RFFL (Real Fast Fat Loss)

Hi ladies,

I remember some of you were talking about starting RFFL, so I think it makes sense to create a separate thread for this program.

Who's doing/has done it before? I know kilkusj mentioned starting it a few weeks ago. How is it going?

I have 2 workouts left in my current program, and I was going to try RFFL right after. It would be nice to get some comments about the program from those who tried it. Anyone?

I haven't tried it yet but I plan to start it right after I finish NROL4W, which won't be until November, sometime.

That looks brutal.  I know I couldn't do some of those exercises -- I'd have to modify them. 

The squat jump to chin-up with a knee tuck would be an impossiblity for me at this time, and I'd have to do tabatas some other way as I don't have a bike.  Maybe jumprope, or just do jumping jacks?

Looks mighty interesting.

Yeah, that squat jump to chin up thing is going to be tough, I don't think I'll be able to do a set of 5. Yet alone 3 x 15!!! There's just no way. But I'll try and will go until failure.

I've never done "good morning", it looks very awkward. And there are no kelltebells in the gym, so I'll have to swing a dumbbell. It looks awkward too.

It seems like a tough program, but I'm determined to stick to it for 4 weeks. I will also be very strict about nutrition starting on week 2 (I need to relax a bit for a week, I've been on lower carbs for the last 10 days). I also plan to get a body composition test done. I don't think they're accurate, but at least I will have some point of reference.

I wuved doing it. So much fun!!! Definitely give it a try, you get a serious endorphin high from it. And I'm all about the highs of working out, I'm such a hedonist. After my body started to adapt to it, I just shortened the rest periods and/or added jump roping in between.

Adapt ... to THIS? I know, it probably looks worse than it is, and eventually our bodies adapt to anything, but right now I'm kinda terrified of the program. I wish I had a home gym, just to try some of the exercises out before humiliating myself at the gym. Ah, well. People need entertainment, I'll provide some. ;)

Octo, how long have you been doing the program? It looks like 1 iteration is 2 weeks. and you can repeat them until you get bored (or your body adapts, whichever happens first).

Original Post by maha-kisa:

Adapt ... to THIS? I know, it probably looks worse than it is, and eventually our bodies adapt to anything, but right now I'm kinda terrified of the program. I wish I had a home gym, just to try some of the exercises out before humiliating myself at the gym. Ah, well. People need entertainment, I'll provide some. ;)

Octo, how long have you been doing the program? It looks like 1 iteration is 2 weeks. and you can repeat them until you get bored (or your body adapts, whichever happens first).

 you know what, the first 3 weeks were really really hard but your body will actually adapt, so you can build up as slow as you like the first week.  i was very surprised, after week 5 i got a little bored.

the first time i did it for 6 weeks, then the 2nd only 2 weeks as i hurt my shoulder (it was already niggling me before i started tho)

to start...if you can find a place in the gym where you have some room, just bring over one set of weights that you can perform for every exercise. i had to do that the first week just to get used to the moves.

Finding a space for myself will be a problem. The free weights area of this gym is about 1/3 the free weights area of my old gym in Kingston, and in addition to that there's 3 times more people in there. It's unbelievable how crowded it gets. My husband had to wait for 10 minutes to do bench presses, because there's only 3 benches, and 10 guys trying to use them all at once. And I usually have to wait for one of the 2 squat racks for a few minutes. Alternating sets with different equipment with 30 sec rest will be very difficult to accomplish in there.

I miss my old gym.

yeah, sounds like you will need to just stick to the one set of weights for all the exercises. not ideal but i believe the most important part is to move to each exercise fast enough so you work hard.

i personally can't stand waiting which is why i go late & i go to a gym that doesn't have all the equipment i would want but there are trade offs. would love my own home gym.

I am really enjoying it. I just took a week off for a trip, and am ready to finish up my last two weeks.

I still cannot do the squat jump/knee tuck thing. I do a weird hybrid where I try to do as many chin ups as I can and then do some knee tucks while hanging from that thing that kind of looks like it has arms like an arm chair. Next week I'll probably try knee tucks actually hanging from the chin up bar.

I have yet to adapt, with the reps and sets changing all the time. I still feel like I'm going to die on the 3 x 15s. I have also managed to fracture (possibly?) my big toe with all of the lunges involved. Hopefully with this week off, it will feel better.

Good luck! and good luck with nutrition, I found it really hard to control my eating with this program.

Well.. *cough* I started it today *cough* HOLY COW!!!

These guys are sadistic maniacs, which I guess, makes us masochists.

I'm very happy with my weight selection today. Most exercises were new, but I almost always guessed right. Used 15 lbs for Romanian deadlift/snatch combo, switched to 20 right away. What a difference! I loved that exercise.

Used 15 lbs for dynamic lunges/shoulder press, and failed on the last rep of the last set! The fact that we change legs after 5 reps doesn't help the shoulders at all. ;)

I'm not sure I did the Bent Over Row / Back Extension Hybrid thingy right, it felt very awkward in the wrists.

Tabata on the bike... no comments... I think I had sweat pouring from my eyes. or were those tears?

Original Post by maha-kisa:

Well.. *cough* I started it today *cough* HOLY COW!!!

These guys are sadistic maniacs, which I guess, makes us masochists.

I'm very happy with my weight selection today. Most exercises were new, but I almost always guessed right. Used 15 lbs for Romanian deadlift/snatch combo, switched to 20 right away. What a difference! I loved that exercise.

Used 15 lbs for dynamic lunges/shoulder press, and failed on the last rep of the last set! The fact that we change legs after 5 reps doesn't help the shoulders at all. ;)

I'm not sure I did the Bent Over Row / Back Extension Hybrid thingy right, it felt very awkward in the wrists.

Tabata on the bike... no comments... I think I had sweat pouring from my eyes. or were those tears?

 Good for you! I can only use 20s for the dl/snatch on the 5 x 5s. My wrists give out before my arms, unfortunately.

With the bent over row/back ext, just try to do a regular row and then just stand up from row position.

Tabata = tears. For sure.

whats tabata?

Tabata = the most sadistic form of HIIT. One Tabata session consists of 8 intervals - 20 secs sprints, 10 secs recovery, then immediately on to the 2nd interval. So it takes exactly 4 minutes. In this program they call for TWO (T_W_O!!!) Tabata sessions with 5 minutes of slow pedalling in between.

Actually, Tabata doesn't necessarily mean running or cycling. I've seen articles about Tabata pushups, Tabata squats, etc. Basically any big movement would work, just do it as fast as you can (maintaining good form) for 20 secs, then rest for 10, repeat 7 more times. Honestly, the 10 sec rest is a joke, I can barely catch my breath.

that sounds awful and great. anything thats shorter in time i like.

hmm i want to try and pick up a stationary bike at a garage sale so i can do tabata... would this be more effective than a 15 min HIIT session?

could you do tabata running outside?

Yes, of course sprinting/jogging will work. To tell you the truth I'd prefer that to a bike, but I can't run because of the knee. I can barely walk really, and I almost forgot what running feels like...

I was thining that tabata with a jumprope might be a good one.  Or, for me -- the terminally clumsy -- an imaginary jumprope.  I don't think the imaginary one would trip me up as much., although I can trip over my own feet, so why not! 

in terms of effectiveness is tabata better than normal HIIT? what are the benefits? i like that its only 4 minutes ALOT

What do you mean by effectiveness? Fat loss? Probably not. Tabata is used by athletes to improve VO2Max and anaerobic capacity. For that - yes, it's probably more efficient than 2:1 intervals, but there's no evidence (at least I haven't encountred any references). Longer HIIT and Tabata are so alike that it makes little sense spending money to compare the two. They compared Tabata to "moderate intensity" training and got better results in terms of both VO2Max and anaerobic capacity.

4 minutes of Tabata isn't going to burn more calories than 15 minutes of your usual IT, neither during the workout, nor as the result of EPOC. 2 session of Tabata + 5 minutes in between vs 15 minutes of IT? Maybe, but we're talking about 10-20 kcal at most.

once you get into it i think tabata is more fun, it becomes more of a mental thing. actually towards the last couple of weeks i only did 1 tabata for rffl. i pushed myself more, if i could actually do a 2nd set, then i wasn't pushing myself enough. yeah i guess im a masochist, nothing like feeling shakey & pukey after a workout.

yeah my basketball team does tabata twice a week with a specialized sports trainer to improve our lung capacity. We do 10 intervals of 10 second sprints on a treadmill with a steep incline at 9mph with 10 seconds rest in between. the trainer actually has to stand behind you with their hand bracing your lower back and butt in case your muscles give out and there are mats behind it in case they can't stop you. I've been known to cry before sessions...literally ha