Review
of "Final Phase Fat Loss"
eBook By John Romaniello
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It's like a law of nature...the
leaner you get, the harder it is to get leaner. When you've
got a lot of fat to lose, it comes off failry readily...but
when you get down around 8 to 10% bodyfat, it gets TOUGH.
And THAT is the problem John
Romaniello is primarily addressing in his new fat loss program
"Final Phase Fat Loss."
Now, even if you have more than
just the last 5 lbs to drop, don't let that stop you from
reading more about this program...the principles will work
on any fat loss plateau. The key lies in your body's hormonal
response to the training structure that he's put together.
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In this review, I'll give you a quick
rundown of the various phases of the program, how the different
components of the program stack up and if, when it all comes to
the wire, this program will really help you get past your fat loss
plateau.
Hormonal Response to Fat Loss Training
As I mentioned above, the primary
focus of this program is using targeted training to achieve a level
of hormone manipulation in the body, to promote fat loss. The main
hormones targeted by this program are Leptin, Growth Hormone, Corisol,
Insulin, IGF-1, Testosterone and Estrogen.
Each training methodology used in
the program targets a different hormone (or set of hormones, as
the case may be, as several of these hormones are used to offset
the effects of another).
Each training methodology is also
performed on a rotational basis over the course of a week, in order
to keep your body from getting too accustomed to (and efficient
at) one style of training. This is commonly known as "muscle
confusion," though this program puts it all together in a far
more organized fashion than that name implies.
Methodology #1 - Dynamic Training
This style of training is all about
dynamic movement, performing exercises that include a lot of bodyweight
transfer and actual movement in the gym (as opposed to very static
exercises like squats, you would do something like walking lunges)...speed
drills, explosive training, that kind of thing, all focusing on
compound exercises and large muscle groups.
At Staley Training, we actually recommend
a lot of very similar ideas in terms of movement training...training
like an athlete is all about movement! Very rarely do you see a
sport (other than powerlifting, of course!) where athletes set their
feet on ground and don't move them for the whole course of the event.
Your body is designed to move and
training it with plenty of movement (and movement with resistance)
is EXCELLENT for fat loss. A definitely thumbs-up on this phase.
Methodology #2 - Lactic Acid Training
This is where the program really delves
into the hormonal response to training. The idea with this style
of training is to focus on accumulating as much lactic acid in your
muscles as possible. This is done using a longer concentric (up)
phase and a shorter (but safely done) eccentric/lowering phase,
e.g. 4 seconds up, 1 second down. The exact tempo will obviously
depend on the exercise you're performing, but that's the general
idea.
And in terms of the body's response
to this style of training from a hormonal perspective, it DOES have
some validity. As your blood pH decreases (due to the acidity),
your body responds by secreting Growth Hormone in response. Studies
have shown that this does reliably occur.
Growth Hormone is a very potent fat-burning
hormone in the body - it's a response to emergency situations like
this.
The main problem I have with this
style of training is the slow tempo (which isn't the most effective
way to train your muscles) and the sheer painfulness of lactic acid
training. Okay, so that's two problems.
Since this slow-tempo style of training
isn't done for long periods and is actually offset by explosive
stuff in the dynamic training, it most likely won't have a big detrimental
impact on your strength levels. If done long-term (and John says
this himself), this style of training WILL decrease your strength.
The painfulness of high lactic acid
levels is something that certainly can be dealt with...what mitigates
the pain part of the equation is that the purpose of the training
is not actually PAIN in and of itself, but lactic acid. The side
effect is pain, sure, but at least it's not the actual goal of the
training.
So, can this Lactic Acid Training
be effective for fat loss? It can. The hormonal effect of it has
certainly been demonstrated in research. It's not fun but it can
be effective.
Methodology #3 - Density Training
Here's where it gets interesting...
:)
John states in this section of his
book, his main inspiration for density training is actually Escalating
Density Training (that name may sound familiar to you).
But rather than follow the guidelines
of EDT exactly, John has come up with his own version of density
training that uses MUCH shorter time periods.
For example, instead of doing a 15
minute PR Zone, you will instead set up a circuit of non-competing
exercises, performing each exercise for say, 30 seconds, doing as
many reps as you can in that 30 seconds, e.g. overhead press, dumbell
rows and squats.
The weights are kept moderate and
you're not pushing to failure on these sets.
The FIRST round might look like:
Overhead press with 35 lb dumbells
- 20 reps
Dumbells rows with 40 lb dumbells - 18 reps
Squats with 135 lbs - 22 reps
Then you would take a rest (about
90 seconds or so, though there is not set rest interval here) and
then you will INCREASE the weight by 15 to 20%.
Because you haven't gone to failure,
you haven't wiped out your nervous system....you've tuned it up
for the exercises you've just done.
Then you do the SAME circuit again,
using those heavier weights. And according to the author, you will
most likely get MORE reps with that increased weight on the second
round through, immediately increasing training density.
This is a very compressed style of
density training that forces an increase within a matter of minutes.
It's a very clever methodology and
definitely worth trying out. Naturally, this isn't the ENTIRE workout,
but just a section of it. You'd work in different exercises for
different bodyparts as well.
This style of density training is
excellent for boosting testosterone levels, in addition to increasing
the metabolism. Really good stuff here.
Methodology #4 - Strength-Based Training
The primary goal with this style of
training is keeping the muscle and strength you've worked so hard
to build up. The training method is geared to completing a TOTAL
number of reps, not by doing specific sets of say, 5 x 5 or anything
like that.
So basically (and this is simplifying
things from the program quite a lot), you'll set 25 reps as your
goal...you'll choose a weight you can get 5 to 7 reps with, then
you'll take as many sets as you need to do to get to 25 reps.
This is all done in the context of
a circuit with several other exercises and without set rest periods,
but the idea is to keep reps low to build strength.
It's an elegant system that can certainly
help you hang onto muscle mass while training for fat loss.
Program Weak Points
There are a few areas that could be
improved, though nothing that really goes up "red flag"
status that should stop you from picking up this program if you're
interested in it.
The nutrition section is a bit on
the short side. Since the focus of this program is more on the training
and the author tends to direct this program to a more experienced
user, my thought is that he's assuming you already pretty much know
what you're doing in that department.
His recommendations are good...nothing
earth-shaking. It'll definitely get you results. But I would have
liked to seen more information on how the specific nutrients you're
eating play a role in the hormonal responses of your body...i.e.
insulin, testosterone, etc. Food is a big part of that.
So if you've already got your diet
in order, this will be a really program. If you're looking for detailed
meal plans or hardcore nutrition focus, it's not something you'll
find in here.
In reading through some of the workouts,
there were a few exercises that I wouldn't have included, for example,
upright rows (which can be potentially damaging to the shoulders),
but in general, the exercise selection is good.
John also includes a detailed exercise
library in with the package, covering most of the exercises used
in the book. You'll find some really interesting selections in here
- always a good way to challenge your body!
CONCLUSION
Overall, this program is very well
put-together. The training is based on good principles and the explanations
of the hormonal effects of training are concise and easy to read.
While it does have a few weak points, if you've got your nutrition
pretty much already in order, the training you find in here might
be just what you need to really push your bodyfat to a whole new
low! Definitely worth checking out.
To read more about
"Final Phase Fat Loss,"
click here now
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