Speedy Fat Loss For The Warped

Having spent a fair bit of yesterday ruminating on Warp Speed Fat Loss, I naturally had to try my hand at writing a version of the program for my own use. It looks something like this:

Days 1, 3, and 5: Alternate Resistance Workouts A & B. On Day 1 perform 4-6 sets of 4-6 reps. On Day 2 perform 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps. On Day 3 perform 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps.

After completing Resistance Workout A perform 30 seconds of very high intensity plyometric or ballistic kettlebell work, followed by 90 seconds of low intensity "bodyweight cardio" for your active recovery. Perform 6 total rounds.

After completing Resistance Workout B, perform 120 seconds of moderately high intensity plyometric or ballistic kettlebell work, followed by 120 seconds of low intensity "bodyweight cardio" for your active recovery. Perform 3 total rounds.

Days 2, 4, and 6: After your warm-up, perform 60 seconds of high intensity cardio (kettlebell and/or plyometric drills may be substituted) followed by 120 seconds of active recovery (again, bodyweight exercises may be substituted). Perform 3 rounds in Week 1, 4 rounds in Week 2, and so forth. After you complete the designated number of intervals perform 20-30 minutes of steady-state cardio maintaining your heart rate in the 65-75% range (RPE 3-5).

For Resistance Workout A, here's what I came up with:

superset: 1-leg squats/pull-ups
superset: incline dumbbell press/Bulgarian split squats
superset: 1-leg RDL/plank, arms on SB and feet elevated

For Resistance Workout B:

superset: barbell deadlift/barbell bench press
superset: 1-arm dumbbell row/step-up
superset: overhead squat/side plank rear delt raise

If non-linear periodization annoys you there are plenty of other ways you could structure the resistance training. You could do escalating density, or you could simply opt to do all your resistance training in the 3-4 set/ 8-10 rep range, with the idea being to use the same weights but add a little volume each week.

There's also no reason why you'd have to use the same exercises as me. Just be sure you include a push, a pull, a squat(hip flexion), a deadlift (hip extension), a lunge (locomotion), and a rotation/anti-rotation movement in each workout.

For the metabolic/energy systems training what you do really doesn't matter as long as it's at the appropriate intensity level. A 30 second work period calls for a very high level of intensity, while a 120-second work period calls for something a little mellower but still very challenging. Your active recovery again depends on your fitness level, with the idea being to keep moving but recover sufficiently that you're ready for the next work set. If your work sets involve a lot of explosive muscle contraction (think tuck jumps!) dynamic flexibility drills are an especially good choice for your active recovery.