Questions on "Real Fast Fat Loss" Exercise Program (T-nation)

(Edited to clarify title)

I have been following the Real Fast Fat Loss program since ... well, since I first came across it in one of melkor's posts. I am supposed to do Day 5 today so I am not that far into it, but this is the closest I've come to consistency with an exercise program on my own (not as easy as with classes! but I feel I get a better workout. Of course, the efficiency vs motivation tradeoff is a different story)

Anyway, my questions: 

1. After just about every workout I feel a tightness in my shoulder/tricep/serratus, that makes it difficult to stretch my arms up overhead. Other muscles are sore to varying degrees, but this is the most noticeable. Is this a temporary tightness as the muscles repair, or am I losing some sort of flexibility?

2. I am not in a consistent caloric deficit. I am trying to eat about maintenance. I am also not logging food or exercise, so am not sure if these workouts are putting me in a deficit, but ... will I still see results, just not as fast?

3. Along the same lines, I know some people measure themselves weekly. Does the tape measure really change over that short a time, and are the changes meaningful (ie not just fluctuations)?

Thanks in advance :)

i did Day 3 - Work out A 3x15 this morning - wow what a killer! Way too many lunges, i am sure i won't be able to walk tomorrow.  i wish it where more squats - i enjoy them more than lunges. i had to modify some of exercise 2c - doing that many reps of extending arms above head was killing my shoulders! - shoulders have been a weak link for me since my car accident - but are getting stronger.

Exercise 2b - actually the exercise i currently am enjoying the most! Due to the bending action i feel it in my lower back and then with the rowing motion - i get it inbetween my shoulder blades - but you have to squeeze them.  I guess with lots of bending - it might be getting my butt a bit - but after all those lunges who knows. i think you should be able to successful conduct this exercise with dumbbells and have considered it myself - if i were to work out at home.

did day 4 -workout B 5x5 today.  it was pretty good! increased some of my weights.  Tried to do some negatives on the chin ups - can not do it - absolutely kills my shoulders and neck.  i modified that execise to squats and abs. After the entire routine is complete i am doing some chin ups on the machine - a bit easier and i hope to develop those muscles so eventually i can do the chin up independently.

 

 

just checkin in, how is the work out going? I have done 6 work outs.  I can not believe how many lunges there are to do!! My left quad feels alittle injured/tight not sure, but after about 4 lunges it starts to hurt a bit.  Trying to stretch it out.

How is your progress going?

Hi again! Thanks for checking in :)

I just did Week 5, Day 3 (Workout A 3x15) yesterday after a longer break than usual, 4 days off in between. Full days off aside from shoveling a few times, but no gym. The reason for the break was that I was getting tired and sore and my muscles weren't quite recovering. I think it was in part due to stress and lack of sleep but it turns out I also wasn't getting nearly enough protein for the amount of activity. So make sure you're getting enough!

I didn't have the kind of renewed energy yesterday after the 4-day break, in fact it was tough to get back into it, physically as well as mentally, and I skipped my bike sprints (that was mostly mental, I think). I'm not very sore today -- I don't know if that is an effect of the added protein or just the fact that I've worked these muscles before and not too long ago.

I am hoping to do the next in the series on Wed, but since I leave for vacation Sat morning I don't know if I'll have a chance to get in another one after that (or even just the one... depending on what I have to get done before I leave).

I worked a little on form for Exercise 2B last night and I think I kind of get it. I got the lower back by really pressing my shoulders back. The problem I was having before is that I was feeling my forearms a lot. If you ever try this exercise with dumbbells I'd be curious to know if the type of weight makes the difference in that respect.

You've done 6 workouts -- that's 2 weeks -- are you keeping track of and have you seen any physical progress... as far as fat loss?

I am sure that using dumbbells would be harder on your forearms for that exercise. 

Ahh Vacation hey? that would nice right about now.

In regards to tracking i quit weighing myself a couple of weeks ago - have gotten very frustrated with the scale not moving.  Will get on it this Friday - however i have been taking measurements and have seen some decreases - mostly in the legs, bust and stomach area. Thank god! i know i am getting stronger - i have increased some of the weights - except on 3x15 days - i start with the higher weight, but have to drop back down.

I took a BF measurement a couple of months ago - i have calipers at home, that i don't really trust - too subjective to error. But am thinking i should get one taken at the gym soon.

And yourself?

Vacation is my favorite time of year :-D

Like you, I have increased my weights and my endurance, so I do see progress in that regard. Also I can definitely do more pushups now and jump-to-chinups! Those are where I feel I can REALLY gauge my improvement -- with weights I often wonder if maybe I COULD have done the heavier weight the previous week and just didn't try it, and proper form is also a factor. But with the jump-to-chins, if I can't do it, I just CAN'T.

As far as fat loss, though, I have been pretty frustrated because the only change I've seen in my measurements has been an INCREASE. Only during the first few weeks -- they seem to have leveled off since, but haven't returned to where they were. Weight fluctuates (I'm 7 lbs lighter today than I was on Sunday, which was the highest I'd been since I lost the weight) so I don't know what's real anymore and what to compare to what... but with the measurement increase during the first 2-3 weeks, body fat calculators were saying I had gained 3% body fat in 3 weeks. Which wasn't making ANY sense, and needless to say it was quite frustrating. Well, at least it seems to have leveled off and with the increased protein intake I am hoping to see some progress when I get back into things after the break.

That would be frustrating to see an increase in inches and BF when this is suppose to be a fat loss work out.  I took a quick thigh measurement after reading your post - i had lost 2 inches on each thigh since Nov 1, now gained one back - but it was right after my spin class so i am attributing it to that. 

Are you eating to maintain or lose? i am trying to cut out a few more of my starchy carbs and replace with veggies - hopefully that will force some weight loss.  i work out so hard, but the weight stays the same. i am ususally torn between eating more or eating less.

Quite frustrating! I am impressed by (and jealous of) your 2". Right after spin probably isn't the best time to take a measurement, unless all your others have been right after spin to.

I think I am eating to maintain. I probably get an average of 1600-ish cals/day, with higher days once in a while. The calorie counter on here says I need 1600 to maintain if I'm sedentary though, so I would have figured I could lose with the added workouts... but have yet to experience any such luck. That scares me a little, because I don't feel like I'm eating a lot, and I'm afraid of how fast I might gain if I stopped working out. Like you, I feel like I work out pretty hard, and if this is what it takes to sustain 1600 cals/day, well, I'm in trouble! I wouldn't worry if I were you though -- you've lost 2" and that's much more important progress, in my opinion, than the number on the sscale. It means you've lost fat and added muscle -- I'd probably prefer to lose inches than weight, because more muscle burns more calories and looks better. In the end, who cares how much you weigh? I care more what size pants I'm able to fit into :)

yes, i am pleased with the lost inches, i find myself getting down when i weigh myself and see little to no lose - so i am staying off the scales for a few weeks - especially since it is Xmas.  I hear yah on the calories - i consume between 1600 and 1700 per day, sometimes 1500. CC says 1900 is my maintainence - and i am not losing weight, i can't imagine what would happen if i didn't work out?!

I think i hit fatigue today - i did my 7th workout yesterday, Workout A 5x5 - when i got home to get ready for work i feel asleep, i was sooooo tired. Then i went this moring - 8th workout B, 4x10 and absolutely could not do the kettle ball exercise - i was just too bagged.

My gym is either closed or open for wierd hours from now til New Years - i might take a break from this workout over the next week and work out at home. maybe working out 5 days in a row is catching up to me?? But i just can't committ to get there on the weekend and i really feel like i need to work out 5days/wk.

Oh dear - are you cutting your rest periods short? This program is a whole-body workout and it's supposed to be tough enough that you need the scheduled days of rest from lifting. You can do cardio on the off days, but doing the workouts back-to-back risks overloading your body's recuperative ability.

 I mean, my current program has me lifting 5 days a week but it's a bodypart split program - I'm starting this one in a week, and I'm not even considering doing more than 3xweek workouts on it since it's a whole-body workout each time. If you feel the need for something on off-days, do cardio. Your body needs the rest from the lifting!

Well, since muscle is denser, it's good to weigh more, as long as you're losing inches! If your inches were staying the same and you were losing weight, that would mean your body fat % was going up. So don't let the scale bother you! Make it encourage you instead :)

I can't figure out the calories either. I find it hard to believe that my body would be so far off of the estimates. So what is it? An adjusted metabolism? Incorrect counting? But I am kind of afraid to try to eat the predicted amount, for fear of gaining...

I assume you're not doing RFFL 5 days a week. What do you do on the other days? Also, would it be possible to give yourself a day of rest between workouts? It sounds like 2 days in a row might be too much. I find it really helps to let yourself recover from every workout so that the fatigue doesn't accumulate. Not just for physical reasons, but mentally, too. You could burn out, and then if you are forced to stay out of the gym for a longer period of time due to accumulated fatigue, it could be that much harder to get back. So be nice to your body! The goal here is to improve your physical condition. Work it to fatigue and that's no longer the result.

Also -- are you getting enough protein? I know I wasn't. 1.6-1.8g/kg of body weight per day if you're active (strength training), according to an article that was recently posted on here. If you want the link I'll try to find it.

I am wondering the same thing about the holiday week. I am going to visit my parents, so I don't have a gym there. There's a place I can go and pay per visit, but I don't know if I should continue the RFFL, or take time off, or something in between like group exercise classes. I hit my fatigue at kind of an inopportune time -- a week BEFORE vacation, so that I had to take a break and am not going to quite make it through my 6 weeks of workout. Plus, I am back in business now and it's not time for a break yet! But I guess I'll see how I feel when I get there.

For you, I might recommend taking it down a notch -- maybe you can do some fun exercise videos at home? Something to keep you active, but without pushing yourself too hard, so that you're "good as new" when your gym opens back up.

Also, I wouldn't worry about working out 5 days a week. Maybe do 3 hard days and 2 where you do something to get you moving but you're not killing yourself. Then again, maybe this is what you do: what does your workout routine look like?

Thanks for the encouragement about inches vs scale! 

Agh the calories - i keep being told to eat more, but it is definetely a mind over matter thing. Maybe after the new year.  Maybe cycling the calories through high and lows - i don't that takes too much planning for me.

No i am not doing RFFL 5 days/week. Schedule:

Monday: Spin Class - consisting of 30 mins spin, 15 mins core

Tuesday:RFFL

Wednesday: Spin Class - consisting of 30 mins spin, 15 mins lite weight training or 45 mins spin

Thru and Frid: RFFL

One problem is that i am at the gym by 5am, and haven't been sleeping well - so that doesn't help.  I guess i could drop one of the spin classes - but i have stayed because i really enjoy them.

I am definetely taking a break over the holidays - will do pilates or power 90 videos.

Can you take dumbbells to your parents - you could do most of the exercises? and then go for a brisk walk/run? 

I am getting enough protein - sometimes more than i need. i eat 5 times per day and ensure to have protein with each meal.

Thanks again for the advice and encouragement. All the best over the holidays. If all else fails and work outs don't fit - try and watch what you eat!! LOL - so much easier to say then do - especially at Christmas.

I am not TOO worried about the food over break, actually. We're Jewish so there is no Christmas, just the usual parents-feeding-kids, but what's the worst that can happen in 2 weeks? My parents eat pretty healthily so I don't foresee too much trouble. The occasional restaurant meal, of course, but nothing more than the norm. If anything, not having to think about it and make my own food might help stop worrying about calories so much! I'm more worried about staying active to avoid feeling like a blob, than for the calories.

No way on taking the dumbbells though -- this is a transatlantic flight and I can't exactly afford the extra weight :) And I'm not a fan of running, but we will certainly go for walks.

I assume you're doing RFFL on that schedule because there is no spin class on Thursday. Can you do a different class on Thursdays -- maybe Pilates or something else you might enjoy? That way you'd get your rest day in between, and you'd get a nice stretch for the muscles too.

That's great that the food won't be an issue. I am not a fan of baking, so safe that way, but like appie type stuff - will try to avoid.

 Yah, spin only offered in the morning's on Monday and Wednesday and i don't work out on the weekends. if i don't do RFFL Tuesday/Thrusday/Friday i won't get the 3 works outs in in a one week period.

Will see how i feel after the christmas break and make changes then.

Well, I did workout A 5x5 yesterday - and I'm experiencing a reasonable amount of leg soreness. Not to the point of what leg day has meant previously, but definitely feeling it enough that I'm more than happy to get in a rest day before doing B-4x10 tomorrow; there's more leg action in store and while training through soreness is normal giving your muscles a day off between each workout to recover is neccesary.

 Though having said that it's possible that you can do the "lighter" 4x10/3x15 days closer together like that without compromising your results too much. It would still be more optimal to get the rest days but you do what you can fit into your schedule; though you may get less than optimal results, they'll still be a lot better than what not doing anything will give you :)

Excellent, i am glad to see that another member is trying this work out.  i have only worked out 3 times over the last 10 days, so i will be kicking my butt into gear tomorrow.

And yes, there is alot of leg workout in this routine.

Are you guys still doing this? How's it been working out for you?

 I did workout A 4x10 yesterday - and I must say that the program is kicking my behind :) (I've been writing about my experience as usual in my CC journal if you want the details.)

 I think that 5 workouts is a bit premature to start making judgements about the efficiency of the program overall, but so far it's been a real challenge to perform the program. The circuit training format and very short rest periods makes for a fast-paced workout that feels a lot like calisthenics, only worse - and my scale has defnitely started budging in the right direction again after stalling and threathening to move the wrong way during the Christmas break :)

I'm jealous. I haven't gone back to RFFL, but I did stay active over the break (gym 2x/week plus LONG walks just about every day), and food consumption was very reasonable as far as I could tell -- and yet it seems I've done nothing but gain...

ARGH!

But I read a few of your journal entries and ... well, sounds very familiar. Definitely a kick-your-behiney program. Now if only I had seen results from it I might be more motivated to get back to it...

 Yeah, I see how that can be demotivating - I was happy to more or less kinda maintain over the holidays. When I talk about the scale budging it's budged down to about a pound below my pre-holiday weight over the course of the 1.5 weeks I've been doing this workout - keeping my fingers crossed that this trend will continue.

 'Course, I'm running deficits that should give me 2lbs a week, but I'm not seeing that rate of loss either, so maybe it's not just your body trying to be funny. Mine might be getting in on the joke as well...