My training plan for fat loss relies on one key thing… progression. In order to maintain a steady rate of fat loss I must progress the training programme to become more difficult and taxing as the weeks progress. I am currently doing an 8 week diet and have planned a training programme for this.
The point of this article is to express the importance of progressing the training. Doing a training programme that remains the same for the entirety of the 8 weeks will lead to plateaus in fat loss. As your body becomes more efficient and at a lower mass you will need to increase the training load in order to carry on achieving the calorie deficit.
Here is an example of a progressive training programme.
Training plan –
Weekly breakdown
Week 1+ 2
Mon – Chest + abs
Tuesday – Back + biceps
Wednesday – Abs + 1 hour cardio
Thursday – Legs
Friday – Shoulders + Triceps
Saturday – off
Sunday – 1 hour cardio
Week 3 + 4
Additional 1 hour cardio – 15 mins added to each evening weights workout
Week 5 + 6
2 x morning sessions added:
Morning session 1:
30 minute run
30 minute bike
Morning session 2:
Abs workout
30 minute bike
week 7 + 8
Evaluate and add more cardio if needed.
Workout breakdown
Chest:
Bench press 5 x 1-5 reps
Incline DB press – 3 x 3-6 reps
Cable chest press – 3 x 12 reps
Incline flyes – 3 x 8-10 reps
Press up circuit
Abs:
Medicine ball twists – 3 x 20 reps
Leg raises – 3 x 15 reps
Weighted plank – 3 x 1 minute
Back –
Deadlift – 5 x 1 – 5 reps
Underhand barbell row – 3 x 6-10 reps
T bar row – 3 x 8-10 reps
Lat pull down – 3 – 12 reps
Biceps –
Standing EZ bar curl – 3 x 6-10 reps
Seated dumbbell curl – 3 x 8-10 reps
Standing straight bar curls – 3 x to failure
Dumbbell hammer curls – 3 x 6-10 reps
Legs –
Smith machine squats – 5 x 1 – 10 reps
Plate loaded leg press – 3 mega sets
Leg extensions – 3 x mega sets
Kneeling plyo jumps – 3 x 10
Walking lunges – to failure
Shoulders –
Seated smith machine press – 3 x 3-6 reps
Seated dumbbell press – 3 x 6-8 reps
Lat raises – 3 x 12 reps
Front raise / press – 3 x 24 reps
Triceps –
Close grip bench press – 3 x 6-10 reps
Overhead dumbbell extension – 3 x 6-10 reps
Cable pushdowns – 5 x to failure
So as you can see, more cardio is added each week in order to maintain or increase the calorie deficit.
So give it a go and plan your diet in progressive stages. Assess and make adjustments as you need to along the way.
-AC-
