Instead of doing the same old interval training for your cardio workouts, try putting your body through a motion or exercise that it's not used to doing.  For example, instead of always sprinting for 30 seconds, jogging for 60 seconds and repeating (or, insert whatever you typically do)...get a little creative and choose some movements that you haven't done since, say, high school.

That's what I did a few days ago, selecting a few basic conditioning drills our high school basketball coach used to force us to do every practice.  You'll quickly realize that:  a) you're not in near as good of shape as you'd like to think; and b) you can really ramp up the intensity and effectiveness of any fat burning workout with minor tweaks.

Another good reason to use unconventional exercises in your fat loss protocol is that your body was designed to live and work through various planes of movement.  Typical workout routines have you training to get better at moving and performing like a robot.  How does this help you in everyday life?

Think about how many times you've had to step laterally to squeeze through the front door before it slams shut, all while carrying about 5 bags of groceries in each hand.  How does always running forward, lunging forward, pressing a barbell straight up or pulling a cable straight back help you to do this easier?

It doesn't.  And that's a big drawback you'll experience with a majority of the fitness programs out there.  Which is a bad thing because you know us guys will never change.  I mean, I'd rather break my eggs and smash my bread than make two trips carrying groceries from my car to the kitchen.  God forbid...

Of course, it's not just groceries.  This applies to nearly everything you do in a given day, from putting those groceries away, to getting up from your desk, and so on.

Okay, so you're sold on the benefits...now here's just a beginner-like sample of how to stop being a robotic, one-dimensional trainee and start becoming a high performing, multi-dimensional beast. 

"Throwback Intervals" - Handle Your Fat Burning Business

5 minute warm-up, followed by 30 seconds of each exercise, with 60 seconds of walking or very slow jogging in between work periods:

---> high knees: stay on balls of feet, drive those knees up as high as possible and use exaggerated arm movement

---> fanny kickers: heels all the way to that booty, again with exaggerated arm movement

---> backpedaling: unlike first two exercises, go for speed here and use explosive strides (just look behind yourself once in a while to see what's coming...I almost had a fatal accident involving the baseball fence the other day when I was doing these)

---> sideways shuffles: think basketball defensive drills (I hated these with a passion in high school...no wonder I sucked at defense), remember to get the butt low, chest out and keep toes pointing straight sideways; be sure to "shuffle" and not cross your feet; do 15 secs with each leg forward

---> tire jumps: pretend there's a staggered course of tires and jump right foot at 45 degree angle to land in 'first tire,' then jump to left leg at 45 degree angle into 'second tire' and continue to repeat throughout the interval

*This is one round of intervals.  If you have any gas left in the tank, go on with your bad self and complete a second round.  Remember, you're doing 30 seconds of first exercise, recovering for 60 seconds, 30 seconds of second exercise, rest 60 seconds and so on.

**A more technical way for determining the optimal work and rest periods for maximum fat loss is to use your target heart rate for weight loss

My "throwback intervals" may not sound overly intimidating, but I'm telling ya...sprinting sounded EASY when I was doing this workout the other day.

Why is this?

Because I've been guilty of overusing sprinting for my work portion of interval training for the past couple years.  My body has therefore become very efficient with this movement.  But when I flip the switch and sub some random movements that I haven't done in a long time, it's a different story.

I felt pretty beat down after just one round of these, which is great because the increased metabolic disturbance means more fat burning without having to extend the workout duration.

Try it.  I dare you. You'll get better fat loss results AND you'll be creating a more functional body that has some "go" to back up the "show."

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS - Put your name and best email in the shiny blue box below, but only if you're "this cool" (I'm holding my hands quite a ways apart...so if you're not sure go and get your coolness measured first, just to be safe)

Other cool workout routines to check out: Navy SEAL Workouts

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 workout routines to build muscle 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.

Want a challenging bodyweight-only workout routine?  Try this: Navy SEAL Workout

I'm in a challenge workout type of mood this week, so get ready to be tortured.  I'm going to put your body through the fat loss ringer...hope that's cool with you.  Unlike past challenge workouts I've posted, this one's straight up cardio.  It sucks pretty bad, both physically and mentally...but with a solid effort, you'll get a decent post-workout metabolic bump.

What's gnarly about this challenge workout is that there's not much thinking involved.  Okay, there's no thinking involved.  Lace up your running shoes and let's get jiggy.

Challenge Workout - Treadmill Torture:

---> After a light warm-up, hop on a treadmill, raise the incline to 6% and turn the speed to 6 MPH.  Next, suck it up and run as far/long as possible, without adjusting the speed or incline.

---> And that's the extent of this challenge - just see how far (or how many minutes) you can make it before stopping.  Simple enough in details, but kinda torturous when carried out.

*Just don't let me catch you holding onto the top of the treadmill with your hands.  Nothing is more annoying than seeing people do this.  Don't be lazy and don't destroy the effectiveness of your cardio workouts by holding onto (or even resting your hands on) the cardio equipment.

Alright, I'm done preaching.

Go test your mental toughness and cardiovascular endurance by trying this 6/6 treadmill torture challenge workout.

How long did you make it?  Shout it out below in the comments section.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS - If you're feeling these grueling challenge-type workouts, make sure to read this:  Tacfit Commando Review - workouts for SERIOUS fat burning and muscle building.  And if you're digging this challenge workout, peep this: Navy SEAL Workout

I had a TopFatLossTrainer reader email me today about this interesting article he'd found on another website (AlwynCosgrove.com).  Alwyn had reviewed a study from the Journal of Applied Physiology that looked at aerobic training and the post-workout boost in metabolism it caused... or in this case, failed to cause.

The study showed that participants who performed an easy 60-minute bike ride had absolutely NO increase in fat burning after finishing their joy ride ("workout").  If you've been following my blog for a while now, this shouldn't be surprising...

You know I'm all about milking your workouts for all they're worth, which is why I design advanced fat loss workouts to blow up the metabolism for hours, if not days, after you stop working out.  After all, this is where the majority of your fat loss is going to take place.

Doing workouts that fail to burn extra fat off your trouble spots during your resting time is like having a crap-ton of money and letting it sit in a bank account that pays you no interest.  That's dumb, right?  Of course it is...you should be leveraging that money to go to work for you, so you can sit back with your feet up and live off the interest.

Workouts are the same way.  If you want to make a wise investment with your workout time, you need to be spending it the right way, so it keeps paying you long after you stop.

Back to the study.  So not only was there no increase in post-workout fat burning after this low effort 60-minute bike ride, but most participants in this study actually burned LESS fat in the next 24-hours, as compared to those who did NOT work out.

Ain't that a B?

The study concluded that a low intensity workout like this, when performed with calorie replacement, not only fails to burn extra fat post-workout, but may even have a negative impact on the rate of fat burning.

Basically, you devote 60 precious minutes to working out, come home, treat yourself to a small snack (that roughly matches the few hundred calories you just burned) and end up slightly FATTER for your efforts.

Jeez...are you gonna kick my puppy while you're at it?

Or how bout you steal a homeless man's sleeping bag?

I mean, even with all my preaching about how shorter, more intense and carefully designed workouts are the absolute coolest and most effective way to get lean and ripped (in less time, mind you)...even I was surprised to hear that a long, slow, boring and totally outdated cardio workout may actually make you FATTER, unless you starve your way into a huge negative caloric balance.

Now let's consider the swarms of people out there who think that a 45-minute walk should be rewarded with cookies and ice cream that same day.  This is a problem.

People are drastically over-estimating how many calories their cardio workouts are burning and then going and totally sabotaging their efforts by out-eating the small amount of calories they actually burned off.

When you combine this with the fact that 95% of workouts aren't even producing an increase in calorie burning post-workout session (and may even be slowing down your metabolism), you've got a recipe for a big, nasty fat storm.  Most people are caught up in this fat storm and the forecast is looking gloomy.

But I'm gonna throw you an umbrella and show you how to move some place tropical.

Remember, I'll never say that a longer, lower intensity, steady-state cardio session is absolutely worthless and has no place whatsoever in your overall game plan.

But for most people, the majority of your workouts should be targeted towards getting the best bang for your buck and making your workouts go to freakin' war for you and your dream body.

The best way to do this is by following the weight training workouts, cardio workouts, bodyweight workouts and hybrid workouts I've designed for you right here on this blog.

You give me the effort and I'll be the science geek who does all the thinking for you and designs the type of lean body workouts that'll have your metabolism straight slamming.  Pedal to the fat burning metal, baby.

Deal?  Cool, let's CRUSH it together.  Don't change that channel... lots more crazy content coming your way.

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

This is a 12-minute cardio workout routine that is a little more "doable" than some of my more advanced workout routines.  This is perfect for the beginner/intermediate who's just getting started and can't quite handle some of the more demanding cardio workouts.

This cardio workout will be body weight-only and includes jumping, kickboxing and plyometrics.  We'll be doing this in interval fashion to boost metabolism and force the body into a higher fat-burning state.  Work hard...I know I did.

12-Minute Beginner Cardio Workout:

[Content protected for Inner Circle members only]

Happy fat hater Friday everyone.  Today I'm going to arm  you with a deadly circuit training workout that you can use this weekend to declare war on your body fat.  This is 'new school' cardio...and I say the hell with 'old school' cardio.  Okay, maybe that's a lil harsh - standard cardio does have it's place in your fat loss workout plan...it's just not near as effective as the accelerated methods I'm preaching about in these posts.

Standard, slow paced cardio workouts can be useful as an additional calorie burning tool that you can use to further the caloric deficit you're creating through diet, strength training and these more intense interval based workouts.

They can also be used to give your body, and especially your legs, a rest from the highly-demanding workouts you've been doing all week long.  But that's about it...

My 'new school' cardio, as I've been calling it, will make those 45 min jogs on the treadmill look like child's play (speaking of which, that movie used to scare the shit outta me when I was little).  And it will do so in about 1/4th of the time.

There's really only one drawback to using this advanced fat burning cardio system - it sucks...bad...I mean it really requires you to dig deep and work hard, but only for a short amount of time.  And I know you'll suck it up and do it anyways, because of the lean body it'll help you sculpt in less time...much less time.

We all know that HIIT cardio is the latest and greatest thing for fat burning...but this type of circuit training workout I'm about to share is kind of like HIIT on crack.  This workout will hit all of your muscle fibers and put your strength and conditioning on blast.

There are several reasons this type of circuit training puts standard cardio and even traditional forms of HIIT cardio (such as jogging, walking for recovery and repeating) to shame:

--> Most cardio workouts, even many HIIT workouts, only work your lower body muscles...and even then, it's not at an intense-enough level to reap the muscle building and fat burning effects of strength training.

--> If we can involve the upper body muscles, core muscles AND the lower body muscles ---> this leads to a far greater number of muscle fibers that need to recover ---> causing more calories to be burned post-workout to fuel the recovery process ---> this also releases more fat burning enzymes, which means even more fat loss (can I get a Boo-Yah Jim Cramer?).

So what exactly is this crack-like, advanced HIIT, circuit training workout?

You'll be performing 6 exercises for 1 minute each, with virtually no rest in between exercises (you're allowed just enough time to transition to the next movement and that's it).

We'll be hitting muscles of the upper body, lower body and core, so we can cash-in on the benefits I just talked about.

One circuit should take you just over 6 minutes (it'll take a few seconds to transition between each exercise) and if you don't pass out or puke after one circuit, go ahead and rest just 1-minute and repeat another circuit.

Once you can do 3 circuits and you're using the most advanced form of each movement, you've increased the intensity of each exercise and you've increased the weight of your dumbbells...you've graduated and are now a total lean body bad ass...just don't forget to mention me when you start your new career as a fitness cover model.

Brad's Advanced Circuit Training Workout:

--> Alternating lunges - can start with body weight only and progress to holding dumbbells

--> Upright dumbbell rows - start with lighter pair of dumbbells and try to increase the weight each time

--> Plank hold - forearms and toes only, with back perfectly straight and abs tight...if this gets easy, you can lift one leg for 30 secs each during the 1-minute hold

--> Squat jumps - explode up as high as possible, landing softly and going immediately into a deep squat (this will probably bring tears)

--> Dumbbell shoulder presses - start with light pair of dumbbells and press both together, using full range of motion, at the same time...aim to increase the weight when you repeat this workout

--> Hip thrusters - keeping back flat, jump both feet up and in, as you bring your knees up to your chest...if this is too difficult to do for the entire minute, you can step one foot at a time up and in (think slow mountain climbers)

*Remember, all exercises are done for 60 seconds (don't stop early) and you need to transition immediately to the next exercise without resting...complete the entire circuit, rest only 1-minute and repeat 1 or 2 more times as your conditioning improves.

Give this advanced circuit training workout a shot this weekend and let me know what you think.  Before I wrap this up, I've got another semi-dirty joke for you.  I saw this on someone's blog I was reading this morning and thought I would 'borrow' it to send you into the weekend with a smile on  your face.  Here goes:

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A kindergarten teacher is trying to explain to her class the definition of the word "definitely" to them.  To make sure the students have a good understanding of the word, she asks them to use it in a sentence.

The first student raises his hand and says:  "The sky is definitely blue."

The teacher responds:  "Well, that isn't entirely true...because sometimes it's gray and cloudy."

Another student says:  "Grass is definitely green."

The teacher again replies:  "If grass doesn't get enough water it turns brown...so that isn't really correct either."

Another student raises his hand and asks the teacher:  "Do farts have lumps?"

The teacher looked at him and said:  "No...but that isn't really a question you want to ask in class discussion."

So the student replies:  "Then I definitely just shit my pants!"

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Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

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