Flavia Del Monte

quality products. I was excited to hear about Curvalicious, her new diet/exercise program for women. I’ve had a chance to look it over, so here’s my review. I’ll first try to summarize the components of the program:

The Workout Videos

Flavia’s videos are the highlight of this Curvalicious. She splits the training into five different workouts:

Day 1: Luscious Legs
Day 2: Tummy Tightener
Day 3: Amazing Arms
Day 4: Better Back & Strong Shoulders
Day 5: Bombshell Booty

These downloadable videos are very well made—I think you would find them to be both instructive and motivational. I often use printed workout manuals, but there’s something special about being able to watch a video.

There’s something else I noticed about the workouts: a home version is available. This would be great for those who want to train at home instead of joining a gym.  Here’s a screenshot of one of the gym videos (part of the leg workout):

Training Video

At Gym Workout Guide

This is an e-book form of the workouts. You could use this as a reference if you don’t want to watch the videos or just need a reminder.

At Gym Printable Workout Sheets

As the name implies, you can print these out, take them to the gym, and record your workouts.

At Home Workout Guide and Printable Workout Sheets

The home version of the training manual and workout sheets is also available for download when you buy Curvalicious.

Nutrition Guide

Diet is extremely important for losing fat—even more important than exercise. The dietary strategy includes three types of meals: 1. Curve Meals 2. Control Meals 3. Cut Meals. The type of meal you eat will be time around your training. “Curve meals,” for example, are designed to give you energy for your workout (and for workout recovery). You are thus timing your carbohydrate intake for when your body needs them the most. Many of the other successful fat loss program use similar strategies—manipulating macro nutrients to maximize fat loss.

Fab-5 Supplements

This is a description/list of recommended supplements.  Note: I would recommend you shop around for supplements and see if there are less expensive brands than the one she recommends–especially for something as simple as multivitamins and fish oil.

Dynamic Warmup and Stretching Guide

This component is available in both video and pdf format. There are instructions on how to stretch and get warmed up.

UPSELLS

You will have the option of buying some additional products that are not included in the basic package. Just to be clear: you do not have to buy these additions. But I’ll describe them in case you want to consider purchasing them.

#1 Meal Plans, Recipes, Online Calorie Calculator and Email Coaching: This addition will give you some extra help with preparing/planning meals.

#2 Musclicious Workout: This is an additional workout plan for adding lean muscle mass (6 weeks). This may one day be a stand-alone product.

#3 Amazing Ab Workouts: This is a more advanced version of abdominal/core training (12 workouts total). A body weight workout series is also included.

You can add any (or all) of these extras if you want to. But if you do not want to buy them just click “I would like to pass on this offer forever” at the bottom of the pages (after your initial order the basic packages). You’ll still get the basic package I have described about, regardless of your decision on the upsells.

Review:

I believe this is a well-designed diet and nutrition program. But is it right for you? I’ll try to help you answer that.

I think Curvalicious is best suited for women who are willing to train intensely for 4-5 days a week and are also serious about implementing a nutrition plan. I do believe you would see great results, but only if you are willing to do both.

Note for men:  I’d recommend Ben Pakulski’s Mass Intentions (MI40) if you are a man who is looking for a good workout.

One final thing: you’ll need a decent internet connection to download the videos. Video files take longer to download than e-books (bigger files=longer download times).

Please use my links if this review has helped you–just click here if you are interested in buying this program. You’ll be supporting an honest voice in the fitness industry. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Curvalicious Package

One of the most surprising studies he mentioned involved four different groups, all of whom trained for ten weeks:

1. Training+Steroids
2. Training+No Steroids
3. No Training+Steroids
4. No Training+No Steroids

Two of the results aren’t surprising. First, those who trained with weights and used steroids gained the most muscle mass (an average of 13 lb.). Secondly, those who didn’t train or take steroids did not gain any muscle. No shockers there.

But a couple of things did surprise me:

*Those who took steroids and did not train ended up gaining more muscle than those who trained with weights naturally. They made significant gains by doing nothing except sitting around!

*All subjects were eating only around 120 grams of protein a day (0.7 grams per lb. of body weight). This amount was enough for significant gains in muscle in only ten weeks.

There are a couple of important lessons here:

1. Steroids are complete game changers, and anyone who tells you otherwise is just fooling himself. If you are training naturally don’t compare your results to those who are using drugs. Doing so is an exercise in futility.

I’m not completely opposed to steroid use, by the way (that’s another subject). But I believe many natural trainees get frustrated because they look at what some guy is doing with “pharmaceutical assistance” and wonder why they are not just as big, strong, or lean.

2. Eating huge amounts of protein is not necessary for gaining muscle. I still consume more protein than the average person, but I’m much less obsessed with it. I no longer worry about getting over a gram per lb. of body weight, and now I spend much less on supplements.

Brad’s book has a lot more research (including similar studies to the one I’ve mentioned) and I’d highly recommend you check it out. Just read my review for more information.

Flavia Del Monte

Flavia Del Monte has made a name for herself as a fitness professional who has helped thousands of women transform their bodies.  I have a lot of respect for her because she emphasizes discipline and hard work, not short-cuts and gimmicks.  Her first workout program (Full Body Licious) was a big seller for me, so I’m very excited about the new program called Curvalicious.  She was kind enough to take time from her busy schedule and do this interview with me:

Kevin: First I’d like to thank you for taking the time to do this interview.  Please please start by briefly explaining why women should not be afraid of muscle building exercises.

Flavia: First off most women are fearful of looking bulky. This is so far from what will happen when women add muscle. Females simply do not have the hormones responsible for looking bulky. Secondly, muscle creates a fit and healthy looking body. Without muscle your body will look weak and frail, as opposed to curvy and feminine. Thirdly, muscle burns a lot of fat. By adding muscle you can lose fat quicker and will be able to eat a lot more. When only a couple pounds of muscle is added, your body will be able to keep fat off so you can stop dieting. The reason fat loss diets don’t work is the fact that when you stop dieting, you just gain all the weight right back. By adding muscle your body will become more efficient at burning calories so you won’t go back to where you started.

Kevin: I think some women still believe light weight and high reps are the only way for them to burn fat. Would you share your thoughts on this?

Flavia: The truth is you need a bit of both. The most effective way to lose fat and not gain it back is by building muscle. In order to build muscle you need to breakdown the muscle which is why we lift weights. When the muscle repairs itself, your body will build muscle. Women need to lift heavy enough weights to breakdown muscle tissue. If women want that “toned” looked, and I believe most do, women must be increasing two different types of tone, Myogenic and Neurogenic. Myogenic muscle tone is simply a muscle at rest. This type of tone is targeted through high rep training with low weights. Neurogenic muscle tone is achieved my using heavy weights with lowe reps and is responsible for the tone you see when a muscle is contracted. There is nothing sexier than a women who takes of her shirt and has firm defined arms. A women that has that works with both types of weight training.

Kevin: Could you explain what you mean by “targeted metabolic resistance training?”

Flavia: Targeted metabolic resistance training is working a specific muscle group to achieve shape by using metabolic style training to create an “afterburn” that will keep the body burning fat long after the workout. I use muscle-specific exercises to create definition to all the right muscles that make a women look like a women! Following metabolic style workouts the body’s metabolism will be fired up for up to 48 hours after the workout…now that’s a workout.

Kevin: What are some new things you’ve learned over the past year that have been integrated into Curvalicious?

Flavia: I have learned about the two different types of tone Myogenic and Neurogenic as discussed earlier and I have also learned new exercises that really give a lot of shape to the booty.

Kevin: How important is diet for those who want to change their physiques?

Flavia: Very important in fat loss and muscle gains to create sexy curves. Exercise and nutrition go hand and hand, and I have created a nutrition system that uses different meals that will give women amazing results when combined with the workouts. I explain what to eat, why and when so women won’t can start eating nutritiously without dieting ever again.

Kevin: What kind of feedback are you getting from trainees who tried this program?

Flavia: Very positve. The women who have tried this program are amazed at how their bodies are changing by adding curves. The women love that they don’t have to starve but instead love the new way they look at food and are finally able to not think about food in a negative way anymore. Women are also loving the shape in their arms and booty especially.

Kevin: Thanks again!

Flavia: Thank you all for reading.

I’ll be writing a full review of this new program within a few days.  Check this post again soon for a full summary and description.

Here’s another observation: most  bodybuilders of old had a some powerlifting background as their foundation.  They got strong in the basic lifts (like squat and deadlift) and even joined strength competitions. Here’s a photo of a young Arnold Schwarzenegger doing a record-breaking 710 lb deadlift:

Arnold deadlifting

Arnold refined his physique and training methods over time. But it seems exercises like the squat and deadlift were staples of his routine for years to come. He knew working out this way would bring a certain quality to his physique

I guess there are two reasons I decided to write this post.  I thought the vintage picture of Arnold was pretty cool.  But I also wanted to encourage trainees to remember the importance of building strength in the basic, compound exercises.  You’ll end up with a better-looking physique.  But you’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing you don’t just look strong–you are strong.

Look Familiar?

Arnold doing donkey calf raises.

I used to do this one the old-school way as well.  A buddy at one of the first places I trained (a college gym) was about 6’3” and weighed over 270 lb.  The gym had a half wall that was perfect to lean on and we had a wooden block that was the right height for placing your feet/toes.  A good set of donkey calf raises with my large friend as weight made for an intense workout.

Despite the novel appeal of training this way, I don’t think using a partner’s body weight is the best way.  The main problem is in the leverage: a second lifter’s weight is not directly lined up over the muscles you want to train.  You’d probably do just as well to use a leg press, where you can load up as much weight as needed and still get the same stretch.  Another option would be to use a machine specifically designed for this exercise (I’ve used one before).  Using equipment may also avoid some awkward stares from other gym members wondering what you are doing.

Remember a couple of things with this or any other calf exercise:

1. Always pause at the bottom.  If you bounce  your Achilles tendon will absorb a significant part of the weight and keep you from getting the maximum stimulus.

2. Calves require lots of volume and you will probably be surprised by the amount of weight they can handle.  You may want to hit them with lower reps one workout (5-8), then higher reps the next time around (15-30).

Squat: Because somewhere out there, a girl is warming up with your max.

Option #1 squat followed by single leg work:

1.  Warm up, then work up to your heaviest set of 5-8 repetitions.  You should be able to complete this set with good form–no need to go to failure or start compromising form.

2. After resting do a set with 90% of the weight you used in the previous set.  This will be your last set on squats (see also: 5×5 workouts).

You could start with sets of 8 reps on your first week, then work up to heavier weights and lower reps over the next few weeks.  This is a periodization strategy that is described in more detail in Minimalist Training.

Next you’ll go into single leg training.  Do 3-4 sets with a slightly higher rep range–10-15 reps.  Here are a few options or your single leg training:

*Leg press using only one leg.  Some of you squat purists may bash the leg press.  But I’ll remind you that I learned about this use of the leg press from legendary powerlifter Ed Coan.  Remember to bend your knee until your leg is at a 90 degree angle, but don’t go any lower.

*Step up with a barbell or dumbbells.  As the name implies, you step up with the added resistance of weights.  The height of the step can vary, but make sure whatever you use is stable enough to support your weight.

This workout is fairly basic and could be done by new trainees.

Option #2 squat only with a high repetition component:

1. Warm up first, then work up to your heaviest set of five reps (you would be resting in between sets).  You don’t want to go to failure, but work up to your heaviest set you can complete with good form.

2. You’ll do one more set of five reps after the heaviest set–this time with about 90% of the weight you used in the previous set.

3. Now it’s time to go for some higher reps.  Drop down to a weight you can do for about fifteen repetitions.  This will be a pretty significant reduction from your previous set (rest after this set, just as you did with the others).

4.  One final higher rep set.  Lower the weight again and shoot for about 20-30 reps.  You’ll be doing relatively light weights.

These higher reps can be helpful for leg training because legs tend to have a wider range of muscle fiber types, some of which respond better to high rep training.  But most of your work would still be in the standard rep range.  I usually can’t do any more direct thigh training after this workout.

I would not recommend this second workout for beginners–it’s more of an intermediate/advanced routine.

Joel Marion

I’ll start this review with a description of contents:

Diet Manual:
This e-book is probably the most important component. It guides you through the diet you’ll be using for the next 25 days. Marion has arranged the diet in a way that will help you comply as well as maximize your efforts to burn fat. You begin, for example, with a cheat day—he advises you to eat what you want (but not to the point of intentionally stuffing yourself). This sets up an ideal hormonal environment for the days to come. You manipulate your calories and your macronutrients (proteins/carbs/fats) each day to get the most out of the diet.

Training Manual:
This is your guide to the different types of workouts you’ll be doing while on this program. Marion actually prescribes five different styles: lactic acid training, density training, Heavy Strength Training, Dynamic Training, and The Dynamic Interrupt. The manual explains how to do the exercises/workouts and why you will do them. I’ll give you one example: heavy strength training is important because it burns calories and helps you preserve your muscles mass.

The diet and training manuals take you through five cycles of five days=25 days total. 

Supplement Guide:
This is the list of recommended supplements, the most important being branched chain amino acids (BCAA’s). I agree with his supplement advice, but I’d encourage you to shop around and see if there are less expensive brands out there. I don’t think you’d notice any difference in results by using other brands of supplements (as long as they are from reputable companies).

Success Journal:
This is a spreadsheet you can use to keep track of your compliance to the diet. You can record what you eat, and there are questions to be answered for each day related to the diet.

Workout Logs:
You can print these out and take them with you to the gym. This is useful for guiding you through the training as well as recording your progress (the weight you used, etc.).

Pre-Program Checklist:
This document helps you assess whether or not you are prepared to start. Here’s one of the questions so you’ll have an idea: Did you decide what foods you’d like to enjoy and what restaurants you’d like to visit on your first Cheat Day? (the first day of the diet!)?

Cliff Notes:
This is an 11-page summary of the diet and training. It’s a nice little reference you can use if you don’t feel like reading through the longer documents.

Audio Interrogation Transcript:
This is an interview with Joel Marion where he answers questions about the program.

Vince and Flavia Del Monte Transcript:
This is an interview with Vince and Flavia Del Monte. They share some of their experiences with using the Xtreme Fat Loss Diet.

Review:

My goal is not necessarily to talk you into buying this program. I’d instead like to help you decide if this particular diet is the right one for you.

Let me first say this: I know the diet and exercise strategies he prescribes are very effective for losing fat.  One of my readers used this program with good results, and I’ve personally used some of these diet strategies myself.   I’ve also done some research and discovered this product has a very low refund request rate (the money-back guarantee is legitimate, but most people are quite satisfied with their purchase).

I think this program is best suited for someone who wants to focus his/her efforts and lose as much fat as possible in the shortest time period. It would be ideal for someone who wants to get ready for some special occasion, for example (like a wedding).  I can’t promise you’d lose 25 pounds, but you should see dramatic results if you follow the diet/exercise manuals.  Keep something in mind–it will require work and discipline.  The cheat day, for example, is followed by a fasting day (Marion explains why it is set up this way).  This is one of the reasons the program is relatively short–it isn’t something you could do long-term–that isn’t what it is designed for.

You can click here if you’d like to learn more about this program. Please use my links if this review has helped you.  You’ll be supporting and honest voice in the fitness industry.

Alternate Programs:

Joel Marion also has a program called 24/7 Fat Loss.  This is the one I’d recommend if you want a program that is more moderate/long-term.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

“I’m wanting to lose fat. Here’s my workout. I was also wondering what supplements may help.”

My response will have an over-used cliche: “You will never out train a bad diet.” Maybe this truth should not have to be repeated so often. But many trainees (including yours truly) have made the mistake of trying to lose fat with a primary focus on exercise and/or supplements.

Yes, exercise is important. Weight training helps maintain or build lean mass while on a calorie deficit. Adding cardio exercise burns additional calories.

But the first thing you have to do for weight loss/fat loss is to get your diet in order. You simply can’t exercise hard enough to burn a high calorie diet (maybe there are a few exceptions, like triathletes–but that’s why we call them exceptions).

I’ll give you one simple example:

An intense weight training session will burn about 500-550 calories. Let’s just say you go to the coffee shop and have a large mocha drink after this kind of workout. There’s a good chance you just consumed all the 500 calories you worked so hard to burn.

Here’s another idea to consider: “You will never out supplement a bad diet.”

I’m afraid many trainees put more thought into which “fat burner” they plan to use than how their diet plan.

There are a few supplements (such as the ECA Stack and Yohimbine) can be helpful. But the won’t do anything for you if you are consuming more calories than you are using (the ECA stack’s primary effect is, in fact, appetite suppression).

I now prefer intermittent fasting, but any diet strategy will “work” as long as you consistently achieve negative calorie balance.

Just remember that at least 90% of your weight loss/fat loss results will come directly from your diet.

Nick Nilsson

program. It’s pretty straightforward:

Muscle Explosion e-book: This book is the overall plan for gaining mass. Later I’ll give a summary of how it works.

Printable Workout Sheets: You can print the workout plan out, carry it to the gym, and record your progress.

Berardi Meal Plans: Created by Dr. John Berardi, PhD, CSCS. Manipulating your diet is an important part of the program, and this e-book will guide you through it.

Program Summary:

The first week calls for a low carb approach to dieting. It’s a little more complicated than that because the author has included a few tweaks (like a protein only day). But the basic idea is to eat in a way that lowers the glycogen in your muscles.

This first low carb week is followed by three weeks of eating for mass. Why not go straight to the mass-eating phase? Well, lowering the glycogen in your liver/muscles sets you up for glycogen supercompensation. I know this is a legitimate strategy because it is part of cyclical ketogenic diets (which I’ve done before). I’ve never seen this method used specifically for mass, but it makes sense.

The training protocol goes along with the diet. The first couple of sessions are called Metabolic Acceleration. The program then systematically takes you through different techniques to build strength and mass. These are advanced methods to help you break through strength/mass plateaus.

Note on Supplements:
The program includes recommendations on supplements. While most of the advice is sound, I’d caution you on a couple of things:

*The author recommends specific stores/brands. I’d recommend you shop around and see if there are better deals out there.

*I disagree with his endorsement of Creatine Ethyl Ester. Creatine Monohydrate is, as far as I’m concerned, the only one you should use.

Review:

I believe Muscle Explosion would be very effective for advanced trainees who are looking to break plateaus in size and strength. It only cost around $30, which is a great value. But you should not buy it unless you are ready to fully dedicate yourself to some disciplined dieting and hard training. Please use my links if this review has helped you—you’ll be supporting an honest voice in the fitness industry.

Alternative Programs:

If you are new to training I would instead recommend Jason Ferruggia’s Muscle Gaining Secrets. This program is more appropriate for beginner trainees who want to build their foundation.

Intermediate/advanced trainees who want a program with video content should consider Ben Pakulski’s Mass Intentions 40 (MI40). This has been a popular program with my readers, but it does cost more than the one I’ve just reviewed.

You can CLICK HERE to check out Muscle Explosion.

As I’ve mentioned before, I think “NO boosters” are a complete waste of time in terms of making you bigger or stronger.  L-arginine does seem to have the potential to improve sexual health/potency (when taken with another supplement), but the hype about it building muscle should be ignored.

A recent study suggests AAKG does not improve strength or performance.  16 men (8 trained and 8 untrained) were given either 3000 mg of the supplement or a placebo 45 minutes prior to training (randomized, double-blind study).  Their one-rep max (1RM) was tested on both the bench press and leg press.  The subjects also trained with 60% of their 1RM to failure.  This test was repeated one week later.

Not surprisingly, there was a difference between the trained and untrained men in terms of strength and performance.  But the study found no differences between those taking the supplement and those taking the placebo.

Conclusion: “The results from our study indicate that acute AAKG supplementation provides no ergogenic benefit on 1RM or TLV as measured by the standard barbell bench press and leg press, regardless of the subjects’ training status.”¹

This study is limited (only 16 subjects an two training sessions).  But shouldn’t an effective “pre-workout supplement” show some measurable difference?  You decide.

Reference:
1. JISSN, 2012, 9:17 Acute L-arginine alpha ketoglutarate supplementation fails to improve muscular performance in resistance trained and untrained men