Get ready as MAXIM fitness guru ALEXA TOWERSEY tells you exactly what “feel the burn” really means…
It happens every damn time, doesn’t it? Your progress comes to a screeching halt the last two weeks before D Day. Herein lies the pickle. You don’t want to squander hard-earned muscle mass and strength, but you gotta shred so you can look good on the beach or by the pool – stat! So, what do you do? Add cardio? Increase exercise volume? Cut more calories? E-mail your ‘roid dealer? The age old question remains – can you lose fat and gain muscle at the same time? And is cardio necessary if you want to get really shredded?
Mental stress, nutrient restriction and aerobic exercise drive your cortisol levels sky high, and if you’re not careful, you’ll end up a 98-pound poster boy for the Mr. Puniverse competition and be so weak in the gym that even the Body Pump lifters will make fun of your poundages. But it doesn’t have to be this way. If recent research is accurate, then manipulating the body’s natural growth-hormone levels through lactic-acid training could be the answer we’ve all been looking for. Disclaimer – this is not for the weak hearted or weak minded, but I challenge you to give it a try.
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Short rest intervals lead to an increased production of lactate, and an increase in lactate leads to dramatic increases in Growth Hormone, thus resulting in very significant losses of body fat. This method is the brain child of the late Charles Poliquin – and something he coined “German Body Composition” or GBC for short. Now, while the original GBC program proved to be very popular there is an advanced version that not only leads to dramatic fat loss, but is also quite effective in growing muscle and developing muscular endurance.
THE PROGRAM
You will perform three exercises for each body part using the following split:
Day 1: Chest and back
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Shoulders and arms
Day 5: Off
Repeat
Day One: Chest & Back
A1. 6 x Barbell Bench Press
A2. 12 x Incline DB Bench Press
A3. 25 x DB Flye
2 mins rest. 3 rounds
B1. 6 x Chin Ups (if you can’t do full pullups or chins, do eccentrics or HEAVY Lat Pulldowns)
B2. 12 x Bent Over Row
B3. 25 x Reverse DB Flye
2 mins rest. 3 rounds
TOP TIP
When it comes to exercise selection, the most compound and neurologically demanding/technically hard exercise should always be completed first. Generally speaking, you’re looking at the first and second exercise being multi-joint, and the third exercise being single-joint.
Day 2: Legs
A1. 6 x Barbell Squats (Front, Back, Zercher)
A2. 12 x Lunges (each leg)
A3. 25 x Leg Extensions
2 mins rest. 3 rounds
B1. 6 x Leg Curls
B2. 12 x Romanian Deadlifts
B3. 25 x Back Extension/Reverse Hyper
2 mins rest. 3 rounds
TOP TIP
Be strict with the tempo – this dictates your Time Under Tension (TUT). Use a 40X0 tempo on the sets of 6; a 20X0 tempo on the sets of 12; and a 10X0 tempo on the sets of 25. In layman’s terms, the first number relates to the lowering phase (eccentric), the second number denotes the transition, the third number refers to the lifting portion (concentric), and the last number is the rest between starting the movement again. In other words the lower the reps, the slower the lift.
Day 3: Shoulders and Arms
A1. 6 x Standing Military Press
A2. 12 x Seated DB press
A3. 25 x Lateral Raise
2 mins rest. 3 rounds
B1. 6 x Dips or Close Grip Bench Press
B2. 12 x Skullcrushers
B3. 25 x Cable/Band/Rope Tricep extensions
2 mins rest. 3 rounds
C1. 6 x Incline DB Curls
C2. 12 x Standing Barbell Curls
C3. 25 x Hammer Curls
2 mins rest. 3 rounds
At first glance, this program might seem easy, but if done properly, it is anything but. The secret to making it effective is exercise selection and resistance – you must pick an individual exercise and weight that will crush your spleen after six reps, after 12 reps and after 25 reps on an individual basis. If you don’t need that 2-minute rest, you are not working hard enough.
TOP TIP
You must use the entire 2-minute rest period. If you do not, you might not be able to use sufficient weight or complete the prescribed reps, thus affecting lactate production and your end results.
For the full article grab the January 2021 issue of MAXIM Australia from newsagents and convenience locations. Subscribe here.
