Drop the dead weight: attack your fat with this two-pronged insulation annihilation - Fat Loss

YOUR BODY LOVES FAT. The ladies don't. Your body tries to hold on to as much of it as possible (just like a woman and her love of shoes. And picture frames. And fancy decoration pillows we're not allowed to sleep or drool on). Fat storage is a built-in survival mechanism, factory-installed to protect you in times of famine. And it was a lifesaver--10,000 years ago. But now, it's just a frustrating biological barrier between you and your would-be six-pack.

The biggest obstacle to eliminating the lard is that your body adapts rapidly to training. So each time you do the same workout--a steady three-mile run, for instance--it becomes a little more efficient. And that means you burn less fat from one exercise session to the next, diminishing your progress.

Our solution: the "Turbulence Training" plan that follows. It's designed to disrupt your muscles (causing turbulence) as much as possible by using a combination of heavy lifting and high-intensity interval sprints. That forces your body to work harder each session and increases the time it takes it to adapt. Simply put, we've evolved our way out of hairy elbows and furry diapers, now let's lose the lard.

WHEN TO DO IT Alternate between Workout 1 and Workout 2 three days a week, resting a day between each session. So you'll perform Workout 1 twice the first week (on Monday and Friday, for instance), and Workout 2 once (on Wednesday). The following week, you'll do Workout 2 on Monday and Friday, and Workout 1 on Wednesday. Do the interval workout as directed after each workout.

Repetitions and weights: For each exercise, use the heaviest weight possible that allows you to complete eight repetitions for each set of each exercise.

Targeted Muscle Groups

WORKOUT 1

This session works the muscles of your chest, middle and upper back, and arms.

WORKOUT 2

You'll target your quadriceps, hamstrings, shoulders, lats, abs, and lower back in this workout.

INTERVAL TRAINING

Perform an interval-training session following each workout.

Workout 1

Fat Loss

[check] Perform each pair of exercises (1A and 1B, 2A and 2B, etc.) as a superset, doing one set of each before resting for 60 seconds.

[check] Do three sets of each exercise in each superset before moving on to the next pair of exercises. So you'll complete all sets of 1A and 1B before doing 2A and 28.

[check] Rest 60 seconds between each pair of exercises.

1A WIDE-GRIP BENT-OVER ROW REPS: 8

* HOLD THE BARBELL with an overhand grip as wide as comfortably possible.

* SET YOUR FEET shoulder-width apart.

* KEEP YOUR BACK naturally arched for the entire lift.

* PUSH YOUR HIPS back and lower your torso until it's almost parallel with the floor.

* PULL THE BAR to your torso.

1B DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS REPS: 8

* GRAB A PAIR of dumbbells with an overhand grip.

* HOLD THEM ABOVE your chest at arm's length.

* LOWER THE DUMBBELLS to the sides of your chest.

* PUSH THE DUMBBELLS up and together so they nearly touch.

* AS YOU PRESS the weights up, drive your head into the bench. It will stabilize your body and help you lift heavier weights.

2A DUMBBELL ROW REPS: 8

* HOLD A PAIR of dumbbells at arm's length in front of you.

* YOUR PALMS SHOULD be facing each other.

* SET YOUR FEET hip-width apart and bend your knees slightly.

* KEEP YOUR BACK naturally arched for the entire lift.

* PUSH YOUR HIPS back and lower your torso until it's almost parallel with the floor.

* PULL THE WEIGHTS up to the sides of your torso, pause, then slowly lower them.

* KEEP YOUR ELBOWS as close to your body as possible and raise them as high as you can, pausing at the top of the movement.

2B ELEVATED PUSH-UP REPS: 8

* GET INTO PUSH-UP position, but put one hand on a medicine ball.

* YOUR BODY SHOULD form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.

* LOWER YOUR BODY until your chest nearly touches the floor.

* IF YOU DON'T have a medicine ball, a basketball or an aerobic step will work just as well. (The aerobic step will be a little easier.)

3A DUMBBELL LYING TRICEPS EXTENSION REPS: 8

* GRAB A PAIR of dumbbells with an overhand grip, your palms facing each other.

* HOLD THE DUMBBELLS with straight arms over your forehead, angling your arms back.

* BEND YOUR ELBOWS to lower the dumbbells until your forearms are just past parallel with the floor.

* DON'T MOVE YOUR upper arms during the lift. The only movement that should occur is the lowering and raising of your forearms. (They'll pivot at the elbow joint.)

3B DUMBBELL INCLINE CURL REPS: 8

* LIE ON AN incline bench set at a 45-degree angle.

* HOLD A DUMBBELL in each hand and let your arms hang straight down.

* TURN YOUR PALMS forward.

* WITHOUT ALLOWING YOUR upper arm to move forward, curl the weights as high as you can.

Fat Loss

Interval Workout

Perform each sprint described here on a treadmill or an exercise bike at the prescribed percentage of your highest possible effort. Then slow to an active rest at the suggested intensity.

[check] WARM UP FOR five minutes, gradually increasing your intensity to about 75% of full effort.