ALPHA MUSCLE | ALAIN GONZALEZDay+Bell… · Exercises Oxygen Consumption) is greater with HIIT than...

ALPHA MUSCLE | ALAIN GONZALEZ

21 DAY BELLY FAT BURN CHALLENGE | ALAIN GONZALEZ WITH STEPHEN CAMPOLO

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

Warning: All the information presented in 21-Day Belly Fat Burn Challenge is for educational and resource purposes only. It is not a substitute for or in addition to any advice given to you by your physician or health care provider.

Consult your physician before making any changes to your lifestyle, diet, or exercise habits. You are solely responsible for the way information in 21-Day Belly Fat Burn Challenge is perceived and utilized and so, you do so at your own risk.

In no way will Alain Gonzalez, Human Evolution Publishing, or any persons associated with 21-Day Belly Fat Burn Challenge be held responsible for any injuries or problems that may occur due to the use of this book or the advice contained within.

PERSONAL DISCLAIMER

We are not doctors, nor do we possess a degree in nutrition. The advice we give is based on years of practical application, dealing with the needs of our own health and physiques as well as the needs of others. Any recommendations we may make to you regarding diet, including supplements and herbal or nutritional treatments must be discussed between you and your doctor/s.

MUSCLE-BUILDING DISCLAIMER

Required Legal Disclaimer: Due to recent laws from the FTC, it is required that all companies identify what a “typical” result is. The truth is that most people never do anything when it comes to trying building muscle. They might buy a million products, including this one, but never do anything with the information they have in hand. The testimonials that you saw were of people who took action, followed a healthy lifestyle, exercised, and ate a balanced nutritional diet. If you want results like them, you should do this too.


COPYRIGHT NOTICEPublished by:

Human Evolution Publishing

Copyright © 2018 All material in this guide is, unless otherwise stated, the property of Alain Gonzalez and Human Evolution Publishing. Copyright and other intellectual property laws protect these materials.Reproduction or retransmission of the materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, without the prior written consent of the copyright holder, is a violation of copyright law.


THE "TRUTH" ABOUT FASTED CARDIO

In the past, fitness experts all over the world had their clients performing bouts of cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. It was a widely accepted “fact” that fasted cardio was simply better for fat-loss. In theory, it made sense: by training in a fasted state, you’re utilizing your body fat stores for energy rather than turning to the glucose in your system.

[When we talk about burning fat, we’re really just talking about lipolysis and oxidation. Lipolysis is the process by which we release fatty acids into the bloodstream, and fat oxidation is the process whereby cells burn those fatty acids.]

Then a new study on the effects of fasted and non-fasted cardio for fat loss hit the scene and every “expert” was pointing and laughing at any coach who prescribed fasted cardio to their clients.1

Fasted cardio went from being the magic solution to becoming the laughing stock of the fitness community.But, when we look at this widely cited study a bit deeper, we find that it hasn’t actually proven that fasted cardio is inferior to non-fasted cardio. What we do see, however, is that if we have carbs 30 minutes into our workout, then fat oxidation rates aren’t changed until well after our training (80-90 minutes).

Researchers noted that this is probably due to the fact that the insulin response to carb intake while training at a moderate intensity is almost completely suppressed.2

Here’s the problem with that. Who the hell eats carbs 30 minutes into their workout? No one. Most people have their carbs before their workout, which reduces lipolysis and fat oxidation rates thus reducing the total amount of fat we burn during a workout.

This isn’t to say that there actually is something magical about performing cardio in a fasted state. In fact, whether you’re eating carbs before your workout or not isn’t what is going to determine how much fat you lose… total energy balance will.3

You see, when insulin is up, fat-loss is down. But whether you’re eating before your workout or not, it’s total energy balance that determines how much fat you’ll lose that day. See the graph below for a better illustration of this point (notice how it balances our over the course of the day).


At this point, you’re probably more confused than you were when you started reading.

“So is fasted cardio better for fat-loss or not?”

Cardio on an empty stomach will not help you lose fat faster…

If done correctly, however, fasted cardio will help you lose stubborn body fat in certain areas (hips and belly) faster.

Allow me to explain…

STUBBORN BELLY FATThere are certain fat cells in your body that are resistant to being mobilized and burned and they accumulate in the regions we all consider “trouble spots”—belly and hips.

Our bodies use a chemical known as “catecholamines” in order to break fat cells down into energy.4 These catecholamines travel through our blood and bind to receptors on fat cells, which then allows it to be burned off.

These fat cells have two types of receptors for catecholamines: alpha-receptors and beta-receptors.5

Beta receptors speed up fat mobilization and alpha-receptors slow it down.6

If you’ve got certain areas that get lean pretty quickly, you have a lot of fat cells with more beta-receptors than alpha. Those areas that you just can’t seem to get rid of, however, are the opposite—you’ve got a lot of fat cells with more alpha-receptors than beta.

Another big issue with stubborn hip and belly fat relates to blood flow.7


Less blood flow in any area means fewer catecholamines reach those stubborn fat cells thus resulting in slower fat loss.

So not only are there large amounts of fat cells that don’t respond well to catecholamines, but the reduced blood flow is keeping those catecholamines away.

Thankfully, due to some sound science, we now know exactly how to target these “stubborn areas” using diet, fasted cardio, and one often-ignored supplement.

For starters, fasted cardio increases blood flow to the abdominal region8, making it easier for the catecholamines to reach the stubborn belly fat, resulting in more mobilization of it.

This is the big benefit of fasted cardio… the majority of the fat you’re burning is coming from these stubborn areas that we otherwise would struggle to lose.

METABOLIC BODYWEIGHT CIRCUITSNow that you understand how fasted cardio really helps to burn off stubborn abdominal fat, the question becomes, “what type of cardio?”

If you’re familiar with my work, you know I’m a huge fan of High-Intensity Interval Training. The problem, however, is that when the intensity is high, glycogen becomes the main source of fuel, which means fat oxidation declines.

So, in theory, doing HIIT while in a fasted state seems to be counterproductive—it may even seem like a recipe for muscle loss.

Here’s the thing, though: research shows that as you get more accustomed to performing HIIT, your muscles learn to use less glycogen from those workouts and they get better at oxidizing fats.8

This is especially relevant for fasted cardio as HIIT increases the total amount of fatty acids your

body can metabolize throughout your workouts.

Not only that, but EPOC (Excess Post-Exercises Oxygen Consumption) is greater

with HIIT than with traditional cardio, thus resulting in more total calories burned after your

workout.

If that wasn’t enough to get have you skipping breakfast and jumping right into some high-intensity cardio, HIIT has also

been shown to be great for getting rid of abdominal fat.9


HOW TO PERFORM METABOLIC CIRCUITSEach Metabolic Circuit is made up of six different exercises. Perform each exercise, back to back, with little to no rest in between them. Once you’ve completed all six exercises, that’s 1 circuit. Your goal is to perform as many circuits as possible in a given timeframe.

Progression with Metabolic Circuits is very simple. Aim to outperform your last performance on a given circuit by completing more circuits within the same timeframe.

SPEEDING UP THE PROCESSThere is one way to get lean and one way only—staying in a negative energy balance. If we can manage to burn more calories than we consume, we’ll burn body fat, period.

Our body burns calories in a few different ways.

1. Basal Metabolic Rate

2. The Thermic Effect of Food

3. The Thermic Effect of Activity

4. Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis

These 4 things determine your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). If we can manage to consume less energy than we expend, we lose weight.10

Want to make this a bit easier? Drink some coffee! Caffeine has been shown to increase energy expenditure, making it a bit easier for you to achieve a calorie deficit.11

Not only that, but when you’re training fasted, you may find that you need an extra kick in the pants. Caffeine can certainly do that for you!

You see, there are plenty of supplements out there that claim to increase strength, improve muscle endurance, or enhance anaerobic capabilities. Hell, some even claim to do them all. There is, however, one problem: no supporting evidence.

Caffeine, on the other hand, has been proven to increase strength, muscle endurance, and anaerobic performance.

Want to take your fasted HIIT sessions to the next level?

Have a cup of coffee or pop some caffeine pills before your workout!

CONCLUSIONAs you can see, there’s nothing magical about training on an empty stomach. There are, however, some undeniable benefits to fasted cardio if the goal is to blast belly fat and finally achieve visible abs.

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21-DAY BELLY FAT BURN CHALLENGE

WORKOUT PRINCIPLESMy training philosophy is simplistic in theory and most importantly it works extremely well. Causing the most amount of trauma to the muscle in the shortest amount of time is the goal. You don’t have to understand all the science about how building muscle works, but I want you to have a basic understanding of why you are doing what you’re doing and what the purpose is.

When it comes to building and shaping your muscles we are looking at 3 things:

MECHANICAL TENSIONThe purpose of using mechanical tension is to recruit your fast twitch muscle fibers. These fibers are responsible for helping you lift heavy weight. Think explosive movements. When you recruit those fibers they cause protein synthesis which in turn causes your muscles to grow. Now keep in mind, since our rest periods are going to be short, we will not be able to use extremely heavy weight, therefore the mechanical tension will be less, however, it will still be extremely effective.

MUSCLE DAMAGEThink of mechanical trauma as the process of causing as much damage to the muscle fibers as possible. This usually takes place towards the end of the set when you are getting those last few forced reps in. The reps that really hurt and burn. Those are the reps that recruit those deep muscle fibers and cause extreme cell swelling.

METABOLIC STRESS You know when you get that burning feeling in the muscle after a hard set? Well that is a metabolic stress adaptation, also known as lactic acid. The burning feeling that you get in the muscles is actually what causes your muscles to grow. The best way to increase this stress is to keep your rest periods short. The more you rest between sets the less lactic acid buildup in the muscle occurs.

Ok, so what do we do with all of that information and what training style is best to achieve all 3 of those things. The answer:


METABOLIC STRENGTH TRAINING

WHAT IS METABOLIC STRENGTH TRAINING?I’m glad you asked. Think of it this way; THE COMBINATION OF WEIGHT TRAINING AND CARDIO.

We accomplish this by utilizing the following techniques:

SUPERSETS – moving between 2 exercises with no rest

In his book, Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder, Schwarzenegger explains how many advanced bodybuilders in Germany would use supersets to save time (i.e., do the same amount of work in less time). “What you’ll be doing [with supersets] is building your body to its ultimate size and training it for maximum definition,” says the Oak.

DROPSETS - when you perform a set, drop the weight and go to failure

FORCED REPS – when you reach failure but continue either with a spotter or lowering the weight. The set actually begins once you hit failure. I like to call this “training in failure.” This is when the muscle is completely fatigued but you keep going. The way you keep going is by either having a training partner help you with the reps, or you drop the weight (drop-sets) in order to force the most amount of blood in the muscle and activate those deep muscle fibers that are responsible for making the muscle grow. Get comfortable training “in failure.” This is where you truly TRANSFORM your body.

SLOW NEGATIVES – muscle-lengthening contraction performed at the lowering phase of the movement.

MINIMAL REST PERIODS - taking minimal/no rest in between exercises and sets

SUPERSETS:

Remember, we are doing supersets, so there is no rest between each exercise. For example, when training chest and biceps, you will complete a set of bench presses and then immediately do preacher curls. This will continue on through the workout.


This will not only ACCELERATE FAT BURNING but will also force an incredible amount of blood into the muscles and increase growth!

HOW MUCH WEIGHT SHOULD I USE?When choosing a starting weight you will want to make sure you are being challenged each set. For example, if I am doing my first set of 15 reps and I get all 15 reps easily and barely struggle, then the weight was too light. You want to really be struggling on those last 2-3 reps of the set. This is when serious muscle growth takes place. So make sure you are challenging yourself each set with the weight.

Simple enough, right?

PRINCIPLES OF BELLY FAT BURNNow that you have a better understanding of the boring sciency details, let’s dive into the fun stuff. In this section, we’re going to go over the principles of Belly Fat Burn—how it works so that you can focus on torching belly fat and achieving those coveted six-pack abs, fast!

If you want to lose as much fat as possible in the next 21 days, then there are a few things that have to happen:

1. You must be in a caloric deficit. It doesn’t matter how regimented your training program, if you’re not burning more calories than you’re consuming, you’ll never reveal your abs. Please see the 21-Day Belly Fat Burn nutrition guide for a detailed explanation on how to achieve this without resorting to the ‘chicken breast and broccoli’ diet.

2. Focus on fat loss, not weight loss. Anyone can lose weight—just exercise more and eat less. But if you want to get lean and ripped like your favorite Superhero then it’s critical that you aim for fat loss, not weight loss. This can be achieved by (1) ensuring you’re distributing your macros optimally (this is laid out for you in the 21-Day Belly Fat Burn nutrition guide) and (2) focusing on maintaining your strength. As long as you can maintain your strength, your body will have no choice but to preserve your hard-earned muscle. The more dialed in your diet is, the easier it’ll be to maintain power and energy in the gym.

3. Skip breakfast and train fasted! Want to expedite fat loss? Perform your metabolic circuits in the morning on an empty stomach. Not only will this speed up the rate at which you burn belly-fat, but it’ll get the toughest part of your workout out of the way early!

THE KEY TO ACCELERATED FAT-LOSSThe key to torching belly-fat, aside from being in a calorie deficit, is threefold: first, we must ensure we’re in calorie deficit by consuming less calories than we’re burning. Next, we be in a fasted state in order to maximize fat oxidation. Finally, we must perform cardio (preferably H.I.I.T.) to burn off those fats.

Simple enough, right?


21-DAY BELLY FAT BURN SCHEDULE

OVERVIEWFor best results, all metabolic circuits must be performed in a fasted state.

Each week we’ll focus on strength training (to retain muscle mass) and metabolic circuits (to shed fat).

21-DAY BELLY FAT BURN CALENDAR

WEEK

1 Circuit 1Chest/Biceps

AM: Circuit 1 PM: Legs

Back/Triceps

Circuit 2 Shoulders Circuit 1

2 Circuit 2Chest/Biceps

AM: Circuit 3PM: Legs

Back/Triceps

Circuit 4 Shoulders Circuit 3

3 Circuit 4AM: Circuit 5PM: Chest/

Biceps

AM: Circuit 5PM: Legs

Back/Triceps

Circuit 6AM: Circuit 5

PM: ShouldersCircuit 6

PLEASE READ:

There is no physiological difference between performing your circuits on Monday and performing them on Tuesday. What matters is not what day of the week it is, but the total work done in a given period of time. On top of that, everyone’s schedule is different, and since adherence is key, it’s less about what you should do and more about what you can do. Besides, who I am to tell you when you should or shouldn’t do your fasted workout sessions—you do them when you can. Also, life happens, and Monday morning—the only time you’re able to make time for your session—might be your daughter’s ballet recital. Instead of “sacrificing to win” and missing out on something meaningful, do it tomorrow.


21-DAY BELLY FAT BURN CHALLENGE

DAY 1NUTRITION

Protein 1 x Bodyweight

Fats 0.3 x Bodyweight

Carbs 1.2 x Bodyweight

METABOLIC CIRCUIT #1 – 15 MINUTESHigh Knees x 20 Seconds

Jumping Jacks x 20 SecondsMountain Climbers x 20 Seconds

Jump Squats x 20 SecondsPlank x 20 Seconds

Alternate Mountain Climbers x20 Seconds

DAY 2NUTRITION




CHEST/BICEPSSUPERSET 1 SETS REPS

Bench Press 4 15, 12,10, 8

Preacher Curl 4 15, 12,10, 8

SUPERSET 2Incline Dumbell Flyes 4 15, 12,10, 8

Incline Dumbell Curls 4 15, 12,10, 8

SUPERSET 3Incline Bench Press 4 15, 12,10, 8

Barbell Curls 4 15, 12,10, 8


DAY 3NUTRITION







Alternate Mountain Climbers x 20 Seconds

LEGSSUPERSET 1 SETS REPS

Leg Press 4 15, 12,10, 8

Machine Calf Raises 4 15, 12,10, 8

SUPERSET 2Squats 4 15, 12,10, 8

Leg Extensions 4 15, 12,10, 8

SUPERSET 3Walking Lunges 4 15, 12,10, 8

Hamstring Curl Machine 4 15, 12,10, 8


DAY 4NUTRITION




BACK/TRICEPSSUPERSET 1 SETS REPS

Pull Ups or Lat Pulldown 4 15, 12,10, 8

Dips 4 15, 12,10, 8

SUPERSET 2Cable Row or Machine Row 4 15, 12,10, 8

Tricep Rope Extension 4 15, 12,10, 8

SUPERSET 3Bent over Barbell Rows 4 15, 12,10, 8

Barbell Skullcrushers 4 15, 12,10, 8

DAY 5NUTRITION




METABOLIC CIRCUIT #2 – 15 MINUTESBurpees x 20 Seconds

T-Push Ups x 20 SecondsJumping Lunges x 20 Seconds

Quick Feet x 20 SecondsHalf Burpees x 20 Seconds

Plank x 20 Seconds


DAY 6NUTRITION




SHOULDERSSUPERSET 1 SETS REPS

Shoulder Press (dumbell or barbell) 4 15, 12,10, 8

Dumbell Lateral Raise 4 15, 12,10, 8

SUPERSET 2Upright Row (barbell) 4 15, 12,10, 8

Front Raises (dumbell or barbell) 4 15, 12,10, 8

SUPERSET 3Bent Over Lateral Raise (or reverse pec dec) 4 15, 12,10, 8

Shrugs (dumbell or barbell 4 15, 12,10, 8

DAY 7NUTRITION







Alternate Mountain Climbers x 20 Seconds


DAY 8NUTRITION



Carbs 1 x Bodyweight

METABOLIC CIRCUIT #2 – 15 MINUTESBurpees x 20 Seconds

T-Push Ups x 20 SecondsJumping Lunges x 20 Seconds

Quick Feet x 20 SecondsHalf Burpees x 20 Seconds

Plank x 20 Seconds

DAY 9NUTRITION





Bench Press 4 15, 12,10, 8





Dumbell Curls 4 15, 12,10, 8


DAY 10NUTRITION




METABOLIC CIRCUIT #3 – 20 MINUTESIn and Out Squat x 20 Seconds

High Knees x 20 SecondsX-Body Mountain Climbers x 20 Seconds

Push Up Plank x 20 SecondsHalf Burpees x 20 Seconds

Spiderman Push Ups x 20 Seconds


Leg Press 4 15, 12,10, 8







DAY 11NUTRITION






Dips 4 15, 12,10, 8





DAY 12NUTRITION





Mountain Climbers x 20 SecondsHalf Burpees x 20 Seconds

Plank Walk Out x 20 SecondsAlternating Bird Dog x 20 Seconds

Jumping Jacks x 20 Seconds


DAY 13NUTRITION











DAY 14NUTRITION




METABOLIC CIRCUIT #3 – 20 MINUTESIn and Out Squat x 20 Seconds

High Knees x 20 SecondsX-Body Mountain Climbers x 20 Seconds

Push Up Plank x 20 SecondsHalf Burpees x 20 Seconds

Spiderman Push Ups x 20 Seconds


DAY 15NUTRITION





Mountain Climbers x 20 SecondsHalf Burpees x 20 Seconds

Plank Walk Out x 20 SecondsAlternating Bird Dog x 20 Seconds

Jumping Jacks x 20 Seconds

DAY 16NUTRITION




METABOLIC CIRCUIT #5 – 25 MINUTESStep Through x 20 Seconds

T-Push Ups x 20 SecondsJump Squats x 20 Seconds

Standing Crunch x 20 SecondsPop Squats x 20 SecondsHigh Knees x 20 Seconds


Bench Press 4 15, 12,10, 8





Dumbell Curls 4 15, 12,10, 8


DAY 17NUTRITION








Leg Press 4 15, 12,10, 8







DAY 18NUTRITION






Dips 4 15, 12,10, 8





DAY 19NUTRITION




METABOLIC CIRCUIT #6 – 25 MINUTESBurpees x 20

Kick-Ups x 20 SecondsSpiderman Push Ups x 20 Seconds

Kick Outs x 20 SecondsJumping Lunges x 20 Seconds

Quick Feet x 20 Seconds


DAY 20NUTRITION














DAY 21NUTRITION




METABOLIC CIRCUIT #6 – 25 MINUTESBurpees x 20

Kick-Ups x 20 SecondsSpiderman Push Ups x 20 Seconds

Kick Outs x 20 SecondsJumping Lunges x 20 Seconds

Quick Feet x 20 Seconds


CONGRATULATIONS!YOU’VE COMPLETED THE 21-DAY BELLY FAT BURN CHALLENGE

ALPHA MUSCLE | ALAIN GONZALEZDay+Bell… · Exercises Oxygen Consumption) is greater with HIIT than...

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