For the fitness and workout buffs and connoisseurs out there, Shin Ohtake is a legend. Former athlete and current strength coach, with degrees in biochemistry and chiropractic, Ohtake studied for nearly two decades the anatomy and physiology of the human body.
His goal was to put his knowledge and expertise to good work and come up with a workout program that would benefit all people who want to lose weight healthily, gain muscle tone and strength, build muscle, enjoy good overall mental and physical fitness, and turn the entire routine into a lifestyle.
He achieved his purpose by tailoring the Max Workouts program. The basic program lasts for ninety days and comes together with plenty of benefits. Moreover, it follows a scientific and medical approach to fitness and weight loss. We will discuss the program in detail and see if it is also good for you!
The Science behind the Max Workout
Shin Ohtake’s Max Workouts follow a series of principles, concepts, and phenomena linked to athletic enhancement, cardiovascular health, weight loss, athletic agility increase, and more. One such principle or phenomenon is the High-Intensity Intermittent Training.
Studies have shown that HIIT correlates positively with good subcutaneous and abdominal fat reductions results in overweight type 2 diabetic individuals, and subcutaneous and abdominal moderate fat reduction in people who were slightly overweight or had normal weight.
You are probably familiar with high-intensity intermittent training. It requires short and intense bouts of physical exercise followed by short resting periods.
The classic example of a HIIT is the 20-10 workout. It means that a person performs eight bouts of exercises (20-second all-out exercises) followed by a 10 second-rest period, for a total of 4 minutes of training.
In Shin’s workout program, you will also recognize the Tabata method of training, a concept that gained popularity in the nineties. The Tabata method is a form of HIIT that today includes a wide series of exercises and bouts of physical activity in the classic 20-10 pattern. When studying HIIT and Tabata training, researchers found that the latter works well to improve cardiovascular endurance and caloric burns.
Nevertheless, how can one translate these findings when talking about Shin Ohtake’s Max Workout program? Well, this is quite easy if we refer to the exercises Shin recommends.
Intense training
You should perform the high-intensity exercises Shin recommends three times a week as follows:
- Each training session includes 3-4 different exercises in four main categories: squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, and push-ups. You use dumbbells and increase their weight progressively.
- A round of exercise comprises the 3-4 exercises described above, performed sequentially, without resting periods in between them.
- You can rest for a minute in between two rounds and start over for six to eight times.
The intensity of the training resides in the fact that you will rest for one minute only during the first week of the program. In the weeks two and three, you will rest for 45 and 30 seconds respectively.
Besides this type of intense weight training, Shin’s MAX Workout also includes some other types of exercises you should not ignore.
The Dynamic Warmup
According to Shin, before you begin your high-intensity fat-burning weights exercises, you need a dynamic intense warmup session.
- The warmup consists of 5 exercises and you should repeat each of them 2 to 3 times before you engage in the actual intensity training. Optionally, you can also include a core strengthening exercise, resembling Pilates or yoga. This proves that Shin studied plenty of workouts and trainings and chose the best in each category.
The Interval Cardio Training
Specialists say you should perform the high intensity workout (with its precursory and mandatory dynamic warm up training) three days a week. You should perform interval cardio training in the alternative days, with one day of rest per week.
- Cardio exercises also follow the principles of HIIT and the Tabata method. Shin is a firm believer that short and intense cardio is more beneficial than longer moderate sessions.
- Shin’s program offers six interval cardio exercises in a wide variety of maximum effort quota, different periods, and different cool down times. No matter what you choose and feel comfortable with, you should know that you should repeat each low/high intensity interval for 4 to 24 times.
The Perks of Shin Ohtake’s Max Workout Program
Shin’s program is significantly more affordable than other similar ones. Moreover, Ohtake understands that some people need some motivation hacks to lose weight. Some delay their weight loss programs because they do not have the knowledge or the support to embrace a healthier lifestyle. Shin Ohtake meets everybody’s needs by offering a manual on dieting as a bonus.
The manual is simple, straightforward, and contain no-nonsense, much like the physical workout program. It tells you what to eat to lose weight and stay healthy, while specifically emphasizing on to not eat to maintain your new weight and continue to keep your body healthy, slim, and fit.
Some people may feel annoyed by Shin’s insistence to eliminate processed foods from our diets, but if you listen to what the World Health Organization had to say about processed meat, you might understand more easily why he insists.
In short, Shin’s MAX Workout comes with a scientific foundation for the exercises and alternation of workouts, while also focusing on the diet-exercise dual strategy of becoming a healthy and happy person.
Conclusion
One drawback – as we said before – is that you need time and patience to get the hang of Shin’s program. It is very hard at first and not as fun as others are, but you will soon adjust and master the warmups, intense weight training, cardio, and delicious healthy dishes in no time!