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Summer Fitness: Week 3

Ready for Summer? More Muscle, Less Fat...Week three of four!

By Greg Rothman, MS PT

OK, it's time to switch things up. You’ve built some muscle these past two weeks (here's Week One and Week Two); now lets use your faster metabolism to really burn off some fat.

This week, do three strength workouts using the same exercises, but do them as a circuit: perform fifteen repetitions of each exercise going down the list without resting in between exercises.

When you’ve finished the circuit of exercises, immediately get on a cardio machine (treadmill, elliptical or bike) for six minutes of interval training done as one-minute intervals, starting with an 'up' interval. The last minute will be a 'down' interval. Follow this with two minutes of rest. Repeat three times. Finish with 20 minutes of interval training. And do two additional 30-minute cardio workouts this week the same way I suggest in Week Two.

Got that? It's intense to be sure, but effective, trust me!

Week Three is the first of two weeks of extreme fat loss. We want to bring our nutrition into line with the changes we've made to the exercise program so that the two work together to create an environment where your body is burning more calories and selectively burning more calories from fat.

A very effective tip that makes stored body fat more available to be burned is called ‘carbohydrate manipulation’ and here's how it works: On three of the days this week on which you are not strength training, completely remove all starchy carbohydrates and simple sugars from your nutrition plan. Eat as much lean protein and vegetables as you like. It’s okay to eat some healthy fats, but don’t overdo it. It’s very hard to remove all sugars, but do your best. Anything with more than about 8-10 grams of sugar is too much. And drink more water than you are accustomed to drinking. Try to get your daily calorie count equal to roughly your body weight multiplied by 12.

Now here's some really good news: I have found that it is not unusual for clients to lose two to three pounds of body fat (in a week) on a program like this one.

This week builds on the two before it and won't be as effective unless you’ve added some muscle to your body. If you feel like you want or need to add some more muscle at this point, repeat Week Two before going on to Week Three. The work is getting intense, but believe me, the results will be worth it. Good luck! I'll be back next week with our fourth and final week.

Greg Rothman is the owner of Empower Fitness Studio in New York City’s Greenwich Village. He received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy from Columbia University and has 15 years experience in the fields of fitness and rehabilitation. Be sure to get a check up and OK from your doctor before starting any exercise program. Greg's column originally appeared on GayHealthBlog.com.