GERMAN BODY COMP FOR FAT

LOSS
German Body Comp (GBC) training is THE most effective programming for fat loss and
improvements in body composition PERIOD.

It is based upon the pioneering research by Hala Rambie, a Romanian exercise scientist who
defected to West Germany. Rambie made the important discovery that the lactic acid pathway is
better for fat loss than the commonly accepted aerobic pathway. Rambie found that high blood
lactic levels decrease blood pH levels, which in turn sends a message to the brain to accelerate
its production of growth hormone. Higher growth hormone levels increase fat loss.

There are several permutation of the methodology, which will be discussed at the end of the
article. But the common theme is that GBC utilizes multi-joint movements with shorter rest
intervals (less than 60s). Resistance training coupled with short rest intervals has the potential to
produce nine times normal growth hormone levels.

For years the popular understanding for weight loss centered around doing heaps of aerobic
training. Go to any Globo gym now and youll see people running, stepping, and biking miles
upon miles and hours upon hours, bored to tears, in an effort to lose fat. It simply does not work.
Most end up with little-to-nothing to show for their efforts. The ones that do manage to lose fat
end up weak and with less muscle mass than when they started.

Strength training has recently regained its popularity as a fat loss method and German Body
Comp, in my opinion, is the ultimate strength training methodology to lower body fat, increase
lean muscle and improve functional capacity all at the same time. Best of all it isnt boring. Not
even close.

Whether your goal is high level athletic performance, fat loss, or you want to pack on 10-18lbs of
muscle, GBC programs can be adjusted to meet a wide range of objectives. Here are a few
programs I have used recently with great success.

Sample Program 1

A1 10-12x Back Squats @ 30X0

A2 6-8x Supinated Grip Chin-ups @ 30X0
Rest 30-60s, 3-5 sets

B1 12-15x DB Walking Lunge @ 2020

B2 8-10x Barbell Strict Press @ 3010
Rest 30-60s, 3-5 sets

C1 15-20x DB Cyclist Squats @ 2020

C2 10-12x Bench Press with chains @ 30X0
Rest 30-60s, 3-5 sets
Sample Program 2

A1 8-10x Parallel Dips @ 30X0

A2 (6/6) Deadlift + Bent-Over Row
Rest 30-60s, 3-5 sets

B1 8-10x DB Split Squats (front foot elevated), each @ 2020

B2 10-12x Neutral DB Chest Press @ 3010
Rest 30-60s, 3-5 sets

C1 10-12x Hanging Leg Raises (minimize momentum)

C2 8-10x Standing Single-Arm DB Press (neutral) @ 3010
Rest 30-60s, 3-5 sets

D1 20-30x Poliquin Step-ups (4 elevation), each

D2 8-10x Seated DB Zottman Curls @ 4010
D3 10-12x DB Bent-Over Trap 3, each @ 2020
Rest 30-60s, 2-3 sets

Sample Program 3

A1 10-12x Thick Bar Close-Grip Bench Press @ 3110

A2 25-30x Supine Medicine Ball Chest Pass (to self) X0Xo
A3 8-10x Clean-Grip Deadlift
A4 8-10x DB Row, each @ 2020
Rest 30-60s, 3-4 sets

B1 6-8x 1/4 & 1 Back Squats @ 3010

B2 15-20x Jump Squats @ X0X0
B3 8-10x Neutral-Grip Chin-ups @ 3010
B4 12-15x Russian Kettlebell Swing @ X0X0
Rest 30-60s, 3-4 sets

C1 50m Sprint
Rest 30s, 10 sets

GERMAN BODY COMP FOR FAT LOSS

German Body Comp (GBC) training is THE most effective programming for fat loss and improvements
in body composition PERIOD.
It is based upon the pioneering research by Hala Rambie, a Romanian exercise scientist who defected
to West Germany. Rambie made the important discovery that the lactic acid pathway is better for fat
loss than the commonly accepted aerobic pathway. Rambie found that high blood lactic levels
decrease blood pH levels, which in turn sends a message to the brain to accelerate its production of
growth hormone. Higher growth hormone levels increase fat loss.

There are several permutation of the methodology, which will be discussed at the end of the article.
But the common theme is that GBC utilizes multi-joint movements with shorter rest intervals (less
than 60s). Resistance training coupled with short rest intervals has the potential to produce nine
times normal growth hormone levels.

For years the popular understanding for weight loss centered around doing heaps of aerobic training.
Go to any Globo gym now and youll see people running, stepping, and biking miles upon miles and
hours upon hours, bored to tears, in an effort to lose fat. It simply does not work. Most end up with
little-to-nothing to show for their efforts. The ones that do manage to lose fat end up weak and with
less muscle mass than when they started.

Strength training has recently regained its popularity as a fat loss method and German Body Comp,
in my opinion, is the ultimate strength training methodology to lower body fat, increase lean muscle
and improve functional capacity all at the same time. Best of all it isnt boring. Not even close.

Whether your goal is high level athletic performance, fat loss, or you want to pack on 10-18lbs of
muscle, GBC programs can be adjusted to meet a wide range of objectives. Here are a few programs I
have used recently with great success.

Sample Program 1

A1 10-12x Back Squats @ 30X0

A2 6-8x Supinated Grip Chin-ups @ 30X0

Rest 30-60s, 3-5 sets

B1 12-15x DB Walking Lunge @ 2020

B2 8-10x Barbell Strict Press @ 3010

Rest 30-60s, 3-5 sets

C1 15-20x DB Cyclist Squats @ 2020

C2 10-12x Bench Press with chains @ 30X0

Rest 30-60s, 3-5 sets

Sample Program 2

A1 8-10x Parallel Dips @ 30X0

A2 (6/6) Deadlift + Bent-Over Row

Rest 30-60s, 3-5 sets

B1 8-10x DB Split Squats (front foot elevated), each @ 2020

B2 10-12x Neutral DB Chest Press @ 3010

Rest 30-60s, 3-5 sets

C1 10-12x Hanging Leg Raises (minimize momentum)

C2 8-10x Standing Single-Arm DB Press (neutral) @ 3010

Rest 30-60s, 3-5 sets

D1 20-30x Poliquin Step-ups (4 elevation), each

D2 8-10x Seated DB Zottman Curls @ 4010

D3 10-12x DB Bent-Over Trap 3, each @ 2020

Rest 30-60s, 2-3 sets

Sample Program 3

A1 10-12x Thick Bar Close-Grip Bench Press @ 3110

A2 25-30x Supine Medicine Ball Chest Pass (to self) X0Xo

A3 8-10x Clean-Grip Deadlift

A4 8-10x DB Row, each @ 2020

Rest 30-60s, 3-4 sets

B1 6-8x 1/4 & 1 Back Squats @ 3010

B2 15-20x Jump Squats @ X0X0

B3 8-10x Neutral-Grip Chin-ups @ 3010

B4 12-15x Russian Kettlebell Swing @ X0X0

Rest 30-60s, 3-4 sets

C1 50m Sprint

Rest 30s, 10 sets

German Body Comp Program

The German Body Comp program, one of my most popular workouts, is based on
the pioneering research by a Romanian exercise scientist who defected to West
Germany.
CHARLES POLIQUIN
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CONTEST CUTS

Q: Im interested in using the German Body Comp program to train for

Brazilian jujitsu. Is that appropriate?
A: They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but its not all that
flattering when the imitators dont do justice to the original work. Case in point:
the German Body Comp program.
The German Body Comp program, one of my most popular workouts, is based
on the pioneering research by a Romanian exercise scientist who defected to
West Germany. Halarambie made the important discovery that the lactic acid
pathway is better for fat loss than the commonly accepted aerobic pathway.
He found that high blood lactic levels decrease blood pH levels, which in turn
sends a message to the brain to accelerate its production of growth hormone.
Higher growth hormone counts increase fat loss.

The GBC program is characterized by short rest intervals and multijoint

movements to generate maximum growth hormone production. Not only does
GBC result in greater fat loss than aerobic programs can produce, but it wont
sacrifice strength and muscle massin fact, it can make you bigger and
stronger. With aerobics, all you get is fat loss and weakness. Why train your
body to be weak?
How effective is the program? Ive seen men gain 12 to 18 pounds of muscle
in 12 weeks while losing fat, and its not uncommon for women to lose seven
percent bodyfat in the same time period.

In addition to being great for anyone who wants to lose bodyfat, the GBC
program is especially geared toward athletes because it develops muscular
endurance. Law enforcement officers are prime candidates for the benefits of
GBC, and Ive had great success with grapplers and hockey players. In
contrast, aerobic training does little to improve endurance for most sports and
will compromise strength and powerits even been shown that upper-body
aerobic training can compromise jumping ability. Which brings us back to the
imitation problem.

The workout that is outlined in my book German Body Comp Program is

designed for all levels of individuals. Its a mix of machines and free weights,
with the exercises increasing in difficultyalong with the overall volume of
trainingwith the higher levels. Unfortunately, when fitness writers attempt to
modify the program for athletes, they often make several critical errors in
program design.
To show you how its supposed to be done, heres a version for athletes who
need to put on lean tissue and prepare for the months ahead of heavy lifting.
Typically, the program is done by throwers and rugby players in the early off-
season or by grapplers who want to take some time off the mat and build their
lactate capacity; so in your case that would work. Obviously, these athletes
will know their way around the weight room. Its an advanced program and not
for the weak of stomach.

Monday
A1 Snatch pulls on podium 5 x 6, X/O/X/O tempo
Rest 45 seconds

A2 Walking lunges 5 x 6 steps per leg, X/O/X/O tempo

Rest 45 seconds
Rest three minutes after completing all A sets

B1 Cyclists back squats 4 x 6-8, 3/0/X/0 tempo

Rest 45 seconds

B2 Close, parallel-grip chinups 4 x 6-8, 3/0/X/0 tempo

Rest 45 seconds

Rest 3 minutes after completing all B sets

C1 Lying leg curls (feet plantar flexed)

4 x 6-8, 3/0/X/0 tempo

Rest 45 seconds

C2 Incline dumbbell presses (semi-supinated grip)

4 x 6-8, 3/0/X/0 tempo

Rest 45 seconds

Rest 3 minutes after completing all C sets

Tuesday
A1 Clean deadlifts on podium 5 x 6,
4/O/X/O tempo
Rest 45 seconds

A2 Sternum chinups 5 x 6, 2/0/X/0 tempo

Rest 45 seconds

Rest 3 minutes after completing all A sets

B1 Russian stepups 4 x 8-10, X/0/X/0 tempo

Rest 45 seconds

B2 V-bar dips 4 x 8, 3/0/X/0 tempo

 Rest 45 seconds

Rest 3 minutes after completing all B sets

C1 Lying leg curls (feet plantar flexed and

turned outward) 3 x 6-8, 3/0/X/0 tempo

Rest 45 seconds

C2 Seated dumbbell presses (semi-supinated grip)

3 x 6-8, 3/0/X/0 tempo

Rest 45 seconds

C3 Seated dumbbell external rotations

(elbow on knee) 3 x 6-8, 3/0/X/0 tempo

Rest 45 seconds

Rest 3 minutes after completing all C sets

Thursday
A1 Power cleans on podium 5 x 6, X/O/X/O tempo
Rest 45 seconds

A2 Lumberjacks 5 x 6, X/0/X/0 tempo

Rest 45 seconds

Rest 3 minutes after completing all A sets

B1 Front squats (narrow stance with heels elevated)

4 x 4-6, 3/2/X/0 tempo

Rest 45 seconds

B2 Incline thick-bar presses 4 x 6-8, 3/0/X/0 tempo

Rest 45 seconds
B3 Lean-away pullups 4 x 6-8, 30X0 tempo
Rest 45 seconds

Rest 3 minutes after completing all B sets

C1 Lying leg curls (feet plantar flexed and

turned inward) 3 x 6-8, 3/0/X/0 tempo

Rest 45 seconds

C2 One-arm bent-over shrugs 3 x 8-10, 2/0/1/2 tempo

Rest 45 seconds

C3 Low-pulley external rotations 3 x 10-12,

3/0/X/0 tempo
Rest 45 seconds

Rest 3 minutes after completing all C sets

Friday
A1 Snatch deadlifts, 10 x 6, descending-sets style, resting only 45 seconds;
decrease the weight on every set so you can get the reps

Rest 5 minutes after competing all A sets

B1 Thick-bar curls, 8 x 8, descending-sets style, resting only 45 seconds;

decrease the weight on every set so you can get the reps

B2 Decline EZ-curl-bar triceps extensions, 8 x 8, descending-sets style,

resting only 45 seconds; decrease the weight on every set so you can get the
reps

The best time for athletes to use this workout is as soon as the competitive
season is over so your body can get accustomed to the change in body
composition. After you try it and your teammates and competitors see your
great results, dont be surprised if they start imitating you!
Q: What do you think is the best trap exercise?
A: Besides the competitive Olympic lifting exercises and their assistance
moves, one of my favorites for developing the traps is the one-arm barbell
shrug. Its great for stimulating strength and size gains in the traps and offers
several advantages over conventional shrugs.
Compared to the two-arm barbell shrug, the one-arm version provides a
greater range of motion. Try it if you dont believe me. Youll instantly feel how
much higher the trapezius moves upward when you use the single-arm
version. In fact, I would say that the only equivalent exercise would be
shoulder shrugs using the Atlantis shrug machine, such as the one we have at
the Poliquin Strength Institute.

Theres no contact with the body during one-arm barbell shrugs, permitting a
much smoother performance. With dumbbells theres a considerable amount
of friction created as the plates rub against your body, especially with heavy
weights. The friction increases the resistance of the movement, but you cant
actually determine how much the load has increased and, consequently, how
well youre progressing with the exercise.

With this version of the shrug, the working arm has to remain in a neutral
position. The technique helps correct the excessively internally rotated
shoulder and arm posture commonly associated with individuals who have
bench-pressed excessively for years.

Finally, to prevent the barbell from moving toward the front of the body, the
one-arm barbell shrug requires the infraspinatus and teres minor to be
recruited isometrically. The additional work develops superior shoulder
integrity that would be valuable for football and rugby players, who experience
a high degree of disruptive forces to the shoulders during their sports.
Although it seems like a simple movement, here are some special tips on how
to get the most out of the one-arm barbell shrug.

First, to make it easier to load the barbell and pick it up, set the barbell on a
power rack across the pins. You can then brace yourself with your free hand
against one of the power rack posts, which will let you keep your torso upright.
I would recommend the use of straps only if the weight is so heavy that your
grip gives outso no straps for sets of one to three reps.

To increase time under tension, which favors greater hypertrophy, pause for a
predetermined timeone to six seconds, for exampleat the end of the
concentric range of motion. I prescribe that pause for people who are
recovering from shoulder surgery, as they often cannot handle high loads but
still need the hypertrophy to rehabilitate quickly.

If your traps are in need of a dire challenge, please give the one-arm barbell
shrug a try. Im certain youll be very happy with the quick results it provides,
and adding it to your program would pay tribute to the pioneering work of the
old-time bodybuilders and strength athletes.

Editors note: Charles Poliquin is recognized as one of the worlds most suc-
cessful strength coaches, having coached Olympic med-alists in 12 different
sports, including the U.S. womens track-and-field team for the 2000
Olympics. Hes spent years researching European journals (hes fluent in
English, French and German) and speaking with other coaches and scientists
in his quest to optimize training methods. For more on his books, seminars
and methods, visit www.CharlesPoliquin.net. IM

German Body Comp Program

Charles Poliquin Explores His Weight-Training Program Designed to Burn Fat
Without Aerobics
KIM GOSS
Many trainees approach weight loss with the idea that you have to spend
countless hours performing aerobics that compromise your hard-earned
muscle. Now the world's winningest strength coach offers a sensible way to
lose fat without sacrificing muscular size and strength. It's the German Body
Comp Program, and it was designed by Charles Poliquin.

A native of Ottawa, Ontario, in Canada, Poliquin has developed conditioning

programs for more than 400 Olympians and countless professional hockey,
baseball, football and basketball players. He's also coached numerous
successful bodybuilders. Poliquin's reputation has inspired the best and most
dedicated athletes to seek private instruction from him in his new state-of-the-
art Tempe, Arizona, gym.

In this exclusive interview Poliquin talks about his new book, The German
Body Comp Program. It's one of Coach Poliquin's most popular workout
protocols, as it enables trainees to lose fat without aerobics'or following carrot-
stick diets'and at the same time gain muscle.

KG: Do you actually have your athletes use German Body Comp training?

CP: Absolutely. The German Body Comp Program is the fastest way to
change an athlete's body composition. I've had great results using it with
speed skaters, hockey players and other athletes who want to lower their
bodyfat and increase their endurance. And it's ideal for bodybuilders, who
want to keep every ounce of hard-earned muscle while obtaining the absolute
lowest bodyfat percentage.

KG: What do you say to those who believe you can't gain muscle and lose fat
at the same time?

CP: I just tell them to look at my results. Many of my athletes report to me that
they've made their very best gains using the German Body Comp Program.
I've seen men gain 12 to 18 pounds of muscle within 12 weeks. And it's not
uncommon for a woman with 16 percent bodyfat to go down to 9 percent
within 12 weeks.

KG: Why should someone choose your book over any of the popular weight-
loss books written by fitness trainers who train movie stars? Celebrities often
have amazing bodies. Is there something special about what they do that's
also in your program?

CP: First, you need to understand that being popular doesn't always mean
being good. One of the most popular exercise books for weight loss on the
market first made the best-seller list because the author, who is a millionaire,
bought 50,000 copies to help move it to the top of the list. When the public
saw that it was a best-seller, they assumed it was good, and that hype helped
generate sales to keep it on the best-seller list. Second, it's no secret that the
most special thing many celebrities, such as movie stars, do is cosmetic
surgery. And let's face it, many of the celebrity clients those trainers are
working with simply have superior genes.

KG: So what you're saying is that no matter how good a program is, Oprah
Winfrey is never going to look like Britney Spears?

CP: I'm confident the German Body Comp Program would help Oprah look the
best she's ever looked, but it's obvious that Britney Spears has the right genes
to help her look like she does.

KG: Genetics and liposuction aside, are there any similarities between the
type of training the best celebrity trainers do and the German Body Comp
Program?

CP: Not to my knowledge. The workout protocol in the German Body Comp
Program was designed a long time ago by Hala Rambie, a Romanian exercise
scientist who defected to West Germany. Rambie was the first exercise
scientist to propose the concept that the lactic acid pathway was better for fat
loss than the commonly accepted aerobic pathway. He found that when you
increase your blood lactic level, your blood pH decreases, and that sends a
message to your brain to accelerate its production of growth hormone. Growth
hormone helps the body burn fat. Simple as that.

KG: Studies have suggested that a small amount of aerobic training, such as
20 minutes three times a week, doesn't compromise strength gains. Would
adding such a relatively small amount of aerobics to the workouts increase the
amount of fat loss in your program without sacrificing muscle mass?

CP: That approach might be all right for some, but the way I look at it is, most
people work for a living and can fit in only so much training. One of the
advantages of the German Body Comp Program is that you can achieve
maximum weight loss with a minimal investment of time. Beyond that, aerobic
conditioning does little to improve sports performance for most of the athletes I
train. ALL KG: Are you saying that aerobic training is overrated for most
athletes?

CP: That's right. For example, the average VO2 max in the NBA is only about
47, compared to about 42 for the average couch potato and about 80 for a
world-class rower. If you look at the research, there are studies showing that
the higher your aerobic power, the lower your vertical jump. To make a
basketball player, or for that matter any athlete who needs speed and power,
perform a lot of aerobic work would be counterproductive.

KG: Are aerobics at least used as a warmup for your program?

CP: They can be, but the best warmup is to take the first two stations in the
program and do about two sets of five, using increasingly heavy weight. If your
first exercise is the deadlift and you expect to use 150 for your primary training
weight, you could start with 95x5 followed by 135x5.

KG: Is it better for athletes to use this program in the postseason or in the
preseason, when their improvements in muscular endurance are greatest?
CP: No question about it'it's always better for athletes to make the biggest
changes in weight loss or weight gain as far from the competitive season as
possible so they have more time to become accustomed to the change. Take
figure skating, a sport that involves an exceptionally high degree of body
awareness. Say a female skater drops eight to 10 pounds of fat just before a
competition; she may not perform well because she's not used to jumping at
that lower bodyweight. Likewise, a football player doesn't want to perform a
hypertrophy phase in the preseason because he won't have enough time to
get accustomed to his increased size by the time the season starts.

KG: Is there any difference in the results seen by men and women who use
the German Body Comp Program?

CP: It works equally for both; however, many women prefer this type of
training because they don't like the feeling associated with the blood
engorgement that comes from doing a lot of sets that concentrate on a single
bodypart.

KG: Because German Body Comp training focuses on multijoint exercises

over isolation movements, is it better for athletes suffering from overuse
injuries such as tendinitis?

CP: Possibly. But tendinitis is most often associated with uneven tension in
the muscular structures, which sometime can be resolved with soft-tissue
treatments.

KG: Some exercise authorities would say that if people are in extremely bad
shape, it would be better to have them build a minimal level of strength by
performing a low-intensity aerobic program such as walking before beginning
a weight-training program. Is that good advice?

CP: Exercise physiologists say that strength is the mother of all physical
qualities, so even if you want to go for a walk, you still need some strength to
get out of your chair. For the chronically obese, weight training is a better way
to train because it can bring about faster changes in body composition. I
would have them start the program by taking up to three minutes between
sets, then reducing the rest interval by 15 seconds at each workout. Most
people will be able to handle my protocol in about 10 workouts.

KG: Is there room in your program for people who need to perform
rehabilitation exercises, such as rotator cuff work for the shoulder? And how
should they modify their workout?

CP: They should either incorporate the exercises into the training process or
simply shorten the program and perform the rehabilitation exercises at the
end. KG: What type of evaluation process, if any, do you use at your training
center for overweight clients?

CP: Normally my first step is to put them through a full blood profile so we can
prescribe precise food selections and supplement choices. Interestingly, you
can almost predict their blood work by doing a 12-site bodyfat test to
determine where they have the highest fat stores.

KG: Is there a particular diet that the German Body Comp Program works best
with, such as high protein/low fat?

CP: Only about 25 percent of the population does well with lowfat/high-protein
meals. For most people a high-protein/low-carb diet with an emphasis on the
good fats would be more appropriate. As a general rule, the best way to diet to
lose bodyfat on this system can be summed up in one sentence: 'If it doesn't
swim, run or fly, or it's not green, don't eat it. In other words, you should focus
on eating vegetables and animal-based proteins'sort of a Paleolithic, or
caveman, diet.

KG: Many weight-loss programs recommend eating numerous small meals

throughout the day rather than two to three large ones. Is it better to eat more
frequently?
CP: Generally speaking, I would say yes, but everybody is different. Some
people don't react as well to eating frequently, and there are some who need
food about every 1 1/2 hours. I would say the accepted range is between 1 1/2
and 3 1/2 hours, and beyond 3 1/2 you might shortchange yourself.

KG: It's been suggested that to enhance fat loss, people should train in the
morning on an empty stomach, as the body's glycogen stores are low and fat
is immediately accessed. Is that safe?

CP: If you lift weights in the morning, I'd say eat a light meal beforehand
because your blood sugar is so low in the morning and the workout is going to
lower it even more. That effect causes most people to feel nauseated and
dizzy. If you're talking about performing a short, low-intensity aerobic session,
then it may not be a problem, except that the aerobics may compromise
muscle tissue.

KG: Many people who use programs with short rest intervals get nauseated
during the workout. To prevent that, what should people eat before performing
the German Body Comp Program?

CP: Obviously, sausages are worse than whey-protein powders, but it's not so
much what you eat as when you eat. People often get nauseated because
they train too soon after eating. But I know athletes who can eat right before
they work out and have no problems. You'll find that weight trainees have a
transition time that's four times slower, so their ability to process food fast will
improve. Some guys who are well trained can eat 30 minutes before
performing GBC and don't feel nauseated at all.

KG: Most popular weight-loss programs use meal-replacement drinks,

whereas your book advocates actual food.

CP: The problem here is that there are very few good meal replacements on
the market that are truly low carb'one dead giveaway that it's a bad product is
if you can purchase it at any discount store. Although meal replacements are
convenient, it's been shown that whole foods are more thermogenic. That
said, however, it's better to use a meal replacement than to skip a meal.

KG: There's a school of thought that athletes need to take frequent breaks
from strength training, such as a one-week break after four weeks of training
and then several weeks off after several months of training. Do you
recommend that people take such layoffs when following the German Body
Comp Program?

CP: One of the primary reasons many trainees have to take frequent layoffs is
that their workouts don't have enough variety. As for weight loss, it's been
shown that if a program lacks enough variety, you will stop producing as much
growth hormone even though you may continue to become stronger. It's been
said that for a man to live to be 100 years old, he must sweat every day.
That's good advice.

Editor's note: Charles Poliquin's German Body Comp Program is available

from Home Gym Warehouse for $29.95 plus shipping and handling. Call (800)
447-0008 to order, or visit www.home-gym.com. IM

On GBC and PHA

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After 20 weeks of very intense strength work in RevFit: Drumcondra its time to

change things up a bit. And its really the perfect time to do it, because our sister

gym, RevFit: Glasnevin will be kicking into a very similar program at the same time.

But what is this magic program I hear you cry?

Dont worry yet we need to talk about the background first.

** If youre feeling lazy, watch the video here // or read on for the rest of the blog **
THE BACKGROUND

See, you cant get stronger or fitter for 12 months out of the year. Your body will just

burn out and stop. What you have to do to ensure long term success is cycle your

training stimulus.

For example periods of accumulation, followed by periods of intensification (and if

peaking for an event realization, then recuperation of course follows).

Essentially all the means is that some months have a lot of work with medium

weights, and some months have a lot of work with very heavy weights (remember

movement and strength are the master qualities when it comes to looking good as a

guy or girl).

With that, you can now probably understand why were heading into a period of

accumulation. The next block of training youre undergoing has been inspired by a

number of sources Hala Rambie, Arthur Steinhaus, Bob Gajda and Charles

Poliquin.

Its commonly referred to as PHA training (peripheral heart action) or GBC (German
Body Comp) training. And essentially its goal is this
>> Help girls slim down and look toned and athletic

>> Get guys looking jacked in a t-shirt

Like I said in a pervious blog on why chasing numbers is bad, you must always

remember why youre training and for most that is to look, feel and perform better.

The training system is the tool that gets you there. And while I believe with every

fibre of my being that guys and girls both need to at least double their beginning

strength levels to start to look good, you cant get strong all year around.

So for periods of time we concentrate on body composition. Taking all the hard

work youve put in getting stronger, and realizing those results with a period of

leaning out / getting toned.

WHAT IS PHA/GBC ALL ABOUT?

The guts of this style of programming is the alternating upper and lower body

exercises. For example a superset might look something like this;

A1) Split Squat: 48

A2) Barbell Row: 48

*60s recovery between sets

B1) Stiff Leg Deadlift: 412

B2) DB Bench Press: 412

*60s recovery between sets

C1) Goblet Squat 325

C2) DB Row 325

*60s recovery between sets

What you have there is one part of your body (legs) resting and recovering while the

other half (upper body) works. This is important for a few of reasons.

It causes a MASSIVE increase in blood flow around the body, increases heart rate

FAST and avoids any localized fatigue. What that means for you is that you get twice

the amount youd normally get done in a session completed, so your workload has

now effectively doubled with no extra time spent in the gym

Because everything is so elevated, youll continue to burn more kcals 24-72 hours

after you leave the gym too (depending on what literature you read).

In addition, because everything is working and recovering all the time, blood lactate
levels shoot up, which leads to an ensuing increase in growth hormone levels. The

result? Fat burning increases even more.

THE PARADOX

Doesnt it sound all a bit too good to be true? How can a single training program be

so amazing, and why dont you know about it already? Well there IS one problem.
It is brutally difficult (or at least it can be if you make it that way). Because your full

body is being pushed to the limit each session, youll probably want to quit and take

long breaks or less reps.

But you absolutely must not. You owe it to yourself to get into it in a major way and

charge headlong into it. Youre only going to experience each workout 6 times (3

different workouts per week). Thats 18 hours of total effort. Less when you include

warm up and mobility work.

When we start to add in tempo prescriptions and timed rest periods youll want to

stretch things out a bit. But you must not. You owe it to yourself and dig in. Do the

work. Reap the rewards. One or two training phases like this in a year can literally

change your life.

Every time you get lean, or back in shape, it gets easier the next time. I can think of

a few of the guys and girls in RF: DC (myself included) who spend a lot of the year

getting stronger, gain a bit of fat, do something like this, drop it, get leaner than ever

and repeat.

This up/down cycle is the only good kind because the lows (body fat) continue to get

lower and the high (fat levels) are less each time. Eventually it gets to the stage

where youre walking around in awesome shape all the time without ever thinking

about it, or only ever 2-3 weeks away from being beach ready (Sarah HATES me for

that btw!!).

FOOD OCLOCK
Obviously what you eat and how you time your nutrient intake will be a big part of

this. All of my RF guys and gals have, or will have, customized carb cycling plans to

really support them doing this.

These plans effectively allow for 2 cheat meals per week (once youre not a

complete pig about it!) while still dropping body fat faster than you ever imagined

possible.

Im not going into carb cycling again if you want to know more, go back and read
the blog post.
If youre a RF: DC or a RF: GN member, we can of course dig into it.

// The next training cycle kicks off on August 25th. If youre a guy or a girl who

wants to get into better shape than they ever imagined possible in just 6 weeks while

still being able to go out with friends and have a social life, fill in the application form

below now. //

On GBC and PHA

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After 20 weeks of very intense strength work in RevFit: Drumcondra its time to change things up a
bit. And its really the perfect time to do it, because our sister gym, RevFit: Glasnevin will be kicking
into a very similar program at the same time.

But what is this magic program I hear you cry?

Dont worry yet we need to talk about the background first.

** If youre feeling lazy, watch the video here // or read on for the rest of the blog **

THE BACKGROUND
See, you cant get stronger or fitter for 12 months out of the year. Your body will just burn out and
stop. What you have to do to ensure long term success is cycle your training stimulus.

For example periods of accumulation, followed by periods of intensification (and if peaking for an
event realization, then recuperation of course follows).

Essentially all the means is that some months have a lot of work with medium weights, and some
months have a lot of work with very heavy weights (remember movement and strength are the
master qualities when it comes to looking good as a guy or girl).
With that, you can now probably understand why were heading into a period of accumulation. The
next block of training youre undergoing has been inspired by a number of sources Hala Rambie,
Arthur Steinhaus, Bob Gajda and Charles Poliquin.

Its commonly referred to as PHA training (peripheral heart action) or GBC (German Body Comp)
training. And essentially its goal is this

>> Help girls slim down and look toned and athletic

>> Get guys looking jacked in a t-shirt

Like I said in a pervious blog on why chasing numbers is bad, you must always remember why youre
training and for most that is to look, feel and perform better. The training system is the tool that
gets you there. And while I believe with every fibre of my being that guys and girls both need to at
least double their beginning strength levels to start to look good, you cant get strong all year
around.

So for periods of time we concentrate on body composition. Taking all the hard work youve put in
getting stronger, and realizing those results with a period of leaning out / getting toned.
WHAT IS PHA/GBC ALL ABOUT?
The guts of this style of programming is the alternating upper and lower body exercises. For example
a superset might look something like this;
A1) Split Squat: 48
A2) Barbell Row: 48
*60s recovery between sets

B1) Stiff Leg Deadlift: 412

B2) DB Bench Press: 412
*60s recovery between sets

C1) Goblet Squat 325

C2) DB Row 325
*60s recovery between sets

What you have there is one part of your body (legs) resting and recovering while the other half
(upper body) works. This is important for a few of reasons.

It causes a MASSIVE increase in blood flow around the body, increases heart rate FAST and avoids
any localized fatigue. What that means for you is that you get twice the amount youd normally get
done in a session completed, so your workload has now effectively doubled with no extra time spent

in the gym

Because everything is so elevated, youll continue to burn more kcals 24-72 hours after you leave
the gym too (depending on what literature you read).

In addition, because everything is working and recovering all the time, blood lactate levels shoot up,
which leads to an ensuing increase in growth hormone levels. The result? Fat burning increases even
more.

THE PARADOX
Doesnt it sound all a bit too good to be true? How can a single training program be so amazing, and
why dont you know about it already? Well there IS one problem.

It is brutally difficult (or at least it can be if you make it that way). Because your full body is being
pushed to the limit each session, youll probably want to quit and take long breaks or less reps.

But you absolutely must not. You owe it to yourself to get into it in a major way and charge headlong
into it. Youre only going to experience each workout 6 times (3 different workouts per week). Thats
18 hours of total effort. Less when you include warm up and mobility work.

When we start to add in tempo prescriptions and timed rest periods youll want to stretch things out
a bit. But you must not. You owe it to yourself and dig in. Do the work. Reap the rewards. One or
two training phases like this in a year can literally change your life.

Every time you get lean, or back in shape, it gets easier the next time. I can think of a few of the guys
and girls in RF: DC (myself included) who spend a lot of the year getting stronger, gain a bit of fat, do
something like this, drop it, get leaner than ever and repeat.

This up/down cycle is the only good kind because the lows (body fat) continue to get lower and the
high (fat levels) are less each time. Eventually it gets to the stage where youre walking around in
awesome shape all the time without ever thinking about it, or only ever 2-3 weeks away from being
beach ready (Sarah HATES me for that btw!!).

FOOD OCLOCK
Obviously what you eat and how you time your nutrient intake will be a big part of this. All of my RF
guys and gals have, or will have, customized carb cycling plans to really support them doing this.

These plans effectively allow for 2 cheat meals per week (once youre not a complete pig about it!)
while still dropping body fat faster than you ever imagined possible.

Im not going into carb cycling again if you want to know more, go back and read the blog post.

If youre a RF: DC or a RF: GN member, we can of course dig into it.

// The next training cycle kicks off on August 25th. If youre a guy or a girl who wants to get into
better shape than they ever imagined possible in just 6 weeks while still being able to go out with
friends and have a social life, fill in the application form below now. //