It's like a law of nature...the leaner you get, the harder it is to get even leaner.

When you've got a lot of fat to lose, it comes off fairly readily...but when you get down around 8 to 10% bodyfat, it gets REALLY TOUGH.

It's like the last 5 lbs are MUCH harder to drop than the first 50 lbs.

And THAT is the problem John Romaniello (a.k.a. Roman) is primarily addressing in his excellent fat loss program "Omega Body Blueprint."

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Just fyi, before I get into my full review of the program, I want to let you know that this week, Roman is offering the program for a full massive discount off the regular price.

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Now, even if you have more than just the last 5 lbs to drop, don't let that stop you from reading more about this program...the principles will work on any fat loss plateau.

The key to getting rid of those last stubborn pounds of fat lies in your body's hormonal response to the training structure that he's put together.

In this review, I'll give you a quick rundown of the various phases of the program, how the different components of the program stack up and if, when it all comes to the wire, this program will really help you get past your fat loss plateau.

The Hormonal Response to Fat-Loss Training

As I mentioned above, the primary focus of this program is using targeted training to achieve a level of hormone manipulation in the body, to promote fat loss. The main hormones targeted by this program are Leptin, Growth Hormone, Corisol, Insulin, IGF-1, Testosterone and Estrogen.

Each training methodology used in the program targets a different hormone (or set of hormones, as the case may be, as several of these hormones are used to offset the effects of another).

Each training methodology is also performed on a rotational basis over the course of a week, in order to keep your body from getting too accustomed to (and efficient at) one style of training. This is commonly known as "muscle confusion," though this program puts it all together in a far more organized fashion than that name implies.

Methodology #1 - Metabolic Restistance Training

This style of training is all about dynamic movement, performing exercises that include a lot of bodyweight transfer and actual movement in the gym (as opposed to very static exercises like squats, you would do something like walking lunges)...speed drills, explosive training, that kind of thing, all focusing on compound exercises and large muscle groups.

I actually recommend a lot of very similar ideas in terms of movement training...training like an athlete is all about movement! Very rarely do you see a sport (other than powerlifting, of course!) where athletes set their feet on ground and don't move them for the whole course of the event.

Your body is designed to move and training it with plenty of movement (and movement with resistance) is EXCELLENT for fat loss. A definite thumbs-up on this phase.

The training in this phase increases IGF-1, which helps improve insulin sensitivity, and assists in losing insulin-related fat (i.e. love handles).

Methodology #2 - Lactic Acid Training

This is where the program really delves into the hormonal response to training. The idea with this style of training is to focus on accumulating as much lactic acid in your muscles as possible.

Because lactic acid is primarily produced during the concentric (positive) phase, there is reduced focus on the negative aspect of the rep.

This is done using a longer concentric (up) phase and a shorter (but safely done) eccentric/lowering phase, e.g. 4 seconds up, 1 second down. The exact tempo will obviously depend on the exercise you're performing, but that's the general idea.

And in terms of the body's response to this style of training from a hormonal perspective, it DOES have validity.

I use Lactic Acid Training regularly myself and find it extremely effective for fat loss.

As your blood pH decreases (due to the acidity), your body responds by secreting Growth Hormone in response. Studies have shown that this does reliably occur.

Growth Hormone is a very potent fat-burning hormone in the body - it's a response to emergency situations like this.

The main problem I have with this style of training as listed in the program is the slow tempo (which isn't the most effective way to train your muscles) and the sheer painfulness of lactic acid training. Okay, so that's two problems.

Since this slow-tempo style of training isn't done for long periods and is actually offset by explosive stuff in the dynamic training, it most likely won't have a big detrimental impact on your strength levels. If done long-term (and Roman says this himself), this style of training WILL decrease your strength.

The painfulness of high lactic acid levels is something that certainly can be dealt with...what mitigates the pain part of the equation is that the purpose of the training is not actually PAIN in and of itself, but lactic acid. The side effect is pain, sure, but at least it's not the actual goal of the training.

So, can this Lactic Acid Training be effective for fat loss? Absolutely it can. The hormonal effect of it has certainly been demonstrated in research. It's not fun but it can be effective.

This type of training can target stubborn fat, such as abodminal fat.

Methodology #3 - Density Training

Roman states in this section of his book, his main inspiration for density training is actually Escalating Density Training by Charles Staley.

Rather than follow the guidelines of EDT exactly, John has come up with his own version of density training that uses MUCH shorter time periods.

For example, instead of doing a 15 minute block of time, you will instead set up a circuit of non-competing exercises, performing each exercise for say, 30 seconds, doing as many reps as you can in that 30 seconds, e.g. overhead press, dumbell rows and squats.

The weights are kept moderate and you're not pushing to failure on these sets.

The FIRST round might look like:

Overhead press with 35 lb dumbells - 20 reps
Dumbells rows with 40 lb dumbells - 18 reps
Squats with 135 lbs - 22 reps

Then you would take a rest (about 90 seconds or so, though there is not set rest interval here) and then you will INCREASE the weight by 15 to 20%.

Because you haven't gone to failure, you haven't wiped out your nervous system....you've tuned it up for the exercises you've just done.

Then you do the SAME circuit again, using those heavier weights. And according to the author, you will most likely get MORE reps with that increased weight on the second round through, immediately increasing training density.

This is a very compressed style of density training that forces an increase within a matter of minutes.

It's a very clever methodology and definitely worth trying out. Naturally, this isn't the ENTIRE workout, but just a section of it. You'd work in different exercises for different bodyparts as well.

This style of density training is excellent for boosting testosterone levels, which helps combat estrogen-related fat storage, helping you reduce lower-body fat and "man boobs."

Methodology #4 - Strength-Based Training

The primary goal with this style of training is keeping the muscle and strength you've worked so hard to build up. The training method is geared to completing a TOTAL number of reps, not by doing specific sets of say, 5 x 5 or anything like that.

So basically (and this is simplifying things from the program quite a lot), you'll set 25 reps as your goal...you'll choose a weight you can get 5 to 7 reps with, then you'll take as many sets as you need to do to get to 25 reps.

This is all done in the context of a circuit with several other exercises and without set rest periods, but the idea is to keep reps low to build strength.

It's an elegant system that can certainly help you hang onto muscle mass and actually BUILD strength while training for fat loss.

 

Nutrition

In the initial phases of the program, you'll be doing what Roman refers to as an insulin "reset"...which essentially entails pulling way back on carbs then gradually adding them back as your body gets used to the lower levels.

This is a very effective method for improving insulin sensitivity in your body, so you can better make use of the carbs you do actually eat.

As well, he recommends targeted Intermittent Fasting and cycling of caloric intake based on training.

These are good approaches...I use variations of these myself in my fat-loss programs AND my muscle-building programs.

Food is something you have a lot of control over in terms of what you put into your body...Roman will teach you how to make it work FOR you rather than against you.

 

Program Weak Points

There are a few areas that could be improved, though nothing that goes up to "red flag" status that should stop you from picking up this program if you're interested in it.

Nutritionwise, it doesn't include meal plans, which honestly, to me is not a big deal. I never use them anyway. There are very detailed nutritional recommendations that are very easy to follow...just no exact plans.

In reading through some of the workouts, there were a few exercises that I wouldn't have included, for example, upright rows (which can be potentially damaging to the shoulders), but in general, the exercise selection is good.

Roman also includes a detailed exercise library in with the package, covering most of the exercises used in the book. You'll find some really interesting selections in here - always a good way to challenge your body!

 

CONCLUSION

Overall, this program is very well put-together. I actually use many of these concepts (both training and eating) in my own programs and I know they WORK.

The training is based on good principles and the explanations of the hormonal effects of training are concise and easy to read.

Read more about the program here.

While it does have a few weak points, if you've got some basic nutrition knowledge, the training you find in here might be just what you need to really push your bodyfat to a whole new low!

If you want to get rid of that last bit of stubborn fat, this is definitely a program you'll want to grab (and just fyi, right now, it's going for huge discount)