LEGAL DISCLAIMER

Copyright © 2013-2014 (and beyond) Bruce Krahn and Ebodi Health Inc. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this information may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, distributing, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author. The author and publisher disclaim any respon-sibility for any adverse effects or consequences from the misapplication or injudicious use of the infor-mation presented in this text.

Disclaimer

Fitness training in any form involves a potential risk for serious injury, health complications, or death. The dietary and exercise techniques discussed and utilized in this manual are designed and demon-strated by highly trained professionals, and should not be attempted by anyone, regardless of age or physical condition, without help from a fitness professional, medical doctor or registered dietician / licensed dietician. Anyone who attempts any of these techniques, whether under supervision or not, assumes all risks. Neither Bruce Krahn, Ebodi Health Inc, www.troublespottraining.com, nor any business affiliates of Bruce Krahn or Ebodi Health Inc shall be held liable to anyone for use of any of these exercises, diet plans, or any advice whatsoever contained within this book. The Trouble Spot Training ebook is informational and for your entertainment only. The data and information contained herein are based upon information from the author’s own personal experience and practice as gained by various sources, some peer-reviewed, and some not. The author and publisher of this manual makes no warranties, expressed or implied, regarding the currency, completeness or scientific accu-racy of this information, nor does it warrant the fitness of the information for any particular purpose. This summary of information from anecdotal experience, books, research journals and articles is not intended to replace the advice or guidance from health care professionals, personal trainers, correc-tive exercise specialists, or registered and licensed dieticians. It is not intended to direct their behav-ior or replace their independent professional judgment. Before you embark on any health, fitness or sports training programs, seek clearance from a qualified health care professional.

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PERFECT BODY BLUEPRINT HOW TO “PEAK” FOR PHOTO SHOOTS, VACATIONS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

I often receive requests to outline a game plan for people who are in decent shape, but wanted to take it to the next level and get in what I call “special event shape”. This isn’t aimed at people with a lot of fat to lose but is the perfect accom-paniment to use once a person is close to their ideal body shape.

For example, I judge my condition by how visible my abdominal muscles are and most of the year I stay in “good” shape with some visible abdominal definition. In terms of percent body fat my typical measurement would be about 9-10%. However, there are times when good isn’t good enough for me and I want to take my condition to the next level and drop my body fat down to 6 or 7%. (I usually do this about once per year and that’s how often I would recom-mend you do it as well). This requires a slightly different approach and in this chapter I am go-ing to outline exactly how this can be done. The methods you are about to learn may be thought of as being rather extreme but remember – this is not meant to be followed year round. In fact, I have designed this to be used for a 4 week period only. This is strictly for those instances when you absolutely, positively need to look your best for a special event. A healthy person

can be pushed hard for a short period of time and that’s what this program is designed to do. One disclaimer – please do not implement the following techniques if you have more than 5-10 pounds (max) to lose OR if you have any un-derlying clinical problems. You should only do this if you are already in good shape and have a solid foundation of proper training, nutrition and supplementation.

Focus on what matters mostIn order to get something you have never had you are going to have to do something you have never done. The process of going from “good” shape to “wholly crap you look AWESOME!” is going to require working harder than you are ac-customed to doing. I am about to take you out of your comfort zone and over to a place you are not going to love. Remember – this is only tem-porary and not intended to be followed for the long term. During this phase you are going to focus on one thing and one thing only – getting your body looking sexy in the shortest time pos-sible. The first and most important part of this process is your diet. The goal of this program is to temporarily throw your body into a severe calorie deficit while simultaneously exercising to preserve lean muscle mass.

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Here is how to calculate how many calories you will be eating for the next 13 days:

Your bodyweight in pounds X 8 kcal

For example, let’s say you are a woman who weighs 140 pounds. For you your daily calorie allotment would be as follows;

140 X 8 = 1120 calories per day.

Here is a chart that illustrates the calculations allowing for a 10% variable plus or minus;

Bodyweight Calorie Intake100 lbs 800kcal (720-880)150 lbs 1200kcal (1080-1320)200 lbs 1600kcal (1440-1760)250 lbs 2000kcal (1800-2200)300 lbs 2400kcal (2160-2640)

Yes, this is low but remember – this is tempo-rary. And here is the best part – on day 14 you get to eat as much as you want! Yes, for reasons discussed in the TST Fat Loss Manual a period-ic “re-feed” of carbs and calories is necessary to prevent metabolic crashes (and insanity!) You will continue this cycle for up to 8 weeks (after which you will have reached your goal and should switch over to a new program like the one I outline in the TST Muscle Building Manaual.

During this program I do recommend that you follow a meal plan. Here is how you would break things down;

Macronutrients – proteins, carbohydrates and fats

ProteinProtein will be relatively high and will make up approximately 40% of your total daily calories. Protein is critical during a low calorie diet in or-der to keep feeling of hunger under control and to preserve lean muscle mass. Protein is also very “thermic” and costs your body energy in order to digest it. During this phase you should focus on consuming whole foods in addition to some supplements so please don’t live off of protein shakes. Whole food protein sources will provide more bang for your buck in terms of nu-trients and satiety. It’s ok to use protein shakes during this program (you will see them included below) but I don’t want you to subsist on them.

CarbohydratesThese are going to be cut big time. For the duration of this program your carbs should be no higher than 20% of total calories max. In addition, all carbs must come from vegetables sources with the emphasis being on those with the greatest nutrient density such as kale, broc-coli, spinach, green beans, asparagus, zucchini and peppers. Personally I also like to include some fermented foods as well so don’t shy away from things like sauerkraut too. Always try to purchase organic vegetables whenever possi-ble and make sure you wash them thoroughly before consuming.

FatsFats will make up the balance of your calories and should come in at about 40% of total calories. You should try to minimize intake of omega 6 oils (such as canola) and focus on consuming omega 3, 7 and 9 from a variety of sources including fish, flax, olive, macadamia, coconut, krill, and avocado.

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When to eatI spoke about meal frequency in the TST Fat Loss Manual. As discussed what matters most is total calories consumed for the day not how those calories are dispersed. When calories are quite low (as they are with this program) frequent feeding becomes problematic due to how small the meals have to be. The strategy of 5 or 6 small meals per day seems to work best for larger, more active individuals whose daily calorie requirements can allow for eating small meals that still have some substance to them. For women needing to follow a 1200 calorie diet eating 6, 200 calorie “meals” just seems ludi-crous. For that reason I want you to eat in the way that works best for you. If you prefer to eat 3 “meals” per day then go for it. Want to stretch those calories out to 5 meals per day? No prob-lem. Just remember that you must adhere to your daily calorie limits in order for this to work.

SupplementsBecause of the aggressive calorie cutting in-volved with this program there runs the risk of nutrient deficiencies and muscle loss. And when you combine a low calorie diet with lots of exercise you can pretty well guarantee that there will be some nutrient gaps that need to be filled. At this time, supplementation increases

in importance and will go a long way to keeping you performing well and feeling as “normal” as can be expected. For this reason I feel that it is imperative you incorporate the Fat Loss sup-plements discussed in the TST Fat Loss Manual. If cost is an issue think of it this way – with this diet you will be purchasing fewer groceries and avoiding restaurants and this should more than make up for the costs incurred with buying more supplements. Yes, you could do the program without them but I can promise you will feel and perform a lot better if you simply bite the bullet and use them as discussed.

When to beginThe goal with this 4 week program is to have you looking your very best on a particular day. This could be your wedding, a beach vacation, high school reunion or any event where you can see yourself wanting to show off how great you look. This is not intended as a long term fat loss pro-gram. Instead, this is a way to “trick” your body into ridding itself of subcutaneous water weight and fat in order to produce that nice, dry look you see on swimsuit models and fitness com-petitors. In order for this to work you will need to pick your target date for looking your best. From this date simply subtract 4 weeks and make this your start date to begin the process.

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Weeks 1 to 3

Nutrition

For this program to work you will need to ma-nipulate your sodium and water intake so for the next 3 weeks you will be increasing both. Don’t worry about an increase in sodium and any potential effect this may have on your blood pressure – if you are at the recommend percent body fat for starting this program blood pressure should not be an issue. Here are the nutrition guidelines for you to follow for the next 3 weeks;

1. Increase sodium intake. For the next 3 weeks begin lightly salting your meals. Any salt will work so don’t worry if you don’t have sea salt. Your goal is to consume approximately 20 mgs of sodium for each pound of body weight (per day – not per meal).

2. Increase water intake. Start drinking a min-imum of half your bodyweight in ounces of water each day.

3. Consume whole foods only for your main meals — no meal replacement shakes are permitted.

4. Keep protein intake high. Females should consume 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily and males should increase this to 1.5 grams per pound.

5. Consume two tablespoons (female) or three tablespoons (male) of healthy fats each day (not including your fish oil). These can be from sources such as coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil or grass fed butter. These can be used to help cook your meals or simply added on after cooking.

6. Consume a post workout protein shake consisting of .25 grams of protein per pound of body weight, 1-2 ounces of fruit juice and 5 grams of creatine.

7. Increase intake of fibrous carbohydrates. The only “carbs” you can consume will be green vegetables and nothing else.

Exercise

In order to hit your peak on a particular day I am going to have you temporarily increase your training frequency. The goal is to deplete mus-cle glycogen and burn fat while still retaining as much lean muscle mass as possible. To do this you will need to do the following;

1. Perform low intensity cardio 6 days per week. The benefits of low intensity, long duration cardio are amplified during a low calorie phase. During this time I prefer if this exercise was performed first thing

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in the morning on an empty stomach. I recommend progressing your low intensity cardio sessions as follows (cardio to be performed first thing in morning on empty stomach OR immediately post weight training workout);

Week 1 – 30 minutes/6 days per week

Week 2 – 40 minutes/6 days per week

Week 3 – 50 minutes/6 days per week

2. Exercise with resistance 4 days per week. Weight training during this phase is for two purposes – muscle preservation and glycogen depletion. This is not a time that you will be building muscle mass or setting a new personal best. Here is how I recommend structuring your program;

Monday – Upper Body

Tuesday – Lower Body

Wednesday – Upper Body

Thursday – off

Friday – Total Body

Saturday – Cardio only

Sunday – Rest

You are probably wondering what the diet looks like so here is a sample for you to peruse.

Wake up12 ounces water

Greens+

Multivitamin/multimineral

2 fish oil caps

3 caps Abs+

2 caps Lean+

5 grams creatine

5 grams BCAA’S

1 cup green tea

Resistance Training WorkoutSip 5 grams BCAA’S mixed in 1 litre water. After workout have your post workout shake.

Breakfast3 organic whole egg omelette

1 cup spinach

1 tablespoon salsa

½ cup mushrooms

1 cup water

Lunch1 serving homemade turkey chilli (with celery, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers and zucchini)

1 cup water

3 caps Abs+

2 caps Lean+

2 fish oil caps

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Snack (optional – but I found this works very well to calm any hunger pangs. You could also use 1 scoop of whey or vegetarian protein powder mixed in water. I recommend alternating between the two)

5 grams BCAA’s

Dinner(Same as lunch as I like to keep things very simple when cutting calories. However, it would be best to use a different protein source such as beef, fish or vegetarian)

Pre bed (optional – I can’t sleep with my stom-ach grumbling so I tend to always have this)

5 grams BCAA’S or 1 serving whey protein with a dash of cinnamon

2 caps fish oil

1 serving magnesium

The finer pointsThe finer points of the first 3 weeks of this pro-gram can be surmised as follows;

3. Go Into Every Workout in a Carbohydrate Fasted StateDon’t eat any fats or carbohydrates for at least 3 hours prior to exercise. The only food energy during this period should come from 5-10 grams of BCAA’S. This is to ensure that your insulin levels are kept low and will allow for maximum release of growth hormone (great for fat burning).

4. Know Your Calorie Limit and Stay Within ItDuring this period it is absolutely essential to only consume foods that have a high nutrient density. You must follow a meal plan so that you know how many calo-ries you are taking in. Foods like chicken breasts, vegetables and essential fatty ac-ids will be the foundation of your nutrition plan. Alcohol is out for now (as it offers no nutrient benefits). Resolve yourself to the notion that this is about getting your body to strip fat as fast as possible while retaining your muscle mass. This means that your diet is going to have to be quite boring for the time being. However, once you reach your goal you will be able to loosen the reigns and look hot eating and drinking the foods you love.

5. Lean On Supplements To Fill Nutrient GapsSupplements become more important as calories decrease and activity increases. This is the time when you will notice a significant difference in how you feel, per-form and look depending on the supple-ments you use. Protein supplementation in the form of BCAA’S and whey and/or vegetarian protein powders will help keep you feeling fuller longer (and a whole lot less irritable during this time). Multivita-mins, minerals, green drinks and fish oils will serve to fill nutrient gaps. Fat burners such as Lean+ and Abs+ will give your body a slight fat burning boost.

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6. Increase sodium intake for first 3 weeksI know this will be met with some resis-tance from the medical community and nutrition zealots but please keep in mind the context of this approach. We are trying to manipulate subcutaneous water reten-tion and in order to do so you will have to temporarily increase sodium intake.

7. Increase Water ConsumptionIt seems counter intuitive but drinking wore water will help to eliminate more of the subcutaneous water retention that can make you appear fat and bloated. Consume ½ your bodyweight in ounces of water each day and more on days that you sweat a lot. I like to flavour my water with fresh lemons and limes and this also helps allow me to consume such high amounts. It is going to be an inconve-nience for a while (plan your bathroom breaks) but definitely worth it in the end.

8. Exercise DAILY During This PeriodYour body can take the increase in exer-cise frequency for a short period of time. My preference is to perform 4 resistance

training sessions per week as outlined PLUS daily low intensity cardio sessions. Even walking is helpful during this period. This can be sustained for up to 4 weeks MAX and then take a week off completely.

9. Consume Protein Around Each WorkoutMuscle catabolism is most likely to occur during periods of low calorie and carbo-hydrate intake and increased exercise volume. You can minimize the chances of this by keeping protein intake high. The two critical periods are pre and post workout. Just be sure to not go crazy with the carbs.

10. Restrict All Carbs Until Week FourI am far from being carb phobic but after testing this on numerous occasions I can tell you that this plan works best when carbs are strictly controlled. Just to be clear – when I say “carbs” I am tak-ing about foods such as potatoes, rice, breads, oatmeal, pasta, quinoa and other grains. Fruit should also be kept to a bare minimum. You can eat all the vegetable carbs your hungry heart desires.

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Week 4 – Countdown to the Big Day!In this final week you will be making some small but critical changes to both your diet and training program.

Nutrition

Monday – Continue to eat as described in weeks 1-3 except remove all carbohydrates from your protein shake and meals. Green veggies, protein and fat ONLY. No exceptions. Continue keeping fluid intake high and lightly salting your meals.

Tuesday – Same as Monday

Wednesday – Same as Monday

Thursday – After your workout you will begin carbohydrate loading. Your post workout protein shake should contain between 75 and 100 grams of fast digesting carbs. Continue to eat lots of carbohydrates today. I recommend eating a carb rich meal every 2-3 hours that you are awake. Your goal is to consume approximately 3 grams per pound of bodyweight (male) or 1.5 grams per pound (female). Choose good quality, clean carbs such as white rice, white or sweet potatoes or gluten free oats. Continue keeping fluid intake high and lightly salting your meals.

Friday – No workout today and the carbohydrate party is over. Today you will remove the carbs, cease salting your foods and continue to eat protein and fats only. You must also start drinking lots of water early in the morning with the goal of consuming 2 ounces per pound of bodyweight before 6 pm after which you will stop all eating and drinking.

Saturday – The BIG Day. Today is your target date for looking your best and if you have followed my advice you should be looking damn good indeed! No training today but you must eat a protein and carbohydrate rich breakfast. Some fat is fine too but keep your water intake to a minimum. You can sip small amounts with your meals but nothing more. Some people benefit from having some high calorie foods such as pizza on this day so don’t be afraid to experiment with what works best for you. Be sure to take some pics of your awesome self because you have earned it!

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Exercise

To keep things simple your training program will remain the same as weeks 1-3 except for the following key points;

▶ Eliminate all cardio ▶ Increase repetitions and decrease weight.

Your goal is to perform between 40 and 50 reps per set.

▶ Substitute free weights for machines. This is one of those rare occasions when using machines may be better. Performing high rep workouts in a carb depleted state can be very difficult. If you prefer you can substitute squats for the leg press or leg extension for example.

Structure your workouts in the final week as follows:

Monday – Upper body

Tuesday – Lower body

Wednesday – Upper body

Thursday – Total body

Friday – Off

Saturday – Off

If you make it through this you are a true champion! Be sure to send me the pics!