6/20/09 - Leg Day

Today I felt a little nagging sensation in my legs. Something in me was just screaming "DO SOME FREAKING SQUATS!" after watching a couple of kids curl in the squat rack the other day.

So I proceeded to the squat rack, and loaded up the plates.

My workout Routine this time around focused mainly around the legs, and minimal cardio-vascular training today:

Leg Day:

Squats: 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6 (starting with a warm-up, then doing 60% my 1 rep max, 70%, 75%, 80%. Remember technique always wins!)

Dumbell Lunges: 3 x 12 (The knee should not go past your big toe, get a big stretch when your doing these)

Hack Squat: 4 x 10, 10, 8, 8 (Focus on technique, these will shape your outer quads)

Superset:

• Leg Extension: 4 x 12
• Leg Curls: 4 x 12

(Remember to not just lift these, but to "feel" your quads and hamstrings pull the weight around, there should be alot of burning in your legs at this point. Which is good! Lactic Acid build up means your putting in the effort and reaping the rewards!)

Seated Calve Raises: 4 x 20 (Heavy is the word here, your calves are designed to lift your weight all day, challenge it by going heavy)

There should be minimal rest between all sets, your heart should be pumping at a decent rate. Remember hard work and sweat is what always pays off!

Cardio:

Cardio today consisted of 15 mins at the punching bag.

6/19/09 Rest Day, more about Diet

Nutrition and Exercise both go hand in hand. One does not work without the other.

Gaining Muscle Mass:

In order to gain proper muscle mass, you need to eat at least 1.5-2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.

For example: Joe is 150lbs, so you first convert 150lbs to kilograms, for every kilogram there is 2.205 lbs. So you divide 150lbs by 2.205lbs and you get 68.03 Kilograms ~ or 68 Kg.

1 Kg = 2.205 lbs

150lbs * (1 Kg/2.205lbs) ~ 68 Kg

So now you know your mass in Kg, multiply that by a ratio of 1.5 to 2.

For example: For Joe, we're going to have to multiply 68 Kg times 1.5 to 2.

68 * 1.5 = 102 grams of protein

68 * 2 = 136 grams of protein

So Joe needs to be eating AT LEAST 102-136 grams of protein everyday.

Good Sources of Protein include:

• Eggs
• Tuna
• Beef
• Cottage Cheese
• Peanut Butter
• Chicken
• Lentils
• Catfish
• Salmon
• Tilapia

Good Sources to SUPPLEMENT your Protein include:

• Whey Protein
• Casein Protein
• Liquid Aminos

Staying Lean:

Bodyfat Percentage

Now we've talked about gaining muscle mass, but what about keeping away that bodyfat? Bodyfat percentage is most accurately measured by a water displacement test. However other methods include Bodyfat Calipers, Near-Infared Measurements, and X-Ray absorptiometry. If you have the money, by all means go ahead and try out those tests. However for those of us trying to save money, they simpliest and easiest method that works for me is Bodyfat Calipers, these cost at little as $5.

Now once your determined your bodyfat percentage, you can then decide what your goal weight is going to be.

For Example: Lets say Joe has been wokring hard at his job, and going to college. While staying busy Joe gained 10 extra pounds on his frame, and he now weighs 160lbs. However Summer is coming up, and Joe wants to look and feel good for the Summer. So Joe went and bought some bodyfat calipers, and measured his bodyfat. the results came out and he had around 15% bodyfat.

So 160lbs times 15% is 24, and 24 lbs of Joe's weight is bodyfat. Keep in mind that 4-5% of Joes weight is essential Bodyfat!

So Joe sets a target goal of losing 15 pounds.

Carbs

Now that you know how much weight you want to lose, how are you going to achieve this? The answer is thru Carbs and Exercise. Carbs are the first things burned off during exercise, then fats, then proteins. By controlling the amount of carbs you eat, and focusing on exercise you can reach your desired bodyfat percentage. I advise you it is not safe to lose more than 1-2 lbs per week. Remember there are different kinds of carbs, simple carbs, and complex carbs. Simple carbs or disaccarides are sugars, and they should be avoided if you are trying to reduce bodyfat percentage. Complex Carbs or Polysaccarides are starches and they are healthy for you, for example your brain function on these carbs

So where to begin? You will want to split your meal into 6 small, but nutritionally adequete meals per day.

Here is a sample diet:

Meal 1

1 whole grain English muffin
1 egg yolk + 3 egg whites
1 grapefruit

Total: 310 Calories, 49g Carbs, 21g Protein, 16g Healthy Fat

Meal 2

1 cup plain, nonfat yogurt with vanilla extract
6 hardboiled egg whites
1 tbsp dried cranberries
1 tbsp ground flax seed

Total: 420 Calories, 34g Carbs, 32g Protein, 8g Healthy Fat

Meal 3 (This is one of my Favorites!)

1 whole wheat pita
4 oz grilled chicken
1 orange
Sliced lettuce and tomato
1/2 oz almonds
Grainy mustard to taste

Total: 350 Calories, 45g Carbs, 34g Protein, 10g Healthy Fat

Meal 4 - Tuna Burger

1 can tuna in spring water, drained
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp grainy mustard
Mix all ingredients above and grill
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 orange

Total: 395 Calories, 45g Carbs, 40g Protein, 7g Healthy Fat

Meal 5

3 cups spinach leaves
2 strips turkey bacon
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup mushrooms
1 cup chopped carrots
3 oz grilled chicken
Balsamic vinegar with Italian seasoning

Total: 347 Calories, 38g Carbs, 31g Protein, 9g Healthy Fat

Meal 6

9 egg whites
1 slice Turkey
1 oz reduced fat pepper jack cheese
1 apple & 1 pear

Total: 374 Calories, 30g Carbs, 45g Protein, 9g Healthy Fat

Meals Total: 2216 Calories, 241g Carbs, 203g Protein, 59g Healthy Fats

Also remember that there are supplments such as protien bars, and shakes which you can apply to your meal plan in case you are in a rush. REMEMBER that these supplments are not replacements for actual food!

6/18/09 - Chest/Back Day

Today I trained my chest and back. But how you might ask, why these are two major muscle groups!

The key here is supersets. Not only do supersets save valuable time and energy, but you are actually burning MORE calories this way, and these calories will compound with added cardio which will be explained later.

My training today took about 1 hour, and my sets included:

Superset: -Bench 3X10
-Barbell Row 3X8
(Tip: The Key here is to go straight to Barbell Row after bench, then take a 1 min rest)

Superset: -Dumbell Flys 3X12
-Bent Over Lateral Raises 3X12
(Tip: Focus more on technique, dont overload yourself with heavy weight)

-Pull-Ups 4 sets to failure (Failure means doing as many reps as possible per set)

-Cable Crossovers 3X15 (Again focus on technique)

-Pullovers 3X12 (These work your lats, and your serratus mucscles if done correctly)

Cardio: The supersets that you did earlier will put your body in the optimal zone to burn fat calories, think of them as mini sprints, they jumpstart your heartbeat, and your training heavy muscle groups. If your sweating alot after the end of your supersets your on the right track.

• My cardio included 15-20 minutes on the bike, keeping my RPM at around 80-90. If you can't do this then I recommend "sprinting" on the bike for intervals. This is basically you going all out for 3-5 minutes, resting for 1-2 minutes, repeat.
• I also did some Martial Arts training, which including practicing the basic techniques of karate, and Jujitsu, this took about 10 minutes. Key here is to not stop, and keeping your heartbeat at a steady pace, keep the punches and kicks rolling thru.

Last but not least STRETCH, not only does it prevent injuries you don't get muscle bound! Stretch each muscle group for a minute.

Welcome

Im Heath, I have been involved in fitness for over 6 years. I have won several powerlifting championships, wrestled in state class, played football, and most of all love spending my time in the gym.

If you want to get help in fitness, and you don't want to deal with unnecessary BS, then you've come to the right place. I'll show you EXACTLY what you need to do in order to get lean muscle mass, and reduce your body fat percentage.

The Important Points I'm going to stress:

• Diet
• Exercise
• Motivation

I'll show you exactly what you need to do in order to make fitness part of your LIFE-STYLE, not your schedule!