Before I start to tell you how the F.B.I. protocol can help you lose fat quickly I wanted to get into a little fat loss history. In “the olden days” most resistance training workouts would have you doing exercises in a straight set format. Basically this means you doing a certain number of reps for a particular exercise rest about 30 seconds to 5 minutes. This is an extremely inefficient way to order your exercises. While this is concept is good for powerlifters or pro bodybuilders this protocol will not have much of an effect for fat loss for the average trainee.
“So Nii, what’s the problem with this type of training? All my personal trainers in NYC have told me this is the best for fat loss.” Well…the quick answer is if you are reading this then your personal trainer has failed you and on their behalf I apologize. Doing straight sets are easy to understand for people new to fitness and it sure makes writing down a generic program easy for the trainer.
In most commercial fitness gyms in NYC you’ll typically see someone perform three sets of 10 reps for lunges. They pump out 10 reps, go to the water fountain, talk with some buddies, watch a couple of highlights on ESPN, and then gingerly walk back to hit up their second set. In general, most people tend to take about 3-5 minutes between sets. In the case of three sets of 10 on the lunge that means it would take up to 15 minutes to complete only one movement pattern. That means you’d need at least in hour to perform four different exercises! That is insane because if you have ever trained with CTS boot Camps in Central Park West you will know that we probably do up to 10 exercises in our 4 minute F.B.I. training workouts.
Alright let me cut to the chase about what the F.B.I. is all about because New Yorkers are the busiest people in the world…or at least we would like to think that. Just to clear things up when I say F.B.I. training workouts I do not mean the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Lord knows that the last thing that I want is the F.B.I. knocking on my door besides one government agency; the I.R.S. is good enough for me. F.B.I. means FAT BURNING INTERVALS. This is a systematic form of circuit training that I have used since my enlistment in the US ARMY back in 1999.
The FAT BURNING INTERVALS are a much more effective and time-efficient approach to ordering your exercises for ultimate fat loss. Here you’ll perform one exercise, rest for a short period of time, then perform another non-competing exercise, rest for a short period of time, and so forth. Alternating sets allow you to work different areas of your body when you would otherwise be resting with the straight set format. Plus, by working another area of your body with a non-competing exercise you allow your body to recover from the previous exercise(s). The result is improved training economy and density: more work accomplished in less time, the cornerstone of any sound fat loss program. There are several ways to perform alternating sets outlined below:
1.) Supersets: Alternate between two different non-competing exercises (e.g. upper body and lower body such as push-ups and lunges)
2.) Trisets: Alternate between three different exercises (e.g. push, pull, and lower body such as push-ups, rows, and lunges)
3.) Circuits: Alternate between four or more different exercises
Though supersets and trisets are excellent alternating set options, I believe circuit training is by the far the best option time and time again. To demonstrate why, let’s examine my favorite
circuit training template using timed set intervals:
The 50-10 Five Exercise Circuit: You will alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for all five exercises in the following 5-minute circuit:
Exercise#1- Squats
Exercise#2- Dips
Exercise#3- Single-Leg Hip Extensions
Exercise#4- Pull-ups
Exercise#5- Leg Raises
Perform this circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body fat burning workout.
Basically, in the same 15 minutes that it took to get in three sets on the bench you could have gotten in three sets of five different exercise for a staggering total of 15 work sets! Plus, the intensity on each exercise will be just as high as in the straight set format because in this five exercise circuit you will have full recovery with over four minutes before you return to any given exercise (just as you did with the straight set format described earlier).
To recap, the key to creating the optimal hormonal environment for fat loss is to perform each exercise with maximal intensity while separated by brief rest periods in order to accumulate a high volume of total body work in the shortest amount of time possible. Circuit training provides for the best of both worlds and is thus simply unmatched for simultaneously maximizing fat loss and lean muscle gain. Use the following template I use with my many boot camp clients for some killer, yet simple fat loss circuits:
Exercise#1- Double-Leg
Exercise#2- Push
Exercise#3- Single-Leg
Exercise#4- Pull
Exercise#5- Core
Here’s a workout video showing you a great circuit you can perform anywhere:
I’ll be sharing some more great circuit training workouts from my boot camps in the weeks to come
I will keep the videos and BLOG post coming so you can get results.
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