The MF Fusion Workout

"You can't have your cake and eat it, too." We've never understood that saying. Whenever we have cake, we eat the whole damn thing (and sometimes the cookies next to it). And since we take our training as seriously as we do our desserts, we can't stand to hear the same warped logic propagated at the gym.

You know - the trainers who say you can only work toward "one goal at a time." They love to talk about how you can't build muscle while losing fat or increase your endurance without compromising strength. And while most of the time there is some logic behind their reasoning, they also haven't tried the MF Fusion Workout.

The genesis of the idea was simple yet radical: We wanted one program that strategically blended elements from three different exercise modalities, helping you achieve gains in a number of different fitness arenas all at once. And, after a lot of trial and error, we've finally come up with just that - a program that nets simultaneous results in three of the most important measures of men's fitness: size, strength, and overall endurance. Best of all, it works even if you indulge in the occasional cake.

The Fusion

Our program joins the science behind powerlifting, bodybuilding, and martial-arts conditioning - disciplines that may otherwise never have met - to bring you the best of all worlds in one session. For example, each workout starts with an old-fashioned strength exercise - such as the classic powerlifting standby, the squat. Since you'll be fresh, you'll be able to work your hardest with the heaviest possible load, priming your body for maximum strength gains. You'll then move on to more of a bodybuilding protocol - a high volume of reps that will not only give you that awe-inspiring "pumped" look but also leave your muscles growing for days afterward.

As you begin to fatigue, we have to decrease the loads you lift. But to keep your intensity up, we've increased the duration of your sets, taking you next to a tri-set of body-weight exercises - three moves done one after the other, which not only gets your heart rate up but also ignites your fat stores. This is the kind of work that combat athletes do to condition themselves to go all-out round after round. It also builds the core strength and endurance it takes to make punches and kicks effective weapons. Next, you'll shoot for pure core-endurance development, holding an awkward position for progressively longer periods. The better you are at these exercises, the better your protection against lower-back pain, and the more stability you'll have on your heavier lifts.

Finally, you'll finish up with 10-15 minutes of cardio, but not the boring, walk-in-place kind. Again, we invoke the techniques of martial artists, who, just through the force generated by their strikes, work a ton of muscle and burn hundreds of calories. Of course, if you're self-conscious about looking more like a tank-ass than a badass, you can opt for some light rowing or running in this slot instead. But we recommend you do the kickboxing - it kicks the crap out of the treadmill (no pun intended).

For more Fusion workouts or to create your own personalized interactive health and fitness program visit: FusionForFitness.com