An interesting discussion on fat-loss and strength training cropping up based on yesterday's post (below); if you haven't clicked on the 'comments' and added your voice to the fray--do so. I think it's a great topic.

The science of fat loss--exhaustively researched by many big-time trainers, Alwyn Cosgrove chief among them--suggests that in fact, your #1 training tool for fat loss is, in fact, some form of metabolic strength training. Note that I said "training" tool; the #1 tool tool (and probably the #2-#8 tools as well) is diet, as some of my readers correctly pointed out. Your #2 training tool--assuming you're already spending, say, 3 hours a week on nonconsecutive days doing metabolic strength training, would be high-intensity interval training.

Again, this is what the science says. I'm not saying anything that Alwyn hasn't said a billion times with way more studies and links to back it up.

What I want to add is this: the details of those parameters are a highly, highly individual matter. At least to me. I've had male clients with a propensity for muscle gain (and a tendency to gain fat) who really want a long, lean, ectomorphic look (such men are out there, believe me--I live in LA!). When I started training him, I put him on a metabolic strength-training plan and guess what? In very short order, he gained muscle.  Bigger arms, bigger chest, broader back, more muscular legs. Some guys--maybe most guys reading this--would be overjoyed--but he wasn't. He was, actually, pissed.

And, giving him credit, he was right to be pissed. He wanted to look slimmer and svelter and I'd made him more linebackery because I'd gone with the science rather than tweaking to to meet the needs of an individual client.

So what did I do? Backed his weights WAY off. Did more long-interval cardio (work intervals of two minutes or more). Lots of body-weight training. Though he could crank out pushups fairly easily, I even elevated his hands when he did the movement so he could do 30 or more fast reps.

And what happened? He got his wish. He slimmed down. He's a comedic actor, and he became less burly and more camera-ready for a performer of his type. And he was won over.

He's still in better shape than he was; he's just not a shirt-sleeve bustin' bruiser, which is what he was becoming, even on a typical fat-loss program.

Now, this was a guy whose diet was already in good shape: he had his food delivered to his home (yes, that kind of actor), and he was very cautious about what he ate. Without that, I doubt anything I did for him would have worked.

The take-away lesson is that the principles handed down to us by science and research and smarty-pants trainers--even me, who Iet's consider half a smarty-pants trainer--nonetheless need to be tweaked and adjusted and dialed in to match the needs of the user. If they didn't, I'd just tell everyone who knew their way around a gym to buy the five top-selling fitness books and ignore everything else.

But your body, dare I say it, is yours, and you probably know it better than even the best trainer ever will. If you're working with a trainer who ignores what you have to say about what works for you, what causes you pain, what you hate doing, and how this or that exercise or protocol is working for you, no matter how guru-ish or well-credentialed or well-paid--run, don't walk to the nearest exit.