Selfie!!
The internet is so filthily riddled with fat-loss hocus-pocus that it has become an enormous and unnecessary trouble to sift through all the marketing bunkum as to find even the smallest germ of usefulness; All because the common bunch of internet marketers are all too good at never letting the facts get in the way of profits, and know all too well that that which is preposterously untrue is always far easier to sell to the general herd than the plain, ugly facts.
But, to offer something of a refreshment with my posting today, I will be factual and to the point, aside from my usual loquaciousness, naturally, and after you set this article down (assuming you read it all the way through), I promise you will come out with a workout both effective and concise. Sound good?
Every morning, when I was twelve years old, I’d eat an Ego Waffle, watch Thundercats, and bicep curl a soup can. I got the idea of curling a soup-can from my mom’s 8-minute arms videocassette, which came packaged with the 8-minute abs videocassette. It’s not short of astounding, when one is twelve years old, or any age, really, at how impressionable the mind is, how imprints can be so easily inscribed, new connections formed in the brain, and delusions. I’m fairly certain all materials put into my head up until about age 16 were delusions, and I still struggle against them.
Very truly I thought the soup can was going to do it for me, as a thickly-muscled man, with bouldering biceps, and bronzed, will put any prepubescent down the road of conviction, no matter what the charade.
There was a girl in the seventh grade who I liked. She had red hair and a few freckles on her face, and her name was Abbey. My plan was to show her my muscles, and to win her over easy, but there was an error: when I flexed, my bicep looked like a peanut in tissue paper.
So I curled that damn soup can every morning for a month. Thirty second sets, about fourteen million of them, but nothing ever came of it—my bicep was defunct, and Abbey didn’t marry me. But that is well, because we dated for a while regardless, certainly not on the premises of my physique, but on the premises of her sense of humor. But it didn’t work out, because I dumped her shortly after she said we shouldn’t see each other anymore.
That’s typically how I end relationships. No sooner than does as a woman say something along the lines of “I don’t think this is working”, or “maybe we should see other people”, or “please stop calling me pretending to be Gary Busey”, I just end it right then and there, DONE!, because that’s nonsense, and I don’t put up with it.
Turns out I could never see my bicep because it was covered in some twelve layers of fat, one for each year of life. My arms, for most of when I was 10, 11, 12, and 13, looked stay-puffed, and I suspect I bore some resemblance to a walking bowl of pudding, with some of it spilling over the edges.
Eventually I came to terms with the plain fact that I was, like all my other kinfolk, fat. So I set out to reverse the order, and between the years of 14-17, I did every single workout, except the right one, and I did every single diet too, except the right one. But as the truth is simply what remains after all errors are swept away, I eventually came into something useful, and I want to share that with you today.
By age 18 I reduced my body fat levels down to 8%. Here and again I dip lower still, when I want to, and when the weather is hot , but always I remain at 8% or lower. I still drink beer, too, on occasion.
How I do it is a simple, minimalistic matter. I’ve told you about it before, and I’ve outlined how to do it in great detail in various Inner Circle newsletters, but today, I want to give it to you in brief. If you’d like something a bit more formalized, or even a full program, well I want you to have it too, so come try out the Inner Circle for a month. And that is all the shameless sales pitching I’m going to do, for today.
I do not think there is any one best fat-loss workout, though I think The 9-Minute Workout comes pretty close, but I do think there is a best overall general prescription for melting fat right off the body, and it is this:
High Intensity Metabolic Conditioning (15-30 minutes) + Low-Intensity Aerobic Activity (30-60 minutes).
To put it in a more familiar form:
Kettlebell Complex Training (15-30 minutes) + Brisk Walking (30-60 minutes).
Translation: Work very hard briefly, and then quite easily for a while.
And for best results, do it fasted. That is, instead of putting food in your mouth before you workout, don’t.
Strength training, in the raw, and also very important for fat-loss, should be done before metabolic conditioning, and while freshest. Let me give you an example.
10am: Strength Session:
Double Clean and Press x 1,2,3,1,2,3
Muscle Up x 1,2,3,1,2,3
Weighted Chin x 1,2,3,1,2,3
Bulgarian Split Squat x 1,2,3,1,2,3
Single Leg Deadlift x 1,2,3,1,2,3
(Psst—you could super-set some of those, btw)
10:45am: Metabolic Conditioning:
1-2 rounds of The 9-Minute Workout.
If you don’t have The 9-Minute Workout, then any one of my kettlebell workouts of the week will do.
Let us, in this instance, go with The Hellion.
2 x Two Hand Swing
2 x One Arm Swing
2 x Thruster (R+L)
Each round, add two reps until you reach ten reps of each movement. Set the bell down only if form starts to falter.
11:15am: Brisk Walk (30-60 minutes):
How fast?
Like someone is trailing you.
Pre-Workout:
Nothing.
Perhaps a little black coffee, or green tea, but really, this sort of work is best done in a fasted state as it will potentiate the fat burning effects.
Post Workout:
20-30 grams of Whey (or, if intolerant, Branched Chain Amino Acids), to be consumed immediately after your brisk walk. Carbs can wait, but, if you must, something natural and of the low-glycemic variety. Like berries.
Conclusion
It’s nearly time for my supper, and I hope you got something out of this post, but, as usual, nothing I wrote here is of any usefulness, less you put it to good use.
Let me know if you have any questions in the comment section.
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Just a heads up your videos don’t work on mobile.
Other than that, great post. Thanks
Hello Non,
Been working on resolving this–hopefully it will be fixed soon. Thanks
Hey Pat, great post, thanks. A quick question, if I may, would doing swings after the 9-m workout be counterproductive or is it OK to do? I have been doing 32kg TGUs, 9-min workout with a 16 and 50 – 100 32kg swings on Tue,Wed & Fri. On Mon & Thu I do TGUs and 100 Swings.
Hello Faisal,
Swings are sort of like hot sauce, you can add them to just about anything without ruining the dish.
I see no problem with what you just outlined. Keep swinging!
Pat,
I purchased the 9-Minute Workout and I love it. However, I thought that, given your minimalist approach, that workout was enough. For those of us with families and full time jobs, three wirkots a day is tough. What is the bottom line.
Thanks and keep it up!
Hey Joe, three workouts a day is for most way too much, but where are you getting that from? Not what I’m advocating here. Here is one session with a strength, metabolic, and aerobic component.
But from what you’ve told me, I’d continue to follow the prescription outlined in The 9-Minute Workout.
Hope this helps
Pat,
Thanks for the reply. I misread the schedule you provided; I got you brother. The reason I am replying now is twofold. Firt I want thank you for answering my question and taking care of one of your followers More importantly, I want to reiterate that your 9-Minute Workout is THE best!! Honestly, the best money I have spend on conditioning, hands down. I am seeing great results. When I have more time, I do more. However, when I am pressed for time – most of the time, the 9-Minute Workout does the trick!!! I look back at the hours I spend in a gym and compare that to the condition I am in with the 9-Minute Workout. Thank you!
Wow, Joe, thank you, what an awesome testimonial. I am always here to help my friend, just let me know how. Keep strong!
Pat,
Great article! Can you mix your BCAA’s with your whey post workout, or should you just have one or the other?
Also, I contacted Swanson Vitamins regarding their Grass-Fed Whey (great price) and them not labeling it as gluten free and this is the answer I got. Would you recommend still using this whey? Want to make sure I am getting good quality whey with no contaminants.
“Dear Joe,
Thank you for contacting us!
We are happy to help! The Grass Fed Whey Protein Vanilla is naturally gluten free but the product was manufactured in a warehouse that processes gluten products. Therefore, there may be molecular cross contamination from the products being manufactured in the same warehouse. We are unable to label the product as gluten free due to this reason. We hope this helps clarify!”
I would stick with one or the other, Joe.
As far as there comment, well, it’s simply their word, and it might very well be the truth (I can’t imagine how much regulation goes into that). So really, it’s a judgement call. If they seem like a reputable company, I’d be willing to give them a shot.
Hi Pat,
How heavy should I go when doing 3 rung ladders?
Is a 6 rep max weight good?
Thanks,
Clark
Yep, 6-7 rep max is good.
I am so happy you put out the 9 mn. workout. I call it the 9 mn. Killer Kettlebell Workout. I got it with my monthly newsletter. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!!! This is half way through my second week. I do it 4x’s a wk, followed with the 30 mn.-40mn. brisk walking. I workout on an empty stomach. I have also been doing a 2 day a week fast. I fast Mon. and Thurs.until supper time, when I eat a healthy meal. ( do not workout these days, except for maybe a brisk walk). I am overjoyed. I have dropped 7 lbs. I have been on a weight loss journey for the past 2 years and have been stuck at the same weight now for well over a year. I don’t focus on the scale, but, when I know I do need to lose more, it is nice to finally see it budge. I have been toning, but, I need to lose more fat. Finally, I found a program that works. I love your posts Pat. Keep it up, and I will keep following you.
Tammy, it delights me to hear this, and I hope you are proud of all that you’ve accomplished, the 9_minute workout is very tough business. If you don’t mind, I’d love to share this testimonial on my page.
yes you can Pat. And I am proud. I love the KB and I love this workout.
Thanks again.
Sounds great in theory, but that is a 2 hour commitment and for us working stiffs who aren’t fitness professionals don’t have the time.
Also, 80% is what you put in your mouth.
Captain Crossfit,
Thank you for your enlightening me on eating right, I had no idea.
But on everything else, you are mistaken, and on a very fundamental level.
First, the difference between theoretical and practical.
Theory, my friend, attempts to describe what is. Theory is knowledge, it is not a prescription. Now, to make it practical, we must apply an operation to it, perhaps even some rules, which is what I have done here.
So, to say, “sounds good in theory”, which is a mindless cliche, doesn’t really mean anything…
I think what you mean to say, is that my advice is not suitable for you.
But that is well, as you’re clearly something of an excuse maker, and this blog is not for people like you, I’m sorry to say.
You’re welcome on enlightening you. You’re misinterpreting my cliche. I work out 4 days a week. Actually, I’ve applied your practices. I have done most of your kettlebell complexes, I fast once a week. I don’t make excuses. What I’m saying is, i commute 45 minutes each day, get up early, help get my kids on the school bus, get home, eat, help with homework, coach them.
By the way congrats on your son. You work as a fitness professional. You can schedule your workouts around your fitness classes, blogs, etc. Your schedule provides you with 2 hours of free time. I work 8:30 – 6. So for most of us who have our schedules, not yours, diet is significantly more important.
Most of us will never be 8%. You are in your mid 20’s. I’m probably 13% in my 40’s. It isn’t getting lower than that.
If you apply what you say and your diet stinks, it’s not going to matter. But, if you take the Hellion, use a heavy weight and do it for 20 minutes in a fasted state, you’ll be in great shape.
Looking forward to seeing a complex with the American Swing
Pat,
For the strength portion how many days a week would you do the one above? It looks like you hit your whole body in one session,
Thanks
4-5 days a week, Scott, and yes, full body each day. Just put a up a new post on it, check it out, if you haven’t already.