I have been in the fitness industry for 25 years and have followed many weight training and fat loss programs, but I have to say my biggest challenge sometimes is staying lean once I get there. I enjoy eating pizza and ice cream with my kids just like anyone else, but sometimes I go a little too far and over the course of a few months I can put on quite a bit of weight from the heavy weight training routines I do. don’t burn a lot of fat to keep me slim. I decided to take the next 12 weeks to switch to pure conditioning and fat loss training so I can see my abs again and feel healthy again. I am currently trying out a program called How to Get Ripped Abs by John Alvino. I know how to write my own diets and fat loss programs but sometimes after writing them I start to doubt myself through the program and constantly make changes. I wanted a show that featured it from start to finish so I didn’t have to think about it. I just wanted to follow the instructions and let the fat burn off.

How To Get Ridden Abs definitely has it all, which is why I was drawn to this particular program. The package includes everything you could possibly need, leaving nothing to chance. It has a 12-week workout schedule, a personalized meal plan based on your lean body weight, recipes, and a full workout index detailing every workout with pictures.

training program

The training program is called Meltdown and is divided into 4 phases of 3 weeks each. These are very intensive full body workouts labeled Workout A and Workout B that are done every other day 3 days a week and the 3 alternate days are used for high intensity interval training cardio workouts. This is one of the most effective fat burning workouts I have ever seen designed. The reason for this is that each exercise is designed to use the maximum number of muscles, stabilizer muscles, and core. An example is the single leg curl on a ball. I thought this looked easy in the book, but once I tried it and realized I was stabilizing my entire torso as I slid the ball back, I found I couldn’t complete 12 reps. The book is packed with these intensive full-body exercises that, in turn, burn fat faster than any standard weightlifting or isolation exercise.

There is also a fair amount of dumbbell work with exercises that work multiple muscles at once. I was exhausted after my first workout and now I know why the workout is called Meltdown. Every muscle in my body was exhausted and was ready to get some rest. The program also allows you to print your workouts in a graph format so you can fill in your weight and reps. I printed out my workout and put it on a clipboard with a printout of the exercise descriptions in case I needed to refer to how to do any specific ones I wasn’t familiar with.

Cardio workouts are focused on days you don’t train with weights. They are high intensity and there are several to choose from. The book contains cardio variations that can be done without equipment, which is good because then I can limit my trips to the gym to just 3 a week.

The Nutrition Program

Since everyone is different, this program is tailored to your individual body type and lean body weight. Nothing is left to guess here as there is an individual meal plan for each person designated by calories per day. The meal plan has food charts that make it easy to swap some foods for others. This is not a diet, as you will not starve yourself. This program requires you to eat a lot of food. Anywhere from 5 to 6 meals per day spaced throughout the day. There is an emphasis on clean whole foods and when you start eating this way you will find that you get full pretty quickly, you are never tired and you are never hungry. A separate book is included that offers recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts. A protein shake recipe book is also included. The entire nutritional program is very precise for the individual and gives many instructions on what to eat and how much. Also included are food logs that you can fill out, as well as a daily menu that makes it easy to follow.

If you’re looking for a complete fitness program package, I truly believe How to Get Ridden Abs is foolproof. Think of it like painting by numbers. If you just follow each day exactly as shown, fat will steadily melt from your body while achieving a very high level of fitness. I’m going to follow the 12-week plan to the letter. I’m going to follow the full 84 days to the letter. Come and see my daily progress!