What’s up everybody?  I don’t know about you, but I was so ramped up by Brad’s “Throwback Intervals” post that I decided to take it a step further.

Maybe I was waxing nostalgic at the site of those vintage Jordan’s that I used to wear, combined with thoughts of my glory days on the hard-court, but it drove me to roll out an old-school strength and cardio workout for maximum fat burn and that ripped, lean muscle look that we all desire.

Not to mention, it’s functional.  Like Brad said, we can easily get caught in the rut of performing exercise that makes us look better but doesn’t necessarily help us feel better physically or perform better in our daily routines.

And, you won’t have to reserve 90 minutes out of your day, like the rest of the time–wasters at the gym, to get amazing results.  I’m only looking for 10-20 minutes of your time.

Sound good?  Let’s get started . . .

This workout is going to combine a shuttle drill, push-up, and inverted row and can be done anywhere you can find 20 linear yards of space and an elevated bar that is a little over an arms-length distance from the ground.

First, to explain the movements . . .

—> 10-20-10 Shuttle:  The athlete in the video below is actually performing a 5-10-5 shuttle which is a great test of agility, or the ability to accelerate, decelerate, and change direction.  We’re going to perform twice the distance as I want you to receive some of the benefits of agility work but would rather place more attention on metabolic work.

The value of performing shuttles versus straight line sprints is that the change of direction component recruits so much more muscular activity, especially in the decelerating phase.  You wanna use good arm action like the athlete to promote greater force production and efficiency in your lower half.

Your set-up would be to place 3 cones (or other markers) in a straight line 10 yards apart.  Start by sprinting 10 yards in one direction, followed by a change of direction and 20 yard sprint in the opposite direction.  The drill is completed with a second change of direction and 10 yard sprint back through the center cone.

This should take you 10-15 seconds based on your ability to sprint and your level of fitness, as this strength-cardio workout will get very demanding and isn’t for the faint of heart.

—> Push-up: Probably the first exercise you learned when you were young but also the first you abandoned for the bright lights of the bench press . . . bad move!  The push-up offers the benefits of core strengthening and glute activity that the bench press can’t provide.  Plus, there are dozens of push-up variations, so you never get bored.

For our purposes today, we’ll use the standard push-up, but let’s make sure we’re on the same page with regard to execution, so you can get the most out of this movement.

I want your hands placed just outside of your shoulders with your fingers pointing forward.  Assume a straight body line from ankle through ear and activate your core (tighten up like you’re about to get punched in the gut) to maintain this alignment through the entire movement.  The core activity isn’t necessary while you’re lying on a bench in a fixed plane.

Next, tighten your glutes to shoot your hips forward and maintain posture.  Again, not necessary on a bench.

Finally, as you perform the standard push-up movement and descend with your chest touching the ground while maintaining posture, make sure that you tuck your elbows against your side rather than flaring them out.  This is the most abused flaw of the push-up that I notice in the gym.

Why this technique?  The scapula (shoulder blade) is the foundation of your shoulder, and you would like it to be stable and set during movement.  I cue my clients to always push their shoulders “down and back”.

This sets the scapula and stabilizes the shoulder.  When your elbows flair out during a push-up, you’ll notice that your scapula wings out of place.  Meanwhile, tucking your elbows against your side keeps it set.

You’ll perform 15 seconds of push-ups (about 1 per second), which may seem easy by itself, but it won’t be when combined with the other movements.  If they are easy you can always elevate your feet behind you.  If it gets too hard, drop your knees down, but still keep your butt in and posture straight otherwise.

—> Inverted Row:  We don’t want to only perform push-dominant movements, like most guys in the gym, so we’ll include the inverted row for a pulling balance.  Shown in the video below, you’ll notice it has many of the same benefits as the push-up . . .

Notice the same straight posture line, core tightening, glute activation for hip extension, and the shoulders are set “down and back”.  Once again, you should perform the same elbow tuck throughout this movement that you did with the push-up.  There’s a reason many actually call this movement an “inverted push-up”.

Like the push-up, you perform 15 seconds of inverted rows.  Many people are so push-dominant that this movement tends to be much harder than the push-up.

If you cannot perform the 15 seconds with straight legs and heels in the ground, bend your knees so your feet are flat to provide some assistance.  On the other hand, if this is too easy, elevate your feet.

***************************************************************************************************************

So, now that you know the movements, it’s time to crush it.

For this strength and cardio workout, you’ll need:  your gymboss interval timer, 3 cones or markers, 20 linear yards of space, and an elevated bar that supports your bodyweight.

You’re gonna perform these 3 movements in 2 minute blocks of time and repeat as long as you can handle it.  Feel free to adjust the work:rest ratio to match your current fitness level (example – 15 secs of work, 45 secs of rest and repeat so that entire cycle takes longer, but you’re getting more rest in between exercises).

1. 10-20-10 Shuttle: 10-15 seconds
2. Rest until the 30 second mark
3. Push-ups: 15 seconds
4. Rest until the 1 minute mark
5. 10-20-10 Shuttle: 10-15 seconds
6. Rest until 1:30
7. Inverted Rows: 15 seconds
8. Rest until the 2 minute mark

Then, repeat the process…

You’re getting an amazing leg work-out that requires strength because of your bursts of acceleration and decelerating changes of direction.  In addition, you’re developing pushing and pulling strength in your upper body.  Throw in some elevated heart rate, and you’ll have fat melting off in no time.

Bonus: You’ll feel like a Varsity athlete again, or for the first time.

For more extreme fat loss workout routines, make sure you’re a TopFatLossTrainer VIP.  Enter your name and email in the box below.

Your Coach,

Brian Utley

I’m still laughing at the ridiculous title I gave this workout, haha…”it’s like a fat chisel.”  But it really is.  I thought I was going to either puke or faint after the first exercise alone.  It took a lot of heart to keep going, plus I didn’t want to wuss out on film.  I know all you Inner Circle rock stars are going to hate this metabolic workout, but I also know you’ll love the body composition changes it brings to the table.

This will get categorized under weight training workouts and fat loss workouts, but it’ll probably feel more like a cardio workout.  It’s also a little longer in duration, so lace those shoes up tight, grab your running watch (or just follow my lead) and let’s start chiseling that one thing we all hate – FAT.

*Remember, this is pretty advanced.  Stick to the original lean body workout plan you selected in Step 5 until you’ve maxed that out, then we’ll have you slowly step up to these more challenging workouts.

[Content protected for Inner Circle members only]

What did you think?  Was it so effective that your pants/shorts were starting to fall off halfway through the workout like mine were?  Plus, I almost ripped the back of them out during the second to last exercise (and my girlfriend says I don’t have a butt, HA).  Go ahead and leave your comments, questions and requests below.

I’m here to help you every step of the way, so let me know what else you need to succeed with lighting fast speed.  Wow, I’ve really lost it.

Your Inner Circle Coach,

Brad Campbell

You know I love shorter, harder and more advanced workouts for losing fat, building muscle and sculpting the kind of hard body that could cause fender benders when you’re out running around town.

But the fact of the matter is you can’t go hard every single workout, especially when you’re following an aggressive fat loss diet plan.

So speaking of running, one of the most effective ways to add powerful calorie burning workouts to your weekly regimen without risking overtraining, is to use tempo running.

A tempo run (also called anaerobic threshold runs, lactate threshold runs or just threshold training) is basically a moderate duration steady state run done at threshold pace, which is the effort level where your body’s ability to clear lactate can no longer keep up with lactate production.

You’re probably wondering how you’re supposed to know how hard of a pace this is.  Good question.

If you have access to a heart rate monitor, this would be at about 85% of your maximum heart rate.  I prefer to just go by feel, though.  A tempo run should be done at a pace that is uncomfortable, but not impossible, to maintain.  It’s faster than  you’d like to run, but nowhere near the intensity level used with interval training.  Most tempo runs should last 20-40 minutes, depending on your fitness level.

Tempo-pace running is ideal for maximizing aerobic capacity and increasing aerobic efficiency.  This carries over to your weight training workouts and more demanding cardio workouts, where you’ll be able to perform at a higher output without hitting the wall.

Not only does tempo running increase the fat-burning potential of other workouts by allowing you to train more efficiently, but it’s a pretty solid calorie-burning tool in itself.  The icing on the cake is the fact that tempo training is just moderate enough in intensity that it gives your muscles and nervous system a break from the insanity they’re exposed to in other (more hardcore) workouts.

You can take this a step further and perform tempo runs in interval-like fashion.  This segmented threshold training is also referred to as tempo reps, tempo intervals, tempo cruising or moderate interval training.  The standard protocol is of course longer runs done at tempo pace that last anywhere from 90 seconds to 10 minutes, followed by brief rest intervals of about 1 minute, and repeated for 20-40 minutes.

This longer, but less intense form of interval running allows you to accomplish a higher volume of quality training without adding excessive amounts of stress to an already taxed body.  I really like using a cardio workout such as this when I’m feeling a little drained from fasting.

In fact, I did a 30 minute tempo rep run this morning because I knew I wouldn’t have the fuel to attack a more challenging workout (this morning was the tail end of a 31 hour fast I used to get back on track after a few slip ups the past few days).

After a brief warm-up, I ran 90 seconds at a challenging (tempo) effort, recovered at a slower jog for 45 seconds and repeated nonstop for 30 minutes total.  This was just the right blend of intensity and duration and I felt like a million bucks afterward.

Anyways, that’s the skinny on how to use tempo running to get un-fat.  Make sure you’re using this training tactic to your advantage throughout the week.  I’m off to flex in the mirror for a bit.  Be cool.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS – I just got a new iPhone, in case you’re wondering how I came up with the picture theme for this post.  I must have got screwed ‘cuz my iPhone didn’t come with apps like that.   

This is a grueling hybrid cardio workout video I filmed for my Inner Circle members, to have you guys feeling ‘funky fresh.’  And by funky fresh, I mean free of gross body fat and full of long, lean and sculpted muscles.  Just grab a light pair of dumbbells and hit this 10-minute hybrid workout as hard as you can.

Hybrid Cardio Workout (Funky Fresh Routine):

[Content protected for Inner Circle members only]

Here’s a 9-minute cardio workout that uses hybrid training for a whole gang of body sculpting benefits, including toning, shaping and fat-burning.  It’ll kind of feel like I put your body in a blender and held down the ‘pulse’ button, but no worries…it’ll go quick as usual and the end result will be well worth the effort.

I really like this particular cardio workout because you accomplish so much in just 9-minutes.  After all, we’ll be doing nearly every type of training there is, all rolled into one hybrid workout to tone, shape and burn fat.  Time efficiency is the name of the game and if you can get better results in less time, then let’s dance, right?

Cardio Workout – Hybrid Training to Tone, Shape & Burn Fat:

[Content protected for Inner Circle members only]

Let me know how your progress is going in the comments section below.  Also, I’d be happy to answer any of your questions about fat loss, building lean muscle, getting ripped, meal plans, lean body supplements, motivation/mindset, etc.

Make sure you’re getting one step closer, every single day, to building a body like Fergie or Cam Gigandet…

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

I just got done filming this body weight workout that you can use for a metabolism-boosting cardio session.  If you want to lose the unsightly body fat and replace it with long, lean muscles, you’ll have to drastically increase your resting metabolic rate and expose your body to plenty of weight bearing exercises.

This is a good reason to include mild strength training during your cardio workouts (as opposed to the typical 60 minute treadmill runs that only work the leg muscles at a very low intensity).

The body weight circuits I’ll have you doing during this cardio routine will not only burn a decent amount of calories and spike post-workout fat-burning, but it’ll also be very taxing to all muscle groups. 

This gives us 4 separate mechanisms by which we can improve overall fat loss:

—> calorie burning during the intense workout

—> circuits performed in interval fashion causes a prolonged increase in calorie burning after the workout has ended (anywhere from 12-72 hours, depending on your level of effort)

—> by working all muscle groups at a higher intensity and resistance (as compared to standard cardio like jogging or cycling, which only works half the muscle groups at low intensities, at best), the body has to work harder post-workout to repair muscle fiber damage.  This leads to additional calorie burning.

—> because we actually worked multiple muscle groups with a challenging load – even though this is a “cardio” workout – we’ll benefit from the increase in resting metabolic rate, thanks to new lean muscle.

—> count ‘em…not one, not two, not three…but four ways to burn fat faster with this body weight workout.  Can you say hardbody?

Body Weight Workout for the Ultimate Hardbody:

[Content protected for Inner Circle members only]

Ready to “Man Up” and Try a REAL Workout?

Then you won’t want to miss this: Tacfit Commando Review (extreme bodyweight workout program designed to get you ripped fast)

Today I’m bringing you yet another short, sweet and fat-torching cardio workout.  This 9-minute cardio workout I just filmed for you has that ‘randomness factor’ that’ll give your body a new look it hasn’t seen before.

I use these types of creative and refreshing cardio workouts because they keep you from getting bored; they produce more fat loss in less time; and they make your body deal with exercises and workout situations it’s never had to conquer before…this leads to a higher revving metabolism and more blubber-burning firepower.  In the end, you’ll have a new lean body with ‘supa dupa’ sex appeal.

Enjoy the workout and don’t let my swimming trunks blind you, haha.

9-Minute Cardio Workout for Supa Dupa Sex Appeal

[Content protected for Inner Circle members only]

Who else wants to lose fat and get shredded CRAZY fast?  If you answered “I do, I do,” then this hybrid workout is going to produce like Steven Spielberg, baby.  I’m placing this in the weight training category, but really it’s about a 60/40 blend of strength training to cardio training.

Hence, the term “hybrid workout,” which just means a mix of two different forms of workouts blended together.  The purpose, in this case, is to produce rapid fat loss and quicker gains in lean muscle.  There is only one downside to this hybrid workout – it’s very challenging and causes a lot of lactic acid buildup, which you’ll notice in the video (my shoulders were en fuego and I  had to decrease the weight of my dumbbells after a couple of sets).

The first time you try this workout, I recommend using a slightly lighter weight.  Make sure  your form is solid and you can work through a full range of motion, explosively and without causing injury.  After you feel comfortable with this hybrid workout, make sure and select a HEAVY and challenging weight – this is key for producing the crazy fast fat loss results I promised.

If you’re not hurting like I was during this workout, you probably need to up the weight and explode more.  This goes for my girls, too (believe me ladies, “manly” weight workouts are necessary for the body you want to build).

By the way, don’t make fun of my blooper in the beginning of the workout video (haha, I left that in there because it cracked me up when I watched it).  Enjoy the shredded body you’re going to have thanks to this crazy hybrid workout.

Hybrid Workout – Lose Fat & Get Shredded CRAZY Fast:

[Content protected for Inner Circle members only]

This 6-minute interval cardio workout I have for you today give a whole new meaning to the term rapid fat loss.  Not only is the workout extremely rapid at just 6-minutes in length, but the strain this routine puts on your body makes it difficult to recover.  When your body has to work hard post-workout to restore things to normal, guess what happens?  Rapid fat loss, due to the “afterburn” effect we caused.

You’ve probably heard the phrase “work smarter, not harder.”  Well when it comes to fat loss, weight training for lean muscle and dieting for a lean body, my motto is “work smarter AND harder…but do it in less time and get better results.”

You’ll need a light pair of dumbbells and just 6-minutes to TKO this workout (that’ll make sense when you watch the video).  Use this as your cardio workout for the day or do it after a weight training session to further boost metabolism.

6-Minute Interval Cardio Workout for Rapid Fat Loss:

[Content protected for Inner Circle members only]

Alright Inner Circle crew, this cardio workout is what separates the “hard bodies” from the “softies” who never look better than average.  This is a super advanced interval cardio workout that will take just 8-minutes of your precious fat-burning time.

—> Girls, this is going to give you one slammin’ booty, tight thighs and awesome muscle tone.

—> Guys, this is going to turn those chicken legs into highly defined, athletic-looking legs (without making you stocky or bulky).

—> Everyone, this explosive cardio workout is going to incinerate unwanted blubber from your soon-to-be lean body (DUH…this is what we do, baby).

You’ll need one pair of dumbbells – err on the side of using too light of dumbbells the first time you try this workout.  Any time you do an advanced cardio or weight training workout, there’s going to be an increased risk of injury.

Some of you may even want to do this workout for the first time with strictly body weight and then progress to heavier dumbbells as you repeat the workout in later weeks.

We’re going to be doing dumbbell squats (or body weight squats – whichever is more appropriate for you) in interval fashion.  On top of that, you’re going to be using an explosive movement through the eccentric (or lowering) phase.

To review explosive training, especially eccentric explosion (that just means going fast through the lowering phase of the exercise), you may want to re-read this blog post —> Explosive Training for Fat Loss

This will seem really awkward and backwards at first, but believe me when I say this is an ADVANCED body transformation solution.  I’m going to be asking you to try new things, to go against the myths you’ve come to believe as truths and to put your trust in me.

In the end, you’ll achieve much faster fat loss, quicker gains in lean muscle and a more fit and attractive body in way less time.  Cool beans, right?  Without further ado, let’s drop it like it’s hot.

Cardio Workout – Explosive Eccentric Squats:

[Content protected for Inner Circle members only]

Are your legs on fire?  Are you nauseous?  Thought so.  This is the occasional price we have to pay to look better than everyone else (wink).  Also, I think I accidentally said “type I” muscle fibers in the video…I meant to say “type II” muscle fibers have the greatest ability to burn more fat and sculpt more lean muscle.

If you have questions about this explosive cardio workout, about eccentric explosion in particular, or about the benefits of selectively working type II (fast twitch) muscle fibers…just leave a comment below this post.

Expect to be sore the next few days (sorry bout that).

Your Coach,
Brad Campbell