How To Create A Workout Program To Burn Fat And Maintain Muscle

Are Your Workouts Stopping You From Getting Results?

On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m showing you how to create a workout program to burn fat and maintain muscle.

One of the big questions I get asked by people outside the gym is this.

Brad, what kind of workouts do you do in the gym?

My response, “workouts that kick my own a$$”.

I’m serious.

This includes designing workouts that not only burn body fat, but also keeps the body fat off, while maintaining and building lean muscle mass.

In other words, I design my workout programs for maximum benefit.

This Is Called Body Recomposition

It’s not necessarily a fat loss program, and it’s not necessarily a muscle gaining program.

The goal of a body recomposition workout program, is to take any excess body fat, and transform that stored energy into maintaining and building lean muscle. 

Rather than focusing on purely losing weight on the weight scale, the goal of body recomposition is to recompose where that weight is coming from.

For example, losing weight from stored body fat, while maintaining lean muscle.

So in this edition of Freestyle Friday, I’m sharing more details of how I design body recomposition workout programs that get results.

This includes revealing my workout program design secrets that allow me to get sustainable results, 365 days a year.

Welcome To Maintenance Mode

I often refer to my current phase of training as maintenance mode.

Maintenance mode simply means I’m not training to add any more size, and I don’t necessarily need to lose any more body fat.

The goal of maintenance mode is to maintain a lean and ripped physique, where I have visible abs, 365 days a year, while looking healthy.

So The Next Question Is, How Do I Do That?

Even though a lot of it has to do with nutrition, another big piece is the style of workouts that I complete.

If you’ve ever seen me training in the gym, you probably saw me making the most of my time.

Ask anyone that goes to my gym.

I am constantly moving, constantly sweating, and constantly getting results.

In other words, I’m go, go, go.

Now I’m not saying this to brag.

I’m saying this because it’s frustrating to see so many people wasting their time at the gym.

Get your body moving.

How Are People Wasting Their Time At The Gym?

If you have been watching my Live Lean TV YouTube channel for a while, you know how passionate I am about my transformation 1,000,000 mission.

Our mission is to help people Live Lean, 365 days a year.

So it is sad for me to see people putting in the time at the gym, but not maximizing their potential.

In other words, they keep doing the same workouts over and over again, but it’s obvious their body does not change.

Sounds like Einstein’s definition of insanity to me.

Meet Jonathan

Jonathan is 29 years old and 30 lbs overweight.

Jonathan’s at the gym everyday, and if you ask him, he’ll tell you he’s training hard.

Well, in his mind, he may be training hard, but I’m positive he’s not maximizing his effort.

Why Is Jonathan Not Maximizing His Effort?

Lets be honest, his workout program is terrible.

He’s obviously following a workout, from a fitness magazine, that is not suited for his goals or fitness level.

Since Jonathan is 30 lbs overweight, he should be focusing on recomposing his body by burning off fat, while maintaining and building muscle.

Unfortunately, the workout from the fitness magazine is telling Jonathan to spend his time completing 4 sets of standing dumbbell bicep curls, with a 2 minute break between sets.

This style of training is obviously not suited to help Jonathan reach his goals.

This is the important topic that I want to talk about today.

What Should Jonathan Be Doing In The Gym?

Jonathan needs to be following a properly structured workout program that is designed for his goals and current fitness level.

Somebody please shout that from the roof tops!

Based on Jonathan’s goals, this workout program should be focused on completing multi-joint compound exercises with weights in the 8-10 rep range, while keeping rest periods shorter, to maximize calorie burn.

This money in the bank combination will help Jonathan burn fat quicker, as he’s triggering the afterburn effect, while maintaining and building lean muscle.

Here’s How I Design My Body Recomposition Workouts

Typically, I set up my body recomposition workouts in circuit training format, with three different circuits.

Each circuit is designed to have one exercise that is an:

• upper body pressing movement
• upper body pulling movement
• lower body hip or quad dominant movement
• core or abdominal exercise

I’ll complete the circuit with minimal rest between the exercises within the circuit.

At the end of the circuit, I’ll take a 60 second break to recover, then I’ll repeat the same circuit 2 or 3 more times.

After completing all the sets of the circuit, I’ll usually complete a metabolic type bodyweight exercise such as:

• push ups
• burpees
• jump lunges
• jump squats

The goal of this metabolic exercise is to really burn yourself out, before taking a break.

After the break, I move on to the next circuit of exercises.

I design the second circuit the same way.

One upper body pushing exercise, one upper body pulling exercise, one lower body exercise, and another core exercise.

Do Your Workout Programs Look Like This?

By designing my body recomposition workouts this way, I’m hitting every muscle in my body, every single workout.

This important because it keeps the workouts at a higher intensity, which keeps your metabolism elevated, and maximizes the afterburn effect.

This style of training also helps build and maintain strength since I’m lifting in a heavier rep range of 8-10 reps.

Therefore, even though you’re burning a lot of calories, you’re also maintaining strength, and you’re in and out of the gym in a short period of time.

Within approximately 45 minutes, I’m in and I’m out of the gym.

Key Takeaway

The key takeaway from this post is this.

When most people go to the gym without a good workout program, they essentially waste time walking from exercise machine to exercise machine, with no strategy or creative thinking behind it.

If this sounds like you, you are limiting your results, big time.

It’s time for you to get better results, in the fastest time possible, by investing in a properly structured workout program.

When I say, a properly structured workout program, I’m referring to a program that is designed for your:

• specific goals
• current fitness level
• access to equipment

To help you find the best workout program for you, I’ve developed a quick Live Lean Body workout program quiz for you.

Are You Getting The Most Out Of Your Workout Program?

Over the past 8 years, Jessica and I have designed numerous workout programs, and we are excited for you to use them, so you can accomplish your goals, as fast as possible.

The first program I designed was called Awaken The Abs Within, and my best selling program is my body recomposition program called, Live Lean Afterburn.

This program will recompose your body, by helping you burn fat, while maintaining and building muscle, so you can Live Lean, 365 days a year.

This is the exact style of training that I use to maintain my physique all year round.

So get excited to rock a brand new body and take your training to a whole new level.

Go take the Live Lean Body Quiz to find the best program for you and your goals.

I’m excited to see which of our workout program suits you best, so you can start Living Lean faster than ever.

Get ready for your new lean body.

That’s it, I am off to catch a flight for a weekend bachelor party, so wish me luck with my recovery.

Regardless with how I’m feeling, I’ll be back on Monday with another episode of Brad’s Cookbook.

Have a safe weekend, see you then.

Leave a comment below, and tell me what style of workouts you are doing.

Questions For You:

• What style of workouts are you doing now?
  • push and pull split muscle group days?
  • upper body and lower body workouts?
  • single muscle group: chest day, back day, arm day, and leg day?
  • full body fat loss circuits?
• Do design your own workouts or do you follow professional advice?

I want to know what you are doing, including what’s working and what’s not working.

Leave your answers in the comment section below.