Image by SuperFantastic

Stubborn fat is a bitch. Through all the research I’ve been doing, there is only one really way of destroying stubborn fat: make your workouts more intense! Work harder. Sweat like you’ve never sweat before, and really kill yourself under those weights.One of my all time favorite training methods is superset training. This isn’t something new. It’s been beaten over your head over and over and over again. Superset training is a common bodybuilding method where two or more exercises are performed one after another. These exercises often have some sort of flow to them. Here are a few variations of superset training:

• Work the Same Muscle – You perform two different exercisess for the same muscle group. One example of this would be to perform a set of push-ups followed by a set of incline push-ups.
• Isolation/Compound - Perform an isolation movement, followed by a compound movement. For example, perform a set of Drag Curls followed by Power Cleans.
• Antagonistic Supersets – This big word simply means that you perform two different exercises for opposing body-parts. One example would be to perform a set of push-ups followed by pull-ups
• Upper Body/Lower Body – Perform a set of an upper body exercise, followed by a lower body exercise. For example, perform a set of push-ups, followed by body-weight squats.
• In-Set/ Hybrid Moves – Combine two movements that flow well together and work them in a set. For example, combine the push-ups and the squat jump, and you have the burpee.

Benefits of Superset Training:

• Allows you to perform the same amount of work in a shorter period of time.
• Adds excitement to your workout, and prevents boredom
• Provides an incredible muscle pump, causing greater muscle growth
• Allows you to train like an athlete forcing you to work hard

Why Superset Training Helps you Burn Fat and Build Muscle

The muscle pump you feel is actually Lactic Acid production. Lactic acid is a major player in the way our bodies generate energy during exercise. Before I tell you exactly how supersets aid in fat loss and mass gain, you need to know exactly what lactic acid is.

What is Lactic Acid?

• Formed from the breakdown of glucose when glucose from dietary carbohydrates reaches muscle after bypassing the liver and entering general circulation.
  • Then, goes back into the blood and returns to the liver. Here it is used to make liver glycogen.
  • Known as the “Glucose Paradox.”

What does Lactic Acid Do?

• Fuels glucose and glycogen production in the liver
• Helps us use dietary carbohydrates more efficiently
• Serves as a quick energy fuel preferred by the heart and muscles
• Important to mechanisms involved in how we adapt to stress
• Important key to athletic success in high intensity sport
• Stimulates testosterone production
• Signals release of human growth hormone from pituitary gland
• Can be transported between cells to supply additional energy for work

Why Do I feel the Burning?

• Lactic Acid is not what is creating the burning sensation. It is actually hydrogen ion, the acid in lactic acid which interferes with electrical signals in nerve and muscle tissue. Hydrogen ion is made when lactic acid splits into lactate ion, and hydrogen ion.
• When Lactic Acid enters our blood faster than our ability to remove or control it, hydrogen ions begin to lower the pH of muscle, creating an acidic environment. This process interferes with our performance.

Here’s a great way to lose fat without working out! – Image by neb_boyWhat is HGH?

• Human Growth Hormone, or HGH is a naturally producing hormone in our bodies. Along with testosterone, it is one of the reasons why we have 300lb bodybuilders walking amongst us.
• Plays an important role in regulation of body fat levels, immune system, muscle mass, recovery, and other bodily functions.
• HGH is present in the body at a rate of 500 micrograms in the blood between the ages of 20 and 30.
• As you age, HGH in our bodies starts to decline, leading to a steady loss of muscle mass, skin elasticity, fat gain, and many other physical changes.
• The daily production falls below 60 micrograms at age 80.
• Produced by the anterior pituitary gland, stimulated by the Hypothalamus.

This guy’s HGH levels aren’t going down anytime soon. – Image by DarthAbraham

Benefits of HGH

• Promotes and increases the synthesis of new protein tissues. This aids in muscle recovery and repair.
• Involved in the metabolism of body-fat and it’s conversion to energy.
• Improves sleep patterns.
• Produces more energy.
• Improves sexual performance.
• Build stronger bones, and reduces osteoporosis.
• Lowers blood pressure
• Improves cholesterol profiles
• Slows aging
• Reduces the risk of Developing Type 2 diabetes

The Connection Between Supersets, Lactic Acid, and Growth Hormone

• Short, intense bursts of exercise work best to stimulate the natural production of growth hormone.
• Supersets training is a form of intense exercise which releases Lactic Acid as a method of providing energy for the muscles
• When Lactic Acid splits into a lactate ion and hydrogen ion, the hydrogen ions begin to lower the pH of muscle, creating an acidic environment, as discussed earlier.
• When the pH is lowered, it triggers a release of HGH as a way to aid in muscle recovery and repair.
• The more HGH you release, the bigger and leaner you’ll get.

How can I Design a Supersets Training Program?

• Best method for fat loss is to use upper/lower split
• For a three-day per week program, Choose six exercises, 3 upper body and 3 lower body
• For each day, choose one upper body exercise and one lower body exercise.
• Organize the exercises using the templates below

Superset Training Templates

• Perform 21-15-9 repetitions of each
• Perform 3 rounds for time
• Perform 4 rounds for time
• Perform 5 rounds for time
• Perform maximum rounds in 20 minutes
• Perform 50-40-30-20-10 reps of each
• Use inverse pyramid scheme, such as 10-1, 9-2, 8-3, etc.

BONUS TIP: Hybrid Superset Training

• A hybrid is a movement where two or more exercises that flow well together are combined to form a new exercise.
• Some examples include burpees (push-ups + squat jump), thruster (front squat + press), and sumo deadlift high pull (sumo deadlift + close-grip upright row).
• These movements can be seen as being a form of supersets, as they incorporate two different movements performed back to back without rest.
• Hybrid Superset training is simply performing two Hybrid movements back to back as supersets. Here is a sample workout:

Superset training is actually just one way to torch those love handles. For some more great high intensity workouts and techniques, check out the following programs:

• Gladiator Body Workout (Combination Bodyweight and Dumbbell Program). Click here for more information.

• Workout Without Weights (Bodyweight-Only Manual featuring Unique Intensity Techniques). Click here for more information.

Image by A river runs through The best way to make a workout even quicker is to time it, then set a goal to improve upon it. For example, if a workout takes you 8:23.19, then you can set a goal to complete the workout in under 7 minutes.

• I have found that I had to work incredibly hard, just for a three or four second improvement. Keep working on this workout one a week until you reach your goal.

Here is a sample workout I have done in the past:

5 rounds of:
10 16kg Kettlebell Snatch, each Side
10 Double UndersMy best time was 8:43.49. See if you can beat it.

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Image by The Bunny Ears Network

The Japanese show on the channel G4 titled “Ninja Warrior” is the perfect example of setting up obstacle courses to test strength, speed, and endurance.

• You don’t need complicated equipment to set up your own obstacle course. What I’ve done in the past is to take all the equipment I have and place it out in my back yard.
• Then, I’ve just tried to create something intense and difficult.

Here is a sample workout:

Round One:
5 Kettlebell Clean and Press each hand
5 Burpees
10 Resistance Band Punches each hand
Sprint

Round Two:
10 Kettlebell Clean and Press each hand
10 Burpees
20 Resistance Band Punches each hand
Sprint

Round Three:
20 Kettlebell Clean and Press each hand
20 Burpees
40 Resistance Band Punches each hand
Sprint


Check out the video of round three:

If you want more information on high intensity home training, then you should check out Gladiator Body Workout::

Gladiator Body Workout

• Gladiator Body Workout is an Athletic Fitness system which combines Dumbbell and Bodyweight exercises along with interval training to help you Drop Fat, Build Lean Muscle Mass, Get Stronger, and Improve Athletic Performance.
• If you purchase the Combo Pack, you can also get two other eBooks which Author Coach Eddie Lomax sells separately: “Ultimate Gymless Workout” and “Extreme Dumbbell Fitness.” When you include all the workouts in all three systems, you’ll get literally months worth of fitness programming.
• The Basic version sells for just $27. Each separate eBook in the Combo Pack sell for $27 but coach is giving them to you for just $49.00.

I’ll Give you TWO FREE Bonuses if you Grab Gladiator Body Workout Today. Click Here for More Information

Image by stationstudinyc

A whole-body exercise is an exercise that works a majority of the body in one movement. Here a few examples of such exercises:

• Burpees
• Muscle Ups
• Thrusters
• Clean + Press
• Snatch
• Sumo Deadlift High Pull

A hybrid exercise is when you combine two or more exercise to create a “hybrid.” Here are a few examples of such exercises:

• Burpees + Pullups
• Power Snatch + Overhead Squat
• Power Clean + Front Squat
• Chinup + Leg Raise
• Pushups + Power Clean

Incorporating whole-body and hybrid lifts saves a lot of time because you can work your entire body with one or two exercises. For example, performing Burpees work your legs, chest, shoulder, and triceps. Pullups work your back and biceps. Put them together, and you’ll be working your entire body.

Additional Resources:

For some great high intensity hybrid and other unique bodyweight exercises, take a look at Bodyweight Exercise Revolution.

Silence. Photo by HaMeD!caL.

There is a moment right between my warm-up, and workout. Sometimes it is brief, perhaps lasting a few seconds, but other times it is long, lasting almost ten minutes. It is a moment of silence. Of reflection. The quiet before a storm. The soothing nature of the wind, steadily picking up the dead leaves off the tree and dropping them gently on the ground before the final gust of wind begins the season of autumn. Read more.If you enjoyed this article, then please subscribe to Shah Training for free. Click here for more info.

Image by Somewhat Frank

I spend a lot of time on this website talking about quick workouts. It’s time to give you guys a primer on how to design such a workout:

Step One: How long will the workout last?

• Determine how long you want the workout to last and make that your time period or TP. You can choose a TP of 20 minutes, 10 minutes, or even 5 minutes. But be careful. The shorter the TP, the more intense the workout will be.

Step Two: Choose your Exercises

• Use the following video to decide which exercises you wish to use.

Step Three: Organize your Exercises

• Use the following table to determine how many repetitions you should perform per workout:

Table 1:

Goal	Rep Range
Mass Gain	8-12 reps
General Fitness	8-20 reps
Strength	1-8 reps
Fat Loss	12-20 reps
Athletic Fitness	12-20 reps

Step Four: Put it all together

Here is a sample 10 minute workout with the goal of General Fitness:

Maximum rounds in 10 minutes of:

Pullups 8 reps
Pushups 14 reps
Bodyweight Squat 20 Reps

Wait a sec, how did you come up with that workout?

The truth is, there is a certain amount of creativity and experience involved in designing quick workouts. What I did in the above workout was put together a triset, or three exercises back to back without rest.

• The goal is to perform as many rounds, or sets of the workout as possible in 10 minutes, without rest. If your goal was to increase strength, then you would still use a 10 minute time frame (or any other time frame, depending on your schedule).
• The exercises you choose will need to be difficult. Remember, for strength you need to be working in the 1-8 rep range. It is suggested you use some for of exterior resistance if you are unable to or do not wish to perform more difficult bodyweight exercises.
• It is also suggested that you take some rest, at least 60 seconds, between each set.

BONUS TIP:

Forget the Cardio

Most trainees spend too much time on distance or steady state cardio, especially while trying to lose fat. Cardio is just one tool in the battle against fat, but not a necessary one. If you replace your hour-long cardio sessions with short 10-15 minutes of intense exercise, you will save an enormous amount of time and may even achieve better and faster results. Here are some articles for more info on this topic:

• Fat Loss without Cardio
• Three Methods to Help End your Cardio Rut!

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Image by d_vdm

Last Month, I presented the first month of the 12-week Advanced Strength Program. This month, the first change we will be making is in the movements. The Front Squat will be replaced with the Back Squat, and the Bent Over Row will be replaced with the Bench Press. There will also be a bit of rearranging of exercises.

• The Deadlift will move to Workout A along with the Back Squat and Bench Press
• The Push Press will move into Workout B along with the Overhead Squat and Power Clean

The purpose of these movement is to:

1. Train different parts of your body
2. Provide a slightly different stimulus, but not enough to completely confuse and shock your body (the goal is gradual, but consistent progress).

Just as last month, you will be steadily dropping reps and increasing the sets as the weights become heavier. But the shock factor will come on week eight when you drop your rest periods to 45 seconds. If you have been following the workout for 7 weeks straight using 60 seconds rest periods, then you should have built up enough conditioning to train with 45 seconds rest periods.

NOTE: Pay careful attention to what it does to your strength levels in the present, and in the future.

Here is the full program in detail:

Workout A:

• Back Squat
• Bench Press
• Deadlift

Workout B:

• Push Press
• Overhead Squat
• Power Clean

Week Five

Sets: 6
Reps: 4
Rest: 60 seconds

Week Six

Sets: 7
Reps: 4
Rest: 60 seconds

Week Seven

Sets: 7
Reps: 3
Rest: 60 seconds

Week Eight

Sets: 7
Reps: 3
Rest: 45 seconds

Download the free printable workout logs here.

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This is the fourth installment of the Fat Loss is a Battle series:

5 rounds of:10 16kg Kettlebell Snatch, each Side
10 Double Unders

Substitutions

Kettlebell Snatches can be performed by dumbbells. Some bodyweight exercises can be burpees, pullups, or squat jumps.Double Unders can be substituted by sprints or any high intensity cardio.

Progressions

Beginner

Level One

3 rounds of:

2 16 kg Kettlebell Swing, each Side
2 10-Yard Sprints, back and forth (30-40 yards total)
Rest 60 seconds

Level Two

3 rounds of:

3 16 kg Kettlebell Swing, each Side
3 10-Yard Sprints, back and forth (50-60 yards total)
Rest 60 seconds

Level Three

3 rounds of:

3 16 kg Kettlebell Clean, each Side
3 10-Yard Sprints, back and forth (50-60 yards total)
Rest 60 seconds

Level Four

3 rounds of:

3 16 kg Kettlebell Clean, each Side
3 10-Yard Sprints, back and forth (50-60 yards total)
Rest 30 seconds

Level Five

4 rounds of:

3 16 kg Kettlebell Clean, each Side
3 10-Yard Sprints, back and forth (50-60 yards total)
Rest 30 seconds

• I want beginners to start off with a simple kettlebell or dumbbell swing. Switch over to kettlebell or dumbbell cleans in level three. Double Unders will be replaced by sprints or running. Start off by taking 60 seconds rest in between each set, and steadily drop to 30 seconds rest between each round.

Intermediate

Level One

5 rounds of:

3 16 kg Kettlebell Clean, each Side
3 10-Yard Sprints, back and forth (50-60 yards total)
Rest 30 seconds

Level Two

5 rounds for time of:

3 16 kg Kettlebell Swing, each Side
3 10-Yard Sprints, back and forth (50-60 yards total)

Level Three

5 rounds for time of:

3 16 kg Kettlebell Clean, each Side
3 Double Unders

Level Four

5 rounds for time of:

5 16 kg Kettlebell Clean, each Side
5 Double Unders

Level Five

5 rounds for time of:

10 16 kg Kettlebell Clean, each Side
10 Double Unders

• Intermediates will continue with the kettlebell or dumbbell clean. Switch over to double unders for level 3. In level two, start to time the full workout with little to no rest between each round.

Advanced

Level One

5 rounds for time of:

10 16 kg Kettlebell Snatch, each side
10 Double Unders

Level Two

5 rounds for time of:

15 16 kg Kettlebell Snatch, each side
15 Double Unders

Level Three

5 rounds for time of:

15 16 kg Kettlebell Snatch, each side
15 Double Unders
15 Hindu Pushups

Level Four

5 rounds in 20 minutes:

15 16 kg Kettlebell Snatch, each side
15 Double Unders
15 Hindu Pushups

Level Five

6 rounds in 23 minutes:

15 16 kg Kettlebell Snatch, each side
15 Double Unders
15 Hindu Pushups

• I have started with level one and will progress to level five. Only attempt the advance level if you are able to perform kettlebell or dumbbell snatches with good form. Add in the hindu pushups in level three, and then attempt to complete the full workout in under 20 minutes and 23 minutes for levels 4 and 5.

I will re-post this workout again once I get to Level Five.

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Image by noxsoma

The most important thing you need to take into account when designing a bodyweight training program is how much time you have to actually workout. For starters, ask yourself which three days in your schedule is the lightest. If, for example, you say to yourself that the weekends are your only days off then you need to ask yourself if you will actually be motivated to exercise on the weekends.

Some Tips on Scheduling

• My suggestion is to use either a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule or a Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday split. You can even perform a 2-day program and train only on the weekends. Choose something that you know you can stick to for the long-term.
• I have found that I am able to stick to a program better if I am training at a higher frequency (5-6 days per week), since this way I feel I have something to do each day. But this choice is prescribed only to intermediate and advanced trainees.

Once you have determined which days to train, you need to determine how many hours per day you have to exercise. Use the following as a guide:

Table One:

Lifestyle Description	Approximate Time to Train
I’m A Full Time College Student	5+ hours per week
I’m A Full Time College Student with a Part-Time Job	4-5 hours per week
I’m a Stay-at-Home Parent or a College Grad looking for Work	3-4 hours per week
I Have a Full Time 9-5 Job	2 hours per week
I Have 2 or More Full-Time Jobs or Work 60+ Hours per Week	1 hour per week

Now take the time you have to train and divide that by the number of days you have chosen to train.

• For example, if you have chosen to exercise 3 days per week and have time for 3 total hours of exercise per week, then your training session will last 1 hour. If you have chosen to exercise 5 days pwer week, and have time for 1 total hour of exercise per week, then your training session will last 12 minutes.

Before we continue, I know what question you have in your head: “How can you get a good workout in just 12 minutes?” You can. I have had intense workouts that only last 4 minutes. I will devote a separate post on this topic.

How much Rest?

The next step is to determine how much rest you wish to take between each set. This will be based on your experience and goals. Use the following two tables to help you:

Table Two:

Fitness Level	Prescribed Rest Time
Beginner	2-3 minutes
Intermediate	1-2 minutes
Advanced	Less than 1 minute

Table Three:

Goal	Prescribed Rest Time
Mass Gain	1-2 minutes
General Health	1-2 minutes
Strength	3 + minutes
Fat Loss	0-2 minutes
Athletic Goals	Less than 1 minute

Choosing Exercises

Now that you have your rep range and total time per session, it is time to choose your exercises. I have prepared a video to help determine which exercises you should focus on and have published it before. Here it is again:

Use the video to make a list of the exercise you will use. The second part of this post will run on Monday. I’m letting you guys use the weekends to really brainstorm this stuff. It’s important.

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Image by quickster This is the third and final installment of the “Shah Training is Not Bodybuilding” series. The first post talked about focusing on a long-term approach to fitness. In the second post we took that idea further and I asked you to take another look at your current goals. Are they really something that will bring you satisfaction in the long term?

This final post I want to dabble in the definition of fitness. The princeton.edu definition for fitness is – the quality of being suitable.

Suitable for what? For life? For bodybuilding? For powerlifting? For a particular job? For what?Princeton.edu provides a sample sentence: “They had to prove their fitness for the position.”

Interesting. I actually like this definition of fitness. I once made a short video where I stated something like, “Fitness has nothing to do with losing weight or gaining muscle. It has to do with being healthy.”

A Practical Example

A bodybuilder friend of mine responded by saying, “You’re contradicting yourself.” Lets do a little experiment in word replacement:

What I’m saying is, “Being fit means that you are healthy.”

Apparently, according to my bodybuilder friend means the same as:

“Having a six pack means you are healthy.”

or

“Having big biceps means you are healthy.”

or

“Being able to run 24 miles in a few hours means you are healthy.”

Here are my thoughts:

• A six pack does not necessarily mean that you are healthy, because you could have gone through some extreme form of dieting that could be potentially harmful to your body. In this case you look healthy, but may not be much healthy once you get your blood work done.

• Same goes for the guy with big biceps. How many guys are walking around with huge arms and inflated chest, along with a belly hanging down to the ground? They’re just strong, but don’t look very fit. They wouldn’t be able to run very fast, nor would they be able to lift their own bodyweight for high reps.

• Finally, lets take the last example. Most distance runners are extremely skinny. They lack fundamental levels of strength and some even look sick- borderline anorexic. I would not call them healthy.

So then, what exactly is the definition of fitness? I would love to hear your thoughts.