This week I received an email from someone who was interested in Reveal The Steel, but understandably, had a few questions that needed answering. In coming weeks, I’ll be posting more information on the program outline, to make sure everyone is crystal clear about what they are getting themselves into.
Hi,
I am interested in your new program but would have a few questions before hitting the “buy” button.
1. How many days a week does this programm require? I am only able to train Monday to Friday. Would this work? And it’s max 1 hours a session? Do you also incorporate HIIT?2. Does it matter when you train during the day? I am either training first thing in the morning or during lunch.
3. You incorporate IF in your programm. I am on the renegade dietat the moment and very happy. Can I continue using this with your programm?
Also, I’ve read this program is especially for beginners. I’m working out for years now and currently using the VIMB program from Rusty. Would your program be of any benefit for me?Also, would I start with week 1 or jump right somewhere in the middle?
Thanks a lot,
Gordon
A: Great questions Gordon…
- The program works well for anyone training for 3 days+. Those who are time poor will even benefit from only 2 days training, although their results possibly won’t be quite as good). So your schedule of Mon-Fri would work perfectly. The one hour sessions are inclusive of 10-15 mins of steady state cardio with a few quick sprints at the end of each session (in HIIT style). These sprints start from 1 per session at the beginning of the course, up to 3 sprints by the end.
- I talk about why this is optimal in the book. Having said that, there are ‘specific’ cardio days where-by you can choose any method of cardio from steady-state, walking to HIIT. This is also thoroughly explained to make sure there are plenty of options (a lot of people don’t enjoy HIIT, or treadmills for example).
- It makes no difference at all when you train. Most people train at night, whilst myself and others prefer to train in the AM or sometimes lunch (personal preference here).
- The Renegade Diet would definitely work well with the outlined training. Intermittent Fasting (IF) is only ‘one’ of the methods i touch upon in Reveal The Steel and it definitely isn’t the only way. It’s all about choosing a dieting method that you can ‘stick to long term’ and in your case, the Renegade Diet sounds perfect.
Is Reveal The Steel for beginners?
There has been some confusion with the ‘targeting’ of RTS due to a review floating around the web stating that it was in fact squarely aimed at ‘beginners’.
This however, isn’t the case. I’ve lifted the opening paragraph from page 79 of RTS which details the ‘Training Overview’ section:
Whilst beginners would no doubt benefit from this system, it is largely targeted at intermediate to advanced level fitness enthusiasts and athletes. More importantly, both men and women will benefit from this program.
As for someone coming from Rusty’s Visual Impact Muscle Building program, I’d say due to the setup, you’d want to be starting from week 1 of the program. Rusty’s Phase 3 incorporates a lot of volume with short rest periods — Reveal The Steel ‘Stage 1’ concentrates on Reverse Pyramid Training (RPT) with heavier weight and longer rest periods (predominantly for strength gains).
In summary
Reveal The Steel is great for anyone looking to ‘change it up’ and try a program that relies heavily on periodization with enough variance in routine setups stage to stage to keep it fresh. It definitely isn’t targeted at beginners, but anyone looking to get started with a training program (no matter how advanced they are) will benefit.
More about Reveal The Steel here >
Update: 9th July, 2012
I believed I was referencing the ‘Bonus’ phase of Rusty’s program in answer to ‘No. 4’ where it switches to high volume for few weeks. I’ve since responded to this in more detail in the comments section below.
Clint,
I’ve been reading through your program and it looks very solid. I haven’t officially done one of your workouts yet but I do plan on giving them a go. Good job on the book … Great content and great design! :)
Cheers Kevin! Glad you’ve had a read and think it’s something you’ll get into.
Thanks for the design props too :)
I just bought the ebook to start going through it. I have Rusty’s program. Isn’t his phase I the high volume part of the program? Phase III is where he has one doing low reps with heavy weight and lots of cardio for weight loss. How would one transition from that into RTS?
@Brian
Thanks for your purchase :)
I just went back and revisited his program and you are in fact correct. I was referencing his ‘Bonus’ phase where he quickly switches to high volume for a few weeks. If indeed, you’ve not done the bonus phase, then yes, the transition won’t be quite as dramatic.
Having said that though, changing from the phase III structure of VI to RPT in Stage 1 of RTS should be challenging enough given the format and exercise setup. You may find that you plateau half way through this Stage and can progress to the second stage after say 4 weeks (due to the finite amount of strength you’ll be able to gain over this short period of time).
I have not experienced this transition ‘personally’ however so the best advice I can offer is to test it out and see what happens with your own progress. If you have given Stage 1 a ‘proper’ testing, and if you aren’t gaining strength from week to week, consider diving into the second stage a little earlier.
Wow! I also have the same question with the #2..and I already had an answer! Thanks!
Thanks, Clint.
Great for anyone at all stages of fitness! I believe the foundation of the program lies in the muscle confusion and the intense regimen! That is a great combination for speeding up results regardless of what current level you are at..
I bough the book out of interest and I’d have to say it’s definitely for beginners. I work with advanced trainers and athletes and this is much too simple for them. Some of the content is a bit off from what science & biomechanics shows us but it’s a good start for beginners looking to get started.
Thanks for your constructive feedback Jay.
I think the term ‘beginner’ is, in itself, subjective. Speaking from my own experience: If I look back at where I was 6 months to a year in, the training might seem overwhelming. Was I a beginner at this point in my training career? I’d argue I was. It isn’t aimed at advanced athletes (if we are talking bodybuilders and competitive olympians). My reasoning for this is pretty simple: I doubt someone of an elite level would want to buy a book such as this and be outlined programs/routines that contradict with their goals such as competitive bodybuilding or Olympic level events etc. They would also probably have a coach that would take care of their programs and diet for them.
Having said all of the above, the target is medium > advanced level. Definitely not elite/olympic :).