12 Simple steps to get huge and shredded

WEEK-BY-WEEK OUTLINE
Week 1: THE IMPORTANCE OF GOALS
Week 2: THE BASICS OF WEIGHT TRAINING
Week 3: FAT BURNING AND CARDIO TIPS
Week 4: EAT TO BURN FAT 24/7: BASICS OF NUTRITION
Week 5: INSTANTLY ADD WEIGHT TO ALL YOUR LIFTS
Week 6: INTENSITY: THE REASON BEHIND SUCCESS
Week 7: THE BEST NUTRITION PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET
Week 8: NEVER HIT A PLATEAU AGAIN
Week 9: THE BEST CHEST, BACK, & AB EXERCISES
Week 10: LEGS & SHOULDERS
Week 11: BLAST THOSE BICEPS, TRICEPS, & FOREARMS
Week 12: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
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INTRODUCTION
I guarantee you that this will be the most effective program you will ever get
involved in. In fact, I feel it is the only one you will ever need to completely
transform your body into a work of art, a masterpiece.
The principles behind this effective program should never change, no matter
what it is you are trying to achieve. With this said, you must be willing to follow
the program as it is designed, putting everything you have into it. This is not a
lose-weight quick program or a miracle solution. If you are looking for one, STOP
reading this now and continue your dreaming. What you get out of this program,
much like life in general will, depend on what you put into it. You will put in hard
work and discipline, and for that you will get results. An increase in lean muscle,
a loss in body fat, and an overall better feeling about yourself are just a few of the
end results. Put in nothing and you get nothing-deservedly so!
For the next twelve weeks, forget everything that you have "learned" regarding
working out. You need to approach this program with a fresh, open mind, as
unbiased as you can be. I am providing the tools for the foundation; you have to
build the house one brick at a time.
This program was designed based upon research into what actually builds
muscle and causes fat-loss. I have read and researched the thousand or so
pages over the past few years so that you do not have to. I have condensed it as
much as possible, but it will still require some time to read the material. If you do
not have the time to read it, you probably do not have the time to achieve your
fitness and workout goals.
As a fitness trainer, I hear many of the same goals from people over and over
again. Most people want to gain lean muscle mass and lose body fat, so this will
be the major emphasis of the program. This program is perfect for ANYONE!
Young, old, male or female, this program is the most effective way to build
muscle and lose fat. Over the course of this program, I will highlight the important
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concepts a little at a time so that way there is not so much information to
consume all at once. Take it one step at a time (think baby steps!) and after the
12 weeks, you will have all of the tools necessary to stay in great physical shape
forever.
Some of the information I give you will go against everything you have been told.
I have to question though, what you have been told over the years and by whom.
It seems everyone is a self-proclaimed fitness expert, although not everyone has
the appearance and the physical fitness to back up their philosophies. It is great
to question the validity of something, but give me the twelve weeks first and then
you can be as skeptical as you want if you have not noticed results.
A point I would like to touch on now. Get rid of the thought that more is better.
The more sets and reps you perform does not have a positive effect on muscle
building and fat loss. In fact, the more sets and reps you do, the more
counterproductive it may be. It is all based on quality of the reps and sets. Think
quality over quantity. Make the workout as simple and as efficient as possible,
while maintaining maximum intensity. If you do this, you will see your gains
skyrocket. I cannot stress enough the importance of maximum intensity in your
workout. You get out of it what you put into it.
For those of you that want to tone up and not get "bulked-up", this program is
perfect for you. There is more to the process of bulking than just the amount of
weight training you do. The whole process of toning and getting that desired
"lean and muscular" look is achieved through the combination of reducing body
fat and increasing lean muscle tissue. This is how toning is achieved, not through
just weight training with high reps and lighter weight. We will outline the proper
way to lose body fat and gain lean muscle mass in later chapters.
So start this program with an open mind, but most of all, with focus, intensity, and
confidence that you will achieve whatever it is you want to achieve. The choice is
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up to you. Whether you think you can achieve the body you want or whether you
think you cannot, you are absolutely right either way!
WEEK 1: THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING GOALS
Anything that we do, we do for a reason. Anything. There may be some times
that we do not know the reason behind what we are doing, but you can be sure
there is one. If you search enough, you will uncover it.
This is also the case in fitness. We do the stuff we do in the gym for a reason. It
may be to look good or to feel good. It may be to have an overall healthier
approach to living. It may be to become stronger or more energetic.
In order to completely excel at our fitness endeavors, we need to know exactly
what it is we are working towards. Each of our reasons is different. That is why it
is extremely important for us to tap into our individual driving force and find the
reason why we go to the gym each day. When you find that reason, take it and
run with it. Use it as your prime motivator.
There are many reasons for change. Are you fed up with being overweight? Are
you sick and tired of always feeling sick and tired? Disgusted at the person
staring back at you when you look in the mirror? You must first have an important
enough reason to want to change. Then you must find a method you can use to
change.
If you are currently involved in a fitness routine, ask yourself if what you are
currently doing is working for you. If it isn’ t, then you need to get real about
where you are and where you want to go. Make the commitment NOW to
change, to stop settling for less. Use these feelings to create power. Use that
frustration to create a compelling enough reason for you to take action and
change. Make a conscious decision to change the way you look, feel, think, and
act. First you must change your thinking, then your body. It must be in that order.
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Step one in this program is for you to find your driving force, your reason to
change. Find out why it is you want results. Make a list of all the benefits you will
receive when you start working out and getting in shape. Start thinking, acting,
and feeling like you are already enjoying these benefits. How does it feel to be
thin, energetic, and full of life? How would you like to feel this way all the time,
able to really enjoy the level of fitness you’ ve always wanted?
It's extremely important for you to uncover your prime motivator for changing.
You must want it for yourself, not because your doctor told you or your spouse
told you to change. It must be from within you or it will not be long lasting.
On this page I have made a fitness goal worksheet for you to complete. Make a
list of YOUR top three fitness goals. Your top three most urgent, pressing
reasons for wanting to change or reach a certain level of fitness.
Without goals, you are just wandering. You cannot hit a target you do not see, no
matter how much you are willing to work. That is like saying you are willing to
make it from Maine to Florida, just by driving somewhere, unsure of which way to
go.
For this first week of this program, think of your top three reasons for changing
your body and your life. I guarantee if you do start to change your body, internal
motivation and the improved self– esteem you get will indeed change your life.
Set your goals so that there is a 50/50 chance of reaching them. Goals should
not be easy enough so that they are guaranteed to be reached. They should also
not be so difficult that you will never reach them. If a goal is almost impossible to
reach, how hard are you willing to work for it?
When you make this list, look at it morning, noon, and night. Want it bad enough
to be willing to put forth the effort needed to achieve it. This whole program was
designed to take baby steps towards a known goal, not a giant blind leap into the
unknown. A journey begins with the first step, which starts right now by setting
your compelling reasons for changing.
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Each week from here out we will progress a bit, we will be learning new
principles and incorporating them into our workout programs.
Make this adventure fun as well; no one wants to work at something that is not
fun.
This program will be hard work. Hard work pays off; coasting does not produce
results. Hard work makes the results appreciated more. If you are not ready or
willing to work hard at changing your body, losing weight, toning up, gaining
muscle, getting an improved self-esteem, then please do not waste your time by
reading any further. In these twelve weeks, we will be planting the seeds in which
you soon will be reaping the harvest of weight loss and muscle gain for time to
come.
So what are your top three fitness goals?
A GOAL IS A DREAM WITH A DEADLINE- Napoleon Hill
My top three Fitness Goals Are:
1. __________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________The reason for setting
this goal is:
__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________
The reason for setting this goal is:_________________
______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
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3.
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________
The reason for setting this goal is: ____________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
If I were to reach only one of these goals, it would be:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Because:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
THIS GOAL SHOULD BE YOUR DRIVING FORCE, YOUR REASON FOR
CHANGING!
The topic of setting goals is one that is talked about so much; it has almost
gotten to the point of losing its meaning and importance. It is a very important
aspect of weight training, as well as the whole fitness program. What exactly is a
goal? A goal is something that you are willing to achieve at all costs, no matter
what you have to do to get it. It is desire to want that which you do not currently
have. It is the destination before the start of a journey. Without a clear-cut goal,
you are not getting anywhere.
Does this describe your workout regime, going around in circles, getting
nowhere? In order to achieve your fitness goals, you need to know where you
currently are, what it is you want to achieve, and the steps you are going to take
to reach them. Set realistic, achievable goals for yourself, not impossible dreams.
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The fun of goals comes when you reach them. Do not set yourself up for failure
by setting a goal that is out of reach.
Goals must be written down. Something magical happens when you actually
write down what it is you want to achieve. They become more concrete, more
"real." If they are not written down, they are just dreams, not goals. Goals need to
be specific, like losing a pound of body fat per week, increasing your bench press
by 20 pounds in a month, or running a mile in less than five minutes. These are
goals you can write down and set a desired deadline in which to achieve them.
You may be thinking to yourself, "I thought I was going to lose fat and gain
muscle with this program, and here you are talking about setting goals.” Goals
are a very big part of anything you do in life. You need to know what it is you
want in life in order to go after it. Things do not just come to us.
You need goals to measure your success, or else how will you know if you’ ve
achieved success.
Here is this first weight training routine for this first week. If you are unsure of
how to perform a certain exercise, skip to the later chapters where it explains
each one.
WEEK: 1
* IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PICK A HEAVY ENOUGH WEIGHT SO THAT YOU
REACH MUSCLE FAILURE BETWEEN THIS 4-6 REP RANGE.
Day 1 Chest & Triceps Weight Lifted
Flat Bench Press w/ Straight Bar
1 easy warm-up set for 10 reps ______
1 slightly heavier set for 6 reps ______
1 even heavier set for 3 reps ______
2 heavy sets for 4-6 reps(want to reach failure in this range) ______ _____
Dumbbell Flat Bench Chest Press
1 moderately heavy set of 6 reps _____
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(no need to go light and warm-up again)
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
DIPS ON THE DIP MACHINE (go all the way down)
2 sets w/ bodyweight
Lying Tricep Extensions
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Tricep Pushdowns on Cable Machine
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Day 2- Cardio
Choose one of the following:
Stairmaster, Treadmill, jogging outside, bicycle, aerobics class (one that moves constantly for 20-30
minutes)
30 minutes TOTAL
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense cardio (make sure you are WORKING HARD)
5 minute cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED _______
Day 3 Legs, Shoulders & Abs
Cybex Seated Leg Extension
2 warm-up sets of 10 reps _____
Squats on Smith Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Calf Presses on Calf Machine
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Seated Military Press On Smith Machine
1 warm-up set of 10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Dumbbell lateral raises to the FRONT
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ ______
Weighted cable Crunches
1 warm-up set of 10 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 10-15 reps ______ ______
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Day 4-Cardio
30 minutes
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense
5 minutes cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED ______
Day 5- Back & Biceps
Cable Pulldowns to the Front
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Seated Cybex Back Row
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Smith Machine Barbell Shrugs
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Alternate Dumbbell Curls
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Straight Bar Curls
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
WEEK 2: BASICS OF WEIGHT TRAINING
When designing this program, I tried to keep two principles at the forefront of my
mind. These two principles were "simplicity" and "efficiency." One of the reasons
why I feel many people stop making gains is that they think the longer they have
been involved in fitness, the more advanced and difficult things need to become.
They get "lost in the shuffle" as to what works and what does not. Something
keeps them from reaching their fitness goals they have set for themselves, so
they try something new, something different, shying away from the simpler and
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more effective things that actually worked. The cycle of confusion begins. Keep
things simple and you will get a lot further.
Have you noticed the huge increase of fitness and nutrition products to hit the
shelves lately? Diet books, pills, powders, thigh masters, liquid drinks, bun and
thigh rockers, ab-this and ab-that machines just to name a few. Every time you
change the TV channel, there is an infomercial on some new weight-loss product
or tummy-tuck contraption. Why? Americans are fatter than ever. Why is it the
amount of products to the amount of overweight/obese people is also increasing?
We have to ask, is our approach working? Of course it isn’ t. There is one
reason and only one reason these products are saturating the airwaves and TVs.
Money. That is it. These products are making companies (many of them bogus
and illegitimate) millions if not billions of dollars a year. How? By targeting
people’ s emotions, telling them that if they bought their product, they will look
like the girl in the ad or the guy in the commercial. The deception most of these
companies use is downright fraud, but people continue to by into it. This brings
me back to why I designed this program. Simplicity and efficiency. Remember
these terms. They will be used often.
You do not need anything other than motivation, self-discipline, some free
weights, and some direction as to what exercises to do and which ones not to do.
You do not need the latest pill product, or fad diet to get you to where you want to
be. The more information thrown out there to the consumer, the more bull to
wade through. Keep things simple and you will make life a whole lot easier. The
foundation of this program will be built around very simple, proven techniques
that will aid in fat-loss and lean muscle gain.
The main areas we will hit on this week include:
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The basics for this program.
• The desired rep range will gradually progress to four to six repetitions per
set on most exercises.
• The amount of heavy, intense sets per exercise will either be one set or
two sets, depending on the order of the exercise.
• The actual weight-training part of the workout will last no more than 45
minutes, preferably no longer than 30 minutes.
• You will rest for at least one minute between warm-up sets and at least
two minutes between heavy sets.
• You will train each muscle group (biceps, for example) only once in a
seven-day period.
• After two solid months of training, take at least five days off in a row from
training (preferably seven days) and do not do anything "extremely
physical" in or out of the gym.
Our goal is to make things very simple, very efficient, and very effective.
Most people tend to like simple routines. It cuts the confusion. And
exercise doesn’ t have to be complex in order for it to work. Simple, basic
ones like bench press and squats are completely more effective. Let’ s
cover why these principles are so important in this program. Please read
the following basic guidelines more than once. Read them to understand
why it is we are doing what we are doing. These principles should not
change, regardless of how long you have been weight training or how long
you plan on continuing weight training. Once you know what actually
causes a muscle to grow and get stronger, why would you want to train
any other way?
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The desired repetition range is four to six repetitions for heavy sets on
most exercises.
In order to understand this program, you need to understand what causes
a muscle to grow and become stronger. There is one and only one reason
a muscle has for getting bigger and stronger.
Progressively increased overload.
I will repeat this statement again because it is by far one of the most
important pieces of information in this entire program. The only reason a
muscle will get bigger and become stronger is by increasing the amount of
overload, or "work" on that muscle. A muscle responds to stress (weight
training) by adapting and growing to handle the future stress that will be
placed upon it. Continue to train a muscle with the same weight and you
will get the same results. You need to progressively "force" the muscle
into growing stronger or it will not. So in order to increase overload, you
need to increase resistance. In order to increase resistance, you need to
increase the amount of weight, or work, you are doing.
Lower repetitions of an exercise will allow you to increase the overload to
that muscle instantaneously. This forces the stimulation of new muscle
fibers that will be recruited to handle the additional stresses that will be
placed upon the muscle.
The repetition range for optimal muscle fiber stimulation will be between
four and six repetitions for just about every heavy set of an exercise you
do.
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Now, contradictory to myths I’ ve heard, this low repetition range will not
increase the likelihood of injury. If anything, it will reduce the chance of
injury because your muscles are becoming accustomed to handling
additional forces not normally subjected upon them, therefore
strengthening them. The less reps you do, the less chance of injury. The
less times you get in your car to drive, the less likelihood of having a car
accident.
Low reps will not cause you to "bulk" up unwontedly. Low reps will
strengthen and "tone" your muscles quicker than higher reps. Lighter
weights and higher reps will basically keep you from making optimal gains.
It is easier to train more intensely if you are focusing on only four to six
repetitions instead of ten to fifteen. If you can do ten repetitions of an
exercise, the weight is too light to achieve overload
If you are new to an exercise and are just learning how to do an exercise,
ten repetitions are fine. When you become more experienced, start
lowering your reps and increasing your weights.
How do you know what weight to use? The first week or two of your
routine will be more or less a trial and error period. You will quickly learn
which weight you should be using. If you can do more than six repetitions
on your heavy sets for an exercise, the weight is too light. If you cannot do
at least four, the weight is too heavy. That is how you tell. It is extremely
important to keep a written log or chart of what weights you are using. This
will cut out a lot of guesswork.
When you are doing more than six repetitions with ease, time to move the
weight, or "work" up to the next level. Depending on which exercise you
are doing, this could range from one pound on the single dumbbell arm
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curls to five pounds on the bench press. Here is where the progressive
overload occurs. Remember, in order for a muscle to respond by growing,
it needs to be forced.
Here is where efficiency also comes into play. Four to six reps, if
performed with extreme intensity, will be more effective than ten reps of
lighter weight and less intensity. That is efficiency.
The amount of heavy, intense sets per exercise will either be one set or
two sets, depending on the order of the exercise.
We will discuss warming up correctly more in depth in a later chapter, but I
will briefly discuss it now. When doing an exercise, you only want to warmup
just enough so that the blood flow has increased in the muscles and
you feel ready to increase the amount of work you are going to do. You
never want to warm-up to the point of tiring the muscles before you get to
your heavy sets.
When you are warmed up, the number of all-out, intense sets will be two
at the most, and on some exercises, just one set. Remember quality over
quantity. It is the overload that causes the muscle to grow, not the amount
of sets you do. There is no "universal law" which states that if you double
the amount of reps you perform, you also double the results. The key is to
stimulate, not annihilate, the muscle into responding and growing. You do
this with two, very intense sets of four to six repetitions. This will efficiently
stimulate the muscles more than doing more sets with more reps at a
lighter weight.
Your heavy, intense set is the set that you do at least four reps, but not
more than six. Again, if you can do more than six reps, increase the
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weight. If you can’ t get a good four, lower the amount of weight. This is
very important. You want to "hit failure" between this range. If we were
doing the flat bench press, we would do our warm-ups and then two
heavy, intense sets of four to six repetitions. This exercise is now done.
You have effectively overloaded the chest muscles and will then proceed
to the next exercise.
The actual weight-training part of the workout will last between 30 and 45
minutes.
Weight training is not an endurance event. Once again, if you stay in the
gym twice as long, you will not see twice the results. After about 30
minutes, the body’ s natural release of growth hormones that assist in
muscle-building (primarily testosterone) sharply decreases as time goes
on. There is an "anabolic window" of opportunity for the spike of natural
hormones to hit a high and this is between 30 and 45 minutes into the
weight training session. After this time, the risk of over training and the
release of catabolic (muscle-destroying) hormones increase. Get in the
gym, do what you have to do, and get out. You can train more intensely
for 30-45 minutes than you can for over an hour. Intensity of the exercise
is just as important as how much weight you are doing.
This 30-45 minute time period does not include your 5-minute warm-up,
shower afterwards, or any other non-weight training activity. So if you are
in the gym for an hour total, but only worked out for 30 minutes, that is
fine.
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Rest at least a minute between warm-up sets and two minutes between
heavy sets
Wait enough time between sets so that you are rested enough to perform
as well as you did your previous set. Your second set needs to be as
intense as the first so that the overload to the muscle is at least the same
that it was the previous set. If you do a set of six reps and then right after,
without enough rest, can only do a set for three reps, you have not gained
anything. The overload to the muscle has been diminished. If, after doing
a set for six reps, you rest two minutes, add 5 more pounds, and proceed
to do another set of six reps, the overload has been increased, and so has
the likelihood new muscle will be recruited. So it is vital that you give
yourself enough rest in between sets so that way you feel as though you
can handle the next set as well as you just did the previous. This could
mean a different rest period for different people. Whether it is a minute or
two, you need to be recovered before starting your next set. If this were
the case, why would you ever want to superset (doing exercises back to
back with no rest) two exercises? Even though you may be working two
opposing muscle groups such as biceps and triceps, the lack of rest
between the two exercises will have a negative effect on the second
exercise. The second muscle group will be worked less intensely than the
first because your muscle energy stores have been utilized during the first.
This reduces the effectiveness of the exercise.
Train each muscle group (biceps, for example) only once every five to
seven days
Remember that more is not necessarily better. More money, maybe, but
not weight-training. If you work a muscle group more than once in a five to
seven-day span, you are running the risk of over training, or overdoing,
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that muscle. A muscle must recover fully from its previous stress before it
can handle additional stress. Training with sore, tired, overworked
muscles is taking one step forwards, two steps back. It’ s going to take
you a while to get where you want to be, if you even get there at all.
Training a muscle group, such as chest, biceps, or back, only once a week
will allow that muscle enough time to fully recuperate and recover to
handle the next workout. Since progressive overload is the key to
progress, we want our muscles well rested so that they may handle more
overload next workout.
If you do chest on a Monday, you will not want to do it again until the
following Monday. Allow a full seven days of rest in between training chest
again. Many exercises that you perform during the week also incorporate
the muscles you are trying to rest. For example, when you do the bench
press, your deltoids (shoulders) and triceps both come into play. They are
getting subjected to work even though you are not specifically targeting
them. Therefore, some muscles get worked more than once a week
anyways.
After two solid months of training, take at least five days off (in a row) and
do not do anything "real physical" in or out of the gym
This is very important in the recovery phase of weight training. Proper
weight training puts a lot of stress on the muscles and the body. You are
damaging muscle fibers that need to be rebuilt and reinforced. The weight
training is just the stimulus for muscle growth. The real growth and repair
of the muscle comes when you are out of the gym resting. The rest is what
causes them to grow and get stronger. Much like a battery needs to be
recharged once in a while so does our bodies. We need to take a few
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days off after about every two months of intense training. This should be
at least five days, preferably seven days.
Do absolutely nothing involving weights, aerobics, or cardio. Nothing.
Zilch. Don’ t even go to a gym unless it is to tan, relax in the Jacuzzi, or
shower. YOU NEED TO COMPLETELY REST . You need this time to let
your body recover and recuperate from the time you have spent training
so hard. After three days of not doing anything real physical, you will feel
more energized. Do not worry about becoming unmotivated and fearful
you might stop going to the gym. The opposite is true. After five or so days
of straight rest, you will be so full of energy that you will want to bust down
the door to the gym to get inside. It happens. When you rest your body
often, you can expect it to recover from these intense workouts better. If
you have been working out for quite some time, such as two to three
months, and you don’ t feel the least bit fatigued on some days, I may
have to question if you are working out with the utmost intensity. Intense
and demanding workouts will, sooner or later, start to wear you out. If you
do not get enough rest, your body’ s immune system will force you to
take some time off (by becoming sick). Think about what stress does to
your body. Stress can make you sick. In lab research, scientists subject
rats to electric shocks at various times of the day so that the rat has no
idea when the next shock is coming. Talk about stress. Guess what
happens. The rat develops ulcers and dies. Although not on the same
level, weight training is still a form of stress to the body. You must allow
your body to recuperate fully or the residual effects of long-term weight
training will shut it down.
These are the fundamental principles behind this program. Remember
that simplicity and efficiency are keys to creating an effective and resultproducing
exercise program. Progressive overload is the only reason a
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muscle has to get bigger and stronger. If it is not subjected to heavier
weight, it has no reason to respond and adapt. It is that simple. We have
now learned the way to effectively increase lean muscle mass, which is a
large part of the toning equation.
I have described on the next few pages an experience I had last year
regarding the principles I have discussed here. It involved a young
gentleman that I have recently started training at a local college. It puts
into perspective how important simplicity and efficiency are in weight
training.
In evaluating Brian’s current fitness level and where he wanted to be, I
had him explain what it was he used to do and what it was he was now
doing. He had told me he had hit a plateau and couldn’t increase his
weights on any exercise, in fact, on a few of them, he was going down in
weight. He was taking steps backwards. Some of the best gains as far as
increasing muscle mass and losing fat Brian had ever noticed came at a
time when he literally knew very little about fitness and weight training.
Here is where the simplicity part comes in. When he first started weight
training, he did the simple exercises because he really didn’t know
anything else. He did bench press, incline press, barbell and dumbbell
curls, shoulder press with dumbbells, and squats, just to name a few. He
did very simple, simple exercises. And his gains skyrocketed.
Because he was still in school and busy playing sports all the time, he
could only weight-train once in a while, like three times a week. And
guess what, his gains continued. And when he did train, he went at it
like a mad man (INTENSITY) not knowing when he could get back into
the gym. Even thought he could only make it into the gym for about
forty-five minutes after practice, he was seeing better results than the
guys who spent two hours in the gym. He would not waste time in the
gym when he was there. He would go from each exercise very focused
and determined to outdo himself every single time he touched the
weights. So he noticed that he really didn’t have to spend a lot of time in
the gym as long as the time he did spend was well used (EFFICIENCY).
Even though he was doing very basic, simple exercises, he was seeing
better results than those who were doing everything and anything for
exercises.
Then the unfortunate and the inevitable happened. He got a little cocky,
figured he knew a lot about weight training, but that he wanted to know
more. So he read more. More muscle magazines and other publications
with a hundred different programs from a hundred different people. He
talked to everyone and anyone about weight training and fitness, and
got plenty of different answers. He figured the more he knew the better
22
off he was. So he tried this new exercise and that new exercise. He also
figured that if he was seeing good results by going to the gym three
times a week, if he doubled the time, he would double his results. He
also figured he could double the amount of time for each workout and
double his improvements. Boy, he couldn’t wait to show everybody that,
because he knew more, he was going to do more and be more. So what
happened? His gains came to a screeching halt. He got weaker and
couldn’t lift as much as he previously could a month earlier. He started
getting sick more often. He was fatigued a lot. He just figured that was
the price he had to pay for getting into better shape. He really didn’t
know any better. It got to the point that he was getting tired of weight
training and doing anything fitness related. He figured he had seen all
the gains he was going to, so fitness kind of fell by the wayside.
Then one day I started talking to Brian and he had asked me to do some
work with him. He had told me that he had made the best gains when he
was completely new, but as he "knew" more about weight training and
tried to incorporate everything he learned, the results disappeared. I
told him I was not surprised by this, knowing that there was only one
thing that actually caused a muscle to grow (increased overload). With
all of the new things Brian had learned, his approach had moved away
from the simpler, compound movements that created maximum
overload to the muscles. He was now trying what everyone else was
doing, all the fancy, isolation exercises that were not overloading the
muscle. I told him if he wanted to look like everyone else, do what
everyone else was doing. If he wanted different, he needed to do
different. I had created a program for Brian based on the "simplicity"
and "efficiency" principles, much of which is in this book. I decided to
simplify things for Brian, get back to basics, and make his time in the
gym the most efficient time possible while still achieving the results he
wanted.
From there, he has not looked back. He didn’t realize exactly how wrong
he was going about things. After a month on his new "program" he had
seen better results than a years worth of previous training. He was
achieving significantly better results than he ever had. His weights he
lifted went up and so did his energy. He was only spending 2-3 hours a
week working out now and was getting better results!
Needless to say, Brian has a new outlook on training, a more simpler,
efficient one.
If you are not getting optimal results from your current fitness routine (fat-loss,
muscle gain), I am positive that the problem and answer lies in one of three
areas:
1. Your current weight-training program.
2. Your current cardio/aerobic routine.
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3. Your current eating habits.
I guarantee if you look at each one of these three areas, the problem lies within.
You need to look at each of these three areas and see if what you are currently
doing is in line with what I am going to be discussing. People often ask me which
of the above three areas is the most important one to focus on. I say all three are
the most important. Focus 100% on each area to get great results because that
is probably why you are not getting the results you want right now, one area (or
more) is not getting the attention it deserves.
If what you are doing RIGHT NOW is not getting you what you want, does it
make sense to do it differently?
Here is how to structure your weight training routine to optimize efficiency and
effectiveness:
Basics of Weight Training
1. Before engaging in any form of weight training, warm-up on a cardio
machine for 5 minutes prior to hitting the weights. You do not want to start
cold. You will not be as strong or as energetic. Warm-up for 5 minutes and
then begin your weight training.
2. Start your first exercise with a very light, easy set of ten repetitions. Never
warm-up to the point of failure or exhaustion. You will be expending much
needed energy if you do, energy that will be needed for the last heavy
sets.
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3. The next set (or two, for heavy, demanding exercises like squats and
bench press) should be what is called a weight acclimation set. Its sole
purpose is to get your muscles ready for an increasingly heavier weight
that is to follow. If you went from a light warm-up to your heavy sets, you
would risk injury and not be as strong. So progress into your heavy sets
with a moderately heavier set for six to eight repetitions or less.
4. After the weight acclimation set comes either one or two heavy sets. If
done correctly and with enough intensity, you should never need to do
more than two heavy sets. If you can do three or more heavy sets, the first
two were either not heavy enough or not intense enough. During a
workout, the first exercise that you do for a muscle group should contain
two heavy sets, but as you go on in the workout, if you have been using
extreme intensity and a heavy enough weight, the need to do 2 heavy sets
diminish and 1 heavy set will work the muscle towards failure.
5. Each heavy set will consist of four to six repetitions. This lower rep range
is extremely important. For either men or women, you must stay with low
reps in order to gain any lean muscle. A muscle will only grow and get
stronger if it is forced to do so. This is our way of forcing it. As we lower
the amount of times we have to lift a weight, we should in turn be able to
increase the amount of weight lifted. More reps at a lighter weight will not
do it. If you can lift ten repetitions on your heavy sets, then they are not
heavy; the weight is too light to create overload and muscle fiber
stimulation. I often ask people why it is they perform ten repetitions
throughout a workout and they truly cannot give me an answer. They
either read it somewhere or just followed what everyone else did. You
MUST pick a heavy enough weight to reach failure between this four to six
rep range. This alone will cause more muscle growth than you probably
have ever achieved before.
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6. Make sure your workouts are under 45 minutes. Keep them closer to 30
minutes. This is important for several reasons. First, it is easier to focus
intensely for 30-45 minutes than it is an hour or more. Harness that power
of focus. Also, hormones that assist the muscle building process peak
around 30-45 minutes, so take advantage of this "muscle-building"
(anabolic) window. If you go too long, the hormones begin to drastically
drop off and the release of muscle destroying (catabolic) hormones
increases.
7. Rest at least 1 minute in between your lighter sets and at least 2 minutes
between your heavy sets. Many people mistakenly believe that if they
speed up their weight training workout by not stopping in between sets,
they will increase the likelihood of fat-burning. What you are really doing is
increasing the likelihood of never getting stronger or more muscular.
When you do not rest between sets, your cellular energy levels have not
been replenished enough to handle the weight that is about to come. If
you are not as strong or stronger on your next set, you have in fact,
negated any potential overload and have wasted your set. You must feel
strong enough after one set before you try doing another. Think of a set as
a certain high point. If you do not hit that same point, or better yet, go
above that point on your next set, you have not gained anything for doing
it. Do not try to burn fat when doing weight training. That is why cardio is
done on a separate day. We need to start focusing on each one
separately. Never try to burn off fat when weight training or build muscle
through cardio. Each needs to be focused on individually.
8. Train only one or two muscle groups per workout. It is extremely hard to
focus when you are training more than two muscle groups. It is extremely
26
hard to train intensely when doing more than two muscle groups. When
you train more than two, the muscles towards the end of your workout are
getting cheated because the most energy is being spent on the first
muscles. Your energy tank will be close to "E" when it is time for the third
muscle group. Now, once in a while, if you are time strapped, adding three
muscle groups to a workout, like chest, shoulders, triceps, will not create
much of a problem, but do not make it a habit. Once again, harnessing the
power of focus and intensity is easier accomplished when training just one
or two muscle groups.
9. Train each muscle group only once in a five to seven day period. Never
think that training a certain muscle more than once a week will lead to
better results. The opposite is true, the more you train a muscle group, the
more tired and fatigued it becomes. Take a full seven days in between
training a specific muscle group. If you train your chest and back on
Monday, you do not want to train them again until the following Monday.
The muscles need time to recover and recuperate before they are able to
handle any additional overload. What most people do not realize is that
you actually build muscle when you are resting out of the gym, not when
you are weight training. Weight training just stimulates the muscle and
creates a situation where your muscle needs to adapt and get stronger.
Your muscles do not actually grow or get bigger until you are resting out of
the gym and feeding them proper nutrition.
10. The biggest problem people have is this next tip, but after I tried it, I will
always do it. After 2 full months of solid training (weights and cardio), take
a FULL WEEK OFF!! That’ s right, an entire week off from any cardio or
weight training. This week will be essential in resting and recuperating
from eight full weeks of training. This is your "recharge" period, time to let
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your muscles heal and completely recover. I guarantee, after a week off,
you will come back stronger and more muscular. Have you ever been real
tired of work and just couldn’ t wait for a vacation. Then, when you take
one, each day you are off you start feeling more rested. When your
vacation is finished, you feel much more refreshed and energetic (even
though you still don’ t want to go back to work). People under estimate
the power of rest. Weight training, especially heavy, intense weight
training, is a stress to the body, and if not given the proper time to rest or
recover, injury and sickness will result. So do your body a big favor and
take a week off after eight full weeks of training.
These are the basics of structuring your weight-training workouts. Each and
every principle outlined above has a distinct and important reason for doing it.
WEEK: 2
* IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PICK A HEAVY ENOUGH WEIGHT SO THAT YOU
REACH MUSCLE FAILURE BETWEEN THIS 4-6 REP RANGE.
Day 1 Chest & Back Weight
Flat Bench Press w/ Straight Bar
1 easy warm-up set for 10 reps ______
1 slightly heavier set for 6 reps ______
1 even heavier set for 3 reps ______
2 heavy sets for 4-6 reps(want to reach failure in this range) ______ _____
Incline Chest Press w/ dumbbells
1 moderately heavy set of 6 reps _____
(no need to go light and warm-up again)
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
1 arm dumbbell rows
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Seated Back Row on Machine or Cables
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
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2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Standing Shrugs with dumbbells
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Day 2- Cardio
Choose one of the following:
Stairmaster, Treadmill, jogging outside, bicycle, aerobics class (one that moves constantly for 20-30
minutes)
30 minutes TOTAL
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense cardio (make sure you are WORKING HARD)
5 minute cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED _______
Day 3 Legs, Shoulders & Abs
Squats on Smith Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Stiff-Leg Deadlifts
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Calf Presses on Calf Machine
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
1 warm-up set of 10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Dumbbell side lateral raises
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Weighted cable Crunches
1 warm-up set of 10 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 10-15 reps ______ ______
Day 4-Cardio
30 minutes
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense
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5 minutes cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED ______
Day 5- Biceps & Triceps
Standing Alternate Dumbbell Curls
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Straight Bar Curls
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Close-grip Bench Press
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Tricep Pushdowns
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
WEEK 3: FAT-BURNING & CARDIO TIPS
If there is one question that I am asked more than any other, it is how to properly
burn off body fat and tone up. Here I will offer some guidelines to follow. The
more of them you follow, the better off you will be in burning body fat.
There are several methods used to determine if you are in need of losing body
fat (besides looking in the mirror and hating what you see). Body fat testing can
be done with skin-fold calipers. Males on average should have around 15% body
fat, women around 23 %. Another way to tell is the waist-to-hip ratio. The waistto-
hip ratio indicates where most of your body fat is located. People who carry fat
around their waists are referred to as "apples". People that carry most of their fat
below the waist are often referred to as "pears". Carrying fat around your hips
and thighs (a pear) is considered less of a health risk. However, apples are not
good.
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Fat around the waist is considered an increased risk for type II diabetes,
cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. To find out what shape you
are, use a tape to measure your hips at their widest point, and then measure
your waist at its narrowest (usually around the navel). Then divide your waist
measurement by your hip measurement. A ratio greater than .80 for a woman
and greater than 1.0 for a man indicate that you are an apple! The amount of fat
you are carrying will eventually cause a negative impact on your health.
Physiologically speaking, losing unwanted body fat is a simple process.
However, the effort required to do this is not so simple. It takes willpower and
hard work. If you are not willing to put in the hard work, you do not want the
results bad enough. In fact, you do not deserve the results.
Burning body fat is simply expending more calories than you consume. You need
to create a negative energy balance. If you eat more calories than you burn off,
you store fat. So, obviously, you need to burn off more calories than you
consume. How is this done? Well, there are two ways: cardio and nutrition. It
needs to be done properly and in balance.
Most people go about the wrong way when trying to lose weight.
One wrong way is to drastically cut the amount of calories you consume so that it
is impossible to take in more than you burn off. This is not healthy or wise to do.
This is called dieting. Diets do not work. I guarantee if you try to diet and restrict
your calories, you may lose a small amount of weight initially, but you will gain it
all back (and usually more) when you get tired of starving yourself.
Another wrong alternative is to greatly increase your calorie expenditure by
overdoing cardiovascular work. Doing aerobic activity 7 days a week, an hour at
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a time will not produce healthy results either. You will probably burn yourself out
and become overtired. When this happens, your weight training becomes
negatively affected.
The key is proper balance. Doing the proper amount of aerobic activity combined
with the correct diet is how we are going to effectively lose the unwanted body
fat, once and for all. Doing a little of both is also more realistic to continue into the
future as well. Who wants to look forward to years of diets?
Balance is crucial. Balance is healthy. If you eat a spoonful of ice cream, you are
left wanting more. Eat a whole tub and you have a huge stomachache. Balance
is key.
The following tips will assist you in losing body fat. There are no magic solutions,
just hard work. Treat these tips like a blueprint, or a roadmap. Follow them
closely and you get to your destination. Approach them haphazardly and you get
lost.
1. Make the commitment to yourself you are going to do this.
First things first. You have to decide that this is something you want to do and
are going to be serious about. You need to admit to yourself that you need to
lose the weight and then resolve that you are going to do what’ s necessary to
get there. Set weekly or monthly realistic goals for yourself. Once you reach that
goal, enjoy the victory for a moment, and then have another one ready to go
after.
Every other step after this one is pointless unless you have decided that you are
going to do what is necessary to lose the body fat. You need to commit. I don’ t
care if you intend to lose weight. All the intentions in the world will not cause you
to lose an ounce of body fat. If I intend to do a lot of things that just don’ t get
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done, who is to blame? Only me. Life rewards action. Stop making excuses for
every reason why you can’ t do this and start coming up with reasons why you
have to do this. This is the most important step in the whole process. Skip this
step and you are planning to fail.
2. Get moving! (Do 2-3 intense cardio sessions a week).
The prime reason for doing cardio is to expend energy by burning calories.
Cardio also helps to speed up, or "prime" our metabolism. Plus, cardio helps by
enhancing our endurance and our cardiovascular health as well.
These are the main reasons we do cardiovascular exercise.
You are not going to lose weight if you do not move your body. You need to burn
off more calories than you consume, so this is where the aerobic activity comes
in. Two to three sessions, 20-30 minutes each, is all that is needed to see
optimal results. Like weight training, the more cardio you do does not always
produce better results. You can over train by doing too much cardio as well as
too much weight training. The key is to do your cardio correctly on those days. By
correctly, I mean treat your cardio sessions like your weight training sessions.
Approximately 30 minutes of high intensity work. The higher the intensity of an
exercise, the greater the energy expenditure will be (in turn, the greater the fat
loss). You need to get your heart rate up into your training zone in order to
efficiently burn body fat. You need to get "uncomfortable" when doing cardio.
Sweat, pant, huff, puff, and turn red (not purple). You should know when you are
doing it intensely enough. Doing your aerobic activity without intensity will
produce minimal results.
Sorry to burst any bubbles here, but taking a leisurely walk around the block at
night will do hardly anything to burn body fat. It is better than nothing, but not by
much.
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You can change that by walking up hills, swinging your arms more, or walking at
a brisk pace. The key is to move more of your body. The more you move your
body, the more calories you burn. That is why jogging, mountain biking,
Stairmaster, elliptical trainers, even treadmill walking at a steep incline are
beneficial forms of cardio. You can burn as many calories jogging for 20 minutes
on the treadmill as you can by walking for an hour on the treadmill. Why not burn
more calories in less time? Make it efficient and effective.
20-30 minutes is sufficient to condition your metabolism to burn body fat. Warm
up for 5 minutes; bust your butt for 20 minutes, and then cool down for 5 minutes.
One way to always keep your cardio intense is to always try to outdo yourself,
either by going a further distance or by beating your time. For example, if you jog
on the treadmill for your 30 minutes and go 2.20 miles, next time try to go 2.21 or
further. Or if you go 2.20 miles in 30 minutes, try to do it in 29 minutes. The key is
to always try to outdo YOU. This is the key to maintaining intensity.
Perform two to three, 20-30 minute sessions of intense cardio a week and you
will soon start seeing results.
3. Get lifting! Do at least three intense weight-training sessions a week.
Do not try to combine your weight-training sessions with fat-burning sessions.
You can lift weights for an hour and you will only burn a minimal amount of
calories. However, think of each weight-training session as an investment in
future fat-burning efforts. Muscle takes more energy to maintain than fat. The
body expends more calories to maintain lean muscle tissue than it does fat. So
the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you will burn, even at rest! So
give weight-training the importance it needs. At least three intense weighttraining
sessions a week is a good number to shoot for. It’ s not how many days
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you work out that matter, it is the effort and intensity you do each workout that is
truly important.
Each workout only needs to last 30-45 minutes if done right. Another thing, never
associate lifting lighter weight and higher reps with burning more body fat. It
doesn’ t work that way. Keep your weight heavier (more overload) and your
reps lower. This will keep you adding lean muscle mass. Start lifting lighter
weights for higher reps and you will become weaker and smaller.
Start to associate burning the body fat with cardio, building the muscle with
weight training. The whole "toning" myth of lifting lighter weight for high reps is
ridiculous. The only way to tone, and think this through and see if it makes sense,
is to increase your lean muscle mass (keep progressively overloading muscle w/
heavier weight) and to decrease your body fat (cardio and nutrition). This is how
you tone the body properly. Work on both sides of the equation. Gaining muscle
while losing fat is how you tone. So keep lifting progressively heavier weight for
four to six reps to keep muscle mass growing and leave your fat burning to cardio
and proper nutrition.
4. You are what you eat, so eat well. (Five to six small meals consisting of
high-protein, moderate carbs, and low fat).
Other than cardio, nutrition is the only other way you can directly manipulate
calorie intake and expenditure. Your eating habits will make or break your fatburning
results. You can do all the cardio in the world, but if you have poor eating
habits, you will not get good results. You need to be eating every three hours or
so to keep your metabolism operating efficiently. Constantly grazing on food will
keep your body burning the fuel it is consuming. If you eat two or three large
meals a day, you slow down your metabolism. Also, by only eating once in a
while, your body will start storing fat as a defense mechanism. Your body needs
food (fuel) to survive. If your body is unsure of when its next meal will be, it will
35
store more of the food it does get as body fat, for it is unsure when its next meal
is coming. It wants to hold on to what it has to protect it from future famine.
Eat a meal or snack consisting of high protein, moderate carbs, and low fat every
three to four hours. This means around five or six small meals or snacks a day.
When you have been weight training for a while, you will notice that your body
requires more food. It needs more food for more fuel and for more musclebuilding
nutrients. It needs to be more of the right food.
Follow the 50-40-10 rule. 50% of your daily calories should come from protein,
40% from complex carbs, and 10% from fats. So every time you eat, the meal or
snack should closely follows this ratio.
Be careful when eating typical “ snacks” like chips or crackers. Eating snacks
like these is not beneficial. You are not getting muscle-building protein and often
times, these starchy snacks are very high in fat and in calories.
As far as meals, keep protein sources like fish, turkey, chicken, lean red meat,
whey protein supplements, low-fat dairy products, egg whites, and some soy
products a mainstay in your diet. Carbs should be complex sources such as
vegetables, brown rice, whole grain breads and cereals, bagels, oatmeal, and
pasta. Fat doesn’ t even need to be addressed; most people get plenty without
even focusing on it. Peanut butter, olive oil, fish oils, and flax seed oil can be
used sparingly, but usually the 10% fat comes from focusing on the other 90% of
the calories you eat.
5. Drink at least a gallon (preferably more) of water a day.
I’ m going to keep this one simple and just tell you it should be done. Shoot for
a gallon a day, more if you can. Water is so important I cannot overstate it
enough. It is used in every single physiological principle in your body. You can
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live for weeks without food, but you die if you do not take in water for a few days.
Your body is two-thirds water, your muscles 70% water. Keep a bottle of it at
work, in your car, in your fridge, or any other place you frequent. It is very
abundant so try to get plenty.
6. Keep track of your progress
You need to see if what you are doing is working or not. If it isn’ t, you need to
regroup, figure what you are doing wrong, and start heading in the right direction
again. Measure your results. You can look in the mirror and see if you are
achieving beneficial results. You can tell by the way your clothes fit or by what
your friends say. You can judge by the scale, although this is not the greatest
way to measure success. After starting a weight-training program, you will soon
start adding muscle mass. This muscle weighs more than fat, so the scale may
not show a difference in weight, in fact, it may say you have gained weight. So it
is misleading. You may have lost body fat, but the scale doesn’ t distinguish
this. The way to properly measure your progress is through body fat testing. This
is a very accurate method to test the percentage of fat mass and muscle mass
that you have. Obviously, if the goal is to lose body fat, you need to see if what
you are doing is working. It’ s good to test body fat at least every 30-60 days.
You need to know where you currently are before you know where you are
going.
7. Reduce your daily caloric intake by 150-200 calories a day.
After measuring your progress and it is not quite what you had hoped for, you
may need to manipulate your calorie intake. Hopefully, you had realistic goals to
begin with. You will probably not lose 10 pounds of body fat in a week, but one or
two pounds a week is very realistic. If you are not happy with results, and you are
doing your three or more days of weight training, three to four days of cardio, and
your nutrition is very good, you may need to start reducing your daily caloric
intake to get to the results you want. First, you need to figure out your daily
37
caloric maintenance level, that is, the number of calories your body needs to
maintain what you currently weigh. We are going to go over this when we discuss
the basics of nutrition. Once you figure out your daily caloric maintenance level,
start reducing it by 150-200 calories a day. Do this for a couple of weeks. If you
still do not see results, lower it by another 150-200 until you start seeing the
results you want. Losing body fat is done by expending more calories than you
consume. You may still be consuming more than you are expending. You should
start to see results after a couple of weeks of reducing your caloric intake. If not,
you may not be doing your cardio intense enough and you still may need to focus
more on your diet.
8. Continue to increase weight (overload) when doing resistance training.
9.
Remember that building lean muscle will assist you in the fat-burning process
later on. The more muscle you have, the more energy your body expends to
maintain that muscle, even at rest. In order to make constant and significant
gains, you must train intensely and for short durations. I like to call them "bursts
of exercise!" Work no more than two muscle groups a workout, four to five
workouts a week. Keep reps between four and six on your heavy sets to ensure
overload to the muscle. Do only two heavy sets per exercise and keep workouts
under 45 minutes. Keep your workouts intense and to the point. Do not do
intense cardio before or after weight training. It’ s hard to focus intensely on
both weight training and cardio in the same session! Do not rob one to pay the
other.
WEEK: 3
* IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PICK A HEAVY ENOUGH WEIGHT SO THAT YOU
REACH MUSCLE FAILURE BETWEEN THIS 4-6 REP RANGE.
Day 1 Chest & Back Weight
Incline Bench Press w/ bar
1 easy warm-up set for 10 reps ______
1 slightly heavier set for 6 reps ______
38
1 even heavier set for 3 reps ______
2 heavy sets for 4-6 reps(want to reach failure in this range) ______ _____
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press
1 moderately heavy set of 6 reps _____
(no need to go light and warm-up again)
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Bent-over barbell rows
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Seated Cable Pulldowns to the Front
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Standing Shrugs with dumbbells
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Day 2- Cardio
Choose one of the following:
Stairmaster, Treadmill, jogging outside, bicycle, aerobics class (one that moves constantly for 20-30
minutes)
30 minutes TOTAL
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense cardio (make sure you are WORKING HARD)
5 minute cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED _______
Day 3 Legs, Shoulders & Abs
Squats on Smith Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Stiff-Leg Deadlifts
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Calf Presses on Calf Machine
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
1 warm-up set of 10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
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Dumbbell side lateral raises
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Stability Ball Crunches
3 sets to failure
Leg Lifts
3 sets to failure
Day 4-Cardio
30 minutes
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense
5 minutes cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED ______
Day 5- Biceps & Triceps
Standing Straight Bar Curls
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Cable Curls
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Close-grip Bench Press
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Lying Tricep Extensions
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
WEEK 4: EAT TO BURN FAT 24/7
People often ask me “ What is the most important component of a properly
devised fitness program “ ? Is it the weight training, the cardiovascular work, or
the proper nutrition? I often say that I think all are vitally important and that you
cannot achieve results without focusing on each area. I like to think of a well40
balanced program as having three distinct pieces of a pie (bad analogy in terms
of fitness, I know!)
Each piece of the pie has to be worked on in balance in order for your fitness
goals to be effectively reached. You will not build muscle and strength if you do
not weight train. You will not burn calories, and in effect, lose body fat, if you do
not do cardio. You will not build adequate muscle and effectively lose body fat
without proper nutrition. So they are all linked to another in some manner.
However, I have been in fitness long enough to realize there is one area that is
slightly more important than the others. It has to be nutrition. All of your fitness
goals can be sabotaged without proper and adequate nutrition.
Muscle growth does not occur in the gym. The weight-training workout is just the
stimulus for muscle growth. While training you are creating microscopic tears to
muscle fibers that must heal and repair to prepare for future demands placed on
them.
Weight Training
Cardio Nutrition
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Nutrition is the main requirement in this healing process. Rest is probably the
next most important part. Without proper nutrition, this healing and repair process
is negatively affected and your body does not have the supplies to effectively
rebuild the damaged muscle fibers. If you are doing your weight training properly,
you are performing your scheduled cardio sessions properly, and are still not
seeing results, your nutritional concerns have not been properly met.
In this section of the program we will go into depth about how to structure your
eating habits to help you, not hinder you. We will set up for eating so that you
can effectively burn more calories 24/7 without doing any more physical activity.
There are five nutritional elements that have a significant effect on muscle
building and fat-loss. These elements are calories, protein, carbohydrates, fats,
and water.
Calories are a unit of measurement. The rest of the elements are macronutrients.
Each is vital in your effort in achieving the most out of your fitness program,
Again, a calorie is a measurement of the total energy value of the food you eat.
Calories are the fuel your body needs to function. Each and every day that you
are breathing, your body is expending a certain amount of energy. This energy is
derived from the foods you eat. The more active you are, the more calories you
need for fuel. Other factors come into play when determining total calorie burned.
Total body mass, body temperature, and the types of foods consumed all have
an impact. The bigger you are, the more calories burned. The more muscle you
posses, the more calories burned. Muscle tissue is a very active tissue and
requires a fair amount of energy to maintain. It gets this energy from burning
calories. That is why it is important to include weight training into any long – term
weight loss attempt. The more muscular your body is, the more calories burned
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at rest to support this muscle tissue. Fat however, does not need calories to be
maintained. So to burn more body fat, work at building more muscle tissue.
Calories are derived from 3 sources: protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
1 gram of protein = 4 calories
1 gram of carbohydrate= 4 calories
1 gram of fat= 9 calories
Fat contains 2 ¼ times as many calories as either protein or carbs, so you can
eat 2 ¼ times as much protein or carbs as you can fat while still maintaining the
daily caloric intake amount.
This is how and why extra fat in the diet will add significantly to your daily calorie
amounts rather quickly. Not so much that fat is evil, it’ s just very calorie dense.
Those people on those high- fat, low- carb diets will not achieve any long-term
success because the more fat they eat, the more calories they consume.
Remember the saying, “ you are what you eat.” If you eat fat, you will get fat.
Protein
Any growth promoting process that occurs in your body requires protein. It is the
single most abundant substance in the body, next to water. It is in every organ in
your body. It is essential for blood, hormone, and enzyme production, as well as
optimal immune system function. Protein is required for optimal muscle tissue
growth and repair. The more muscle you have, the more protein you require.
Resistance training places a huge demand for protein by the body. If you do not
supply your body with enough protein, it will take it from your muscles, which is
called catabolism (muscle breakdown). If you go any length of time without
eating, your body will attack muscle tissue for its protein requirements. Your body
literally starts to “ break itself down” It is a must to supply your body with
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adequate protein every three to four hours. This ensures your body of
maintaining adequate levels. Protein can be obtained from whole food and from
protein supplements. Try to get your protein from whole food sources first.
However, eating whole food sources high in protein every three to four hours can
be difficult. This is where the protein supplements like whey protein shakes or
meal replacements come in handy. As far as whole food sources, get your
protein from lean sources like chicken, turkey, fish, lean red meats, eggs, milk,
soy products, and legumes. As far as protein supplements, the most effective
protein source with the highest biological value (it is utilized most effectively by
the body) is whey protein. When purchasing a protein product, stick with a quality
company like AST Sports Science, Twinlab, or Natures Best and use a quality
whey protein shake or whey and milk-derived meal replacement powder. These
will help ensure your body gets its protein requirements.
Carbohydrates
With all of the misleading fad diets on the market, the most hyped one is the one
that is against carbohydrates. It's easy to get confused as to the role in which
carbs play in the body.
The end result of a bagel and a tablespoon of sugar is the same. The body
converts them into glucose, or blood sugar. Once converted to glucose, the body
uses this fuel for muscle growth and brain function.
Carbohydrates are either simple or complex. Simple carbs include fruit, table
sugar, honey, juices, and molasses. Complex carbs include pasta, rice,
potatoes, vegetables, and grains. The difference between a simple carb and a
complex carb is simply the time it takes for the body to convert each one of these
into glucose. This is why it is more beneficial to consume complex carbs over
simple carbs. It takes longer for your body to convert complex carbs into blood
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sugar so they give the body a more gradual energy release. Simple carbs give
you a sharp, sudden energy release but then is followed by a sharp decline.
As far as carbohydrates making you fat, remember it is more calories that make
you store body fat, not more of one macronutrient. Excess calories, not excess
carbohydrates, are directly responsible for storing body fat.
Once the carbs have been converted to glucose, whatever is not used by the
body to fuel body function and replenish muscle glycogen stores is shuttled into
fat stores. So excess carbs not utilized by the body will be stored as body fat.
Carbs should be looked upon as primarily an energy source to fuel muscle
activity. Eat enough for this function each day and no more. Any extreme excess
will cause you to store the rest as body fat. Any extreme excess, other than
water, will cause this to happen.
Try not to structure your meals so that the majority is carbohydrates, unless it is
vegetables. Vegetables, although they are carbs, are not very high in calories.
You can eat a large volume of vegetables and consume little calories but you
cannot consume a large volume of starchy carbs without having a very high
calorie amount.
Fats
Fats are a necessity for the body and are vital for many body functions. Fats are
used as energy, protection, insulation, and many other functions. Fats are
needed, the problem is most people eat too much of them. Fats taste good. It is
what gives flavor and texture to food.
Fats are the most dense energy sources. A gram is equal to 9 calories, over
twice that of protein and carbs. You can reach your daily calorie limit fairly quick if
your diet is high in fats. Again, any excess calories you consume over your daily
limit will increase your body fat levels, but it is just done easier by eating too
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many fats. Most people can get enough fats in their diets without having to focus
on adding extra. If for some reason you are lacking in dietary fats, start to include
fish, such as salmon, to your diet or add a teaspoon of olive or safflower oil to
your salad. These are high in “ good fats” known as essential fatty acids, or
EFAs. Once again, it is not difficult to reach your daily requirement for fats.
Water
Your body is approximately 75% water. Your muscles are 70% water. It stands to
reason that water is a very vital, necessary part of every day living. Yet so many
people I talk to do not drink enough water. They wonder why they perform below
their maximum potential. Water is vital, cheap, and abundant. It is the most
important element in the body. It is used for nutrient absorption, digestion,
nutrient transport, and flushing toxins from the body. It helps regulate body
temperature and affects the utilization of all water-soluble vitamins in the body. It
cushions joints, which may prevent injuries. To say it is critically important is an
extreme understatement. Try to drink at least a gallon of pure, clean water a day.
Keep a bottle with you at all time. You have no excuse for not getting enough
water. It is everywhere.
How much protein, carbohydrate, and fat do you need?
These numbers have been devised based upon current research in the field of
exercise physiology and sports medicine. These numbers are just guidelines.
Everybody is genetically different. It is difficult to obtain a specific number needed
for everyone.
Protein.
Once gain, because of protein’ s importance of building muscle in the body, we
want to shoot for making it account for approximately 50% of our daily caloric
intake. So if you are 180 pounds and eat 3000 calories a day, your protein intake
would be 375 grams, or 1500 calories (3000x.50/4)=375. If you weigh 200
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pounds and eat 3500 calories a day, then 437 grams would come from protein,
or 1750 calories (3500x.50/4). Obviously, different people have different
metabolic rates. People with slower metabolisms eat fewer calories. Fewer
calories mean less protein. Do not skimp on the protein, though. It is the building
block of muscle. Carbs and fats do not have a direct effect on muscle building,
only protein does. Add high quality protein to your diet and watch the results it
brings.
Carbohydrates
Carbs should account for approximately 40% of your daily caloric intake. If you
consume 2500 calories a day, 250 grams should come from carbs, or 1000
calories (2500x.40/4). If you consume 4000 calories a day (4000x.40/4) then 400
grams, or 1600 calories should come from carbs. The majority of carbs should
come from complex sources like vegetables, pasta, grain, and rice. A word of
caution though. Starchy carbs like pasta and rice are highly caloric, meaning a
small amount contains a high number of calories. So be cautious of how many
starchy carbs you are consuming. Stick with more vegetables as your carb
sources. This will supply a gradual energy source throughout the day without that
spike associated with simple carbs.
Fats
Keep fat intake to approximately 10% of your daily caloric intake. This is plenty
for optimal health without adding all of the empty calories.
If you eat 3000 calories a day, 33 grams or 300 calories should come from fat.
When following a good, high-protein, moderate-carb diet, the proper fat intake
will take care of itself, meaning you do not need to add extra fats to ensure
adequate intake. Due to the calorie dense nature of fats (9 calories per gram),
excess fats will more quickly create an excess calorie overload than will protein
(4 calories per gram) or carbohydrates (4 calories per gram). So keep fat intake
to a minimum.
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Find your Caloric Requirements
Everyone has their own unique metabolism, meaning everyone burns through
calories at a different pace. It is difficult to establish a guideline that will fit
everyone. AST Sports Science, a supplement company based in Colorado, has
created a guideline based upon the latest research that will assist you in
determining your daily caloric requirements. It can be found on their website.
Our bodies require calories just to exist, just to live and breath. You burn calories
at rest and at play. While sleeping, our bodies burn between 70-100 calories per
hour. This is called our Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR. Many variables will affect
an individuals BMR, like sex, age, body size, body weight, and their metabolic
uniqueness. For men using the BMR variable .42 multiplied by your bodyweight,
you can find the calories needed per pound of bodyweight per hour.
Women should use the variable .35.
What this means is, if you are a man and you weigh 200 pounds, your BMR
would be 200x.42x24=2016. This means that you need 2016 calories per day just
to maintain your current bodyweight with no activity at all. For a moderately
active person, research has used the number .65 as the BMR variable. If you
weigh 200 pounds, your daily caloric level would be 200x.65x24=3120 calories
per day, or 390 every 3 hours.
The formula to figure your daily caloric amount is
Bodyweight x BMR variable .65 x 24 hours= Daily caloric amount
Example: 150 pounds x .65 x 24 = 2340 calories
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From this number, we can now break down the amount of protein, carbs, and fats
needed.
Calories= 2340
(150x.65x24)
Protein= 292.50 grams, or 1170 calories
(2340-x .50/4)
Carbohydrates= 234 grams, or 936 calories
(2340-x .40/4)
Fats= 26 grams, or 234 calories
(2340-x .10/9)
Above is the break down of grams and calories of protein, carbohydrates, and
fat.
Now, because losing body fat requires you to create a calorie deficit, you can
speed up the fat-burning process by decreasing your daily caloric amount by
150-200 per day until you start seeing some results. If after a couple weeks of
reducing 150-200 calories a day you still do not see results, start to take away
another 150-200 per day. Do not reduce more than this number because to big of
a reduction will have a counterproductive effect on your metabolism.
Calculate your Caloric Requirement
First decide: are you inactive?
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If so, use
MEN: Body weight ______ x BMR variable .42 x 24 hours = daily caloric
requirement.
WOMEN: Body weight _____x BMR variable .35 x 24 hours = daily caloric
requirement.
If you are active, substitute BMR variable .42 with .65.
When you get this number, you can calculate your protein, carbohydrate, and fat
intake:
Protein
Daily caloric requirement (from above) x .50/4= grams of protein needed
_____ x .50/4 = _____ grams
Daily caloric requirement ______x .50 = Calories from protein
Carbohydrates
Daily caloric requirement x .40/4 = grams of carbs needed
______ x .40/4 = _____ grams
Daily caloric requirement _____x .40 = Calories from carbohydrates
Fats
Daily caloric requirement x .10/9 = grams of fat needed
_____ x .10/9 = _____ grams
Daily caloric requirement _____x .10 = Calories from fats
Let’ s review the importance of proper nutrition.
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Nutrition is the piece of the pie that will either make or break your hard work in
the gym. It is difficult to discuss the importance of nutrition in just a couple of
written pages, when there have been thousands of books written on the subject.
However, there are basic guidelines that we can follow to ensure some success.
Unfortunately, I witness a lot of people sabotage their results in the gym by
eating anything and everything they want, thinking that working out gives them
"carte blanche" to eat whatever they feel like. When you work out, you need to
focus even more on what kinds of food you eat, when you eat them, the proper
portions, etc. Nutrition is both the easiest area to focus on to lose weight and also
the hardest area to focus on. The simple part is you need to expend more
calories per day than you take in. So you just eat less, right? Easier said than
done. This by far is the most difficult part of the process. Just think of the word
DIET. What are the first three letters? This is what people equate to dieting.
That’ s what they feel like they are going to do, die of starvation. On a diet, you
are very good for a couple weeks; you are sticking to it right to a "t". Then the
cravings come (psychological) and you begin thinking about all the good food
you are missing. You think of how good a pizza would taste right now. Guess
what, you succumb to those urges and splurge, eating everything in sight. It was
so pleasurable that you do it again the next day, and the next day, and before
you know it, you weigh more than you did before you started the diet.
Diets do not work. A balanced, moderate approach does. You need to create a
lifestyle change so that you can continuously eat healthy and smart, year round.
You need to reprogram your brain a bit, so that when you reach for that piece of
cake, you tell yourself, okay, this is going to have a negative effect on the way I
want to look and feel. If you want your goals bad enough, you will decide that it
isn’ t worth it to indulge in that piece of cake right now. Start equating pleasure
with leaving that piece of cake on the counter and start equating pain with eating
it. We as humans strive for pleasure and try to avoid pain. Unfortunately, most
people link excessive (although temporary) pleasure with the cake, so they eat it.
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Afterwards they feel guilty about eating the cake and wonder why they can’ t
lose weight. Start equating a huge amount of pleasure with leaving that piece of
cake right where it belongs, on the shelf.
When eating, try to get five to six small, well-balanced meals in throughout your
day. This means a meal or snack every three or four hours.
Balanced means a proper proportion of protein, carbs, fats, vitamins, and
minerals. Keep protein intake high. Anybody who works out even moderately
needs more protein than the sedentary, average person. Try to consume at least
one gram of protein per pound of body weight. If you weigh 200 pounds, you
need at least 200 grams of protein. Muscle fiber is made up of tightly wound
protein molecules. Protein is called upon for muscle and tissue repair after
intense and heavy weight lifting. Strive for 50% of your daily calories coming from
quality protein. 40% of your diet is derived from carbohydrates, and 10% from
fats. The fat you don’ t have to even focus on, it will take care of itself. Consume
complex carbs like vegetables, brown rice, whole grain breads and cereals,
oatmeal, pasta, and potatoes. Avoid simple sugars like table sugar, honey, fruit
juices, and syrups. An excess of simple sugars wreak havoc on your blood sugar
levels, causing your body to secrete insulin to shuttle some of the sugar away
from the blood stream and into fat-stores.
When consuming carbohydrates, also consume an adequate amount of protein
with them. This will lower the glycemic index, or the time in which your body
converts the carbs to glucose. Combining protein with your carbs lowers the rate
at which your body converts the carbs to glucose, thereby not causing such a
spike in blood sugar levels and also providing a more gradual, time-released
supply of energy. A piece of whole-grain bread and peanut butter, a bowl of
oatmeal and a couple hard-boiled eggs, or some chicken and rice.
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Here is a sample day of supportive eating that combines protein with
carbohydrates:
6:00 a.m. 1 tall glass of cold water
1 meal replacement shake/high protein shake OR a bowl of oatmeal w/ raisins
and a piece of whole wheat bread w/ peanut butter
8:00 a.m. A small slice of whole wheat bread w/ tablespoon of peanut butter OR
a small nonfat yogurt with granola.
11:00 a.m. A whole-food lunch like a chicken breast & a salad, OR a
Turkey sandwich on whole-wheat with baked potato chips.
2:00 p.m. A meal replacement shake or high protein shake.
5:00 p.m. A whole food dinner like tuna with light mayo on whole wheat OR a
chicken breast with brown rice and steamed vegetables.
8:00 p.m. A small serving of lean steak or chicken with steamed vegetables OR
a low-fat, low-sugar protein bar (Balance, Zone, Powerbar).
At bed: A small snack like a small bowl of cereal, a nonfat yogurt, or a protein
bar (Balance Bar).
Consume at least a gallon of water throughout the day as well.
Invest in a quality, low-fat meal cookbook that can add variety to each of these
foods. Add spices and low fat sauces to add flavor. The bottom line is, you can
eat a lot of low-fat, spicy, flavorful cooking with a little planning. Just because you
are eating healthy doesn’ t mean you have to eat boring.
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Meals
Protein Carbohydrates
Chicken Breast Brown Rice
Tuna Yams
Salmon Whole Wheat Bread
Haddock Whole Wheat Pasta
Lean Sirloin Vegetables (beans, peas, carrots,
Dairy Products Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts)
Lean Hamburg Oatmeal
Turkey Potatoes
Lean Ham Legumes (lima, kidney, soy, black beans)
Lean Roast Beef Bagels
Lean pork Cream of Wheat
Eggs Squash
Lean top round Wild Rice
Halibut Cereals
Cod, Orange Roughy
Snacks
Whole-wheat toast w/ peanut butter
Celery & peanut butter
nonfat yogurt w/ granola or nuts
Protein bar- Watch for sugar content. Some protein bars have more sugar than
candy bars.
Bagel w/ peanut butter
Beef Jerky
Nuts (walnuts, peanuts)
Low-fat or non-fat cottage cheese
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Raw Baby carrots
Low-fat cheese & Whole Wheat Crackers
Whole-wheat breadsticks w/o butter (or use butter spray)
Sample Supportive Meals
Chicken Breast, Wild rice, Small Salad
Turkey on Whole Wheat, Pickle
Meal Replacement Protein Shake (Met-Rx, Perfect Rx, Myoplex)
Grilled Salmon, Baked Potato, Broccoli
Scrambled Eggs, Whole Wheat Toast, Banana
Top Round Steak, Brown Rice, Squash
I would like to include a few words on meal replacements, which we will cover
under supplements. Pick the right one and you have a valuable tool to use
against the battle of the bulge. Pick the wrong one and you are throwing your
money away.
Slimfast, although very well known, is not a well-designed meal replacement.
They have a very big marketing campaign and can afford a lot of advertising.
Slimfast is loaded with carbs, primarily from sugar. One of the first ingredients on
the can is sugar! It’ s primarily water and sugar. Slimfast is not high in protein;
most cans only have 10 grams.
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Choose a meal replacement that is high in protein, with about 30-40 grams. Carb
sources should be from maltodextrin, a corn derivative that provides a slow
energy release. Carbs should be around 20-22 grams, but no more than 3 grams
of those from sugar. Fat should be no more than 3-4 grams. Pick one that mixes
up rather thick. The "mouth feel" helps with the satiety feeling. If you are left full
by these meal replacements, you will not have the urge to eat again for at least 3
hours. Some good meal replacements I have used and recommend are MET-RX,
Nature’ s Best Perfect RX, AST Sports Science Ny-Tro Pro-40, Sportpharma
Nutri-Force, and Nature’ s Best Isopure. Use a quality meal replacement from a
quality company. Check the ingredients. Stick with meals replacements that use
a combination of whey, milk, and egg proteins as the first ingredient. Most meal
replacements, if taken with water, offer at least 40 grams of protein with minimal
fat. Most are under 300 calories, chock full of vitamins and minerals, and taste
rather pleasant. Meal replacements allowed you to time meals every three or four
hours. Many people I have spoken to over the years attribute meal replacements
being on of the biggest reasons why they we able to lose weight. They are able
to get vitamin-rich, high-protein, moderate carb meal for less than 300 calories.
All of this for about 2 dollars. You cannot even buy a Happy Meal for fewer than
2.00 dollars and Happy Meals are loaded with fat!
WEEK: 4
* IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PICK A HEAVY ENOUGH WEIGHT SO THAT YOU
REACH MUSCLE FAILURE BETWEEN THIS 4-6 REP RANGE.
Day 1 Chest, Shoulders, Triceps Weight
Flat Bench Press w/ Straight Bar
1 easy warm-up set for 10 reps ______
1 slightly heavier set for 6 reps ______
1 even heavier set for 3 reps ______
2 heavy sets for 4-6 reps(want to reach failure in this range) ______ _____
Flat Bench Press w/ dumbbells
1 moderately heavy set of 6 reps _____
(no need to go light and warm-up again)
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
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Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Dumbbell lateral raises to the side
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Tricep Pushdowns
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Day 2- Cardio
Choose one of the following:
Stairmaster, Treadmill, jogging outside, bicycle, aerobics class (one that moves constantly for 20-30
minutes)
30 minutes TOTAL
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense cardio (make sure you are WORKING HARD)
5 minute cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED _______
Day 3 Legs & Abs
Leg Press
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Leg Extension Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Leg Curl Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Calf Presses
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Weighted cable Crunches
1 warm-up set of 10 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 10-15 reps ______ ______
Stability Ball Crunches
3 sets to failure
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Day 4-Cardio
30 minutes
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense
5 minutes cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED ______
Day 5- Back & Biceps
Chin-ups or Cable Pulldowns to front with wide bar
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
1 arm dumbbell rows
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Barbell Shrugs
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Alternate Dumbbell Curls
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Straight Bar Curls
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
WEEK 5: INSTANTLY ADD WEIGHT TO ALL OF YOUR LIFTS
Do you want to learn a method that will guarantee you will be able to instantly
add weight to all of your lifts?
Learn how to warm up correctly
I do not mean just warming up before you start a workout, but warming up all the
way right up to your heavy sets.
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In my opinion, most people do not know how to warm up correctly before their
weight training routine. This could have a significant and negative impact on their
ability to lift maximum weight and overload the muscles sufficiently.
If you do not achieve proper overload, there will be no new muscle fiber
stimulation and no new muscle growth.
Many people warm up either way too much before a weight workout or way too
little. You must fall between these two. Not only will a proper warm-up lessen our
chances of becoming injured. It will increase our strength the very first day we
put this principle into practice.
Physiologically speaking, there are very few reasons to lift weights. The biggest
two are to increase muscle size and to increase strength. Who does not want
more lean, toned muscles and also to be stronger? Weight training also will help
prevent bone loss and deterioration. This is of great benefit to women who want
to offset the likelihood of osteoporosis.
Most people, even though there are exceptions, do not lift weights because they
find it an extremely fun and enjoyable experience.
Therefore, if there are physiologically only a few reasons to lift weights, then
every single time we put our hands on those weights, shouldn’ t the purpose be
to either get stronger or more muscular. Not just for the act of bringing a weight
up from a rack and to your chest?
Lifting weights do not have a direct impact on fat burning. It does have an indirect
effect, for the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you will burn.
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So if we want to build muscle, shouldn’ t we be lifting progressively heavier
weight to force new muscle stimulation?
So doesn’ t that rule out lifting light weights for high reps to try and tone up?
Weight training is anaerobic, not aerobic; so do not try to perform an aerobic
workout by lifting weights.
So, how does this relate to warming up correctly?
Simple. Most people spend way too much time and energy warming up to the
point that when it is time to perform their heavy, muscle-building sets, they are
too wiped out from their warm-ups. This has defeated the purpose of weight
training. Lighter weights lifted, less muscle stimulation. This means less muscle
growth as a result.
So how do we warm up correctly before a weight training routine? First off, get
the blood flowing through the extremities by riding the bike or jogging on the
Treadmill for five minutes. Do not, I repeat, do not make this a drawn out cardio
session, just warm up for five minutes or so. Break a bit of a sweat. Forcing your
body to lift weights before doing some type of lifting is not good practice. It’ s
like a major league pitcher coming right off the bench and throwing as hard as
possible. There needs to be a “ breaking in” process first, where the blood gets
moved around, and the tendons and ligaments become warm. Forcing resistance
on a cold muscle heightens the chance of injury. It is also not good to start
stretching before a workout without some type of brief warm-up.
The amount of weight you will be able to lift will be greatly diminished if you do
not do a short warm-up session.
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Now comes the real principle I want to discuss. After your brief warm-up on the
bike, it is time to tackle the weights.
The single biggest mistake I see people do time and time again is that they warm
up with too many sets and too many reps before attempting their heavy, resultsproducing
sets.
Take the bench press for example. Just the other day, I witnessed someone
performing the following routine.
This person started with the bar, which in most gyms is 45 pounds. They busted
out a quick, easy set of 10 reps. They then put on 45-pound plates and did
another set of 10. So far, so good. Then they went up to 155 pounds and did
another 10 reps. Here is where we are starting to go wrong. They are beginning
to use way too much energy on these warm-ups.
They then did another set with 175 pounds for 10 more reps, then 200 for a set of
8 reps. So far, 5 sets and this person hasn’ t even started their “ heavy and
intense” sets yet! They have wasted time, energy, and intensity all before it
really even counted.
On the 6th set, they notice they were starting to tire quickly and could only handle
210 for 5 reps. So this is where they stop the bench press portion of their workout
figuring that since they are fatigued, they have worked the muscles sufficiently.
After talking briefly with this person, I realized they had been at this weight and
unable to break past this plateau for months. They just assumed it’ s where they
were meant to be, that they couldn’ t get any stronger. People often come up
with many excuses instead of stepping back from the picture and learning what it
may be they are not doing correctly. If you are not progressing forward,
something may be wrong.
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If the only way a muscle will grow is through increased overload (weight) why
expend so much needed energy on warm-up sets? We need to save it for the
productive sets, the last one or two of the set where the weight being used is the
most you can handle for four to six repetitions. Here is where true muscle
stimulation occurs.
Now I will show you how I added over 20 pound to a person’ s bench press,
THE FIRST DAY I WORKED WITH HIM!
An important term I learned several years ago was the term “ weight
acclimation” set. This simply means performing a set to get used to a certain
weight, acclimating to it. This principle is important because it should be used in
each and every exercise that you perform.
Warming-up correctly means you should acclimate your muscles to be able to
handle additionally heavier weights while progressing through your sets. This
means doing just enough reps on a warm-up set without tiring yourself to the
point where you have no juice left to finish your heavier sets. You are allowing
the muscle group being trained to acclimate to a heavier resistance and more
overload without unduly fatiguing.
Any repetition that you perform has one of three purposes.
1. It is a warm-up set.
2. It is an acclimation set.
3. It is your heavy, muscle-building sets.
If you cannot categorize a set you are about to do into one of these three, you
should not do the set. It is wasting your time and energy.
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Back to how I added 20 pounds to a person’ s bench press the first day.
After this person warmed up on the bike for 5 minutes, I met him at the bench
press (it seems everyone uses the bench press as a gauge for how things are
going). I had this gentleman place 135 pounds on the bar and had him perform
ten smooth, easy reps. After resting for a couple minutes, we placed just 20
pounds more on and he did an easy set of eight reps. Then we bumped it up to
175 pounds and he did six reps. He was starting to work harder, but he was not
tiring because he was starting to decrease the number of reps he was doing.
This is very important. As you go heavier, decrease the warm up reps. After a
couple minutes rest, we placed 200 pounds on the bar and he only did three
reps. Then we went to 210, his previous best, and I had him only do two reps.
"Gasp", I hear you going. Why only two reps, I thought you were going to help
him lift more?
After resting a couple minutes, we placed 230 pounds on the bar and he
proceeded to get six good, strict reps. Last week he was only able to push up
210 for four repetitions. In one week, by lessening his warm-up reps and sets, he
had added 20 pounds and two reps. Not a bad week’ s work?
This illustrates the important points of this topic. Do not overdo your light warmup
sets. They are just that, to warm up, not to fatigue. As we place additional
weight on the bar, decrease the reps performed so that you are not tiring out too
much on your warm-ups. If staggered correctly, you will have reserved more
strength and energy for those last heavy sets and you should notice an increase
THE FIRST DAY YOU PUT THIS INTO PRACTICE.
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Learn to get rid of wasted reps and wasted sets in the gym. We are striving for
efficiency. This doesn’ t mean you are working any less; you are just working
smarter at working harder.
Do not waste precious energy on repetitions that will prematurely fatigue the
muscle, not make it stronger.
When performing a workout for a certain muscle group, like chest, most people
do more than one exercise. For example, for a chest routine, you start with flat
bench press, and then proceed to incline dumbbell press, and finish with dips.
On your second exercise of the same muscle group (chest), do not start at a very
light weight again and re-warm up a muscle that is already warmed up. For
example, if you start with the flat bench press and then move onto the incline, do
not start light again on your incline. Your muscles are already warmed up from
the flat bench. Just perform a set or two of acclimation sets (six to eight reps) and
then immediately get into the heavy sets. So as your workout progresses, you
will become more efficient by shaving needless reps off.
Do not waste your time “ pyramiding” . Pyramiding involves going up in weight
for a specific exercise until you hit a heavy set and then lowering the weight so
that you can complete more sets and reps to failure. Can you see the flaw here?
Why would you ever want to go down in weight if you have reached a certain
high point? If overload were the key to getting bigger and stronger (which it is),
why would we start doing more sets at a less weight than what you previously
did? You are wasting energy and time. As soon as you have overloaded the
muscle with a heavy, max set, why lighten the load and go backwards? People
theorize that by performing more reps to exhaustion, they are forcing the muscle
to work harder, which in turn will respond by growing stronger. This is not
sensible, efficient, or productive. It’ s a big waste of time. This, along with
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warming up to failure, are two of the biggest mistakes I see people make. I used
to do them all the time too. But when I learned better, I did better. Its no
coincidence that I’ m lifting weights today that I never dreamed possible just a
few years ago. My muscularity has greatly improved from the increased overload
in that time as well. All because I have learned to warm-up correctly.
Forced reps are another waste of energy in the gym. One or two forced reps after
hitting muscle failure may be fine, but do not have your training partner continue
to force you into lifting more sets when you already couldn’ t finish the ones you
were doing. Forced reps are when your spotter assists you on a lift to the point
where they are doing most of the work, not you. If they are helping you lift the
weight, you are not truly doing it yourself and you are not reaching true overload.
They are taking weight off for you, to help you, so you are actually lifting less
weight. Again, a forced rep after you hit failure is fine, but one is all that’ s
needed. Any more than that and your partner is not doing the set, not you.
What we have learned in this part of the program is one of the most productive,
results-producing principles you will ever learn, I guarantee it.
Stop doing too many reps and sets before getting to the heavy ones. Involve
acclimation sets on all of your exercises to get your muscles, ligaments, tendons,
and joints ready for the progressive overload that’ s about to come.
Think quality of sets over quantity of sets. Its not the number of reps and sets
that count, it is how you perform them.
WEEK: 5
* IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PICK A HEAVY ENOUGH WEIGHT SO THAT YOU
REACH MUSCLE FAILURE BETWEEN THIS 4-6 REP RANGE.
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Day 1 Chest, Shoulders, Triceps Weight
Flat Bench Press w/ Straight Bar
1 easy warm-up set for 10 reps ______
1 slightly heavier set for 6 reps ______
1 even heavier set for 3 reps ______
2 heavy sets for 4-6 reps(want to reach failure in this range) ______ _____
Flat Bench Press w/ dumbbells
1 moderately heavy set of 6 reps _____
(no need to go light and warm-up again)
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Dumbbell lateral raises to the side
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Tricep Pushdowns
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Day 2- Cardio
Choose one of the following:
Stairmaster, Treadmill, jogging outside, bicycle, aerobics class (one that moves constantly for 20-30
minutes)
30 minutes TOTAL
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense cardio (make sure you are WORKING HARD)
5 minute cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED _______
Day 3 Legs & Abs
Leg Press
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Leg Extension Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Leg Curl Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
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Calf Presses
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Weighted cable Crunches
1 warm-up set of 10 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 10-15 reps ______ ______
Stability Ball Crunches
3 sets to failure
Day 4-Cardio
30 minutes
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense
5 minutes cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED ______
Day 5- Back & Biceps
Chin-ups or Cable Pulldowns to front with wide bar
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
1 arm dumbbell rows
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Barbell Shrugs
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Alternate Dumbbell Curls
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Straight Bar Curls
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
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WEEK 6: INTENSITY: THE REASON BEHIND SUCCESS
If you have been incorporating these principles we have covered so far into your
fitness routine, you should be “ feeling” more results than seeing at this point.
Seeing them will come. Right now, hopefully, you feel a bit stronger, like your
strength has increased on this program. It is normal if you feel a newfound
soreness. When following a program like this, we are recruiting muscle fibers
that haven’ t been used a lot and there has been microscopic damage to them
that needs to be repaired. This is how the strengthening and muscle-building
process occurs. Be careful of overdoing it with sore muscles. After a while, the
soreness should subside the more you get involved in this program. If it
doesn’ t, your body is telling you that it isn’ t done healing. If you continue to
train without allowing your muscles to recover, you will greatly increase your
chances of over training and becoming sick, injured, or constantly fatigued. Take
a day off to rest if your muscles are drastically sore. The extra rest may increase
your energy and strength for your next workout. Learn how your body recovers
after workouts. Start to “ read” what your body is telling you.
INTENSITY OF THE WORKOUT
Two guys (or girls for that matter) can do the same exact fitness routine with the
exercises, the same number of sets, and the same number of reps, yet still have
two completely different outcomes as far positive results (not accounting for
genetic differences or anabolic aids).
How?
The intensity of how each rep and set of each exercise is done. You’ ve
probably heard the phrase “ you get out what you put in.” That is the heart of
intensity.
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Intensity is very difficult to put into words. You either get it or you don’ t.
According to the dictionary, intensity is the extreme degree of strength, force,
energy, or feeling. A measure of the amount of energy transmitted. Exceptionally
great concentration, power, or force. Intensity is all of these. All of these make a
difference in your workouts. Intensity goes hand in hand with overload. Sure, just
plain overloading the muscles with more weight will increase your strength and
muscularity to a degree.
Train intensely with progressive overload together and the stress produced on
the muscles will force them to adapt and grow bigger and stronger. A certain
synergy (working well together) is created.
Intensity involves a certain mind-body connection. It is both mental and physical.
You literally have to feel the rep, feel the range of motion, and feel the stress on
the muscles. Sounds corny, but if you are doing the exercise just to get it done,
you will not see good results. You know when you have a really INTENSE
workout. I am willing to bet that this was also a really GOOD workout. You
remain focused, nothing distracts you, and each and every rep feels light.
Everything just goes perfectly. This is intensity. No matter which exercise it is you
are doing, it will benefit if you use the utmost intensity while doing it. When you
can continuously harness this intensity, the gains you make will truly amaze you.
Past studies have shown that the likelihood of injury to the body is reduced as
the degree of intensity is increased. If you are comfortable with the intensity you
currently use, KICK IT UP, USE MORE. Always try to outdo yourself. Try to hit a
higher “ peak.” This is what separates modest gains from superb gains.
You must have the desire to change your body from where it is now. Without
desire, you are setting yourself up for failure. You must want your goal bad
enough that you are willing to endure some short-term pain to receive these
goals. Link pleasure to working out and pain to missing workouts. You must
condition your mind. Stop talking yourself out of going to the gym and start
talking yourself into it. With this program, you have been given a point in the right
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direction; you now must put forth the effort to go where you want to go. Soon I
will offer a list of exercises to do. If you do them just to get them done without
putting forth a complete, intense effort, I will not be surprised if you do not reach
your fitness goals. I would be more surprised if you did reach them.
This program was designed with intensity in mind. The repetition range for most,
if not all, of the exercises is four to six repetitions. It is much easier to maintain
maximum intensity for lower reps than it is for higher reps. These short, intense
bursts of energy with maximum overload are what will cause future muscle
growth. Keeping the workout close to 30-45 minutes will allow you to maintain
maximum intensity throughout the workout. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to
work out with extreme intensity for an hour.
Only training one or two muscle groups per workout will allow you to focus more
intensely on those groups. Never train the whole body in one workout. How can
you possibly maintain maximum intensity this way?
Intense exercise significantly affects the release of growth hormone and other
anabolic (muscle-building) hormones in the body. Once again, these short,
intense bursts of exercise are a catalyst for growth hormone release.
There are going to be days that you do not feel like going to the gym. There will
often be legitimate excuses why you shouldn’ t. Family emergencies, an injury,
and sickness are a few. But not going because you just don’ t feel like it is no
excuse. By all means, if you are nursing an injury or the flu, stay home and rest.
Any form of physical activity under these conditions would put you further behind.
If you are just a little tired or fatigued or had a bad day at work, do not allow your
mind to talk your body into skipping your planned workout. It should not be that
easy to just want to miss a workout. If you are tired from working a long day,
often times a good, intense workout is the perfect remedy to make you feel
better.
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I do not necessarily advocate using supplements for energy before a workout,
but sometimes you need a kick in the pants to get going. A coffee shortly before
working out may give you that extra boost that is needed to get you through a
workout. I have tried many “ energy-enhancers” on the market, and some are
quite powerful, but they should not be used with any regularity. Try to
“ naturally” get pumped up for your workout. That is why it is important to have
strong reasons for wanting to go to the gym. You must have a “ driving force”
to keep you going when the going gets tough.
From this point on, make the pact to yourself that each and every REP, SET, and
EXERCISE you do will be with the utmost intensity. When it is time to do your
set, it is ALL business. Focus on the task at hand, moving as much weight as you
can with as much energy as you can. While you are doing your set, nothing else
in the world matters but performing this set to the best of your ability. Once it’ s
done, you cannot get it back. It is just you and the exercise. You want to
consistently try to hit a new “ high peak” when doing an exercise. Warm-ups
can lack a certain bit of intensity for it is more important to train intensely on your
heavy sets, but your warm-ups should not lack focus.
Working out with the utmost intensity is the deciding factor between getting
results and wasting your time.
WEEK: 6
* IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PICK A HEAVY ENOUGH WEIGHT SO THAT YOU
REACH MUSCLE FAILURE BETWEEN THIS 4-6 REP RANGE.
Day 1 Chest & Biceps Weight
Flat Bench Press w/ Dumbbells
1 easy warm-up set for 10 reps ______
1 slightly heavier set for 6 reps ______
1 even heavier set for 3 reps ______
2 heavy sets for 4-6 reps (want to reach failure in this range) ______ _____
Incline Bench Press w/ dumbbells
1 moderately heavy set of 6 reps _____
(no need to go light and warm-up again)
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
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Dips on Dip Machine
3 sets to failure
Standing Barbell Bicep Curls
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Standing Alternate Dumbbell curls
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Day 2- Cardio
Choose one of the following:
Stairmaster, Treadmill, jogging outside, bicycle, aerobics class (one that moves constantly for 20-30
minutes)
30 minutes TOTAL
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense cardio (make sure you are WORKING HARD)
5 minute cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED _______
Day 3 Legs, Shoulders, & Abs
Squats
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Leg Extension Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Leg Curl Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Calf Presses
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Military Shoulder Presses w/ bar
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Bent over dumbbell lateral raises
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
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2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Weighted cable Crunches
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Day 4-Cardio
30 minutes
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense
5 minutes cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED ______
Day 5- Back & Triceps
Chin-ups or Cable Pulldowns to front with wide bar
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Seated Back Row on Machine or Cables
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Dumbbell Shrugs
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Close-grip Bench Press
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Tricep Pushdowns
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
WEEK 7: THE MOST EFFECTIVE SUPPLEMENTS ON THE MARKET
Many people ask me time and time again which supplements they should be
taking to help them in their fitness goals. After speaking with them, I realize often
times that all the supplements in the world wouldn’ t help this person because
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they are under the assumption that just by taking supplements, they would totally
transform their bodies into the Greek statues they’ ve always wanted.
Supplements are exactly that. They are supposed to supplement your wellbalanced
diet and your hard work in the gym. They are not a substitute for them.
In fact, if you do not train correctly or eat a well-balanced diet, supplements are a
total waste of money.
Supplements must be used correctly to be effective. You cannot be haphazard in
your approach to taking them, missing days here and there or cutting down the
amount taken to make it last longer.
Supplements must be taken on your off days from training just as well as when
you are working out. It is on your off days that your body is recovering from
strenuous workouts and needs the proper nutrition to support muscle growth.
There is a place for supplements in just about everyone’ s routines. The correct
supplements will assist you if you are unable to take in the nutrients that are
required by your body that you normally get from ingesting whole food sources.
Using the correct supplement will give you an edge in your weight loss and
muscle building efforts.
I say correct because there are literally more supplements on the market that do
not work than those that do.
The supplement industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that targets people’ s
emotions. They spend thousands of dollars marketing to people. These
marketing campaigns are slick, colorful, and usually downright fraudulent. If a
certain product sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If it says that you do
not have to exercise or eat well for it to work, they are lying. People at the heads
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of these companies will go all out when it comes to fighting for your dollars. Many
companies make enough money in a year selling bogus products that they can
then retire millionaires. If I sound skeptical, it’ s because I am. I have just seen
too many examples of products that are hyped as the next best thing but just fail
to deliver any results.
Undoubtedly there are supplements that offer an array of benefits and we will get
to which ones I believe are of value.
There are many supplements being sold that guarantee the world to you and
produce no results, except a lighter wallet. Just be careful what you read and
who you talk to. Everyone seems to be an expert in supplements, often times
recommending a product that they believed caused them to gain strength and
size when in fact it wasn’ t the supplement at all that caused this.
Buying a supplement because you saw an ad in a magazine that offered
amazing results is kind of like buying into one of these get-rich quick schemes. If
it were that great of a product, wouldn’ t everyone be taking it? Wouldn’ t the
effective word-of-mouth advertising by people drastically reduce the need for
these companies to spend $10,000 per ad in a magazine? Ads are produced to
do one thing and one thing only. To sell a product. You can literally sell anything
if you advertise it enough. Just watch the current slew of infomercial on TV. Its
ridiculous that these companies are padding their wallets at the expense of
vulnerable people who are misled and misinformed and are looking for the right
direction.
Again, supplements are not magic. They are not truly needed to get into fabulous
shape. However, the right ones can help you get there and stay in better shape if
taken correctly. I have benefited from a few specific supplements that we will talk
about.
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All-in-one supplements that contain the latest and greatest ingredients are not
worth their weight either. They usually contain such trace amounts of the key
ingredients that any effect is doubtful. Also, try not to take too many supplements
at one time. Many compete for absorption against each other. Also, if you take
many supplements at the same time, you will not know which ones work and
which ones do not.
Stick with reputable, well-known brands that have been around for a while. The
scum companies usually get chased out by consumers, reputable competing
companies, or sometimes by the FDA (AB belts for example).
Twinlab, AST Sports Science, Nature’ s Best, Met-Rx, Sportpharma, Lee
Labrada, EAS, Balance, NOW Foods, Syntrax, and Optimum Nutrition are just a
few of the brand that have been around for a while and do not have
overwhelmingly bad publicity.
Remember that there is no magic pill, no cure-all supplement. They are beneficial
if you use them often, not once a week. They will produce results if taken
consistently over time. Most are not instantaneous (except energy enhancers,
which work in about an hour).
Meal Replacements
For optimum fat-burning and muscle-building efficiency, you should be
consuming a high-protein, moderate-carb, low-fat meal about every three to four
hours. This will keep your metabolism running smoothly. This is approximately
five to six meals per day. It's tough to prepare this many meals without either
hiring a personal chef or spending lots of planning and prep time in the kitchen.
Welcome meal replacements.
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This is the ONE supplement that holds value for anyone looking to lose body fat
and lead a healthier, fit lifestyle.
Often times, because of a busy schedule, it may be difficult to eat the correct way
and the right types of food. Meal replacements provide a perfect, compact meal
in a packet that is high in protein, low in fat (some have no fat) are low in
carbohydrates, and contain a wide array of vitamins and minerals. They are low
in sugar and cholesterol. They are very nutrient dense and can be mixed easily
and conveniently.
In order to get the same benefits as some of the high quality meal replacements,
you would have to put together a large whole food meal like a chicken breast
(protein) a potato for some carbs, and a salad for the vitamins.
You would have to intricately construct the unique amino acids profile for a huge
variety of intact foods and you would have to combine enough different nutrient
dense foods to yield a complete 100% recommended daily allowance of all
vitamins or minerals and antioxidants. At the same time doing this while keeping
unwanted fat and sugars to a bare minimum. Now imagine doing this five to six
times a day.
Why bother when you can just rip open a meal replacement packet and toss it
into a cup with some water or skim milk. Presto! Instant nutrition.
Meal replacements can assist in fat loss by substituting two to three of your
whole food meals with a low-calorie, nutrient-packed instant shake.
One of the meal replacements I have tried and really liked is Nature’ s Best
Perfect Rx. This shake comes in chocolate and vanilla and mixes up smooth and
rich. It costs only about $2.00 a shake. It’ s hard to find something that nutritious
and low in calories for fewer than 2 bucks.
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I also like AST Sports Science Ny-Tro Pro-40, which is delicious in the
Strawberry flavor. Met-Rx is the granddaddy of all meal replacements. It’ s been
around for 10 years. If something did not have any value to a consumer, it would
not be around for 10 year. Met-Rx and AST Ny-Tro Pro-40 are a bit more
expensive than Natures’ Best Perfect Rx. They are about $3.00 per packet.
Meal replacements are a great tool to help you lose weight. It allows you to
replace a meal that may be higher in calories and fat with one that, when mixed
with water, is less than 300 calories. This shake has 30-40 grams of protein, 0-2
grams of fat, and little to no sugar. I think you can start to see the value when
trying to shave off extra calories here and there from your diet. Just choose one
that tastes good to you so that you are more likely to keep taking it.
Protein
Protein is the major nutrient responsible for muscle growth and repair. Weighttraining
athletes require more protein than a sedentary person does. Studies with
both strength and endurance athletes have indicted that exercise increased the
need for protein and amino acids. Your body is in a constant flux of protein
turnover 24 hours a day. Whether you train or not, your body demands a
constant supply of protein to fuel virtually all metabolic processes required for
proper health. Add weight training to the equation and the demand for quality
protein in the body soars. It's no secret that protein builds muscle; no other
nutrient can do this. Proper protein consumption should be the number one
nutritional concern (other than water) for the bodybuilder, endurance athlete,
weekend warrior, or anyone looking to sustain or grow lean muscle tissue.
As far as the type of protein supplement you should take, whey protein is the
most biologically valuable protein source available, This means that more of it is
utilized by the body than, say, egg protein or soy protein. This means more is
used for muscle growth and immune system enhancement. Milk protein, egg
protein, and soy protein are other sources or protein available on the market. Try
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adding a protein shake or two a day and watch your results on strength and
muscle tissue development start to increase.
I enjoy AST Sports Science VyoPro, VyoPro 2 (also called VP2), Nature’ s Best
Whey Protein and their Isopure Protein, and Met-Rx Protein Plus or Whey
Protein. A word of caution, do not go for the biggest bucket of protein at the
cheapest price. You get what you pay for. You will probably get a very low-grade
protein source that offers little to no biological value because of the way it has
been processed. An average price for a quality whey protein is about 20-25
dollars for a two-pound jug. If you are paying 20 dollars for 10 pounds, you are
getting a very cheap, probably worthless product.
Creatine
Without a doubt, this one works. You would be hard pressed to find any health
food store or drug store that doesn’ t carry creatine. This is a must-use
supplement for gaining strength, muscle size, and endurance. Virtually every
athlete in every sport today uses creatine for these advantages.
Creatine is a compound that is naturally made in our bodies to supply energy to
muscles. We just make very little of it and get very little from whole foods. It is
used in the body to produce ATP. Creatine will increase muscle fiber size,
strength and overall power. It does this primarily by shuttling water into the
muscle cells, forcing the body to hold water intramuscularly (within the muscle),
not directly under the skin. So contrary to myth, it will not bloat you. The size you
gain is from water being held in the muscle. Considering muscle is over 70%
water, this is a good thing. The first time I ever tried creatine, I took more than the
recommended dosage, which really isn’ t that much. I gained over 20 pounds of
body weight and my bench press went up over 30 pounds in a couple weeks.
This was accomplished by taking 20-30 grams a day (loading phase) for the first
week and then taking 15 grams after that (maintenance phase).
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Creatine works and is a very safe supplement. I would include it as a very
inexpensive, very effective tool in my arsenal.
Glutamine
Glutamine is probably the most underrated and little known supplement. It also
may be one of the most important. Intense weight training has an impact on our
recovery process and immune system. Glutamine can combat this. It is used by
the body to help recover after weight training. Research has shown a link
between stress and your body’ s need for glutamine. In fact, the founder of Met-
Rx, the popular meal replacement, is a physician that gave his patients glutamine
to speed up their recovery time in the hospital. The secret ingredient in Met-Rx
that produces such great results is glutamine. Glutamine is the most abundant
single amino acid in muscle tissue. It comprises 61 % of the amino acid pool in
skeletal muscle. Glutamine literally drives muscle-building nitrogen into the
muscle cell where it is synthesized for tissue growth. Glutamine concentrations
fall markedly after training and remain low until complete recovery. What this
means is the very rigors of weight training "leaks" nitrogen-carrying glutamine
from muscle tissue. This fall in glutamine is catabolic to muscle tissue, meaning it
breaks muscle tissue down. Supplementing with glutamine spares free glutamine
in muscle tissue, counter acts the fall in muscle protein syntheses, and improves
nitrogen balance. A bit scientific, I know, but very important to keep nitrogen
retention levels high after training. You train with weight to build muscle. The
more intensely you train and the heavier the overload becomes, the greater the
muscle growth response will be. Glutamine is a key factor in muscle growth and
controlling the whole body glutamine gradients is critical in maintaining and
building muscle tissue. The higher the muscle glutamine levels you can maintain,
the less chance you have of falling into muscle tissue breakdown.
I have used glutamine from AST Sports Science, Met-Rx, and Nature's Best. It is
tasteless, odorless, and colorless. Just mix it into juice, milk, or water three to
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four times a day and you will start to "feel" the difference within a week or two.
You will not be as sick as often and your recovery time will greatly improve!
Multi-Vitamin and Mineral Supplement
Another must-take for optimum results in and out of the gym. Taking a
multivitamin each day is kind of like an insurance policy. You don’ t really
appreciate the fact that it’ s there until something goes wrong. A multivitamin will
ensure you a complete spectrum of all the vitamins and minerals your body
needs to carry out the many vital functions it goes through each and every day. If
you were to take one and only one supplement, it should be a multivitamin and
mineral. For the human body to perform at its maximum potential, it must be fed
a vast and complex array of vital nutrients, Becoming deficient in just one of
these essential vitamins or minerals breaks down the metabolic pathways that
produces optimum efficiency and performance declines. A high performance
multi-vitamin that is rich in potent antioxidant and supplies demanding muscles
with key vitamins and minerals is needed to perform optimally under stressful
conditions.
DHEA
DHEA has been shown in numerous studies to increase testosterone, increase
IGF-1 levels, and reduce body fat and lower cortisol levels. Cortisol is a catabolic
(breaks down muscle) inducing stress hormone. One study revealed that high
dose DHEA supplementation decreased body fat levels by 31% while
maintaining the same overall bodyweight in just 28 days. This indicates a
significant increase in lean body mass at the expense of body fat. This study
shows DHEA may have an ability to significantly alter body composition to favor
lean tissue accrual. Another study showed DHEA had an effect on the choice of
foods consumed. A controlled animal study showed that those animals
administered with DHEA, when given a choice, chose lean protein and
carbohydrate food as opposed to foods comprised of high fat. DHEA can be
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purchased at just about any health food store or grocery chain. It normally comes
in either 50 mg. or 100 mg. Potencies. Our DHEA levels significantly begin to
decrease with age, steeply declining after the age of 30 years. So if you’ ve
noticed a bit of decrease in your energy level and or sex drive, you could be
suffering from lower levels of testosterone. DHEA may prove to be a worthwhile
supplement for you.
Protein bars
Have you ever been in a situation where you were hungry and wanted something
quick and light to eat but didn’ t have the time to stop or the time to make it.
Protein bars may help in this situation. If you become very hungry at any point
during the day, often times your logic and reasoning goes right out the window
and you end up driving straight through the Golden Arches. If you are at work
and do not have anything with you, you may order one of everything from the
vending machines.
Protein bars, if you keep them on hand, will help keep you from ever reaching
that hunger point.
Most protein bars have about 15-20 grams of protein and are anywhere from 180
to 300 calories, Some are made to be a snack, like Balance Bars, Zone Bars, or
Genisoy Bars, while others like Sportpharma Promax Bars and Met-Rx Protein
Plus Bars are meant to take the place of a meal. The down side is, to get a
protein bar to have any likable taste at all, it needs to be higher in fat or sugar
than meal replacement powders, otherwise it would taste like dirt.
Choosing the wrong protein bar is no different than eating a Snicker’ s or Milky
Way. Just because the wrapper says protein bar doesn’ t mean it’ s good for
you.
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Protein bars are helpful if you need something quick right before or right after a
workout. They will not feel heavy in the stomach and should have a rather
pleasant taste, almost like a reward for then end of your workout. Some of the
ones I have tied and find appealing are Zone Bars, Balance Bars (although a bit
high in sugar), Twinlab Ironman Bars, Sportpharma Promax bars, Met-Rx Bars,
Genisoy Bars, and Powerbars. Just find one low in sugar (around 10-15 grams is
normal), lower in carbs, and lower in fat (try to keep it around 5 grams or less).
Protein bars can be a valuable alternate food source when you are really hungry
and need something quick and nutritious to consume.
Fat-burners/energy enhancers
This is probably the most controversial category as far as supplements go. The
critics so set against these products are probably the most uneducated about
them. Ephedra, a substance that has been around for 5,000, has been proven
safe if used correctly. You are probably more likely to die from ingesting aspirin
than for ephedra products. It is when they are abused by taking too many that the
health issue arises.
Where two aspirin may cure a headache, taking 20 may kill you. People think if
they take 2 fat-burner pills and lose a small amount of weight, taking 4 pills
should double the results. So they can quickly become abused,
Ephedra-based fat-burners possess what is called a "thermogenic", or heatproducing
effect. This is a process by which heat is generated through the
stimulation of your body’ s brown-fat activity. Brown fat tissue contains an
extremely dense concentration of energy-producing structures called
mitochondria. Mitochondria produce energy from food. Brown fat is biologically
equipped to burn, or "oxidize" lipids, ridding the body of excess fat. Ephedra
stimulates this brown fat by creating more surface" binding" sites for epinephrine.
This stimulation makes the fat cells burn faster while sparing muscle tissue. I feel
that the true benefit of these fat-burners may be from the boost in energy that will
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allow you to get through those days that you do not feel like weight training. They
will give you that much needed energy to create a more intense workout, which
in, turn will lead to better fat-loss results. So they do help you burn fat, just more
so in an indirect way. Even though ephedra products have been deemed safe by
researcher, I do not advocate taking them just because you are looking for a lazy
way to burn fat. Nothing takes the place of hard work and smart eating. But if you
are often too tired to train because of a long workday, these products may be of
benefit for you. I have tried Ripped Fuel by Twinlab and Thermadrene by
Sportpharma. However, the best one I have tried as far as energy increase has
been Dymetadrine Extreme by AST Sports Science. Just be sure to use these
products as directed by the manufacturer. More of these are not better.
Glucosamine/Chondroitin
Glucosamine sulfates are sugar molecules that are the essential building blocks
for structural compounds in connective tissue. Glucosamine sulfate protects
against tissue damage at the cellular level and improves the repair ability of
cartilage. Chondroitin sulfates are unique polymers that help draw fluids into
molecules of cartilage helping to activate the cushioning effect and assist in
nutrient transport into joint tissue.
By enabling joint cartilage to retain water, chondroitin improves lubrication and
stimulates the production of building blocks of joint cartilage. Each and every
workout, you subject your joints and tendons to literally tons of weight and stress
from the numerous sets and reps you perform. The human body is an incredibly
resilient machine but the constant stress and pounding your joints take from
working out or playing sports can definitely take its toll. If you are experiencing a
little ache and pain around some of the joints or your mobility in these areas is
not quite what it used to be, than taking glucosamine and/or chondroitin may be
of value to you. It is, however, one of the more expensive supplements on the
market, but one that has had great results.
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Conjugated linoleic acid
Although the reasons behind the benefit of CLA are not completely understood, it
is widely accepted in the exercise science community that CLA counterbalances
the negative effects of linoleic acid and regulates fat and protein metabolism in
animals. A growing body of evidence indicates that CLA is a newly recognized
nutrient that helps to regulate energy retention and metabolism. CLA has been
shown in studies to increase growth rate through increased feed efficiency.
Animals that had their diets supplemented with CLA increased their body protein
(muscle tissue) while at the same time had a significant decrease in body fat.
This all occurred n the CLA supplemented animals while their food intake was
decreased. Their lean mass increased even though they were eating less. CLA is
a naturally occurring substance found in foods such as milk, cheese, beef, and
lamb as well as many processed foods. But getting enough CLA from your diet
alone would require a considerable intake of these types of foods. This is not
only impractical, but would also have a negative impact on your metabolism due
to the high caloric penalty you’ d pay.
WEEK: 7
* IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PICK A HEAVY ENOUGH WEIGHT SO THAT YOU
REACH MUSCLE FAILURE BETWEEN THIS 4-6 REP RANGE.
Day 1 Chest & Biceps Weight
Incline Bench Press w/ Bar
1 easy warm-up set for 10 reps ______
1 slightly heavier set for 6 reps ______
1 even heavier set for 3 reps ______
2 heavy sets for 4-6 reps (want to reach failure in this range) ______ _____
Incline Bench Press w/ dumbbells
1 moderately heavy set of 6 reps _____
(no need to go light and warm-up again)
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Standing Cable Curls
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Standing Alternate Dumbbell curls
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1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Day 2- Cardio
Choose one of the following:
Stairmaster, Treadmill, jogging outside, bicycle, aerobics class (one that moves constantly for 20-30
minutes)
30 minutes TOTAL
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense cardio (make sure you are WORKING HARD)
5 minute cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED _______
Day 3 Legs, Shoulders, & Abs
Squats
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Leg Extension Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Stiff Leg Deadlifts
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Calf Presses
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Presses
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Bent over dumbbell lateral raises
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Weighted cable Crunches
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
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Day 4-Cardio
30 minutes
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense
5 minutes cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED ______
Day 5- Back & Triceps
Bent Over Barbell Rows
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Seated Back Row on Machine or Cables
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Dumbbell Shrugs
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Lying Tricep Extensions
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Tricep Pushdowns
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
WEEK 8: NEVER HIT A PLATEAU AGAIN!
If this program is followed correctly, the days of hitting plateaus just when it
seems you are making progress are over.
Your workouts should be very demanding. They should be intense and very
focused. With this intensity comes the need to rest to allow your muscles to fully
recuperate from the demand that you have placed on them. Muscle growth is
achieved by progressively overloading the muscles and forcing them to adapt by
adding new muscle to handle future demands. However, if you never allow your
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muscles to fully recuperate, they will not be able to handle any new demands
placed upon them. They will start getting weaker from less rest. That is how
plateaus happen. We are going to take necessary steps to combat this problem.
We are going to systematically wipe out long-lasting plateaus, forever. We do this
by training smarter, not just harder.
Proper rest and recovery from working out is so important, it literally is the
deciding force behind results and no results. We need an in-depth look as to how
to fully recuperate and ensure max recovery.
Steps to avoid over training and hitting a plateau.
• Keep workouts short and sweet. Your weight training should be just that,
training with weights. Not mixing cardio with it. Workouts do not need to be
long to be effective, in fact, if they are too long, they are counterproductive.
The goal of weight training is to go into the gym and stimulate
muscle growth, not to annihilate the muscles. By stimulating them with
progressive overload, you are forcing them to respond and adapt to this
progressive overload. Anything more is futile over training.
• Do not turn your weight training workouts into endurance events. Do not
try to "burn fat" while weight training because you will not achieve it. Do
not make your workouts longer thinking that more time equals more
results. Keep your weight training brief and focused. Complete your
workout in less than 45 minutes. This short time period will ensure you do
not over do it, it will ensure intensity. It’ s much easier to focus for 30-45
minutes than it is an hour. The growth-assisting hormones secreted in
your body actually peak after about 30 minutes of weight training and then
begin to decline rapidly. So keep it quick and intense. No total body
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workout. Choose one or two muscle groups, train them well, and leave
under 45 minutes.
• Keep a lower rep range. If you can lift a weight more than six times on the
last set or two of an exercise, the weight is too light and is not producing
overload for your muscles. However, if you cannot get at least three or
four, the weight is too heavy and you may not be benefiting from it. Keep
your range between four and six reps give or take a rep. This low range
will ensure maximum overload and increased intensity. Four to six reps
get the job done efficiently and more effectively than higher reps with
lower weight. Remember, overload (weight) builds muscle, not reps.
Keeping reps low ensures more overload and it is also easier to intensely
focus on four to six reps than it is for more than ten.
• Keep a low number of sets. Remember that weight training is no
marathon. You only need one to two heavy sets of an exercise to
stimulate muscle growth. Less may not be enough stimulation and more
may lead to over training. If you feel that you did not work a muscle
sufficiently after your two heavy sets, I question the amount of weight or
your intensity on those sets. You should feel as though you probably
couldn’ t do another set as effectively as your last one. Remember, its
not the quantity of sets that matter, it’ s the quality. You will achieve
better results with two fabulous, hard-working sets than would you with
three or four less-intense sets. Believe me, there is a very fine line
between doing too many sets and not enough. The line seems to be
around one to two heavy sets. There is no law that states if you double the
amount of sets, you double your results. More isn’ t better, better is
better.
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• Rest enough between your sets. Rest at least a minute between your
warm-up sets and at least two minutes between your heavy sets. You
need to recuperate enough to handle the demand the next set is going to
place upon your muscles. You cannot expend maximum energy on an
exercise if you are still fatigued from the last set. You will not be able to lift
as much weight or as many reps if you are not rested enough. There is no
set amount of time to rest, just feel rested enough so that you can meet or
exceed the efforts of your previous set. If you performed a 250-pound
bench press for six reps, you need to rest enough so that you can meet or
exceed that set. Think of it as a high point that you must reach each and
every time you do a set. Without adequate rest, that high point cannot be
reached. If the high point isn’ t reached again, that set was a waste of
time.
• Get adequate rest before working the same muscle group again. Heavy
and intense weight training produces microscopic fiber damage to the
muscles. It is this damage and rebuilding which causes a muscle to get
bigger and stronger. Without proper rest between workouts of the same
muscle group, you will not recover sufficiently to handle placing more
overload on that muscle group. Again, if your muscles cannot handle the
overload, results are diminished. You should wait at least five to seven
days between working the same muscle group. If you train biceps on
Monday, wait until the following Monday to ensure they are rested enough.
Training them prior may create an over training environment. Remember
that they will get worked while performing other exercises, so they actually
are not fully resting all week. One of the most important things you can do
for yourself is to start "listening" to how your body feels. Learn to gauge
your recovery time and start training more on how you feel rather than on
a schedule set in stone. For example, if you train your biceps Monday and
then come next Monday, for whatever reason, they are still aching sore,
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give them another day's rest. Do you truly feel you will be able to lift with
maximum overload and intensity with overly sore biceps? You are lifting
for progress, not just for the act of lifting some weight. If a muscle group is
still very sore, there is still some fiber damage creating that soreness that
needs to heal. Training with sore muscles is like trying to shovel your way
out of a hole. You get nowhere. Taking an extra day off to rest will ensure
the next day's workout produce results. If increasing muscle strength and
size is a goal, you need to create an environment where they are able to
perform at their maximum, not when they are sore.
• Take a week break after two months of training. After every two months of
intense, solid training, take an entire week off from weight training and
cardio. Two months of constant training likely will take a toll on your
muscles’ ability to recover. You must allow them to recover by having
them take a break. Do not allow the alleged psychological barrier of taking
a week off stand in your way. You may be thinking you will lose ground by
taking time off, but nothing can be further from the truth.
• To avoid over training and hitting a plateau in the weight room, do not over
do your cardio workout. Keep your cardio at three to four sessions per
week, 20-30 minutes a session. Too many cardio days or too long of a
cardio session negatively impacts our muscle-building efforts. Cardio
actually reduces the body’ s production of testosterone, the main
hormone responsible for building lean muscle. Too much cardio will cause
you to be sore more often. Again, learn to listen to your body. This week
will allow your body to rest and heal and come back stronger and more
energetic. You will be more focused and intense. During this week off,
continue proper nutrition for it is during this week that you need to ensure
your muscles are getting fed properly. This week off is where much of your
muscle growth takes place. You are letting your body recover from the
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previous cumulative weeks of working out and it is time for them to
recharge. I was skeptical about taking a week off the first time I tried it.
When I came back to the gym after the week off, I was more energetic and
stronger. My bench press increased by over five pounds my first day back.
I am no longer a skeptic.
These are a few tips you can use to avoid hitting a plateau. But what if you feel
that you are, in fact, over training and have hit a plateau?
What are some of the signs of over training? First of all, if you are not looking
forward to getting into the gym any more, that may be a sign. If you are sluggish
and tired more often than usual, that’ s also a sign. If you are struggling to lift
weights that are not normally a struggle, then that is a sign of possible over
training. If you are getting sick more than you normally do, you are over training
because your immune system is not as strong as it should be. These are just a
few of the signs that you may be over training.
If you feel you have hit a plateau and are over training, immediately take a week
off. You may just need some rest. Use this time to heal and continue to eat
properly. Make sure your protein level is high for this is the time your muscles
need the building blocks to work with. This rest and proper nutrition will be very
anabolic (muscle building) to your body. It may be all you need to bust through
that plateau.
One way not to overcome a plateau is by trying to work through it. You cannot
make something better by doing what it was that caused it in the first place!
I chuckle when I see people in the gym doing set after set of rep after rep, trying
to break past a plateau. They say that they are trying to "feel the burn, “ trying
to bust through that plateau. Feeling the burn is no indictor of muscle growth or
success. Feeling the burn simply means that your muscles have been infused
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with lactic acid. This has no direct impact on muscle growth. In fact, it impairs it. I
see people yelling and making faces, screaming in agony all the while lifting a
very light weight for unneeded endless reps. Looks good but it produces limited
results. Doing set after set of rep after rep is going to do more harm than good.
Avoid these people that tell you to do this like the plague. Do not associate more
reps with better results. I guarantee these people performing this routine do not
have the muscularity to back up their theory!
Finally, a word on supplements that may help you avoid over training. The most
important is taking a multivitamin and mineral. Also, keep your protein levels
high, for no other nutrient is directly responsible for creating muscle tissue.
One supplement being highly regarded for its positive effect on your immune
system is glutamine. Glutamine is an amino acid that is derived from whole food
sources that helps the body in the recovery process after strenuous exercise. It is
the single most abundant amino acid in muscle tissue and comprises 61%of the
amino acid pool in skeletal muscle. It is difficult, though, to get enough of it
through whole food sources alone.
I have used this supplement and have noticed a marked effective in my recovery
ability. I am able to train harder, more often. I seem to bounce back from a tough
workout better without any negative residual effects the next day. Hospitals, in
fact, give their patients’ glutamine to speed up recovery time after a severe
trauma like burns. Weight training is trauma to the body, just in a different
manner, so it will directly have an effect in the recovery process. Glutamine is
fairly expensive but I feel is worth what it costs. What price can you pay for
having a health immune system and the ability to come back strong from
workouts? The big reason steroid users can grow muscle so much quicker than
the rest of us is simply because the steroids help them recover from their
workouts faster, so they can train more often with better results. Glutamine will
not produce quite the same results as steroids, but I feel you will notice the
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difference by taking 30-40 grams each day. Less than this amount and I do not
think you are supplying the body with enough glutamine reserves to make a
largely positive impact.
These are a few things you can do to avoid over training and hitting a plateau.
Stick with low reps, short workouts, plenty of rest between heavy sets, and take
time off every 2 months of training.
When I work with people, I often notice that their barriers to progess are usually
more in their heads than in their body. If they feel they are in a rut, most often,
they will start to act like they are in a rut, and this translates into having poor and
unproductive workouts. If you feel you are starting to fall into this trap, resolve to
have the best workout you possibly can have. Keep setting high standards and
strive to reach them each time you step into the gym. Do not talk yourself into a
plateau.
WEEK: 8
* IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PICK A HEAVY ENOUGH WEIGHT SO THAT YOU
REACH MUSCLE FAILURE BETWEEN THIS 4-6 REP RANGE.
Day 1- Cardio
Choose one of the following:
Stairmaster, Treadmill, jogging outside, bicycle, aerobics class (one that moves constantly for 20-30
minutes)
30 minutes TOTAL
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense cardio (make sure you are WORKING HARD)
5 minute cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED _______
Day 2 Chest, Shoulders, Triceps & Abs
Incline Bench Press w/ Straight Bar
1 easy warm-up set for 10 reps ______
1 slightly heavier set for 6 reps ______
1 even heavier set for 3 reps ______
2 heavy sets for 4-6 reps(want to reach failure in this range) ______ _____
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Dumbbell Flat Bench Chest Press
1 moderately heavy set of 6 reps _____
(no need to go light and warm-up again)
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Seated Dumbbell Presses for Shoulders
1 warm-up set of 10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Tricep Pushdowns on Cable Machine
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Weighted cable Crunches
1 warm-up set of 10 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 10-15 reps ______ ______
Day 3- Cardio
Choose one of the following:
Stairmaster, Treadmill, jogging outside, bicycle, aerobics class (one that moves constantly for 20-30
minutes)
30 minutes TOTAL
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense cardio (make sure you are WORKING HARD)
5 minute cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED _______
Day 4 Legs, Back, Biceps & Abs
1 arm-dumbbell rows
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
V-grip Cable Lat Pulldowns to the Front
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Straight-Bar Bicep Curls
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Squats on Smith Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
Another warm-up of 8-10 reps ( a bit heavier than first set) ______
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1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Stiff- Leg Deadlifts w/ Dumbbells
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Calf Presses on Calf Machine (put belt around waist)
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Day 5-Cardio
30 minutes
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense
5 minutes cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED ______
WEEK 9: THE BEST CHEST, BACK, AND AB EXERCISES
I am going to go out on a limb here and say that most people do not know how to
work out correctly. By this I mean, they are often times confused as to what
exercises to do, how many reps to do, how many sets to do, how often to do
them, how many days to work out, and so on, so forth.
My goal for this program is to give you an answer to each and every one of those
issues. This part of the program starts with the fundamentals of which exercises
to do and which should never be done again.
These exercises are based upon which ones offer the most muscle overload and
stimulation. It’ s progressive overload that stimulates muscle growth, nothing
else. Never do an exercise just for the sakes of doing. Make sure it is the best
use of your energy. There should be a precise reason for each and every
repetition you perform. Ask yourself, before performing an exercise, if that
particular exercise is going to offer you the most overload to the muscle.
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Some exercises you should never do again because they fail to properly
overload the muscles and are just a waste of your time. Just because an
exercise or machine was invented does not mean it has to be included into your
routine. Keep things simpler than that. Stick with the basics of weight training,
those exercises that work and produce results. We are going to hit on each
exercise that I feel is worth including in a routine. Do not feel you have to change
exercises often for your routine to be effective. I would say stick with the same,
good, ones, but always try to do them better. Do not confuse variety with
effectiveness. Never get rid of an effective exercise like the bench press and
replace it with an ineffective one like dumbbell flyes because you are bored. The
more variety of exercises you do does not mean better results. I know of may
people over the years that have built incredible bodies with the same base of 12-
14 exercises, year after year. They just continue to get better at doing them.
If you continue to do the basic, effective exercises we discuss, you also will get
better at them. With this improvement will come increased results. I really believe
strength is just a by-product of learning to do something better. It’ s easier to
focus on an exercise that feels like second nature than on one that is unfamiliar
to you.
Every single exercise, for it to be effective, must produce maximum overload to
the targeted muscle group. Therefore, you can and should do away with most
isolation exercises like preacher curls, concentration curls, dumbbell flyes, and
isolation machines. These greatly reduce the amount of leverage you can use;
greatly reducing the amount of weight you will lift. I guarantee you will be
stronger on standing barbell curls than on sitting preacher curls. You have more
leverage to do the standing curls. Optimize this leverage; use it to your
advantage to increase the overload you are placing on your muscles. Also, do
away with most, not all, one-arm or one-leg movements. Some single arm
movements like dumbbell curls, lunges, and dumbbell back rows create
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significant overload to the muscles, but most one- limb movements do not. Any
time you are working one limb at a time, you are doubling the amount of time and
energy needed to perform that exercise. Instead, pick the exercise that allows
you to put all of your energy and focus into your set at once.
Here, in order of effectiveness, are the best chest exercises you can add to your
routine.
Flat Bench Press with Bar
• The flat bench press is the king of all chest exercises. It works the chest,
shoulders, and triceps simultaneously. First lie flat on the bench with your
eyes even with the bar. Your feet should remain flat on the floor and your butt
and shoulder blades should remain in contact with the bench. With the
contact points in place you can keep a slight arch in your back. Grip the bar
evenly with your hands a bit wider than shoulder width. Lift the bar off the rack
and control the bar down to the bottom of your chest. With explosive force,
drive the weight back up. Repeat this motion until you have completed your
desired reps. During the entire exercise, your feet should be firmly planted on
the ground. This will help give you a stable foundation. To help you generate
more power, drive through with your feet and keep a natural arch with your
lower back as you push the weight up from your chest. Do not restrict your
range of motion for the use of a heavier weight. You see this sometimes when
people only lower the bar halfway to the chest. Little do they realize that this
is actually more difficult than going all the way down to the chest. Flat barbell
bench presses are very effective for chest development because you can
easily achieve a great deal of overload in an efficient manner.
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Incline Bench Press with Bar
• Sit on the incline bench with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Grip the
bar with a slightly wider than shoulder grip. Make sure your hands are spaced
evenly on the bar. Lift the bar up. Under control, lower the bar across your
upper chest, right above your neck. With an explosive motion, push the
weight up and slightly back. Again, make sure you keep your feet firmly
planted on the ground throughout the exercise. This will give you a sturdy
foundation. Keep your butt and shoulders in contact with the bench at all
times. Incline barbell bench presses are a great compound exercise for
strength and development that allows you to place a lot of overload on the
upper pectoral region.
Bench Press with Dumbbells
• Be sure to use your legs when you are picking up the dumbbells so you don't
put any undue stress on your lower back. Do not get into the habit of bending
over and lifting the dumbbells with your back. When you have grabbed them,
stand up with the dumbbells resting on your knees. Make sure that the bench
is directly behind you and sit down so the dumbbells are resting on your lower
thighs by your knees. This will help you get the movement started. To get the
weight into the correct starting position, rock back so you are lying flat on the
bench and use your knees to help move the dumbbells up into position. Now
with an explosive motion, push the dumbbells toward the ceiling keeping them
in line with your chest. As you are pressing up, rotate your thumbs toward
each other so the dumbbells come together and form an "A" at the top of the
movement. Now, under control, lower the dumbbells back to the starting
position with your palms facing each other and dumbbells parallel with your
body. After you have completed your set, bring your knees toward your chest
so they are in line with the base of the dumbbells and rock your body forward
and sit up so the dumbbells are again resting on your knees. Now you can
stand up to put them away.
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Incline Bench Press with Dumbbells
• Sit on the incline bench with the dumbbells resting on your knees. To get the
dumbbells into the starting position, use your knees to help kick them up one
at a time lifting your knee towards your chest. With an explosive motion, push
the weight towards the ceiling keeping it in line with your upper chest. As you
push the weight up, bring your hands together so o the dumbbells form an "A"
shape when they come together at the top of the movement. With control,
lower the weight back to the starting position rotating your palms back so they
are facing each other and the dumbbells are again parallel with your body.
When you finish your desired reps, bring your knees up and in line with the
base of the dumbbells. Rock yourself forward so the dumbbells are again
resting on your knees. Stand up and lower the dumbbells back to the ground.
Dips
• Grab the dip bars with a secure grip and hold yourself up with your arms
straight. Lean your upper body forward and slowly lower yourself by bending
at the elbows. Lower your upper body until you feel a good stretch across
your chest. With an explosive motion, push yourself back up. To place more
load on the chest, it is important to lean forward into the movement and dip in
an arch motion. Your body weight may be sufficient at first but as you get
stronger you will need to add extra weight to create enough overload. This
can be accomplished by using a dip belt.
Chest Exercises Not To Do
• Dumbbell Flyes- do not waste your time with dumbbell flyes. I am willing to
bet that you can press more weight than you can flye. If that is the case, and I
am sure it is, then the amount of overload to the chest is greatly diminished
by doing flyes. Less overload means less muscle stimulation. You cannot
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shape the chest muscles by doing flyes; God gave you your predetermined
shape. You cannot change the shape of any muscle in your body; you can
only make them larger or smaller. Many people assume flyes help out on
shaping the chest muscles but this just isn’ t the case. If you can change
your genetic shape of your muscles, then you are in the same league as God.
Pretty good company to be in.
• Cable Crossovers and Pec Deck-Same reason to skip these as was with
flyes. Not enough overload to the chest. You can press more than can you
flye, so stick with bench presses on the flat bench and incline and throw in
some dips and your chest work is fine.
Here are the most effective back exercises:
Lat Pull-ups or Chin Ups
• Grip the chin-up bar with your hands a bit wider than shoulder width. Start
with your body hanging and your arms straight giving your lats a complete
stretch. Now pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar and your back is
fully contracted. Lower yourself slowly and under control until you are down to
the original starting position. Hold for about a second and then repeat the
motion. Make sure that you are under total control during each repetition.
Avoid swinging and using too much momentum.
Bent-over Bar Rows
• Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. With the bar directly in front
of you, grip the bar slightly less than shoulder width with an overhand grip. Lift
the bar and bend over so your back is parallel to the floor. Let your arms hang
fully extended, stretching your lats. With an explosive motion lift the bar to the
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bottom of your rib cage. Keep your elbows close to your body as you pull the
bar up and be sure to contract your back as the bar touches your body. With
control, lower the bar back to the starting position. Your arms should be
extended giving your lats a full stretch. Keep your back arched throughout the
exercise and do not round your lower back.
One arm Dumbbell Rows
• Position a dumbbell on the ground next to a flat bench. Place one knee on the
bench with your other leg planted on the ground. Lean forward so your back
is parallel to the floor and support your upper body by placing your hand
solidly on the bench. With the opposite hand, reach down and grab the
dumbbell. When you start, your arm should be fully extended with the
dumbbell just off the floor. Keeping your back slightly arched and your elbow
close to your body, pull the dumbbell towards your rib cage. Lift the dumbbell
towards you until the weight touches your body. Under control, slowly lower
the dumbbell back to its original position fully stretching your back. After you
complete your desired reps, place the dumbbell on the floor and switch sides
to work the other half of your back.
Cable Pulldowns
• Grip the bar attachment just before the ends of the bar start to angle. Hold
onto the bar and sit down. Make sure that the lap bar is positioned so that
your legs are locked solidly underneath it. In the starting position your arms
should be fully extended giving your lats a full stretch. Pull the bar to the top
of your chest trying to touch your chest with the bar. Fully contract your lats.
Under control, extend your arms back to the starting position again fully
stretching your lats. Make sure that you are fully stretching your lats at the top
of the movement by letting your arms extend. Get a complete contraction by
lowering the bar to the top of your chest. Contrary to belief, the wider you grip
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does not have an effect on how wide your lats become. If you grip too wide,
you will increase pressure on the shoulder joints. You will also lose overload
because you will not be as strong with a very wide grip. Also, always bring the
bar in front of you, not behind the neck like some do. Bringing the bar behind
the neck puts undo pressure on the neck and shoulders.
Deadlifts
• Deadlifts are a very demanding exercise, but very effective for building
overall, total body strength. With the bar on the floor, stand close to the bar
with your feet a bit narrower than shoulder width apart. Bend at the knees,
lower your hands to the bar, and grip the bar about shoulder width with one
palm facing in and one palm facing out. Get into a squat position. Keep your
head up and the bar close to your shins. Lift the weight and drive through with
your legs as you lift up until you are standing in an upright position with your
back locked. Keep the bar very close to your body and squat back down,
lowering the weight to the starting position. It is very important that you use
good form while performing deadlifts to avoid injury.
Seated Back Row
• Grab the machine handles and sit into position keeping your knees slightly
bent and your feet planted on the floor. Bend at the waist and lean forward
giving your lats a complete stretch. Row the weight into your body as you
return to a seated upright position. As you row the weight into your body arch
your back and stick your chest out, squeeze your shoulder blades together
when you bring the handles towards your chest. Control the weight
throughout the entire exercise and avoid any jerking in the motion. Don't limit
your range of motion for the use of a heavier weight.
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Effective Trapezius Exercises
Barbell and Dumbbell Shrugs
• Shrugs work the traps as well as the shoulders, upper back, and forearms.
With the bar or dumbbells in hand, lift the weight straight up, as if you are
trying to touch your ears with your shoulders and then slowly lower the weight
back to the starting point. Do not rotate your shoulders unless you care to
injure them. Make sure you contract your traps on the way up and then
stretch them as you lower the weight back down. If your hands or wrists give
out before your traps do, invest in a pair of wrist wraps. These will help keep
the weight gripped even when your hands are tired.
Upright Rows
• Upright rows work the traps, shoulders, forearm, and upper back. Grab a curl
bar or straight bar with a narrow, overhand grip. While holding the bar in front
of you with your rams fully extended, pull the bar up under your chin and
slowly lower the weight back down. Keep the bar close to your body as you
raise and lower it. Keep your lower back tight and strong.
Proper Abdominal Exercises
Abdominals need to be treated much like any other muscle group you are looking
to strengthened and develop. Lower reps and progressive overload will work the
abdominals more efficiently than will high reps with little or no weight. Keep reps
low, between 10-15. Do not fall into the trap many people do, thinking that if they
do a lot of reps, it will increase the likelihood of developing the abdominals.
Nothing could be further from the truth. To develop the abdominal region, you
must stimulate muscle growth with progressive weight increase and also target
body-fat loss by focusing on reducing calories and increasing cardio. You cannot
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spot reduce the abdominals by doing crunch after crunch. It must be a synergistic
approach between strength training, cardio and proper diet.
Hanging leg raises
• Grab the pull-up bar and let yourself hang. Lift your legs up and
contract your abs. Under control, lower your legs back to the starting
position. Make sure you are not swinging up, using momentum to lift
your legs. Fully contract your abs each and every rep.
Leg Raises
• Lie flat on your back and place your hands, palms down, under your buttocks.
Keep your lower back rounded and slightly raise your shoulders off from the
floor. Keeping your legs slightly bent, raise them about 12 to 16 inches off
from the floor. With control, lower them back until they are about 6 inches
away from the floor. Do not arch your back while performing these. Placing
your hands under your buttocks will help keep your lower back rounded and
firmly planted on the floor. This keeps the tension on your abs. Do not lift your
legs too high or tension will leave the abs and do not rest your legs on the
ground during your set.
Crunches
• Lay fat on the floor or a bench. Bend your legs and raise your knees so your
legs are perpendicular to the floor. With your hands placed in front of your
chin, behind your head, or folded on your chest, exhale and curl your upper
body towards your knees, contracting your abdominals hold the contraction
for a second and then slowly lower your upper body back to its original
position. If you have your hands behind your head, do not pull up in your
neck. Keep your lower back in contact with the floor and round your shoulders
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towards your pelvis. Be sure to fully contract and stretch the abs during the
exercise. Don’ t let the tension leave the abdominal area.
Cable crunches.
• Grab the triceps rope and lower yourself down to your knees. Keeping your
hands above your head, crunch your body towards the floor until you are
approximately 90 degrees from vertical. Under control, raise yourself back to
the starting position. Keep your legs and hips stationary and make the
movement come from your waist. Stretch and contract the abs each rep but
be sure to keep full tension on abdominal region the entire time.
WEEK: 9
* IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PICK A HEAVY ENOUGH WEIGHT SO THAT YOU
REACH MUSCLE FAILURE BETWEEN THIS 4-6 REP RANGE.
Day 1- Cardio
Choose one of the following:
Stairmaster, Treadmill, jogging outside, bicycle, aerobics class (one that moves constantly for 20-30
minutes)
30 minutes TOTAL
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense cardio (make sure you are WORKING HARD)
5 minute cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED _______
Day 2 Chest, Shoulders, Triceps & Abs
Incline Bench Press w/ Straight Bar
1 easy warm-up set for 10 reps ______
1 slightly heavier set for 6 reps ______
1 even heavier set for 3 reps ______
2 heavy sets for 4-6 reps(want to reach failure in this range) ______ _____
Dumbbell Flat Bench Chest Press
1 moderately heavy set of 6 reps _____
(no need to go light and warm-up again)
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
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Seated Dumbbell Presses for Shoulders
1 warm-up set of 10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Tricep Pushdowns on Cable Machine
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Weighted cable Crunches
1 warm-up set of 10 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 10-15 reps ______ ______
Day 3- Cardio
Choose one of the following:
Stairmaster, Treadmill, jogging outside, bicycle, aerobics class (one that moves constantly for 20-30
minutes)
30 minutes TOTAL
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense cardio (make sure you are WORKING HARD)
5 minute cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED _______
Day 4 Legs, Back, Biceps & Abs
1 arm-dumbbell rows
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
V-grip Cable Lat Pulldowns to the Front
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Straight-Bar Bicep Curls
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Squats on Smith Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
Another warm-up of 8-10 reps ( a bit heavier than first set) ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Stiff- Leg Deadlifts w/ Dumbbells
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
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2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Calf Presses on Calf Machine (put belt around waist)
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Day 5-Cardio
30 minutes
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense
5 minutes cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED ______
WEEK 10: PROPER LEG AND SHOULDER EXERCISES
Leg exercises
Squats
• Let’ s put it this way, if you are not squatting, you are not serious about
committing to the most effective weight training exercises you can do. Without
a doubt, squats are not only the best leg exercise you can do, they may be
the best exercise you can do, period. Squats not only work the legs; they
work the whole body! The primary muscles worked by squats are the quads,
hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. The secondary muscles used are just
about every single muscle in the body. You use your abs and back (trunk
region) to stabilize your body as the bar is on your back. You use your
shoulders, traps, and arms to keep the bar up on your back.
Unless there is an injury prohibiting you from doing so, squats should be
performed every single time you do your legs. They are that effective. I often
hear from women about certain areas of the body that they want to zero in on
and work. The glutes (butt) is one of the ones I hear the most. To tighten and firm
the butt, there is no more effective exercise to do than squats. Make sure they
are done correctly, because even though they are the most effective exercise
you can do, they also come with the most risk to the lower back if done
incorrectly. If done correctly, not only will squats strengthen your lower back, but
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also your knees and the muscles around the knees. So if your back and/or knees
are troubling you, try to lightly introduce squats into your routine and you will
notice these areas start to strengthen.
Research has shown that during squats, it is so intense an exercise that the body
releases many muscle-building hormones to help handle the stress the body is
going through. This hormonal spike may be one reason squats are so effective at
building muscle. So learn how to squat correctly and keep it a staple in your
fitness program!
When you start, you can utilize either a Smith Machine bar or a free-standing
squat bar.
Walk up and under the bar, placing the bar on your back, near your traps. Do not
place it directly on your neck. Have it more towards the back, near your shoulder
blades.
Now, stand with your feet shoulder width apart and then look straight ahead,
keeping your back and abs tight. Now, pretend there is a chair directly in back of
you. Sit back, bending at the knees and squat so that your legs come down
parallel to the floor. Do not go too deep for you could place a lot of stress on your
knees. When you reach parallel, drive back up with explosive force, coming to
the start position, but leave a little bend in the knees, do not lock them. This will
keep the overload on the quads and not the knees.
When doing squats, keep your feet planted firmly on the ground and use this
foundation to explode the weight back upwards. Start doing squats with a very
light weight until your form is comfortable.
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Leg press
• The leg press also works the quads, hamstrings, and glutes, but not nearly as
effective as squats do. One mistake people make when performing leg
presses is not getting maximum depth when doing the leg press. That is, they
do not bring their knees towards their chest enough to get an adequate range
of motion. I often see people put a large amount of weight on a leg press and
then only do partial reps. Anyone can do this, it’ s not impressive. It’ s more
impressive to lighten the load and do very deep, full range reps. if you cannot
squat for whatever reason (injury), leg presses can be substituted.
Lunges
• Lunges work the hamstrings very well. You get a very good stretch on the
lowering portion of the lunge. To maximize this stretch, step onto a platform or
block that is about 6 inches off from the ground. Other muscles targeted are
the glutes, quads, and lower back. The only downside to lunges is that you
are expending twice the amount of energy than squats because you are doing
one leg at a time. If performed once in a while, they may add an effective
workout to your hamstrings.
When performing lunges, think of doing them like squats, only one leg at a time.
With either the bar on your back or dumbbells in each hand, step forward and
bend at the knee and then push your body back up. Then alternate legs.
Lunges are a good exercise for the legs but I believe squats are better because
you can utilize all of your energy at once and not worry about alternating legs,
actually doing twice as much work then if you did one set of squats.
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Stiff-legged dumbbell or bar deadlifts
• This is a very effective hamstring exercise. It also involves the glutes, lower
back, and arms, shoulders upper back, and traps. Make sure to keep your
knees just slightly bent and your lower back supported (focus on keeping it
tight) the stretch on these is very important. Never bounce when doing these.
Keep a slow, fluid movement the entire time while performing these.
Grip the bar a bit wider than shoulder width with an overhand grip and
lift the bar up to a standing position.
Keep a slight bend in your knees and bend at the waist, looking straight
ahead. Lower the bar towards your feet until you feel a stretch
throughout your hamstrings then raise the weight back up.
Repeat until you have completed your reps then set the bar down.
Leg curls
• These are pretty straight forward because the directions are posted on
the machine. Lie face down on the leg curl machine. Adjust the leg
pads so they are comfortably resting on your ankles.
Keep your upper body flat on the pad and curl the weight up towards you.
Lower the weight under control until your legs are almost straight, giving a
complete stretch. This exercise directly targets the hamstrings and maybe
a bit of the lower back. Because this machine is an isolation machine, the
amount of overload that can be used on a hamstring machine is limited; it
is not the best exercise to perform for hamstrings. Stiff-legged deadlifts
are much more effective.
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Leg extensions
• Another exercise that can be followed by using the directions on the machine.
Leg extensions work the quads directly. They are not the most effective legbuilding
exercise because it is an isolation exercise. Squats work the quads
much more effectively. I feel they do hold their place in a leg workout though.
I often do them before squats to warm-up the quads. Sit on the leg extension
machine and adjust the leg pad so it is resting comfortably on top of your
ankles. Extend your legs and fully contract your quads. Lower the weight back
to the starting position and repeat this motion until you have completed your
reps.
Standing calf raises
• Standing calf raises are an effective calf development exercise. You can
either use the standing calf machine or the smith machine bar with a platform
under your feet in order to raise your feet off from the ground. Just make sure
the platform you are on is sturdy enough so you don’ t take a tumble.
Step onto the platform with the balls of your feet planted securely on the
platform and your heels extended off the platform. Have the pads of the
machine resting on your shoulders and keep your legs slightly bent. Your
back should remain straight and your head up looking straight forward.
With an explosive motion, drive the weight upwards by standing on your
toes. Under control, slowly lower the weight until your heels are below
your toes giving your calves a good stretch. After completing your set,
bend your legs to set the weight down.
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Calf raises on the leg press
• Another effective calf exercise that allows you to use maximum overload on
the calves is the calf press. Go to the leg press and place the balls of your
feet on the edge of the platform and keep your heels off from the platform.
Press the platform forward with the balls of your feet and fully contract your
calves. Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.
Shoulder exercises
Standing or seated military press
• Military presses are an excellent total shoulder development exercise. They
can be done seated or standing. You’ ll have to do them seated if you use
the smith machine. Lower the bar to the front of your chest and then explode
upwards. Do not lock your arms up for this will shift the resistance to the
triceps. Keep your arms slightly bent and keep the intensity on the shoulders.
Always do them to the front, not behind the neck. Doing them behind the neck
causes a lot of unneeded stress on the shoulder joint.
Standing or seated dumbbell shoulder press
Another good shoulder exercise. These can be done standing or
seated as well. Set with your back flat against the seat back and
have your feet firmly planted on the ground. Use your knees to help
kick the dumbbells into the starting position one at a time.
Explode with the dumbbells on the way up but then lower them
twice as slowly on the way down. Once again, do not lock out your
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arms so that the resistance is kept on the shoulders and not the
triceps. One advantage of dumbbell presses over bar presses is the
increased range of motion that dumbbells allow. However, both are
very effective total shoulder exercises.
Dumbbell side lateral raises
• Although somewhat of an isolation exercise, most people do not do these with
nearly the weight that they can handle. Your form on these do not have to be
perfect, for the less rigid you are, the more weight and more overload you can
handle. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, providing a sturdy
foundation. Have your arms slightly bent and hold the dumbbells in front of
your waist with your palms facing each other. As you raise the weight up, go
slightly higher than shoulder height and tip your hands so that your thumbs
are pointing down slightly, kind of like dumping out a soda can. There needs
to be a balance between strict form and loose form. You should use neither.
Either being too strict or too loose while doing these can bring about undue
stress on the shoulders and back. Find a comfortable position and don’ t be
afraid to use some weight. These work the medial deltoids well and will give
that full, round look to your shoulders.
Bent-over dumbbell side laterals
• These work the rear deltoids very effectively. They are performed much like
regular side laterals except you are bent-over, keeping your back very tight.
Explode with the weight upwards and then lower the weight twice as slowly.
Do not just let the weight drop. Control the weight on the way down.
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Seated or standing front dumbbell raises
• With 1 dumbbell at a time, raise the dumbbell straight up in front of your face
so that it is just at shoulder level and then slowly lower the weight back down.
Remain rather loose with your form so that you can increase the weight you
use, therefore increasing the overload. These work the frontal deltoids very
effectively. Don’ t go nuts with these though because your front deltoids get
worked when you do chest exercises like bench presses, so it is easy to
overwork them.
WEEK: 10
* IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PICK A HEAVY ENOUGH WEIGHT SO THAT YOU
REACH MUSCLE FAILURE BETWEEN THIS 4-6 REP RANGE.
Day 1 Chest, Shoulders, Triceps Weight
Flat Bench Press w/ Straight Bar
1 easy warm-up set for 10 reps ______
1 slightly heavier set for 6 reps ______
1 even heavier set for 3 reps ______
2 heavy sets for 4-6 reps(want to reach failure in this range) ______ _____
Flat Bench Press w/ dumbbells
1 moderately heavy set of 6 reps _____
(no need to go light and warm-up again)
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Dumbbell lateral raises to the side
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Tricep Pushdowns
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Day 2- Cardio
Choose one of the following:
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Stairmaster, Treadmill, jogging outside, bicycle, aerobics class (one that moves constantly for 20-30
minutes)
30 minutes TOTAL
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense cardio (make sure you are WORKING HARD)
5 minute cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED _______
Day 3 Legs & Abs
Leg Press
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Leg Extension Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Leg Curl Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Calf Presses
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Weighted cable Crunches
1 warm-up set of 10 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 10-15 reps ______ ______
Stability Ball Crunches
3 sets to failure
Day 4-Cardio
30 minutes
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense
5 minutes cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED ______
Day 5- Back & Biceps
Chin-ups or Cable Pulldowns to front with wide bar
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
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1 arm dumbbell rows
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Barbell Shrugs
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Alternate Dumbbell Curls
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Straight Bar Curls
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
WEEK 11: BLAST THE BICEPS, TRICEPS, AND FOREARMS
There are now two weeks left in the program. We are now down to the wire,
where you will have to finish with a vengeance. You can change quite a bit in
these next two weeks because your body is starting to react to the first ten
weeks. You have been conditioning your metabolism for the past ten weeks to
operate in a certain way, so now you should start seeing more and more results.
What you have seen so far as a result of this program is just the tip of the
iceberg. The best results are yet to come. After the first 12 weeks, if you continue
to implement all of the principles into your fitness routine, the next 12 weeks will
be even more productive. There will have been a cumulative effect and your
muscle to fat ratio will be greater, causing your muscle to burn off more calories.
This is why muscular people can stay lean without doing much cardiovascular
work.
If the first ten weeks of this program have not been as productive as you had
liked, you can still change what you do about it. You can give up and wish the
weight off, or you can make the decision to change immediately and attack the
program with a renewed vigor and intensity. The choice is yours for the making.
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If you have been following this program all along, the theme that seems to run
through each week is that we are performing certain basic exercises that allow us
to lift as much weight possible, safely. We are striving for as much overload to
the muscles as possible. Basic, compound movements allow this to happen.
Muscle growth is simply a result of progressively handling more weight.
If you want to make great gains on your biceps and triceps, stick with the very
basic exercises that follow. We are going to do away with any exercise that
creates isolation. Isolation, in its approach, reduces overload to the muscle.
The most effective bicep exercises
Standing straight-bar curls
This is, without a doubt, the best overall bicep exercise you can do.
It is the epitome of this program we are doing, which are low reps of
heavy, intense, basic compound movements. Standing straight-bar
curls allow you to directly hit the biceps with a great degree of
overload. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Space
your hands shoulder width and grip the bar with an underhand grip.
Begin with your arms straight, biceps fully extended, and your
upper body leaning slightly forward. With an explosive motion, curl
the weight towards you contracting the biceps. During the curling
motion, move your upper body back to an upright position. With
control, lower the weight back to its original position getting a good
stretch and lean slightly forward.
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To make these the most effective they can be, you need to lower the weight
twice as slowly as you raise it. Most of the muscle fiber stimulation actually
occurs on the negative, or lowering, portion of the exercise. So don’ t just let the
weight drop. Control it all the way down. Also, make sure you lower the weight all
the way down so that the bar is touching your legs. Do not get into the habit of
doing partial reps on curls. You need a full range of motion in order to work the
bicep. Remember, the lowering portion actually works the biceps more than the
lifting, so why wouldn’ t you want to increase the range of motion and go all the
way down with the bar? If for whatever reason these straight-bar curls create a
lot of stress to your wrists, try using the curved curl bar. The positioning of the
wrists will reduce much of the tension. I don’ t think there is much difference as
far as effectiveness for the biceps.
Standing alternating dumbbell curls
• Hold the dumbbells at your side with your palms facing each other.
Curl one dumbbell at a time rotating your palm forward as you lift the
weight. After fully contracting the bicep, lower the dumbbell under
control rotating your hand back to its original position. Repeat the
same steps with the opposite arm. Alternate back and forth until you
have completed your reps.
• Normally I am not an advocate for many 1-arm movements, but this one is
great for creating overload to the biceps. These should be done standing, for
several reasons. First, you should be able to lift more weight if you are
standing versus seated. More weight means more overload. Also, sitting
down while performing these could add unnecessary stress to the lower back
you do not need. These add a different "twist" than do straight-bar curls. With
dumbbells, you can twist your wrist at the top of the exercise, when you
contract the bicep. This twist of the wrist on the way up allows you to more
fully contract the bicep. Once again, it is very important that you lower the
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weight twice as slowly as you raise it. Also, allow one arm to be completely
done its repetition before lifting the other arm. I see many people start to raise
and curl one arm before the other one is even done. It is all right to cheat a bit
on your last, heavy set of these. Try to get as many reps with good form as
you can, but the last few you can cheat a bit by swinging the weight up a bit.
Do this only after fatigue has set in with proper form. These extra cheat reps
cause additional overload to the biceps.
The combination of these two bicep exercises will allow you to gain strength and
muscularity in your arms more so than any other bicep exercises. They are both
included in every single bicep workout that I do. In fact, many bicep workouts I do
only include these two exercises and yet they have allowed me to add inches to
my arms in a short amount of time.
Straight-bar cable curls
• These are done much like standing straight bar curls. These also allow
maximum overload to the biceps; the big difference is that the cables and
weight stack create constant tension on the biceps. The stretch achieved by
these makes it a very effective exercise. Again, slowly lower the weight and
allow it to go all the way to your legs, so that your arms are completely
straight. These make a great finishing exercise for biceps.
Bicep exercises not to do
Preacher curls, concentration curls, One- arm cable curls
• Do not waste your time with any of these exercises. Before asking why, see if
you can answer that. If we know that overload, in fact, the most overload
possible, will create muscle growth, why would we want to isolate a muscle so
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that it cannot lift the most weight possible? When you do preacher curls, you
are isolating the biceps to the point that they will not be able to handle as
much weight as standing straight-bar curls. I have not met anybody that can
preacher curl as much as they can curl standing with the straight bar.
Therefore, if you cannot do as much weight, why bother doing it. The muscles
respond to overload and isolation exercises reduce overload. The muscles
respond to more weight, not less and your biceps sure don’ t care how this is
achieved, as long as it is. The same goes for concentration curls. These are
way too isolated to achieve any real muscle stimulation. Concentration curling
25-pound dumbbells does nothing for your biceps when you can stand and
curl 45-pound dumbbells alternately. Concentration curls will not assist in
giving your bicep a peak. The only ways to heighten your bicep peak is to
progressively lift more weight and sooner or later they will grow big enough to
establish your "peak." also, genetics play a huge role in your biceps peak.
Some people do not even have to work out their biceps and they have a great
bicep peak. Genetics will do this. Remember that you cannot change the
shape of a muscle; you can only make it bigger or smaller. Lift more weight,
make your biceps bigger, and you will achieve more of a peak. Isolation
exercises like preacher curls and concentration curls are a waste of time
unless you just like to do them and you do not care about the most efficient,
effective bicep builders. If that’ s the case, have at it. If you want bigger,
more muscular arms, stick with standing straight-bar curls and alternate
dumbbell curls.
The most effective tricep exercises
Much like there was for biceps, there are two tricep exercises that are above the
rest in terms of effective stimulation of the muscles. If you want bigger, fuller
looking arms, work more on your triceps. Triceps (3-headed) make up more of
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your arm than do biceps (2-headed). Most people are so preoccupied with biceps
training that they forget about triceps. Bigger triceps mean bigger arms.
Lying tricep extensions
• Place a curl bar at the head of a bench. Sit down, grab the bar with an
overhand, narrow grip, and lie down on your back, pushing the weight
up and straight over your chest. Bend at the elbows lowering the
weight behind your head. With an explosive motion, push the weight
back over your head until your arms are fully extended with the weight
above your chest. When you complete your reps, use your momentum
to rock your body up and stand up to put the bar back on the edge of
the bench.
• This is probably the most effective tricep exercise you can do. You can use
very heavy weight with these, increasing the overload factor to the triceps.
Use a curved curl bar for these. There are a couple of points to keep in mind.
When you lower the weight, bring it past your forehead and down towards the
middle of your head. Bringing the bar to your forehead will create unwanted
pressure and stress on your elbows. After you slowly lower the weight
towards the back of your head, power the weight back up forcefully, extending
and locking your arms, contracting your triceps. Also, once you have
completed these for your set of 4-6 reps, do not bother doing close-grip bench
presses immediately after, using the same bar and weight. Once you have
fatigued the triceps on your set, it is pointless to try and do a few reps of
close-grips at a lighter weight than you can handle when doing regular closegrips.
Save your energy.
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Close-grip bench presses
• This is the second of two extremely effective tricep exercises. This is a
definite muscle builder for the triceps. It is performed just like a regular bench
press except your hands are 6-8 inches apart from one another. You lower
the weight to your chest like a regular bench press, and then forcefully push
the weight up, locking your arms and contracting your triceps. Do not grip with
a too-narrow grip of this will definitely cause some pain to your wrists. Regular
grip bench press also works the triceps, but when you bring your hands closer
together, more overload is directed to the triceps.
Cable tricep pushdowns
• Reach up, grab the bar, and push the bar down towards your thighs.
Stand with a sturdy foundation that will allow you to lean into the
movement. Now bend at the elbows and control the weight up until the
bar is by your chin. With an explosive motion, push the weight back
down until your elbows lock, fully contracting the triceps. Repeat this
until you complete your reps.
• These are a great tricep exercise, designed to hit the triceps with serious
overload. Most people can do these with more weight than they think they
can. When doing these, lean forward a bit, lean into the weight. This will keep
you more balanced and will also allow you to handle more weight than
standing straight up. Also, when bringing the weight up, allow the bar and
your arms to come up a bit more than parallel to the floor. Allow the bar to
come up to about shoulder level. The reason behind this is to increase the
range of motion and to also decrease the stress on the elbows. Really
exaggerate locking the arms and squeezing the triceps when you bring the
weight down.
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Seated tricep extensions
• These are very similar to lying tricep extensions except that you are sitting
straight up with these. You will also need a partner to hand you the weight. Sit
up straight on a flat bench or an incline bench and have someone hand you
the curl bar. Lower the weight from above your head to behind your head as
deep as possible and then forcefully drive the weight back up, locking your
arms in the straight-up position. These can also be done with a dumbbell.
Grab a dumbbell and lower it behind your head. Forcefully push the dumbbell
back up, contracting your triceps.
Dumbbell kickbacks
• These are effective if done right. First off, you need to use a pretty heavy
weight in order for them to properly stimulate the triceps. Keep your arms to
your side and drive your arm back, fully locking out your triceps. Slowly lower
the weight to the starting position. Because these are 1-arm movements, they
are not as efficient as lying tricep presses and close-grips. But if done right
and with enough weight, they make a great finishing exercise.
Dips on dip machine or between 2 benches
• These should not be an exercise you start with when doing triceps. It is a
great finishing exercise. The overload principle is diminished a bit on these.
You need to do dips with weight if they are going to be effective. This means
doing them on the dip machine and adding the weight belt to you with extra
resistance. If doing these between 2 benches, place a heavy dumbbell near
your groin area to add some extra resistance to the exercise. Because it is
difficult to add a lot of weight to these, they should be done towards the end
of the triceps workout.
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The most effective forearm exercises
Because your forearms get hit indirectly while performing bicep curls, they do not
need extensive work but they do still need to be trained.
Wrist curls
• The primary muscles involved are the flexor and extensor muscles of the
forearm. Grip a straight barbell with an underhand grip with your little fingers
about four inches apart. While sitting on a bench rest your forearms on the
bench with your wrists facing up and hanging over the end of the bench. Curl
the bar upward with your wrists. Stop briefly at the top with your forearms
flexed and then lower the weight all the way to the starting position twice as
slowly as you curled it.
Reverse Wrist Curls
• The primary muscles involved are the extensor muscles of the forearm.
Secondary muscles used are the flexor muscles of the forearm. Grip a
straight barbell with an overhand grip with your thumbs about four inches
apart. While sitting on a bench rest your forearms on the bench with your
wrists facing down and hanging over the end of the bench. Curl the bar
upward with your wrists. Pause briefly at the top WITH your forearms flexed
and then lower the weight all the way to the starting position twice as slowly
as you curled it.
Standing Dumbbell Wrist Curls
• Standing straight with your arms by your side and palms facing in grip a
dumbbell in each hand. Using just your wrist, curl the dumbbell up toward
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your side. Pause briefly at the top of the movement and flex the muscles of
the forearm. Curl the weight back down and away from your side.
Hammer Curls
• Grab a set of dumbbells. Hold the dumbbells at your side with your palms
facing each other. Curl one dumbbell at a time keeping your palm facing
inward. After fully contracting the bicep, lower the dumbbell under control
back to its original position. Repeat the same steps with the opposite arm.
It is very important that you fully contract the bicep every rep. Treat these just
like alternate dumbbell curls, except your holding the dumbbells straight up in
your hands.
WEEK: 11
* IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PICK A HEAVY ENOUGH WEIGHT SO THAT YOU
REACH MUSCLE FAILURE BETWEEN THIS 4-6 REP RANGE.
Day 1 Chest & Back Weight
Flat Bench Press w/ Straight Bar
1 easy warm-up set for 10 reps ______
1 slightly heavier set for 6 reps ______
1 even heavier set for 3 reps ______
2 heavy sets for 4-6 reps(want to reach failure in this range) ______ _____
Incline Bench Press w/ dumbbells
1 moderately heavy set of 6 reps _____
(no need to go light and warm-up again)
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Deadlifts
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Seated Cable Pulldowns w/ v-grip
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Barbell Shrugs
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
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Day 2- Cardio
Choose one of the following:
Stairmaster, Treadmill, jogging outside, bicycle, aerobics class (one that moves constantly for 20-30
minutes)
30 minutes TOTAL
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense cardio (make sure you are WORKING HARD)
5 minute cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED _______
Day 3 Legs, Shoulders, & Abs
Leg Press
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Leg Extension Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Leg Curl Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Calf Presses
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Dumbell Lateral Raises
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Seated Dumbbell Presses
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Crunches w/ dumbbell on chest
1 warm-up set of 10 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 10-15 reps ______ ______
Stability Ball Crunches
3 sets to failure
Day 4-Cardio
30 minutes
5 minute warm-up
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20 minute intense
5 minutes cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED ______
Day 5- Biceps & Triceps
Standing Straight Bar Curls
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Alternate Dumbbell Curls
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Lying Tricep Extensions
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Tricep Pushdowns
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
WEEK 12 PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
The end of this program actually signifies the beginning of your new lease on
fitness. The ideas and principles in this program should never change. They are
the foundation for achieving success in your fitness endeavors. Do not go back to
the old, less effective ways.
This is a new way of thinking, a new way of working out. If just one of these
principles you have learned will help you in changing your routine for the better,
then my time spent was well worth it.
If you are serious about weight training, losing fat, gaining muscle, toning up, or
any other fitness related goals then the principles in this program are for you.
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Follow this program to a “ t” or as close to it as you can and the results you
achieve will be literally phenomenal.
I’ m not exactly 100% sure of what everyone’ s unique fitness goals are, but I
have been in the business long enough to realize that they all are pretty similar
and can be summed up in just a few ways. People want to lose body fat, gain
muscle, gain strength, gain flexibility, feel stronger, feel better, be more fit, eat
healthier, and have improved self-esteem and confidence. If your goals were not
a subset of one of these, I would have to question your motives behind working
out. If your goals do include any of these things mentioned, you should be using
this program to the very best of your abilities.
Let’ s go through each principle again, in short detail, so that we can tie these
principles together in some logical and sequential order. Each principle will have
a reason behind doing it; I will not just tell you to do something without backing it
up.
This program was not designed to be finished in 12 weeks, it was designed to be
used forever, at least while you are still physically capable.
There is a saying that goes, “ You did what you did because that is what you
knew.” “ When you knew better, you did better.” This is true of this program.
You have learned tried and true methods for changing your body and your
outlook on fitness.
Let’ s go over each week again so that we can tie together nicely all of the
principles behind this program.
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Week 1 Goals.
This is probably the most important principle in the program. You must have a
strong enough reason for wanting to change. If not, change will either not come
or will not be long lasting. List what it is you want to achieve. Write down how
many pounds you want to lose, how many inches you want to have come off
from your waist, how many percentage points you want your body fat to fall. Be
specific. You cannot hit a general target; you must go after a focused target.
Once you have written your goal down, it is time to take action and work towards
achieving it.
Week 2 The Basics of weight training.
Keep your weight training routine simple. Chose basic exercises that are
effective and that work multiple muscle groups at the same time. Keep your reps
lower on all exercises. The less reps you perform, the more weight you can use.
This is the foundation of strength training and muscle building. With lower
repetitions comes the ability to focus more intensely. It’ s easier to lift with
intensity if you are not doing so many reps.
Perform only 1 or 2 heavy sets per exercise. The more sets you do will not
stimulate any more muscle growth than 1 or 2 good, heavy and intense sets. It is
not how much you do of something, it’ s how you do it. Keep your workout short
and sweet, under 45 minutes. Again, it’ s easier to lift with increased energy and
focus if it’ s only being done for 30-45 minutes. After your time is up, it's time to
leave the gym so your body can adequately rest and recover for the next
workout.
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Rest a minute between warm-up sets and at least two minutes between your
heavy sets. You want to be able to handle maximum weights during your heavy
sets. This is hard when you have not rested enough between sets.
Train each muscle group only once in a five to seven day period. Allow the
muscle group to recover before working it again. If not, you will go back wards in
results, not forwards. Your muscles need to repair themselves before being
subjected to heavy overload and stress again. Train each muscle group once a
week and that ensures proper recovery time.
After 2 months of intense, solid training, take a week off to recover. What
happens to a flashlight battery if it is not allowed to recharge? It wears out and
becomes useless. Your body, if not given proper recovery time, will begin to wear
down and stop operating as effectively. This week off will help your body rest
from the residual effects of the last 2 months of workouts. Do not be a total sloth
during this week off; just do not do anything real physical like cardio or weight
training. You can go for a walk or bike ride, just do not overdo it. After this week
off, you will come back stronger and more energetic, I guarantee.
Week 3: Fat-Burning and cardio tips.
To lose body fat, you need to create a calorie deficit, meaning you need to
expend more calories than you consume. This is as hard and as simple as it
gets. You need to find your daily calorie amount and then start reducing it by
150-200 per day. This, in combination with effective cardio, will create a calorie
deficit in which body fat can start to be burned.
Treat your cardio like a workout, meaning keep the sessions short but intense.
Work hard at your cardio. Performing 20-30 minutes three to four times per week
is more than sufficient at creating a calorie deficit if you are working hard enough.
Also, eat five to six small, well-balanced meals spaced about three hours apart.
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Try to get 50% of your daily calories from protein, 40 % from carbohydrates, and
10% from fats. Drink plenty of water throughout the day as well.
Week 4: Eating to Burn Fat 24/7
To be well you need to eat well. Working out does not give you a green light to
eat anything and everything. In fact, working out creates an environment where it
is more important to focus on what it is you are consuming. Try to consume high
quality protein from whole food sources like chicken, fish, egg whites, lean red
meat, and dairy products. Eat complex carbs like vegetables, brown rice, and
yams.
Do not attempt to eat more fats in fear you are not getting enough. Most people
get more than they need. There is no magic answer when it comes to supportive
eating. If you feel guilty about eating something, then maybe you shouldn’ t be
eating it. Do not diet because you will set yourself up for failure. You cannot
create long-term changes by dieting. It is not a long-term solution. Just eat good
foods often and bad foods in moderation. We want to create our eating habits to
work with you forever, not just for a few weeks so that you lose 5 pounds.
Week 5: How to add weights instantly to all of your lifts.
Do not jump right into a weight-training workout. Warm-up on a cardio machine
for around 5 minutes, then hit the weights. Also, when doing weight training, do
not warm-up to the point you become tired before your heavy sets occur. Use
weight acclimation sets to allow your muscles to get ready for the upcoming
additional demands. Jumping from a light set to a heavy set will increase your
chance of injury so you must stagger your weights to offset this.
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Week 6: Intensity: The Reason Behind Success
If you are not putting forth an intense effort while working out, you do not deserve
good results. You get in return exactly what you put in. Work hard and you will
get results. Be lazy and your results will be minimal. Each and every time you go
to work out, have your driving force, your reason for changing, at the forefront of
your mind. Remember the fact that, once this workout is done, you can never get
it back, no matter how bad you want to. Resolve to have the best workout each
and every time. It is only 30-45 minutes a day you are putting forth max effort.
The results will pay off huge though.
Week 7: The best supplements on the market
Let me make this point clear. Supplements are not needed to achieve superb
fitness results, but they may get you there quicker and may allow you to stay at
the top longer. Many supplements, however, do not work and are a waste of your
hard-earned money. I would recommend everyone take a multivitamin and
mineral to ensure you are receiving all your key nutrients. I would also invest in
some meal replacement powder or bars so that if you are in a situation where
you need to eat, you will be less likely to choose junk if you have one of these on
hand. Not to mention, they can be useful in speeding up the metabolism. If you
need to eat every 3-4 hours, that can be difficult to do with whole food, but
becomes simpler with meal replacements.
For strength and muscle size increase, creatine and glutamine are two safe,
effective supplements that may be worth a try. CLA may promote fat burning and
muscle tissue sparing and DHEA may be beneficial if you are suffering from low
levels.
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If you are working out properly and following a health diet, supplements are not
needed. They can, however, make it easier to reach your goals
Week 8: Never hit a plateau again
This one is easy. Read week 2 again and follow the fundamentals as closely as
you can. This should ensure that you never hit a plateau again. If you are feeling
like you may have hit a plateau in your program, immediately take some time off
and start this program over again, following the basics closely and ensuring
proper rest and nutrition.
Week 9: The best chest, back, and ab exercises.
If overload is key to building lean muscle, why would we do any exercise that
compromises the overload achieved. For the chest, stick with flat bench press
with bar and dumbbells, incline bench press with bar and dumbbells, and throw in
some dips for good measure. Get rid of flyes and cable crossovers, you cannot
handle as much weight as on the presses. Less weight means less overload.
Less overload means less muscle.
The basics for back should include chin-ups, pull downs, bent over rows, seated
rows, deadlifts, and shrugs.
Treat your abdominals like your other muscle groups. Add weight and resistance
to them and focus on doing lower reps, in the range of 10-15. Weighted
crunches, cable crunches, leg raises, and stability ball crunches are all good ab
exercises. The abs can be worked a bit more than other muscle groups for they
are of higher endurance. You can get away with training them twice a week, but
no more. Again the key is to use resistance to chisel that midsection.
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Week 10: Leg and shoulder exercises
Squats are the king of leg exercises, probably the king of all exercises. Include
them in any effective leg routine. Take the time to learn to do them correctly
though, for with this extra benefit comes extra risk.
Stiff-legged deadlifts are great for the hamstrings. Calf raises and presses help
work the calves. The key to effective leg training is using low reps with heavy
weight. We know high reps do not build leg muscles, this is what walking is, high
reps with no additional weight. Walking is nothing more than extremely high
reps.
Shoulders should be worked by performing presses and raises. Presses with
dumbbells or a bar are great mass builders for the delts. Stick with dumbbell
lateral raises and bent over lateral raises to finish off the shoulders.
Week 11: Blast the biceps, triceps, and forearms
These are fairly small muscle groups but it seems everyone places such an
emphasis on them though. I mean, who doesn’ t want great set of arms. This is
done rather simply. Do standing bar curls and alternate dumbbell curls for the
biceps. Stick with close-grip bench presses, lying tricep extensions, tricep
pushdowns, and dips to work the triceps. Forearms are worked with wrist curls
on either a bar or dumbbell and hammer curls.
That is basically how this all comes together. You put it together by committing
yourself to each and every step of the program. Just about every facet of fitness
has been discussed within these pages. I would not change much, if anything, in
this program. The more you change, the less effective this program becomes.
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Some of the areas you may switch around are:
• You can change the order of the exercises. For example, one week do flat
bench presses, incline bench presses, and then dips. The next week do the
incline bench press first. Switch from using bars to dumbbells. Just do not go
back to ineffective, less overload-producing exercises.
• Change the combo of muscle groups works. Start with chest and back on
Monday, legs and shoulders Wednesday, and biceps and triceps on Friday.
Eight weeks later, do chest and triceps on Monday, legs and biceps on
Wednesday, and back and shoulders Friday.
• Start training only one muscle group per day. That is, just do chest Monday,
back Tuesday, legs Wednesday, shoulders Thursday, and arms Friday. This
allows you to completely focus on that one muscle group, working it intensely,
knowing full well that you do not have another muscle group to do afterwards.
However, you must make it to the gym at least 5 days for this routine to be
effective and you may have to do cardio on weekends or at opposite times of
the day from your weight training.
There you have it, the simple but effective ways to ensure your fitness goals will
be achieved. Keep things basic and focus more on just a few good exercises
rather than too many. A huge, broad band of light can give you a tan while a
laser beam can cut through steel. That is the power of focus. So get comfortable
with these principles. Read them often until they are second nature, for they
should never change. There are no excuses anymore for reaching your fitness
goals. You have the tools at your disposal.
If you would like one on one instruction on how to achieve better results in less
time, consider becoming an online training client. You will receive step-by-step
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instructions with a written plan of attack that will keep you moving towards those
important fitness goals you have. Visit http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com for
more information on becoming a training client.
Also, we discussed many different supplements in this book. I have set up an
arrangement with a top-quality supplement company where you can save 20-
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comfort of your own home and have them delivered to your doorstep a couple
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A source of information that has helped me tremendously the last couple of years
has been the written and audio work of Brian Tracy, an expert on top-level
achievement. Through Brian’ s programs, I have excelled and achieved most of
all the goals I have set in the area of finances, career, and relationships. His
information is easy to understand and is very practical, he gives action steps that
you can incorporate in all areas of your life that will start to produce results
immediately. I have arranged special deals on some of Brian’ s programs
through my website. Visit http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/generic18.html for
more information.
Now you know better, therefore, you can do better!
Best in Health
Shawn C. LeBrun
www.ShawnLeBrunFitness.com
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CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
YOU’ VE MADE IT!!!!
WEEK: 12
* IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PICK A HEAVY ENOUGH WEIGHT SO THAT YOU
REACH MUSCLE FAILURE BETWEEN THIS 4-6 REP RANGE.
Day 1 Chest & Back Weight
Flat Bench Press w/ Dumbbells
1 easy warm-up set for 10 reps ______
1 slightly heavier set for 6 reps ______
1 even heavier set for 3 reps ______
2 heavy sets for 4-6 reps(want to reach failure in this range) ______ _____
Incline Bench Press w/ bar
1 moderately heavy set of 6 reps _____
(no need to go light and warm-up again)
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Deadlifts
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Seated back row on machine or cable
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Barbell Shrugs
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______
Day 2- Cardio
Choose one of the following:
Stairmaster, Treadmill, jogging outside, bicycle, aerobics class (one that moves constantly for 20-30
minutes)
30 minutes TOTAL
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense cardio (make sure you are WORKING HARD)
5 minute cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED _______
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Day 3 Legs, Shoulders, & Abs
Squats
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Leg Extension Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Stiff-leg deadlifts
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Calf Presses
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Seated Military Press w/ Smith Machine
1 warm-up of 10 reps _____
1 moderately heavier set of 6 reps _____
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps _____ _____
Dumbbell Lateral Raises to side
1 warm-up set of 8 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Crunches w/ dumbbell on chest
1 warm-up set of 10 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 10-15 reps ______ ______
Stability Ball Crunches
3 sets to failure
Day 4-Cardio
30 minutes
5 minute warm-up
20 minute intense
5 minutes cool-down DISTANCE TRAVELLED ______
Day 5- Biceps & Triceps
Standing Straight Bar Curls
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
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2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Standing Cable Curls
1 moderately heavier set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Close-grip bench press
1 warm-up set of 8-10 reps ______
1 moderately heavy set of 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______
Tricep Pushdowns
1 moderately heavy set for 6-8 reps ______
2 heavy sets of 4-6 reps ______ ______