ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThispublicationisbasedonarticleswrittenbyJohnBerardi,Ph.D.;GuillermoEscalante;JonFinkel;RobFitzgerald;JonHinds;MyattMurphy;SaraPolston;JimStoppani,Ph.D.;MarkThorpe;MattTuthill;EricVelazquez;andJoeWuebben

CoverphotographybyAndrewHetherington

Photographyandillustrationsby:Iconmen.com,ArtBrewer,DylanCoulter,MichaelDarter,BillDiodato,IanLogan,RobertReiff,MarcRoyce,IanSpanier,MichaelTouna,LarissaUnderwood,andPavelYthjall

ProjecteditorisJoeWuebben

ProjectcreativedirectorisAnthonyScerri

ProjectcopyeditorisCatPerry

ProjectphotoassistantisAmyWolff

FoundingchairmanisJoeWeider.ChairmanandCEOofAmericanMedia,Inc.,isDavidPecker.

©2012,AmericanMedia,Inc.AllRightsReserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedorincorporatedintoanyinformationretrievalsystem,electronicormechanical,withoutthewrittenpermissionofthecopyrightowner.Inquiriesregardingpermissionforuseofmaterialcontainedinthispublicationshouldbeaddressedto:AmericanMedia,Inc.,4NewYorkPlaza,NewYork,NY10004,Attn:RightsandPermissions.

Thisbookisavailableinquantityatspecialdiscountsforyourgroupororganization.Forfurtherinformation,contact:TriumphBooks814N.FranklinStreetChicago,IL60610(312)337-0747www.triumphbooks.comISBN:978-1-60078-736-2

PrintedinUSA.

CONTENTSChapter1GETRIPPEDIN12WEEKSBurnloadsofbodyfatwiththishigh-intensitytrainingprogramandnutritionplan.

Chapter2SIX-PACKSOLUTIONSculptyourmidsectioninjustsixweekswiththishard-hittingprogram.

Chapter3THEMETABOLICWORKOUTStripoffexcessbodyfatandtakeyourconditioningtothenextlevelwithmetaboliccircuittraining.

Chapter4BURNNOTICEThisfive-weekprogramwillhelpyougetajump-startonyourfat-burningresolutions.

Chapter5FULFILLYOURDENSITYBuildmuscleandburnbodyfatinlesstimewiththeinnovativeEDTsystem.

Chapter6FREQUENTFRYERSizzleyourfatawaywithhigh-frequencytrainingthathitseachbodypartmorethanonceaweek—alotmore.

CHAPTER7BURNFATSAVEMUSCLEGettingshreddedcanbetroublesome.Thesecardioandnutritiontipsshowyouhowtostaybigwhilegettinglean.

Chapter84MINUTEMUSCLEPackonmassandburnfatwiththesebrutaltimedsets.

Chapter930-MINUTEMADNESSSavetimeandgetleanwiththese10gruelingworkoutsthatwilltorchbodyfatin30minutesorless.

CHAPTER1020-30-40Workinglonghoursandhavingpreciouslittletimetotrainsucks,butyourworkoutsdon’thaveto.Streamlineyourtrainingwiththistime-conscioustotal-bodyprogram.

Chapter11FINDTHEPERFECTWORKOUTLookingforworkoutstotargetspecificmusclegroups?You’vecometotherightplace.Multipleroutinesforeverybodypart—68inall—coveringeverygoalfrommass-gainingtostrength-buildingtobringingupweakareas.

Chapter12GETOUTOFTHEGYM!Traininthegreatoutdoorsandgetrippedwithoutweights.

Chapter13POWERCARDIODevelopinsaneexplosivenessandgetshreddedwiththisintenseintervalroutine.

Chapter14THEA-TEAMWeasked10oftheworld’stoptrainersfortheirfavoriteabexercise.Here’swhattheysaid.

Chapter15FEEDYOURABSYourtrainingwon’tgetyoucutifyourdietisoutofwhack.These13six-pack-promotingfoodsneedtobeonyourgrocerylist.

Chapter16NEXTLEVELOFLEANGethardcoreinyourfat-burningeffortswiththesesevenadvancedstrategies.

W

CHAPTER1

GETRIPPEDIN12WEEKS

BURNLOADSOFBODYFATWITHTHISHIGH-INTENSITYTRAININGPROGRAMANDNUTRITIONPLAN

hosaysaget-leanphasehastotakeplaceatthebeginningoftheyearorheadingintosummer?

Any time is a good time for your abs to be shredded and the rest of yourmusclesslicedanddicedjustthesame.Whichiswhythetimingisperfectrightnowfor this12-weekfat-burning,weightlifting,andcardioprogramsandmealplan. The training is high-volume and intense, and the diet manipulatesmacronutrients in such a way that your metabolism will hit the roof. Threemonthsfromnowyou’llbeasleanasever,ifnotsooner.

AIRBIKECROSSOVERCRUNCH

CARDIOCONSIDERATIONSAs with your weight workouts, your approach to cardio will vary each week.You’llalternatebetweensteady-statecardioandhigh-intensity intervalsessionsto burn fat through differentmechanisms. Eachweek you’ll stride through asmanyasfivecardioworkouts,eachlasting20-60minutes.

Youcangetmoreoutofthesesessionsbyperformingthembeforebreakfastorpost-workout;savingcardioforafterhigh-repsessionswithagivenbodypartcan help burn more subcutaneous body fat from that area. The fat, which ismobilized through exercise, is then used as fuel during cardio rather thanredepositingitselfunderyourskin.Withthatinmind,trytogetyourcardioinafter your abworkout(s) eachweek and schedule a fewother sessions for firstthinginthemorning.

SHREDDINGSEASONFor the next 12 weeks we give you a full playbook: heavy sets of six reps,moderately weighted sets of 10-12 reps, and lighter sets of 20. For abs, you’lldabblein30-repsetsattimes,givingyourbellytheopportunitytoburnsomeofthereleasedfatafterahardcorecardiosession.Asforcardio,let’sjustsayyou’regoing toworkhard and sweat throughplentyof towels.But as you adapt andimprove week after week, your body will switch to calorie-burning autopilot,whereeachworkoutwillforceyourbodytocalluponitsstubbornfatstoresforenergy.Bytheendoftheprogram,youcanexpecttobeatyourabsoluteleanest.

INTENSELYLEANWhiletheexerciseslaidoutinthisprogramaren’ttoocomplicated,theoffbeatsplitandgamutofreprangeswill likelytakesomegettingusedto.Butdon’tworry, the routine described above and presented on the following pages isstructuredtohelpyourecruitboatloadsoffiberswithinyourtargetedmusclegroups—and thus burnmore fat and growmoremuscle—over the next 12weeks.Theadditionofcardiowillserveonlytospeedthingsup.

RIPPEDIN12WEEKSCARDIOWEEKS1,3,5PERFORMFOURTIMESPERWEEK

EXERCISE DURATION INTENSITY(PE1)TreadmillWalk 45min. 5OrExerciseBike 45min. 5OrStepMill 45min. 5

WEEKS2,4,6PERFORMFOURTIMESPERWEEK

EXERCISE DURATION INTENSITY(PE1)2

TreadmillRun 20min. 9/2orExerciseBike 20min. 9/2orStepMill 20min. 9/2

WEEKS7,9,11PERFORMFIVETIMESPERWEEK

EXERCISE DURATION INTENSITY(PE1)

TreadmillJog 60min. 5orExerciseBike 60min. 5orStepMill 60min. 5

WEEKS8,10,12PERFORMFIVETIMESPERWEEK

EXERCISE DURATION INTENSITY(PE1)2

TreadmillRun 30min. 9/2orExerciseBike 30min. 9/2orStepMill 30min. 9/2

1Perceivedexertion(PE)ishowhardyoufeelyourbodyisworkingonascaleof1to10basedonthephysicalsensationsyouexperience.

2Performyourcardiointerval-style,alternatingone-minuteboutsofhigh-intensitysprintswithmorerecuperativestretchesofoneminuteforthetimeprescribed.

LEANINGLATERALRAISE

DUMBBELLLYINGTRICEPSEXTENSION

TRAININGPROGRAMAWeeks1,3,5,7,9,11:Duringodd-numberedweeks—ifwecounttodayasDay1ofWeek1—you’lltrainforstrengthandhypertrophywithlow-to-moderaterep ranges. You’ll focus on heavy compound lifts, usually withbarbells, toget yourmuscles growing. Shorter restperiods (45-60seconds)areintendedtohelpmaximizeyourenergystores—studieshaveshownthatmostindividualswillbeadequatelyrecoveredafteroneminuteasopposedtothree—whilekeepingyourheartrateup

foraddedmetabolicbenefits.

KNEELINGCABLECROSSOVER

WEEKS1,3,5,7,9,11DAY1|SHOULDERS+TRAPS+ABSEXERCISE SETS REPSBarbellOverheadPress 5 6,6,10,10,12LeaningLateralRaise 5 6,6,10,10,12

UprightRow 5 6,6,10,10,12BentoverLateralRaise 5 6,6,10,10,12BarbellShrug 5 6,6,10,10,12WeightedCrunch 3 10,10,20AirBikeCrossoverCrunch 3 10,10,20

DAY2|TRICEPS+BICEPSEXERCISE SETS REPSDumbbellLyingTricepsExtension 5 6,6,10,10,12

Pushdown 5 6,6,10,10,12DumbbellOverheadTricepsExtension 5 6,6,10,10,12BarbellCurl 5 6,6,10,10,12DumbbellInclineCurl 5 6,6,10,10,12PreacherCurl 5 6,6,10,10,12

DAY3|LEGSEXERCISE SETS REPSSquat 5 6,6,10,10,12LegPress 5 6,6,10,10,12LegExtension 5 6,6,10,10,12Lunge 5 6,6,10,10,12RomanianDeadlift 5 6,6,10,10,12LyingLegCurl 5 6,6,10,10,12StandingCalfRaise 2 12SeatedCalfRaise 2 12DonkeyCalfRaise 2 12

DAY5|CHEST+ABSEXERCISE SETS REPSBenchPress 5 6,6,10,10,12InclineBenchPress 5 6,6,10,10,12DeclineBenchPress 5 6,6,10,10,12WeightedDip 5 6,6,10,10,12KneelingCableCrossover 5 6,6,10,10,12WeightedCrunch 3 10,10,20ReverseCrunch 3 10,10,20

DAY6|BACKEXERCISE SETS REPSDeadlift 5 6,6,10,10,12BarbellRow 5 6,6,10,10,12T-barRow 5 6,6,10,10,12SeatedCableRow 5 6,6,10,10,12Wide-gripLatPulldown 5 6,6,10,10,12

TRAININGPROGRAMBWeeks2,4,6,8,10,12:During the even-numbered weeks, you’ll head into higher repranges (12-20) to chew through more stored body fat, extendmuscular endurance, and achieve a greater pump.Yourworkouts

herewillbedumbbell-heavy,forcingyoutorecruitmorestabilizermusclestocompleteliftswithbalance.Sinceyou’llstriveformusclefailureathigherreps,you’llwanttobumpupyourrestperiodsto90secondsbetweensets.

GETRIPPEDNUTRTIONMAXIMIZEFAT-BURNINGWITHTHISGET-LEANMEALPLANTHATCOMPLEMENTSOUR12-WEEKTRAININGPROGRAMDon’tbethatguywhoruinsaperfectlygoodtrainingprogrambyblowinghisdietonliberalconsumptionofemptycarbsandregularfast-food splurges. When it comes to achieving a rock-solid,chiseledbody, the countlesshoursofhardwork spent in thegymareonlyhalf thebattle.Theotherhalf comes in the formof foodselection andnutrient timing,which formanypeople is themostconfusingpartofgettinglean.Notthistime.We’veeliminatedtheguesswork by designing a fat-fighting food plan that works in

conjunctionwithour“GetRippedin12Weeks”trainingprogram.The following meals provide about 14 calories per pound of

bodyweightperday,whichisabout2,500caloriesfora180-poundguy.Throughout the12weeks,protein intakewill remainhigh tojump-startyourmetabolismandpreserveleanmass.Eachweekaimtoget1-1.5gramsofproteinperpoundofbodyweight,or180-270gramsperdayforthe180-pounder.

DUMBBELLDEADLIFT

Carb intakewill vary depending on eachweek’s training goal.During the weeks you follow Training Program A (emphasis onstrengthandsize),shootfor1.25gramsofcarbsperpoundperday(225 grams) to supply the energy muscles need.When followingTraining Program B (emphasis on muscle endurance and fat

burning),reducecarbsto0.75gramperpound(135gramsperday)toencourageyourbodytousebodyfatstoresforenergy.

Asfordietaryfat,intakewillbe0.4-0.5gramperpound(70-90grams per day), accounting for 25%-30% of total daily calories.You’llnoticeduringProgramBthatwhencarbsarelower,fatandprotein intakes increase to provide the calories needed to helpmaintain lean muscle mass. Eating healthy omega-3s andmonounsaturatedfatswillremainaprioritytofurtherenhancefat-burningandaidyourrecoveryprocess.

SAMPLEMEALPLANPROGRAMABreakfast1whole-wheatEnglishmuffin2eggs+4eggwhites1slicelow-fatcheese

MidmorningSnack1cuplow-fatGreekyogurt1cuppineapple

LunchFajitas:6oztopsirloin2whole-wheatMissionCarbBalanceTortilla(6″diameter)1cupbellpepper1cuplettuce1/4cuponion

Pre-workout1scoopwheyprotein1apple

Post-workout1scoopwheyprotein2cupslow-fatmilk

Dinner8ozporktenderloin1cupquinoa1cupbroccoli

BedtimeSnack1scoopcaseinprotein1tbspflaxseedoil

DAILYTOTALS2,505calories261gprotein201gcarbs

73gfat39gfiber2,839mgsodium

SAMPLEMEALPLANPROGRAMBBreakfast1scoopwheyprotein1cuplow-fatGreekyogurt1cupstrawberries2tbspgroundflaxseedsMidmorningSnack2stringcheesesticks10whole-wheatcrackersLunch6ozroastbeef2cupsmixedgreensalad½cuptomato½cupcucumber2tbspsunflowerseeds2tbspoliveoil/vinegardressingPre-workout1scoopwheyprotein6multigrainricecakesPost-workout8ozchickenbreast1mediumwhitepotato

Dinner9oztilapia2cupsgreenbeans

BedtimeSnack1scoopcaseinprotein1ozmixednuts

DAILYTOTALS2,462calories283gprotein139gcarbs86gfat30gfiber2,239mgsodium

SAMPLERESTDAYMEALSBreakfast1whole-wheatMissionCarbBalanceTortilla(6″diameter)3eggs½cupbellpepper1/4cuponion1cupspinach

MidmorningSnack1scoopwheyprotein1orange

Lunch8ozchickenbreast

1cupbrownrice

Mid-afternoonSnack8ozsalmon2cupsbroccoli1/3cuphummus

Dinner8ozflanksteak2cupszucchini

BedtimeSnack1cuplow-fatcottagecheese1tbspflaxseedoil

DAILYTOTALS2,351calories257gprotein126gcarbs91gfat26gfiber2,393mgsodium

Note:Mixproteinpowdersaccordingtolabeldirections.

LYINGCABLECURL

T

CHAPTER2

SCULPTYOURMIDSECTIONINJUSTSIXWEEKSWITHTHISHARD-HITTINGTRAININGPROGRAM

SIX-PACKSOLUTION

HE NEXT TIME you stumble upon that Sunday-morning infomercialtoutinganab-traininggadgetasthesolutiontotheperfectsix-pack,change

the channel. Watch SportsCenter, Meet the Press, or even Baywatch reruns—anything but a $99 glorified crunch that claims to melt flab from yourmidsection.Noonethingalonewillgetyouasix-pack; ittakesamultiprongedapproachofweight training, isolatedabwork, intensecardio, andacleandiet.Even though it won’t happen overnight, our six-week plan will reveal animpressivesetofabswhenfolloweddiligently.Itsbasicparametersaresimilartotheprogram inChapter1, onlywithmore emphasis placedon themidsectionandatighterdeadline.Butthisplan—unliketheaforementionedinfomercial—isabout more than just a bunch of ab exercises. You can’t get a shreddedmidsectionwithoutrampingupyourmetabolism,andyoucan’t rampupyourmetabolismwithouthittingthegymhardwithafull-bodyprogram.

HEAVYLIFTINGLIFTINGWEIGHTSseemstobethemissinglinkinmostpeople’seffortstogetsix-packabs.Talk to theaverageguywith thisgoal inmindandhe’llprobablytell you about all the cardiohe’sdoing in the gym.Askhim if he’shitting theweightshardandhe’lllikelyrespond,“No,I’mnottryingtogetbig,Ijustwanttobedefined.”(Feelfreetorollyoureyesatthispoint,orevenpunchhim.)

“Whenpeoplethrowthewordleanaround,whatmostofthemforgetisleanmeansleanbodymass,whichismuscle,”saysJesseBurdick,C.S.C.S.,ownerandfounder of Prevail Fitness inPleasanton,CA, and a trainer atRe-ActiveGym.

“Justdoingcardioisn’tenoughtogetasix-pack.Themoreofafull-bodyweight-trainingworkout you do, themore leanmass you’ll have and the higher yourmetabolismwillbe.Thesearesynergisticinhelpingyouachieveasix-pack.”

Inotherwords,asoundliftingprogramiskeytosheddingbodyfataroundthe midsection and everywhere else on the body. That’s why the followingroutineentailssixdaysaweekofhardcoreweightlifting,brokenintoabody-partsplitinwhichyoutraineachmajormusclegrouptwiceweekly.Ifthegoaloftheprogramwere strictlyhypertrophywith less emphasisongetting lean, trainingeachbodypartjustonceeachweekmightsuffice.Butboostingmetabolismandburningcaloriesaretopprioritieshere,sotrainingfrequencyishigh.

Big exercises take precedence in the program for one simple reason: Theyworkmoremuscles and, as a result, increase themetabolism thatmuchmore.“Multijointexercisesare thekingsofmuscle recruitment,”Burdicksays. “Whywouldyouwanttorecruitjustonemusclegroupwhenyoucanforceyourwholebody towork?Withbigmultijointmoves you’ll add leanmass quicker,whichgoesback to that synergistic effect:Themoremuscle youuse, thehigher yourbodymassandmetabolism.”

PLATEHEADDECLINESITUPSTART:Liefaceuponadeclinesitupboard,ordeclinebenchwithyourfeetsecuredundertherollers,holdingalightweightplatejustaboveyourforehead.(Startwitha10-poundplateandprogresstoa25-pounder.)EXECUTION:Contractyourabstoinitiateafullsitup,keepingtheplateonyourheadthroughout.Slowlyreturntothestartposition.

Therepranges in theprogramvary from lowtohigh.Withbenchpresses,deadlifts,andsquatsyou’llemployheavysetsof fiverepstobuildstrengthandstimulatethecentralnervoussystem,followedbyanotherfivesetsof10repsin

Weeks1-3topromotehypertrophythroughtheuseofmoderaterepsandhighvolume. Reps on assistance exercises typically fall in the 12-20 range; again,boostingyourmetabolismthroughmusclegrowthistheprimaryrationalehere.

Coupledwithmostlymoderate-reprangesareshortrestperiodsdesignedtomaximizefatloss.Themajorityofbreaksare45-60seconds,exceptonarmdays,when thatdecreases to30 seconds.Evenonbenches,deads, and squats, rest isfairlybriefat90secondstops.

TRAININGSPLITDAY WORKOUT A.M. P.M.Monday Cardio:“High” Weights:Legs,AbsTuesday Weights:Chest,Back,Abs Cardio:“Moderate”Wednesday Cardio:“Low” Weights:Triceps,Biceps,Delts,AbsThursday Cardio:“High” Weights:PosteriorChain,AbsFriday Weights:Chest,Back,Abs Cardio:“Moderate”Saturday Cardio:“Low” Weights:Triceps,Biceps,Delts,AbsSunday Off OffForcardioroutines,see“BurningDowntheHouse”onpage30.

SKYWALKERSSTART:Liefaceuponthefloorwithyourlegsextendedtowardtheceilingsoyourbodyformsan“L.”Flexyourfeetsoyourheelsareparallel tothefloorandextendyourarmstowardtheceiling.EXECUTION:Contractyourabstocrunchupandtouchyourtoes.Besuretokeep your legs extended so your heels are as high in the air as possible;imagine trying to touch your heels to the ceiling. Slowly lower back to thestart.

FIGURE-4CRUNCHSTART:Lie faceupon the floorwithyourkneesbentand feet flat.Crossyourleft leg over so your left ankle rests on your right knee. Place your right handbehindyourheadwithyourelbowpointingouttotheside.EXECUTION:Crunchupandtotheleftuntilyourrightelbowtouchesyourleftknee,thenslowlyreturntothestartposition.Repeatforreps,thenswitchsides.

ABROLLOUTSTART:Placeabarbellwithcircularplatesonthefloorso itcanrollbackandforth. Use a shoulder-width grip and begin either bent over with your legsextendedandthebarinfrontofyourshinsorkneelingwiththebarrightinfrontofyou.(Thestandingpositionisextremelyadvanced;mostpeoplewillneedtostartinthekneelingposition.)EXECUTION:Slowlyroll thebar forwarduntilyour torso isnearlyparallel tothefloor,thencontractyourabstorollthebarbacktowardyou.Don’tletyourhipssag.

DUMBBELLBENCHPRESSWhenrunningtherack,besuretodropenoughweightonsuccessivesetstoallowyoutostillget10reps.

FEET-ELEVATEDCRUNCHSTART:Liefaceuponthefloorwithyourfeetintheair,andyourhipsandkneesbent90degrees.Extendyourarmstowardtheceiling.EXECUTION:Keepingyourhipsandkneesbentandyourfeetup,contractyourabs to lift your shoulder blades off the floor and raise your hands toward the

ceiling.Squeezeyourabshard,thenlowerbacktothefloor.

SPLITTINGFIBERSNO ONE SAID getting a six-pack was going to be easy. The lifting will beintense,aswillthecardio(see“BurningDowntheHouse”onpage30),buttogetthe full benefits of each it’s best to divide them into separate training sessionswith at least four to six hours and a few meals in between. It’s the classica.m./p.m. split, with one workout taking place before work or school and theotherlaterintheevening.

Lifting and cardio alternatebetween a.m. andp.m. sessions. Low-intensity,steady-state cardio is always done first thing in the morning on an emptystomach,whichhasbeenproventoburnmorefatthanwhenit’sdoneatothertimesoftheday.High-intensityintervaltraining(HIIT)isalsopositionedinthemorning,sincedoingitafterahardlegworkoutwoulddiminishthegainsmadewithsquatsandotherlower-bodymoves.Moderate-intensitycardiowillbedoneintheafternoonondayswhenyouliftinthemorning.

If six weeks of two-a-days isn’t feasible in your schedule, feel free to doweightsandcardiointhesamesession,eventhoughthat’snotideal.Here’swhy:Sincetheprimarygoalofthisprogramisgettinglean,thefocusshiftssomewhattotheHIITworkouts,andyoudon’twantyourliftingtobecounterproductive.Considertheglycogenstoresthebodyusesduringeachtrainingsession:Ifyouliftweightsandthenhaveapost-workoutmeal,you’reinananabolicstate.Ifyouliftweights and thenuse an entirely different energy system to do cardio, youessentiallyzapalltheglycogenstoresyouneedafterlifting,renderingyoumuchless anabolic.Themore anabolic you are, the faster yourmetabolism and viceversa.

It’snoaccidentthatyourhardestliftingworkout(legs)andtoughestcardiosession(HIIT) fallon thesamedays:MondayandThursday.Yourbodyneedstime to recover from themost taxing workouts, and doing legs and HIIT onconsecutivedayswon’tallowforthis.Theothertrainingdaysinthesplit,whenallliftingisupper-bodyandcardioismoderateandlow-intensity,willactasanactiverestfollowingyourgruelinglower-body/HIITdays.

Liftingandcardiowillconsumethevastmajorityofyourtimeandattentioninthegym,butdirectabworkshouldn’tbeanafterthought.Trainabsaspartofevery weight-roomworkout six days a week. Our sixmoves will hit your abs

from multiple angles with varying rep schemes and resistance to promotehypertrophy, endurance and core stability, thus providing both aesthetic andfunctionalbenefits.

Theliftingprogramasawhole,combinedwithpropernutritionandcardio,isguaranteedtorevealabetter,stronger,andmorevisiblesix-pack.Seeifyourplasticinfomercialgadgetcandothat.

J-PULLPulla ropeorV-bar fromthehigh-pulleycable towardyourabs ina J-shapedpath.Squeezeyourshoulderbladestogetheratthebottomofeachrep.

HAMMERCURL(RUNTHERACK)+STATICPLATEHOLD

Afterasmanydropsetsof10hammercurlsasyoucando,holdaweightplateinahalf-way-upcurlpositionfor30seconds.

KROCROWYoudoonlyonesetofthese,sogotoall-outfailure.Whenyoucannolongerwork through a full range of motion, do partial reps until you burn outcompletely.

BURNINGDOWNTHEHOUSE

SHEDFATLIKEAFIGHTERWITHTHISRADICALTHREE-PRONGEDCARDIOROUTINEForthefastestpossiblefat-burningresults,youneedacardioplanthatbreaksafewrules.We’veenlistedKellyTekin,M.S.,C.S.C.S.—acompetitivebodybuilderand strength and conditioning coach whose client list includes UFC fightersRashad Evans, Jon “Bones” Jones, and James McSweeney—to design threeMMA-inspiredroutinesthat’llpushconventionalboundariesandstripfatfromyourmidsection.Tekin’shigh-,moderate-,andlow-intensityroutineschallengeyouraerobiccapacitywithcircuitscontainingavarietyofathleticallyfunctionalmovements.“Eachcircuitisdesignedtobeperformedatthepacefightersusetoprepare for amatch,” she says of the program’s ferocious training tempo. “Byforcingyourbodytoworkexplosivelywithlittlerest,you’llnotonlyburnbodyfatfasterbutalsotrainallyourmusclefiberstofirefaster.”

HIGH-INTENSITYDAYMONDAY,THURSDAYThemostdifficultworkoutofthisseriescomprisesasix-movedumbbellcircuitandfour treadmill intervals supersetwithexplosiveexercises.Tekin suggests choosingrelativelylightweightsforthedumbbellcircuittoprovidejustenoughresistancetomakeitchallenging.

Forthetreadmillintervals,you’lljogfor30secondsandsprintfor30seconds,repeating for a total of four minutes. After each interval, you’ll perform theprescribed exercise, then immediately jump back on the treadmill for the nextinterval.

PART1EXERCISE REPSDumbbellReverseLunge 6eachlegDumbbellStiff-legDeadlift 12DumbbellJumpSquat 12DumbbellFrontSquat 6DumbbellLateralLunge 6eachleg

DumbbellPush-press 6Rest40-60secondsaftereachround.Completesixcircuits.

PART2EXERCISE REPS/TIMETreadmillInterval 4min.MedicineBallSlam 20TreadmillInterval 4min.PowerPullup 20TreadmillInterval 4min.Split-SquatJump 10eachlegTreadmillInterval 4min.One-armDumbbellSwing 10eacharmPerformexercisesinorderwithnorestinbetween.

DUMBBELLLATERALLUNGEStanderectwithadumbbellineachhand.Takealargesteptoonesideandbendyourknee to loweryourbody.Keepyour trailing leg fullyextended.Return tothe start bypowerfully extendingyour leadknee andhip.Repeaton theotherside.

SPLIT-SQUATJUMPGet into a one-leg squat position: one leg forward, knee bent 90 degrees, andthighparallel to the floor.Explosively extend yourworkingknee andhip, andjump,switchinglegsmidair.Landinaone-legsquatwithyourotherlegforward.

MODERATE-INTENSITYDAYTUESDAY,FRIDAYThis workout includes an upper-body resistance-band circuit and a weightedplyometricexercise.Forthecircuit,attachoneendoftworesistancebandstothebaseofasturdyobject,suchasabenchorpowerrack.

After completing all rounds of the circuit, rest twominutes before doing theweighted-vest jumps. “If you don’t have a weighted vest, spend double the timejumping(60seconds)duringeachset.Keeptherestperiodstotwominutes,”Tekinsays.

EXERCISE REPSPowerBand 30AlternatingBandRow 30BandObliqueTwist 30eachsideBandPunch 30eacharmBandUprightRow+Jump 30Rest60secondsaftereachround.Completefivecircuits.Weighted-VestJumpDo3setsof30seconds,restingtwominutesinbetween.

LOW-INTENSITYDAYWEDNESDAY,SATURDAYSet a treadmill to an 8%-10% incline and walk at a moderate pace for 20-30minutes.“Thiswillgiveyourmuscles timetorecover fromtheotherworkoutsaswellasburnmorebodyfat,”Tekinexplains.

FEEDYOURABS

1/

2/

IFYOUWANTASIX-PACKINSIXWEEKS,YOUHAVETOEATRIGHT.HERE’SHOWTODOIT.Yourroadtowashboardabsisdividedintotwonutritionalphases.Phase1(Weeks1-3)isdesignedtoshiftyourbodyintofat-burningmodebyestablishingasolidfoundation.Phase2(Weeks4-6)buildsontheprinciplespresentedinPhase1butfurtherreducescalorieandcarblevelstopushyourbodytoacceleratefatloss.Followtheadvicepresentedhereandyou’llbewellonyourwaytoachiseledcore.

GOMICRO>Getting lean takesmore than justmodifying your protein, carb, and fat

intake.Youalsoneedtopayattentiontothelittlethings.Forexample:

STAYHYDRATEDBelieve itornot,drinkingwaterplaysahugerole inyourefforts to burn fat and maintain lean mass. Good hydration speeds themetabolism,helpsreducehunger,flushesthebodyoftoxins,andaidsinmusclegrowth and repair. Keeping yourself properly hydrated should be top prioritywhenyou’retryingtorevealyourabs.Aimtoconsumeaboutonegallonofwaterperday.

MILKTHEBURNHigh-calciumdiets from low-fat dairy products have beenshown to boost fat loss, specifically around the abs. Researchers from theUniversityofTennessee-Knoxville foundthatsubjectsonsuchadiet lostmoretotal body fat and abdominal fat than those on a low-calcium diet. Reach forGreek or other varieties of yogurt, low-fat cheese, cottage cheese, andmilk toboostyourcalciumandproteinintake.CRESULTSRampupyourvitaminC intakeandwatch the fat slide rightoff.ResearchshowsthatindividualswithadequatevitaminCstatus(500milligramsaday)burn25%morebodyfatduringexercisethanthosewithlowlevelsofC.ChoosevitaminC-richfoodssuchasapples,bellpeppers,berries,broccoli,citrusfruits,leafygreens,andtomatoes.

SLASHCALORIES> The first step on the road to a great midsection is to establish an

appropriatecalorie level to initiate fat loss.Todoso,youmustcreateacaloricdeficitbyburningmorecaloriesthanyouconsume.Oncethisdeficitisachieved,the body will tap into fat reserves to provide the energy needed to fuel yourworkoutsanddailyactivity.

3/

4/

>> PHASE 1: Consume 15 calories per pound of body weight. For a 180-pounder,that’s2,700caloriesperday.Tokeepyourmetabolismburningatfullflame,eatamealevery2-3hoursforatotalofatleastsixmealsperday.>>PHASE2:Cutyour intake to13caloriesperpound,whichcomes to2,340caloriesperday for a 180-poundguy.This creates a greater caloricdeficit andfurtherenhancesyourfat-losspotential.

PUSHPROTEIN>Thewar against fat includesmore than justmercilessly cutting calories.

For starters, not all calories are created equal. The body burns twice asmanycalorieswhiledigestingprotein compared to carbs and almost 30%more thanfat. Besides boostingmetabolism and blunting hunger, high-protein diets alsohelppreserve leanmuscle.Thisbecomesan important factorwhenyoureducecalories and carbs so the body doesn’t burnmuscle for energy. Choose high-qualitysourcessuchaseggsandeggwhites,fish, leansteak, low-fatdairy,porktenderloin, and skinless chicken and turkey breast, as well as casein, soy, andwheyproteinpowders.>> PHASE 1: Ignite your body’smetabolic fire by consuming 1-1.5 grams ofproteinperpoundofbodyweight (180-270gramsaday forour180-pounder).Keep your intake consistent during the day, ingesting about 30 grams at eachmeal.>>PHASE2:Duringthisreductionphase,proteinintakemustremainhightohelp preservemuscle. Increase your levels to 1.5-2 grams per pound (270-360gramsperdayforthe180-poundtrainee).

EATHEALTHYFATS>Foryears thisnutrienthasbeenconsideredadietarydemon,buthealthy

fatscanbeverybeneficial insheddingthattoplayerofblubber.Severalstudiesindicatethathealthyfatsfrommonounsaturatedandomega-3sourcesnotonlypromote fat loss but also increase satiety, so you feel full longer. As a bonus,

5/

healthy fats aid in the recovery process, fighting off inflammation induced byhardtraining.>>PHASES1AND2:Dietaryfatshouldmakeup20%-30%ofyourtotaldailycalories.Amountswillvarydependingonyourcarbintakefortheday.Onlow-carbdays, fat intake increases to30%ofyour totalcalories;onhigh-carbdays,levelsdroptoabout20%.Emphasizemonounsaturatedsourcessuchasalmonds,avocados, olive oil, and peanut butter, and omega-3 fats such as flaxseeds,salmon,andwalnuts.

CYCLECARBS>Manipulatingyourcarb || intakenotonlyhelpsyoucutcaloriesbutalso

allowsyoutoexertsomehormonalcontrol.Thekeytobeingabletomeltawayfatand inhibit thestorageofbody fat iskeeping insulin levels incheck.Eatingfast-digesting carbs (such as sports drinks, white bread, and white potatoes)spikesinsulinlevelsandhaltsfatburningwhileacceleratingfatstorage.Ontheflip side, slow-digesting carbs cause a lessdramatic rise in insulin andprovidelong-lastingenergy.Theonlytimefastcarbsreignsupremeisimmediatelypost-workout,whentheinsulinspikehelpsreplenishglycogenstoresandkick-startsmuscle-protein synthesis. Other than post-workout, always select slow carbssuchasbrownrice, legumes,oatmeal, sweetpotatoes,wholegrains, andwholefruitsandvegetables.

Take your body to the next level of lean by alternating high-and low-carbdays. Known as carb cycling, this prevents the body from adapting to oneconsistentlevelofintake.Asaresultofthiscycling,yourmetabolicrateremainshighandfatiscontinuouslythrownonthefurnace.Furthermore,high-carbdayswill help recharge energy levels and aid in the recovery process from high-intensityworkouts.>>PHASE1:Carb intakeranges from1-1.5gramsperpoundofbodyweight,totaling180-270gramsperdayforthe180-pounder.Onhigh-intensityworkoutdays(Days1,4,and6),increaseyourcarbstothehigherendofthespectrum;onlower-intensityworkoutdays(Days2,3,5,and7),dropyourcarbstothelowerendoftherange.>>PHASE2: Continuewith the same cyclic approach using a carb spectrumthat shrinks to 0.5-1 gram per pound of body weight. This creates a greatercaloricdeficitandcontinuestoforcethebodytoutilizefatstoresforenergy.Onlow-carbdays,the180-poundguywouldlimithisintaketoabout90gramswhilestriving for the higher end of the recommended protein range. On high-carb

days,levelsmayincreaseupto180grams.

T

CHAPTER3

THEMETABOLICWORKOUT

STRIPOFFEXCESSBODYFATANDTAKEYOURCONDITIONINGTOTHENEXTLEVELWITHMETABOLIC

CIRCUITTRAINING

heexcess fatonyourbody isa lot likeanutattachedtoarusted-outbolt.Youwanttotwist itoff.Youneedtotwist itoff.Chancesare,you’vetried

everythingyoucanthinkof tounscrewit,butnothingeverseemstowork.It’sstuck—andsoareyou.

Whenthishappens,anymachineorautorepairshopworthitssalthasjustthe last-resort solutiononhand to get thingsmoving: a blowtorch.Whenyoublowtorcharustednut-and-boltarrangement,theintenseheatbreaksthebondcreatedbytherust,anditmeltsthingsdowntoapointwherethenutcaneasilyberemoved.

That’showitworkswithfatloss,too.Whenallelsefails—whenyourcurrentdiet and cardio practices aren’t solving a blessed thing—it’s time to break outyourownblowtorchandget the lardoffonceandforall.We’reabouttoshowyou how to burn off that last bit of stubborn body fat with a healthy dose ofintensitybyaddingmetaboliccircuittrainingtoyourregimen.

EPOCEPICYoumayhaveheardaboutexcesspost-exerciseoxygenconsumptioninthepast.EPOCisthegastankthatpowersyourfat-strippingblowtorch,becausewhenthetypeoftrainingwe’readvocatinghereinducesan“oxygendebt,”itcanincreaseyourmetabolic rate for up to 16 hours after you train. Thismeans thatwhenyou’re done working out—while you’re at school, at work, or sleeping—yourbody is still looking toconsume fuel sources for theoxygen itneeds to restoreitselftoarestingstateofequilibrium.Thegoodnewsforyouisthatitdoesthisprimarilythroughraidingfatstores.

“The EPOC effect does what steady-state cardio can’t do,” says RyanWhitton, a strength coach inAustin, TX. “You still need some steady-state in

yourprogramtoenhancerecoveryandstrengthenyourheart,butwhenitcomestostrippingfatoffyourbody,nothingworkslikecircuittrainingtomanipulatethespeedatwhichyourmetabolismburns.”

ResearchshowsthattheEPOCeffectincreasesalongwiththeintensitylevelofthetypeofexerciseyou’reperforming.So,whileyoumayburnmorecaloriesduring a low-impact 45-minute treadmill session, you’ll affect your metabolicrate ina farmoreprofoundwayifyouthrowintwoorthreeshort-yet-intense10-minutemetaboliccircuitsperweek.

SHREDDEDFORSUMMERWhetheryou’rewillingtoadmititornot,metabolic-styletrainingisfundespiteits high degree of difficulty. The workouts move quickly, the exercises areconstantlychanging,anditforcesyoutouseyourentirebodyasaunit—thewayit’s intendedtomove—insteadofperforming thesamerepetitivemoves forsetperiodsoftime,àlasteady-statecardio.

Youcanalso train thiswayanywhere.Whetheryou’re travelingorpressedfor time,or you’d ratherwaituntil you’rehome from thegym to receiveyourmetabolicasskicking,mostof theexercises in this setofworkouts involve justyour bodyweight—with the rest utilizing dumbbells, theweight of which canremainconstant.Inotherwords,youwon’tneedatonoftime,space,orgear—justthedesiretoshredthoselastbitsofwinterbodyfatandaplantocompletethejob.

“If I showed you someonewho trainedwith these circuits for an extendedperiodoftime,”saysWhitton,anexperiencedamateurfighterwhofavorsMMA-style training for his clients, “you’d see how they look andperform and you’dwantthosetypesofresultsforyourself.Ifyouwanttobeleanforsummer,andyouwant the kinesthetic awareness to control your own body, this is how it’sdone.”

HOWITWORKSPerformcircuitsconsecutivelywithnobreaksbetweenexercises;thenrestfor60to90secondsbetweenrounds—crankoutasmanyroundsasyoucan.

Thisdoesn’tmeanyou shouldbehitting these circuits everyday,however.For most people, two or three hard metabolic circuits per week will suffice,because you can’t recover from this level of intensity in just 24 hours.Additionally, the hampered recovery levels caused by overtraining withmetabolic circuits will negatively affect your strength and mass-buildingworkouts,becauseyouwon’tberecoveredenoughtomakesignificantprogressif

you’re consistently running yourself into the ground with anaerobic torture.Yourbodycan’tholdupto it,andyourreturnswillbegintodiminishinshortorder.

“The best way to get this done is to leave at least 48 to 72 hours betweenworkouts,”Whittonsays.“Toomanyguysthinkthatifthey’renotinaconstantstateofexhaustionthey’renotgoingtoburnenoughfat,butthis isn’tthecase.Theseworkoutsareaboutqualityasmuchasquantity.I’dratherseemyclientsworkthemselves toexhaustiontwiceperweekandtake therestof thedaysoffthan train like this every day, because all the positive changes to your bodyhappenduringrecoveryperiods.”

Now,thiswon’tbeaneasysixweeks.You’llessentiallybeworkingyourselftothe bone twice per week—gettingmore rounds in each time out—in order toaccelerate your results, so this isn’t a “less ismore” training scenario.That’s agoodthing,accordingtoWhitton.“AlongwithbaskingintheglowoftheEPOCeffect,” he says, “when you eventually get off the floor and leave the gym, youknowyouputinahardday’swork,andthat’sworthalltheeffort.”

MEDICINE-BALLOVERHEADSQUATHoldamedicineballwithbothhandsextendeddirectlyoveryourhead.Pushyourhipsbackwardanddescend into a below-parallel squat, keeping your core tight and themedicine ball high. Explosivelyreturntothestartpositionandrepeat.

TUCKJUMPStandwithyour feetshoulder-widthapart,yourkneesbent,andyourhandsandelbows inanathleticposition.Jumpashighasyoucan,tuckyourkneesintoyourchest,thenlandassoftlyaspossible.Gatheryourselfandrepeatforreps.

BURPEEWITHTUCKJUMPFrom a standing position, squat down, place your hands on the floor and kick your feet backsimultaneouslysoyou’reinapushupposition.Rapidlybringyourfeetbacktothesquatposition,thenexplodeupwardintoatuckjump,bringingyourkneesuptoyourchest.Repeat.

FIGURE-4SITUPLieontheflooronyourback,withyourkneesbent.Crossonelegovertheothersotheoutsideofyourelevated leg, just above your ankle, is resting on your other leg just above the knee. Place your handoppositeyourelevatedlegbehindyourhead,thenbendatthewaistandtrytotouchyourelbowtoyourelevatedknee.Repeatforrepsonbothsides.

WORKOUTSTwoorthreetimesperweek,chooseoneofthefollowingworkoutsandperformasmanyroundsasyoucan.

EXERCISE REPSMedicineBallOverheadSquat 10TuckJump 10ScissorLunge 10

SkipandScoop 20yardsthereandback

BurpeewithTuckJump 10Pushup 10MountainClimber 10Figure-4Situp 10eachside

DBBurpeeCleanandPress 10DBThruster 10DBSnatch 10eachhandDBWoodchopper 10eachside

DUMBBELLBURPEECLEANANDPRESSHolding a pair of dumbbells, perform a burpee exceptwithout the tuck jump.Once you’ve returned to the start position, explosively clean the dumbbells toshoulderlevel,thenpressthemoveryourhead.Lowertheweightstoyoursidesandrepeat.

MOUNTAINCLIMBERStayinapushuppositionandforcefullykickyour leftkneetoyourchest, landingtheballofyour leftfooton theground.Then,bringyour rightknee to your chest and returnyour right foot to the startposition.Repeatasthoughyouwererunninginplace.

DUMBBELLSNATCHStandwithyourfeetshoulder-widthapartandyourkneesslightlybent,holdingadumbbellinfrontofeach thigh. Extend your ankles, knees, and hips to explosively raise both dumbbells overhead. Youshouldfeellikeyou’retryingtothrowthemthroughtheceiling.

SKIPANDSCOOPFromastandingposition,move forwardbydrivingyourrightknee intoyourchest tobegin theskip.Landontheballofyourleftfoot,thenimmediatelydescendintoalungewithyourrightfootforward.Fromthisposition,explodeintoanotherskip,thistimeleadingwithyourleftknee.Repeatfor20yardsdownandback.

T

CHAPTER4

BURNNOTICE

THISFIVE-WEEKPROGRAMWILLHELPYOUGETAJUMP-STARTONYOURFAT-BURNINGRESOLUTIONS

hisbookisfullofprogramsthatwillhelpyouburnmaximumfatinaveryshort amount of time (see Chapters 1 and 2, for example). Which you

choosedependsonwhatplanfitsyourlifestyleandtimeline.Overthecourseofmanymonths, andevenyears,hopefullyyoucan try themallout so thatyourtrainingneverbecomesstale.

Here’s one you can put in your back pocket and save till just afterThanksgiving, since there’sagoodchanceyou’llbeneeding somehelparoundthattime.IfcomeJan.1you’drathernothavetosetanewgoaltodropthe10poundsofholidayweightyoupackedon(justlikelastyear),starttakingcareofbusinessinDecemberwithafat-burningtraininganddietprogram.That’swhat

we’vemappedoutonthefollowingpages—afive-week,high-intensityliftingandcardioregimencompletewithmealplans,sobythetimeyourcelebratoryNewYear’sEvebashisover,you’reaheadofthegameinsteadof indamage-controlmode.

WEIGHTEDDECLINECRUNCH

SHREDDINGSEASONIF YOU’RE GOING through the motions in your current workouts, you’llimmediatelynoticeonechangewhenyouunder-takethisprogram:Intensity isgoing to increase.Notnecessarily in termsofheavierweightsbut rather in theapplication of advanced training techniques such as dropsets, forced reps, andpartialrepsthat’lltakeyourmusclespastthepointoffailure,andsupersetsthat’llspeedup your trainingpace to increase calorie-burning.Thedegreeof changeyou’ll see will be directly proportional to the amount of intensity you applytowardtheprogram;inotherwords,ifyouslackoff,yourultimatepotentialwillbelimited.Consistencyisyourkeytosuccess.Giventheshortenedtimetable,it’simperativeyoudon’tskipanyworkouts.

Inthisprogramyou’llweight-trainthreedaysaweekinthefirstthreeweeks,then increase that frequency to four days a week in the final two weeks, inadditiontocardioworkouts(see“CardioComponent”sidebar).Setsandrepsarebased on a light-to-heavy pyramid system. On compound exercises such aspresses and squats, your first set employs higher repswith lighterweight; andsuccessive sets will be heavier, so choose a weight that allows you to reachmuscular failure at the rep indicated. Later in the workouts, when mostlyisolationexercisesarebeingused,repcountswon’tpyramidandweightcanstaythesame.

Tokeep the intensity levelhighduring the routine,be strictwithyour restperiods. In the first threeweeks, restno longer thanoneminutebetween sets.(Within supersets—of which there will be plenty—you won’t rest at all.) InWeeks4and5, reduce rest to45 seconds. If yourest too long,yourheart rateslows and fat-burning potential is diminished, so maintain a quick pacethroughout. The short rest periods and advanced training techniques willmaximize your metabolism, which is what makes a leaner, more shreddedphysiquepossible.

DUMBBELLOVERHEADPRESS

CABLECROSSOVER

5-WEEKFAT-BURNINGTRAININGPROGRAMSTARTwitha5-10-minutewarmuponthecardioequipmentofyourchoice.DURINGWeeks1-3,rest60secondsbetweensets.InWeeks4and5,cutyourrestperiodsto45secondswhilestillstrivingtoliftthesameamountofweightforthesamenumberofreps.EXTENDyoursetwhereindicatedwithadvancedtrainingprinciples.Theseinclude:SUPERSETS

Performexercisesbacktobackwithnorest.FORCEDREPSAtrainingpartnerprovidesassistance,allowingyoutocompleteafewextrarepspastfailure.DROPSETSOnceyoureachmusclefailure,quicklydroptheweightby20%-30%andcontinuedoingasmanyrepsasyoucanuntilyoureachfailureagain.Atthatpoint,reducetheweightagainandgotofailureoncemore.PARTIALREPSAfteryoureachmusclefailure,completeseveraladditionalrepsbypoweringthroughaveryshortrangeofmotion.PRE-EXHAUSTCompleteasingle-jointexercisebeforeacompoundmovementtopre-fatiguethetargetmusclegroup.

DUMBBELLINCLINEPRESS

DUMBBELLLATERALRAISE

LEGPRESS

CARDIOCOMPONENTTHEHIGH-INTENSITYliftingyou’redoingwilltorchtonsofbodyfat.Togetasleanaspossible,however,youneedcardio.Butitdoesn’thavetobeboring.In

Weeks1-3,werecommendyoudocardiofourtofivetimesperweek;inWeeks4and5,docardiofivetosixtimesperweek.Doiteitherafterweighttrainingoranothertimeofdaylikefirstthinginthemorningonanemptystomach.Eachtime you do cardio, choose any of the following five options: INTERVALTRAININGAEquipment: Your choice of treadmill, elliptical, recumbent bike, or rowerWorkout:Five-minutewarmup;25minutesata1:1ratioofhigh intensity:lowintensity(likeoneminuteofsprintingonatreadmillfollowedbyaone-minuterecoveryjog);five-minutecooldownINTERVALTRAININGBEquipment: Treadmill, elliptical, or outdoor track Workout: Five-minutewarmup; 25minutes at a 1:2 ratio of high intensity:low intensity; five-minutecooldownSPRINTSLocation:IndoororoutdoortrackWorkout:Jogtwolapsasawarmup;4x400-metersprintswithtwominutesofwalkingbetweeneachsprint;jogtwolapsasacooldownLONG,STEADY-PACECARDIOEquipment: Treadmill, elliptical, or recumbent bike Workout: Go at achallengingpacefor45-60minutes;thepaceshouldbedifficultenoughtobreakasweat,butyoushouldstillbeabletopassthe“talktest”(whereyoucanspeakwithoutbecomingbreathless)HILLREPEATSLocation:Eitheronatreadmillataninclineoranoutdoorhill(chooseasteeperinclineifyouhaveahigherfitnesslevel)Workout:10-minutejoggingwarmup;10x50-yardsprintsupan inclinewithoneminuteofwalkingrecoverybetweeneach sprint (or a brisk walk/jog back down the hill); 10-minute flat-terrain

joggingcooldown

BENTOVERROW

STANDINGCALFRAISE

W

CHAPTER5

FULFILLYOURDENSITY

BUILDMUSCLEANDBURNBODYFATINLESSTIMEWITHTHEINNOVATIVEEDTSYSTEM

ANT TO DO SOMETHING REALLY DIFFERENT FROM WHATYOU’VEDONE IN THE PAST? Something that won’t take as long as

those endless 30-to-40-set, train-to-failure-at-all-costs marathon sessions, yetwillstillmakeyoubiggerandleaner?Theworkoutsinthisnewprogramwon’thurtasmuchasyourstandardforcedreps,dropsets,andrest-pauses,butyou’llstill trainwithplentyof intensity. In fact, experiencing lesspain is kindof thepoint of escalating density training (EDT), a program created by renownedstrengthcoachCharlesStaley,B.S.,M.S.S.,directorofStaleyTrainingSystemsinGilbert,AZ(staleytraining.com).

“Alotofpeopleassessthevalueorproductivityofatrainingsessionbasedonhowmuchithurts,andthat’samistake,”Staleysays.“Fitnessisaresultofwhatyoudo, notwhat you feel.The focus should be on the amount andquality ofwork accomplished.When you do EDTworkouts, you’ll probably be hurting,but pain isn’t the goal. If you’re sore the next day, that’s just because you’reemphasizingperformanceoverpain.”

Confused?Don’tworry,it’llmakesensesoon.Here’showitworks.

REVERSEEZ-BARCURL

WHATEDTIS

Youselecttwoexercisesforopposingmusclegroups(suchaschest/backorlegs/shoulders)andalternatesetsbetweenthetwofor15minutes.That’sonePR(personalrecord)zone.Notehowmuchweightyouusedandhowmanyrepsyouperformedforeachexercise,andtrytoimprovethosenumbers

aboutaweeklaterwhenyoupairthesametwoexercisesagain.Thishelpsyou

quantifyhowmuchworkyou’vedone.Ifthenexttimeoutyoudomorerepsofeachexercisewiththesameweightinthesame15-minuteperiod,you’vesetanewPRandtheworkoutwasasuccess.EDTworkoutsaremeasurableand

objective,andthat’sagoodthing.

WHATEDTISNOT

EDTisn’tabouttrainingtofailure,atleastnotuntiltheveryendofaPRzone.Ifyouselectaweightforanexercisethat’syour10-repmax(10RM),forexample,you’lldonomorethanfiverepsatatime.Earlyoninthe15minutes

ofanEDTsession,thiswillhaveyoustoppingwellshortoffailure.“Ifyoupaceyourself—which,inthiscase,meansnotgoingtofailure—you’ll

beabletodomorework,andabigcomponentofhypertrophyisthemechanicalworkperformed,”Staleyexplains.“Ifyoutraintofailureonthefirstset,youdrasticallylimithowmuchworkyoucancontinuetodo.That

said,it’sOKtotraintofailureattheendofaPRzone.”Also,earlyonduringaPRzone,youmightrestonly5-10secondsbetweenexercises,butasyounearthe15-minutecutoff,thoserestperiodsmayreachoneminute.“Asfatigueaccumulates,you’llwanttothrowsomelongerrestperiodsinthere,”Staleysays.“Besureyourformisgoodthroughout.The

beautyofEDTisthatyoumakeyourowndecisions;youhavetolearnthebestwaytopaceyourself.”

WHATITDOES

EDTroutinesaredesignedtoimprovebodycomposition—helpingyoubuildmuscleandlosebodyfatviaintense(ifrelativelybrief)trainingsessions.EDTcanalsobeusedtogetstronger;simplyincreasetheresistanceanddecreasethereps.Butcanyoureallygetbigger,stronger,andleanerinsuchashorttime?“There’snoquestion,”Staleysays.“Thissystemisallaboutaltering

bodycomposition.EDTcanmakeyoubigger,leaner,andstronger;itworksquickly;andalthoughyou’retraininghard,it’senjoyablebecausetheworkout

isacompetitionwithyourself.There’sacardiobenefitaswell.”

HOWTODOIT:Here’showyou’llperformeachPRzone:

SELECTTWOEXERCISESfromopposingmusclegroups.Theydon’thavetobeexact antagonists such as chest/back, biceps/triceps, quads/hamstrings orabs/lowerback;youcanalsopairlegsandshouldersexercisesorquadsandbi’smoves.What’s important is thatyoumakesureeachexercise fatiguesonlyonemusclegroup.Ifyoupairedaninclinepresswithamilitarypress, forexample,your delts would get so fried that you probably couldn’t complete the 15minutes.

SELECTANEQUIVALENTresistance foreachexercise, fromheavy(4RM)tomoderate(10-12RM)tolight(40+RM),dependingonwhetheryouwanttofocuson strength, size or endurance. Whatever resistance/RM you select, start offdoing half that number of reps. For example, if you go with your 10RM oninclinepressesandlatpulldowns,beginwithfiverepsofeach.

STARTYOURSTOPWATCH.Usinga10RMoninclinepressesandpulldownsasanexample,do fiverepsof inclines, restasneeded(whichwillbeverybriefearlyon),andthendofiverepsofpulldowns.Continueinthismanneruntilfivereps is too much, then drop to four reps of each exercise. When four repsbecomestoodifficult,droptothree,andsoon.BytheendofthePRzone,youmay still be doing five reps or alternating exercises every rep. When yourstopwatchhits 15minutes, thatPRzone isover.Recordyourweight and totalreps.AtypicalPRzonemightlooklikethis:6x5,3x4,3x3,3x2,2x1,for59totalrepsperexercise.That’syourcurrentPRforthatexercisepairing.

ABOUTONEWEEKLATER,dothesametwoexercises,usingthesameweightasbefore,andtrytodomorethan59repstosetanewPR.Itdoesn’tmatterhowyoureachyournewPR;youcandomoresetsoffiveearlyonordomoresetsofthreeinthemiddle.

“There’snowrongorrightwaytodothis,”Staleysays.“Theendjustifiesthemeans,andI’mnotterriblyconcernedwiththesetsandreps.Thefocusshouldbeonhowmuchworkisaccomplishedduringthose15minutes.”

DEADLIFT

WEIGHTEDPULLUP

HOWTOPROGRESS:The point of EDT is to increase the amount ofwork you can dowithin a setperiod. Inotherwords, it’sallaboutmakingprogress.Simplydoingmorerepswith the sameweightwill allow you to progress, but soon enough you’ll need(andwant)toaddweight.Staleyhasasimpleformulafordeterminingwhentoincrease resistance: the 20/5 Rule. Once you exceed your baseline PR—thenumberof reps youdid the first time youperformed the exercise—by20%ormore,increasetheloadby5%or5pounds,whicheverisless.Itmighttakeyou2-3 repeats to be ready to increase the weight or you might want to up theresistance on your second go-around. Eitherway, once you addweight, you’llwipetheslatecleanandbuildfromthere.

Ifyoudon’tbeatyourPR,the20/5Ruleworksinreverse:If thenumberofrepsperformedis20%lessthanyourcurrentPR,reduceyourweightby5%or5pounds(whicheverismore)thenexttimeout.

“Good performance, which is an indicator that you’ve fully recovered, isrewardedbyheavierloads,”Staleysays.“Poorperformance,however,meansyouhaven’t recovered, so you’ll lift lighter loads as a formof active recovery.Thisreasoningrunscountertomostpeople’sintuition.Butifyou’reweak,youneedtimetorecover,notgreatervolume.”

HOWOFTENTODOIT:To make significant improvements on your PRs, perform a given exercisepairingweeklyforatleast3-4weeksbeforechangingthemovements.Butkeepinmind: If you lift fourdaysaweek,you’llpairdifferent exercises eachworkout.Let’ssayonMondayyoupairedinclinepressesandlatpulldowns.OnThursdayyou’ddochestandbackagainbutwith twodifferentmoves,perhapsdipsandpullups.Inthiscase,you’ddoeachexercisepairingonlyonceaweek.

HOWTOTWEAKEDT:There’salotofflexibilityinEDT,despitethefiniteliftingperiods.Butthere’sareasoneachPRzoneisonly15minutes.“Ibelievemorethanthatisexcessive,”Staleysays.“Ialsobelieveinputtingatimelimitonyourtraining.That’soneof

thebestwaystogetworkdone.ButI’mnotagainstpeoplegettingcreativewithmysuggestions. If youwant toexperimentwith longeror shorterPRzonesor[moreworkoutsperweek],I’mfinewiththat.Justtryitmywaybeforeyoumakeanymodifications.”

DUMBBELLBENCHPRESS

EDTPROGRAMBelow is a sample four-day-split, 12-week EDT plan. Within each four-weekphase, exercise pairings (PR zones) are repeated once a week. Each workoutincludesonerequired(“compulsory”)PRzoneandoneoptionalPRzone,each

lasting 15minutes, not includingwarmups.Whether you should complete theoptional zone will depend on your training experience and fatigue level.Beginners should startwithonly the compulsory zone; advanced lifters candobothbutshouldmonitorfatiguelevelsandconsiderforgoingtheoptionalzoneifovertrainingisevident.

The program is designed towork different body parts every fourweeks topromotemuscular balance and provide rest for potentially overstressed areas.For example, in Weeks 1-4, the shoulders are involved in every workout(chest/backand legs/shouldersPRzones),whichcould lead toovertraining.SodirectshoulderworkisminimizedinWeeks5-8,thenreintroducedinWeeks9-12. >> For each PR zone, the resistance is listed in parentheses—from 6RM-20RM—to target size, strength, and endurance, and also enhance fat burning,over the course of 12 weeks. Always start with half the RM. When 10RM isindicated, start with five reps; when 20RM is indicated, reps start at 10. >>Within each PR zone, alternate between the two exercises, resting as needed,until15minutesisup.Recordthetotalrepsperformedforeachexercise—that’syourPR,whichyou’llattempttobeatnexttimeout.

CABLECRUNCH

SQUAT

WEEKS1-4DAY1Compulsory:Dip/Pullup*(10RM)Optional:HammerCurl/LyingTricepsExtension(20RM)DAY2Compulsory:FrontSquat/BarbellPush-press(10RM)Optional:BackExtension/HangingLegRaise(20RM)DAY3Compulsory:InclineDumbbellPress/SeatedCableRow(10RM)Optional:BarbellCurl/Pushdown(20RM)DAY4Compulsory:Deadlift/DumbbellFrontRaise(10RM)Optional:Step-up(rightleg)/Step-up(leftleg)(20RM)WEEKS5-8DAY1Compulsory:FrontSquat/SeatedCableRow(10RM)Optional:StandingCalfRaise/BarbellShrug(20RM)DAY2Compulsory:DumbbellBenchPress/HammerCurl(10RM)Optional:LyingTricepsExtension/ReverseCurl(20RM)DAY3Compulsory:Deadlift/Chin(10RM)Optional:ExerciseBallCrunch/LateralRaise(20RM)DAY4Compulsory:Dip/BarbellCurl(10RM)Optional:BackExtension/Pushup(20RM)WEEKS9-12DAY1Compulsory:Chin/FrontSquat(6RM)Optional:HammerCurl/StandingCalfRaise(16RM)DAY2Compulsory:DumbbellOverheadPress/SeatedCableRow(10RM)Optional:ReverseCurl/CableCrunch(16RM)DAY3Compulsory:DumbbellBenchPress/Squat(10RM)Optional:DumbbellLyingTricepsExtension/BarbellShrug(16RM)DAY4Compulsory:Pullup/Pushup(8RM)Optional:Lunge(rightleg)/Lunge(leftleg)(12RM)*Ifyoucandomorethan10repsofdipsorpullups,addweight;ifyoucan’tdo10dipsorpullups,useanassisteddip/pullupmachine.

W

CHAPTER6

SIZZLE YOUR FAT AWAY WITH HIGH-FREQUENCYTRAINING THAT HITS EACH BODY PART MORE THANONCEAWEEK—ALOTMORE

FREQUENTFRYER

e’rewellintothe21stcentury,butwhenitcomestoweighttraining,somepeoplearestillintentonfollowingworkoutdogmafromthe’80sand’90s.

Theideathatyoushouldtraineachbodypartonlyonceaweekisasprominentin gyms right now as it was when so-called experts first advanced the theorythreedecadesago.

Thisonce-a-weekstrategygainedfavorbecauseitaddressedtheconcernthatgym ratsweren’t giving their bodies adequate recovery periods andwere thusovertrainingandgettinginjured.Unfortunately, thisalarmcrywasn’tbasedonsolidresearch; itwassimply the thoughtsofa fewworriedvoices in the fitnessworld.Beingcautiousisgood.Beingovercautiousisbad.Inthiscase,itledtoagenerationof liftersmoreconcernedwithgettingtherightamountofrestthantherightamountoftraining.

So, while a once-per-week training frequency is convenient for yourschedule,itmaynotbeconvenientforyourprogress.Thisholdsespeciallytruefor athleteswho have been training each body part once aweek since RonaldReaganwaspresident. Justas it’s important tochangeyourtrainingpoundage,rep range, and exercise order from time to time to prevent stagnation, youshould change up your training frequency.As theWeider Principle ofmuscleconfusion states, this will shock your body, which can result in newfoundgrowth.

ROMANIANDEADLIFT

STANDINGCALFRAISE

SUCHHYPERTROPHY is caused by the activation of genes inmuscle fibersthatareresponsible formanyof theadaptations that takeplacewhenyouturnup your workout frequency. For example, consistent training activates certaingenes that result in buildingmuscle fiberprotein,whichmeansmore size andstrength.Thesegenesaretypicallyactivatedoverhours,withsomeactivatedforevendays.Repeatedworkouts,iftimedappropriately,canbuildontheactivationofthosegenestoreachanevengreateractivityleveland,thus,increasedmusclegrowth.

This is referred to as the staircase effect. Inotherwords, let’s say a certaingeneinvolvedinmusclegrowthisactivatedbyatrainingsessiontothepointthatits activity is boostedby 100%,which slowlydeclines to 75% theday after theworkout, 50% the second day, 25% the third day, and is finally back to theoriginallevelonthefourthdaypost-workout.Ifyouperformedthesameroutine

onthat fourthdayor later, thatgenewouldbebumpedbackupto100%of itsoriginalactivity.Butifyoutrainedonthesecondday,whenthegenewasstillupby50%,youcouldpotentiallybumpitsactivityupto150%.Thisiswhytraininga body part every 48 hours could lead to even greater muscle growth andstrengthgainsthantrainingonceaweek.

Yetanotherway thatmore frequent trainingcan improveyourphysique isthat you have to train a greater amount of your body’s muscle mass in eachworkout.Withthisprogram,forexample,you’ll trainhalfofyourbodyinoneroutineand theotherhalf in thesecondroutine.This is typicallymoremusclegroups than you’d train in your normal split. Yet the more body parts youstimulate in aworkout, themore growthhormone (GH) you tend to produceduring and after it.GH levels during-and post-workout are now known to becriticalforstimulatinggainsingrowthandstrength.

Ahighertrainingfrequencyalsoenhancesfatburningthroughanumberofmechanisms.First,trainingsixdaysperweekinwhicheachworkouttrainshalfof the body means you burn a greater number of calories during and aftertrainingeverydayoftheweek.Traininghalfofyourbodysixtimesaweekalsokeepsthegenesandenzymesinvolvedinfatburningrampedup.Inaddition,asdiscussed above, this program will boost GH levels higher, which is not onlyimportantformusclegrowthbutalsoaidsfatburningbyincreasinglipolysis,thereleaseoffatfromfatcells.

FREQOUTOurhigh-frequencyplanhasyoufollowatwo-daysplitwithhalfofyourbodytrained inWorkout 1 and the other half inWorkout 2. The first routine hitschest,back,shoulders,traps,andabs,whilethesecondhitsquads,hams,calves,biceps,andtriceps.Thesetwoworkoutsarerepeatedtwicemoreduringtheweekso that you hit every body part three times aweek for a total of sixworkoutsweekly.

Monday’sworkout,however,isn’tthesameasWednesday’sorFriday’s.Thethreeworkouts you do eachweek for the same body part change dramaticallyeachtimeintermsofexercises,weights,reps,andrestbetweensets.Varyingtheresistanceandcorrespondingreprangesbuildsstrength,mass,andseparationofthe target muscles; and changing the rest time further enhances thoseadaptations.

Usingchestasanexample,onMondayyou’lldothemultijointbenchpressandinclinedumbbellpresswithaweightthatlimitsyoutosixtoeightrepswithtwominutes of rest between sets.This builds both strength andmass, and thegenerousresttimeallowsformaximalrecoverysoyoucankeeppushingheavy

weight. Wednesday is isolation moves—incline dumbbell flye and cablecrossover—and you’ll drop the resistance to get 15-20 reps per set, decreasingyourrest timetooneminutetoenhanceGHlevelsandfatburning.OnFridayyou’re back to multijoint exercises with the incline bench press and declinedumbbellpress, butwith a10-12 rep range to focusonmuscle growth; the90secondsofrestbetweensetswillallowforgreaterrecoverywhilestillkeepingGHlevelshigh.

Doing twoto threeexercisespermusclegroupeachworkout for just six toeight repsmay feel like undertraining, butweurge you to stickwith the plan.Afterthreeworkoutsyou’lltotalabout18-24setsperbodyparteachweek,whichislikelymoresetspermusclegroupthanyounormallyhitinsevendays.Followthisprogramforfourtosixweeks,thengobacktoyourregulartrainingsplitandfrequency.Return to this typeof training frequency and split every four to sixmonthstocontinuegettingthegainsyouwant.

M&FFREQUENTFRYERPROGRAMMONDAYEXERCISE SETS/REPS RESTCHESTBenchPress 4/6-8 2min.InclineDumbbellPress 4/6-8 2min.BACKStraight-armLatPulldown 4/15-20 1min.SeatedCableRow 4/15-20 1min.SHOULDERSSmithMachineShoulderPress 4/10-12 90sec.LateralRaise 4/10-12 90sec.TRAPSDumbbellShrug 4/10-12 90sec.ABSRopeCrunch 3/6-8 2min.WeightedHangingLegRaise 3/6-8 2min.

TUESDAYEXERCISE SETS/REPS RESTQUADSSquat 4/6-8 2min.LegExtension 4/6-8 2min.HAMSTRINGSRomanianDeadlift 4/6-8 2min.

TRICEPSPressdown 3/10-12 90sec.DumbbellOverheadExtension 3/10-12 90sec.BICEPSCableCurl 3/15-20 1min.ConcentrationCurl 3/15-20 1min.CALVESStandingCalfRaise 3/6-8 2min.Leg-PressCalfRaise 3/6-8 2min.

WEDNESDAYEXERCISE SETS/REPS RESTCHESTInclineFlye 4/15-20 1min.CableCrossover 4/15-20 1min.BACKOne-armDumbbellRow 4/10-12 90sec.Wide-gripLatPulldown 4/10-12 90sec.SHOULDERSBarbellOverheadPress 4/6-8 2min.UprightRow 4/6-8 2min.TRAPSBarbellShrug 4/6-8 2min.ABSReverseCrunch 3/15-20 1min.ObliqueCrunch 3/15-20 1min.

DUMBBELLOVERHEADEXTENSION

THURSDAYEXERCISE SETS/REPS RESTQUADSBarbellLunge 4/15-20 1min.LegExtension 4/15-20 1min.HAMSTRINGSLyingLegCurl 4/15-20 1min.TRICEPSClose-gripBenchPress 3/6-8 2min.LyingTricepsExtension 3/6-8 2min.BICEPSPreacherCurl 3/1G-12 9Gsec.InclineDumbbellCurl 3/10-12 90sec.CALVESSeatedCalfRaise 3/15-20 1min.StandingCalfRaise 3/15-20 1min.

FRIDAYEXERCISE SETS/REPS REST

CHESTInclineBenchPress 4/10-12 90sec.DeclineDumbbellPress 4/10-12 90sec.BACKBarbellRow 4/6-8 2min.Reverse-gripLatPulldown 4/6-8 2min.SHOULDERSCableLateralRaise 4/15-20 1min.Rear-DeltMachineTraps 4/15-20 1min.SmithMachineBehind-the-backShrug 4/15-20 1min.ABSDeclineCrunch 3/10-12 90sec.HangingLegRaise 3/10-12 90sec.

SATURDAYEXERCISE SETS/REPS RESTQUADSSmithMachineFrontSquat 4/10-12 90sec.LegPress 4/10-12 90sec.HAMSTRINGSSeatedorLyingLegCurl 4/10-12 90sec.BICEPSBarbellCurl 3/6-8 2min.AlternatingHammerCurl 3/6-8 2min.TRICEPSCableOverheadExtension 3/15-20 1min.Kickback 3/15-20 1min.CALVESStandingCalfRaise 3/10-12 90sec.SeatedCalfRaise 3/10-12 90sec.

ALTERNATINGHAMMERCURL

SMITHMACHINEBEHIND-THE-BACKSHRUG

Y

CHAPTER7

BURNFATSAVEMUSCLE

GETTINGSHREDDEDFORSUMMERCANBETROUBLESOME.THESECARDIOANDNUTRITIONTIPSSHOWYOUHOWTO

STAYBIGWHILEGETTINGLEAN.

ou’dneedafancycalculatorwithanalgorithmbuttontocountthenumberof times “get ripped” has appeared on the pages ofMuscle & Fitness. Its

existence may seem mythical, but leaning out after a mass-gain phase isn’tmeaningless hyperbole. Itmay not be easy, but it is attainable. To do so, youneedtotargetfatwhilepreservingmuscle.

Inadditiontodialinginyourdiet,youneedacardioplan:Notjustendlessaerobicexercise,butaprogramthatfulfillsthephysiologicalneedsofyourbodyas it works on these two fronts. Consider our eight tips—a veritable muscle-sparingcardioblueprint—yourveryownguidetogettingshredded.

Shorter,moreintensecardiosessionscanbemoreeffectivethanlonger,steady-stateworkouts.

1TIMINGISEVERYTHINGThetemptationtodocardiobeforeyouweighttrainisunderstandable(andmay,onoccasion,beunavoidable).Afterall,ifyou’realreadywarminguponapieceof equipment, why not knock out 30 minutes and be done with it? Answer:Performingintensecardiobeforeliftingmaydepletethebody’sstoredglycogen,leaving little energy for weight training. A study published in the Journal ofApplied Physiology found that decreases in blood-glucose concentrations cancontributetothereleaseofhormonesthatbreakdownmuscle.Inotherwords,trainingtobuildmusclewhileyourbodysecretescatabolichormonesisabitlikeusingastrainertobailwateroutofasinkingboat.

Doing cardio before lifting has also been found to blunt growth-hormone(GH)release. Japanese researchers found that subjectswhodidcardiobeforeaweight workout experienced only one-third the GH response compared withsubjectswhodidn’tperformcardiofirst.Inasubsequentstudy,subjectswhodidcardio after lifting weights also burned significantlymore fat. This is becausewhenyouperformcardioimmediatelyafterweighttraining,yourbodymustdipinto body fat stores for energy because it has already usedmost of the stored

glycogenduringtheliftingsession.ItalsoboostsGHlevels,whichcanenhancefatlossandincreasemusclegrowth.

2THEPOST-TRAININGCARDIOLIMITKeeping your post-workout cardio session to 30minutes is important becauseyou have a very short window of time after training in which to adequatelyrestore glucose levels. By sticking to half an hour, you won’t miss youropportunity to refuel and thereby prevent your body from entering a state ofcatabolism.

Ashortcardiosessiondoesn’tmeanyou’retakingtheeasywayout,especiallyifyouusehigh-intensityintervaltraining(HIIT).ResearchhasshownthatmuchshorterHIITworkouts aremore effective than the longer, steady-state variety.Australian researchers reported that subjects following a 20-minute HIITprogram lost about six times more body fat than those doing 40 minutes ofcardioatabout60%oftheirmaximumheartrates.

30MINUTESOFPOST-WORKOUTCARDIOISOPTIMAL

5-10GRAMSOFBCAAsPRE-WORKOUTCANBOOSTENDURANCE

DURINGTRAINING

Unlessit’sunavoidable,saveyourcardiosessionsforafterweighttraining.

3ALLATONCE,EATIfyouweight trainanddocardio in thesamesession,don’tdo itonanemptystomach.Within30minutespre-workout,takein20-40gramsofslow-digestingcarbohydrates and 20 grams of a fast-absorbing protein. Providing your bodywithnutrients that’ll stay inyoursystemthroughoutmostofyourgymsessionwillhelpyouperformatoptimallevelsandwillpreventyourbodyfromdiggingintomusclemass.

4RICH&FASTWhat about yourweekendhikes and bike rides?They can lastmore than twohours(farlongerthantherecommended30minutesofcardio),sodoyouhaveto abandon them completely until you reach your get-ripped goal? You don’tneed togiveupyouroutdoor fun,butyou shouldprovideyourbodywith theproperfuel:25-50gramsofhigh-andlow-glycemic-indexcarbohydratessuchasfruitanda sportsdrinkorwhole-wheatbreadwith jelly, and10-20gramsofa

fast-absorbingprotein likewheyprotein isolate every 60-90minutes to ensureyourmuscleisn’tburnedforfuel.

5INTHEREDZONEAdequatetestosteroneandgrowth-hormonelevelsplaykeyrolesinkeepingyouanabolicandalsoincreaseyourabilitytoshedbodyfat.InastudypublishedintheEuropeanJournalofAppliedPhysiology,scientistshadmaleathletesperformHIIT to exhaustionon a treadmill.Upon completion, subjects demonstrated a38%increaseintestosteroneanda2,000%increaseingrowthhormone.Trythisintervalprogramonforsize:BIKEWARMUP5minutes(moderateintensity)SPRINT30seconds(ashardasyoucan)CRUISE90seconds(50%speed)Repeatthecycle10moretimesforatotalof20minutesCOOLDOWN5minutes(moderateintensity)TREADMILLWARMUP5minutes(moderateintensity)WALK1minuteat3.2mphat12%inclineWALK1minuteat3.2mphat6%inclineRepeatthecycle10moretimesforatotalof20minutesCOOLDOWN5minutes(moderateintensity)

6NOTQUITEEMPTYWhenperformingcardiofirstthinginthemorning,doitonarelativelyemptystomach. You’ll have minimal glycogen stores from fasting all night, so yourbodymustburnfatforenergy.Butyouneedtoeatalittlesomethingtopreserveyourhard-earnedmuscle.Consumeeither5-10gramsofBCAAsorhalfascoopofwhey protein beforehand. BCAAs are known to increase endurance during

trainingaswellascontributetoproteinsynthesispost-workout.

7DIVIDE8CONQUERIfyoufeelyouneedmorethan30minutesofcardioaday,that’sOK.Justlimiteachsessiontoabouthalfanhour.Cardiovascularexerciseinitiallyusesenergyfrombloodglucose and storedmuscle glycogen,but as training time increasesand those sources of energy diminish, the body can switch tomuscle for fuel.Keeping cardio sessions to 30 minutes will help prevent the body fromcannibalizingmuscle. Try doing half an hour first thing in themorning (afterconsuming your carbs and protein) and 30minutes immediately after weighttraining.

8ALWAYSREFUELThepost-workoutmealismoreimportantthaneverduringaleaning-outphase.Whenyourinsulinlevelsincreaseandyoutakeinalotofaminospost-workout,the result is an environment made for muscle growth. Just make sure yourmacronutrientnumbersareaccurate.

Research suggests that casein be part of your post-workout nutritionregimen. After training, get 40-120 grams of fast-digesting carbs (a high-molecular-weight carbohydrate supplement, or white bread, potatoes, or rice)alongwith40-50gramsofwheyandcasein.

W

CHAPTER8

4MINUTEMUSCLE

PACKONMASSANDBURNFATWITHTHESEBRUTALTIMEDSETS

hat canyoudowith fourminutes? If youput yourmind to it, you canaccomplishquiteabit.Youcouldreadseveralparagraphsofthisarticle,

runamileifyou’reworldclass,orfinishupmatterswithyourgirlfriendifyou’reyoung, virile, and in a hurry. But if you want to put on some mass and getstronger,our4MinuteMuscleprogramwillputyourtime-managementskillstotheultimatetest.

Theconceptbehind4MinuteMuscleissimpleyetbrutalinitsexecution.Foreachexerciseinyourworkout,wewantyoutocrankoutasmanyrepsasyoucaninfourminutes.Thenyoumovetoanotherexerciseforthesamebodypartanddothesamething.Thiswillfryyourmusclesinwaysyou’veneverexperiencedbeforewhilestimulatinggrowth,burningfat,andgettingyouinthebestshapeofyourlife.

LONGERISBETTERPerformingasmanyrepsasyoucaninacertainperiodisanoptimalwaytotrainformuscular strength endurance.This is the ability toperforma task—in thiscase,movingfairlyheavyloadsinthegym—repeatedlyforlongdurationswithaminimal decrease inmuscular efficiency. After following this program for sixweeks,yourfailurethreshold,thepointatwhichyousimplycan’tdoanotherrep,willbesignificantlyhigherforeachexercise.

Trainingthisway improvesyourstrengthendurancebecauseworkingyourmuscles to failure repeatedly puts themunder a great deal ofmetabolic stress.This createswastebyproducts like lactic acid,whichproduces that “trapped inquicksand”feelingwhenyou’reabouttoreachfailure.Byintentionallytraining

tocreatethesewasteproducts,youteachyourbodytobetterhandleanddisposeof them. That disposal process is how your strength endurance capacityincreases.Thebetteryourbodycandothis,thelongeryoucanperformagivenmovement.And the longeryoucango, themorebenefits you’ll get fromyourworkouts.

SIZEDOESMATTERStrengthendurancetraining,however,isn’tdesignedsolelytohelpyouperformmore reps. It also helps you pack on size by creating mechanical stress andcausingmuscle damage, both of which lead to rapid gains inmuscular cross-section.This routine also instigates the releaseof anabolichormones, theonesthatrepairyourmusclesandhelpthemgrow.

Theprogramentailsdramaticallyincreasingbothyourtrainingvolumeandtheintensitywithwhichyouattackyourworkouts.Simplyput,you’lltrainalotharder than usual. As a result, you’ll burn significantly more calories in eachsessionandcontinuetoburnthemonceyou’refinished.Combinedwithasoundnutritionalprogram,thiswillstripfatfromyourbodyinrecordtime.Andsincethis is likely a drastic change from your typical training regimen, you’llexperiencetheaddedbenefitofshockingyourmuscles intogrowth.This is theWeiderPrincipleofmuscleconfusion,anditworks.

HANGINGLEGRAISEFOCUS:ABSSTART:Graspapullupbarusinganoverhandgripand letyourbodyhangfreely,orusepaddedabstrapsdesignedforthispurpose.EXECUTION: Trying to avoid the use of momentum, bend at the hips toraiseyourlegsashighasyoucan,pauseatthetop,thenreturntothestart.Forhangingkneeraises(left),bendatthehipstoraiseyourkneesashighasyoucan,pause,andreturn.

THEPREMISE

Togetstarted,findweightswithwhichyoucanperform15-19repsperexerciselisted in theroutines found later in thischapter.Followtheworkouts inorder,takingonepreparatoryweek to establish and record theweights you’ll use.Beaccurate and stay WITHIN THE 15-19-rep range because these are the weightsyou’llworkwithforthesix-weekperiod.

Yourultimategoalattheendofsixweeksistoperform60repsperexerciseinfourminutes.Theideaistoputinfourminutesoftotalworkoneachmove,takingashortrestperiodafterreachingfailureandthenstartingagain.Weightselectionisimportantbecauseifyoucan’tgetatleast15repswithagivenweight,youwon’tevencomecloseto60insixweeks,soitbearsrepeatingthatyoumustbeprecisehere.

TIPS&TRICKSTherearetwomainwaystoperforma4MinuteMuscleexercise.Thefirstwayishowmostpeoplewouldintuitivelytryfor60reps:bytrainingtofailure,resting,and then going to failure again, repeating this haphazard process until fourminuteshaveelapsed.Theprimarydrawbackisthattherearenosystematicstepsleading toan increase in thenumberof repsyoucangrindout.You’re simplyhopingyourstrengthendurancewillimproveeachtime.

A farmore intelligent strategy uses uniform rest periods between sets. Forexample, for the first twoweeksof thisprogram,rest for20secondseach timeyouhitfailure.Forthenexttwoweeks,rest15seconds.Forthelasttwoweeks,take 10 seconds between sets. With rest periods that short, you’ll have anexcellentchanceofhitting60totalreps.

Ifyoudon’tachievethisoneveryexercise,don’tsweatit.Wethinkyou’llstillbepleasedwithyourresults:biggermuscles,adrasticreductioninbodyfat,andtheability toperformsignificantlymorerepswithyourusualweightsoneverymoveinthegym.

DUMBBELLSHRUGFOCUS:TRAPSSTART: Stand erectwith your feet about shoulder-width apart and grasp adumbbellineachhandatyoursides,palmsfacingin.EXECUTION: Use your traps to raise your shoulders as high as you can.Pauseatthetop,thenreturntothestartingposition.

WEIGHTEDDECLINECRUNCHFOCUS:ABSSTART:Liefaceuponaninclineboardordeclinebenchandhookyourfeetundertherollers.Holdaweightplateoradumbbellatyourchest.EXECUTION:Bendat thewaistandhips,andraiseyourupper torsoas farforwardasyoucan.Returnundercontroltothestartpositionuntilonlyyourshoulderbladestouchtheboard.

4MINUTEMUSCLEWORKOUTSWORKOUT1(MONDAY)Chest,Biceps,AbsEXERCISESmithMachineBenchPressDumbbellBenchPressDumbbellInclineFlye

CableCrossoverBarbellCurlDumbbellInclineCurlPreacherCurlBarbellWristCurl

HangingLegorKneeRaise1

CableCrunch

WORKOUT2(WEDNESDAY) Back,Triceps EXERCISE

Wide-gripLatPulldown2

SeatedCableRow2

Reverse-gripLatPulldown2

Straight-armLatPulldownSmithMachineClose-gripBenchPressPushdownCableOverheadTricepsExtension

WORKOUT3(THURSDAY)Shoulders,TrapsEXERCISESmithMachineOverheadPressDumbbellLateralRaiseDumbbellOverheadPressCableBentoverLateralRaise

SmithMachineShrug2

DumbbellShrug2

WORKOUT4(FRIDAY)Legs,AbsEXERCISESmithMachineSquatLegPressLegExtension

RomanianDeadlift2

LyingLegCurlStandingCalfRaiseSeatedCalfRaise

WeightedDeclineCrunchReverseCrunch

1Ifyoucan’tperform15repswithstraightlegs,bendyourknees.Ifyoucandomorethan19reps,holdamedicineballordumbbellbetweenyourfeetorknees.

2Usewriststrapsforthisexercise.

PUSHDOWNFOCUS:TRICEPSSTART:Attacharopehandleorbartoahigh-pulleycableandstanderectfacingtheweightstack.Graspthehandlewithbothhandsataboutchestlevel.EXECUTION:Pushthehandledownbyextendingyourarmsuntilyourelbowsarenearly lockedout, thenreturnundercontrol tothestart.Keepyourelbowspinnedtoyoursides.

DUMBBELLINCLINEFLYEFOCUS:CHESTSTART: Grasp two dumbbells and lie faceup on an incline bench. Hold theweightsoveryourchestwithyourpalmsfacinginandyourelbowsslightlybent.EXECUTION:Maintainingtheslightbendinyourelbows,lowerthedumbbellsouttoyoursidesuntilyoufeelastretchinyourpecs,thenreturntothestartwiththeweightsoveryourchest.

REVERSECRUNCHFOCUS:ABSSTART: Lie faceup on the floorwith your hips and knees bent 90 degrees soyour lower legs are elevated and parallel to the floor.Keep your arms at yoursideswithyourhandsflatonthefloorforsupport.

EXECUTION:Bendatthewaisttobringyourkneestowardyourchest.Returntothestartpositionundercontrol.

STRAIGHT-ARMLATPULLDOWNFOCUS:LATSSTART:Attacha latpulldownbar toahigh-pulleycable, thenstanderectandgraspthebarattheendsusinganoverhandgrip.EXECUTION:Keeping your arms straight, use your lats topull thebardownuntilittouchesyourquads.Slowlyreturntothestartposition.

BARBELLCURLFOCUS:BICEPSSTART:Standerectandgraspa loadedbarusinganunderhandgrip,hands

aboutshoulder-widthapart.Letthebarhanginfrontofyourthighs.EXECUTION:Keepingyourelbowsalongsideyourribcage,raisethebaruntilyourforearmsareperpendiculartothefloor.Controlyourreturntothestartposition.

I

CHAPTER9

30MINUTEMADNESS

SAVETIMEANDGETLEANWITHTHESE10BRUTALWORKOUTSTHATWILLTORCHBODYFATIN30MINUTES

ORLESS

t’slikepoisontoyourears:Getyourworkoutdoneinjust30minutesorless.Itsoundslikeaninfomercialgimmickthathasnoplaceinyourlifeorinthis

magazine,butnothingcouldbefurtherfromthetruth.Aproperlydesignedhalf-hourtrainingsessioncanpackjustasmuchofapunchasastandard60-minuteworkout—ifnotmore.That’sgoodnews,becausenomatterhowdedicatedyouare toyour training,Decemberhasawayof leeching timeoutofyour lifeandfunnelingitintoallkindsofcrapyou’drathernotbebotheredwith.Nomatterwhattypeofprogramyou’refollowing,we’vegotyoucoveredwithoneofthese10 workouts that, yes, take 30minutes or less to complete. The trainers whodesigned them are some of the most highly regarded and highly sought-afternames in the industry.Theyalsowalk thewalk themselves.Full-time jobs andheavyclientloadsoftenleavethemjust30minutestotrain—andtheystillgetthejobdone.

WHAT’SHEREIf you follow a body-part split,we’ve provided four separate routines for yourlegs,chest,andback;bi’sandtri’s;andshouldersandtraps.Thevolumeishigh,rest is short, and you won’t stop moving from station to station. Best of all,you’re going to get the kind of pump you’ve come to expect from a one-hoursession. If you don’t fit neatly into the body-part split category, there are sixtotal-bodyprogramstochoosefromtokeepallyourmusclesworkinghardandyourconditioninglevelshigh.Youcanrotatethemandattackthreeorfourperweek, or you can simply use one as a stopgap when there’s no time for yourregularprogram.There’schallenge,variety,andplentyoftimesaved.

Butthere’sonethingyouwon’tfindhere:Excuses.

1

DBROMANIANDEADLIFTTOUPRIGHTROW[WORKOUT5]Holdtwodumbbellsandstandinashoulder-widthstance.Pushyourhipsbackandlowertheweightstothemiddleofyourshins.Engageyourhamstringstostandup,thenrowthedumbbellstoshoulderlevel.

THREE-HEADEDMONSTERTARGET:TOTALBODYTHEIDEA:Eightexercises-allcompoundmovements-performedinastraightcircuit,threetimes

through.Hit8-12repsofeachexercise.Restonlyaslongasisnecessarytogettothenextstationandonly60-90secondsattheendofeachcircuit.THEWORKOUT:BackSquatPullupWalkingLungePushupBulgarianSplitSquatDBSquattoPressHangingKneeRaise

2

3

SitupTrainer:HarrySelkow

THESLEEVEBUSTERTARGET:SHOULDERSANDTRAPSTHEIDEA:Timeconstraintsleaveyouwithonly20-30secondstorestbetweenexercisesifyouwantto

achievethenecessaryvolume.Failurelurksbehindeveryrep,somakesureyouworkwithaspotteroratleastthespotterbarsofapowerrack.Afterthebarbellmilitarypress,therestoftheworkoutfocusesonthelateralandrearheadsofthedeltoid,aswellasthemusclessurroundingyourshoulders(tricepsandback).Work3Aand3B,and4Aand4B,assupersets.THEWORKOUT:Warmup:30Body-weightSquats&10Burpees1)BarbellMilitaryPress:1x12,3xAMAP*2)Close-gripBenchPress:1x12,3xAMAP3A)Pullup:3x83B)RearDeltFlye:3x124A)DBScaption:3x124B)FacePull:3x15*AsmanyaspossibleTrainer:JimSmith

GETTHEBUCKETTARGET:TOTALBODYTHEIDEA:Restisfortheweak.Youcangetanhour-plusofvolumeinhalfthetimeaslongasyoustay

focusedandchoosesensibleweights.Allyourworkisbrokenintothreemini-circuits.Finisheverythinginonecircuitbeforemovingontothenext.Butbewarned:Evenwhileusingweightsyoucanmanagewithoutbreakingform,thereare30totalsetshere,meaningyouhavetoaverageonesetperminutetofinishontime.THEWORKOUT:1A)FrontSquat:10,9,81B)DBFlatBench:3x101C)Single-armMedicineBallSlam:3x8eachside1D)DBScaption:3x122A)DBRomanianDeadlift:3x82B)InvertedRow:3x102C)MilitaryPress:3x103A)DBKickback:3x103B)BarbellCurl:3x103C)SwissBallLegCurl:3x12Trainer:BrianThompson

DBSCAPTION[WORKOUT3]Standwith twodumbbellsatyourwaist, rotatedout toa45-degreeanglewithyourthumbsfacingawayfromyourbody.Raisethemuptoshoulderheight—halfwaybetweenalateralraiseandafrontraise.

SINGLE-ARMMEDICINEBALLSLAM[WORKOUT3]Lifttheballoverheadwithonearm,risingontoyourtoes,anddrivetheballintotheground.Scoopituponthereboundandrepeat.

4INVERTEDROW[WORKOUT3]SetanemptybarbellonthelowerJ-hooksofapowerrack(orSmithmachine).Keepyourabstightasyoupullyourchintothebar.

THEUPPERLIMITTARGET:CHESTANDBACKTHEIDEA:Thisisabasicfront-backsupersetwithonemajortwist—thefinishingsupersetisgoingto

buildupareastypicallyneglectedinotherprograms.Dumbbellscaptionhitsthestabilizersofyourrotatorcuff;facepullshityourreardeltsandrhomboids.Completeallthesetsineachpairbeforemovingon.THEWORKOUT:1A)BarbellBenchPress:10,10,8,81B)Wide-gripPullup:10,10,8,82A)DBInclinePress:3x82B)BarbellBentoverRow:3x83A)DBChestFlye:3x103B)LatPulldown:3x104A)DBScaption:3x124B)FacePull:3x12Trainer:BrianThompson

5

6

RUNTHEMOUNTAINTARGET:TOTALBODYTHEIDEA:Thischallengeisasmuchmentalasitisphysical.Afteryourwarmup,you’llperformone

repofeachofthefollowingexercisesinthefirstminute,tworepsinthesecondminute,threeinthethird,andsoonuntilyoureach10reps.Thisis“runningthemountain.”You’llcomebackdownthemountainafter10reps,hittingnine,eight,seven,andsoonuntilyougetbacktoonerep.Youmayhavetriedthisbeforewithbicepscurls,butwithwhole-bodymovements,thisisgoingtohurtawholelotmore.THEWORKOUT:Warmup:10-minutejogorotheraerobicactivityDBSquattoPressDBRomanianDeadlifttoUprightRowTimexNumberofrepsforeachexercise:0:00x11:00x22:00x33:00x44:00x55:00x66:00x77:00x88:00x99:00x1010:00x911:00x812:00x713:00x614:00x515:00x416:00x317:00x218:00x1Trainer:JayDeMayo

OFFANDRUNNINGTARGET:TOTALBODYTHEIDEA:Startingthecircuitwithasprintbeforeyoumoveontoweightedexerciseswillkeepyour

heartrateelevatedthroughouttheentireworkout,evenduringmovementsthatwouldn’televateyourheartrateotherwise.Finishtworounds.THEWORKOUT:Sprint:20seconds

7

8

OverheadSquat:1x12WalkingLunge:1x12eachlegPullup:1x8Dip:1x12DBGetup:1x6eachsideTrainer:JimSmith

NOWEIGHTSNECESSARYTARGET:TOTALBODYTHEIDEA:Allthemovesinthisworkoutareeithercompound(body-weightsquatsandpullups),

explosive(burpeesandboxjumps),orrequiretotal-bodytension(plank).We’lleaseyouinandoutofthisone;themeatoftheprogramactuallytakesonly15minutes,withthewarmupandcooldownlastinganother15minutes.Itsoundslight.It’snot.THEWORKOUT:Warmup:Jogslowlyforfiveminutesonatreadmillorcardiomachineofyourchoice.Completethreeroundsofthefollowingexerciseswithoutrestingattheendofthecircuit.Afteryoufinishtheplank,hitasmanyrepsaspossiblewithinoneminutefortheremainingexercises.1:00Plank1:00Burpees1:00Body-weightSquat1:00Pullup1:00BoxJumpCooldownwithtwominuteseachof:KneelingHip-flexorStretchHamstringStretchPecStretchGluteStretchTrainer:ClayBurwell

THECRIPPLERTARGET:LEGSTHEIDEA:Amixofheavyweight,highreps,andbigcompoundmovements.Thismightbethe

longest30minutesofyourlife.THEWORKOUT:BackSquat:Ascendingsetsoffiverepseach,startingat45pounds,untilyoucannolongerhitfiverepsorformbreaksdown.Onceyoumissfivereps,dropdowntoaweightyoucanhandlefor20repsandbangthemoutimmediately.Takeonlyasmuchtimebetweensetsasittakestochangeplates.Example:Fiverepseachof45,95,135,185,225,250,275,300,315,330(miss);185x20DBWalkingLunge:Ascendingsetsof10repsoneachleguntilformbreaksdown.Take45-60secondsbetweensets.Example:30s,35s,40s,45s,50s,55s(fail)Stiff-legDeadlift:3x15

LateralPlatePush:2x20stepseachsideLaya10-or25-poundplateonthefloorandwalklaterally,pushingtheplateacrossthefloorwiththeoutsideofyourfoot.Ifthesurfaceofyourgymfloorisn’tconducivetothis,wrapanelasticbandaroundyourlowerlegsandwalklaterally.Trainer:HarrySelkow

ZOTTMANCURL[WORKOUT10]Holdtwodumbbellsatyoursideswithyourpalmsfacingforward.Curlthemuptoyourshoulders(yourpalmsshouldnowbefacingyou).Rotateyourforearmssoyourpalmsfaceawayfromyou,thenlowertheweightstoyoursides.

9

OVERHEADSQUAT[WORKOUT6]Stand in a power rack or squat rack and press a loaded barbell over andslightlybehindyourhead.Contractyourabsandkeepyourelbowslockedoutasyoudropyourhipsanddescendtothefloor.Getyourthighsatleastparallelto the ground, then drive your heels into the floor to return to the startingposition.

DEADSIMPLETARGET:TOTALBODYTHEIDEA:Thedeadliftforcesalmosteverymuscleinthebodyintoaction.Withtwodifferentkindsof

10

deadliftshere—plussomeheavyupper-bodyworkandatoughfinisherforyourabs—nomuscleisleftbehind.Don’ttakeanyrestbetweenexerciseswithinthepair(“A”and“B”),andrestonly30secondsattheendofeachpair.THEWORKOUT:1)Deadlift:4x8-102A)DBRomanianDeadlifttoUprightRow:3x6-82B)SwissBallLegCurl:3x103A)MilitaryPress:3x103B)Chinup:3x124)AbWheelRollout:3x12Trainer:JimSmith

THEBIGARM“SANDWICH”TARGET:BICEPSANDTRICEPS

THEIDEA:Startwithanisolationexercise,followitwithacompoundexercise,andfinishwiththesameisolationexercise(thisisthesandwich).Thepre-fatigueandlongnegativesguaranteeyou’llbewalkingoutofthegymwithaswollensetofguns.THEWORKOUT:1A)ZottmanCurl:1x5Takefivesecondsonthewaydown,zerosecondsatthebottom,andtwosecondsonthewayup—alsoknownasa5-0-2tempo.1B)Chinup:AMAP(asmanyaspossible,4-0-1tempo)1C)ZottmanCurl:1x3(5-0-2tempo)Rest90secondsandrepeatforthreetotalrounds.2A)LyingTricepsExtension:1x6(3-0-2tempo)2B)Dip:AMAP(2-0-1tempo)2C)LyingTricepsExtension:1x4(3-0-2tempo)Rest90secondsandrepeatforthreetotalrounds.Trainer:JayDeMayo

BULGARIANSPLITSQUAT[WORKOUT1]Holdtwodumbbellsandstandwithonefootrestingonaflatbenchandtheother planted a few inches in front of you.Descend so that your back kneenearlytouchesthefloor.Drivethroughyourfrontfoottostandbackup.

TIPKeepyourshoulderssquaretothewallinfrontofyou.

O

CHAPTER10

203040*MINUTES

WORKINGLONGHOURSANDHAVINGPRECIOUSLITTLETIMETOTRAINSUCKS,BUTYOURWORKOUTSDON’T

HAVETO.STREAMLINEYOURTRAININGWITHTHISTIME-CONSCIOUSTOTAL-BODYPROGRAM

nceagain, it’son.Preciousminutesaredrainingfromyourschedule,andallthegainsyou’vesweatedandbledforallyearareatriskofevaporating

right before your eyes. That’s what happens when reality sets in and work,friends, and family take up the vast majority of your time. But it can all bepreventedwithatime-efficientfull-bodyroutinethatleavesnostone—orrock-hardmuscle—unturned.

Whenlifemakesaregularexercisescheduleimpossible,itdoesn’ttakelongforyourbodytoforgetwhatyou’vecometoexpectfromit.Toavoidthisfromhappening,we’veemployed trainer JeffBell,C.S.C.S.,NASM,ACSM,ownerofBellFitnessCo.inNewYorkCity,tocomeupwithaplanthatwillgetyourbodythroughanybusyseasonunscathed.

LEGPRESS

THEHARDBASICSKeeping your hard-earned progress intact in the midst of a hectic scheduledoesn’t have to be difficult as long as you focus on working the rightmusclegroups. The idea is to implement a three-days-per-week schedule that reliesprimarily on heavy, multijoint exercises performed circuit-style to burnmorecaloriesandfat.“Thesmartestchoiceyoucanmakeisahigh-intensityfull-bodyplanthatstimulatesasmanymusclefibersaspossible,”Bellsays.

Bell’sroutineusessomevarietyoffourfoundationexercisesthattargetyourlargermusclegroups(legs,back,andchest)togiveyouthebestpossiblesessionintheshortestamountoftime.Italsoincludesseveraluniquemoves—renegaderows and crucifix shoulder extensions—designed to challenge your body inunfamiliarways.

“By trainingyourmuscles throughagreaterdiversityof angles throughouttheweek,you’llutilizeagreateramountofmusclefibers,whichwillburnextracaloriesintheprocess,”Bellsays.“You’llalsotraineverypossiblemusclegroupatleastonceaweek,ifnotseveraltimes,sothey’reremindedtostayasstrongaspossibleuntilyoucanreturntoyourusualroutine.”

TIMEMANAGEMENTTheprimarygoalofthisworkoutistokeepyourmusclespowerfulandpumped

bytakingadvantageoftheprincipleofmuscleconfusion.Ifyoufindafewextraminutestospareoncertaindays,however,thisroutineiseasilyadjustable,withroomforuptosixmoremovementsandevenbetterresults.

Thebasictemplateisafull-bodyroutineyou’llperformthreetimesaweek.Ifyou have 20minutes to workwith, you’ll hit fourmain exercises as a circuit,resting 15-60 seconds between exercises. Working your way through all fourmovesisoneround.Threeroundsisthegoldstandardfora20-minutesession,butifyou’refeelingparticularlyenergetic,goforfour.

With30minutesofworkouttime,addthe“bonus”exercisetothetemplate,makingeachroundconsistoffivemoves.For40minutes,addthesixth“bonus”move,keepingthecircuit-styleperformanceoftheroundsthesame.

Regardless of how many minutes you’re able to exercise each day, Bellrecommendstakingonedayoffbetweensessions.Nomatterhowhardyoupushyourmuscles, you’ll stillneeda full 48hoursof recovery togive themenoughtimetorestandrebuildbetweenyourworkouts.

REVERSECURL

PULLUP

YOURMONTH-LONGPLANEXERCISE REPSMONDAYAlternatingHeavyDumbbellChestPress 8-10Pullup 6-12HeavyDumbbellSwing 8-12LegPress 8-12Ifyouhave30minutes,add… ReverseCurl 8-12Ifyouhave40minutes,add… EZ-barLyingTricepsExtension 12-15TUESDAY RestWEDNESDAY

BackSquat 6-8MachineInclinePress 8-12HeavyOne-armBentoverRow 8-12eachsideHangingLegRaise 12-15Ifyouhave30minutes,add…CrucifixShoulderExtension 8-12Ifyouhave40minutes,add…InclineHammerCurl 8-12THURSDAY RestFRIDAYDumbbellFrontSquat 12-15Parallel-barDip 8-15RenegadeRow 8-12CableOverheadTricepsExtension 8-12Ifyouhave30minutes,add…Close-gripChin 6-12Ifyouhave40minutes,add…BoxJump 8-10SATURDAY/SUNDAY Rest

THEFREQUENCYMONDAY,WEDNESDAY,FRIDAYWeek1Rest60secondsbetweenexercises/circuits;dotworoundsWeek2Rest45secondsbetweenexercises/circuits;dotworoundsWeek3Rest30secondsbetweenexercises/circuits;dotwotothreeroundsWeek4Rest15-20secondsbetweenexercises/circuits;dothreetofourrounds

MONDAY-20MINUTESALTERNATINGHEAVYDUMBBELLCHESTPRESSSTART:Lie faceuponthefloorwithyourkneesbentandyourfeet flatonthefloor.Haveatrainingpartnerhandyouapairofheavydumbbellssoyourarmsremainextended,weightsdirectlyaboveyourchest.EXECUTION:Keepingyour leftarmstraight, slowly lower theweight inyourrighthanduntilyourupperarmtouchesthefloor.Pressthedumbbellbackup,thenrepeatwithyour leftarmwhilekeepingyourrightarmstraight.Alternateforreps.

PULLUPSTART:Graspanoverheadbarusinganoverhandgripwithyourhandsslightlywiderthanshoulderwidth.Hangfromthebar,keepingyourarmsstraightandyourelbowsunlocked.EXECUTION:Slowlypullyourselfupuntilyourchinpassesthebar,thenloweryourselfbackdownuntilyourarmsarestraight.10-SECONDTIPIfyouneedtocheatby“kipping”yourlegsonthelastfewreps,that’sOK.HEAVYDUMBBELLSWINGSTART:Withyour feetwider thanshoulderwidth, squatdownandgrasponeendofaheavydumbbellwithbothhands.Holdtheweightbetweenyourlegs.EXECUTION:Quicklypushyourselfintoastandingpositionasyoushiftyourhipsforward,andswingthedumbbellupandinfrontofyoutoapproximatelyshoulderlevel.Reversethemoveuntiltheweight’sonceagainbetweenyourlegs.10-SECONDTIPLetthedumbbellswingallthewaybetweenyourlegssoyoufeelthepullinyourhamstrings,thenextendyourhipsandexplodebackup.LEGPRESSSTART:Sitinaleg-pressmachinewithyourbackandglutesflatagainsttheseatandyourfeethip-widthapartontheplatform.EXECUTION:Presstheweightupuntilyourlegsarestraight,kneesunlocked.Release the safeties and slowly lower the platform until your knees form 90-degreeangles.

BONUSMOVES30-MINUTEMOVEREVERSECURLSTART:Grasp anEZ-bar or a barbellwith anoverhand, shoulder-width grip.Yourarmsshouldhangstraightdownsothebarrestsinfrontofyourthighs.EXECUTION: Keeping your back straight and your elbows tucked into yoursides, slowly curl the bar up in a semicircular motion until the top of yourforearmstouchyourbiceps.40-MINUTEMOVEEZ-BARLYINGTRICEPSEXTENSIONSTART:LiefaceuponabenchholdingaloadedEZ-barwithbothhands.Extendyour arms above your shoulders, perpendicular to the floor, with your palmsfacingyourfeet.

EXECUTION: Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly bend your elbowsandlowerthebartoyourforehead.Straightenyourarmstoreturntothestartposition.

DBSWING

LEGPRESS

DBFRONTSQUAT

WEDNESDAY-20MINUTESBACKSQUATSTART:With your hands slightly wider than shoulder width, grasp a barbellwithanoverhandgripandrestitacrossyourshoulders.Liftthebarofftherackandstepback.EXECUTION: With your back straight and your feet shoulder-width apart,descenduntilyourthighsarealmostparalleltothefloor,thenslowlypressbackuptostanding.HEAVYONE-ARMBENTOVERROWSTART:Standalongsidea flatbenchwithaheavydumbbell inyour lefthand.Place your right handon the bench for support, then step your feet backwarduntilyourbackisalmostparalleltothefloor.Yourleftarmshouldhangstraightdownwithyourpalmfacingin.EXECUTION:Holdingthisposition,slowlypull theweightclosetoyourbodyuntil it reachesyourside.Lower thedumbbellandrepeat forreps, thenswitchsides.MACHINEINCLINEPRESSSTART:Sitinthemachinewithyourfeetflatonthefloor,andyourhead,backand glutes flat against the seat. Grasp the handles in front of you with anoverhandgrip.

EXECUTION: Press the handles forward until your arms are straight, elbowsunlocked,thenslowlylowertheweightbacktothestartposition.HANGINGLEGRAISESTART:Hangfromanoverheadbarwithyourhandswiderthanshoulder-widthapart.Your legs shouldhangstraightunderneathyou,withyourknees slightlybentandyourfeetpointingdown.EXECUTION:Tiltyourpelvisupandslowlyraiseyourlegsuntilthey’reparalleltothefloor,thenreturntothestart.Avoidusingmomentum;controleachrep.

BONUSMOVES30-MINUTEMOVECRUCIFIXSHOULDEREXTENSIONSTART:Standingatacablecrossoverstation,removethehandlesfromthelow-pulleycablesandgrasptheplasticballswithyouroppositehandssoyourarmsarecrossedinfrontofyou.Bendyourelbows90degreesandraisethemsoyourfistsareinlinewithyourface,withyourhandsapproximatelyafootapart.EXECUTION: Externally rotate your shoulders as you extend your armsoverhead.Envisionraisingyourarmsas if to throwasoftballoverhead.Rotateandloweryourarmsbacktothestartposition.40-MINUTEMOVEINCLINEHAMMERCURLSTART: Setanadjustable inclinebench to20-30degrees, then lie faceupon itwithadumbbellineachhand.Yourarmsshouldhangdownslightlybehindyourtorso.EXECUTION:Curltheweightstothefrontofyourshoulders,thenlower.

FRIDAY-20MINUTESDUMBBELLFRONTSQUATSTART:Holdheavydumbbellsatshoulderlevel,withyourpalmsfacinginandyourelbowspointeddown.Standwithyourfeetshoulder-widthapart.EXECUTION: With your back straight and your eyes forward, slowly squatdownuntilyourthighsarenearlyparalleltothefloor,thenreturntostanding.10-SECONDTIPKeepyourheadandchestup,especiallyonyourlastfewreps.Dumbbellfrontsquats tend to pull you forward, so fight gravity andmaintain your uprightposition.DIPSTART:Grasptheparalleldipbarswithyourpalmsfacingin.Extendyourarms,keepingyourelbowsunlockedandyourknucklespointingstraightdown.

execution:Keepingyourarmsclosetoyourbody,bendyourelbowsandslowlydescenduntil yourupper arms areparallel to the floor.Push yourself backupuntilyourarmsarestraight,elbowsunlocked.RENEGADEROWSTART:Graspadumbbellineachhandandgetintopushuppositionwithyourhandsdirectlybelowyourshouldersandyourfeetaboutshoulder-widthapart.EXECUTION: Balancing yourself on one weight, slowly raise the oppositedumbbelltoyourside.Loweritbacktothefloor,thenswitcharms.CABLEOVERHEADTRICEPSEXTENSIONSTART:Attacharopehandletoahigh-pulleycable.Graspeachend,thenturnaround so you face away from themachine. Extend your arms overheadwithyourpalmsclosetogetherandfacingeachother,andleanslightlyforward.Standwithyourfeetstaggeredandyourkneesslightlybent.EXECUTION:Keepingyourupperarmsnext toyourhead,bendyourelbowsand lower your hands as far behind you as possible. Straighten your arms toreturntothestartposition.

BONUSMOVES30-MINUTEMOVECLOSE-GRIPCHINSTART: Grasp an overhead bar or close-grip handle with an underhand orneutralgrip.Yourhandsshouldbesixtoeightinchesapart.Hangfromthebarwithyourarmsstraightandyourelbowsunlocked.EXECUTION:Slowlypullyourselfupuntilyourchinpassesthebar,thenloweryourselfbackdownuntilyourarmsarestraight.40-MINUTEMOVEBOXJUMPSTART:Setupastableplatformsuchasaboxorbenchthat’s18-24incheshigh,then stand in front of it with your feet hip-width apart, arms bent, and fistsfacingforward.EXECUTION: Bend your knees and bring your arms behind you, then swingyour arms forward togainmomentumas you jumponto thebox.Try to landsoftly.Stepoffthebox—don’tjumpoff—andquicklyassumethestartposition.

H

CHAPTER11

FINDTHEPERFECTWORKOUT

LOOKINGFORWORKOUTSTOTARGETSPECIFICMUSCLEGROUPS?YOU’VECOMETOTHERIGHTPLACE.MULTIPLEROUTINESFOREVERYBODYPART—68INALL—COVERING

EVERYGOALFROMMASS-GAININGTOSTRENGTH-BUILDINGTOBRINGINGUPWEAKAREAS.

igh-leveltrainersagreeonverylittleoutsideofthefactthatthere’snosuchthingasaone-size-fits-allroutine.Ifweallhadthesametraininggoalsand

bodytypes,we’dall looklikeayoungArnold.Butwehavedifferentwantsandneeds;someofuswantsize,otherswantabiggersquatorawiderback,andtherearethosewhoneedtotrainathome,whichledustoofferyouacompletemenuofworkouts for everymajor body part that covers all desirable objectives andcircumstances. So feel free topick and choose from thewide arrayof routinescontainedinthefollowingpages.Becausethere’snoreasonyoucan’tcreatetheprogramyouneedforthebodyyouwant.

ROUTINERUNDOWNHere’s abriefdescriptionof thedifferent categoriesofworkoutsyou’ll findonthefollowingpages:

MASS-BUILDINGExerciseselection,volume,andreprangesspecificallyintendedforpackingonmass

BEGINNER’SBasic,introductoryroutinesfortraineeswithfewerthansixmonthsoftraining

undertheirbelts

AT-HOMEWorkoutsthatrequirenothingmorethandumbbells,anadjustablebench,andasetofelasticbands—acommonhome-gymsetup15-MINUTEBriefbutintensesessionsideallysuitedforthoseshortontimebutseekingbigresults(forabs,it’sa10-minuteworkout)“PRIORITY”Routinesdesignedtobringupcommonlaggingareas,suchasthebiceps“peak”andthelowerabs,oremphasizeparticulartrainingaspectslikefullrangeofmotionforlegsSTRENGTH/POWERBigexercises,lowreps,andgenerousrestperiodstohelpboostexplosivenessandone-rep-maxstrength

PREHAB/REHABWorkoutsintendedtohelpyouavoidcommoninjuries(prehab)orstrengthenareasthathavebeeninjured(rehab)

CIRCUITFast-paced routines that maximize intensity for a particular muscle group byattacking it with multiple exercises performed consecutively without rest

CHESTMASS-BUILDINGWORKOUTINFOCUSPackingonsizerequirestwomajortrainingfactors:highvolumeandmoderaterep ranges. This routine satisfies both with 16 total sets, five of them comingfromtheoldstandbybarbellbenchpressandanotherfivefromcablecrossoversasafinishingmovethatisolatesthepecstoincreasemusclepumpandmaximizehypertrophy.Theidealreprangeformassis8-12,thuseverysetinthisroutinefalls in thatrange.Theworkoutalso includes inclineanddeclinepresses tohitthe chest from all angles and exhaust every last muscle fiber, another key togrowth.

MASS-BUILDINGEXERCISE SETS REPSBenchPress 5 8DumbbellInclinePress 3 12DeclineBenchPress 3 12CableCrossover 5 10

LIFTINGLOWDOWNIf there’s one body part in particular that’s prone to a training rut, it’s chest.Switchthingsupconstantly.Alternatebetweendoingflatandinclinepressesfirstinyourworkout.Don’talwaysgoheavyonpressesandlightonflyes;reversetheordersometimes.

DECLINEBENCHPRESSAftertouchingthebartoyourlowerpecs,pressitstraightup(perpendiculartothefloor)insteadofinabackwardarclikeyoudowithflat-benchpresses.

WEIGHTEDDIPOnchestday,leanforwardwhendippingtotargetthepecs;keepingyourbodyuprightputsmoreemphasisonthetriceps.

TIP:SPLITDECISIONChestpairswellwithshouldersandtricepsinapush-pulllegssplitorwithbackinanupperbody-lowerbodysplit.

WEIGHTEDDIP

DECLINEBENCHPRESS

BEGINNER’SEXERCISE SETS REPSBarbellPushup 3 10DumbbellBenchPress 3 10Dip 3 10DumbbellFlye 3 10

AT-HOMEEXERCISE SETS REPSBandedPushup 3 20DumbbellFloorPress 3 12Exercise-ballDumbbellFlye 3 12

15-MINUTEEXERCISE SETS REPSDumbbellBenchPress 3 15DeclinePushup 3 15Pec-deckFlye 3 20

LOWER-CHESTPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPSDeclineBenchPress 3 12DeclineDumbbellPress 3 12DeclineFlye 3 15Dip 3 Tofailure

UPPER-CHESTPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPSInclineBenchPress 3 12DumbbellInclinePress 3 12InclineCableFlye 3 15DeclinePushup 3 12

STRENGTH/POWEREXERCISE SETS REPSBenchPress 5 5DumbbellFloorPress 3 6“Clap”Pushup 5 5WeightedDip 3 Tofailure

CIRCUITEXERCISE SETS REPSBenchPress 4 10Pushup 4 10Dip 4 10One-armAlternatingDumbbellPress 4 10eachsideDoonesetofeachmovementwithoutresting.Performthecircuitfourtimes,restingonetotwominutesbetweeneachround.

BACK

UPPER-LATSPRIORITYWORKOUTINFOCUSTargeting theupper lats,which lie just below the armpits, creates overall backwidthandcontributesgreatlytothemuch-desiredV-taperphysique.Wide-grippullups are the king of back-wideningmoves,which iswhywe chose them tokickofftheworkout.Doasmanyrepsaspossibleoneverysettoforceyourlatstogrow.Facepullsalsozeroinontheupperlats.Simplystandinfrontofalatpulldownmachine, put one foot up on the seat to stabilize yourself, grasp theropeorbar(thelatterwithawidegrip)andpullitstraighttoyourforeheadinarowingfashion.

UPPER-LATSPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPSWide-gripPullup 3 TofailureRopeFace 3 15PullFacePull 3 15Wide-gripSeatedCableRow 3 10

LIFTINGLOWDOWNWhicheverbackexerciseyou’redoing,whether it’sapulldown,row,orpullup,always concentrateon squeezingyour shoulderblades togetherasyoupull theweight.This ensures themajorityof the stress isplacedonyourbackmuscles,notyourbiceps.

ONE-ARMDUMBBELLROWKeepyourtorsoparalleltothefloorthroughout,evenatthetopoftherep;don’topenyourshoulderasyoupulltheweightup.

CLOSE-GRIPLATPULLDOWNConcentrate on your lower lats during this exercise by pointing your elbowsstraightdown,notback.

SPLITDECISIONHitting back and biceps together (back first, of course) is your classic pullworkout.Backcanbepairedwithmostanybodypart,butavoiditonhardcorelegdays.

ONE-ARMDBROW

MASS-BUILDINGEXERCISE SETS REPSPullup 3 TofailureBentoverRow 5 10One-armDumbbellRow 3 10eachsideLatPulldown 5 10

BEGINNER’SEXERCISE SETS REPSLatPulldown 3 10Close-gripLatPulldown 3 10SeatedCableRow 3 10StandingLow-cableRow 3 10

AT-HOMEEXERCISE SETS REPSDumbbellRow 5 10DumbbellPullover 5 10BandedDoorwayFacePull 5 10

15-MINUTEEXERCISE SETS REPSLatPulldown 3 20FacePull 3 20Dumbbell“Kroc”Row 1 Tofailure

LOWER-LATSPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPSChin 3 10T-barRow 3 10BentoverRow 3 10Close-gripLatPulldown 3 10

STRENGTH/POWEREXERCISE SETS REPSWeightedPullup 3 6BentoverRow 5 6DumbbellRow 5 6“Dead-stop”BentoverRow* 3 6“Allowweighttorestonthefloorbetweeneachrep.

CIRCUITEXERCISE SETS REPSBentoverRow 4 10UnderhandBentoverRow 4 10InvertedRow 4 10UnderhandInvertedRow 4 10Doonesetofeachmovementwithoutresting.Performthecircuitfourtimes,restingoonetotwominutesbetweeneachround.

SHOULDERS/TRAPSDELTSPRIORITYWORKOUTINFOCUSIsolatingthedeltoidsfromthetrapsisn’taseasyasitmayseem.Whendoingthethree raise variations (bentover, lateral, front), don’t shrug up as you lift thedumbbells,butliftthroughtheentirerangeofmotionwithonlyyourdelts.Samegoes for seatedoverheadpresses.TheCuban rotation is anovel exercise that’sgreatforisolatingthefrontdeltsandrotatorcuffs.Holdalightbarbelldirectlyin

frontofyour shoulderswithyourelbowsbent90degrees.Keepingyourupperarmsstationary,rotateyourshoulderstopullthebartowardyourforehead.

DELTSPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPSSeatedOverheadPress 3 12CubanRotation 3 10DumbbellBentoverLateralRaise 3 10DumbbellLateralRaise 3 10DumbbellFrontRaise 3 10

UPRIGHTROWFocusonkeepingyourshouldersdown(depressed)asyoupullthebarupagainstyourbody.Thiswillkeepmaximumtensiononthedelts.

DUMBBELLOVERHEADPRESSDon’tlockoutyourelbowsatthetopoftherep.Doingsowillonlyincreaseyourriskofinjuryandtakestressoffthedelts.

LIFTINGLOWDOWNThe shoulders are arguably the easiest body part to injure, as these ball-and-socket joints are inherently unstable. Because of this, ample rest days betweenharddeltworkoutsarecrucial.IfyouworkshouldersonMonday,don’tbench-pressonTuesday.

SPLITDECISIONDeltscanbetrainedwithvirtuallyanybodypart.Chestandbackworkoutsbothdirectlyinvolvetheshoulders,asdoOlympicmovessuchascleansandsnatches.

UPRIGHTROW

DBOVERHEADPRESS

MASS-BUILDINGEXERCISE SETS REPSMilitaryPress 3 12Shrug 3 15DumbbellBentoverLateralRaise 3 10DumbbellLateralRaise 3 10DumbbellFrontRaise 3 10

BEGINNER’SEXERCISE SETS REPSMachineOverheadPress 3 10

DumbbellShrug 3 10CableUprightRow 3 10ReversePec-deckFlye 3 10BarbellFrontRaise 3 10

AT-HOMEEXERCISE SETS REPSArnoldPress 3 12StandingDumbbellOverheadPress 3 12DumbbellLateralRaise 3 10DumbbellBentoverLateralRaise 3 10

15-MINUTEEXERCISE SETS REPSBarbellCleanandPress 3 8Shrug 3 15UprightRow 3 10

TRAPSPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPSShrug 3 10DumbbellShrug 3 15One-armCableShrug 3 20eachside

STRENGTH/POWEREXERCISE SETS REPSStandingMilitaryPress 3 6PushPress 3 6HeavyShrug 5 5Bentover/Lateral/FrontRaiseSuperset 3 8

CIRCUITEXERCISE SETS REPSDumbbellOverheadPress 4 12DumbbellUprightRow 4 12DumbbellShrug 4 12DumbbellClean 4 12Doonesetofeachmovementwithoutresting.Performthecircuitfourtimes,restingonetotwominutesbetweeneachround.

QUADS/GLUTESKNEE-STABILITYPRIORITYWORKOUTINFOCUSPossessing stability in theknees isparamount for anyathlete (competitive andrecreationalalike)andserious lifter,both tomaximize lower-bodystrength forenhancedperformanceandtominimizeinjuryrisk.Onemajorkeytoincreasingkneestabilityisstrengtheningthevastusmedialismuscle(the“teardrop”ofthequads),whichhelpsholdthekneejointtogether.

Shorteningtherangeofmotiononboxsquatsandstep-ups,andgoingheavydoesjustthat.Whendoingboxsquats,usingatallerboxthannormalwilllimithow far you can come down; likewise, on step-ups a lower box or step willdecreaserangeofmotion.

KNEE-STABILITYPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPS

HeavyHigh-BoxSquat1 4 8

HeavyLowStep-up1 3 10

One-legSquat 3 8eachside

Half-legPress2 3 10

1Useatallerboxandlowerstep,respectively,todecreaserangeofmotion.2Lowertheweightonlyhalfasfarasyounormallydoonlegpresses.

HACKSQUATKeepingyour feet close togetheron theplatformwill target theouterquads; awiderstancehitstheinnerquadsmore.

SMITHMACHINEFRONTSQUATWhensettingup,positionyourfeetdirectlybeneathyouinsteadofoutinfront;thiswillplacemoretensiononthequadsratherthantheglutes.

LIFTINGLOWDOWNShying away from the big lifts (squats, lunges, step-ups) won’t help you getbiggerlegs.Legextensionshavetheirplace,butnotasafoundationalexercise.

SPLITDECISIONTrainingquadsontheirownisasufficientlytaxingworkout,sothere’snoneedtodomuchelse. Itmakessense,however, totrainhamstringsandcalvesalongwiththem.

SMITHMACHINEFRONTSQUAT

MASS-BUILDINGEXERCISE SETS REPSSmithMachineFrontSauat 5 10BarbellLunge 3 10BarbellReverseLunge 3 10One-legPress 3 10eachside

BEGINNER’SEXERCISE SETS REPSBody-weightSqual 5 10LegPress 3 10DumbbellLunge 3 10

AT-HOMEEXERCISE SETS REPSDumbbellFrontSquat 3 15

DumbbellLunge 3 10DumbbellReverseLunge 3 10DumbbellStep-up 3 10

15-MINUTEEXERCISE SETS REPSPowerSquat 3 12HackSquat 3 12LegPress 3 20

FULL-RANGE-OF-MOTIONPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPSBackSquat 3 10

One-legSquat1 3 8eachside

HighStep-up2 3 10

ReverseLunge 3 101Frontfootelevated2Useatallerboxorofmotion.steptoincreasetherange

STRENGTH/POWEREXERCISE SETS REPSBoxJump 5 5BackSquat 5 5OverheadSquat 3 10WalkingDumbbellLunge 3 8

HACKSQUAT

BICEPSCIRCUITWORKOUTINFOCUSSometimesastubbornbodypartjustneedssomeshocktherapytobreakthrougha plateau. Youmight not think to design a circuit for smaller body parts likebiceps,but thehigh intensityof suchaworkout justmightgiveyourarms themassive pump they need to start growing again. In this circuit, the first threeexercisesconsistofahammer-curldropsetwhereyoustripenoughweightaftereachsetsoyoucancomplete10repswithoutresting.Afterthat,graspaweightplateinfrontofyouwithyourelbowsatyoursidesandbent90degreesforhalfaminute.Thisisgoingtohurt.

CIRCUITEXERCISE SETS REPSHammerCurl 4 10HammerCurl(drop5-10pound: 4 10HammerCurl(drop5-10pound: 4 10Static90-degreePlateHold 4 30sec.Doonesetofeachmovementwithoutresting.Performthecircuitfourtimes,restingonetotwominutesbetweeneachround.

CLOSE-GRIPBARBELLCURLTaking a narrow grip on barbell curls-inside shoulderwidth—targets the longheadofthebiceps(the“peak”).

DUMBBELLPREACHERCURLAsyou reach the topof the curl, turnyourpinky fingersout (supination) andsqueezeyourbicepstomaximizethecontraction.

SPLITDECISIONTrain biceps after back on your “pull” days, or work them with triceps on adedicatedarmdayifyou’retryingtobringupaweakpairofguns.

DBPREACHERCURL

LIFTINGLOWDOWNThere’sreallyonlyonebasicmovementyoucandoforbiceps:thecurl.Butdon’tletthatlimityourexercisevariety.Youcandodozensofcurlingvariationstohitthemusclesfromdifferentanglesandspurnewgrowth.

MASS-BUILDINGEXERCISE SETS REPSBarbellCurl 4 10HammerCurl 4 10DumbbellInclineCurl 4 10PreacherCurl 4 10

BEGINNER’SEXERCISE SETS REPSEZ-barCurl 3 10

StandingDumbbellCurl 3 10ReverseCurl 3 10

AT-HOMEEXERCISE SETS REPSZottmanCurl 4 10ConcentrationCurl 4 10BandedCurl 3 Tofailure

15-MINUTEEXERCISE SETS REPSCableCurl 4 10ReverseCableCurl 4 10CablePreacherCurl 4 10

BICEPSLONG-HEADPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPSClose-gripChinup 3 TofailureClose-gripBarbellCurl 3 10HammerCurl 3 12CableRopeCurl 3 15

BICEPSSHORT-HEADPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPSPreacherCurl 3 10DumbbellPreacherCurl 3 10DumbbellInclineCurl 3 10Wide-gripBarbellCurl 3 10

STRENGTH/POWEREXERCISE SETS REPSWeightedChinup 3 TofailureBarbellCurl 4 6HammerCurl 4 6CableCurl 4 6

TRICEPS

STRENGTH/POWERWORKOUTINFOCUSBoostingstrengthandpowerinthetricepsproducestwodesirablebenefits:1)itincreases arm size by overloading the tri’s with heavy weights, and 2) itdrastically improvesyourperformance inmultijointpressingexercises,namelythebenchpressandmilitarypress.Inthisworkout,close-gripbenchpressesandweighteddips—twocompoundtricepsmoves—allowyouto loaduponweightforbigstrengthgains.TheJMpress,agreatexerciseforincreasingbench-presslockoutstrength,isbasicallyaclose-gripbenchpress(hands12-18inchesapart)inwhichthebarisloweredtoaboutthecollarbonesinsteadofthepecswiththeelbowspointedforwardratherthanouttothesides.

STRENGTH/POWEREXERCISE SETS REPSClose-gripBenchPress 5 5JMPress 3 8WeightedDip 3 10DumbbellLyingTricepsExtension 3 8

WEIGHTEDBENCHDIPWeighted bench dipsmake for a great dropset, where your partner takes oneweightplateoffyourlapeachtimeyoureachfailure.

SEATEDDUMBBELLOVERHEADTRICEPSEXTENSIONAlow-backseatis idealforthisexercise,asitprovideslower-backsupportandwon’tgetinthewayasyoulowerthedumbbellbehindyourhead.

LIFTINGLOWDOWNBuildingthebiggesttricepspossiblemeanskeepingyourelbowsin,lockingthemoutatthetopofeachrepandsqueezingthemforthefullcontraction,regardlessofwhatexerciseyou’redoing.

SPLITDECISIONOn“push”days,pairtricepswithchestandshoulders,orgroupthemwithbicepsonarmdays.Supersettingbicepsandtricepsisgreatforbuildingbigarms.

WEIGHTEDDIP

MASS-BUILDINGEXERCISE SETS REPSClose-gripBenchPress 4 10Dip 4 TofailureRopePushdown 4 10CableOverheadRopeExtension 4 10

BEGINNER’SEXERCISE SETS REPSStraight-barPushdown 3 10RopePushdown 3 10SeatedDumbbellOverheadTricepsExtension 3 10

AT-HOMEEXERCISE SETS REPSBandedClose-gripPushup 3 10DumbbellLyingTricepsExtension 3 15SeatedOne-armDumbbell OverheadTricepsExtension 3 12eachside

15-MINUTEEXERCISE SETS REPSStraight-barPushdown 4 12Reverse-gripPushdown 4 12CableOverheadRopeExtension 4 12

TRICEPSLONG-HEADPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPSDumbbellLyingTricepsExtension 3 12SeatedDumbbellOverheadTricepsExtension 3 12EZ-barLyingTricepsExtension 3 12CableOverheadRopeExtension 3 12

TRICEPSLATERAL-HEADPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPSEZ-barClose-gripBenchPress 3 12RopePushdown 3 15V-barPushdown 3 15

CIRCUITEXERCISE SETS REPSClose-gripBenchPress 4 10LyingTricepsExtension 4 10BenchDip 4 10Close-gripPushup 4 10Doonesetofeachmovementwithoutresting.Performthecircuitfourtimes,restingonetotwominutesbetweeneachround.

ABS

AT-HOMEWORKOUTINFOCUSNothavingenoughtimeisalousyexcusefornotfittinginyourabdominalwork—thesix-packistheeasiestbodyparttotrainathomewithzeroequipment.Thisworkout hits all areas of the midsection (upper abs, lower abs, obliques, andcore)withbasicyeteffectivemoves.Aftercrunches,raiseyourfeetoffthefloor,bend your knees 90 degrees, and bring each elbow to the opposite knee foroblique crunches, alternating sides. The static-crunch hold is exactly what itsoundslike:anisometricholdinthetoppositionofthecrunch.

AT-HOMEEXERCISE SETS REPSCrunch 3 20Leg-RaisedObliqueCrunch 3 20Static-CrunchHold 3 20sec.Plank 3 20sec.

DOUBLECRUNCHUseaslowtomoderaterepspeedtoisolatetheabs.Movingtooquicklywillhurtyourformandinvolvetoomanyothermuscles.

DECLINERUSSIANTWISTKeepyour torso somewherebetweenparallel andperpendicular to the floor tokeepconstanttensionontheabsasyoutwist.

LIFTINGLOWDOWNThemidsectionisacomplex,oft-misunderstoodgroupofmuscles.Itneedstobeable to flex and twist the torso, but it’s also a critical stabilizer when othermusclesareworking.Sotrainitassuch:Doexplosivereps,slowreps,isometricholds,highreps,andlowreps.

SPLITDECISIONAbs can be trained almost every day and with any body part. On leg days,however,besuretodoabworkafterbigliftslikesquats,sinceafatiguedcorecanhinderperformance.

DECLINERUSSIANTWIST

BEGINNER’SEXERCISE SETS REPSInclineSitup 3 10Crunch 3 10Plank 3 15sec.

10-MINUTEEXERCISE SETS REPSHangingLegRaise 3 15InclineSitup 3 15DoubleCrunch 3 15

UPPERABS/OBLIQUESPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPSDeclineRussianTwist 3 10

MachineCrunch 3 15StandingCableCrunch 3 15

LOWER-ABSPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPSHangingLegRaise 3 12LyingLegRaise 3 12ScissorKick 3 12

FOREARMSGRIP-STRENGTHWORKOUTINFOCUSPossessingbigforearmsisagreataestheticforaman,butsuperiorgripstrengthwillhelpyouineverythingfromOlympicliftstosportstolife-savingtacticslikethoseafirefighterwouldneed.Inthisworkout,keepingconstanttensionontheforearms with isometric holds is the method of choice. For 10-pound-platepinches,holdtwoplatestogetherineachhanddownatyoursidesforaslongaspossible.Onfat-barholds,simplyholdaheavy,extra-thickbarbell(orastandardbarbellwitha towelwrappedaroundit)atarm’s length in frontofyour thighswithoutlettingitactuallytouchyou.Again,dothisforaslongasyoucan.

GRIPSTRENGTHEXERCISE SETS REPSWristRoller 3 Up/Down10-poundPlatePinch 3 TofailureFat-barHold 3 Tofailure

BEHIND-THE-BACKWRISTCURLTo maximize range of motion for full forearm muscle contraction, visualizepullingtheweightupsothebackofyourhandscomeparalleltothefloor.

REVERSECURLReversecurlstargetthebrachioradialismuscleontheoutsideofthearmneartheelbowandthebrachialis,whichoverlapsthebiceps.

LIFTINGLOWDOWNA strong pair of forearms will benefit you in many big pushing and pulling

exercises because of your increased grip strength. It’s important to train yourforearmsthroughwristflexion,extension,andisometricgripholds.

SPLITDECISIONThe forearms canbe trainedwith anynumber of bodyparts,most commonlybiceps.Justbesuretotrainthemlastinyourworkoutsincetiredforearmswillnegativelyaffectmostexercises.

REVERSECURL

MASS-BUILDINGEXERCISE SETS REPSWristRoller 3 Up/DownWristCurl 4 12Behind-the-backWristCurl 4 12

BEGINNER’SEXERCISE SETS REPS

WristRoller 3 Up/DownReverseCurl 3 10WristCurl 3 10

AT-HOMEEXERCISE SETS REPSDumbbellWristCurl 4 15DumbbellReverseWristCurl 4 15DumbbellBehind-the-backWristCurl 4 15

CALVESMASS-BUILDINGWORKOUTINFOCUSItdoesn’tgetmuchsimplerthanthisworkout—threeofthemostcommoncalfexercises, each performedwith the same number of sets and reps—and that’sexactlythepoint.Buildingupthecalvesisn’tamatterofcreativity,it’samatterofsheerdoggednesswithhighvolumeandrelativelyhighreps,especiallyifyourcalves are a stubborn body part. Standing calf raises will add size to thegastrocnemius,whileseatedcalfraisesbeefupthesoleustocoverallbases.Feelfreetosubstitutedonkeycalfraisesforleg-pressraiseseveryotherworkout.

MASS-BUILDINGEXERCISE SETS REPSStandingCalfRaise 4 20SeatedCalfRaise 4 20Leg-pressCalfRaise 4 20

DONKEYCALFRAISEDon’t limit your calf work to standing and seated raises. Maximize traininganglesandmusclerecruitmentwithvariationslikedonkeycalfraises.

SEATEDCALFRAISECalfexercises inwhichyourkneesarebent target the soleus (which liesunderthegastrocnemius)toaddthicknesstothecalves.

LIFTINGLOWDOWNThebiggestcalf-trainingerrorisgoingtooheavyandnotutilizingafullrangeof

motion on calf raises. Lower your heels until you feel a good stretch in yourcalves, thenpressuponto your toes at the topof every rep. If thismeans youhavetousealighterweight,doit.

SPLITDECISIONCalvescanbetrainedwithanybodypartandcanhandlebeingworkedjustaboutevery day.Hit your calves at the end of theworkout or between exercises forothermuscles.

DONKEYCALFRAISE

BEGINNER’SEXERCISE SETS REPSStandingCalfRaise 3 20SeatedCalfRaise 3 20

AT-HOMEEXERCISE SETS REPSStandingDumbbellCalfRaise 4 15StandingOne-legDumbbellCalfRaise 4 15eachside

CIRCUITEXERCISE SETS REPSStandingCalfRaise 4 10SeatedCalfRaise 4 10DonkeyCalfRaise 4 10PongoJumpOnToes 4 40

Doonesetofeachmovementwithoutresting.Performthecircuitfourtimes,restingonetotwominutesbetweeneachround.

HAMSTRINGSPREHAB/REHABWORKOUTINFOCUSWhen it comes to anything strength-or mobility-related, your hamstrings areinvolvedasmuchasormorethanyourquads.Becauseofthis,youoccasionallyneed to show them some love in the form of prehab/rehabworkouts that getblood flowing to your hamstrings to accelerate the recovery process. The fourexercisesinthisworkoutaccomplishthiswithelasticbands,anexerciseball,andsupinebridges.For the latter, lie faceupon the floorwithyourkneesbentandfeet flat, thenpressyour lowerandmiddlebackandglutesupuntilyour torsoandthighsformastraightlineabout45degreestothefloor.

PREHAB/REHABEXERCISE SETS REPSSupineBridge 5 10Exercise-ballRoll-in 3 10BandedGoodMorning 3 15BandedLegCurl 3 10

REVERSE45-DEGREEEXTENSIONIflightornoresistanceistooeasyandgoingheavierisimpractical,usehighrepsandveryshortrestperiodstoincreaseintensity.

GOODMORNINGUsecommonsensewhentakingonthistraditionalyetadvancedexercise:Startoffwithverylightweightandkeepaslightarchinyourbackthroughout.

LIFTINGLOWDOWNThehamstringsareinvolvedincompoundlegmovessuchassquatsandlunges,but single-joint exercises like leg curls isolate them further. Just keep theseisolationmovementsneartheendofyourlegworkout.

SPLITDECISIONIf your hamstrings are weak, train them separately. Otherwise, do quads andhamsinthesameworkoutforthequintessentiallegday.

GOODMORNING

MASS-BUILDINGEXERCISE SETS REPSDeadlift 4 8GoodMorning 3 10Glute-hamRaise 3 TofailureLegCurl 3 15

BEGINNER’SEXERCISE SETS REPSDumbbellDeadlift 3 8Exercise-ballRoll-ir 3 10LegCurl 3 10

AT-HOMEEXERCISE SETS REPSBandedLegCurl 3 15DumbbellDeadlift 3 10DumbbellSwing 3 10

15-MINUTEEXERCISE SETS REPSRomanianDeadlift 3 2045-degreeBackExtension 3 15LegCurl 3 20

UPPER/LOWERHAMSTRINGPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPSGlute-hamRaise 3 TofailureReverse45-degreeExtension 3 15Straight-legRomanianDeadlift 3 10DumbbellSwing 3 10

UNILATERAL-ISOLATIONPRIORITYEXERCISE SETS REPSOne-legDumbbellRomanianDeadlift 3 10eachsideOne-legStandingLegCurl 3 12eachsideOne-legLyingLegCurl 3 12eachsideOne-leg45-degreeBackExtension 3 8eachside

STRENGTH/POWEREXERCISE SETS REPSDeadlift 5 5GoodMorning 5 6Glute-hamRaise 3 TofailureDumbbellSnatch 4 6

I

CHAPTER12

GETOUTOFTHEGYM

TRAININTHEGREATOUTDOORSANDGETRIPPEDWITHOUTWEIGHTS

BYJONHINDS,C.N.T.

SUSPENDEDROW

don’t like to liftweights. I’dmuch rather train outdoorswhenever possible.Takingmyworkoutsoutsideletsmebeinthesun(agreatwaytogetvitamin

D naturally) and practice all the basic movement skills the way they wereintended,usingbodyweightalone.AsthefounderofMonkeyBarGymnasiums,a franchise that usesmainly body-weight training to achieve fitness goals,myworkouts focus on the activities humans were designed to do to stay healthy,

strong, and muscular—that is, running, jumping, crawling, and climbing. Nobarbells required. And you know what? Even though my students and I arehaving fun and treating our workouts like kids’ games, we’re buildingmusclefasterthanwewouldwithweights.MANYTRAINERS today use body-weight moves only as adjuncts to weightprograms—afewsetsofpushupsattheendoftheworkoutjusttofinishoffthechest,orasafallbackwhenthetraineehasnootherequipmentavailable.Ithinkthat’s very shortsighted, because I’ve used body-weight training almostexclusively my entire life, and I’ve gotten results that some lifters never see.When Iwas in college, abody-weight regimen tookmyvertical jump from25inchesto48.IwashittingmyelbowontherimwhenIwenttodunk.Afteryearsof body-weight squats, lunges, jumps, and sprinting, I triedmy first deadlift. Ipulled 475 for eight reps, easy.Once, I decided to givemyself the 225 bench-press test that footballplayersdoat theNFLcombine.Weighing205, Idid16reps, and all I had done for months before were my usual dips and pushupvariations.

STRONGANDSTABLETobenchalotofweight,youneedtohaveastrongconnectionbetweenyourfeetandyourhands,becauseasanypowerlifterknows,youhave todriveyour legsintothefloortogeneratemaximumstrengthwhenyoupress.Thepowertravelsupfromyourfeet,acrossyourtorso,upyourarms,andthenintothebar.Sothetighteryoucanmakeeverymuscleinyourbody,thestrongertheconnectionandthemoreforceyoucanproduce.Thesameeffectoccurswhenyoudojustaboutany body-weight exercise. First of all, body-weight lifts are closed-chainmovements. Thatmeans your body ismoving around the point where you’reapplyingtheforce,ratherthanyoumovingthatpointaroundyourbody.Thinkaboutadipversusabenchpress.Whenyoudoadip,you’removingyourwholebody around the bars, rather than just moving a barbell off your chest. Thatmakesyourcentralnervoussystemcallinalotmoremusclefibersoverall(unlessofcourseyou’regoingforanewmaxonthebench,inwhichcaseyou’regoingtohavetogiveitallyouhave).Also,whileyoumayonlybethinkingabouttrainingyourchest and tricepsduringadip, your corehas to staybraced tokeepyourtorsofromgoing limporyour legs fromswingingduringthemovement.Yourupper back acts like a stabilizer as well. So, getting strong on body-weightpushing moves like the dip teaches your muscles to work as a unit; and,indirectly,theycanmakeyouabetterbencher.

TAKETHEGYMWITHYOUIwantyoutotakeadvantageofwarmweatherwheneverpossibleandenjoyyourtraining.Thisprogram ismeant tobedoneoutdoors at aparkorplayground.Youwon’tneedmuchequipment—apullupbarora strong tree limb,apicnictable,andplentyofopenspaceareenoughtogetinstellarshape.Thatsaid,oneof the knocks against body-weight training is that it’s hard to progress. Forinstance, maybe lunges are a joke to you, but you can’t do a single-leg squatwithout fallingbackward.That’swherehaving some light equipment comes inhandy. I’ve invented a whole line of easy-to-use tools that make body-weightmovesadjustabletoanyskilllevel.Isuggestyoupickthemup—they’llmaketheexercisesyoustrugglewitheasiertomaster,andaddanewchallengetotheonesyouthinkyou’vealreadyconquered.Yourmaingo-togadgetwillbetheJungleGymXT, a suspension unit. It’s the barbell of body-weight training.Use it toadjustyourleverageforbothupper-andlower-bodyexercises.Whenitcomestoprogressingpushups,thePowerPushup3usescablesforresistance.Fordirectabtraining,youcan’tbeatthePowerWheel.Finally,thePowerJumperisessentialfor developing an explosive lower body. Learn to jump with it, and jumpingwithoutitwillfeelasthoughyou’vebrokenfreefromgravity.

GetThisGearAlltheequipmentshownisavailableatmonkeybargym.com

JungleGymXTPowerJumperPowerWheelPowerPushup3

SUSPENDEDDIP

DAYIWORKOUT

1ASUSPENDEDDIPAttacha suspensionapparatus to apullupbar.Lower thehandles tohip level,and grab ahold. Lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to theground.

1BL-SITCHINUPBendyourhips90degreesandextendyour legsstraight infrontofyouasyouperformeachchinup.

2ARESISTEDSQUATTOBOXJUMP

Find a surface about 18 inches above the ground. Attach a resistance bandaroundthebackofyourneckandfeet.Squatdownuntilyourfingerstouchtheground,thenjumpupontothesurface.Stepbackdown,andrepeat.

2BSUSPENDEDLEGCURLAttachasuspensiontrainer(suchas theJungleGymXT,asshownhere) toanobject overhead—a pullup bar or tree limb will work—and lower the footstirrups to a few inches above the ground. Lie downon the ground andplaceyourfeetinthestirrups.Liftupyourhips,thenbendyourkneesandperformalegcurlmotion.Keepyourhipsextendedupandoffthegroundthroughouttheset.

3ABROLLOUTHoldanabwheelandrestonyourknees(orstraightenyourlegs,asshown,foragreaterchallenge)a fewfeetaway fromapost, tree,orotherobject.Thewheelshouldbeinfrontofyourshoulders.Keepingyourabsandhamstringsbraced,rollforwardaboutoneyarduntilthepoststopsthewheel.Rollback.

SUSPENDEDLEGCURL

DIRECTIONSSPLIT Alternate theworkouts (Day I andDay II) for upto three sessions perweek, resting at least a day between each session. So you could do Day I onMonday, Day II onWednesday, andDay I again Friday. The next week, youwouldperformDayII’sworkouttwice,andthenrepeatthecycle.

HOWTODOITForeachexercise,dotwowarmupsets,andthenperformasmany reps as you canwith good form.Do not go to failure—as soon as yourformbreaksoryoubegintoslowdown,endtheset.Itdoesn’tmatterhowmanyreps you get. Continue performing sets of the same number of reps until youcan’tmatchthatnumberanymore.Atthatpoint,you’redonewiththatexercisefortheday.Forexample,ifyougeteightrepsofdipsthefirstset,eightagainon

thesecondset,andthenseveninthethirdset,you’llstopthere.Fortipsonhowtoprogressyourrepseachweek,seethe“HowtoMakeProgress”sidebar.

Performtheexercisepairs(marked“A”andB”)asalternatingsets.Soyou’lldoonesetofA,rest; thenonesetofB,rest;andrepeatuntilyou’vecompletedyoursetsforthepair.Performtheremainingexercisesasstraightsets.

RESISTEDSQUATTOBOXJUMP

HOWTOMAKEPROGRESSYou’reboundtohitaplateauifyoumakeonesimplemistake:trainingtoohard.Seriously,tryingtoincreaseyourrepsoneveryexercise,everytimeyourepeataworkout,isaskingtoomuchofyourbody.Instead,strivetomakesmallweekly

improvementsonabouthalfof theprescribedmoveswhileyoumaintainyourperformanceontherest.Aftereachworkout,planwhichexercisesyou’lladdarep to in thenext session, andwhichones you’ll “tie” your repson.Here’s anexampleofhowtoplanyourtrainingforDayI’sworkout.(Thefirstworkoutisomitted sinceyou’llbaseyour sessionsonwhateveryoucando the first time.)Thismethodwilldelayaplateauformonths.

DAYIIWORKOUT

1ARESISTEDPUSHUPWraparesistanceband(oruse thePowerPushup3)aroundyourupperback,andholdanendineachhand.Performpushupsagainsttheresistance,touchingyourchesttotheflooroneachrep.

1BSUSPENDEDROWAttachasuspensionapparatustoapullupbar,treelimb,orotherobject.Lowerthe handles, and hang from them so that your torso is parallel to the ground.Squeezeyourshoulderbladestogetherandrowyourselfup.

2ASUSPENDEDPISTOLSQUATTORUSSIANLUNGEGrabthehandlesofasuspensionapparatus,standononeleg,andraisetheotherinfrontofyou.Squatdownsoyourbutttouchesyourheel,thencomebackup.Immediatelytuckthefreelegbehindyou,andloweryourbodyagainuntilyourknee(butnotyourfoot)touchesthefloor.That’sonerep.

2BGLUTE-HAMRAISEKneelontheground(youcanrestyourkneesonatowel),andbraceyourheelsunder a fence or other object that holds them in place. Bend at the hips, andloweryourtorsoasfarasyoucan.

RESISTEDPUSH-UP

Youmaywanttostartwithjustoneresistancecableandadjustfromthere.

H

CHAPTER13

POWERCARDIO

DEVELOPINSANEEXPLOSIVENESSANDGETSHREDDEDWITHTHISINTENSEINTERVALROUTINE

ere’s something you don’t see every day: Olympic lifters hosting a fat-burning clinic.Weweren’t able to get the nationalweightlifting team to

lectureonendurancetraining,butwedidthenextbestthing:WepulledapageoutoftheOlympicliftinghandbookandappliedittocardioworkouts.

ItmakestotalsensebecauseOlympicliftsarefull-bodyexercisesthatburnatonofcaloriesandbody fatwhendone forhighreps.Theexplosivenessof themovements is alsoperfect for rampingup testosterone levels,which leads to afastermetabolismandmoremusclemass.

It’slikekillingtwobirdswithonestone:developingmorepower,whichwillhelpyougetbiggerandstrongeronheavyliftingdays;andincineratingbodyfatthroughhigh-intensity, cardio-like intervals,whichwill helpuncover your six-pack.ThefollowingPowerCardioprogramencompassesnotonlyOlympicliftssuchaspowercleansandsnatchesbutalsoexplosivepushups,lunges,andsquatstoattackthebodyfromallangles.Theonlyproblem:Thattreadmillyoupaidtopdollarformightcollectalittledustintheprocess.

EXPLOSIVERESULTSTHEKEYTOEFFECTIVELYcombiningpowertrainingandcardioisexerciseselection.Isolationmovessuchaslegextensionsandbicepscurlshavenoplacehere;power-based,compound(multijoint)exercisessuchasjumpsquats,cleans,and power pushups are best for recruiting fast-twitch muscle fibers and

maximizingfatburning.Theexplosivenatureofthemovementsiswhatmakesthis workout so different from the slow-tomoderate-paced reps of traditionalbodybuildingprograms.

Becauseofthefastrepspeeds,you’llneedtokeeptheweightrelativelylight.You’llperformmanyof theexercises in thePowerCardioprogramusingonlyyour body weight, while the rest will incorporate only light dumbbells orbarbells.Withbriefrestperiods,heavyliftingisimpossible.

The other critical element of Power Cardio is time. This interval-basedprogramalternates20secondsofworkandrestata1:1work:restratio.Iftherestperiodscreepabove20seconds,you’lllosetheworkout’scardiovascularandfat-burningbenefits. It’s imperative thatyoustick to the intervals, reppingout forthefull20secondsandresumingexactly20secondslater.

If the program sounds intense, that’s because it is, but volume is kept incheck.You’ll startwith ten40-second intervals,whichwill take less thansevenminutes to complete.As you get in better shape, you’ll addmore intervals. Inpeakcondition,youmightdoasmanyas30intervalsin20minutes;keepitto30toavoidovertraining.

To start, pick five movements and do two sets of each. As you progress,either add exercises or simply do more sets for each move. Perform PowerCardioworkouts two to four days perweek, either after your regular trainingsplit—except on leg days, sincemost of these exercises are leg-based—or in aseparateworkout.

POWERPUSHUPResistance:BodyweightGet in the bottomposition of a pushup, hands slightlywider than shoulderwidth,palmsflatonthefloor,andelbowspointedout.Yourbodyshouldformastraight line fromhead to toewithonlyyourpalmsand toes touching thefloor.Drive your body up by explosively pushing your palms into the floorand fully extendingyourarms soyourhands leave the floor.Landwith softelbowsandimmediatelyloweryourbodytoabsorbtheimpact.Repeatfor20seconds.

BANDSPRINTResistance:Twoheavy-dutyelasticbandsSecuretworesistancebandsaroundastablestructure,faceawayfromit,andgrasp the handles in front of your shoulders. Sprint forward as far and asexplosivelyaspossible,thenquicklyreturntothestart.Repeatfor20seconds.Usingbandsislikerunningahillthatgraduallybecomessteeper:Thefartheryousprintfromthebase,themoreresistancethebandsprovide.

POWERCARDIOROUTINEBEGINNER:Ifyou’renewtofat-burningcardioworkoutsbasedonexplosivepowerexercises,startwithtwosetsoffiveexercisesdonetwotofourdaysperweekasfollows:EXERCISE SETS TIME/REST(sec.)JumpSquat 2 20/20BandSprint 2 20/20PowerPushup 2 20/20

PowerLunge 2 20/20PowerClean 2 20/20

INTERMEDIATE: As you become more conditioned to Power Cardioworkouts,eitherrepeattheaboveroutineforatotalofthreecyclesand/oraddexercises.Here’sasampleworkout:EXERCISE SETS TIME/REST(sec.)PowerKick-up 2 20/20One-armDumbbellSnatch 2 20/20JumpSquat 2 20/20BandSprint 2 20/20PowerPushup 2 20/20Step-upJump 2 20/20PowerLunge 2 20/20PowerClean 2 20/20

ADVANCED: As you progress, add sets until you reach 30 intervals. Stoptheretopreventovertraining.

JUMPSQUAT

ONE-ARMDUMBBELLSNATCHResistance:20-to30-pounddumbbellSettheweightonthefloorinfrontofyouwithitspostperpendiculartoyourfeet.Bendyourkneesandhipstograspthedumbbellwithanoverhandgripasin the startpositionof adeadlift. Focus your eyeson the floor a few feet infrontofyou.Inonesmoothmotion,swingthedumbbellupinanarcandsnapyourhipsforward,keepingtheweightclosetoyourbody.Usemomentumtodrivethedumbbelloverheaduntilyourarmisfullyextended.Returntostartposition.Alternatearmsfor20seconds.

EXERCISESNOTPICTURED

JUMPSQUATResistance:BodyweightStand erect with your feet about shoulder-width apart, arms by your sides.Maintainthenaturalarchinyourlowerbackandlookforward.Bendyourkneesandhips,lettingyourglutestrackback,asiftositinachair.Whenyourthighscomeparalleltothefloor,reversedirection,drivingupexplosivelythroughyourheelsandtheballsofyourfeettojumpashighaspossible.Landwithsoftkneesandimmediatelydescendintothenextrep.Repeatfor20seconds.

STEP-UPJUMPResistance:BodyweightPlaceaknee-level steporbench in frontofyouandstanderectwithyour feethip-to shoulder-width apart. Step onto the platform with one foot andpowerfullydrive yourbodyup and forwardoff of it. Landonboth feet, kneesbent.Turntofacethebenchandstepupwiththeoppositeleg.Alternatelegsfor20seconds.

POWERLUNGE

Resistance:LightdumbbellsorbodyweightStand erect with your feet hip-width apart and head facing forward, andmaintainanaturalarchinyourlowerback.Leadingwithyourheel,stepforwardwith your right foot and bend both knees to slowly descend toward the floor.Stopwhenyourleftkneealmosttouchesthefloor,thenexplosivelypushthroughyourrightheel,drivingyourselfbackup.Keepingyour left footplanted,swingyour right leg behind you and stop themomentumby stepping on your rightfoot.Returntothestartpositionandswitchsides.Alternatelegsfor20seconds.

POWERCLEANResistance:Selectaweightyoucanhandlefor15-20repsStand erectwith your feet shoulder-width apart and your shins about an inchaway from a loaded barbell. Squat to grasp the bar with a shoulder-width,overhandgrip.Withyourtorsobent45degreesoverthebar,yourarmstensedandpullingon thebar, andyourabspulled in tight,driveexplosively throughyourheelstostraightenyourkneesandbringyourhipsforwarduntilthebarisat hip level. Immediately lift it, squatunder it, andwhip your arms around tocatchitonyourshoulders.Extendyourhipsandkneestostanderectandrestthebaronyourupperchest.Lowertheweighttothefloorandrepeatfor20seconds.

POWERKICK-UPResistance:BodyweightStanderectwithyourbacktoamatandyourfeethip-toshoulder-widthapart.Squat,thenfallbacksoyoulandonyourglutes.Leanforwardandtuckyourchin intoyourchest, thenrollontoyourupperbackandreardelts.Quicklyandexplosivelyreversethemotion,usingthemomentumtoplantyourfeetonthe floor and lift yourself off the mat. Explode upward by extending yourkneesandhipstojumpupandback.Landsoftlywithyourkneesslightlybent.Returntothestartandrepeatfor20seconds.

S

CHAPTER14

THEATEAM

WEASKED10OFTHEWORLD’STOPTRAINERSFORTHEIRFAVORITEABEXERCISE.HERE’SWHATTHEYSAID.

trengthen your core.These threewordshave beendrilled into athletes andregular gym-goers alike for the better part of a decade, and the wisdom

behindthemisdecidedlysound.Yourbodyisessentiallysplitintohalves—upperandlower—butifyoulackasolidsetofmusclestoholdthemtogetherandallowthemtoworkinconcert,youwon’tlookorperformyourbest.

Thetaskathand,then,isfiguringouthowtotrainyourabdominalmusclesin creative and efficient ways that’ll enhance both upper-and lower-bodydevelopment.Mostpeopleknowjustafewboringandrepetitiveabexercises,themajorityofwhichcontainthewordssitupandcrunchintheirnames.

To remedy this, we enlisted 10 of the top names in the fitness industry—handpicked fromseveraldifferentperformancegenres—to tellus their favoriteabexercisesandexplaintherightwaystodothem.Addthemovesinthislisttoyourtoolboxandwatchyourmidsectiontransformfromweaknesstoweaponinrecordtime.

MED-BALLSIDETOSSEXPERT: Chris Gizzi is a former NFL linebacker and Air Force Academy(Colorado)footballcaptain,andownerofZoneReadyinElSegundo,CA.WHYIT’SEFFECTIVE:“Iloveanythingballisticinnaturewhenitcomestoab training,”Gizzi says. “Themedicine ball is themost versatile tool in theweightroomandhitsyourcoreinwaystypicalabexercisescan’t.”HOWTODOIT:Standalongsideawallwithyourfeetshoulder-widthapart.Hold theball inbothhands justbelowyouroutsidehip.Quickly twist yourbodybypivotingonyourback foot and throw theball into thewall. Finishwithyourhandshigh,andyourbackheelturnedandelevated.

HOWMUCHTODO:Startwithtwotothreesetsof10reps,makingsuretothrowtheballforcefully.Switchsidesevery10reps.

HANGINGWINDSHIELDWIPEREXPERT:MarkMcLaughlinistheownerofPerformanceTrainingCenterinWestLinn,OR.He’srenownedforproducingsuperblyconditionedathletesinallsports,includingtightendKevinBossoftheKansasCityChiefs.WHY IT’S EFFECTIVE: “This exercise cranks up the intensity with acombinationofstaticcontraction,rotation,andlateralflexionthatattacksthecore andworks thehip flexors,”McLaughlin says. “Theadded challengesof

gravityandbalancegreatlyenhancecorestrengthandrotationalpower.”HOWTODOIT:Hangfromapullupbarusinganoverhand,shoulder-widthgripwithsometypeofhurdlesetinfrontofyou.Keepingyourarmsandlegsstraight, lift your feet over the hurdle. Rotate your body to the right bybringingyourlefthiptowardyourrightarmpit,thenreversethemotionandliftyourlegsoverthehurdletorepeattotheoppositeside.HOWMUCHTODO:Forbeginners,McLaughlinrecommendsthreetofoursetsof8-10repstoeachside.

HAND-WALKINGONABWHEELEXPERT:JayFerruggiaistheownerofRenegadeStrength&ConditioninginWatchung,NJ.WHYIT’SEFFECTIVE:“Thisismyall-timefavoriteabmovebecauseit’saterrificfull-bodyblast,”Ferruggiasays.“Aseverythingelsegetstired,yourabshavetoholdyouinplace.Theultimatechallengeisdoingthisfor100yards.I’veseenveryfewathleteswhocanevencomeclose.”HOWTODOIT:Getinthearms-extendedpushuppositionwiththetopsofyourfeetonanabwheel.(Somecomeequippedwithstrapstoholdyourfeetin place, so if youhave access to one, use it instead.) Fromhere, keep your

backstraightandyourcoretightasyouwalkforwardonyourhands.HOWMUCHTODO: Your entire bodywill let you know in a very shortperiodwhenyou’re finishedwith thismove. Startwith2-3 tripsof20yardsandprogresstolongerwalks.

STANDINGCABLECRUNCHEXPERT: Dave Tate is a former world-class powerlifter, consultant tocollegiate and professional sports programs, and owner of Elite FitnessSystemsinLondon,OH.WHY IT’S EFFECTIVE: “I love this move for strength athletes because itstretchesandopensthehips,”Tatesays.“Whenyoucan’tcontrolyourhips,you can’t squat with authority or drive your glutes forward to finish adeadlift.”HOWTODO IT: Stand facing away from a high-pulley cable stationwithyour feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Grasp a ropeattachmentwithbothhandsandpull itaroundyourneck,holdingitagainstyourchest.Bendat thewaistandcrunch forwarduntilyour forearms touchyourthighs,thenreturntothestart.HOWMUCHTODO: Tate recommends a high volume of reps with thismove.Startwithsetsof20ortimedsetsoftwominutes.

SITUPTOSTANDINGEXPERT: Cornell Key is a former All-American defensive end atMonmouthUniversity inNewJerseyandownerofKey2Sports&Fitness,wherehe trainscollegeandprofessionalathletes.WHYIT’SEFFECTIVE:“Thisisadynamicmovementthataddsanelementofexplosiveness to conventional situps,” Key says. “The transition to a standingpositionmimicsthekindofcoreexertionathletesneedincompetition.”HOWTODOIT:Liefaceupwithyourkneesbent,holdingadumbbellorplateat your chest with both hands. Forcefully bend at the waist, pull your heelsslightly back toward your glutes and explosively stand up. From a standing

position, carefully descend into a squat, roll your torso back to the start andrhythmicallybeginyournextrep.HOW MUCH TO DO: “This isn’t an easy exercise to master, so start withmodestexpectations,”Keysays.“Threesetsoffiverepsorsoshouldbefineforbeginners.”

ROMAN-CHAIRSITUPEXPERT:MattKroczaleski isaworld-classpowerlifterwhohassquatted1,014poundsanddeadlifted810atabody-weightof242pounds.WHYIT’SEFFECTIVE: “This exercise is a compoundmovement that forcesyoutoflexyourabsreallyhardtomaintainstability,”Kroczaleskisays.“Italsoworksyourhipflexors.That’sthekindofstrengthyouneedwhenyou’reunderanincrediblyheavysquat.”HOWTODO IT: Position yourself on a roman chair or bench so thatwhenyour legs are straight, your waist extends past the pad with your lower legsanchored.Holdaplateatyourchestorforeheadandslowlyleanbackusingyourabsuntilyou’rehorizontal,suspendingyourselfbyyourfeet.Crunchyourabstoreturntothe90-degreeuprightposition.HOWMUCHTODO:Startwithyourbodyweightforsetsof10,thengraduallyaddweight,keepingyourreprangeat6-10perset.

BARBELLROLLOUTEXPERT: Joel Jamieson is the author ofUltimateMMA Conditioning, and astrength and conditioning coach toMMA fighters Rich Franklin,Chris LebenandMattBrown.WHYIT’SEFFECTIVE:“It’sthesameexerciseyou’ddowithalittleabwheel,onlyyoucanchangetheheightofyourhandswithabarbell,”Jamiesonsays.“It’saphenomenaloverallabmove.”HOW TO DO IT: Place a loaded barbell on the floor—Jamieson likes usingeither 45-or 25-pound plates—then bend over and grasp it with an overhand,shoulder-widthgrip.Rollthebarforwardandpastyourheaduntilyourbodyisfullyextended,nearlyhorizontal,andyourarmsareinlinewithyourbody.Thenreturntothestartposition.HOW MUCH TO DO: “This isn’t an exercise I’d prescribe for beginners,”Jamiesonsays.“Butifyou’reabletodoreps,I’dsuggestthreesets,stoppingonerepshyoffailureeachtime.”

EXERCISE-BALLMOUNTAINCLIMBER

EXPERTS: Shannon Turley is the strength and conditioning coach for theStanfordUniversityfootballteam,andRossBowsheristheassistantstrengthandconditioningcoachforButlerUniversitybasketballteaminIndianapolis.WHYIT’SEFFECTIVE: “We invest somuch in this exercisebecause it trainsthecoretorun,”Turleysays.“Itservesthedualroleofstabilizingthetorso,andcreatingstability inone legandmobility intheother,comingfromthecore.Ifyoucan’tstabilizeyourcore,youcan’tdoit.”HOWTODOIT:Getinpushuppositionwithyourforearmsonanexerciseballand your feet together, then drive one knee as high as you can, keeping yourshoulder,head,kneeandankleinastraightline.Bringyourkneeasclosetoyourchestasyoucanandstabilizeyourtorsowithyourshoulders.HOWMUCHTODO:Bowsherrecommendsstartingwiththreesetsof10repswith each knee, then increasing your training volume as you become familiarwiththemovement.

HANGINGLEGRAISEVARIATIONEXPERT: Josh Bryant, C.S.C.S., is a trainer at legendary MetroFlex Gym inArlington, TX.At 22, hewas the youngestman in history to bench-press 600poundswithoutsupportiveequipment.WHYIT’SEFFECTIVE:“Reallifehappensallaroundyou,all360degreesofit,”Bryant says. “But for the sagittal plane—wheremost training in the gym takesplacewith squatting, benching, and curls—hanging leg raiseswith static holdsarethebestexerciseI’vefoundforstrengtheningtheabs.”HOWTODOIT:Hangfromanoverheadpullupbar.Keepingyourlegsstraightand feet together, raise your feet towaist level, hold for a second, then spreadyourlegsasfarapartasyoucan.Holdthispositionforasecond,bringyourfeetbacktogether,thenslowlylowertothestart.HOWMUCHTODO:Thisisaverydifficultexercisetodoforreps,soBryantsuggestssimplyperformingthreesetstothepointwhereyoucannolongeruseproperform.

DECLINE-BENCHREVERSECRUNCHEXPERT: Hany Rambod is the creator of the FST-7 bodybuilding trainingprotocolandtrainertoMr.OlympiawinnersJayCutlerandPhilHeath.WHY IT’S EFFECTIVE: “This movement fires the abs in probably the mosteffectivewaypossible,”Rambodsays.“Inmyexperience,itmakesyoumoresorethananyotherexercise.Ithitsboththelowerandupperabs,especiallywhenyouliftyourhipstowardtheceiling.”

HOWTODO IT: Lie faceup on a decline benchwith your head higher thanyourhipsandgraspthetopofthebenchwithyourhandsaboveyourhead.Raiseyourkneestoyourelbowsasyouliftyourhipsandglutesoffthebench.Slowlyloweryourhipsandkneestoreturntothestartposition.HOWMUCHTODO:Forbeginners,Rambodrecommendsmultiplesetsof10-15reps.

F

CHAPTER15

FEEDYOURABS

YOURTRAININGWON’TGETYOUCUTIFYOURDIETISOUTOFWHACK.THESE13SIX-PACK-PROMOTINGFOODS

NEEDTOBEONYOURGROCERYLIST.

romnowon, you’re going to ask yourself onequestionbefore you eat anyfood: “Will it help me build abs?” If your answer is no…well, we won’t

patronize you. But we’vemade knowingwhat to eat simpler by collecting themostabs-friendlyfoodsintheworld—alistassembledforusbyRyanAndrews,R.D.,C.S.C.S.,directorofeducationatPrecisionNutrition,anutritioneducationcompanyinToronto.Themoreofthesesuper-foodsyoucanworkintoyourdiet—innoparticularorder—theleaneryou’llget.

KALEThis leafygreen is“caloriedilute,”meaning it’srelatively lowincalories for its

sizeandispackedwithfiber.Kaleisalsoloadedwithminerals,includingcalciumandiron.ANDREWS SAYS: “Getting enough calcium might actually help to regulateappetite, alter howmuch fat is absorbed into your gut, and improve your cells’ability to use fat as an energy source.When you don’t have enough iron in thebody,youdon’thaveenoughoxygengettingtocells,whichleadstounproductiveworkoutsandfatigue.”NUTRITIONFACTSCHOPPEDKALE,1CUP33calories2gprotein7gcarbs0gfat1gfiber

MUSHROOMSVery low in both total calories and carbs, not to mention it’s fat-free, themushroom’smain selling point is that it’s a very good source of vitaminD—whichhasbeenshowntoaidinfatlossaswellasboosttestosteroneandstrengthlevels.ANDREWS SAYS: “Nearly every tissue and cell in our body has a vitamin Dreceptor, and low levels of vitaminD have been associated with loss ofmuscle,loweredimmunity,andloweredinsulinsensitivity.LasttimeIchecked,thesethreethingsdidn’thelpanyonegetaleanbody.”NUTRITIONFACTSRAWWHITEMUSHROOMS,1CUP21calories3gprotein3gcarbs0gfat1gfiber

WALNUTSTheabundanceofhealthyomega-3fatsinwalnutsmakeitagreatsnacktotideyou over until your next meal. Adding chopped walnuts to a salad or otherrecipescaninstantlyturnacarb-centricdishintoamorebalancedone.ANDREWSSAYS:“Peopletendtodoreallywellfromasatietystandpointwheneatingwhole, raw nuts. You’ll feelmore satisfied after eating because of the fatcontent.”NUTRITIONFACTSWALNUTS,1OZ183calories

4gprotein4gcarbs18gfat2gfiber

ROLLEDOATSYes,oatsarecarbs,whichtosomearetheabs’ultimateenemy.Butoatscanbesix-packfriendly,thankstotheirresistantstarch.Moststarchesgetbrokendownintoglucoseand,when there’sa surplus,areeventually storedasbody fat.Butnotresistantstarch.Itdoesn’tgetbrokendownandendsupactinglikefiberinthebody.ANDREWSSAYS:“Becauseyoudon’tabsorb theresistant starch inrolledoats,thefoodactuallyhasfewercaloriesthanindicatedonthelabel.”NUTRITIONFACTSDRYOATS,½CUP190calories7gprotein32gcarbs3.5gfat5gfiber

SWEETPOTATOMost starchy carbs should be eaten sparingly when trying to shed body fatbecause of their effect on insulin levels.When insulin climbs in response to astarchenteringthebloodstream,fatburningshutsdown.Sweetpotatoesareanexception.You’renotlikelytoovereatthemduetotheirfiberandwatercontent.They’realsoagoodsourceofvitaminsAandB6,andmineralsmanganeseandpotassium.ANDREWS SAYS: “Squash is a great option, too. It’s loaded withmicronutrients.”NUTRITIONFACTSSWEETPOTATO,5-INCHESLONG112calories2gprotein26gcarbs0gfat4gfiber

BRUSSELSSPROUTSLoaded with vitamins and minerals, Brussels sprouts are one of the bestsources of vitamin C you can find. (If you’re the type who’s avoided themsince childhood, we won’t ask you to eat them a lot—although you may

changeyourmindifyoudrizzlethemwitholiveoil,addadustingofseasalt,andbake.)Sproutsarelowincaloriesbuthighinfiber.ANDREWSSAYS:“Thefrozenkindarejustasbeneficial.”

NUTRITIONFACTSRAWSPROUTS,1CUP38calories3gprotein8gcarbs0gfat3gfiber

LEAN,GRASS-FEDBEEFAny intense fat-burning trainingprogram(like theones found in thisbook)will alsoburnupmuscle tissue if you’renot getting enoughprotein in yourdiet. Grass-fed beef has copious amounts, along with other beneficialingredients like omega-3s and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a chemicalthat’sbeenlinkedtofatburning.CowsraisedongrasscontainmoreCLAthancorn-orgrain-fedbeef.ANDREWSSAYS:“Pasture-raisedcowsareoftenhealthierthanonesraisedonfactoryfarms.”

NUTRITIONFACTS

TENDERLOIN,6OZ258calories36gprotein0gcarbs12gfat0gfiber

EGGSForgetthattheyolkshavesaturatedfat(whichhavebeenwronglylabeledas“bad”).Studieshaveshownthateatingwholeeggsforbreakfastcanhelplead

togreaterfatlossbecauseofthesatiatingeffectsofthefood’sfatandproteincontent.Eggyolksarealsoloadedwithvitamins,includingvitaminD,whichisnotfoundinhighamountsinfoodandhasbeenlinkedtofatburning.ANDREWSSAYS:“I’mbigongettingthehighest-qualityeggsyoucanfind.Don’tjustbuythecheapestdozenatthestore.Geteggsthatarefedthehighest-qualityfeed.Cage-free,organiceggsareusuallyamongthebest.”

NUTRITIONFACTSEGG,1LARGE71calories6gprotein0gcarbs5gfat0gfiber

AVOCADOThehealthy-fatandfibercontentinanavocadomakeitagreatfat-burningfoodforonesimplereason:satiety.You’llfeelfulleraftereatingonlyasmallamount,makingyoulesslikelytoovereat.ANDREWSSAYS:“Whenwe eat enoughhealthy, omega-3 fats over time, theyactuallybecomepartofourbodycellsandincreaseourabilitytousebodyfatasanenergysource.”NUTRITIONFACTSAVOCADO,1CUP,SLICED234calories3gprotein

12gcarbs21gfat10gfiber

HEMPSEEDSThis isn’t the first food that comes to mind for most people when puttingtogether a get-leandiet, buthemp seeds are loadedwith completeprotein andarealsoadecentsourceofomega-3fatsandfiber.Addthesetoyournextshake,andyou’regettinggreatmuscle-buildingbenefitsontopofsatiety.ANDREWSSAYS:“Hempseedshaveaniceflavorandofferthefullgamutofget-leaningredients.”NUTRITIONFACTSHEMPSEEDS,4TBSP320calories22gprotein14gcarbs20gfat2gfiber

WILDSALMONSalmonischock-fullofnutrientsthathelpyougetbetterabsASAP—specificallyprotein, omega-3 fats, vitaminD, and calcium. Like ameal with eggs, dinnerbuilt around a salmon fillet will leave you satisfied because it helps build andrepairmuscles.ANDREWS SAYS: “Fish can be unsustainably harvested and contaminated.That’swhyit’simportanttochoosewild,notfarmed,salmon.It’salsoimportanttofigureoutwhichoceanthefishwascaughtin,andthenmakesurethatareaisn’tbeing overfished.” Andrews recommends checking the Seafood Watch atmontereybay-aquarium.org before deciding what type of salmon to purchase.“Cheapseafoodissuspect.”NUTRITIONFACTSWILDATLANTIC,½FILLET,COOKED280calories39gprotein0gcarbs13gfat0gfiber

DRINKTOTHIS:HERBALTEACaloriesfrombeveragesareamajorabs-killerforthosehookedonsugar-filledStarbucksconcoctions,energydrinks,andregularsoda.Drinkingwaterisalwaysagoodoption,butwheregettingasix-packisconcerned,herbalteaisevenbetter.Compoundsfoundingreen,white,andblackteaarebelievedtospeedupmetabolism,evenifonlyslightly,andthecaloriereductionfromswitchingoverfrommacchiatosandlattescanmeasureinthehundredsperday.Thisway,youdon’thavetogiveupyourcoffee;justmakesuretodrinkitblack.Creamandsugararephysiquewreckers.

BLACKBEANSBeansareagreatmultitaskingfoodinthattheyprovidefiber,arerelativelylowincalories,andareagoodsourceofprotein.Black(orlentil)beansaregreatinsaladsortohaveonthesidewithanother leansourceofproteinlike leanbeef,chicken,orfish.ANDREWSSAYS:“They’regreatforsatietybecauseoftheproteinandfiber.”NUTRITIONFACTSBLACKBEANS,½CUP,RAW331calories21gprotein60gcarbs3gfat14gfiber

PEARSHowmanypeoplehaveyouknownwhogotfatfromeatingwholefruits?Zero.Likekale,pearsarecaloriediluteandrich infiber.They’re ideal foraguywhoneedstomakeeveryfoodcountwhileavoidingacaloriesurplus.ANDREWS SAYS: “You’d have to eat about eight pounds of pears a day tooverdoitoncalories.It’ssotoughtoovereatthemintheirwholeform.Don’teatthemdried—yougetmoresugarwithoutthefillingwater.”NUTRITIONFACTSPEAR,1LARGE133calories1gprotein36gcarbs0gfat7gfiber

FOODFORTHOUGHTNutritionist RyanAndrews, R.D., C.S.C.S., offers these simple guidelines for getting lean—nocalorie-countingrequired

LISTENTOHUNGERCUES.Payattentiontowhatyourbodytellsyou.Listenwhenitsaysyou’rehungry andwhen you’renot. If you’re kindof hungry, it’s probably time to eat.When you’renolongerhungry,stopeating.Someguysjustloadupuntilthey’restuffed,whileothersletthemselvesgettoohungryduringtheday,whichleadstomakingbaddecisionsandovereatinglateron.Eatjustenoughtoholdyouoverforafewhours,tokeepaniceflowofaminoacidstoyourmusclesandkeepyourmetabolismhighallday.

EAT PROTEIN AT EVERY MEAL. Though Andrews isn’t big on one specific protein-intakerecommendation,headviseshavingproteinateveryfeeding.(M&Frecommendsatleastonegramofprotein per pound of body weight per day, even on a fat-burning diet.) Ample protein intakeincreasessatietyandpromotesmusclegrowthanda fastermetabolism—allofwhichwillhelpyoumaximizeleanness.

DON’TRULEOUTCARBS.“Idon’trecommendgoinglow-carbtogetlean,butcutoutthecrappycarbs(cereal,chips,crackers,etc.),”Andrewssays.Ifyourcarbsarefromwholeoats,vegetables,andfruits, youwon’t store extra fat. “It’s tougher toovereat them.People saypotatoesor yamsmakethemfat.But it’sall thesourcream,butter,andcheeseyouputon it.Oftentimesacarb food isavehicleformorefat,sugar,andsalt.”>>Goeasyondairy.Andrewssaystherearen’tmanybenefitsinaddingdairytothediet.“Mostofthenutrientsyougetfromdairyyoucangeteasilyfromothersources,”hesays,“andalotofitisreallyeasytoovereat.”

USEPROTEINPOWDERS.They’reusefulifyouhavetroubleeatingproteinfoodsfrequently,andmuchmoreconvenientthancookingandluggingaroundchickenandbeefregularly.>>Splurgeonrealdesserts.Whenpeoplediet,theytendtoembracelow-sugaricecreamandsugar-freepudding.Becausethesefoodsaren’tassatisfying,peopleoverindulge.Infact,Andrewspoints

outthatsomeofthese“fake”dessertscanendupbeingover1,000calories.Justeatasmallcookie.

F

CHAPTER16

NEXTLEVELOFLEAN

GETHARDCOREINYOURFAT-BURNINGEFFORTSWITHTHESESEVENADVANCEDSTRATEGIES

at loss has been a hot topic for about the last 50 years. The abs-obsessedpublicseemstohaveaninsatiableappetiteforallthingsripped,andaslewof

fat-loss information is proffered everywhere you look.Mainstreammagazinestout diets that focus on whole grains while tabloids hawk the grapefruit-onlymealplanthatgotsomepopstardownto122pounds(butstillat28%bodyfat).

Ifyou’rearegularMuscle&Fitnessreader,mostofthatfat-lossinfoavailableforpublicconsumptionjustisn’trelevanttoyou:It’seitherwaytoobasicorjustplain ridiculous. When “toned” is too soft and “fit” is too flimsy, you needsomethingthat’smoreadvanced.Withyourkindoftrainingscheduleandcleandiet, you need a serious, hardcore fat-loss plan—something that can take youfrom“Thatguyisprettyfit”to“Thatguyisripped!”

These tips can help. They’re designed specifically for the seasoned,experienced lifter who never skips workouts and already eats a clean andconscientiousdietbutwantstotakehisleannesstoanotherlevel.

1USEENERGYFLUXWhen it comes to fat loss, the amount of calories you “turn over” iscrucial.This is called energy flux, commonly referred to asG-Flux, andit’stherelationshipbetweencaloricintakeandexpenditure.

Mostpeople lookat fat loss as calories in (eaten)vs. caloriesout (burned).And while that somewhat-crude model works, G-Flux improves upon it. Itdemonstrates that when you eat more and exercise more—even at the samecaloriebalance—youmaintaina fastermetabolic rateandabetter ratioof leanmasstofatmass.

Research conducted at theUniversity ofColorado-Boulder has shown thathigh energy flux can significantly alter restingmetabolic rate. In otherwords,whenG-Fluxisincreased,there’sacorrespondingboostinsympatheticnervous-system activity. This causes an upward shift in metabolic rate and improvednutrientpartitioning.

Let’s say you’re dieting, eating 2,000 calories per day while burning 2,500calories.Becauseyou’re inanegativeenergybalance (minus-500calories), youshouldbelosingweight.Yetifyouweretoadd1,000caloriestoyourdiet(3,000calories total) and burn another 1,000 calories (3,500 calories total), you’d seesomehugebody-compositionbenefits.

First, your metabolism would be about 10%-15% higher because it won’t

2

detect a reduction in calories. Second, you’d increase your leanmass becauseyour muscles would be constantly supplied with amino acids through yourproteinintake.Bothfactorscontributetosignificantfatloss.Third,you’davoidfeelings of deprivation since you’d be eatingmore. In fact, some bodybuildersactually consumemore calories at the onset of a fat-loss phase in conjunctionwithanincreaseinexercisevolume.

So the take-homemessage is this:Whenkickingoff an advancednutritionprogram, boost both your total calorie-burning and total food intake. As ageneralrule,thebestfatlosshappenswhenyouexercise7-10hoursaweekandeattherightfoodsattherighttimes.

TIMEYOURNUTRIENTSIfyouaren’tfamiliarwithnutrienttiming,you’remissingout.Thatcouldbe a limiting factorwhen it comes to improving your health, physique,andperformance.

Traditional exercise nutrition focused on what to eat and how much.Research from the last five years, however, shows that when you eat may beequally important.Thinkof yourdaily food intake as falling into oneof thesethreecategories:beforestrengthtraining,afterstrengthtraining,andtherestoftheday.Beforeyouhitthegym,yourfocusshouldbetoconsumeawheyproteinshake with 5-10 grams of added branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) forcellular energy and the initiationofmuscle recovery. Sincemaximal fat loss isyourgoal, avoid carbs at this time.Within2-3hours after yourworkout, yourfocusshouldbetoconsumemealshighinproteinandcarbohydrates,andlowinfat.Thiscombinationhelpsquicklystimulatemuscle-proteinsynthesisaswellasglycogen resynthesis. The first of thesemeals should be a whey protein shakewithaddedBCAAs(seetipNo.5)within30minutesaftertheworkout.Atthistime you can also eat some fast-digesting carbs (20-40 grams), such as whitebread or sorbet. Have a whole-food meal 1½-2 hours after this that’s rich inprotein and moderate in slow-digesting carbs (sweet potatoes, brown rice, orbeans).

Ofcourse,allothermealswouldfallintothe“restoftheday”category.Keepthemhighinproteinandhealthyfats,andlowincarbs.Thishelpskeepinsulinlevelsdownwhilepreservingmusclemass.

Intheend,nutrienttimingallowsyoutotakeadvantageofspecificwindowsofopportunitywhenproteinandcarbohydratesaremostefficientlyused.Under

3

these conditions, the perfect balance between fat loss andmuscle preservationcanbeachieved.

BURNFATWITHFISHOILOmega-3fatssuchasflaxoilandfishoilwereoncetheexclusivedomainof health nuts and gym rats. Yet in the last few years the mainstreamconsumerhasbeguntoembracetheiruse.Unfortunately, in theprocess

theweightliftingcommunityseemstohaveforgottenhowpowerfulthesedietaryfatsare.

Currentresearchmayreviveourinterestinomega-3fats,especiallytheEPA-and DHA-rich fish oil. Research from the University of Western Ontario inCanadahasshownthatsupplementingwithfishoilcanboostrestingmetabolicrateby300-400caloriesperday.Inaddition,newresearchindicatesthatfishoilcanimprovecarbtoleranceanddecreaseinflammation,andithasbeenfoundtoprovideahostofbenefitsacrossthehealthandwellnessspectrum.

Be aware, however, that the minimum dosages recommended by mostmanufacturersaretoolowtoofferthephysiquebenefitsmosthard-trainingguysare looking for. For maximum benefit, start off a fat-loss program by takingabout1gramoffishoilperpercentbodyfat,uptoamaximumof30grams.Soifyour body fat is 15%, you’d take 15 grams of fish oil.After about fourweeks,

4dropthedosetoabout0.5gramperpercentbodyfat.Ifyoudon’thaveaprecisetakeonyourbody fatpercentage,gowith12-15grams for the first fourweeksandthencutitinhalfto6-7gramsafterthat.

CYCLEYOURCALORIESAsyourdietprogressesandyourcaloriesdrop,yourexercisevolumewillhave to increase. This creates a highly negative energy balance that’lleventually cause ametabolic slowdown.But that’s not all; sex hormone

and anabolic hormone output will also diminish. This means your fat-lossprogresswilldropwhilemusclebeginstowasteaway.

To prevent this results-squashing sequence of events, start cycling yourcalories in the later stagesof a fat-lossprogram, at about the8-10-weekmark.Butinsteadofjustcyclingcalories,cycleyourmacronutrientsaswell.Onegreatwaytodothisistodevisefourdifferentmenuplans(seeaccompanyingsidebar).By varying your amounts of calories, carbs, and fats, you prevent falling into“starvationmode”andmakeyourfatlossmorecontinuous.Inaddition,avarieddietlikethisoneispsychologicallyeasiertofollow.

MENU1:Lowcalories,lowercarbs,lowfatMONDAY,TUESDAY,FRIDAY,SATURDAY-9caloriesperpoundofbodyweight-50-70gcarbs/day-30-60gfat/day-Proteinmakesuptherestofyourcalories.

MENU2:Moderatecalories,highercarbs,lowfatTHURSDAY-11caloriesperpoundofbodyweight-100-140gcarbs/day-30-60gfat/day-Proteinmakesuptherestofyourcalories.

MENU3:Highcalories,highcarbs,highfatSUNDAY-13caloriesperpoundofbodyweight-200-280gcarbs/day-60-120gfat/day

5

-Proteinmakesuptherestofyourcalories.

MENU4:Highcalories,lowcarbs,highfatWEDNESDAY-13caloriesperpoundofbodyweight-30-50gcarbs/day-60-120gfat/day-Proteinmakesuptherestofyourcalories.

BCAAs&CREATINEManydietersfindthattheirmusclemassreallystartstodropoffasadietcontinues.Tocombatthis, trysupplementingwithBCAAsandcreatine.TheBCAAs, especially leucine, have powerful anti-catabolic effects that

canhelpstimulateproteinsynthesisandapositiveproteinbalance.Creatinecanassistinthepreservationofmuscle-cellvolumeaswellasperformanceduringalow-calorie phase. Both can also aid fat loss. Together, these supplements canhelppreventmusclelossduringastrictdiet.

Thebest strategy is to take5-10gramsofBCAAswithbreakfast,yourpre-andpost-workoutshakes,andameallateintheday.Take2-5gramsofcreatinewithyourpre-andpost-workoutshakes.Onrestdays,takecreatinewithBCAAsatbreakfast.

6

7

EATMOREWHOLEFOODThis practical tip is based on years of experience. When you followadvanceddietingprinciples thataimtotakeyou intothe landofsingle-digitbodyfatpercentages,you’regoingtobehungry.Infact,sometimes

you’ll be famished. Somake sure thatmost of your calories come fromwholefoodsinsteadofshakes.

Whole-food meals consisting of lean meats, healthy fats, vegetables, andunprocessedcarbohydratesareslowertodigest,keepingyousatisfiedlonger.Inaddition, these foodsdeliver a steady supplyofbloodglucoseandaminoacidsbetweenmeals.Continuedrinkingproteinshakesaroundworkouts, though,asthey’llhelpyoubuildmoremuscle.

IMPROVEYOURSLEEPMostpeopledon’tassociatefatlosswithsleepquality,butthere’sahugelink between the two. Getting inadequate sleep not only triggerscarbohydrate cravings but also stimulates appetite-increasing hormones

aswellasmuscle-wastingstresshormonessuchascortisol. Interestingly,manydieters find it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep as their energy balancebecomesmorenegative.That’sbadnewsforfatloss.Ifyoubegintosufferfrom

sleepabnormalities,tryoneofthesetwocoursesofaction:Ifyouthinkyoumightsufferfromelevatedlevelsofeveningcortisol(which

canbemeasuredwithasalivaryhormonetest),trytaking100-200milligramsofphosphatidylserine at dinner and another 100-200mg before bed.Phosphatidylserine effectively decreases cortisol levels so you can fall asleepagain.

If youdon’t believe it’s a cortisol issue, try supplementingwithZMA.Themagnesiumwillhelpimproveyoursleepquality.Plus,thezincandmagnesiumcanhelpboostfatloss,andsizeandstrengthgains.Ifyouneedamorehardcoresleep supplement, try a combination of L-theanine (100-200mg), 5-hydroxytryptophan (50-300mg), and phenibut (100-500mg) about 30minutesbeforebedtime.Theseingredientshelpcalmthecentralnervoussystem,allowingyoutowinddownandfallasleep.

Although these strategies are highly effective, relying on drugs orsupplementstofallasleepeverynightcanbecomeaproblem.Dependencyisnojoke.Limityouruseofeitherstrategytofournightsperweek.

EXERCISELOG

TRACKYOURPROGRESSKEEPINGAJOURNALOFYOURTRAININGANDDIETWILL

HELPYOUSTAYONTRACK.HEREARETHREEBLANKJOURNALPAGESYOUCANPHOTOCOPYTOGET

YOUSTARTED.