The Indisputable Secret to Body Transformation

I'm Going to Tell You a Secret

It's a secret that took me over 10 years to fully grasp, a secret most people in the fields of fitness and health don't want you to know. Here it is:

The best way to make a jaw-dropping body transformation is through a powerful explosion of intense, focused effort that forces your body to change.

Wait, forget that I wrote "the best way."

The real truth is, in my 10-plus years as a fitness and bodybuilding journalist, I've never seen a single person make a dramatic visual change in his or her body using the slow, steady, and "sensible" approach.

Those "sensible" people are the ones you see in the gym every day who looked the same last year... and the year before that. You may also recognize that person as the man or woman staring back at you from the mirror.

Make no mistake, the human animal is a predator. He does not reach his goal (his "prey") with half-ass efforts and "kinda sorta" wanting it. No, the achievement of a goal is not a marathon, but an aggressive sprint — short, but powerfully intense.

Bad habits must be broken.

Sticking points in muscle and strength gains must be smashed.

Plateaus in fat loss must be hammered to pieces.

There's no question about it: Rapidly losing body fat, building muscle, and breaking negative behavioral habits are acts of violence.

The Velocity Diet is a science based, rapid body-transformation program that's so powerful and so effective that the results border on being unbelievable.

But this system is not for everyone. The V-Diet requires a level of commitment that many people simply aren't ready for. This burning commitment is sparked by frustration and even anger. The truth is, if you're not a little angry about your current level of progress, then you shouldn't even attempt the V-Diet.

On the other hand, if you're sick of spinning your wheels, if you're mad about the body you see in the mirror, and if you're more than willing to commit to 28 days of intense but highly effective body fat and bad habit removal, then the V-Diet has unlocked the door.

On the other side of that door is a lean, muscular, athletic body. Whether you open it or not is up to you.

My Personal Velocity Experience

In January of 2005, I looked in the mirror and didn't like what I saw. Sure, I was in good shape. After all, I was a journalist in the fitness industry, so I'd better have some muscle on me and look fairly lean, right?

I'd made progress over the years, going from 35% body fat in college to somewhere in the teens. Problem was, I'd never really achieved that lean, abs-on-full-display look. I thought, "Man, I work hard in the gym, and my diet's pretty good too. So why do I still feel uncomfortable taking my shirt off at the pool?"

I knew that my nutritional habits were pretty good, but they weren't perfect. I still struggled to choose the right foods and not overeat. Despite all I'd accomplished, all the weight I'd lost, I still had some residual "fat-guy cravings" for foods that kept me from getting as lean as I wanted.

I trained hard in the gym too, but that last layer of fat hid the hard-earned muscle. I decided right then to make one last effort to uncover my abs.

Since I was already working out several times a week, I knew I had to do something extreme with my diet to shed that stubborn layer of fat. Being a writer and editor in the fitness and athletic biz, I had access to a lot of nutrition experts, research scientists, athletes, and bodybuilders: men and women who knew a lot about getting lean very fast without losing muscle.

I picked their brains and eventually came up with a strict (and honestly quite extreme) diet plan, based loosely on Protein-Sparing Modified Fasts, which are dietary regimens very overweight patients at hospitals are put on before they get certain surgical procedures. 

I instinctively knew that a full-body training program, performed three times per week, would best fit such an extreme diet's needs. So, in order to develop the ultimate training program for the V-Diet, I consulted with strength and conditioning coach Chad Waterbury (who also happens to be a neurophysiologist, ex-bouncer, and current performance enhancement expert).

I wrote an article about the diet plan and published it online with a "don't try this at home" warning. It was an experiment after all; I had no idea how — and if — it would even work.

The Shocking Results

In four weeks I lost sixteen pounds of fat and four inches off my waist. My body-fat percentage hit the single digit mark for the first time in my life. I could see all of my abs. Finally!

I also noticed a peculiar side effect, too. During the diet I'd somehow lost all my cravings for fattening foods, like sweets and fried stuff. I'd even developed new tastes for healthier foods I'd never liked before, like green vegetables.

"Well," I thought, "that's weird. But I like it! And it'll sure make maintaining the fat loss easier."

I published another article about my results and the effect was immediate: A whole lot of people wanted to try the diet. And for the next several years, that's exactly what happened.

Everyone Wanted In

The feedback was universal: People who'd been struggling to lose fat for years were able to achieve great results in only 28 days. And the best part was, the positive changes in eating habits and taste preferences didn't seem to be a fluke: Most people who closely followed the diet reported the same experiences.

Soon other fitness experts and coaches contacted me wanting to do the diet. Christian Thibaudeau, Dan John, Joel Marion and others, all published experts, used my diet to break their lingering bad habits and shed body fat in record time.

Coach Dan John lost 23 pounds and 5 inches off his belly measurements in only 4 weeks. A short time after the V-Diet, Dan set a Master's State Record in the snatch lift, 105-kilo division.

Fitness expert Joel Marion, despite having his own diet philosophies, used the V-Diet to shed some winter fat. He went from 242 pounds to 226 in only 28 days. "This may be one of the easiest, rapid fat loss programs you ever do. I highly recommend it," he noted.

Bodybuilding coach Christian Thibaudeau used the V-Diet twice, once to get ready for a bodybuilding competition and once to modify his dietary habits. "The Velocity Diet really helped me to get back on track," he confessed.

I soon asked Chad Waterbury to write a custom training plan, specially designed just for those on this diet. To test out the latest version of the plan, I put Testosterone Muscle reader Gus Pancho (yes, that's his real name) on the latest version of the V-Diet:

Gus, 37 years old, lost 40 pounds and nine inches from his belly during and after his Velocity Diet experience. The V-Diet itself helped him kick-start his transformation. He lost 21 pounds and five inches from his waist in 28 days. Gus says the taste and dietary habit changes he achieved with the V-Diet helped him during the last three months of his incredible transformation.

Today, thanks to the feedback of hundreds of people, four years of continued research, and improvements in the nutritional supplement field, I've been able to expand and improve the original plan, which I'd dubbed the Velocity Diet because it worked so fast.

"V-Dieters," as they call themselves, have since formed a massive online community. There they log their progress, post their photos, and provide support to other people on the diet.

Whether your goal is to lose that last 15 pounds of fat and finally see your abs, kick-start a healthier lifestyle, or squash your bad nutritional habits forever, the Velocity Diet may be just what you're looking for.

"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion," said writer Arnold Glasgow. "You have to set yourself on fire."

The question is, are you ready to ignite?

Program Overview

Rapid body transformation requires two things for success:

1. A state-of-the-art diet and training program, based on hardcore science, and...

2. Your commitment to stick with the program.

We're providing the program. You're providing the commitment.

I built The Velocity Diet system with the help of two world-class experts, exercise physiologist Dr. Tim Ziegenfuss and expert strength and conditioning coach Chad Waterbury.

The program is rock solid and complete, and requires nothing other than you doing it as outlined.

The program is comprised of two phases: a 4-week base program and a 2-week transition period, for a total of 6 weeks.

The eating plan is a protein-sparing liquid diet that provides one solid meal per week.

The training program consists of 3 weightlifting workouts per week and 1 bodyweight exercise session, called The V-Burn Challenge, which is performed on Saturday or Sunday.

You'll also do NEPA walks and NEPA activities each day. NEPA stands for Non-Exercise Physical Activity, and is included to further boost metabolic rate thus burning additional fat, and to speed recovery from training.

All of these concepts will be laid out in detail in other parts of the program.

The Experts Talk ScienceIsn't This Just a Crazy Starvation Diet?by Tim Ziegenfuss, Ph.D.

Those who haven't read much about the Velocity Diet often assume it's just a "crazy starvation diet." It's a commonly held misconception. The truth is, the V-Diet:

Provides five feedings per day. You're eating a few hundred calories every three hours or so. That's hardly "starving."

Provides more calories than most popular and widely accepted clinical diet plans, not to mention the canned-drink plans advertised on TV.

Provides more than a gram of protein per pound of lean-body weight.

Provides more healthy fats, especially omega-3s, than the average non-dieter consumes.

Provides substantially more fiber per day than the average non-dieter consumes.

Will a V-Dieter be hungry at first? Yes, probably. It's a fat-loss diet, after all. Some willpower is involved. But there's no "starving" or malnourishment.

By scientific definition, a "very-low-calorie diet" (VLCD) allows a caloric intake of no more than 800 calories per day.

On the Velocity Diet, a guy who weighs 190 pounds is going to eat 1,485 calories on non-workout days, and 1,815 calories on workout days. And a woman weighing 150 pounds is going to eat 1,380 on non-workout days, and 1,710 calories on workout days.

The Velocity Diet is not a "protein-sparing modified fast," either. A dieter on a PSMF eats few, if any, carbohydrates, and has to deal with the ups and downs of mind-blurring ketosis.

In contrast, the carbohydrate content of the Velocity Diet ranges between 15 and 25 percent of total calories. A V-Dieter never gets close to ketosis.

The most striking aspect of the Velocity Diet, and the reason why I'm 100 percent behind the program, is its ability to strip off body fat rapidly while preserving — even building — lean mass. (That's "muscle," to most of us.)

From a scientific perspective, the Velocity Diet 3.0 is the state-of-the-art body-transformation program. It's the best I've seen.

The training program is also absolutely stellar, and represents some of Chad Waterbury's best work.

A notable difference between the Velocity Diet and other weight-loss programs is the top-level supplement stack. By following the entire plan precisely, including all the supplements, the Velocity Diet ensures:

1. Optimal intake of vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients linked to optimal health (references 1-14).

2. Maintenance of muscle glycogen stores, even on workout days (reference 15).

3. Suppression of systemic inflammation (and all the health benefits that go along with it) (references 16-23).

4. Maximal stimulation of muscle-protein synthesis to prevent losses of and even build lean mass (references 24-36).

Of course, nutrition and exercise scientists would be quick to point out, correctly, that this diet doesn't necessarily promote good long-term eating habits, and that it's not sustainable for prolonged periods of time. But nobody claims it does, or is. That's not what this diet is about.

I like to think of the Velocity Diet as a "weight-loss booster shot," and in that regard, it's unmatched in its safety and efficacy.

In essence, the Velocity Diet has addressed all the pitfalls of low-calorie, liquid diets. It's the best plan for rapid, science-based body transformations.

From Sickly to Supermanby Chad Waterbury

While working on my graduate-school studies in neuroscience, I had only one goal: discovering the very best methods for maximizing muscular performance.

The initial research was a huge challenge as it involved helping patients overcome the debilitating neurological effects of Parkinson's Disease.

If you're not familiar with the disease, it's a degenerative disorder of the nervous system that impairs the motor skills and with other bodily functions. Maybe you've seen Muhammad Ali walking feebly amid the crowds at sporting events. That's an example of the ravages of Parkinson's Disease.

Anyhow, my goal was to find a way to maximize muscular performance in these patients without overtaxing the central-nervous system (CNS). My peers were dismissive; they didn't think it could be done.

The thing is, no one had ever taken the approach of maximizing muscle-growth stimulation while minimizing CNS fatigue. While my goal was ambitious, it was also far-reaching. I figured that if I could crack the code, I'd not only help these patients, but I could also potentially revolutionize strength training, bodybuilding, and overall sports performance.

Over a two-year period, I was able to develop and refine an entire methodology that proved highly effective with the Parkinson's patients. I was actually able to optimize muscular performance at a rate that was previously believed impossible, solely because I was also able to successfully manage CNS fatigue!

But as I alluded to, my research didn't stop there. I wanted to work with another population that had similar CNS-fatigue problems — elite-level athletes.

These athletes train so hard and so often and at such high levels that they're always on the edge of breaking down.

With super athletes, athletic skill is obviously the most important determinant of athletic performance. But the next most important factor is minimizing CNS fatigue.

So I took what I'd discovered during graduate-school research and applied it to top-level athletes. The idea was this: if I could stimulate maximum muscular growth and manage CNS fatigue in

these elite athletes, they too would experience unprecedented increase in muscle mass, along with unprecedented increases in performance.

Since then, I've been involved with the training camps of dozens of advanced athletes and all have experienced substantial increases in their rate of muscular development and work capacity. In fact, many of them told me they feel "super human." They actually train more often and feel more rested and prepared than ever before.

The training methodology I developed and practiced while working in research labs is perfect for meeting the challenges of the Velocity Diet. People who are trying to lose body fat have a limited capacity to withstand high-volume training, especially at mind-blowing intensities. They can't afford to waste time and energy to get results — much like a Parkinson's patient or an elite athlete during training camp.

The fast and extreme fat losses experienced by Velocity Dieters require a unique approach to training. Every rep of every exercise must count. Too much volume and you'll burn out within the first week; too little volume won't produce the desired rate of fat loss.

An ideal training system must preserve or build the muscle required to support the metabolism. A precise and delicate balance must exist between volume, frequency, and intensity.

Velocity Training exploits this balance, exponentially compounding the results from training. It has all the requirements for making rapid progress. It's brand new, based on my latest exercise advances, and is designed specifically for the Velocity Diet 3.0.

With Velocity Training you'll perform three total-body workouts each week with specific guidelines on how to maximize your CNS capacity. These workouts will create a large metabolic demand by challenging every major muscle group in your body. On the weekends you'll mix it up with the V-Burn Challenge — a fun, challenging, and effective way to boost fat burning.

Just know that I've taken 13 years of training experience and paired that with graduate-level neuroscience research to give you the ultimate rapid body-transformation training program.

Get ready to experience your best results ever!

Prepare to WinTwo Very Important Lessons

Three years of in-the-field testing with thousands of people has taught us two very important lessons about the Velocity Diet.

Now, please pay close attention, because your success depends on you learning these lessons. Those who ignore them, or skip the section below, will very likely fail the diet and never achieve their body-transformation goals. 

Ready? Here are the two lessons learned:

1) Use the exact supplements outlined in the program, and...

2) Document, rate, and discuss your progress.

V-Dieters who use the prescribed supplements, and document, rate, and discuss their progress — each and every week — have a success rate that's four times higher than those who don't.

It's true. We can predict who's going to have success on the V-Diet based solely on whether or not the person is using the supplements and logging his or her progress.

No "Gotcha" Moment:You Gotta Buy Supplements

We want to bring up the subject of supplements now because we don't want to play "gotcha." We want to be completely up-front about the fact there's a supplement-purchase component to the Velocity Diet, and that BIOTEST makes most of these supplements.

Your initial — and wholly logical — response is probably something like this: "I bet I can do this diet without using BIOTEST® supplements."

Maybe, but the end result wouldn't be a body transformation. Instead, you'd look pretty much like you do now, only smaller and, well, baggier. Unfortunately, when faced with a caloric deficit, the body likes to "eat up" its own muscle rather than surrender its stored fat.

Your body is actually programmed to save its fat for when things get really bad, calorically speaking. In short, unless you do something to spare or "save" protein — which is stored in your body as muscle mass — your body has your deltoids for breakfast and your biceps for lunch.

BIOTEST® supplements are designed for a very specific purpose: to help advanced athletes compete at their highest levels. To do this, each formula must be the best science has to offer. We don't mean that as hyperbole. We mean it literally. Otherwise, under extreme physical stress, bodies will break down.

We help athletes build bigger, stronger, and leaner bodies at the fastest rates possible, allowing them to strip off body fat while building awesome physiques. And, we've been doing this very successfully for a very long time.

Without using the supplements we recommend, pear-shaped bodies will end up looking like smaller pears; apple-shaped bodies will look like smaller apples; and guys with big guts will look like guys with slightly smaller guts with the added misfortune of an emaciated chest and spindly arms and legs — hardly the kind of look most of us are after.

However, if you use the specific BIOTEST® supplements included in the Velocity Diet Stack, you'll lose fat instead of muscle. In fact, when you've completed the Velocity Diet, your body will look like it was sculpted — as opposed to just looking like a slightly less fat version of your former self.

We also wanted to make this diet healthy. Who wants to lose weight if you have to sacrifice some aspect of your well-being in exchange? No one (we hope).

Therefore, in addition to supplying supplement components that ensure physique goals, we added supplement components for your health, as well.

That's right. We fully believe that using the specific BIOTEST® supplements we recommend will provide you with nutrients that you're likely missing in your regular, everyday diet. Doing this plan, as mapped, will not only make you leaner, but also healthier.

Please take a minute to read the following list of BIOTEST® supplements that are part of the Velocity Diet. We're sure you'll see that they're not only useful, but also essential to the success of the plan:

1) Metabolic Drive® Low-Carb Protein

Metabolic Drive® Low-Carb protein is a delicious milkshake-like protein drink that contains micellar casein and whey isolate. It even received Men's Health magazine's award for "Best Protein."

The casein component, because it's an extremely slow-digesting protein, will help you feel full and satisfied longer than you will with other forms of protein.

Casein causes a slow, sustained release of amino acids into the bloodstream that can last seven hours after ingestion, aiding in muscle growth and preventing muscle breakdown. Perhaps most importantly, nitrogen retention — the physiological condition that's essential for muscle growth — is amplified by micellar casein.

Lastly, Metabolic Drive® Low-Carb protein contains glucono-delta-lactone (GDL). GDL basically facilitates the body's ability to digest and utilize protein. This means that, unlike almost all other protein drinks, Metabolic Drive® Low-Carb protein won't cause stomach upset or embarrassing gas. Put all this together and it makes Metabolic Drive® Low-Carb protein the only protein supplement recommended for the V-Diet.

2) SURGE® Recovery

SURGE® Recovery is a powdered drink mix that you add to water immediately after a workout. It's designed to help you recover faster and build more muscle. (Remember, muscle is largely what determines your metabolic rate.) SURGE Recovery switches on muscle building and halts muscle breakdown when it's absolutely most important — immediately after your workout.

3) HOT-ROX® Extreme

HOT-ROX® Extreme is a capsule that accelerates the fat-loss process through various mechanisms, while also helping you retain lean muscle tissue. It targets fat burning in the stubborn areas found in the lower body, abdominal, and love-handle area, and it also increases thyroid-hormone levels (T3), the body's thermogenic backbone. HOT-ROX® Extreme provides a sweet energy boost too.

4) Flameout™ EPA/DHA

Flameout is a gelatin capsule containing the fatty acids DHA and EPA (the same ones found in wild salmon), in addition to a fat-burning fatty acid known as CLA.

Flameout contains the most potent and purest forms of DHA and EPA, purified by a process called molecular distillation.

In addition to helping you burn fat, the fatty acids found in Flameout make your body more sensitive to the effects of insulin, which will help your body deposit protein where it's supposed to be deposited (muscle), and shuttle fat to where it can be used as energy.

Incidentally, Flameout will improve your blood profiles, improve cardiovascular health, and reduce inflammation throughout your body.

5) BIOTEST® Superfood

Superfood is a wonder. We took 18 of the most potent, nutrient-packed fruits and vegetables on the planet and simply removed the water to create a powdery mix that smells like berries and tastes like a mild herbal tea.

Get this: One scoop of Superfood is the antioxidant equivalent to eating between 10 and 12 average servings of fruits and vegetables.

Superfood will fill in any nutritional gaps and provide a potent booster shot of healthy, life-extending nutrients.

6) BIOTEST® L-Leucine Anabolic Food Additive

L-Leucine is a branched-chain amino acid that's supplied in powder form. You simply add a small scoop to a meal or protein shake and it increases the amount of muscle protein synthesized by up to an astounding 70 percent.

Adding L-Leucine to a meal turns a normal meal into the most powerful muscle-building (and in dieters, muscle-sparing) meal imaginable. This ensures the only weight you'll lose on the V-Diet will be pure fat.

We'll discuss just how to obtain and use these powerful supplements in The Velocity Diet 3.0 section of this program.

The other lesson learned:Document. Rate. Discuss.

Periodically rating your progress, by using all four of the critically important tools below, will keep you accountable, motivated, and most importantly, on track to achieving a jaw-dropping, full-body makeover.  

In short, success leaves a trail. And successful V-Dieters evaluate and rate the trail they're on, so they can make the necessary adjustments to reach their ultimate goal.

Don't just think about it — do it!

Here are the four important tools:

1) Weigh

To get an accurate, consistent body-weight measurement, weigh yourself first thing in the morning. Do it before you eat or drink and after you go to the bathroom. Always weigh wearing the same thing (or nothing), using the same scale. Record your starting weight.

You'll be weighing in once per week on the V-Diet on the morning of your healthy solid meal (HSM) day. Don't weigh yourself more often than that; natural body-weight fluctuations will drive you nuts.

2) Measure

Since scale weight really doesn't tell us that much about actual body composition, you must take some measurements.

Using a fabric tape measure, record these sites:

HeightWeightNeckShouldersChest - UpperChest - LowerWaist - at NavelWaist - at largestHips - at largestUpper Arm - LUpper Arm - R

Upper Leg - LUpper Leg - RLower Leg - LLower Leg - RAnkle - LAnkle - R

Log these numbers, along with your weight. You may measure once per week when you weigh, or measure at the halfway point of the diet and again at the end.

3) Take Photos

Standing normally, take three photos of yourself: one from the side, one from the front, and one from the back. No flexing, no sucking in, and no lighting manipulations. After the diet is over, take another set of pictures, wearing the same clothing you did in your "befores."

4) Go Public

Log on to TMuscle.com and start a progress log in the Velocity Diet section.

This will keep you on track and compliant. After all, it's hard to fall off the diet when thousands of people are cheering you on... or providing you with a kick in the pants if needed.

This will also give you a place to ask questions and get help during your V-Diet journey.

Velocity Diet Diet Program 3.0Let's Get Started!

The Velocity Diet 3.0 is a highly advanced personalized plan that's customized for each dieter. There's no calorie counting or label reading with the new Velocity system. All you need to do is plug your personal information into the interactive V-Diet program below and hit "calculate."

NOTICE: HOT-ROX® Extreme is intended to be taken on an empty stomach and is therefore not related to the V-Diet Menu schedule. As such it's not listed on the V-Diet Menu. Directions for use are explicitly detailed on the HOT-ROX® Extreme label.

Individuals who do not want to take stimulants can remove HOT-ROX® Extreme from the V-Diet Supplement Package during the ordering process. Carbolin® 19 is an excellent non-stimulant substitute that will effectively enhance fat loss.

Additional Items

Now that you have your customized Velocity Diet 3.0 plan and supplement stack, there are a few additional items you'll need, all of which can be easily purchased at most grocery and vitamin stores. Here's the list:

Natural Nut Butter — One serving is added to the last protein shake of the day to balance out the types of dietary fats in the diet. It also makes for a very filling and satisfying shake. One serving of natural peanut butter blended into a chocolate protein shake tastes like peanut butter cup candy.

Any nut butter is fine — peanut, almond, walnut, macadamia, cashew, etc. — but it must be natural. Natural peanut butter, for example, must be stirred (as the oil separates). The ingredient list should include just two items: "peanuts, salt." Natural nut butters must also be kept in the fridge after opening.

Milled Flax Seeds — Flax seeds are a source of fiber, healthy fats, and lignans, which have antioxidant and cancer-fighting properties. Make sure they're milled (ground up), and always store them in the refrigerator after opening.

Fiber Choice® Tablets — This is optional, but if you think you're not getting enough fiber on the V-Diet, you can take a couple of tablets a day. Use only the sugar-free variety.

Quick Overview

Remember, you'll have five shakes each day, spread evenly throughout the day, for 28 days. Once a week you'll enjoy a healthy solid meal (HSM).

After 28 days, you'll smoothly transition into eating more and more HSMs. After the two-week Transition, you'll be leaner and more athletic, and you'll have kissed your bad dietary habits goodbye!

Now, let's take a closer look at the solid meal day and the Transition.

Guidelines for the Solid Meal Day

Once per week — four times during the 28-day diet — you're allowed an HSM.

This is not a "cheat" meal. It should consist of a lean protein source, vegetables, and a healthy carb. For the rest of the solid meal day, you'll consume your shakes and supplements as usual. The HSM will replace one of your shakes. In other words, on HSM day, you'll have four regular shakes and your healthy solid meal. 

Your healthy solid meal doesn't have to be complex. There's no need to count calories; just choose "clean" foods. Here's a simple guideline:

Protein: lean steak, a couple of grilled chicken breasts, turkey breast, baked or grilled fish, etc. Veggies: large pile of mostly green veggies, steamed broccoli, spinach, zucchini, squash, etc. Starch: small amount of dry sweet potato, whole-wheat pasta, or brown riceSalad:  large salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing — no cream dressings! Dessert: small amount of fruit

Don't sweat the amounts too much. You'll be surprised at how fast you fill up on these solid foods, so there's little chance you'll overeat. Just replace one shake with the HSM once per week.

The best way to time the HSM every week is like this:

Meal 1:    Shake and supplementsMeal 2:    Shake and supplementsMeal 3:    Shake and supplementsMeal 4:    Healthy Solid MealMeal 5:    Shake and supplements

Note: You may be tempted to skip this meal to "make the diet work faster." Don't. The solid meal is crucial to long-term success, especially when it comes to the taste and craving changes. Do not skip it.

Mindful Eating

To best experience the food-preference changes, practice what's called "mindful eating." In other words, don't gobble down your HSM, thinking only of the next bite as you're chewing the previous forkful.

Instead, eat mindfully. Put your utensil down between bites and savor the food. Smell it. Pay attention to the textures and subtle flavors. Spend some time eating this meal, at least 30 minutes from first bite to last. Relax and enjoy it.

All this will reinforce the food-preference changes, helping you kick negative eating habits and develop new, healthy food-related behaviors that last a lifetime.

The Transition: Coming Off the Velocity Diet   

If you've followed the 28-day plan correctly, the transition back to solid meals is going to be easy. Unlike many dieters, you won't be tempted to binge on unhealthy foods, since you've changed your habits and food preferences. You'll have a newfound love of healthier fare, along with a powerful sense of dietary control. You'll also notice that you'll get full very quickly after the V-Diet is complete.

The transition process is simple, and most V-Dieters with additional body fat to lose will continue to lose it during this stage.

Here's how it works:

WEEK 1: One HSM Per Day — Every day is now "healthy solid meal day," with one HSM per day. The timing of this meal is up to you, but I suggest your last meal of the day should be a Low-Carb Metabolic Drive shake. This will help prevent nighttime overeating.

WEEK 2: Two HSMs Per Day — Have two HSMs and two or three shakes each day. One way to do this is to have a shake to begin your day, a shake as a midday snack, and a shake to end your day. Again, this solves the nighttime overeating problem, while allowing you to have a fast and healthy breakfast, something many busy people skip.

Sample HSM Options

Breakfast

Old-fashioned oatmeal with blueberries, scrambled egg whites Spinach omelet made with omega-3 enriched whole eggs

Lunch

Turkey burger on whole-grain bread, salad Grilled chicken breasts, steamed vegetables

Dinner

Salmon with grilled zucchini and squash Steak with plain sweet potato and salad

Grilled chicken breasts (2) over large spinach salad, olive oil-based dressing

Post-Transition: One Shake Per Day

The final step is to have one shake per day and eat healthy solid meals the rest of the time. This shake should be consumed:

Whenever you'd otherwise skip a meal because you're busy At night, if you still have problems overeating at this time

At breakfast, if you'd normally skip this meal

Many people stay in the post-Transition phase permanently. Simply having one healthy shake per day ensures adequate protein intake and prevents any dietary lapses caused by missing meals.

A Call To Arms

You're now armed with all the weapons you need in this war on body fat, bad habits, and soft muscles. The plan of attack is in your hands — or will be, as soon as you print it out.

The rest is up to you. But you aren't alone. Your fellow V-Dieters are here to help you when you need advice, or to kick you in the butt if you slack off. Just visit the Velocity Diet Forum. 

Now, put your game face on, and prepare to transform your body!

Prepare to WinMaximize Fat Loss, Retain and Build MusclePerform Like a Well-Oiled Machine

The Velocity Diet exercise plan consists of three components:

Special weight-training program NEPA-based walks and activities

V-Burn Challenge

Here's an overview of each:

Velocity Weight Training

Your metabolic rate is the key to maintaining good body composition — the ratio of fat to lean tissue. And muscle is the key to maintaining a good metabolic rate.

Many people using traditional diets lose weight indiscriminately, meaning they lose muscle along with fat. That's self-defeating, as the muscle they lose leads to metabolic disruptions, which in turn lead to yo-yo dieting — a dangerous cycle of weight loss followed by fat gain followed by more weight loss and then more fat gain. In the worst cases, the person ends up weighing more, but with less muscle tissue and a slower metabolism than they had before they started dieting.

Beyond the health dangers, losing muscle on a diet is disappointing. You may be smaller, but you don't necessarily look better. It's like a caterpillar coming out of its cocoon and realizing it's not a butterfly at all, but instead has become a smaller caterpillar.

The V-Diet weight-training program was designed by Chad Waterbury, a longtime contributor to Testosterone Muscle and author of Huge in a Hurry. You'll lift three times a week on

nonconsecutive days (Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday), using Chad's uniquely challenging training system.

By the end of the 28-day diet and two-week Transition phase, you won't just be smaller; you'll be leaner, stronger, and more muscular as well.

Before you start, you'll need to choose which program is best for you.

Beginner Velocity Weight Training

If you're new to weight training, or have been out of the gym for a few years, use the Beginner Program. If this doesn't describe you, skip the following Beginner guidelines and read the Intermediate and Advanced descriptions that follow. Read More...

Intermediate Velocity Weight Training

If you've been weight training consistently for the last two or three years, the Intermediate program is for you. If you've been training longer, jump ahead to the Advanced guidelines that follow. Read More...

Advanced Velocity Weight Training

If you've been weight training consistently for the last three years, and you've made significant gains in strength and mass, do the Advanced program. Read More...

Each program consists of two phases:

Phase I: These are the workouts you'll use during the 28-day Velocity Diet.Phase II: You'll use these workouts during the two-week Transition phase.

Tempo and Technique

You want to lift and lower the weights as fast as possible with good form. If these exercises are new to you, mastering the form is more important than lifting fast. But as you get comfortable with the exercises, it's more important to lift faster than it is to use heavier weights. Once you reach what seems like your maximum speed for the designated number of repetitions, use a heavier weight.

As we said earlier, you need to stop a set once your speed slows down noticeably. But don't stop because you think you're about to slow down. Keep going until the weight actually moves slower

or your form changes in an obvious way. Finish that last rep, put the weight down, rest, and then pick up again with the next set.

Summary

Select a weight that allows you to hit the target repetitions on the first set of that exercise. You'll probably do fewer reps on subsequent sets. Keep going until you hit the designated number, no matter how many sets it takes.

Perform all of the reps of an exercise before moving on to the next exercise.

Keep the weight the same for all of the sets of an exercise.

Rest the prescribed amount of time between all sets. After you finish an exercise, try to limit your transition time to the next exercise to the prescribed rest interval. So if you're supposed to rest 45 seconds between sets, try to rest just 45 seconds between exercises as well.

 

V-Burn Challenge

Fat loss is the ultimate performance enhancer. With the possible exception of sumo wrestling, you'll improve at virtually anything you do when you drop excess body fat while maintaining your muscle mass and strength.

Not only will fat loss make you a better athlete, it'll make you a more "functional" human being; you'll move better, feel better, have more energy, and perform better in the gym. Your body will be more efficient at just about anything you ask it to do.

Imagine doing pull-ups, dips, or push-ups with 20 fewer pounds of lard on your body. Imagine playing your sport, performing your military or your law-enforcement duties, or even playing with your kids without that anchor of useless fat.

The V-Burn Challenge is a challenging circuit of eight different exercises done in rapid succession. It requires no special equipment; you can do it anywhere.

You'll do it once a week, on Saturday or Sunday. The goal is to complete the recommended number of circuits in less time each week.

The Goal

The goal from workout to workout is to reduce the amount of time it takes you to complete the V-Burn Challenge. In other words, as you get in better shape, you should be able to do the same number of circuits in less time.

Don't make the mistake of turning the V-Burn Challenge into a grueling, train-until-you-drop event. These circuits should be challenging but not so draining that they interfere with your progress in the weight workouts.

Ultimately, the overall purpose of the V-Burn Challenge is to increase your general conditioning, help you recover from the weight workouts, improve your mobility and athleticism, and, of course, burn off a bit more body fat.

Reps and Tempo

Perform 10 reps of each exercise. For the single-limb exercises, do five reps on each side, for a total of 10. (The single-limb exercises are listed in yellow.)

As with the strength exercises, your goal is to perform the lifting and lowering phases as fast as possible while maintaining good form.

NON-EXERCISE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY — NEPA

NEPA Walks

The V-Diet plan has no traditional cardio or aerobics. It's not necessary, and can actually lead to muscle loss if pursued beyond your body's ability to refuel and recover. You'll get plenty of formal exercise with your three weight workouts and weekly V-Burn Challenge.

You'll add to that with Non-exercise physical activity — NEPA.

NEPA is the moving around you do outside the gym. A person with a desk job gets very little NEPA, while a guy who works construction or walks to work gets a lot. Studies show that simply walking more each day helps with long-term weight management and leads to improved health.

On the V-Diet, and during the Transition phase, you'll go for a walk every day except Challenge Day, and also seek to increase NEPA in other ways.

The goal is to burn off a few extra calories, speeding the fat-loss process without taking away energy you'll need for your weight workouts, or impairing your ability to recover from those workouts. A good walk should speed up the recovery process while improving your overall physical conditioning.

Here are the guidelines:

Make a Commitment — Walk every day except Challenge Day — rain or shine, busy or not.

Walk at the Right Pace — The average person walks between 3 and 3.5 mph. (Men walk about 0.5 miles per hour faster than women.) For your NEPA walk, shoot for around 4 mph. For most of us, that means walking faster than your normal pace. It's not "speed walking," just moving faster than normal.

Distance or Time — You can choose to walk for a certain distance or for a certain amount of time. Depending on your fitness level and the time you have, you can shoot for 30 to 60 minutes of fast walking, or two to four miles. At 4 mph, you can walk one mile in 15 minutes.

Outside or Inside Makes a Difference — Walking indoors on a treadmill burns fewer calories than walking outside at the same speed, but you can make up the difference by setting the treadmill to a slight incline.

Time of Day Makes a Difference, Too — While you can take your walk any time of the day — before work in the morning, at lunch, or in the evening — many experts believe that walking in the morning before you eat leads to faster fat loss. While I'd never suggest performing strenuous cardio in a fasted state (which could lead to muscle loss), a brisk walk is fine.

But the key is to make sure you get your walk in whenever you can. Never miss a day because you can't walk at the ideal time.

Don't Run! — You won't make the diet work better by going for long run, doing sprint intervals, or taking hour-long Spinning classes. Instead, you'll impede recovery from your weight workouts, have less energy, and possibly cause your body to lose muscle tissue.

NEPA Activities

Along with your daily NEPA walk, you need to "seek movement." In other words, try to increase your natural NEPA. How?

Park farther away from stores or your place of work. Not only will you get a little extra walking in every day, you'll free yourself from the stress of fighting for a parking space close to the front door.

Take the stairs. If you have to take an escalator, walk up instead of letting the machine do all the work.

Carry your luggage; don't roll it.

Sounds simple, but these small daily actions can lead to additional fat loss, long-term weight-loss maintenance, and improved health. Make them a lifetime habit and your lifetime will be long and lean.