It's been a while since I've posted a free program, and my Women's Fat Loss Program is still one of the most popular posts on this blog. So I wanted to post a full program for the dudes out there so they don't feel so left behind. Part 1 of this post is going to be the rationale for the program, what I'm writing and why I'm writing it, and Part 2 tomorrow will have the full program.
The Dad-bod has become a thing in the past few years. Although it has always existed, the name has only come around relatively recently. For those who, somehow, don't know, "dad-bod" refers to a man who's not in bad shape, just still has a bit of a beer gut. They're not really fat but not ripped either. Some people are into this type of body, which is absolutely ok, but others not and they are stuck with a body that they don't love and they might be looking for something to do about it. This post is for these guys.
For a guy with a dad-bod, the most important thing to focus on first is getting leaner. Even if you don't think you have enough muscle, getting your body fat down is going to 1. make you look a ton better, and 2. make your body work a ton better. If you're already a bit heavy, trying to gain weight is most likely going to result in gaining just as much fat as you did muscle, and that's not our goal here. Once you get lean, you insulin sensitivity will be better, meaning you body can tolerate carbs better. Also, lots of other hormones will work in better tune with your body, making trying to gain muscle much more effective. At this point, gaining muscle will not result in gaining nearly as much fat as you would have had you not cut first.
In order to get lean, you're going to need to put down the Bud Light and get a handle on your nutrition. Like I've posted many times before, nutrition is the #1 factor in losing body fat. Up the protein, up the veggies, and stay moderate in the carbs and fat. If you want an amazingly effective cutting template then follow the pop-up to subscribe to this blog and I'll send it to you for free. At the end of the post, I'll also discus the diet strategy that I have been using for years to get and keep my body fat down.
To drop that extra fat you're also going to need a badass workout plan. People have the misconception that cardio is the most effective way to lose fat, when in reality the fat burning effects of cardio are pretty minor. What's more important, in my opinion, is to focus you workouts on building and retaining as much muscle as possible. For this program, I'm only going to start you on a 3 day per week lifting program as well as 1-2 high intensity conditioning days.
The lifting program will be split up into a pulling day, a leg day, and a pushing day. This is slightly different then what I normally program but it is definitely also an effective way to train. Just like always, the program will be focused on heavy compound movements which are followed by more specific isolation movements.
The first day will be your pulling day. It will be mostly upper body with just a few lower body pulling movements in as well. We will have a combination of horizontal and vertical pulling with a slight lean towards horizontal. There will also be plenty or work for your upper back, traps, shoulders, and biceps.
The second day will up your pushing day. This one will be all upper body and include horizontal and vertical movements as well. It will also include isolation exercises for the pecs, shoulders and triceps.
The last day will be legs. I separated the leg day farther from he pulling day because there will still be some lower body necessary in the first one. On this day you will squat and deadlift in some fashion as well as do single leg work, calves, and core.
To finish off this post, I wanted to talk about the diet that works for me. I've posted in the past about finding what works for you as an individual and sticking with that to see the best results. That is exactly what I've done for the past 4 years with Intermittent Fasting. Some of you guys may have heard of IF, and some may not, but it's simply the process of extending the time that you don't eat food throughout the day. There are a few different ways to do it but the way that I use is to basically skip breakfast. Blasphemy! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Right?! Not right. Personally, I don't believe that there is any single meal that is more important that the others, and it's the sum total that makes the most impact. Honestly, I don't want to get too deep into the "why" in this post because I already have that saved for another day, I just want to tell you what has worked for me and urge you to try it with an open mind.
A typical recommendation for IF is 16 hours of fasting with 8 hours of feeding. I go slightly less than that I do more like 14:10. A normal day for me is to have my last meal (usually a protein shake or PB before bed) around 9pm then eat my first meal the next day sometime between 11 and noon. During that time I drink lots of water, black coffee, and sometimes BCAAs to get me to my first meal. Starting off, you'll get pretty hungry, so I urge you not to jump right into 16:8 but to slowly start pushing back the time of your first meal each day. Once you have found something that seems to be working for you then stick to that! My time frame usually works well because it allows me to eat when I come home for my break from training clients. I fast all morning while I work (full of energy by the way), then eat lunch when I get back home. Then I workout and train more clients.
IF can be an extremely effective fat loss strategy if you like it, but it definitely isn't for everyone. Try it if you want, stick to it for a week or two if you can, but if you don't like it then don't do it. It's not great for people who workout early in the morning, and it can be hard for people with weird work hours, but for most dudes with normal hours it can work super well.
Part 2 tomorrow will include the first 4 weeks of this program free for all you guys. I'll have the other 8 weeks written but that will only be available for my Subscribers and clients, at least for now, If you guys want the full program then go ahead and fill out that pop-up to get included into the list! Right now you'll also get a free copy of the Nutrition Template that I use for myself and my clients. Subscribing will also let you join the private Facebook group that I just opened, This group will allow for much more engagement with each other than my Facebook page so I can make sure you guys are getting all of the info you need.
See you tomorrow!
Facebook: Greg Herceg - Personal Trainer
Instagram: @Greg.the.Trainer
Email: gsherceg@gmail.com
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