An Update on My Training!

"The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory."

- Psalm 118:14

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I'm currently training three days per week following Alwyn Cosgrove's Afterburn 2 training program.

Here's a recap: I performed the first phase (weeks 1-4) of Afterburn 2 during April and early May. Then, Stacey and I started the Warp Speed Fat Loss program for a month. Then I went back to Afterburn 2 beginning with phase 2 (weeks 5-8) in June. I'm on the last phase (weeks 9-12) of the 12-week plan. The current phase looks like this:

Workout A & B (Alternate each workout throughout the week)

Week 1:
Mon - Workout A
Wed - Workout B
Fri - Workout A

Week 2:
Mon - Workout B
Wed - Workout A
Fri - Workout B

Repeat for Weeks 3 and 4

A) Barbell Complex 5x6 (a different barbell complex is performed for Workout A and B)

B1 - B4) Weight Circuits (four exercises using different sets/reps each training day)

C) Ab exercise 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps

D) Finisher x1-2 sets of the Pushup Matrix or Leg Matrix

Recently, I've given myself the time and flexibility within my schedule to train with my Bulldog Kettlebell and Outlaw Rope or to perform some extra bodyweight exercises or go for a bike ride.

Also, I've decided not to perform the metabolic conditioning portion of the original Afterburn 2 workouts (intervals or Tabata's) during the last part of this phase for two reasons:

1. I have already used interval training and Tabata's at a high intensity 3-5 times a week for the past 12 weeks, and
2. I'm playing ultimate frisbee on Sunday evenings and need the rest between workouts so I can play well.

Luckily, the past 12 weeks of intense interval training and Tabata's has given me the conditioning needed to play ultimate frisbee with no issues. In the past, even though I was performing intervals 1-2 times per week, I was not prepared for ultimate frisbee and I found myself having problems getting through the game without feeling winded or suffering hamstring soreness and cramping.

Although it has been very difficult, I'm glad I spent the last 12 weeks increasing my conditioning through the use of intervals and Tabata's. And I am able to maintain that level of conditioning now through my weight training sessions (they are metabolically demanding) and from playing ultimate frisbee (and I will add various intervals to my training again in the future).

This has helped me to continue with my fat loss and conditioning goals while not having to train as often as I did during Warp Speed Fat Loss. I am still following the meal plans from Warp Speed Fat Loss and will continue to do so as I like the principles behind how the plan is set up. I have made adjustments as needed (varying the ratios of carbs) to fit with my current training.

I'm also working on designing my next phase of training which will give me a break from what I've been doing and help me continue to make good progress.

My 12-Week Training Plan

"Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell." - Matthew 10:28

I recently finished a 12-week training plan that I developed myself using the knowledge I've gained in the last few years. In the past, I have followed programs written by other strength coaches. Some of them worked well and others didn't. But during that process, I learned more about my body and how it responded to certain training programs.

One problem I've noticed about many training programs is that they don't focus on all areas of strength, health and fitness. For example, there are plenty of training programs that are strictly designed to increase strength or build size. But they rarely, if ever, address other areas of strength (endurance, explosive strength, speed strength, relative strength, etc.), conditioning (cardio) or even overall health.

Many programs will plan an elaborate training program focused on weights but neglect conditioning. Some will even suggest not performing any sort of conditioning exercises while following the training plan.

So I decided to take the knowledge I have from all the books I've read and from my own experience and develop a 12-week plan that focused on raw strength, metabolic conditioning, strength endurance, explosive strength and overall conditioning. I achieved an increase in all of those things in the last 12 weeks - a feat that is not easy to accomplish.

Here's how my training program was organized:

Monday: Full-body Max Strength Training + Explosive Strength + Metabolic Conditioning Finisher (these workouts took about 1 hour from start to finish with a training partner)

Tuesday: General Physical Preparation (GPP) - This typically included a bike ride, some rope climbing and some other bodyweight exercises for fun and recovery from Monday's workout. Although I never performed many sets of the exercises (2-4), some of them were tough. Rope climbing is a strength workout in itself. These workouts varied in intensity depending on how sore or tired we were from Monday's training.

Wednesday: Metabolic Conditioning (I used a variety of short, but intense workouts that were different each week. I used ideas from Ross Enamait, Mountain Athlete and others). These workouts typically took less than 30 minutes and most were 15-20 minutes.

Thursday: Full-body Max Strength Training + Explosive Strength + Metabolic Conditioning Finisher (these workouts took about 1 hour from start to finish with a training partner)

Friday: Bodyweight Training for strength endurance and conditioning (I used Craig Ballantyne's Bodyweight 100-500 for these workouts. CLICK HERE to learn more about Craig Ballantyne and Turbulence Training). They ranged in length from 6 minutes to 43 minutes depending on how many exercises and reps I had to complete during each workout.

Saturday: Interval Training (Metabolic Conditioning). This included various sprint workouts ranging from 800m intervals down to 20-30 yard sprints.

Sunday: REST

Overall, this plan worked very well. I increased my strength in all the core exercises, I became leaner and much more fit, and I became more explosive with my box jumps and explosive exercises like power cleans.

I'm currently testing my 1 repetition maximum (1RM) in all the core lifts that I trained during the 12-week program. The main lifts used throughout the program on my full-body training days included:

Front Squats
Bench Presses
Barbell Rows
Deadlifts
Overhead Presses
Weighted Chins
Power Cleans

I will be testing my max strength in all of the lifts above (except for the barbell rows - no sense in training for a 1RM in that particuar lift due to the potential for injury). I will report back on my totals by the end of the week.

More on Interval Training for Fat Loss

"The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe." - Proverbs 18:10

Here's a good article in the Los Angeles Times about interval training for fat loss. You can read the article HERE.

Remember that interval training can be performed using a variety of methods including sprinting, weight training, bodyweight circuits, complexes, Tabata's and hybrid circuits and through the use of many "cardio" machines such as the elliptical, bike, stairmaster, etc.

Interval training is one of the best methods for fat loss. Is it easy? No. Is it simple? Yes.

Simple, hard work will get you to your goals. Are you willing to push yourself through the discomfort to experience the rewards?

At Christian Athlete Fitness Training, we utilize training programs that include a variety of interval training methods (metabolic conditioning) to assist with fat loss and also increase fitness levels and provide overall cardiovascular benefits.

Working Girls!

*UPDATE* - I was training two 25-year-old women. Unfortunately, they have both dropped out for various reasons. I've edited the info in the blog below.


They were training with me twice a week using full-body exercises for strength, explosive strength and metabolic conditioning.

On the days they were not training with me, I asked them to perform some sort of activity that they enjoyed for about 20-30 minutes to help facilitate recovery from our full-body sessions and to also help burn some extra calories and get some additional cardiovascular benefits. This included jogging, biking, fast walking, basketball or any other sport or activity they enjoyed at a moderate pace.

The schedule looked like this:

Monday - Full-body Session with Nate focusing on strength, explosive strength and metabolic conditioning
Tuesday - Active rest (bike, jog, swim, etc. for 20-30 minutes)
Wednesday - Active rest (or if our schedules allow - Metabolic Conditioning)
Thursday - Full-body Session with Nate focusing on strength, explosive strength and metabolic conditioning
Friday - Active rest (bike, jog, swim, etc. for 20-30 minutes)
Saturday - Active rest (or if our schedules allow - Metabolic Conditioning)
Sunday - OFF

Although they had limited weightlifting experience (and Lola had never used free weights - only machines), they progressed very quickly. They only had 5-6 sessions with me. This means, that in only 4-5 sessions over three weeks, they improved their strength, balance, coordination, form and fluidness of movement.

I told them from the very beginning that the workouts would be simple, but hard. I let them know that we focused on athletic movements and full-body, compound, multi-joint exercises such as front squats, bench presses, barbell rows, Romanian deadlifts, dumbbell overhead presses and assisted chin-ups. In addition, we trained explosive strength and metabolic conditioning through the use of box jumps, squat jumps, burpees, medicine ball woodchoppers and a few other exercises. We also used bodyweight exercises for metabolic conditioning, strength endurance and strength.

I was amazed at how quickly they progressed in just 5-6 workouts. Everything seemed to click. As their bodies adapted to the exercises, they were able to add weight or increase their reps each workout. They also reinforced proper form with each rep and learned how to move quickly and efficiently from one exercise to the next while pushing themselves when their legs began to burn.

I expected Becky and Lola to make fantastic progress during the next several weeks. Unforunately, they both dropped out and will tackle their training and nutrition on their own and hopefully by continuing to follow this blog.

Strength & Conditioning Attributes and Benchmarks

"God arms me with strength,and he makes my way perfect."

- Psalm 18:32

At Christian Athlete Fitness Training's private garage gym, I work to develop four primary physical attributes in my training:

1) Raw Strength
2) Metabolic Conditioning (Sprint/Interval Cardio)
3) Muscle Endurance
4) Explosive Power

When I utilize a training program, I like to hit each of these throughout the week by combining two or more attributes in a single workout through the use of supersets, hybrids and complexes. This may sound scientific, but it really isn't.

Mostly it's common sense. The majority of the people I train workout 2-3 times per week, and at a minimum, I work to ensure that each person gets at least two strength workouts per week combined with at least one of the other attributes each training session. I believe strength is number one, and the best thing I can do for anyone is to make them stronger. After strength, the other three attributes are important, and they all need to be trained for overall conditioning, fat loss and health.

As far as strength measurements are concerned, here are the strength benchmarks I'd like myself and the more advanced athletes I train to attain (these don't necessarily apply to those who come to me strictly for fat loss or just to get in shape):

Male Basic Strength Standards:
2.0x bodyweight deadlift
1.25 - 1.5x bodyweight bench press and front squat
1x bodyweight standing overhead press and power clean
.75x bodyweight power snatch
12-15x bodyweight strict chin-ups
20x bodyweight strict dips

Female Basic Strength Standards:
1.25 - 1.5x bodyweight deadlift
1x bodyweight bench press and front squat
.60 - .75x bodyweight standing overhead press and power clean
.50 - .65x bodyweight power snatch
5x strict chin-ups
5x strict dips

You'll note that these benchmarks are not assigned absolute poundages. They are based on bodyweight. Mark Twight of Gym Jones points out that there is a difference between absolute strength and relative strength. He argues that relative strength - or how strong you are compared to your bodyweight - is a much more important measure.

From my own experience, I believe the above strength benchmarks are possible without adding a lot of mass (unless that is your goal - mainly through nutritional changes). This is a huge concern for women and those who may compete in sporting events that require weight classes. Personally, I am fairly close to reaching all those benchmarks and more, and weigh just 150 pounds - my natural weight at 5'4". I believe that extra weightroom strength will transfer to better all-around performances in other sporting activities and daily tasks.

I continue to monitor my own performance improvements in certain workouts in addition to increasing strength. My current weight is slightly less than last year, but I've become leaner, stronger and a lot more fit.

The best thing I can do for myself and the people I train is to make them stronger. Strength, especially strong legs, is the basis of everything functional and athletic in nature.

*Special thanks to Rob Shaul of Mountain Athlete for the information he has provided on his web site that has helped me refine my own training ideas and benchmarks.