The 3 Week Diet PDF, eBook by Brian Flatt

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http://tinyurl.com/ENRMASBER

Phase 2


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Phase 2 Implementation GuideCongratulations! Youʼve made it to Phase 2, which means Phase 1 was a success.

Weʼre changing gears in Phase 2. Instead of using the 4x7 formula, youʼll be doing a strength and muscle growth session three times per week for three weeks. Youʼll also learn a brand new Prasara Yoga movement sophistication routine.

This guide is structured so that your strength sessions fall on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but you can modify this to suit your schedule if necessary. Tips on how to do that are included in the Phase Two chapter of the Program Manual.

How to Use This Guide

Print this guide and use it to record your progress over the next 3 weeks. Each page represents one dayʼs training. Weʼve also included reminder photos of the exercises for each day, so this book is all youʼll need to have with you for your sessions, assuming youʼve studied your Program Manual for the details.

Read through the exercise descriptions the night before your workout, and practice the movements. Youʼll be ready to roll at training time, and youʼll have chosen the appropriate level of movement sophistication for each exercise before you begin your session. This will save you time and energy and keep you focused.

After each session, record as many details as possible in this Implementation Guide. This will allow you to pick up where you left off when that circuit rolls around again. It will also serve as a powerful motivator when you look back and realize just how far youʼve come.

Finally, use the spaces provided to record your Intuitive Training numbers (RPE, RPT, RPD).


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Pre-start Preparation

To Do List - Weigh ourself - Take girth measurements - Take “before” photos

- Clean out your kitchen, replacing unhealthy foods with healthy food choices

Advice & Inspiration

“What gets measured, gets managed.” -Peter Drucker

Nothing empowers your fat loss journey like concrete measurements of success.

Scale Weight

Take your starting weight using a reliable, properly calibrated scale. This is not your most important measurement, as you will most assuredly gain weight in the form of muscle on this program. But it will provide a useful gauge of your progress. Note the time of day that you weighed yourself, and stick to it for future weigh-ins.

Weight: _____________________ Time of day: ____________________

Girth Measurements (see Appendix A for instructions)

❑ Neck: ❑ Shoulders: ❑ Chest:

❑ Waist: ❑ Hip Thigh:

Before Photos

Use a mirror or ask a friend to help you with this. Take one photo straight on and one from the side. Wear tight fitting clothing, preferably black. Stand as naturally as possible. Comparing these images with your “after” photos will reveal your fat loss progress, and will highlight the positive postural changes you make through participating in this health-first Circular Strength Training® program.Bo

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Phase 2

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Clean out your kitchen

Youʼve already listened to the Eating for Fat Loss expert audio reports we included with your program, and youʼve chosen an approach that resonates with you. Clear out everything in your kitchen which doesnʼt fit the plan and replace it with appropriate food options.

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Pre-start PreparationRenew Your Reasons WhyMotivation, Inspiration & Planning Worksheet

Getting lean is not an easy task. If it were, you wouldnʼt have purchased our program. It pays to put as many success factors on your side as possible. Reviewing and revising your motivations on a regular basis is one way to stack the deck in your favour. Please take a minute to go through these questions again, and note down any areas where your motivations have changed since you started Phase 1 of the program.

What do you want to achieve with Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss? Imagine yourself at the end of the program and describe what you see. Be specific—use as many concrete details as possible.

Project yourself three months into the future. How does it feel to have achieved your goal? Describe those feelings in concrete details.

Why do you want to become the person you imagine becoming? Why do you want to feel those feelings? Take your time with this question! Understanding your underlying “Reasons Why” will be a potent source of inspiration as you work through the program.

Whatʼs been holding you back? What habits are standing in the way of your goals? Recording these habits now will help you arm yourself against them.

Write a promise to yourself. Vow to follow this program to the letter, all the way through to the end. And promise yourself a specific gift upon completion of this 3 week Phase 2 cycle.

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Create a “vision board”

Finally, add to or revise your collection of items that help you visualize your goal and reinforce your “Reasons Why”. Inspiring photos, magazine articles, and notes to yourself are all good choices. Post them on your cork board, and be sure to look at them every day.

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Week 1 - Monday Strength Session

To Do List - Be sure to record RPE, RPT & RPD for your session today - Review the new Prasara Flow

Session Reminder

Begin your session with the Intu-Flow Warm-up sequence. Reference the “IF_warmup” video.

Begin with Superset 1 as outlined in the chart below and complete all sets from one group of static positions before moving on to the next. In other words, complete 3 rounds of Isometric Push Up position 1 and Isometric Horizontal Pull position 1, then move on to 3 rounds of position 2, and finally 3 rounds of position 3, for a total of 9 times through Superset 1.

Follow the same progression through Superset 2. Rest times between exercises are listed in the chart. Maintain RPE of 5-7, RPT of 8+ and RPD of 3 or less throughout. You can view these exercises on the Phase 2 video. Reference the “workout_p2” video.

End your session with the Prasara Movement Sophistication flow. Reference the “prasara_sophistication” video.

(*See Appendix B & D for Cheat Sheets.)

Superset 1Complete 3 supersets per position before moving to the next (total of 9 supersets)

Exercise Position 1Position 1Position 1 Position 2 Position 2 Position 2 Position 3Position 3Position 3

Isometric Push-up 40 sec

Rest 40 sec

Isometric Horizontal Pull** 40 sec

**Use swingset or see Annex C for a cheap rowing option.



Isometric 1-legged Squat 40 sec

Rest 40 sec

Isometric Hip Thrust 40 sec

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Week 1 - Tuesday Recovery

Session ReminderTodayʼs Intu-Flow session is designed to accelerate your recovery from the work youʼve done so far. Follow along with the Intu-Flow Recovery sequence included in the program. Reference the “IF_recovery” video. Work each movement slow and deep.

Next, follow along with the Prasara Recovery sequence. Reference the “prasara_recovery” video. Hold each pose for 30 seconds, and run through the entire progression 3 times. This will accelerate your recovery and prepare you to ramp up the intensity again tomorrow.

Intu-Flow Session - Do once through❑ Neck: ❑ Thorax:

❑ Shoulder Scapula:

❑ Pelvis:

❑

Shoulder Scapula:

❑ Lumbar:

❑ Elbow: ❑ Hip

❑ Wrist: ❑ Knee:Ankle:

Fingers

Knee:Ankle:

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Week 1 - Wednesday Strength Session

To Do List - Are you remembering to plan your meals ahead so you always have quality food on hand? - Go back over the Prasara session for tomorrow

Session Reminder









Rest 40 sec






Rest 40 sec


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Week 1 - Thursday Recovery



Intu-Flow Session❑ Neck: ❑ Thorax:


❑ Pelvis:

❑

Shoulder Scapula:

❑ Lumbar:

❑ Elbow: ❑ Hip


Fingers

Knee:Ankle:

Cheat Sheet Prasara Flow

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Week 1 - Friday Strength Session

To Do List - Go back over the Prasara session for tomorrow


"Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states." - Carol Welch

Session ReminderBegin your session with the Intu-Flow Warm-up sequence. Reference the “IF_warmup” video.




(*See Appendix B & D for Cheat Sheets.)Superset 1Complete 3 supersets per position before moving to the next (total of 9 supersets)



Rest 40 sec






Rest 40 sec


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Week 1 - Saturday Recovery





❑ Pelvis:

❑

Shoulder Scapula:

❑ Lumbar:

❑ Elbow: ❑ Hip


Fingers

Knee:Ankle:


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Week 1 - Sunday Recovery

To Do List -You've earned yourself a second recovery day! Do something active today: take a walk, go for a ride, play ball with your friends. Have fun using your newfound strength and movement capabilities.

Session Reminder

Todayʼs Intu-Flow session is designed to accelerate your recovery from the work youʼve done so far. Follow along with the Intu-Flow Recovery sequence included in the program. Reference the “IF_recovery” video. Work each movement slow and deep.

Intu-Flow Session - One time through❑ Neck: ❑ Thorax:


❑ Pelvis:

❑

Shoulder Scapula:

❑ Lumbar:

❑ Elbow: ❑ Hip


Fingers

Knee:Ankle:

RPE RPT RPD

Record Todayʼs Numbers

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Week 2 - Monday Strength Session

To Do List - Be sure to record RPE, RPT & RPD for your session today - Review the new Prasara Flow

Session Reminder









Rest 40 sec






Rest 40 sec

Isometric Hip Thrust 50 secBody

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Week 2 - Tuesday Recovery



Intu-Flow Session - Do once through❑ Neck: ❑ Thorax:


❑ Pelvis:

❑

Shoulder Scapula:

❑ Lumbar:

❑ Elbow: ❑ Hip


Fingers

Knee:Ankle:

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Week 2 - Wednesday Strength Session

To Do List - Focus on being 'present' during today's session. Be fully in the moment of your movement. - Go back over the Prasara session for tomorrow

Session Reminder









Rest 40 sec






Rest 40 sec


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Week 2 - Thursday Recovery





❑ Pelvis:

❑

Shoulder Scapula:

❑ Lumbar:

❑ Elbow: ❑ Hip


Fingers

Knee:Ankle:


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Week 2 - Friday Strength Session

To Do List - Go back over the Prasara session for tomorrow


"It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor." - Marcus Tullius Cicero

Session Reminder








Rest 40 sec






Rest 40 sec


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Week 2 - Saturday Recovery





❑ Pelvis:

❑

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❑ Lumbar:

❑ Elbow: ❑ Hip


Fingers

Knee:Ankle:


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Week 2 - Sunday Recovery

To Do List - Enjoy a bit of active recovery today, in addition to your Intu-Flow session. You've earned it!

Session Reminder

Todayʼs Intu-Flow session is designed to accelerate your recovery from the work youʼve done so far. Follow along with the Intu-Flow Recovery sequence included in the program. Reference the “IF_recovery” video. Work each movement slow and deep.

Intu-Flow Session - One time through❑ Neck: ❑ Thorax:


❑ Pelvis:

❑

Shoulder Scapula:

❑ Lumbar:

❑ Elbow: ❑ Hip


Fingers

Knee:Ankle:

RPE RPT RPD

Record Todayʼs Numbers

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End of Free Chapters...

click “Download Now” button below to

Obtain the Complete Version


Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss by

Ryan Murdock and Adam Steer

SECOND EDITION Disclaimer: The information in this book is presented in good faith, but no warranty is given, nor results guaranteed. Since we have no control over physical conditions surrounding the application of information in this book the author and publisher disclaim any liability for untoward results including (but not limited) any injuries or damages arising out of any person's attempt to rely upon any information herein contained. The exercises described in this book are for information purposes, and may be too strenuous or even dangerous for some people. The reader should consult a physician before starting this or any other exercise programs.

LEGAL STATEMENT: When purchasing equipment or other products from Ryan Murdock and Adam Steer the purchaser understands the risk associated with using this type of equipment, and the purchaser understands the risk associated with following instructions from other products, and agrees not to hold Ryan Murdock, Adam Steer, their agents and/or representatives responsible for injuries or proper maintenance and/or supervision.

ATTENTION: Nothing within this information intends to constitute an explanation of the use of any product or the carrying out of any procedure or process introduced by or within any material. This site and its ofEicers and employees accept no responsibility for any liability, injuries or damages arising out of any person's attempt to rely upon any information contained herein. Consult your doctor before using this or any other exercise device or program. Do not use if you have an injury, or are experiencing pain or inElammation in your hands, wrists, forearms, elbows, or shoulders without Eirst consulting your doctor. Use this product at your own risk. Failure to follow instructions and/or using this product in any way other than its intended use could result in injury.

IMPORTANT: Please be sure to thoroughly read the instructions for all exercises in this book, paying particular attention to all cautions and warnings to ensure proper and safe use.

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Bodyweight Blueprint For Fat Loss - Program ManualBo

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Table of Contents

Getting Started 1

Preface 2

Chapter 1 – The Ghost in the Machine—the Theoretical Underpinnings of this Program 7

Chapter 2 – Concepts and Principles 16

Chapter 3 - Integrating Outside Activities with Bodyweight Blueprint 25

Chapter 4 – Bodyweight Blueprint Phase One: Metabolize 30

Chapter 5 – Bodyweight Blueprint Phase Two: Stabilize 37

Chapter 6 – Bodyweight Blueprint Phase Three: Revitalize 46

Appendix – Exercise Descriptions 52

Further Resources 120


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Getting StartedWelcome to Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss.

We know some of you like to digest the entire package of information before you start training—if that sounds like you, flip to the next page and read the entire manual.

We also realize that others prefer to start training immediately—like right now. Donʼt just cue up a random video and then email us complaining you donʼt have a clue how to put it together (yes, believe it or not that happens quite a lot). Instead, follow these Quick Start steps:

1. Read Chapter Four of this Program Manual.

2. Pick up the Phase One Implementation Guide and follow it step by step to the end.

3. Read Chapter Five of this Program Manual.

4. Pick up the Phase Two Implementation Guide and follow it step by step to the end.

5. Read Chapter Six of this Program Manual.

6. Pick up the Phase Three Implementation Guide and follow it step by step to the end.

Thatʼs it!

When youʼve worked through all six of these steps, youʼre finished the program! Congratulations! We hope youʼve created a whole new you.

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PrefaceEach phase of this three part Fat Loss program is designed to transform your body into a more efficient fat burning machine.

In Phase One weʼll build a gas tank of lean muscle, and weʼll start filling it with fuel in the form of metabolic conditioning circuits designed to ramp up your fat burning engine. This first 28-day cycle follows the 4x7 model of periodization from Circular Strength Training.

Phase Two is designed to further bui ld—but more importantly to consolidate—lean muscle mass through a hypertrophy phase. What does this mean? In Phase One we began to build the architecture of your gas tank by adding lean muscle mass, and we started to top it up with fuel in the form of metabol ic conditioning circuits to fire up your fat burning engine. Phase Two builds on

that by shifting the focus to hypertrophy so we can finish putting that structure in place, and we consolidate those gains so we donʼt see any regression. Weʼre taking a break from the 4x7 structure during this three week interlude, but weʼll come back to it for the big finish.

Phase Three brings the gains of the prior two stages together and builds to an incredibly intense peak. Youʼve built the basic infrastructure in Phase One and youʼve consolidated that structure (while also making it functional) in Phase Two. Now youʼre fully prepared to work like you never have before. Phase Three shows you how to put your newly built structure through the ringer, firing up your internal fat burning furnace to the intensity of a blowtorch.

“If you couldnʼt care less about the geek talk, simply avert your eyes.”

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Each program phase presented in this book includes several levels of sophistication, so whether youʼre a complete beginner or an experienced athlete, you will be able to benefit from Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss. All of the exercises are illustrated with step by step

photos, and each phase is matched by instructional videos, so you can see each exercise in motion (you'll find these in the Video Libraries of your Bodyweight Blueprint Download Center).

How to use this book

For those of you who like to know how and why things work, weʼve included several chapters on the theory behind the program. We believe the design is rather elegant, and we hope you think so too.

If you couldnʼt care less about all the geek talk, simply avert your eyes. See the note on Getting Started at the beginning of this manual and jump right into the first phase of your 3 month plan.

Good luck!

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Chapter 1 – The Ghost in the Machine—the Theoretical Underpinnings of this ProgramThe Training Hierarchy Pyramid (THP) was created by our Coach Scott Sonnon as part of the Circular Strength Training (CST) Head Coach educational curriculum. Mastery of this model requires years of study, and in-depth practical experience with several other theoretical models that interact with it. At Head Coach level, it really does become an art form. In this Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss ebook, weʼre simply going to introduce you to the THP in order to orient you. This “glimpse beneath the hood” into the working parts will also give you a very clear sense of just how much depth this program involves.

The Training Hierarchy Pyramid is just one of the theoretical models at play in Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss. You can think of it as the “master template” that organizes all the other work. If the CST 3 Ring approach is the micro (the approach which governs each individual workout), and the 4x7 periodization is the medium view (the approach which governs each one-month microcycle), the Training Hierarchy Pyramid is the macro view—it determines how each of the nested one-month micro-cycles coordinate and build upon each other to spiral up to one overarching end goal.

Weʼll look at each of these models in turn. Letʼs start at the top and work our way down.

• The Big Picture—the Training Hierarchy Pyramid Model

Any periodization model is a map for navigating the sometimes confusing waters of program design. It guides us to our destination by the most direct route possible, while avoiding the dangerous shoals of inefficiency, distraction, and injury.

Adaptation or progression in your training program happens from general to specific, gross to fine, and simple to complex. Coach Sonnon would add that it also happens from physical to psychic. Heʼs not referring to supernatural powers (sorry!), but rather to the mental and

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emotional component of training: flow state, which preincorporates mental toughness training. We wonʼt be dealing with this level in our current discussion. Suffice it to say that mental toughness training is indeed built into the program design.

Thereʼs no such thing as “general fitness,” the popularity of current “grab-bag” approaches notwithstanding. Youʼre always getting fit “for” something, and so a goal is necessary in order to orient your efforts. When you reach that goal, itʼs time to cycle back to the basics again, but with a new goal in mind and from a higher level of mastery. You canʼt hang out at the peak indefinitely. That only leads to imbalance and eventual injury. But thanks to the THP methodology, you can always be on target for new peaks, and youʼll always feel in peak condition.

When we think of moving from ʻgeneral to specific,ʼ weʼre thinking most often in terms of a skill. Moving from the basic quad press to quad hops to clapping quad hops, for example. Or to use a non-CST exercise, moving from bodyweight squats to box jump squats to lateral box jump squats. In each case youʼre first building work capacity by causing your body to adapt to the simplest version of the movement with volume or duration. You then increase the level of perceived difficulty by increasing the movement sophistication—this is a hallmark of CST training. Itʼs fine to develop large amounts of strength and endurance in the isolated lab of your training, but if you canʼt express that strength or endurance in real-world tasks the hard work youʼre doing canʼt be applied in your day to day life.

But I Only Want to Lose Fat—How Does This Apply to Me?

Thatʼs an excellent question. If youʼre not an athlete and youʼre not training up to master a specific movement set, skill, or athletic endeavor, how does all this progression stuff benefit you?

The answer may startle you—and we hope it startles some of our colleagues, because we believe it applies the THP model in a rather original way.

The Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss program isnʼt focused on building toward a skill set or periodizing toward a specific event as a goal. Rather, the goal weʼre periodizing toward is a

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specific state. Our target activity is “fat loss.” Each phase of this three part program is designed to transform your body into a more efficient fat burning machine.

Youʼre probably wondering how exactly we intend to do that. And weʼll tell you. But first you have to understand the basic stages of the Training Hierarchy Pyramid.

The Training Hierarchy Pyramid Explained

As you can see, the pyramid builds from a broad base to the narrow peak of your goal. Our 3-month program will follow that process as well.

Here are some general definitions to give you a sense of whatʼs involved in each level of the pyramid. Weʼll first describe what each level of the THP is, and then weʼll explain how our 3-month fat loss plan fits into it.

General Physical Preparedness (GPP) is the level at which we seek to develop the particular energy system to be used. Another term for this is Work Capacity. Itʼs here that we build the broad base which will support our efforts toward a specific goal.

Another way to look at GPP is as the ʻenergeticʼ level. We have to identify our purpose—what we want to be fit for—and then select

the target energy system and the simple, general, gross motor needs. Think of this as your ʻgas tank.ʼ We first need to build that gas tank, the structure which will hold the fuel that will feed your fat burning fire.

In our 3-month plan, thatʼs the job of Phase One. Your gas tank—your fat burning ʻstructure,ʼ in other words—is lean muscle mass. That lean muscle tissue will allow you to burn fat at an

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accelerated rate. At this stage, weʼll seek to build a gas tank of lean muscle, and weʼll start filling it with fuel in the form of metabolic conditioning circuits designed to ramp up your engine.

Donʼt worry if you donʼt understand what a metabolic conditioning circuit is. These terms will be explained further on in the theory section. The important thing to understand for now is how weʼll be moving up the THP over the course of 3 months.

Specific Physical Preparedness (SPP) is the level at which we sophisticate our GPP work to develop the range and depth of the skills weʼre preparing. Itʼs also at this level that we train slightly outside the scope of our intended activity to provide a “safety valve” for when movement deviates from the expected. Another term for this is Work Sophistication. This is where we tweak our GPP preparations in the direction of our intended goal.

SPP is normally the realm of “functional fitness.” Force has direction and magnitude. Think of the differences between a bench press and a medicine ball toss against a wall. At the SPP level, weʼre looking to tweak the movements from the GPP level so they more closely match the range and depth of our target skills. This is a little more obvious when thinking in terms of a sport, but in our case weʼre targeting a specific state.

In our 3-month plan, Phase Two is designed to further build—but more importantly to consolidate—lean muscle mass through a hypertrophy phase. What does this mean? In Phase One we began to build the architecture of your gas tank by adding lean muscle mass, and we started to top it up with fuel in the form of metabolic conditioning circuits to fire up your fat burning engine. Phase Two builds on that by shifting the focus to hypertrophy so we can finish putting that structure in place, and we consolidate those gains so we donʼt see any regression. For the purpose of our program, weʼre defining “regression” as the point at which our movement toward the fat burning state deviates from expected ranges. Weʼre building a buffer zone to keep us where we want to be—in that high-performance middle road.

Weʼre increasing the rate of hypertrophy in this phase by using an isometric-based protocol. Because those movements alone would be less sophisticated than what we used in the

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GPP phase, weʼre also applying a specific Prasara yoga flow designed to translate that strength into functional movement ability, while at the same time compensating for the high tension of the isometric work.

Specific Skill Preparedness (SSP) is the level at which we deconstruct the target skill into its elementary motor components, their practice, and the practice of the movements between these components. This is also referred to as Specificity, or the ʻcoordinativeʼ phase. The coordinative phase deals with physical mastery—what dancers call grace, speakers call poise and gymnasts call body flow. If you were targeting a specific skill set or an athletic

competition, you would focus on shaving away inefficiencies while shoring up any remaining small deficiencies.

In our 3-month plan, Phase Three brings the gains of the prior two stages together to build to an incredibly intense peak. Yo u ʼ v e b u i l t t h e b a s i c infrastructure in Phase One and

youʼve consolidated that structure (while also making it functional) in Phase Two. Now youʼre fully prepared to work like you never have before. Phase Three shows you how to put your newly built structure through the ringer, firing up your internal fat burning furnace. By the time you complete Phase Three, your body will be a fat burning machine with the efficiency of a smelter.

A brief note on the Mental and Emotional Preparedness (MEP) level of the pyramid. We wonʼt be singling out MEP as a separate aspect of our 3-month program—rather, mental and emotional training is woven specifically into every circuit that you do. This isnʼt something esoteric, involving guided visualization or hypnosis. It must be built through the gateway of the physical. The mental aspect of MEP deals with building ʻmental toughnessʼ: the

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“By the time you complete Phase Three, your body will be a fat burning machine.”


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toughness to concentrate on completing your target goal regardless of the external and internal noise which attempts to distract you from that goal. The emotional aspect of MEP deals with building ʻemotional controlʼ: the ability to remain focused when every conceivable “hot button” in your personality is pushed to over-arouse you and send you spinning off track. Youʼll encounter each of these demons as you work your way through Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss. Weʼve crafted the program manuals with this in mind. Just “plug and play” and stick to the plan as written—weʼll do the rest.

So there you have it. The Training Hierarchy Pyramid model of periodization. Itʼs the big picture theory that the entire 3-month Fat Loss plan is structured on.

Weʼll now zoom in by one level of magnitude and take a look at how each month will be cycled.

• The Middle View—the 4x7 Model

The THP model forms the outline of the program, but it isnʼt the only sport science lens weʼre applying. This 3-month program is made up of three nested one-month microcycles. Phases One and Three follow the 4x7 model of periodization, while Phase Two (the consolidation phase) follows a more traditional “three times per week” plan.

So what is 4x7?

This groundbreaking model was developed by Scott Sonnon, based on his decades of experience in training elite athletes. The 4x7 formula is all about balancing work and recovery in a precise fashion that taps into and harnesses your bodyʼs natural rhythms. Perhaps ʻorchestratingʼ work and recovery might be a better image, because your output and gains really do swell and ebb, coming to a resounding crescendo at the end of the 28-days. Whatever you want to call it, the ʻ4ʼ in 4x7 refers to that balancing. Itʼs the template that dominates your day to day work.

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Four distinct yet integrated programs are cycled seven times to reach the total of 28 days. In addition to the actual “work” days, this allows you to incorporate active recovery to promote rapid adaptation and injury-free progress. Youʼre also incorporating compensatory movements to balance your growth and to remove the parking brake from your output and mobility. This is one of the greatest secrets behind the incredible rate of progress harnessed by the 4x7 method.

Weʼll explain exactly how the 4 days (No Intensity, Low Intensity, Moderate Intensity and High Intensity) work later in the program manual, and weʼll also provide an explanation of the CST Intuitive Training protocol, which youʼll need to master in order to take full advantage of these training cycles. For now, itʼs enough to know that the first and third months of your program will each be governed by this very precise periodization model.

For an in depth explanation of the science behind the 4x7 model, please see either our Bodyweight Exercise Revolution ebook, or Coach Sonnonʼs 4x7: The Magic in the Mundane DVD.

The Micro View—The CST 3 Ring Approach

The tri-ring approach of CST allows you to balance work and recovery within each training session (just as 4x7 applies that balance to the larger microcycle in order to precisely target peak performance). Each of your workouts under our 3-month plan will cycle through: a joint mobility warm up, a “work” phase of intense bodyweight exercise, and a Prasara yoga compensatory cool down. Weʼll take a brief look at each of these phases and explain why theyʼre so important to your fat loss goals.

The joint mobility warm up—a specific application of CSTʼs groundbreaking Intu-Flow program—is designed to prime each of your joints for work by moving them through their full,

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healthy range of motion. This helps to lubricate the joint capsule by flooding it with synovial fluid, which also “feeds” those tissues with nutrition (we need to do this for our health, because the only joint which receives blood flow without movement after puberty is the jaw—ironically the one we move most). This nutritive aspect of Intu-Flow will be of key importance to you not just on your work days, but also on your recovery days. Itʼll help you ship all-important nutrition to where itʼs needed in your body in order to rebuild from exercise, and itʼll also help you ship out the waste products of exercise that accumulate in your joints and muscles. This means youʼll recover from training at an accelerated rate, so youʼre ready to work again sooner. That translates to less time towards your fat loss goal.

The “work” phase applies cutting-edge CST bodyweight exercises that will improve your movement capabilities, strengthen your body in the most functional manner possible, and push you to your limits faster than any other method. It will also be the most fun youʼve ever had “working out.” These arenʼt your grandfatherʼs robotic calisthenics! Think instead of the

grace of an acrobat or a dancer—with the exception that these skills will be accessible to anyone of any entry-level of fitness, thanks to the incrementally sophisticating

nature of CST. Further, youʼll be able to do it in your home or hotel room, with a minimal amount of space, and with no equipment.

The Prasara yoga compensatory cool down is, as the phrase suggests, designed to compensate for the work you just did.

The latest cutting edge research in the field of biotensegrity demonstrates that, rather than being composed of separate muscles whose

actions can be isolated (as prior versions of anatomical theory believed), the body is composed of “chains” of tension along which we sling force. We put tension into the system when we exercise, and we need to release that tension in order to speed our recovery and restore our bodies to the optimum healthy balance. Unless you do this, youʼll be performing as though you were driving with the parking brake on, and this habitual tension will only worsen over time. Our Prasara yoga cool down is specifically designed to target the tension chains we loaded in the work phase of our program.

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This is of course just an overview of the 3 Rings of CST, but it should give you a sense of how and why they fit together into your 3 month fat loss plan. For more in-depth information on each of the 3 Rings, please see the following sources:

Intu-Flow joint mobilityCST bodyweight exercisePrasara yoga

Conclusion

So there you have it. Three nested layers of the most cutting-edge sport science theory, all united beneath the organizing principle of the CST Training Hierarchy Pyramid.

The good news is that we included this outline “for entertainment purposes only”—you donʼt have to understand the theory to make Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss work for you. Thatʼs our job! On the contrary, weʼve made it ridiculously easy for you to simply plug and play.

The next section of the manual will show you how.

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Chapter 2 - Concepts and PrinciplesBefore we get to the programs, there are a few concepts and principles you should familiarize yourself with. Weʼll be referring to them at different points throughout the book, and each will come into play at some point in the actual training circuits.

You can read through the entire chapter if youʼre interested in the theory behind the program, or you can simply use this section as a glossary for when you encounter unfamiliar terms in the text of the program chapters. Weʼve organized the entries alphabetically for ease of use.

CST Metcon Principles

“Metcon” stands for “metabolic conditioning,” a form of High Intensity Interval Training which weʼll be applying in many of our fat loss circuits.

Contrary to what mainstream fitness has been saying for decades, steady state aerobic training (such as long slow distance running) is not the most direct route to fat loss. Itʼs true that moderate intensity, steady state exercise uses primarily fat oxidation as fuel, but that isnʼt the total picture.

In a study done to compare the fat burning benefits of traditional “cardio” training and high intensity intervals, two groups were assigned different training regimens. Group A performed the regular moderate intensity cardio regime (ex. jogging or bicycling) for 20 weeks, and Group B performed a high intensity interval training routine for 15 weeks. The results of each group were recorded. Group B lost nine times more fat than Group A—and in 5 weeks less!

Why does Metcon style training burn more fat than moderate intensity “cardio” training? Simply put, after you finish your Metcon training session your metabolism explodes and

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burns a pile of calories. Those calories are being burned because your body must recover from the intense workout you just exposed it to. Contrary to what you might expect, you burn the most fat after your workout—not during your workout.

In addition to these benefits, Metcon training is fast! One of the best things about it is that you no longer have to spend 30 minutes to an hour jogging your life away on a treadmill.

CST Value Hierarchy

Circular Strength Training is unique among fitness systems in offering a complete “health-first” approach. Every system embodies a hierarchy of values—whether they realize it or not. These assumptions are deeply embedded in the way they view exercise, and they are expressed in that systemʼs approach to training.

The CST value hierarchy looks like this:

1) Health 2) Mobility 3) Function 4) Attributes 5) Physique

Other systems place Function (attributes like strength, endurance or speed) first, valuing those things over and often at the expense of health. The bodybuilding approach values Physique first, and many people are willing to do anything, including practices like shooting steroids or crash dieting, for the instant reward of a magazine cover body. That may work in the short term, but the short term can be shorter than you think…

By placing other values above health, these systems often undertake practices which damage health and which necessarily short-circuit their own stated goals.

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Everything in CST builds off of and leads back to our “health-first” approach. As a result, CST will get you the Function and Physique that you seek faster, and itʼll keep you there longer—without compromising your health and longevity.

In Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss, we hold improved health as our highest goal. Thatʼs what the program is aiming for. Along the way, weʼll improve your mobility (through our Intu-Flow and Prasara sessions), weʼll improve function (youʼll get better at executing complex movements thanks to CSTʼs approach to movement sophistication), your attributes will skyrocket (youʼll build greater strength, endurance, etc during the “work” phase of the circuits), and of course youʼll add muscle and melt fat, totally altering your physique. But these things are all byproducts which cascade downward through the CST Value Hierarchy as you set out to improve your health.

Increasing Sophistication

Increasing movement sophistication is a hallmark of Circular Strength Training.

Fitness 101 tells us that we cause adaptation in the body by introducing novel demands. This is referred to as the SAID principle—“specific adaptation to imposed demands.” There are a number of ways to elicit this desirable adaptation, but most exercise systems

manipulate the variables of weight, reps, sets, and duration. You can also compress the rest time between sets to increase the rate at which your body recovers from bursts of effort.

CST, while using each of these approaches, is unique in that it focuses on manipulating the variable of movement sophistication. This taxes the body and causes adaptation just like adding weight or sets does. But this

approach doesn't just result in better conditioning or more strength. You get better at assimilating new skills more rapidly. Your body becomes capable of

executing more complex movements with ease. You develop your attributes (strength, endurance, etc) in all dimensions. In other words, you become more capable of

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undertaking any endeavour, whether in sport or life. Your “workout progress” also becomes sustainable and perpetual.

Youʼll see this principle expressed in Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss within each of the individual exercise circuits. Each circuit in the program comes with three levels of movement sophistication, making them completely accessible to beginners while also challenging elite athletes. Simply begin at the level of movement sophistication that causes you to hit the target “effort” numbers for that day, and bump up a level of movement sophistication when your current level gets too easy.

Intuitive Training Protocol

How much is ʻa lotʼ? How tough is ʻtoughʼ? What might be considered a difficult session for a sedentary person would be a walk in the park for an elite athlete, and what an elite athlete considers low intensity might be beyond extreme for the average person. How do you determine “low” or “high” intensity when itʼs all so subjective?

The CST Intuitive Training Protocol allows you to develop the ability to accurately differentiate form, exertion and discomfort, and you can then use this as a determinant factor in progressive resistance. By learning to quantify the subjective you give yourself an immediate sense of where you stand, and you create a clear gauge of your progress.

In order to make this tool work for you, you must first learn how to use it. That takes a bit of diligence in the beginning. By journaling your training and by rating these three variables you will come to a better understanding of your body and you will calibrate your instrument. The skill of rating your performance becomes more finely honed with each use, until eventually you barely have to think about it. But you will have to think about it in the beginning.

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These are the three variables you will rate after each training session:

Variables Definition

Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) the subjective evaluation of your effort on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the hardest youʼve ever worked.

Rate of Perceived Discomfort (RPD) the subjective evaluation of your pain level on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the worst pain youʼve ever experienced.

Rate of Perceived Technique (RPT) the subjective evaluation of your mechanical performance on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best possible form in that exercise.

If your technique is high enough (greater than or equal to 8) and your discomfort is low enough (less than or equal to 3) you can hold even an exertion level of 10 for as long as your stamina, strength and endurance allow.

But your stamina, strength and endurance diminish as you start to hit the wall. As fatigue takes over, your technique begins to deteriorate. Without that technique you no longer have the channel to safely harness the fluid forces of your effort, and discomfort increases. As discomfort increases, the potential for injury also increases, and so on down the spiral. Your goal is to ride that edge of high output, high quality technique, and to stop when youʼve tipped the balance into deteriorating form. Youʼre playing a game of balancing between your output and whatʼs being lost as ʻleakageʼ to poor technique.

In addition to the potential, even the likelihood, of injury, poor technique is also repeatable. Itʼs a fundamental aspect of the Law of Conditioning: whatever you repeat you are making repeatable, whether you want to or not. The greatest efficiency lies in knowing how to precisely gauge your form so that you stop before you begin to groove poor technique.

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As a general guideline, when you can sustain an RPT of equal to or greater than 8, an RPD of less than or equal to 3, and an RPE of equal to or greater than 6 over the course of 3 sessions, itʼs time to increase a variable: frequency, intensity, speed, density, volume, complexity, etc.

Each of the four days in a 4x7 training cycle includes specific guidelines that you should be aiming for with each of these variables. Weʼve also precisely calculated exactly which variable to change, and by how much, when it comes time to move on. Directions for using 4x7 are clearly outlined in the program manual for the Phase 1 and Phase 3 circuits. All you have to do is rate your performance in terms of the Intuitive Training Protocol and “plug and play” the program. Weʼve taken care of the rest.

Repetition Tempo

Tempo refers to the time it takes to execute different portions of a repetition. A repetition can be broken down into the lowering phase (eccentric), a rest pause (often the point at which youʼre supporting the weight on structure at full lockout), and the overcoming phase (concentric).

Repetition tempo is typically written out like this: 4-0-1-0. Letʼs apply this to a common bodyweight example, the push up. In this example, one rep of the push up takes 4 counts in the lowering phase, no pause in the bottom position, 1 count in the overcoming (pressing) phase and no pause at the top in full lockout before continuing into the lowering phase of the next repetition. A pushup done according to this repetition tempo would take about 5 seconds to perform. If you did ten reps you would be doing a set of approximately 50 seconds.

The problem with repetition tempo is that most people grossly misjudge their counts. We prefer to use the Time Under Tension method (and a stopwatch or timer) to regulate our sessions. See “Time Under Tension” below for further info.

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Supersets and Circuits

Supersets combine two or more exercises with similar motions to maximize the amount of work done in a given period of time. The exercises are performed with no rest period between them.

If youʼve ever trained in a gym, you probably did some variation of bodybuilding-style training—simply because itʼs still the most prevalent approach used in most training facilities. If so, youʼre probably already familiar with push-pull supersets. Push-pull supersets are similar to regular supersets, but the exercises are chosen to work opposing muscle groups. To stay

with the bodybuilding example, typical supersets might involve biceps curls and triceps pushdown, shoulder press and lat pulldown, or bench press and wide grip rows. One of the advantages of training in this way is that you can work one “muscle group” while the group you worked before it is recovering, therefore cramming more training into the shortest amount of time.

In Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss weʼll be using supersets in Phase Two.

A circuit is one time through all the prescribed exercises in a program. The time between exercises within a circuit is short, often involving immediate movement to the next exercise until one full circuit has been completed. When youʼve completed one circuit of that group of movements, youʼll rest for the prescribed amount of time and then start at the first exercise again for another circuit.

In Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss, all of the Metcon workouts will involve circuit training.

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Time Under Tension

Muscle only knows time. It doesnʼt know repetition number. It doesnʼt know sets. It knows how long and how hard it has to contract. This is typically referred to as “time under tension” (TUT).

However, in the average gym, personal trainers typically use a generic chart when they design a clientʼs program—a memorized list of generalized goals matched to repetition volume:

Strength: 1-5 repetitions Hypertrophy (growth): 8-12 repetitions Endurance: 25-50 repetitions Cardio: 100+ repetitions

The problem with specifying general set/rep numbers is that people tend to rush through them in order to “get it over with” and move on to the next exercise. They think the numbers are important, when itʼs actually the quality of work that should take precedence. As a result, they donʼt hit the ideal target range of their goal. TUT removes impatience from the equation, because youʼre using the clock to keep you honest.

This is the breakdown of TUT weʼll be using in Bodyweight Blueprint for Fat Loss:

Goals Repetitions X Seconds Time Under Tension

Strength 1-5 repetitions x 4 seconds approx 15 seconds

Hypertrophy 8-12 repetitions x 4 seconds approx 30 seconds

Endurance 25-50 repetitions x 4 seconds approx 1-2 minutes

Cardio 100+ repetitions x 4 seconds approx 5-35 minutes

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Youʼll find it much easier to time yourself than to count reps. And because youʼre allowing the clock to tell you when to begin and end, you can focus 100% of your attention on the actual performance of the movement, pushing yourself sufficiently to cause adaptation to be stimulated.

Thatʼs it for the theory! The next section of the manual will explain exactly what you need to do to get started.

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The 3 Week Diet PDF, eBook by Brian Flatt