Old School New Body Review: Can this Workout Routine for Everyone 40+ Keep You Fit & Healthy?

Old School New Body Overview

Designed by husband and wife team, Steve and Becky Holman, Old School New Body is meant to an all inclusive plan to changing and caring for your aging body. This plan includes information on diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices that are supposed to help you build muscle and lose fat.

According to News In Health, a publication from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there are ways to combat the aging and weight gain link through diet and exercise. (1)

Built upon something they dub the Focus-4 Exercise (F4X) protocol, the program can boost metabolism no matter your age by building muscle and fighting fat promoting hormones. The program is built on lifting heavy enough weights with enough reps and sets to fully fatigue your muscles, causing maximum gains.

The Holmans provide a look at the science and several workouts to do. They also offer some guidance with nutrition and cardio, making it a complete plan.

Click Here for more information about the weight loss benefits.

The Authors of Old School New Body

Husband and wife team Steve and Becky Holman aren’t just any fitness buffs. This couple is the real deal. According to their website, Steve has been the editor in chief of Iron Man Magazine for over 25 years. Becky has become a regular contributor to the magazine’s lifestyle and nutrition sections.

Plus, both Steve and Becky have a long history of working out, and working out smart. In other words, this couple knows their stuff. (2)

Ho hum, you might be thinking. A book written about fitness by fitness buffs. How is this going to help me?

Well, Becky, has been in the position that a lot of us have been in. She worked out prior to having and raising her two daughters, but in her thirties while she was knee deep in diapers and family obligations, she fell off the workout bandwagon.

When she hit her 40s, she decided she was done with her tired appearance and out of shape body. She did a complete lifestyle overhaul, incorporating the principles of the program. She ended up changing her life and her body completely in only a few months.

If Becky, an average mom, can make this kind of change, then in theory almost anyone can.

The Science and Principles Behind Old School New Body

Right away, Old School New Body introduces you to the Focus-4 Exercise (F4X) regimen. The Holmans created the F4X training style to get maximum gains in minimal time, with the minimal chance of injury.

So, how does it work?

The F4X regimen is based on the idea of lifting moderate weight to put less stress on the joints. Instead of relying on high weights to create intensity, this program relies on shorter rest times between sets. The shorter rest time between sets allows your muscles to get fatigued without your joints being subject to the wear and tear from lifting very heavy weights.

The resulting muscle fatigue release human growth hormone(HGH). According to the book, this hormone trigger effects that cause your to build muscle, burn fat, and fight aging.

​While Old School New Body is correct in stating that HGH does decrease as we age, the jury is still out on whether or not this hormone is the fountain of youth that some enthusiasts, like Becky and Steve Holman, believe it is.

While synthetic versions of the hormone are used without FDA approval to increase performance, there isn’t enough scientific evidence to verify any performance enhancing or anti aging effects. (3)

However, just because the validity of the HGH effect hasn’t been 100 percent proven, doesn’t mean the program doesn’t base itself on other valid scientific principles. With the F4X method of working out, you focus on working out each of the 2 muscles sides:

• ​The myofibrils: These are the fibers that shorten and contract the muscles myofibrils grow when lifting heavier weight sets.

• The sarcoplasm: This fluid surrounds the myofibrils and is where most of the fat burning happens. It increases when muscles spend more time under tension.

The F4X method capitalizes on training both the myofibrils and sarcoplasm. By lifting heavy enough to cause the myofibrils to break down, the F4X method jump starts the metabolism. When muscle fiber breaks down, studies in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism prove the body works around the clock to repair it, burning more energy. (4)

y capitalizing on the afterburn effect of smart weight training, the program promises you can change your body in less time at the gym.

The Exercise Recommendations of Old School New Body

Old School New Body offers several fat burning, muscle building routines in the book. These routines include the following:

• F4X Lean Workout: 20 Minute Bellyfat Blowtorch
• F4X Automatic Cardio
• The F4X SHAPE Workout: Lard-to-Hard Blast-Off
• F4X All-Dumbbell Workout
• Advanced Training: The Full-Range BUILD Workout

Each workout is structured in a way to maximize weight loss and fat burning through the structured F4X approach. Each workout requires you to do the following:

• ​Choose a weight you can lift with moderate difficulty because you need to be able to finish 15 reps.
• Instead of doing sets of 15 reps, you will only do 10 reps per set. However, instead of only doing 2 sets, you will do 4 sets, with a very short rest between sets. While the first set starts easy, each set becomes progressively harder. This reduces the impact on your joints and decreases the risk of injury, while working all of your muscle fiber.
• You will repeat this technique for each exercise in the given workout routine, giving you a calorie scorching, muscle building workout in minimal time.

Let’s break down each workout to give you an in depth look and allow you to decide if this program is worth purchasing and can help you reach your goals.

# F4X Lean Workout: 20 Minute Bellyfat Blowtorch

The F4X Lean program is the beginner workout in the the book. With this workout, you’ll exercise 3 days a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

This routine includes only only 4 basic exercises per workout to hit all of your muscle groups. You can expect to find basics like squats in this set of exercises.

Instead of starting with 4 sets of each exercise, you will start slower with only 2 sets of 10 for each of the 4 exercises. In 2 to 3 weeks, or when you feel ready, you can add another set and continuing increasing your sets until you can complete 4 sets of all 4 exercises.

# F4X Automatic Cardio

Rather than outlining a set of exercises for you to complete in this section, F4X Automatic Cardio relies on the cardio component of the weight training routines.

Old School New Body makes cardio secondary to weight training and only offers recommendations for additional cardio exercise ranging from 20 minutes post lifting workout to 45 minutes on an off day.

While Old School New Body maintains that weight training will give you more bang for your buck when it comes to changing your body, many health experts still recommend cardiovascular exercise for maximum health benefits.

The American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity cardio per week or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio to reap the most rewards. (5)

# The F4X SHAPE Workout: Lard-to-Hard Blast-Off

The Lard-to-Hard Blast-Off takes the principles of the beginner 20 Minute Bellyfat Blowtorch and packages them for a more advanced user.

This intermediate program still has you training 3 days a week, but rather than being a circuit of the same 4 exercises repeated each day it has you doing a different series of 8 to 9 exercises.

Unlike in the 20 Minute Bellyfat Blowtorch, the routines in this section are not full body routines on their own. These routines focus on different areas of the body each day, giving them a more concentrated individual workout. Doing all 3 routines in 1 week will however work your body from head to toe.

# F4X All-Dumbbell Workout

This program is designed to get you a workout when you can’t get to a gym. Whether you don’t have a gym membership or are short on time, if you follow the All-Dumbbell Workout, you can get a good burn in the comfort of your own home as long as you have dumbbells.

A good option that gives you adjustable weights so you can tailor your workout to you can be found here.

Like the Lard-to-Hard Blast-Off, this program has you working out 3 times a week, doing a series of 8 or 9 exercises with each day’s exercises varying. None of the routines stand alone as a total body workout, but doing each of them in 1 week will hit most major muscle groups.

# Advanced Training: The Full-Range BUILD Workout

This training program is designed for only more advanced users looking to really lean out and drop body fat. The program is 4 days per week, with each day concentrating on a different body part. Each workout is longer, as well with over 10 exercises per day, each to be repeated up to 4 times.

The Holmans designed this training program to work the muscle through its full range of motion in the following 3 ways:

• Mid Range
• Stretch
• Contracted

Training the muscles this way recruits more muscle fibers, giving greater gains for serious bodybuilders and athletes.

The Dietary Recommendations of Old School New Body

Transforming your body doesn’t happen through exercise alone. Old School New Body realizes this fact and provides several chapters devoted to nutrition. It’s basic principles are fairly simple to understand and include:

• Counting calories and macronutrients to suit your body
• Eating 6 small meals per day
• Varying your intake to keep your body guessing
• Eating healthy food and cutting out junk like refined carbohydrates
• Limiting carb intake, particularly at night
• Including protein with each meal
• Having a cheat day each week to make sure you feel satisfied

All of these recommendations are fairly standard recommendations for weight loss. The Holmans include their daily meal plans along with the dietary recommendations so men and women each get an idea how to apply the recommendations to suit them better.

The Old School New Body diet method also relies heavily on the use of supplements. While very popular among the bodybuilding set, using supplements may turn the average dieter off and be unnecessary.

In fact, though it is true that athletes building muscle mass need extra protein, the most protein an athlete would need would be .7-.9 grams of protein per pound.

The average American already gets 15% of their caloric intake from protein already and when you consider that a 4 ounce serving of tuna has over 30 grams of protein and a single slice of cheddar cheese has 7 grams of protein, you can see getting adequate protein through diet alone is possible. (6)

The Pros and Cons of Old School New Body

Before you decide to purchase Old School New Body, consider the pros and cons of the program fully to make sure you are happy with your choice to buy it or not.

Who Is Old School New Body Best For?

Old School New Body can benefit everyone from total beginners to advanced fitness buffs looking to take their physique to the next level.

However, Old School New Body probably is best suited for an intermediate user who has some prior experience working out.

If you choose to follow Old School New Body, ideally you don’t mind weightlifting, since the routines are built upon this and you are ok with the idea of counting calories and macronutrients.

Alternatives We Can Recommend

Old School New Body may not suit if you don’t like lifting weights. While resistance training does build muscle, doing a program you won’t stick to because you don’t enjoy doing it will not benefit you.

If you are still looking to try getting fit at home, check out Grokker.com. This website offers a variety of programs.

Though known as a great source of yoga routines with many varieties of yoga available, this site includes everything from HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts to Pilates. Plus, it also offers a section on healthy eating and access to a community of people committed to their fitness journeys.

Would We Recommend Old School New Body?

Yes, Old School New Body is a solid, comprehensive program that addresses all aspects of getting healthy from exercise to nutrition and lifestyle. However, this program would be better suited for an intermediate exerciser than a rote beginner.

Its emphasis on writing down each workout, balancing dietary macros, and other lifestyle changes may overwhelm those just starting out.

If you have been exercising for a while and have reached a plateau and don’t mind these things, this program could very well transform your body into the sleek body of your dreams.