am now about 205. A year ago I was 269. I've been 220 and very large, lifting very heavy but I am training to fight now and need to be lean.

Good muscle is like good BBQ, it takes awhile. Slow and steady. I do a lot of functional training, Crossfit type exercise routines, mixing a good amount of weight lifting with HIT. I love it and I've never felt better. This is the approach I usually go with most clients as the muscle they build will burn more fat 24/7. But in your case, I would say you are right on track with the program you are on. Complex carbs for fuel and protein. Good lifting with moderate cardio.

Keep at it, it doesn't happen overnight like some people like to try and make people believe.

Doug Seamans
PRIDE Conditioning
http://www.prideconditioning.com

Working out freaking sucks if you don't like your program. So I say do what you LOVE and that's pushing that heavy ass weight.

When its all said and done, muscle burns fat. We all know this, but a lot of people neglect it. The goal for a big guy like you should ALWAYS be to add muscle mass because that's what your genetics do best. Get rid of the 40 min cardio sessions because that is going to hurt your muscle growth as well. So there is absolutely no point to choose option 2 (Muscle Growth) and still do 40 min cardio sessions. It is counterproductive.

Don't know who's advice you're going to go with, but if you want me to design a program for you Email me or give me a call. (661) 588-5030. It's the least I could do after all the money you've made me.

Hey Big dog i say option #2 for sure. As far as cardio i said as always go High Intensity 3 days a week and 1-2 you can do lower intensity. Just keep mixing it up. Tabata method can even be thrown in at the end of each weight training session. As far as nutrition Dr. Old i dont think knows what hes talking about you dont need to consult a medical doctor. Cut the carbs and when you have them base them around training times. Keep carbs complex when you do eat them and mainly fibrous carbs as well. Have protein every 3-4 hours as well as getting in all essential fats while cutting back on carbs.

Let the weight training build muscle and the cardio and nutrition shed the body fat. Consistency is key. Keep hitting hard, Stay swole!!

Hey Chris, you’re getting lots of good advice here already, particularly in the area of dropping the long, slow, aerobic mode cardio. There’s some science behind that you might not be aware of. Though it’s counter intuitive, it seems like everybody knows by now that HIIT gives you healthier heart and lungs than aerobic cardio, but there are some other major advantages. It also gives you the “afterburn” effect, which keeps you in fat burning mode for a good 24 hours after your HIIT session is over. But here’s the biggie – it also induces your pituitary gland to release youthful levels of your own, natural Human Growth Hormone, which helps you maintain muscle mass and burn fat. You don’t get that from aerobic cardio, which also breaks down muscle mass, by the way. HIIT also kicks up your testosterone. Those advantages are especially significant as you age. (At 61, I should know!)

My favorite HIIT workout is hill sprints. For a guy your size, I would be really careful about sprinting on the flat. Once you get that body mass really moving, it’s way to easy to pull a hammie with your size. But going uphill, you can’t go quite as fast, so you don’t have that risk. The workout is also more intense because of the incline. And it forces you to use better form since you naturally have to lift your knees and toes more.

Each run should only be about 50-70 yards. To warm up, do one jog, then one run, but not full out. Now you’re ready. Sprint your ass off, walk back down. If you’re still too out of breath when you get to the bottom, take a few more seconds before you hit it again. You want to still be breathing faster than normal, but you also want to have enough in the tank so that each sprint is intense. Just go for a few your first workout, then work up to 10. When I’m done, I also like to do a run up, then a jog up as a warm down. You’ll burn fat all day, kick up your HGH and testosterone, and maintain your muscle mass. You may even start to dig the “runners high” as much as pushing heavy iron. Nah!

You’d probably rather look more like a powerful sprinter than a skinny marathoner. So why would you train like a marathoner?

Thanks for everything you do for the fitness community!

Make it a great day.

If you are going to accomplish something it's important to model or be coached by someone who has done what you want to do. It's all about the fundamentals Chris. I'm pretty well versed in getting as lean as possible while maintaining if not increasing muscle. I've been at some of the highest levels of bodybuiding competition. Bodybuilder and fitness competitors are the leanest people on earth. I understand your goal is not to step on stage. I hear you loud and clear. Take and use the same priciples as we use. It's about balance and being realistic about what it's going to take to get the results that you want. I know for sure you can still increae muscle and drop fat. I do it all the time with women, men, fitness competitors, bodybuildersm, and athletes. The #1 most important component to this whole equation is food. I have an client who fits this exact description. He started and 6'6" 350 lbs. Now after 6 months he is 281 lbs. He was thick headed at first and would believe or listen to what I had to say. Finally after frustating himself with what he thought was right and getting no where he was ready to listen. Every time he asked me what he should do I said eat more. You guys are big men in that muscle you already have needs lots of caloric support. You're a big man so you've got the right ideas with all the clean foods you are eating but if you are plateaed you need to increase the horse power and eat more to support more lean tissue therefore increasing your metabolic rate. You've got to eat to lose. Feed the muscle to starve the fat. I know this seem counter intuitive but eating less would only have you sacrificing muscle. I'm with you on increase muscle and drop fat at the same time. Been there done that sooo many times. Believe it or not the food part is work. You've got to know what you are doing. The battle is won or lost there. The trick is not in the workout. Also you've got to up the horse power in the cardio department as well. This is counter to what everyone else is saying. You've got to pay your dues and put some time in. You've got to vary the intesities just like you do with the weight training. The body adapts. You've go to do the same with the food. I call it ig zag, calorie shifting or whatever. The body adapts to that as well. This not complicated stuff once you're taught and understand it. Most people will never discover this because they are too focused on the workout doing the trick. You will never sacrifice muscle doing intense and frequent cardio as long as you have enough food to support it. In order to effectively coach you I would need to know the exact amount of the foods you are consuming. You're clean but you may not have enough. You need to knwo the exact amount of grams of protein, carbs and fats and manipulate them along with cardio to dial yourself in. I could go on and on and this is already too long. I you really mean business and want to get in the best shape of your life let's talk. I've been a trainer for 22 years. I understand the business side things as well and am more passionate about that. Have some business ideas I would like to discuss with you. You can do this. It's not as hard as you think. You just need a little more knowledge.

B

I absolutely agree with Brian Durette. I have been a competitive bodybuilder for twenty years ( I started when I was 15 yrs old ) I have found over the years that keeping your muscle while losing fat was the best way to look super lean. I always found that the more I ate (super clean of course) the more fat I lost, the more muscle I gained. I keep cardio short and sweet 3-4 days a week 20-30mins at 75-80% of my max working intervals. The harder the cardio, say 80% the shorter the duration. My clients freak when I set their time to 15 to 20 mins as they know they are going to work like hell. Then the next day I change it to a more moderate intensity. The more I switch it up, the leaner I get and the more I look forward to more punishment the next day. Everything in bodybuilding has the potential to plateau so change is key. Diet is no exception, as Brian said, the body gets used to food and calories too, switch it up. One day a week when I am in serious training, I have a total cheat day. I eat whatever I want or what I have been craving, and then I go right back to strictly clean for the next six days. It works for me like a hot damn. It jolts my metabolism, puts it in overdrive and gives me some added energy for the next few days until I level off from clean eating again. LIke Brian said, this isn't as hard as a lot of people think, just try not to get so many various opinions that it messes up what you're trying to do. Stick with a couple of opinions that are on the same page and dedicate yourself to it. YOu won't know what works unless you give it adequate time to do the job.

Sarah

Number 2.
Train legs back chest. Heavy. Squats, chin ups, flat bench.
Kill it!!

Go with option two it may take a little longer, but do what you enjoy. Get rid of plain cardio. Do interval training 1 min. @80% – 90% max HR and 2 min. @ 60% – 70% max HR. You do need GOOD carbs to keep your energy levels up. These people who go on straight protein diets wonder why they are so tired all the time, you need 32 grams of carbs a day just to think. Anyone who say we do not need carbs in our diet is wrong.

Chris,

Drop the oats, yams and rice from your diet (they go straight to your belly). Concentrate on above ground raw veggies (I dip mine in flax oil). Keep up with the lean protien. If you can do it get grass fed beef.

I also vote for option 2. I don't think I could talk you into pyramid runs instead of the cardio. At least go with some intensity and then recover on the cardio. Remember that cardio will keep your metabolic rate up until you finish. Anaerobic work will keep your metabolic rate up for up to 48 hours.

Question: are you training to look good or some other goal?

Um well you've already lost over 30 pounds BF and gained 20 in LM. You say you need to lose another 65… if you keep doing what you've been doing you'll be there in just 2 maybe 3 months, which is sick time! And with the increase in muscle comes an increase in metabolism. You know this man! So don't even worry about your calories either unless you begin to lose BF at a slower rate. And to everyone saying to cut the cardio… why? It's so good for the heart and body and is obviously not hindering his muscle growth. Keep on doing your thing man.

You received some good advice here. Those that suggested option 1 have never been strong and never will be. I love HIIT but someone your size shouldn't be running unless you are a stud athlete. Why continue to ingrain bad technique/alignment?
Someone suggested KB circuits on T/Th's and that's a great idea. Those workout will get your heart rate up and act as recovery workouts from your heavy training. Jim Wendler's 5-3-1 program may be perfect for a 3 day split. Good luck!

Best Regards,
Scott Umberger
http://www.umbergerperformance.com

Chris , Dump the Cardio ! A) you are training your body to be LESS effective at burning fat and B) Too much of this steady state activity can be Catabolic and waste away that precious Muscle

HIIT is the way to go , and NOT on your lifting days
The Tabata protocol mentioned plenty of times above really works

Diet wise I follow a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet see http://www.musclehack.com and it works well to hold muscle and lean out at same time .

Hi Chris

well if we use your,bedros,steve advice from each of your sites.
the first thing you must do to get fit is
Take Action- you have already done that so all i will know say is
Quickly Come, Quickly go.

Take the slower road mate. build up a good base of strength and fitness. this way you will stay fitter and healthier. and you will avoid hurting yourself by trying to lift tooo heavy to fast etc etc.

Have a good one.

Cheers G

Go Staley's EDT protocol but geared for fat loss (more full body exercise, less rest. in & out of the gym in 60 minutes) three times a week. In between EDT days I'd add Tabata kettle bell session (swings, then cleans, then squats) – 3 rounds of tabata three times a week will get you moving. This will give you a cardio session in under 20 minutes (depending on much rest you need between sets).
Drop the 40 minutes cardion sessions (go for a bike ride instead if you have to do something for 40 minutes…)
Food wise cut out the processed, keep the protein high, the low GI carbs moderate and the essential fats coming!!
Good luck!!

How About something in the middle of the two? Faster than 2 but not as drastic as one. But just remember it has to be something that you can stick with for the long term you don't want to rebound back to 327 after all the hard work). Drastic usaully isn't maintainable. I lost 70lbs without really knowing what I was doing (i was 16 then am 32 now)but learned a lot of healthy habits on the way. Since you have been where you want to go it should be easier to get back. Good luck. Keep posting.

Wow, thank you so much for the all help and cool comments so far

Ok, dumped the long cardio and yesterday finished my lifting session with Tabata's ( squat and press thrusters) … almost puked… and then today just did HIIT… 20 minutes of hills sprints… I got a great buzz right now

to everyone who contributed so far, you are truly awesome

Sounds Like you had FUN!!!

Hey Chris,

I have recently changed to more of an option 1 style of training. Higher intensity, explosive etc. I have dropped 14lb in the last six weeks with this style of Cross Fit training and i find it working really well for me ( especially as i am getting a bit older).

I would head toward high intensity, explosive, anaerobic, resistance training and cardio.. TABATA style.. You won't sacrifice any muscle as most of the programs have functional powerlifting moves in most sessions, but you will drop a ton of body fat fast, which will leave you looking even more muscular and closer to the six pack abs…

Check out some of my latest training programs on my website that will give you an idea of what i have been doing:
http://www.succeed.com.au

Scotty from Canberra

I think option 2, only because winter is approaching, if you can maintain or add to existing muscle, then start a program to cut up for summer, maybe February.

Great Job Chris!

I would say that at this point that YOU start rolling on a right mind set & positive metabolism that "YOUR choice" will be based if YOU want to accomplish it to make a statement (OPTION #1) or if YOU really want to get back and have a new life style that will last a long while (OPTION #2).

In my opinion as a professional I'll pick #2.

Al the best!

Hey Chris,

Glad to hear you went with some hill sprints on your non-lifting day and got the buzz. Joggers talk about runners high, but for me, the high reflects the intensity of the workout. And you'll still be burning fat tomorrow.

Keep rockin' it. Can't wait to see the "after" pix.

I like going with mixed workouts myself meaning doing some kind of plyometric after every set for the first 12 to 16 sets of my workout. Also interval training in there during cardio so it's not as boring and you can keep more of your muscle. Just look at sprinters' bodies.

You CAN have it all but you CAN'T have it all at once.

START WITH HEALTH:Drop the body fat first cause it's just plain unhealthy: good ole pushup, pullups, sprints, body weight training & resistance circuits for good fat burn while building solid foundation and most importantly getting healthy.
DIET: don't even bother if you're not going with wholesome-natural foods (protein, complex carbs & good fats). Figure out your numbers & you're feeling healthy and strong, looking great & ready for the next step.
BUILDING & TWEAKS: By this time you're seeing where you are and how your body has taken shape & now you can build muscle & develop areas that need improving. It's all a process that takes a lot of tweaking depending on where you lean out first and how different foods react in your system.

Good luck!

Who the hell told you not to do cardio? Take it from a real expert: 6 days per week heavy bodybuilding training on a split routine (I prefer 1 bodypart per day), 1 hour of cardio 6 days per week at 75% max, you can do an additional 30-60 minutes as well for faster results.
Food: 40/40/20
No bands, plyo, kettlebells or other bullshit.
Which foods: pick up an issue of Flex and eat what bodybuilders eat.

hi Chris,

Lots of great comments above. My key advice is:

1. Cardio 20 mins, 3 times a week. But instead of boring treadmill at same pace/incline, do supersets of different cardio eg – 10 mins rowing, 5 mins run flat, 5 mins run slight incline (varying speeds).

2. Weights – great – lots of variety, and work around any injuries. Make time for a good 10 mins stretch at end, particulary stubborn hamstrings!

3. Clean natural healthy eating. Sounds like you're eating excessive protein. Aim for 1g protein per lb of bodyweight, spread evenly thru 6 feeds per day. And TONS of veg (not juices, the actual veg – you need lots of fibre!). Just 3 portions fruit/day.

Dom
Fitness4London.com