If you're a man 12% body fat or under, or a women with less than 20% body fat, you can make a few changes to reveal deeper cuts and a look your best in just a few weeks:
- Continue lifting heavy to maintain lean muscle mass and preserve strength. Even in a sharp calorie deficit, heavy training helps you maintain anabolic hormone levels and maximize muscle retention. Pick two to three lifts and continue to train purely for strength.
- Then add high-intensity strength circuits. Pick three movement patterns and sequence your exercises in a tri-set (three exercises performed one after the other with no rest between them.)
The goal is to increase training density – do more work in less time. This is effective in short doses since lifting with relatively heavy weight and short rest periods stimulates a large HGH response, which in turn accelerates fat loss.
Sample Circuit Workout
Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
---|---|---|---|
A1 | Chin-Up | 4 | 8 |
A2 | Dumbbell Push Press | 4 | 10 |
A3 | Dumbbell Goblet Lunge | 4 | 6/leg |
Rest 30-60 seconds then repeat | |||
B1 | One-Arm Dumbbell Row * | 3 | 8/arm |
B2 | Feet-Elevated Push-Up | 3 | 15 |
B3 | Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 15 |
B4 | Ab Wheel Rollout | 3 | 15 |
* One-Arm Dumbbell Row — Rest 60-90 seconds
Try to avoid cumulative fatigue, particularly with your grip. In this case, use wraps and switch grips to minimize grip issues.