I’ve been in the fitness industry for 25 years now and have followed many fat loss and weight training programs but I’ll have to say my biggest challenge is sometimes just staying lean once I get there. I enjoy eating pizza and ice cream with my kids just like anybody else but sometimes I go a little too far to the extreme and over the course of a few months can put on quite a bit of fat because the heavy weight training routines that I do don’t burn a lot of fat to keep me lean. I’ve decided to take the next 12 weeks to switch over to a pure conditioning and fat loss workout so that I can see my abs again and feel healthy again. I’m currently testing out a program called How to Get Ripped Abs by John Alvino. I know how to write my own diets and fat loss programs but sometimes after I write them I start to second guess myself through the program and constantly make changes. I wanted a program that laid it out from start to finish so that I wouldn’t have to think about it. I just wanted to follow the instructions and let the fat burn off.
How to Get Ripped Abs definitely has it all which is why I was attracted to this particular program. The package includes everything you could possibly need leaving nothing to chance. It has a 12 week workout program, custom meal plan based on your lean body weight, recipes, and a comprehensive exercise index detailing each exercise with pictures.
Workout Program
The workout program is called Meltdown and is divided into 4 phases each lasting 3 weeks. These are very intensive full body workouts labeled workout A and a workout B that are performed every other day 3 days per week with the alternating 3 days being used for high intensity interval training cardio workouts. This is one of the most effective fat burning workouts I’ve ever seen designed. The reason for this is each exercise is designed to use a maximum amount of your muscles, stabilizing muscles, and your core. One example is the single leg curl on a ball. I thought this looked easy in the book but once I tried it and realized I was stabilizing my entire torso while sliding the ball back I found I couldn’t complete the 12 reps. The book is loaded with these full body intensive exercises that in turn burn fat off faster than any isolation or standard weight lifting exercises ever could.
There is also a good amount of dumbbell work with exercises that work multiple muscles at once. I was exhausted after my first workout and now I know why the workout is called Meltdown. Every muscle in my body was exhausted and I was ready to get some rest. The program also allows you to print out your workouts in a chart format so that you can fill in your weight and reps. I printed my workout and placed it onto a clipboard with a printout of the exercise descriptions just in case I needed to reference back on how to do some of the specific ones that I wasn’t familiar with.
The cardio workouts are focused on the days that you don’t train with weights. They are high intensity and there are several to choose from. The book contains variations of cardio that can be done without equipment which is nice because then I can limit my trips to the gym to only 3 per week.
The Nutrition Program
Since everyone is different this program is tailored to your individual body type and lean body weight. Nothing is left to guessing here as there is an individual meal plan for each person designated by calories per day. The meal plan has charts of food making it easy to exchange some foods for others. This isn’t a diet as you won’t be starving yourself at all. This program requires that you eat plenty of food. Anywhere from 5 to 6 meals per day spaced out through the day. There is an emphasis on clean whole foods and when you begin to eat like this you’ll find that you fill up fairly quickly, you’re never tired and you are never hungry. There is a separate book included that gives recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and deserts. Also included is a book for protein shake recipes. The entire nutritional program is very precise for the individual and gives plenty of instructions on what to eat and how much. Food logs are also included that you can fill in as well as a daily menu that makes it easy to follow.
If you are looking for a full package fitness program I really consider How to Get Ripped Abs to be foolproof. Think of it like painting by numbers. If you just follow each day exactly as shown the fat will consistently melt off your body while achieving a very high level of physical condition. I am going to follow the 12 week plan to the letter. I’m going to follow the full 84 days to the letter. Come by and check out my daily progress!
