Tactics to win the war on belly fat
If you wanted more info regarding yesterday's email about the new wild bodyweight workouts in the Tacfit Commando program, I've got it for you today. We've put together an interview below.
If you missed it, check out the video and watch into the 2nd minute for some super cool bodyweight drills inspired by Scott's Spec Ops training.
To give you some more info about this very unique program, we put together a little Q & A below...
Mike: I've been watching the videos that come with your program and trying out some of the exercises. They are very unique. Where did you come up with these funky bodyweight exercises?
Scott: Great question. All the exercises we use in the TACFIT program actually come from the body's natural movement patterns. They only look unusual because mainstream fitness has forgotten many of the ranges of motion we're capable of moving in.
When our bodies are tuned in to high levels of performance, they naturally thrive on the kinds of movements you describe as funky - movements that are full-range, sophisticated, and coordinated.
The real challenge - and one of the things I'm most proud of - is breaking these funky movements down so they're accessible to anyone, even people who are currently living sedentary lives. Each "movement family" in the TACFIT system builds through several levels of complexity, so the program is totally accessible to people new to fitness, while the higher levels challenge even elite athletes.
I've actually got 80 year old ladies doing variations of the same movements that are currently being trained by elite Navy SEAL operators!
This progressive motor sophistication is obviously of direct benefit to the special ops types. But the other great benefit to this type of training is that it's just so much fun to do. Your mind is fully engaged in the challenge. You look forward to the next session. You're always excited about it, and so you stick to the program. There's a lot to be said for consistency when it comes to meeting your body transformation goals.
Mike: You were telling me that your elite clients were initially interested more in the performance benefits of your training methods, but that they experienced rapid fat loss and muscle gain. Any idea why this stuff works so fast for body composition changes?
Scott: There are a lot of factors at play here. But in the end it comes down to developing the ability to generate high intensity bursts of exercise. And as I learned from training national level martial arts teams and professional athletes, most people - even elite athletes, believe it or not - don't know how to tap true high intensity training.
People think getting to that level is a question of will, or mind over matter. Nothing could be further from the truth. You have to orchestrate high intensity. And to do that you must coordinate several training elements.
I won't go too deeply into the science geek stuff. Basically, you have to take into consideration a range of complex issues like technique, self awareness, exercise selection, arrangement of exercises, and program periodization. We've woven all of those details into the TACFIT system. And because the program is also being delivered to special ops units around the globe, we've had to make "delivery" as simple and error-free as possible. We've had to weave in these complex elements so seamlessly that our clients don't even realize how much is under the hood. They just follow the plan and reap the rewards.
Most people would also be surprised to learn that one of the most important elements in tapping high intensity is recovery. I don't mean rest. I'm talking about systematic and aggressive recovery methods.
Mike: Actually, I've been reading some of the comments on your blog this week, and I was struck by how much people appreciate the active recovery aspect of your program. Can you talk a little about why it's so different than anything else out there right now?
Scott: Active recovery involves two key things: joint mobility and compensatory movement.
Joint mobility is important because it literally feeds your body. If you don't move your joints systematically through their full range of motion on a daily basis, they become compressed. In the short term this means you can push less weight through a shorter range of motion at that joint. And that means less fat burned and reduced potential for muscle growth. In the long term it means reduced range of motion, joint aches and pains, and eventual injury - all of the hallmarks we associate with aging.
Compensatory movement is important because it removes the parking brake from your performance. The thing most people miss, the flipside of the SAID (Specific Adaptation To Imposed Demand) principle, is that everything we do causes adaptations in the body, whether we want it to or not - it doesn't just happen with weight training.
I'll give you a simple example. If you sit at a desk all day, it becomes easier and easier to stay that way. The muscles and connective tissues adapt and the fascia becomes thick and leathery until your body actually becomes chair-shaped. You've seen that, right? No, it isn't normal or inevitable. You just have to release the tissues in the opposite direction to restore balance and maintain good health. If you don't, aches and pains are only the beginning of your problems.
TACFIT addresses this in two ways. We include specific joint mobility corresponding to each exercise circuit. And we also include specific fascial stretching designed to compensate for the work in the program, to release these tensed tissues and restore their natural resting length so overcompensations don't develop.
People talk about the recovery stuff so much because it simply makes them feel so damned good! They initially come to TACFIT for the workouts - the really hardcore stuff -but what blows them away is the fact that the aches and pains they've had for years are fading away, and they're almost moving like a kid again. It puts the run on aging, I can tell you that!
Mike: I've always been a bit skeptical about bodyweight-only exercise and it's ability to get the same results as weights. But this program definitely has me convinced. Can you talk about how this is different than typical bodyweight programs?
Scott: Most people think of bodyweight training as endless series of push ups, sit ups and lunges. Not only is that incredibly boring, it's not going to get you the body you want either.
To change your physique you must constantly up the ante by providing your body with more and newer stimuli. In the weight room we do this by adding more weight. But bodyweight training is a different beast.
We can't increase the weight, so we have to find other ways to provide new stimuli. And the most effective way I've found is through increasing motor sophistication while staying within the same exercise "family."
So instead of just doing push ups until we can do a hundred of them, we'll build from push ups to screwing presses to plyometric screwing presses to scorpion presses and so on. The names of the exercises aren't important. It's all in the program. What is important is the concept of adding motor sophistication. That constant incremental increase in challenge is what keeps muscles growing and fat burning.
Mike: Rumor has it that you trained in the former Soviet Union. Is that true? If so, what was that like?
It opened me up to possibilities I'd never dreamed of. They put us in a big sports complex, a sort of sport science think-tank, where they exposed us to experts from a wide range of fields. We had Special Forces trainers, intelligence officers, people in the cosmonaut program, doctors and medical scientists, as well as an array of coaches from all different sports, from the Russian National Boxing coach to the Russian National Hockey coach, the Russian National Fencing coach, the gymnastics coach, and even a world famous dance instructor, Alexander Medved. The Russians placed a very high value on the science of movement, and it was reflected across all these disciplines. Everything was monitored and tested. The Soviets saw sport as a political tool, and nothing was left to chance.
I came out of there with an entirely new perspective on training. It infuses everything I do with my clients, and every product I develop for the general public. All of this formerly "secret" stuff is in there, tempered by the years of testing and American know-how we applied to it on this side of the pond.
Mike: Right now you're giving a special discount on your TACFIT Commando product to celebrate summer and independence from the gym. How is this program different than what you do with your special operations clients?
It's not. The principles, the protocols and even the movement families are the same. You're getting exactly the same benefits. The only difference is your starting point. The special ops guys tend to be very highly trained when I meet them, and so they usually jump into more advanced portions of the TACFIT program. But you have access to those levels too. You just have to work up to them - and you can.
Like I said earlier, I've worked hard to make sure anyone can use this program. The interesting thing is that 10 people of completely different conditioning, strength and skill levels can all work out together and feel linked, part of a team. They're all doing the same program, but at their own personal level of development. Everyone is challenged.
Everyone gets the same performance benefits. And everyone gets the same accelerated fat burning and muscle building effects. Whether you're a Navy SEAL or a desk jockey, the program is the same.
Grab it today before the 51%-off deal ends:
http://www.tacfitcommando.com/blog/thetruth
Mike: Thanks Scott... this program looks great!
Enjoy!
Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Author - The Truth About Six Pack Abs
If you missed it, check out the video and watch into the 2nd minute for some super cool bodyweight drills inspired by Scott's Spec Ops training.
To give you some more info about this very unique program, we put together a little Q & A below...
Mike: I've been watching the videos that come with your program and trying out some of the exercises. They are very unique. Where did you come up with these funky bodyweight exercises?
Scott: Great question. All the exercises we use in the TACFIT program actually come from the body's natural movement patterns. They only look unusual because mainstream fitness has forgotten many of the ranges of motion we're capable of moving in.
When our bodies are tuned in to high levels of performance, they naturally thrive on the kinds of movements you describe as funky - movements that are full-range, sophisticated, and coordinated.
The real challenge - and one of the things I'm most proud of - is breaking these funky movements down so they're accessible to anyone, even people who are currently living sedentary lives. Each "movement family" in the TACFIT system builds through several levels of complexity, so the program is totally accessible to people new to fitness, while the higher levels challenge even elite athletes.
I've actually got 80 year old ladies doing variations of the same movements that are currently being trained by elite Navy SEAL operators!
This progressive motor sophistication is obviously of direct benefit to the special ops types. But the other great benefit to this type of training is that it's just so much fun to do. Your mind is fully engaged in the challenge. You look forward to the next session. You're always excited about it, and so you stick to the program. There's a lot to be said for consistency when it comes to meeting your body transformation goals.
Mike: You were telling me that your elite clients were initially interested more in the performance benefits of your training methods, but that they experienced rapid fat loss and muscle gain. Any idea why this stuff works so fast for body composition changes?
Scott: There are a lot of factors at play here. But in the end it comes down to developing the ability to generate high intensity bursts of exercise. And as I learned from training national level martial arts teams and professional athletes, most people - even elite athletes, believe it or not - don't know how to tap true high intensity training.
People think getting to that level is a question of will, or mind over matter. Nothing could be further from the truth. You have to orchestrate high intensity. And to do that you must coordinate several training elements.
I won't go too deeply into the science geek stuff. Basically, you have to take into consideration a range of complex issues like technique, self awareness, exercise selection, arrangement of exercises, and program periodization. We've woven all of those details into the TACFIT system. And because the program is also being delivered to special ops units around the globe, we've had to make "delivery" as simple and error-free as possible. We've had to weave in these complex elements so seamlessly that our clients don't even realize how much is under the hood. They just follow the plan and reap the rewards.
Most people would also be surprised to learn that one of the most important elements in tapping high intensity is recovery. I don't mean rest. I'm talking about systematic and aggressive recovery methods.
Mike: Actually, I've been reading some of the comments on your blog this week, and I was struck by how much people appreciate the active recovery aspect of your program. Can you talk a little about why it's so different than anything else out there right now?
Scott: Active recovery involves two key things: joint mobility and compensatory movement.
Joint mobility is important because it literally feeds your body. If you don't move your joints systematically through their full range of motion on a daily basis, they become compressed. In the short term this means you can push less weight through a shorter range of motion at that joint. And that means less fat burned and reduced potential for muscle growth. In the long term it means reduced range of motion, joint aches and pains, and eventual injury - all of the hallmarks we associate with aging.
Compensatory movement is important because it removes the parking brake from your performance. The thing most people miss, the flipside of the SAID (Specific Adaptation To Imposed Demand) principle, is that everything we do causes adaptations in the body, whether we want it to or not - it doesn't just happen with weight training.
I'll give you a simple example. If you sit at a desk all day, it becomes easier and easier to stay that way. The muscles and connective tissues adapt and the fascia becomes thick and leathery until your body actually becomes chair-shaped. You've seen that, right? No, it isn't normal or inevitable. You just have to release the tissues in the opposite direction to restore balance and maintain good health. If you don't, aches and pains are only the beginning of your problems.
TACFIT addresses this in two ways. We include specific joint mobility corresponding to each exercise circuit. And we also include specific fascial stretching designed to compensate for the work in the program, to release these tensed tissues and restore their natural resting length so overcompensations don't develop.
People talk about the recovery stuff so much because it simply makes them feel so damned good! They initially come to TACFIT for the workouts - the really hardcore stuff -but what blows them away is the fact that the aches and pains they've had for years are fading away, and they're almost moving like a kid again. It puts the run on aging, I can tell you that!
Mike: I've always been a bit skeptical about bodyweight-only exercise and it's ability to get the same results as weights. But this program definitely has me convinced. Can you talk about how this is different than typical bodyweight programs?
Scott: Most people think of bodyweight training as endless series of push ups, sit ups and lunges. Not only is that incredibly boring, it's not going to get you the body you want either.
To change your physique you must constantly up the ante by providing your body with more and newer stimuli. In the weight room we do this by adding more weight. But bodyweight training is a different beast.
We can't increase the weight, so we have to find other ways to provide new stimuli. And the most effective way I've found is through increasing motor sophistication while staying within the same exercise "family."
So instead of just doing push ups until we can do a hundred of them, we'll build from push ups to screwing presses to plyometric screwing presses to scorpion presses and so on. The names of the exercises aren't important. It's all in the program. What is important is the concept of adding motor sophistication. That constant incremental increase in challenge is what keeps muscles growing and fat burning.
Mike: Rumor has it that you trained in the former Soviet Union. Is that true? If so, what was that like?
It opened me up to possibilities I'd never dreamed of. They put us in a big sports complex, a sort of sport science think-tank, where they exposed us to experts from a wide range of fields. We had Special Forces trainers, intelligence officers, people in the cosmonaut program, doctors and medical scientists, as well as an array of coaches from all different sports, from the Russian National Boxing coach to the Russian National Hockey coach, the Russian National Fencing coach, the gymnastics coach, and even a world famous dance instructor, Alexander Medved. The Russians placed a very high value on the science of movement, and it was reflected across all these disciplines. Everything was monitored and tested. The Soviets saw sport as a political tool, and nothing was left to chance.
I came out of there with an entirely new perspective on training. It infuses everything I do with my clients, and every product I develop for the general public. All of this formerly "secret" stuff is in there, tempered by the years of testing and American know-how we applied to it on this side of the pond.
Mike: Right now you're giving a special discount on your TACFIT Commando product to celebrate summer and independence from the gym. How is this program different than what you do with your special operations clients?
It's not. The principles, the protocols and even the movement families are the same. You're getting exactly the same benefits. The only difference is your starting point. The special ops guys tend to be very highly trained when I meet them, and so they usually jump into more advanced portions of the TACFIT program. But you have access to those levels too. You just have to work up to them - and you can.
Like I said earlier, I've worked hard to make sure anyone can use this program. The interesting thing is that 10 people of completely different conditioning, strength and skill levels can all work out together and feel linked, part of a team. They're all doing the same program, but at their own personal level of development. Everyone is challenged.
Everyone gets the same performance benefits. And everyone gets the same accelerated fat burning and muscle building effects. Whether you're a Navy SEAL or a desk jockey, the program is the same.
Grab it today before the 51%-off deal ends:
http://www.tacfitcommando.com/blog/thetruth
Mike: Thanks Scott... this program looks great!
Enjoy!
Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Author - The Truth About Six Pack Abs
posted by Mike Geary at
1:08 PM
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