Note: If you’re looking for a step-by-step workout plan to lose up to 17 lbs while also building lean muscle, then I highly recommend my friends eBook Manual.

How To Lose Body Fat

In my opinion, the best and most practical way to lose body fat consists of 4 parts. In order of importance, they go…

• Diet (most important by far)
• Strength training
• Circuit training
• Long endurance training

Diet

• Your diet is hands down the most important part of losing fat. There is no training program in the world that can make up for a horrible diet. Listen again… Your diet is the most important part when trying to lose fat.  Fat loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise.  For starters cutback on the alcohol, the fattening Starbucks lattes, absolutely no pizza, fast food or ice cream.

• It’s simple, you have to eat less calories. Focus on eating well balanced, frequent meals of small portions.

• Well Balanced: Lots of vegetables, especially green ones (spinach and broccoli are my personal favorites). A good amount of protein whether it’s from meat (chicken, fish, peanut butter) or other sources (eggs, egg whites, soy, beans). Healthy fats in the form of olive oil, nuts and seeds. Have a few pieces of fruit each day. Stay away from all fried and processed foods. Try staying away from dairy and see how that goes. I also recommend no refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white rice and pasta.

• Frequent: Eat 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. Space these equally throughout the day.

• Limited Portions: Are you eating too much? Limit protein sources to the size of your palm for meals. A handful of nuts should be a small handful. Also, eat green leafy vegetables.

• For a more in-depth diet, check out our easy weight loss diet.

Strength Training

• When I say strength training I mean heavy lifting. I said heavy! Heavy will depend on the individual, but it comes down to using a weight that only allows five repetitions or less, regardless of the exercise. Stick with the big multi-joint movements: squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, and pull-ups.

High Intensity Circuit Training

• Circuit training is all about intensity.  I’m talking about heart exploding out of your chest, oh my God I’m going to pass out levels of intensity. I’m talking about pushing yourself to the limit. And then coming out on the other side in a puddle of sweat, with a smile on your face and your metabolism jacked.

Long Slow Endurance Training

• Consider this the icing on the cake but not your primary means of exercise. If going out for an hour long jog is something you enjoy, go for it. You’ll certainly burn more calories than if you were watching reality show reruns. Just don’t let the plodding take priority over your heavy resistance training or circuit training.

8-Week Workout Plan For Losing Fat

This workout plan is designed for you to workout 4x per week.  We will do 2 days of strength training and 2 days of circuit training.  Make sure you are also following the easy weight loss diet.  Remember that diet is the most important part of losing fat.

Warm-up for 3-5 minutes by either jumping rope, doing jumping jacks,  using a rower machine or riding a bike

• Squats – 2 warm-up sets of 5 reps (1 with just the barbell, 1 with some weight added).  5 sets of 5 reps (Find a weight that makes five reps difficult)

• Shoulder Press –  2 warm-up sets of 5 reps (1 with just the barbell, 1 with some weight added).  5 sets of 5 reps (Find a weight that makes 5 reps difficult)

Notes: Rest 2 minutes between each set

Day 2 (Tuesday)

Warm-up for 3-5 minutes by either jumping rope, doing jumping jacks, using a rower machine or riding a stationary bike

• Push ups/Burpee circuit in the following order

5 pushups – 1 burpee

4 pushups – 2 burpees

3 pushups – 3 burpees

2 pushups – 4 burpees

1 pushup – 5 burpees

Try to do the pushup/burpee ladder straight through without a break.  If you need to take breaks take them when needed.  You should try to do this circuit as fast as you can.

Day 3 – (Thursday)

Warm-up for 3-5 minutes by either jumping rope, doing jumping jacks,  using a rower machine or riding a stationary bike

• Deadlift – 2 warm-up sets of 5 reps (barbell with some weight added).  5 sets of 5 reps (Use a weight that’s difficult to do 5 sets)

• Chin ups/pull ups – Do 5 sets of 5 reps.  If you can’t do a chin up, check out the bottom of the chinup page for help on chinups.  If you can do more than 5 chinups, add weight to your chinups so that you can only do 5.  We have a lot of info about adding weight at the bottom of the page here…

Note: Rest 2 minutes between each set

Day 4 – (Friday)

Warm-up for 3-5 minutes by doing jumping jacks,  using a rower machine or riding a stationary bike

• Jump rope/ bodyweight squat (no weight) circuit

Jump rope at an fast pace for 1 minute and then do 25 bodyweight squats.  Repeat this circuit 5 times. Try to make it all the way through without taking a break.  If you need to take breaks, do so between sets. Your goal is to complete this circuit as fast as you can.

Here is what your workout looks like….

• Monday – Strength training workout
• Tuesday – Circuit workout
• Wednesday – Take the day off
• Thursday – Strength training workout
• Friday – Circuit workout
• Saturday – Take the day off
• Sunday – Take the day off

Follow this training cycle for 4-8 weeks.  Remember you can do the circuit training workouts at home, in your office or outside if you’d like.  You don’t need a gym for this!

How Will This Workout Make Me Lose Fat?

Strength training and circuit training may not burn as many calories during a training session as long slow cardio, BUT the big benefit comes from the calories burned after your training.  Studies have proven time and time again that high-intensity circuit training will help your body burn calories in the 18-48 hours after your workout.

So overall the amount of calories you burn, and most importantly the amount of fat you’ll burn with circuit/strength training will add up to a lot more than what you would burn if you were doing slow cardio type workouts (ex. running 3 miles at a slow pace).

How Much Fat Will I Lose?

A lot of this depends on your current weight, diet and exercise routine.  We’ve had clients in my gym lose 25 lbs on this exact diet and workout program in just 8 weeks.

A normal healthy male who weighs 200 lbs and is 5’8” will probably lose 10-20 lbs on this program in an 8-week period.  Your biggest losses will be in the first two weeks, so don’t get worried when your losses aren’t as much in the following weeks.

The amount of weight you lose really depends on how well you stick to the diet.  If you slack on your diet and start eating pizza and drinking 3 nights a week,  you’ll ruin all the progress you’ve made on the other days.

How Will This Workout Make Me Look?

This diet plan and workout program are specifically designed to help you lose body fat.  This will make you look lean and toned. This isn’t a muscle building program, or a pure strength program.  It’s designed to help both men and women to lose the most fat possible in 8 weeks.

This program will give you…

• A flatter stomach
• Toned legs and butt
• Toned arms, chest and shoulders

Conclusion (What You Need To Do RIGHT Now)

Print out this page and also the easy weight loss diet page.

Get to the grocery store and buy the healthy foods on the diet page.  It helps to prepare meals ahead of time so you always have something to eat.  Get started on your first workout ASAP.  Whether it’s tonight or tomorrow on your lunch break, just do it!

There’s a reason why so many people in this world are overweight.  They don’t have the will power and the determination it takes to be in the best shape of their life.  Strive to put your body in the best shape it can possibly be, and you’ll wonder what took you so long to try.

You’ll instantly feel better, look better, be happier, live longer and probably make all your friends jealous!

It’s more than worth it.

Train Hard!

Old Author

-Vic