12/6/2019 How to Train for Non-Stop Fat Loss | T Nation

How to Train for Non-Stop Fat Loss

The More You Suck, The Leaner You Get
by Dan John | 07/01/16

Here's what you need to know...

1.   Everything works for fat loss, but as you become more and more efficient, you get
less and less benefit.

2.   To lose fat, do exercises you're not good at. Once you begin to get efficient, swap
them out for something else.

3.   For rowing, 500-meters works best. If you go longer, you risk getting too good at it
and negate the fat loss effects.

4.   Toss in two-minute bouts on any cardio machine. Find some kind of standard and
work to improve a little. When you improve a lot, find a new machine.

5.   Instead of resting, do ab or mobility work between your regular sets to burn more
fat.

The 6 Tools
The strength and conditioning coach has six basic tools:

1.   Strength training

2.   Hypertrophy training

3.   Mobility training

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4.   Nutrition

5.   Mindset

6.   Inefficient exercise

That last one is really confusing for most people.

The Power of Inefficient Exercise

When it comes to fat loss, any type of exercise works if your diet is in check.

Regardless of what you choose to do, whether it's African disco dancing or kettlebell
swinging, it'll work. There's an inherent problem with this, though.

As you become more and more efficient, you get less and less benefit.

A modern dance class would just about kill me, because every time the class does "step-
ball-change," I'd have added twenty extra moves.

Oh, it would all equate to fat loss for me, but the skilled dance major/twinkle toes to my
right had better have a perfect diet, because all the moves are second nature to her, done
with little thought and little effort.

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This has always been the problem with jogging for fat loss. Sure, jogging a mile works at
first if you're not used to it and are inefficient, but soon you'll need two miles, then three,
etc. to get the same effect.

You become efficient, and soon you're adding miles and miles just to maintain. And then
you get hurt. And fat.

For fat loss, exercise needs to be as inefficient as possible.

I love the kettlebell swing. Seventy-five swings performed three days a week is enough to
start peeling the fat off, but if you go from 75 to 2000 swings a workout and stop losing
fat, you may need to look for alternatives, additions, or a heavier 'bell.

Inefficient exercise is going to look different for everyone. If you're a horrible dancer,
dance; if you're a lousy swimmer, swim; if you never bike, bike.

Waste Energy, Peel Off Body Fat

You must seek ways to waste lots of energy. Leonard Schwartz had it right with his
HeavyHands training. Tossing hand weights up and down while walking is a very poor
way to walk, but it roasts the fat off!

So how do we add the concept of inefficient exercise to our training?

Row, Row, Row Your Fat Off

Recently, I invested in Concept II E Rowers for the gym, but for most, following the
standard rower workouts won't work.

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There are sites where people post their row workouts and I struggle to see how I'm going
to survive 50,000 meters of making like the survivor of a shipwreck.

My alternative approach is simple: focus on 500-meter rows. This takes about two
minutes for most of us. Add one to three of these sprints anywhere you like in your
training and you'll huff and puff for a bit.

But why not go longer? Well, as you tack on more and more meters, you get too good!

Likewise, toss in two-minute bouts on any "cardio" machine. Find some kind of standard
and work to improve a little. When you improve a lot, find a new machine.

You + The Ground = BFFs

A few years ago, human performance specialist Mark Snow taught me that doing
corrective work seems to raise the heart rate.

Similarly, my football coaches found that having us pop up and down off the floor made
us very tired. Oddly, it also made us better at football.

So, during rest periods, do the moves and stretches that you need to address. Make the
ground your friend.

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Between sets of leg work, try some push-ups or ab work. Add bird dogs or whatever floor-
based movement you feel like doing throughout your normal training.

Most of us need some level of mobility work, so why not try to get a belly-shrinking
movement to go with it?

Swinging With Humans

I love doing swings mixed with the fundamental human movements. Try the following
example, but don't worry about how many reps or what loads to use until you've done it a
few times. Err on fewer and lighter.

The Workout

35 Swings

Push-Ups

15 Swings

Windmill Stick Right

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35 Swings

TRX T Pulls or TRX Y Pulls

15 Swings

Windmill Stick Left

35 Swings

Trap Bar Deadlift

15 Swings

Stoney Stretch Right Knee Down (RKD)

35 Swings

Goblet Squat

15 Swings

Stoney Stretch Left Knee Down (LKD)

35 Swings

Swinging 45s, Rolling 45s, or Rolling 45 T's

15 Swings

March in Place

Two rounds equals 500 swings and a good number of the fundamental human
movements.

You could, of course, easily make all that getting up and down more efficient, but then
you'd lose the fat-loss aspect of the exercise.

For fat loss, be as inefficient as you can be!

Windmill Stick
VIDEO

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TYI Pulls
VIDEO

Stoney Stretch
VIDEO

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VIDEO

Dan John
Dan John is an elite-level strength and weightlifting coach. He is also an All-American
discus thrower, holds the American record in the Weight Pentathlon, and has
competed at the highest levels of Olympic lifting and Highland Games.
(https://facebook.com/CoachDanJohn1)

Follow Dan John on Facebook (https://facebook.com/CoachDanJohn1)

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07/01/16

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