Charles Poliquin on Fat Loss

Charles Poliquin is a world leader in Strength and Conditioning. He has trained many gold medal-winning athletes and he is a pioneer in physique enhancement. The stronger your immune system, the easier it is to gain muscle and lose fat. The more insulin you produce, the faster you age. The best predictor of lifespan is muscle mass and strength.

Supplements

Omega 3 Fatty Acids from pharmaceutical grade fish oils are the most valuable supplement you can take. The subject should take 15g/day for two weeks if deficient, then reduce the dosage to 5g/day indefinitely after that. Fish oils will help burn fat and prevent fat gain. They improve serotonin levels (mood), make it easier to move nutrients in and out of cell walls, reduce joint inflammation, decrease the amount of sugar your body will absorb, improves blood pressure and decrease insulin output when taken with a meal.

If you are carrying excess body fat you should not consume carbs post-workout. The best post-workout drink for a 200lb overweight man is Whey Isolate 60g + Glutamine 20-80g + Glycine 20g. This will replenish glycogen while preventing fat gain. Licorice Root Cream can be rubbed on the abdominal as it will aid in burning fat from the stomach.

Adaptogens such as Red Korean Ginseng can help you recuperate from stress and tough workouts. Rhodiola Rosea is a very powerful adaptogen; take it when you need energy. It is a Cortisol Modulator, meaning that if your cortisol is too low it will help you raise it and if too high, it will help you lower it. Take only 1 tab per day, as it is very potent. Stevia is a natural sweetener and a great adrenal recovery aid. Cold Fx is also a surprisingly good product. It is good for adrenaline glands, fat loss, decreasing insulin output, and regenerates the pancreas.

To help men raise testosterone Charles recommends the following. Zinc is low in all active men and plays an important role in test production.

As for estrogen, DIM is a strong anti-estrogen that specifically targets the bad estrogens caused by phytoestrogens in our environment. R-ALA is anabolic and promotes fat burning, only the R for is good, the S form of ALA is counterproductive. It is an anti-oxidant that also promotes glucose transport into muscle cells. As well it increases the metabolic rate and decreases insulin output.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine is a healthy stimulant; it also improves memory and is anti-aging for the brain. It too increases insulin sensitivity. Charles recommends that one uses a good multi-vitamin when attempting to lose fat as fat loss releases toxins that are stored in your fat and your body will need all the vitamins and minerals it can get to fight these toxins.

Estrogen “16” is a bad form of estrogen in our bodies that we want to eliminate, supplements that combat estrogen “16” are Broccoli extract, DIM and Green Tea. Taurine is an amino acid that increases insulin sensitivity, increases cell communication, and increase carb metabolism.

Magnesium Chelates are the key to preventing diabetes; everyone who is active is deficient in it, and it is this deficiency that creates diabetes. Magnesium also increases insulin sensitivity. One should Rotate the types of Mag, just make sure they all end in “ate”. Take it after 4:00 pm, as it will improve your sleep.

Training

High-intensity interval training burns more calories overall than long slow cardio. The bulk of these calories are burned post-exercise. Intervals should consist of 40 sec – 2 min on, and 1 minute off. These sessions should last a max of 42 minutes total including warm-up. The bad news is that the workouts must be very intense, as the subject must get to nausea in order to produce enough lactic acid. Luckily 2 sessions per week are all that is needed to lose fat at a noticeable rate. The catch is that velocity without resistance is useless, so going really fast is not the answer. Working really hard against resistance is the solution, stadium sprints, hill sprints, even pool running will do the job. Other forms of resistance include dumbbell, barbell and Kettlebell movements as well as sled and heavy rope work.

Continuous aerobic work (long jogs) raises cortisol, which in turn makes you fatter in the long run. So don’t bother doing it unless it is sport-specific training. For strength training, vary the program every 25 days; everything works, but only for a short time. Vary the exercises often so you overload the muscles at different points. You must surprise the muscles with something new in order to force it to adapt. Other possible changes include rest time, muscle grouping, tempo, etc.

The optimal training plan for fat loss is 3-4 German Body Comp strength sessions per week combined with 1-3 high-intensity interval sessions per week. Hill/stair sprints done at speed are the easiest options.

Diet

Approximately 75% of people are carb intolerant and should not be eating grains; the grains are getting people fat. The first step is to get the Omega 3’s in balance by taking hi-quality fish oils. You must eat protein with every meal even breakfast. A meat and nut breakfast will make you leaner even if you do not change the rest of your diet. It is best if you rotate the meat each breakfast. Eat 6-7 meals per day with protein plus smart fats in every meal.

A long-term low carbohydrate diet is the solution for fat people even after they have lost the fat. To begin the diet, eat only meat, fish, eggs, cheese and vegetables (50g of carbs per day or less). Follow this diet for 14 days then have a cheat day, eat whatever you want for the entire day. Return to the ultra low carb diet and have a cheat meal (one sitting) every 4th or 5th day.

One of the biggest secrets most bodybuilders and figure athletes use is to have a bowl of broccoli, cauliflower or green beans with every meal. Most people haven’t got the guts to force themselves to do this but those who do this will experience rapid weight loss. This is also a secret used by Nick Mitchell of London and Billy Beck. These two trainers are millionaires because they get their clients to fall in love with greens. Get your clients to do this for 2 weeks and see what difference it makes. The more greens in your clients’ diet, the leaner they will get due to the thermogenic effect of these foods. Whole proteins such as meat and fish are also very thermogenic and will result in rapid fat loss when eaten consistently.

1. Once you are starting to lean out you can add berries to the diet. They are strong antioxidants and low glycaemic.
2. As you get leaner still you can introduce the Orange family of fruits.
3. As you get leaner again you can add plums, nectarines, peaches and apples.
4. Then grapes and bananas.
5. Then the root vegetables such as yams, and sweet potatoes.
6. Then rice, the darker the better.
7. The last food to add is grains, and it should never be added for those that are carb intolerant. (If eating carbs made you fat)

A no or low gluten diet is a good thing, it interferes with reaction time. Stick with this diet 80% of the time and you will do fine and not stressed out by it. Eat more vegetables. Do not eat Peanut Butter, even the natural kind; it contains a mould that has phytoestrogens in it. Fructose syrup is the most fattening food we know of and it ages you; it is found in the majority of sweet processed foods. Avoid it at all costs. Have your cheat meal late in the day instead of early when you are likely to keep eating badly the rest of the day. The best cheat meals have some nutritional value Fatty foods have a reputation for causing bad health but it is Carbs that raise cholesterol and bad blood lipids.