BFL routine too weak?

[yosshimura]

I just bought the book over the wknd and the routine, although I am sure it works, seems a little weak.

It is basically like this
Mon-upper body weight training
Tues-20 min aerobics
Wed-lower body weight training
Thurs-20 min aerobics
Fri-upper body weight training
Sat-20 min aerobic.

Maybe they are concentrating more on the weight loss vs the muscle gain?

To compare, I got the following off one of last month's muscel mags, forgot which one. ANyway, they claim this "is the" schedule to follow to loose fat and gain muscle:

Upper
seated military press
dumbell bench press
close grip bench press
bent over barbell rows
seated cable row
pull ups (to failure)

Lower
Hack squat
Leg press
Romanian dead lift (does anyone really do this?)
Stuat
Lying leg curl
standing calf raise

I have been working out more or less following the muscle mag (more or less) for the last 6 wks , but based on the BFL I am over doing it. WTF? Oh, my cardio I was doing 20 min daily and abs 3 times a wk.

Now I need to set a routine, but seems like conflicting info

 

[bignate73]

BFL can be pretty intense. i just finished training someone on the program, (he liked the program so we stuck to it) and it is decent. he worked hard and we kept the intensity just as the program dictated. he gained some pretty good muscle and dropped tons of bodyfat.

the only part i didnt like was the "high point" or superset part. i wanted him to have a bit more volume per bodypart. cool thing about finishing with it was, when we went on the "nate for life" training, he was begging for the BFL again. hehehehe. so 3 months on that program, he took away some from it and then plateaued, now ill take him further.......


MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

[erickthegreat11]

20 minutes of cardio 3 times per week dropped a lot of fat? Cool. I've heard that 20 minute sessions aren't long enough.

 

[Complete Muscle]

...they claim this "is the" schedule to follow to loose fat and gain muscle: - - - ...

LOL! Just about any combination of resistance training and/or cardio and/or diet control will yield amazing results... for a raw beginner!!! The muscle mag routine definitely looks like a recipe for over training, and the BFL routine looks more balanced. Just my .02

 

[Complete Muscle]

20 minutes of cardio 3 times per week dropped a lot of fat? Cool. I've heard that 20 minute sessions aren't long enough.

Remember we're talkin raw beginners for the most part. And they are really watching their diet closely.

 

[bignate73]

20 minutes of cardio 3 times per week dropped a lot of fat? Cool. I've heard that 20 minute sessions aren't long enough.

actually he did more than 20 min. he played basketball 2x a week for 2 hours. and started doing his cardio towards the end of the program.

 

[The Terminator]

Personally I think the training advocated by BFL is too weak. How the hell can you blast your entire upper body in one session? I am fried after one body part.

 

[yosshimura]

Personally I think the training advocated by BFL is too weak. How the hell can you blast your entire upper body in one session? I am fried after one body part.

Well, I - a beginner of course - am able to do upper in one session, within about one hr including my 20 min cardio.... Now what I have read in BFL is that you can also over train, so that is contradictory also to what I hear all the intermediate & expert guys ( you guys ) say. So too much isn't bad either if it take smore than an hour to do upper or lower, it sounds like.

 

[BatZgirl]

RE:

BFL is the best thing ever

 

[Complete Muscle]

Well, I - a beginner of course - am able to do upper in one session, within about one hr including my 20 min cardio.... Now what I have read in BFL is that you can also over train, so that is contradictory also to what I hear all the intermediate & expert guys ( you guys ) say. So too much isn't bad either if it take smore than an hour to do upper or lower, it sounds like.

Who around here says you can't over train? You can definitely over train if your sessions are too long and/or you train too often, without proper recovery between training sessions. You're on the right track aiming for an hour or less per training session. In the beginning I could train my whole body in one hour, 2 or 3 x per week! But as you lift heavier and get stronger you take longer to recover, also you add extra sets here and there to adequately stimulate muscles for growth. The result in time is one muscle group per session trained once per week. That's advanced lever for sure and it takes time. (BTW I'm not there yet, I do a couple muscle groups per session with 4-5 days recovery between.)

 

[BatZgirl]

Just to mention

Have you even tried the BFL cardio session??? Its not as easy as it sounds, I mean I used to spend at least 1-2 hours in the gym doing cardio at a low intensity, and it did bugger all for me, but Bill Phillip's 20 minute cardio session may seem like a fun run but belive you me it aint. If you follow it correctly, follow the levels correctly I promise you once youre in your 10th minute the sweat will be pouring down your face and when you step off you;ll feel the differernce that youve actualy done something.

Remember if youve just 'read the book' and not acctully done the workouts you may never say they are 'weak'

Good luck with your BFL

 

[BatZgirl]

RE:

20 minutes of cardio 3 times per week dropped a lot of fat? Cool. I've heard that 20 minute sessions aren't long enough.

Ok, you try the 20 min session and compare it to your normal session, you'll definately feel the difference!!!

As Bill Phillips said in his book : "Despite what so many millions of peoplw have been told, low intensity long duration aerobic exercise is not the best method for ridding the body of excess fat"

He also mentions that people think that if they train for longer at low inteseties, they will burn more fat, whats the point in the end to spend all day at the gym? Instead he has developed a 20 min

they train, the better they will become, ive looked in my book for the exact jphrase but cant seem to find it. He says that what's the point of it all, stayting BITCH of a workout (belive me ive done it) in just 20min at high intensity

Im looking for his exact words in my book but cant seem to find them right now, when I do ill post them in here

 

[BatZgirl]

RE:

Personally I think the training advocated by BFL is too weak. How the hell can you blast your entire upper body in one session? I am fried after one body part.

HOW You ask... Here are some pics of Bill Phillips, who obviously followed his own program, you decide if he's physic is not just delicious

 

[BatZgirl]

Forgot to mention

Personally I think the training advocated by BFL is too weak. How the hell can you blast your entire upper body in one session? I am fried after one body part.

BTW
Get yourself a copy of the BFL book, Bill Phillips expalins everything about How and Why of most questions you ask, (Like the one you just did)

 

[BatZgirl]

Re: RE: I found the quote...

Ok, you try the 20 min session and compare it to your normal session, you'll definately feel the difference!!!

As Bill Phillips said in his book : "Despite what so many millions of peoplw have been told, low intensity long duration aerobic exercise is not the best method for ridding the body of excess fat"

He also mentions that people think that if they train for longer at low inteseties, they will burn more fat, whats the point in the end to spend all day at the gym? Instead he has developed a 20 min

they train, the better they will become, ive looked in my book for the exact jphrase but cant seem to find it. He says that what's the point of it all, stayting BITCH of a workout (belive me ive done it) in just 20min at high intensity

Im looking for his exact words in my book but cant seem to find them right now, when I do ill post them in here

Ok here's the quote from the book:
"... many fitness experts recommend that as soon as you can exercise for 30min "comfotrably" you should increase to 40min, then 60, then 90, "more is better" they proclaim. My question to them is WHY, what's the objective, to eventualy work out all day? Gee that sound swell but I was kind of hoping to get in shape and still have a life ."

Think about it, he's actuly right

 

[yosshimura]

Re: Just to mention

Have you even tried the BFL cardio session??? correctly I promise you once youre in your 10th minute the sweat will be pouring down your face and when you step off you;ll feel the differernce that youve actualy done something.

Remember if youve just 'read the book' and not acctully done the workouts you may never say they are 'weak'

Good luck with your BFL

Batz, I haven't tried the book's routine, but have been doing cardio & the different intensity levels for about 6-8 wks, so I know what he is talking about on just the aerobics. I concur that you sweat like a nut (more than doing my lifting). I do cardio on the bike at level 7 (out of 10, I think) usually, but sometimes can only hack 5-7 .... for 20 minutes. So, I know that it is not a stroll aerobics or just cruising on the bike like I see people do all the time in my gym .

I am just brainstorming right now, while I read the book (just got it a wk ago )

 

[BatZgirl]

Re: Re: Just to mention

Batz, I haven't tried the book's routine, but have been doing cardio & the different intensity levels for about 6-8 wks, so I know what he is talking about on just the aerobics. I concur that you sweat like a nut (more than doing my lifting). I do cardio on the bike at level 7 (out of 10, I think) usually, but sometimes can only hack 5-7 .... for 20 minutes. So, I know that it is not a stroll aerobics or just cruising on the bike like I see people do all the time in my gym .

I am just brainstorming right now, while I read the book (just got it a wk ago )

wait till you get to the weight lifting sessions its almost just as bad - good luck

 

[yosshimura]

Re: Re: Re: Just to mention

wait till you get to the weight lifting sessions its almost just as bad - good luck

You were right.... The workout is more intence than it seemed in writting I printed the "daily progress report" off excel and set up for lower body workout today. I feel in each muscle group I worked out more than I had in the last 5-7 wks (when I started lifting). Followed it down to the "2 sec down, 1 sec up, hold top/bottom 1 sec, etc...... Even when I did the abs I thought it was pretty good.

I had to take the spreadsheet, b/c I wouldn't have remembered what and how much to do otherwise, but what pain carrying paper and pen around the gym! Maybe in my pda

 

[BatZgirl]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Just to mention

You were right.... The workout is more intence than it seemed in writting I printed the "daily progress report" off excel and set up for lower body workout today. I feel in each muscle group I worked out more than I had in the last 5-7 wks (when I started lifting). Followed it down to the "2 sec down, 1 sec up, hold top/bottom 1 sec, etc...... Even when I did the abs I thought it was pretty good.

I had to take the spreadsheet, b/c I wouldn't have remembered what and how much to do otherwise, but what pain carrying paper and pen around the gym! Maybe in my pda

Glad to see youre into the program its realy great, keep it up

And good luck to you in the challenge, remember to register coz u wanna win the million dollars

 

[yosshimura]

Thanks Batz. I don't think I am "officially" starting it yet. I had to start today on the "3rd day" of the challenge so it would fall more or less in the schedule I had worked out yesterday and Sun ( I worked upper yeterday so didn't want to do it again. And even though I got all those yummie recipes from you , I still have to play around with the diet b/c I can't eat veggies . So will have to somehow sub them with fiber or vitamins or who knows. So, even though I got all these great ideas for the food, I am stuck b/c of the veggie issue (trust me, I hate them, I would puke them if I tried eating them

But in the meantime, like I said, i am going to be doing the workout . Hopefully I can round out the diet some other way and get it into my schedule (already eating 5-6 meals/day, so... I am on track )

 

[bedrock]

HOW You ask

if u ever read muscle media when it first came out you'd know exactly how he got that way (AS)

anyhow i will say BFL is a great book to read if anything for the inspiration it gives u alone.

 

[The Terminator]

Re: RE:

HOW You ask... Here are some pics of Bill Phillips, who obviously followed his own program, you decide if he's physic is not just delicious

Sorry to tell you but he did not look like this from the BFL program, he was on AS for a long time, in fact he and his brother used to move it out of the back of his car. As for the BFL training I was actually referring to the weight training, not cardio as I don't do any.

 

[yosshimura]

the only part i didnt like was the "high point" or superset part. i wanted him to have a bit more volume per bodypart.
MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! [/B]

Can you explain? I have been doing it by the book since mon-tues, but if I can fine tune this or that to my specific goals, I want to do that and not totally waste this time period. The basic goals with BFL are in line with mines (loose some body fat, gain muscle, get abs, implement a good diet).

So what would you have had your guy do instead of the superset at the end of each of the excercises?

thanks

 

[yosshimura]

Being sick today, I don't know if I will be recuperated by the afternoon to workout. What are you supposed to do if you skip a day of the BFL routine? Just skip it and do whatever is assigned for the next day or bump everything forward a day?

ANother BFL question...

On the aerobics days, that seems pretty weak, just 20 min aerobics, can I /should I work somthing else? I can't work upper body , for example b/c I worked it the day b4 (per BFL schedule) and I can't work lower body b/c it is scheduled for the day after, so no rest period . But, I feel awful just doing the cardio. I know the intensity, but still........

 

[BatZgirl]

RE:

Being sick today, I don't know if I will be recuperated by the afternoon to workout. What are you supposed to do if you skip a day of the BFL routine? Just skip it and do whatever is assigned for the next day or bump everything forward a day?

ANother BFL question...

On the aerobics days, that seems pretty weak, just 20 min aerobics, can I /should I work somthing else? I can't work upper body , for example b/c I worked it the day b4 (per BFL schedule) and I can't work lower body b/c it is scheduled for the day after, so no rest period . But, I feel awful just doing the cardio. I know the intensity, but still........

Hey Yoshi

Answers to your questions: well i read in the book that you shouldnt alow setbacks to keep you behind and you should just carry on, at least thats what i think you should do

2. You should follow the cardio on cardio days and weights on weight days, the book tells you something about why this is so important. Try increasing your intensity levels remember your level 5 etc is not the level 5 of the bike/ treadmill its YOUR level 5

 

[yosshimura]

Re: RE:

Hey Yoshi

Answers to your questions: well i read in the book that you shouldnt alow setbacks to keep you behind and you should just carry on, at least thats what i think you should do

2. You should follow the cardio on cardio days and weights on weight days, the book tells you something about why this is so important. Try increasing your intensity levels remember your level 5 etc is not the level 5 of the bike/ treadmill its YOUR level 5

Thanks BatZgirl.... I keep running out of time at night to read the book....guess I should spend less time on here and more time finishing my book . Thats my goal this wknd; finish the book

 

[BatZgirl]

Re: Re: RE:

Thanks BatZgirl.... I keep running out of time at night to read the book....guess I should spend less time on here and more time finishing my book . Thats my goal this wknd; finish the book

 

[yosshimura]

BFL can be pretty intense. i just finished training someone on the program, (he liked the program so we stuck to it) and it is decent. he worked hard and we kept the intensity just as the program dictated. he gained some pretty good muscle and dropped tons of bodyfat.

the only part i didnt like was the "high point" or superset part. i wanted him to have a bit more volume per bodypart. cool thing about finishing with it was, when we went on the "nate for life" training, he was begging for the BFL again. hehehehe. so 3 months on that program, he took away some from it and then plateaued, now ill take him further.......


MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

..

Did you keep him on the schedule of only weights 3x wk? That seems so little (but what do I know ?) I feel like altering it (the BFL routine - I am on day 8, btw) and doing it 6 days, and keep everything else the same; doing cardio the days BFL dictates. I just feel very guilty wasting what could be a good day's workout by just doing the 20 aerobics (yes, I have been doing them and know how intense they are, but..... ).

You mentioned you wanted him to have more volume... as in altering BFL a little bit? The way I am doing it now is on an empty stomache (as directed by BFL) in the morning, so I know I am not going to be gaining much muscle, but if I can alter it to get just a little more volume, I would be happy....


Batz...how did you do it / or are doing it?

 

[The Terminator]

Whoever gave me negative karma on his thread should have atleast signed it.

 

[BatZgirl]

RE:

Whoever gave me negative karma on his thread should have atleast signed it.

Well it wasnt me thats for sure
But just to make you feel better I gave you a postive Karma Point

 

[yosshimura]

..

Did you keep him on the schedule of only weights 3x wk? That seems so little (but what do I know ?) I feel like altering it (the BFL routine - I am on day 8, btw) and doing it 6 days, and keep everything else the same; doing cardio the days BFL dictates. I just feel very guilty wasting what could be a good day's workout by just doing the 20 aerobics (yes, I have been doing them and know how intense they are, but..... ).

You mentioned you wanted him to have more volume... as in altering BFL a little bit? The way I am doing it now is on an empty stomache (as directed by BFL) in the morning, so I know I am not going to be gaining much muscle, but if I can alter it to get just a little more volume, I would be happy....


Batz...how did you do it / or are doing it?

Anybody?

 

[BarryMcCalkiner]

Re: Re: Re: RE: I found the quote...

but why the hell would you only run intensly for 20 minutes? shit, during cross country season we would run intensly for 45 minutes pretty regularly! and it did WONDERS for burning off fat.
Why workout intensly for only 20 if you can go intense for longer? just pace your intensity with the length of the workout and you'll be fine!

If you've got the energy in you to run 45 minutes at "high intensity" then you must not have been doing the first 20 minutes at a high enough intensity. By the time I finish a short duration HIIT workout I am completely spent. You must be sacrificing some intensity in order to go longer. For some reasearch on the subject check out this link: http://www.exrx.net/FatLoss/HIITvsET.html

B-Mac

 

[yosshimura]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: RE: I found the quote...

yes, but I still think that minor sacrifice is worth it, in the long run when it comes to burning fat. I mean we're still talking max effort over that time (so when u finish u are spent), but the speed will have to be lowered to accomodate the longer time span.

some people need more cardio than the 20 minutes, 3 days a week shit. and you wont see these people on the cover of the Body For Life book either.

Ok, then why don't you tell us how you would modiffcy his workout? Read my last post or one before last, I thought the same thing, not enough of a workout in general (cardio and lifting), and that is coming from a relatively new newbie to the sport. How would you beef it up, staying within more/or less his schedule and guidelines?

 

[yosshimura]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: RE: I found the quote...

Ok, then why don't you tell us how you would modiffcy his workout? Read my last post or one before last, I thought the same thing, not enough of a workout in general (cardio and lifting), and that is coming from a relatively new newbie to the sport. How would you beef it up, staying within more/or less his schedule and guidelines?

ttt