Fat Loss Cardio Tips...

Let's clear up some FAQ about cardio!

1. DO NOT perform cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach! This is a great way to encourage muscle wasting. As soon as you wake up you should have whey protein isolate and a carbohydrate source (my favorite combo is VP2 Whey Isolate by AST Sports Science with breakfast cereal as you can see in my "Lost Logs" e-book. After you have supplied the critical nutrition upon waking you can then attack Max-OT cardio and achieve great results!

2. Keep cardio short and intense. 16 to 20 minutes of high intensity cardio will have a greater effect on elevating your metabolism and will keep your metabolism elevated longer after exercise than long duration moderate intensity cardio.

3. Work out of your comfort zone the entire session. You should be "huffing and puffing" throughout.

4. Set distance goals and try to beat them every session. Working to beat your distance goals will give you a tangible marker of intensity to strive for rather than simply putting in your time.

5. Frequency. If fat loss is a high priority I recommend cardio 5-7 days a week. Remember every cardio session you do will give your metabolism a jolt and fire up the fat burning process!

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Is 16 minutes of cardio enough to get shredded?

Throughout the years I've often been asked the question, "Is 16 minutes of cardio really enough to get shredded?" People ask this question as though I was secretly doing hours of cardio when no one was looking and reporting to the world that I was only doing 16 minutes. That's simply not the case. I have always practiced exactly what I preach.

So is 16 minutes really enough? The proof is in the putting. I achieved what some called "drug like" condition in 2003 and finished an impressive fourth place in the light heavyweight class at the NPC USA (which is a non drug tested show) and capped off the contest season winning an IFBB Pro Card at the Team Universe. It was the best condition by far I ever achieved and I achieved that condition in large part due to the effectiveness of short duration/high intensity cardio.

Another great example of how effective 16 minutes is can be found in the documentary “I Want to Look Like That Guy.” In the film you see Stuart MacDonald undergo an amazing body transformation of 30% body fat to less than 6% body fat in 6 months. I’ll give you one guess what type of cardio Stuart did to achieve such outstanding results……If you said short duration/high intensity cardio you guessed correctly! Stuart did not spend hours doing cardio. He kept it short, he kept it intense and the fat melted away.

Short duration, high intensity cardio has a bigger elevating effect on your metabolism and keeps it elevated for a longer period of time after activity compared to long duration cardio. Plus, short duration cardio has less of any negative impact on the muscle building process. Those are two of the main points that make it the most effective approach for getting totally shredded.

The next time you are tempted to go for a 45 minute stroll on the treadmill STOP what you are doing and crank up the intensity for 16 crazy minutes of all out effort to really accelerate the fat loss process!

The other component for getting shredded is of course diet! I reveal the complete winning nutrition game plan in my new "Lost Logs" eBook. Along with every minute detail of my nutrition/supplement plan for 2003 you will see my detailed cardio log for insight on exactly how I implemented short duration/high intensity cardio to achieve the condition of my lifetime!

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http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Short Duration/High Intensity Cardio is Key

Short duration (16-20 minutes), high intensity cardio is a key element in the fat burning equation. A.K.A. Max-OT cardio.

Max-OT style cardio will have a bigger elevating effect on your metabolism and keep it elevated longer after exercise compared to long duration moderate intensity cardio. Plus Max-OT style cardio has less of any negative impact on the muscle building process.

Why 16 Minutes?

There is noting magic about the number 16. Your sessions could fall anywhere between 15 and 20 minutes. We settled on 16 because that seems to be a good time frame where you can keep maximum intensity and focus. The closer you get to 20 minutes the harder it is to maintain that high level of output. That's not to say 15 or 17 minutes wouldn't accomplish the task so don't over-analyze that number. The idea is to keep it between 15 and 20 and work your tail off every single minute!

How do I gauge intensity?

The best way I can describe it is you need to be "huffing and puffing" throughout the session and you need to be working out out of your comfort zone.

One tangible way to gauge this is to set distance goals and try to beat it. For example, if you travel 4.2 miles in 16 minutes on a recumbent bike then your next session you try to beat 4.2 miles with all settings being equal. Working to exceed your distance every time will quickly ensure you are working at the level necessary for maximum results.

How Often?

If fat loss is a primary goal then I'd say you should be doing Max-OT style cardio 5-6 days a week.

If you are in a maximum muscle building phase and looking to maintain condition then I think 2-3 days a week is good.

What makes you so sure?

I was just like all of you and early in my career I did the customary long duration/moderate intensity cardio because that is what the magazines said to do. I achieved good results doing more traditional style cardio, in fact, I won many contests doing cardio that way. However, I always had a hard time getting that razor sharp condition until I implemented Max-OT style cardio. Results went from good to GREAT!

Max-OT style cardio was one of the biggest factors in the outstanding condition I achieved in 2003. It was without a doubt the greatest condition of my career and that is why I am so confident in Max-OT style cardio.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

"Off Season" Cardio

There’s not a doubt in my mind that Max-OT style cardio (short duration/high intensity) is the most effective way to approach cardiovascular exercise based on research and my own personal experience. Max-OT cardio played a very big role in achieving the best condition of my life when I won my IFBB pro card at the Team Universe.

One fairly common question I get is about cardio in the "off season." First I'd like to say I don't really like the term "off season" as there really is no such thing, especially for a drug free bodybuilder. I prefer to look at the training year in phases as they relate to a contest date. You have a maximum muscle building phase where you are gearing things towards gaining fat free mass as your primary goal and as you enter the pre-contest time frame (for me that's about 6 months prior to a show) you gradually shift your plan to emphasize maximum fat burning. Or as I like to say you shift the pendulum from maximum muscle building to maximum fat burning.

(The photo to the right illustrates my "off season" condition 15 weeks out from a contest. I did more cardio during that maximum muscle building phase then ever before and really emphasized staying in good condition all year. The additional cardio didn't hurt my muscle building phase as I was a very solid 227 lbs.)

Obviously the primary goal in a maximum muscle building phase is exactly as the name implies - build maximum muscle, so why do cardio you may ask? One big reason is during your quest to pack on mass you also want to keep body fat levels in check and that’s where Max-OT cardio fits into the equation. You don't want to gain weight just for the sake of gaining weight if a large percentage of the gain is from fat and not muscle. The more fat you gain, the more fat you will have to lose to be shredded on stage.

I hear some people say they steer clear of cardio in the off season because they don’t want to disrupt the muscle building process in any way but with Max-OT cardio that doesn’t need to be a concern. The short duration and intense nature of Max-OT cardio has very little if any negative impact on the muscle building process. In fact, after Max-OT cardio you create a period of potential increased nutrient uptake similar to after intense weight training so it can be anabolic in that sense.

Cardio should remain a part of your schedule all year and is a training variable you adjust depending on your specific emphasis at any point and time. If you are in a maximum muscle building phase I recommend 2-3 sessions per week and you increase the number of sessions from there as you start to shift your emphasis towards maximum fat burning.

Aside from keeping body fat levels in check, Max-OT cardio also provides important cardiovascular health and endurance benefits and that’s another reason I feel Max-OT cardio should remain a part of your plan all year.

The maximum muscle building phase is not an excuse to get fat so don't forget to keep a spot open for Max-OT cardio in your "off season" training plan.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Drug Free Muscle Building Tip - Choose your plan wisely!

So, have you looked at the latest and greatest routine from your favorite muscle building magazine lately? Maybe one guaranteed to put and extra inch on your biceps in record time?

You need to be careful before you embark on any of these “advanced” workouts and consider the fact that the people advising these routines may not be the best sources of information for you to follow.

If you are a natural bodybuilder and are training without the use of performance enhancing drugs you must train smart and for the most part that means ignoring the training advice in the popular magazines. Reader beware!

Often times the workouts prescribed by the popular press are less than ideal from a muscle building standpoint for the drug free bodybuilder. The workouts typically consist of too many sets, isolation exercises, super sets or other “advanced” principles which will catapult you straight into muscle fatigue and keep you spinning your wheels in the land of stagnant results.

Your best bet is to make sure you are learning from sources that are relevant to drug free bodybuilding. That means modeling your approach after proven methods that top natural bodybuilders have used to achieve great success.

When I first started bodybuilding some 20 years ago I made the same mistakes that most people do. I learned largely from the popular magazines until I found AST Sports Science and Max-OT. The good news for you is you don’t have to waste your time sifting through all the B.S. to try and find a sound program that will truly maximize drug free results. The answer is already right in front of you.

Max-OT is the proven method that I've used for more than 10 years and has been critical to my success. I've advised countless people to use Max-OT and all with great results. You can see an awesome visual example of what these principles (training, cardio and nutrition) can do in the documentary "I Want to Look Like That Guy."

Unfortunately drug use is a sad reality of the sport especially at the top levels. I am not writing this to preach but rather to shed some light on the situation and remind you to be aware and make sure the advice you are following is relevant to drug free training.

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http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Don't Over-Complicate the Process

This is a subject I've touched on before and I think it is worth mentioning again.

The actual process of building muscle and burning fat is pretty simple. We best build muscle by training with heavy weights and basic compound lifts and we best attack fat with high intensity cardio and smart nutrition with a strict eye on caloric intake. That's it!

The hard part should not be the plan itself but rather your dedication towards executing the plan on a daily basis with an understanding that the real magic happens from your attention to nutritional detail over a long period of time.

I don't know how many times I see people who are not achieving the results they want and the first thing they do is to start searching for a new workout approach. They want some magic way of training that is going to transform their body. Let me tell you, there is no magic way. Again, don't over-complicate it. Stick with basic compound movements, train with heavy weights and really pay attention to your nutrition. And to add to that, if you are focusing on fat loss you have to add more cardio to your plan. Not more as far as the duration of each session but more as far as frequency of sessions per week.

For outstanding results keep it simple and execute the basics over a long period of time!

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Max-OT Cardio Tips

Remember not to over complicate Max-OT cardio.

The goal of Max-OT style cardio is to work out of your comfort zone for 16-20 minutes. You need to be "huffing and puffing" throughout the session. Simply put, if you complete 16 minutes and it feels easy then you are not working hard enough.

Don't worry too much about what program setting you choose, what machine you are on or how many RPM's you are doing. If you are uncomfortable throughout the session and always striving to beat your distance you will achieve the desired effects of Max-OT style cardio.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Q&A - Creating a Caloric Deficit

Q:
I just viewed the DVD "I Want to Look Like That Guy" and it was awesome!!! I do have one question.... I noticed that on the diet schedule that was on the DVD, Stuart's calories went way down there at the end....

Question is did he stay on the same 5 day Max-OT training and cardio during that time? I ask because I have been warned that if I take my caloreis to low and continue to work out at a high level than it will basically backfire and be counterproductive.

A:
Thanks for the great feedback! Glad you enjoyed the film.

Not only did Stuart stay on the 5 day Max-OT schedule throughout, he actually increased cardio frequency as the show got closer and as calories got more restricted. To reach single digit body fat levels it is imperative to create such a caloric deficit.

The process of gradual caloric reductions and increased cardio frequency needs to take place over a period of several months to be most effective at losing fat while continuing to build and maintain muscle. If there is a dramatic caloric drop and a dramatic increase in cardio frequency all at once, indeed that can be counterproductive to building and maintaining muscle.

Other keys to the process that Stuart followed were smart nutrient ratios/nutrient timing, continuing to train heavy with Max-OT principles and always keeping cardio sessions short (16-20 minutes) and intense. All of these are important principles for achieving maximum fat burning while continuing to build and maintain hard earned muscle throughout the process.


Believe. Achieve.


http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Stop the long duration cardio madness!

While I was channel surfing last night I caught a show on E! - "True Hollywood Story - Female Bodybuilders." Like a car wreck, I had to peak on my way by.

Part of the story was following an amateur figure (maybe it was fitness, I can't remember which for sure) competitor who was trying to win her pro card at a national NPC event. What jumped out at me was when she was talking about her training regimen she said she did 3, 45 minute cardio sessions a day! Poor girl had fallen prey to the pundits of long duration cardio like so many guys and girls do when they are preparing for contests.

Long duration cardio, particularly when you are on a reduced calorie diet, is a great way to waste away hard earned muscle. Women have to be even more careful as their propensity to build and maintain muscle is challenged by their gender right out of the gate.

Truth is she would have achieved far greater results with a fraction of the time. This doesn't mean she would have had to work any less hard it just means she would have worked smarter with a more result producing plan. Hard work is great but if channeled in the wrong direction can actually impede progress. I know first hand because I used to do long duration cardio too and never achieved the kind of conditioning I did once I implemented Max-OT style cardio.

Stuart MacDonald's (Pictured above) amazing transformation documented in "I Want to Look Like That Guy" was achieved in part by his consistent short duration, high intensity cardio. There was no long duration cardio for Stu and he was able to go from over 30% body fat to less than 6% bodyf at in a 6 month period. I guarntee that if Stuart would have done hours and hours of cardio he would not have achieved the same dramatic results. He may have lost a similar amount of total weight but his body composition would not have been as great because he would have been sacrificing muscle along the way.

Remember - Short duration, high intensity cardio is the way to go for competitors and anyone looking to really improve body composition. It will have a greater elevation effect on your metabolism and less of any negative effects on the muscle building process.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

Cardio - Keep it short and intense for maximum fat loss.

To achieve the greatest fat loss results and minimize any potential negative muscle building effects from cardio remember to keep it short and intense.

Max-OT style cardio is the way to go. I keep the duration at 16 minutes of high intensity, making sure I am huffing and puffing throughout each session. You have to remain out of your comfort zone throughout each session in order to get the full benefits. If you treat cardio like a Sunday stroll then you can forget about being shredded.

Establishing a distance goal will help make sure your intensity is where it needs to be. Let's say you travel 4.2 miles in 16 minutes on a recumbent bike then the next session you need to try and beat 4.2 miles with all settings being the same. Always striving to better your distance will help drive you during each session and make sure your intensity is where it needs to be for the ultimate metabolic elevation.

Long duration cardio is much less effective at overall metabolic elevation and will have much more of a negative impact on the muscle building process. Trust me, I know from experience.

I used to follow the same poor advice delivered by most bodybuilding gurus. I did long duration cardio and I did it on an empty stomach too! Guess what, I never came close to achieving the hardness that I wanted come the day of the show. My level of conditioning and muscularity improved dramatically when I introduced Max-OT style cardio. I achieved the condition of my life (condition that enabled me to place 4th at the USA and win the overall at the Team Universe - 100% drug free) and never went over 20 minutes on any session of cardio and never ever did any of it on an empty stomach.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/
http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

The 'magic' answer.

One thing that has become clear to me over all these years is that people tend to look for that 'magic' answer when it comes to achieving above average results. They want that one exercise, that one supplement, that one fad diet or that one fancy workout that is going to magically propel them past mediocre results.

Let me be the first to tell you.....there is no 'magic' answer. There is, however, one best combination of things that will allow you to maximize your results and that combination involves continual execution on your part. If you are looking for just one thing to plug into your plan than you are barking up the wrong tree.

I've trained the same basic way since about 1998 and that is with the Max-OT principles. If you have followed my career at all then you are very familiar with this. These are the training principles I live by and the principles that I instruct everyone to use who comes to me for guidance.

So before I go any further, let me make this very clear. I believe in, use exclusively and prescribe the Max-OT principles only because I feel it is the best way to train to maximize results. I believe this from my personal experience and success as well as the success of countless others who've followed it over the years. Don't waste your time asking me what I think about 'this' training method or 'that' training method because I will always point back to Max-OT. I am not here to argue it. If you like to train another way then by all means do what you feel is best. I practice what I preach and always have. If I thought there was a better way to train than I would have trained a different way.

OK, now that that is out of the way, let me continue.

When I speak about Max-OT I guess I am talking about the philosophy as a whole which includes the cardio principles and the diet principles I used to become one of the best natural bodybuilders in the world. The greatest illustration of the the philosophy can be seen perfectly in our documentary "I Want to Look Like That Guy". http://www.iwanttolooklikethatguy.com/

I mentioned in another post that this documentary in many ways validates my career and the reason I say that is because it proves that a person can maximize their potential if they are willing to fully execute this plan without excuses.

In the film Stuart MacDonald is a great student who executes daily and achieves results in 6 months that many would have said he shouldn't have been able to do, especially considering his age and career demands. He achieved outstanding results because he trusted me and he didn't look for that 'magic' answer. (Speaking of magic...an interesting side note, Stuart MacDonald is an incredibly accomplished magician respected highly by his peers and an inductee in the magic hall of fame.)

What was interesting to me is throughout the process, Stuart posted progress pictures here at the gym. The better he looked, the more people would come to me and ask "What is Stuart doing". Again, they assumed there was one 'magic' thing he had added into his plan. They often seemed almost disappointed when I would tell them that Stu is not doing anything different than I have told you to do. The difference is he is executing it on a daily basis and doing so for weeks on end. He also isn't making any excuses. He is doing all the elements the best he can...training, cardio and diet.

It is not easy and the documentary shows this clearly. But it also shows that it IS possible to achieve great things drug free.

The first step to achieving great things is to give up the notion of that 'magic' answer and start executing an intelligent plan that is based on physiology and has a proven track record of success.

Also remember the better you do all aspects of the plan (weights, cardio and diet) the better and faster your results will be. If any one of those elements suffers, so will your results.

Just ask Stu. He lived it.
http://www.thatguymovie.blogspot.com/

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