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How To Build Muscle (Using The 6-12-25 Protocol)

How To Build Muscle (Using The 6-12-25 Protocol)

by | Aug 6, 2023 | Blog, Exercises, Workouts

You want to see some serious strength gains, build lean muscle and improve your body composition? 

Then this workout design is something you’ll want to consider for your next training progression…

It’s the 6-12-25 training technique. 

In this video, I’ll break down what this method is, how to use this workout design, why it works so well and even share a workout you can try implementing the technique!

First…What Is The 6-12-25 Method? 

The 6-12-25 is shorthand for the reps you will perform for three different movements.

You will design a set with 3 exercises for the same area of the body.

For example, you may do all 3 moves for your lower body with a glute and hamstring focus.
The first move should be a super heavy compound lift that you can only do 6 reps for. 

The second move should be another compound, but more accessory lift for the same area of the body that you can only perform 12 reps of with the weights you select. 

Then the third move will be done for 25 reps and should be an isolation exercise that really creates that pump and burn, fully fatiguing a muscle group worked with the first two compound moves. 

After completing all three moves basically back to back, you will rest 2-3 minutes before repeating the series.

You do not want to rest between moves so that you’re fully fatiguing the area you’re targeting but you do want enough rest between rounds so you can lift heavy to start the series over again! 

You will want to include no more than two 6-12-25 series in a workout. And you will want to perform about 3-4 rounds through each.

You can design either more full body workouts using this, focusing on one area in each series or you can do an hemisphere split, targeting just your lower body or upper body in a workout. 

But make sure each series, and all 3 moves, are working only one area of the body, instead of alternating areas worked!

So Why Does The 6-12-25 Design Work So Well?

This training method was popularized by Charles Poliquin but isn’t just for bodybuilders. 

It’s actually a great training technique for any experienced exerciser looking to build strength and muscle while losing fat. 

This method is so effective because of the combination of 3 different traditional rep ranges, compound and isolation movements and the fact that we hone in and target specific muscle groups to create full fatigue in an area. 

The combination of so many training techniques into one design, and the training density this method creates, leads to massive lactate spikes, increasing growth hormone production, which is why it is thought to work so well!

It’s why this method can not only lead to amazing muscle gains but even better fat loss results! 

Each rep number is included for a specific purpose and done back to back without rest.

With the heavy compound exercise done for 6 reps, you are really working in that maximal strength range. Consider as you progress with this design even selecting a move you have to PAUSE at 5 reps for a few seconds to complete the final one over being able to do more reps with that weight. 

You never just want to stop at a rep number because it’s what the workout said. You want to feel that is all you can do.

Then with the exercise done for 12 reps, you are selecting a compound move that is a great accessory exercise to target the same muscle groups. This will allow you to really utilize that hypertrophy rep range and continue to fatigue the muscles you worked in the first move.

The higher reps and slightly lower, albeit challenging loads, allow you to recruit more muscle fibers as you fatigue. 

Then with the final move you are going to fully isolate a muscle group to work it fully to fatigue. This helps build that strength endurance which will ultimately help you recover faster and do more quality of work in future workouts and progressions.

This isolation move is a great way to help you build muscle in those stubborn muscle groups, increasing your volume of work. Make sure this move really isolates the muscle you want to target. You even want to feel that pump or burn add up at 15-20 reps so you have to pause for a second to complete all 25! 

This combination of different movements and drivers of muscle growth while working an area to fatigue is what makes this series so challenging and leads to such amazing muscle and strength gains.

It makes it a super efficient training design as well when we are short on time. 

And can be especially key if you are struggling with toning up stubborn areas!

Next I wanted to share some – Tips To Use This Effectively:

It’s key we remember that we need to challenge ourselves no matter the reps listed. No weight should feel light, no move should feel easy.

You want each exercise to challenge you while you push through to the next. 

And make sure when you design the series that all 3 moves target the same area.

If you’re doing lower body with a quad focus, you want to hone in more and more on those quads. 

If it is a chest, triceps and shoulders workout, you may hone in more and more on any of those three muscles, especially if one is more stubborn than the others. 

But make sure you are choosing one area to target and fatigue over the moves.

Then do NOT cut out rest between rounds. You want to be able to push through all three moves while kind of feeling like you don’t fully want to do the next so that you’ve earned that rest. 

But if you aren’t resting those 2-3 minutes, consider going heavier and advancing the movements. That rest should help you keep lifting heavier or maintaining the loads over the rounds to push at a true 100% intensity.

That ability to push hard and create a quality volume of work is what makes this design work so well! 

Do not be afraid to also use rest-pause technique to make sure you’re feeling like you’ve really pushed those loads while performing quality reps. 

If you, you need to pause to complete the rep range, even resting for 10-15 seconds, do it! That little pause can help you ultimately move more weight over the course of your training and push past that initial fatigue to see amazing results!

I do want to give you one WARNING before implement this:

This is an advanced training technique and you’ll be surprised by even how out of breath during the 3 moves you can get. And mentally it can be taxing to do another move for an area when it is already tired. 

Be ready to really push yourself and not just lower loads to make it easier to make it through all three moves.

Make yourself CRAVE that rest. 

And make sure all 3 moves are done back to back targeting only ONE muscle group! Although remember you have flexibility to choose the exact stubborn area to target with that isolation move.

Like you may choose to target your biceps with an isolation exercise on a bicep and back series in one workout while doing more for your lats on another day!

So How Could You Design A Workout Using This Method?

Let’s look at an anterior split workout, you would create one 6-12-25 set for the lower body, more of a quad focus, and one set for the upper body, more of a chest focused series.

You will do 3-4 rounds per series with 2-3 minutes of rest between rounds and even series.

ANTERIOR CHAIN 6-12-25 WORKOUT

SERIES #1:
6 reps Front Squats
12 reps per side Front Lunges
25 reps per side Seated Quad Flexes

SERIES #2:
6 reps Barbell Bench
12 reps Dumbbell Overhead Press
25 reps Cable Tricep Pushdown

One final note…

I do show this using more gym tools as that is honestly ideal for this set up. However, if you are training at home, as long as you use tempo changes or exercise variations that challenge you for each rep number, you can utilize this technique. 

I often even slightly adjust the reps for more bodyweight based workouts, knowing a bit more volume can be helpful using more of a 10-15-25 layout.

But if you’re looking to build strength, gain muscle and lose fat, try this amazing workout design in your next progression! 

For more amazing workouts to help you rock those results, check out my Dynamic Strength Program!

FHP 530 – The Dose Makes The Poison

FHP 530 – The Dose Makes The Poison

by | Aug 1, 2023 | podcast

Avoid. Cut out. Don’t eat. Don’t do…

There is so much we are told is WRONG with our lifestyles.

Heck, I’ve even heard WATER isn’t healthy according to a commenter on YouTube.

But there is so much nuance to what is good. And so much of what is good depends on what we need and what our current lifestyle is.

As Michelle says “The dose makes the poison.”

That’s why I’m excited to share tips, along with some great advice from Michelle, to help you find your balance over fearing foods and moves and systems. Find the opportunity in the options!

Is It Menopause? Perimenopause? The Symptoms and 4 Nutrition Tips

Is It Menopause? Perimenopause? The Symptoms and 4 Nutrition Tips

by | Jul 31, 2023 | Blog, Diet, Exercises

“I feel like my hormones have been super out of whack.”

“It’s freaking frustrating I’m gaining weight around my middle! I’ve never gained fat there before!”

“I just don’t have energy to do anything and my sleep has been HORRIBLE!”

“I don’t know what’s going on with me!”

“But…I’m too young for menopause!”

The struggles and symptoms we often blame on menopause can start over a decade before as our hormone levels begin to change with PERIMENOPAUSE.

That’s why I want to share some common symptoms of perimenopause and how you can best manage them with 4 nutritional tips.

Because…

The changes are REAL.

And it can be hard to navigate them and focus on controlling what we can control if we don’t understand why we’re gaining weight, and in different places, feeling demotivated and fatigued, and even struggling with anxiety and self confidence!

What Is Perimenopause And What’s Happening To My Body?

Peri-menopause has earned the nickname “midlife puberty.” 

This is because of the hormone fluctuations and emotional and physical rollercoaster it can feel like we’re on. 

While we think of menopause as something that most often starts in our 50s, perimenopause can start as early as our late 30s although most often it will start in our 40s.

It can last anywhere from 2-10 years. 

Perimenopause is truly a transition not just an “event.”

And while it can feel like our bodies are starting to go berserk, this is the PERFECT opportunity to learn how to manage the changes we see with menopause so we can learn how to adjust our nutrition to match what our body will need moving forward.

Perimenopause hits everyone differently and there are a wide range of symptoms we can experience. Basically all the good stuff about having your period and going menopause:

PMS
Sleep disturbances
Hot flashes
GI disturbances
Food cravings
Joint pain
Menstrual irregularities
Longer cycles
Missed cycles
Heavy cycles
Mood disturbances
Depression
Fatigue
Mental Fogginess
Decreased libido
Weight gain (even shifts in where fat is stored)
Water retention

Exciting, right?

NO…it’s really not…

BUT while we can’t prevent this hormonal change from occurring, we can make some dietary changes to help us manage these symptoms as best as possible. 

The more informed we are about what is going on and what actions we can take, the more we can make sure we’re adjusting our fueling and training to see results and be lean and strong at any and every age.

And while you may be feeling down right now, and that may be due to the hormonal changes, yes this can impact our anxiety levels, confidence and even body image, we have to remember that 1% improvements add up. 

The more we focus on making the changes that can benefit us the healthier we will be no matter what.

Studies have actually been conducted as well to show the impact our MINDSET has on aging.

It was found that women who were more comfortable with aging and didn’t find it shameful actually suffered less from perimenopausal symptoms. 

So MINDSET MATTERS!

Of course it is easier said than done to change our mindset about things that make us feel down but the more we can stay focused on the habit changes we can make the better.

So what are 4 nutritional changes you can make to help manage those symptoms of perimenopause?

#1: Drink More Water

Increasing your water intake during perimenopause is key.

Estrogen and progesterone influence your body’s hydration levels, and when the two are fluctuating dramatically during perimenopause, increasing your water intake can be helpful as you may find even your skin is drier.

Making sure you are hydrated can help you manage hot flashes, reduce GI disturbances to keep you regular and reduce gas and bloating and even reduce fatigue.

It can even help you avoid the dreaded menopausal weight gain and lose weight while retaining lean muscle.

We often ignore the importance of hydration for fat loss but the body needs water to burn fat.

So not only is staying hydrated key to better lipolysis or fat loss, but it also improves your workouts and helps us maintain our lean muscle, which promotes more optimal body composition. 

When cells aren’t properly hydrated, they break down protein more quickly and build muscle more slowly.

This can hinder us from seeing the full benefits of our training. 

Not to mention dehydration can lead to us fatiguing more quickly with our training so we aren’t able to work at our full capacity to see results!

While it is often recommended to get 50% of your body weight in ounces, I’d recommend at least 70% of your body weight in ounces during perimenopause.

This higher intake can address these hormonal changes and also help especially if you’re training hard, increasing your protein and trying to lose weight!

#2: Love Your Fats. Focus On Omega-3s

During perimenopause, our estrogen levels drop which can not only impact where we start to store fat, leading to more belly fat being gained even if we never used to gain around our middle, but it can also mean we become more insulin resistant. 

This doesn’t mean we should just demonize carbs and cut them all out.

But it does mean that a higher fat and protein macro breakdown may help us lose weight more efficiently.

Just be conscious not to overly restrict carbs if you are an endurance athlete or training super intensely. 

Those carbs help fuel our training and preserve our lean muscle mass, which is key as it does become harder to build and retain lean muscle as we get older! 

But focusing on getting more healthy fats in our diet is key, specifically focusing on increasing our Omega-3 intake. 

Increasing our omega-3 intake can help reduce hot flashes, especially night sweats, to improve our sleep, improve our mood, reduce anxiety, and even help with GI system disturbances like constipation by reducing inflammation.

The anti-inflammatory benefits of omega-3s can also help reduce joint inflammation and pain and improve our recovery while also helping us see better fat loss results. 

Because estrogen levels drop, inflammation increases in the body which is why many women going through perimenopause can start to deal with chronic inflammation to some degree.

This inflammation can impact not only our body but also our mind.

Reducing inflammation can help eliminate brain fog and improve our mood and cognition.

Inflammation can also make it harder for us to lose weight as our hormones fluctuate so make sure to get in enough omega-3s by including foods like salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, trout, walnuts, macadamia nuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds is key! 

And even consider a supplement during this time if you need the boost!

#3: Don’t Fear Fruits

Often when we lower our carb intake, we cut out fruits. 

We may have even heard that we should avoid fruits for weight loss because of the sugars.

But there are some key fruits we want to include during perimenopause that can help us manage the symptoms and even stay full and fueled. 

Fruits are a great way to get a diversity of micros, enzymes, and fiber while serving as a carb source that can be very filling and satisfying even curbing our cravings for sweets.

Consider including fruits like berries, kiwis and even pineapple. 

Berries are a great source of antioxidants and lower in carbs. They also are a high water content food, which can help us stay hydrated and increase our water intake without us even having to drink more water! 

Kiwis are great if you are suffering from GI issues such as constipation. 

Their water balance and the enzyme they contain actinidin help get things moving. Plus, they are a good source of fiber. 

They are also rich in Vitamin K which can help keep our bones healthy, which is extra important as we go through the hormonal changes of perimenopause.

Pineapple is another key fruit to help you reduce hot flashes and help with bloating. 

Pineapple contains bromelain – a protein-digesting enzyme that can relieve an upset stomach and digestive issues, which is extra helpful if you are increasing your protein during perimenopause to help with body recomp and to lose that stubborn belly fat! 

The final fruit I want to mention is a juice.

While I’m not usually a fan of juice because it is easy to over consume a ton of sugar and calories when we drink it, tart cherry juice can be super key if you are struggling to get quality sleep. 

It naturally contains tryptophan which is required for the body to produce melatonin, and it also does have naturally-occurring melatonin as well magnesium and potassium to improve the quality of your sleep naturally. 

Its antioxidant properties can also help reduce inflammation and improve your muscle recovery.

#4: Focus On Those Amino Acids. Especially Tryptophan And Leucine

Increasing your protein intake during perimenopause is key.

We are less able to utilize protein as efficiently as we get older, which means we need to increase our intake to support our training and help us build and retain lean muscle.

We want to do everything we can during perimenopause to focus on muscle as it not only keeps our metabolism healthy and prevents the slowdown we often associate with age and menopause, resulting in weight gain, but it also keeps our bones healthy and strong and helps us stay functionally stronger till our final day on this planet! 

But not only do you want to focus on getting about 1 gram per pound of bodyweight (you can use your goal bodyweight if you are working to lose weight or if you are overweight), you also specifically want to make sure you’re getting more tryptophan and leucine.

Tryptophan can help improve the quality of our sleep as well as our mood because it is involved in the production of melatonin and serotonin. 

A few great sources of tryptophan are turkey, chicken, tofu, milk, and pumpkin seeds. 

Leucine is also key for us to focus on during perimenopause to improve our protein synthesis and muscle gains.

Leucine taken in something like a BCAA or branched chain amino acid supplement can be a very calorie efficient way to get more of this essential amino acid. 

In combination with isoleucine and valine, BCAAs can help counter some of the central nervous system fatigue and brain fog that are common symptoms of perimenopause.

It also keeps amino acids we get from complete protein sources circulating and a higher level in our blood to work with the other foods we’re eating to stimulate better muscle protein synthesis.

But whether you do supplement or focus on increasing your protein overall, do not fear protein! It can really help you stay leaner and stronger through this phase!

The key thing to remember as you go through these hormonal fluctuations is that things will balance out.

This is a phase and one that will have ups and downs.

The more we track what we are doing to see how things are impacting us, the better off we will be.

Tracking our food especially during this time allows us to make changes to meet our body where it is at right now.

It can help us identify foods that may not work for us as well any more and even know how to best create the calorie intake and portions we need to stay lean and fueled while feeling our best. 

So as you implement these tips, track how you feel to see what works best for you!

Ready to learn how to address what your body needs NOW to see the results you deserve?

Schedule a coaching consultation today to feel your most fabulous!

STUDIES:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12150226/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4901052/

Managing Menopause (Hormones, Nutrition, Workouts and More)

Managing Menopause (Hormones, Nutrition, Workouts and More)

by | Jul 25, 2023 | podcast

Let’s talk about MENOPAUSE. Sorry ladies, you can’t avoid it.

And for some, the hormonal changes will hit harder than others. But I want to discuss strategies and tips and even some helpful mindsets to implement to help you navigate the hormonal changes.

Because we don’t want to deny the struggles that can occur but we also don’t want them to dictate what we can achieve.

While they will impact how we want to fuel and train, there is so much within our power to control and work around.

That’s why I’m also excited to share tips from one of my magical managers Susa about how she navigated menopause to feel like her most fabulous self!

00:00 – Intro
01:44 – Menopause
05:25 – Managing Menopause
36:01 – Menopause Nutrition
38:00 – Overnight Oats
38:33 – Workout Tip

 

Recipe: Raspberry Overnight Oats

450 calories:  35 g P/45 g C/17 g F

  • ½ cup oats 
  • 1 cup greek yogurt 
  • 1 TB almond butter
  • 1 TB chia seeds
  • ¼ cup raspberries

 

Mix all ingredients in an airtight container. Let refrigerate overnight. Stir before eating, top with raspberries, and enjoy!

 

Why these ingredients are amazing for menopause

Oats – whole grains contain B vitamins that are important for your mood and the fiber in oats helps prevent constipation and bloating that is common in menopause.

Greek yogurt – contains calcium and vitamin D to help minimize bone loss that occurs in menopause and vitamin D is required for calcium absorption. Also associated with better mood! Greek yogurt is also high in protein and when eaten in the morning will help regulate blood sugar balance, keeping your energy stable throughout the day.

Almond butter – Almonds contain magnesium which help support a balanced mood, bone health, and improved sleep! Night sweats and insomnia are common in menopause and magnesium may help promote sleep by regulating our bodies circadian rhythm by increasing muscle relaxation. 

Chia seeds – high in omega 3 fatty acids! Omega 3’s have been shown to decrease hot flashes and night sweats! Omega 3’s may also help promote better mood and brain cognition.

Raspberries – rich in phytoestrogens which can act like estrogen in the body, reducing symptoms of menopause! During menopause, estrogen slowly decreases in the body and eating foods like raspberries that can help mimic estrogen once digested, may help decrease negative symptoms! 

 

How To Increase Metabolism At Any Age (6 Tips)

How To Increase Metabolism At Any Age (6 Tips)

by | Jul 23, 2023 | Blog, Diet, Workouts

Our metabolism does slow down as we get older.

But so much of the metabolic slowdown that we blame on age is actually due to lifestyle factors we can CHANGE adding up.

We have to remember that nothing works forever.

And often what we “got away with” even when we are younger is now coming back to haunt us.

As our body and lifestyle evolves, we’ve got to adjust how we fuel and train.

That’s why I’m going to share 6 tips to help boost your metabolism to lose fat at any and every age.

First, Focus On Hydration. 

Many of us know we should drink more water. 

But the struggle is real to actually change this habit.

Not only is it confusing to know how much water to drink but it’s hard to stop yourself during the day to get water when it isn’t already a part of your routine or you’re not really thirsty for it. 

However, proper hydration becomes more important as we get older and even start the hormonal changes of perimenopause.

Especially if you’re training hard, you want to consider consuming MORE than the general recommendation of 50% of your bodyweight in ounces.

You want to even shoot for 70% of your bodyweight in ounces of water consumed every day.

While you may find setting out a filled water bottle by the coffee maker helpful to remind you to drink water even as you make your coffee, you can also improve your hydration levels by consuming more high water content foods over the course of the day. 

To help you hit this amount and stay hydrated, don’t just only focus on drinking more water, as key as that is.

Make a salad of cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes and lettuce – all high water content foods. 

Add berries to your oatmeal for breakfast to improve your hydration to start your day. 

Or try melons in your cottage cheese as a protein rich snack to stay hydrated. 

But focus not only on ways to drink more water but even improve your hydration through fruits and vegetables that also pack in the micronutrients to your diet as well!

Second, Eat 30-40 Grams Of Protein Per Meal. 

Increasing your protein is key.

And while most of us have heard we can only consume 20-30 grams of protein at one sitting, this just isn’t the case. 

While 20-30 grams may be the max we need to specifically utilize to build muscle from one sitting, this is also based on studies of protein supplements. 

The other macros consumed at a meal will impact the rate of digestion, slowing the process even to better let us utilize more at a time.

Not to mention as we get older, we are less able to utilize protein as efficiently, meaning we need more to see the same results. 

That’s why increasing our intake to 30-40 grams per meal, especially in our post workout meal can be super beneficial.

The harder you train, the more you want to focus on a higher protein intake to make sure you’re able to repair and recover more efficiently from your training. 

If we aren’t able to recover and rebuild properly, we may see our hard work in the gym not pay off the way we’d like in terms of strength gains and muscle growth, which can impact our metabolic health. 

And protein is not only key because of its muscle building benefits but also because it keeps us feeling fuller if we are in a calorie deficit to lose weight. 

This can make sticking to our nutritional plan easier long-term which allows consistency and time to work their results magic.

Plus, protein has a higher thermic effect than the other macros, meaning your body burns more calories to digest and utilize it for other bodily functions and to keep the tissues of your body strong and healthy.

It’s also important to find your food quality balance.

I’m a big believer in working in the foods you love. 

I love having a rice krispie treat or Reese peanut butter cup or ice cream as dessert.

And I will plan these things in first when I want them.

I also think we too often sabotage ourselves with this clean eating pressure where we feel we can’t have things we enjoy and eliminate foods arbitrarily that aren’t even necessarily an intolerance we personally struggle with. 

BUT we do need to find a balance.

Quality fuel helps our body function best. And we always want to seek to balance enjoying life and functioning optimally! 

We need those essential micronutrients to not only feel our best and stay healthy, but even to keep our metabolic rate higher and help us lose fat. 

A few micronutrients you may want to focus on more if you are working to lose fat and rev that metabolism are choline, magnesium, vitamin D, selenium and zinc. 

Choline is involved in the process of lipolysis, or fat loss, helping to break down fat into smaller pieces to be burned as energy. 

Eggs, beef, red potatoes and kidney beans are all great sources to include. 

Magnesium is involved in nearly everything, but when it comes to fat loss and metabolism, it helps control insulin and glucose, which both impact fat storage. 

It also can help with water retention and bloating, especially as you are increasing protein and making other dietary changes. 

Pumpkins, chia seeds, almonds and spinach are all great sources of magnesium.

Vitamin D is also key to include although harder to boost through our food consumption.

Even if we try to get out in the sun daily, as we get older we want to make sure we are boosting our intake even with a supplement. 

Studies have shown that low levels of vitamin D are linked to higher rates of overweight and obesity.

And both selenium and zinc are key for proper thyroid functioning. Impaired thyroid function will lead to a slower metabolic rate.

To increase your intake of selenium include foods like brazil nuts, yellowfin tuna and halibut and to increase zinc consider oysters, pumpkin seeds, pork loin or even oats. 

While I’ve talked about 3 key nutritional tips, the best results happen when our diet and our workouts work together.

That’s why you can’t ignore the importance of your training for your metabolic health. 

When designing your workouts, stop just doing body part splits.

(Looking for workouts designed strategically to help you reach your goals? Check out my Dynamic Strength App!)

Design progressions that Work Your Upper And Lower Body In The Same Workout. 

Full-body workouts or anterior/posterior splits can be beneficial if you are looking to keep your metabolism healthy as you get older without having to spend hours in the gym 6 days a week. 

Not only are these workouts more efficient, but you will target multiple big muscle groups each and every workout to more effectively build muscle while also burning more calories per session.

While I never like to focus on training as just a time to burn more calories, this extra calorie burn because you’re working more big muscles per session to build more muscle isn’t a bad added bonus! 

And by doing these splits, you can also increase your training frequency for each area over the week.

Training a body part 2-3 times per week over simply doing more for an area in a single session may help you see better muscle gains. 

That training frequency for especially hard to grow areas of 2-3 times per week has shown to yield the best results.

It can also help you train the area at a higher intensity each session, performing a higher overall quality of work, as too often we simply include more training volume in a workout that becomes wasted as we fatigue over the session. 

So consider designing workouts that allow you to target different areas every workout while hitting both big muscle groups in your upper and lower body each session!

The next training tip is to Focus On Low Reps And Heavy Weights. 

Too often we turn to more cardio or metabolic workouts when we want to lose fat. They make us feel out of breath and like we worked hard. 

But muscle is what stokes that metabolic fire.

To build that muscle we need heavy loads and progression in movements that challenges our muscles to tear them down so they have to rebuild stronger.

This is why you want to work down in reps and up in weights during your training.

And while using a diversity of rep ranges is ideal, do not ignore that maximal strength rep range of 1-5 reps even if muscle hypertrophy and fat loss is your goal. 

Increasing our strength allows us to then move more weight overall during our training, resulting in better muscle gains.

So while you may have heard that 6-12 reps is best for muscle hypertrophy and you do want to include this rep range, working lower in reps with even heavier loads will ultimately make you stronger to lift more for those exercises done in the 6-12 rep range.

Consider including a single heavy compound lift at the start of your workout for 4-5 rounds of 3-5 reps, resting 3-5 minutes between rounds. 

Follow that up with other compound accessory exercises in the 6-12 rep range to target specific muscle groups you’ve already started fatiguing with that first lift! 

The final tip is to Sprint More.

That high intensity interval work is so key to our conditioning and metabolic health. It is a great way to burn calories in an efficient way as well.

And if you perform short intervals of work of even just 10-20 seconds with 3-5 times the rest, you can really train speed. 

Just don’t get caught up on doing a bazillion rounds.

You don’t want to feel beat down from these short sessions. Less is more. Think even just 8-10 rounds of sprints. 

Go all out and fully recover. You want to train speed which means not doing a work interval again until you’ve recovered.

When you include sprints in this way, not only can you help keep your metabolic rate higher, even increasing your calorie burn after the sessions, but you’ll help improve your mind-body connection to even get more out of your lifting. 

This explosive power work helps you more efficiently recruit muscles which can lead to better strength gains.

These short intense bursts also help us see better results from our other workouts because they improve our conditioning and therefore our ability to recover more quickly between rounds of work. 

Better recovery means better quality of work during our training!

Using these 6 tips you can improve your metabolic health to lose fat at any and every age. 

Just remember the best results happen when our diet and our workouts work together!